The Pittsburgh Penguins are starting a five-game home stand. PITTSBURGH - The grind of an NHL season is never an easy swing, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have had an especially difficult run so far. In their first 22 games of the season, the Penguins have played 14 road games and six sets of back-to-backs. Despite a seven game losing streak, it’s safe to say the team was relatively successful, hitting an 11-8-3 record and in a tie for third in the Metropolitan Division. It was a tough trek, but now the Penguins are being dealt a new hand. They kicked off a five-game home stand with 11 of the next 15 games coming at PPG Paints Arena. Head coach Mike Sullivan spoke on the importance of being a tough team to play against at home. “I think it’s important for us to establish ourselves as a stingy team at home,” Sullivan said. More than just a lot of home cooking, the Penguins are about to see a lot of rivals as six of their next 15 games come against teams in the Metro. That starts right away in a battle against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team the Penguins are tied with in points. More back-to-back are on the docket; the Penguins still have nine sets remaining on the year and four of them in the next 15 games. It’ll be important for the Penguins to play a solid game despite which half of a back-to-back it may be. So far, they are 1-4-1 in second half situations and the Toronto Maple Leafs took full advantage of that in their last meeting. The Maple Leafs came to Pittsburgh and put up a 4-1 win over the gassed Penguins. It’s going to be important for the Penguins to rebound agains the Hurricane and build momentum into an equally vital run. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins Power Play Still Struggling, Bryan Rust Back with Top Unit [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-power-play-struggles-bryan-rust-top-unit] Penalty Kill Has Put the Penguins Back in Business [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/penalty-kill-put-pittsburgh-penguins-back-in-business] Kasperi Kapanen Practices on Penguins Third Line, Danton Heinen Demoted [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-kasperi-kapanen-practices-danton-heinen-demoted] Penguins Play Six Straight Fully Healthy Games Ending 22-Year Long Streak [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-play-sixth-straight-healthy-games] Penguins Top Six Among Best in NHL Analytically [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-top-six-among-best-analytically] * undefined * undefined
