Pittsburgh Penguins forward Michael Bunting is drawing massive comparisons from head coach Mike Sullivan. PITTSBURGH — After the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered a deflating loss to the New Jersey Devils, the door to their playoff hopes feels shut and locked. Nine points back of playoff positioning with 14 games remaining, the Penguins head out West to continue their road trip against two of the league’s best teams. Here’s what to watch for as the Penguins take on the Dallas Stars. 1. PETTERSSON'S CAREER SEASON The Penguins have myriad reasons to want this season to be over, but Marcus Pettersson's play certainly is not one of them. Pettersson's played extraordinarily well this year, alternating between Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson as his partner. He's been the team's most consistent blue liner, elevated his penalty killing and net front defending, and been a steady force regardless of the pairing he skates on. Not only has he been the perfect replacement for Brian Dumoulin, but Pettersson has also had a career offensive campaign. In the Penguins' loss to the Devils, Petey scored his fourth goal [https://twitter.com/penguins/status/1770244989110435986/video/1] and 26th point of the season. It may be a modest total, but both established new career highs for the stay-at-home defenseman. As the Penguins attempt to salvage their season, Pettersson's consistent play will be of the utmost importance. 2. PAVELSKI CONTINUES DEFYING TIME If the Stars can make it out of the Western Conference, they are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. A huge reason for their success is the play of one of the league's ageless wonders, Joe Pavelski. The 39-year-old forward, selected in the 2003 NHL Draft, has 24 goals and 58 points in 70 games this season. With over 1,000 career points in the NHL, Pavelski's production defies age and time. With 11 games left in the season, he has a chance to match or surpass the age-39 seasons posted by league legends like Daniel Alfredsson and Mark Messier. In the meantime, Pavelski and Dallas' offensive attack will overwhelm the Penguins. They may not be able to stifle Jason Robertson or Roope Hintz, but keeping Pavelski (the team's third-leading scorer) off the stat sheet would be a huge success. 3. CROSBY DUE FOR BIG GAME Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is always a menace to opposing teams. He's been torturing opponents in their own arenas all season. Crosby leads the Penguins with 19 of his 33 goals away from PPG Paints Arena and has 35 total points on the road. With this matchup against the Stars and a trip to Colorado after, Crosby is in prime position to secure his 14th 70+ point season and maintain his point-per-game scoring average. The Pens are sure to continue their season-long trend of depending entirely on their future Hall of Fame captain and hope he can lead them to victory. The Penguins and Stars face off at American Airlines Center at 8:00 p.m. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Penguins Already Moving On From Erik Karlsson? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-shouldnt-move-polarizing-erik-karlsson] Penguins Trying to Hire Franchise Icon [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-trying-hire-jaromir-jagr] Forward Set To Return to Penguins Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/jesse-puljujarvi-set-return-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Penguins Could Bring Back Jake Guentzel [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-could-bring-back-jake-guentzel-offseason] Penguins Expected to Pursue Top College Free Agent [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-expected-pursue-college-free-agent-collin-graf] * undefined * undefined
