Kasperi Kapanen scored a hat trick against the Blues but is the Pittsburgh Penguins forward all the way back? PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins wrapped up a successful five-game home stand with a three game winning streak, and are set to embark on a vitally important stretch to close out 2022. Before looking ahead, let’s take a look back at the Penguins winners and losers from the past week. WINNERS KASPERI KAPANEN In performances no one saw coming, Kasperi Kapanen returned to the lineup after a long stretch of healthy scratches and played extremely well. Kapanen was scratched from the Penguins lineup for nine of 10 games before replacing a struggling Danton Heinen. In his first game back, Kapanen didn’t score, but looked to be on the right track with improved play. The hard worked paid off in the next pair of games when Kapanen not only scored two straight game winning goals, but picked up a hat trick in the second game. Since returning to the lineup, Kapanen has played in four games and recorded five points (4G-1A). It’s been a great return, but now it is up to Kapanen to remain consistent and maintain his confidence. SIDNEY CROSBY Just when you thought Sidney Crosby would drop out of the conversation as one of the best players in the NHL, he goes on a tear not seen in a number of seasons. Crosby has been scoring at an unbelievable pace which has only been highlighted through the last week to two weeks. Currently riding a six-game point streak, Crosby has recorded eight points (5G-3A) in that time. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan spoke about just how good Crosby has been this season, saying that his game is ‘ever-evolving.’ As the rest of the NHL gets younger and faster around Crosby, he does everything he can to continue trends like this. Crosby leads the NHL at 5-on-5 points, and at the age of 35, is still one of the best players in the league. LOSERS DANTON HEINEN As much of the team trends in the positive direction, Heinen is truly one of the lone low lights of the past week. Heinen received a healthy scratch in place of Kapanen thanks to a long stretch of unproductive games. In the nine games leading up 17 games leading up to his scratches, Heinen has only been able to pick up three assists and was a minus-7. It wasn’t anywhere near where Sullivan or the Penguins wanted Heinen to be, so they had no choice but to sit him for a few games. Heinen did have to factor back into the Penguins lineup with an injury to Ryan Poehling, but didn’t do much of note. No points or shots with a single hit in just over nine minutes of ice time. Luckily for the Penguins, there hasn’t been too many other negatives; the power play still needs work, but they at least seem to be trending in the right direction. Jeff Carter hasn't looked great but he is still picking up assists on occasion and is one of the best face-off guys on the team. The Penguins continue to improve every day and working their way back into real deal conversations as one of the best teams in the NHL. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins Finish Strong Home Stand, Look Forward to Important Month [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-finish-strong-home-stand-important-month] A Change is Needed for Penguins and Jeff Carter [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-jeff-carter-change-needed] Mike Sullivan Speaks on Sidney Crosby's Play this Season [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-mike-sullivan-speaks-sidney-crosby-play] Bryan Rust Sees Time on Penguins Penalty Kill [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-bryan-rust-penalty-kill] Penguins Show Resilience in Victory Over Blue Jackets [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-resilient-victory-over-columbus-blue-jackets] * undefined * undefined
