The final six games before the Olympic break will be massive for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three in a row on their Western road trip.
They started out by beating the Seattle Kraken 6-3 on Monday, then the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Wednesday, and the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on Thursday. They were by far the better team in each game and won all three in different ways.
On Monday, the depth really shone through with Connor Dewar scoring two goals, one of which was shorthanded. Brett Kulak, Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, and Rickard Rakell also scored.
Wednesday's game against the Flames was a defensive clinic for the Penguins, limiting the Flames to only 19 shots and five high-danger chances at 5v5. Thursday saw the Penguins blitz former teammate Tristan Jarry with three goals in 37 seconds in the first period, and he could never recover. They also held Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to a combined zero points, which shows how well this team is humming right now.
They have six games left before the Olympic break, and I can't stress enough how important they are for the Penguins. They're a chance for them to really solidify themselves in the top three of the Metropolitan Division, and four of them will be against teams not currently in playoff position.
The first will be on Sunday against a Vancouver Canucks team that is simply going through it. They've only won five games at home this season and have the worst record in the NHL at 17-29-5. They've already traded Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, and more moves should be on the way as we get closer to the trade deadline.
Next week, the Penguins will return home for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. The Blackhawks had a nice start to the season, but are 21-22-8 through 51 games. They've also given up the sixth-most scoring chances against and the most high-danger chances against at 5v5 this season.
The Rangers are once again a mess after releasing another letter to their fans, explaining that they will be doing a retool since they're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers have lost eight of their last nine games, including Friday's game against the San Jose Sharks, and are still without star goaltender Igor Shesterkin and star defenseman Adam Fox.
Jan 22, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate a goal scored by forward Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesThe Penguins' final three games before the break will come against the Ottawa Senators, who have taken a really big step back this season, the New York Islanders, who are trying to catch them for second place in the Metropolitan Division, and the Buffalo Sabres, who have been on fire for the last month and a half.
For whatever reason, the Senators have been a matchup nightmare for the Penguins over the past few seasons, with the Penguins losing eight of their last 10 against them. That said, the Senators have lost seven of their last 10 games and face an uphill climb for the rest of the season.
That Islanders game on Long Island is a four-point game that could go a long way in the standings. This will be the second of three meetings between the Penguins and the Islanders this season, following the Penguins' 4-3 win in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9. It could also be a potential first-round preview, since the two teams are neck and neck in the standings.
Finally, the Sabres have been a wagon as of late and have been a ton of fun to watch. Tage Thompson is especially doing his thing this year with 26 goals and 52 points in 50 games, and they've also gotten contributions from a lot of other players throughout their lineup, including Josh Doan, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn, and their goaltenders.
They're trying to end their long playoff drought since they haven't made the postseason since the 2010-11 season.
A big run during these six games would give the Penguins even more breathing room in the standings since their March schedule is especially difficult. They'll be playing virtually every other day in that month, and against some of the top teams in the league. Let's see how these next couple of weeks go.
(Data via Natural Stat Trick).
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