RALEIGH, N.C. — Nine days ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ (34-18-15) struggled through a sloppy game against the Carolina Hurricanes (42-19-6) before springing to life in the final few minutes. The Penguins scored a pair of goals with the extra attacker in the final two minutes to earn a point before suffering their league-leading 10th shootout loss. The teams have a rematch Wednesday at the Lenovo Center, concluding the Penguins’ five-game, nine-day road trip.
The puck drops just after 7 p.m.
The rising action of the Penguins’ whirlwind road trip reached what could be a high point Monday when they thoroughly beat the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche 7-2 at Ball Arena.
The Penguins were on the wrong end of the puck for much of the first period, but still led 4-2 after quick-strike tallies and a couple of highlight-reel goals by Evgeni Malkin in his return after a five-game suspension.
Besides Malkin’s pair of goals, which included a spin-o-rama and short breakaway set up by Egor Chinakhov beating two defensemen, Anthony Mantha scored on a breakaway, Elmer Soderblom buried a rebound, Erik Karlsson scored on a wrist shot through traffic, Bryan Rust netted a power-play breakaway goal, and Noel Acciari also scored a rebound marker.
The Penguins squashed Colorado in the final 40 minutes, allowing just 10 shots over the final two periods. Goalie Arturs Silovs made 25 of 27 saves in the win.
However, the big story Wednesday is the possible return of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who has been skating and taking contact after the morning skates during the road trip.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now is in Raleigh and will have the story if or when it unfolds.
Carolina ran into the juggernaut known as the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday. Columbus won 5-1 at Nationawide Arena, but not without a little bit of controversy. After Carolina fought back to close Columbus’s lead to 2-1 in the second period, Columbus scored a goal in which Danton Heinen tripped goalie Brandon Bussi behind the net. The resulting chaos ended when Bussi scrambled back to the net, but Columbus scored anyway. No goaltender interference was called, and there was no challenge.
Columbus pulled away after that. The win kept Columbus just two points behind the Penguins in the Metro Division battle for a top-three spot. Instead, the second-place Penguins lead Columbus by two, have a one-point lead on both wild-card teams (Detroit, Boston), and they are tied with the third-place New York Islanders.
The Penguins and Columbus have 15 games remaining. The Islanders, Boston and Detroit have 14.
Based on coach Dan Muse’s goalie rotation, it is Stuart Skinner’s turn in net. Frederik Andersen will play for Carolina.
If Crosby plays Wednesday, he will take his spot in the middle of the top line. Ville Koivunen will most likely come out of the lineup and Anthony Mantha to slide back to his spot with Ben Kindel and Justin Brazeau.
However, the Penguins will be without Blake Lizotte, who is out for four weeks with a hand or wrist injury. Right-handed defenseman Jack St. Ivany, whom the team activated from injured reserve Monday but was not with them in Colorado, could be available Wednesday.
How to Watch
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Radio: 105.9 The X
Expected Penguins Lines
Anthony Mantha-Rickard Rakell-Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin
Ville Koivunen-Ben Kindel-Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom-Connor Dewar-Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Ilya Solovyov-Connor Clifton
Goalie: Stuart Skinner, expected
Expected Hurricanes Lines
Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall-Logan Stankoven-Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers-Jordan Staal-Jordan Martinook
William Carrier-Mark Jankowski-Eric Robinson
Defense
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller-Sean Walker
Mike Reilly-Alexander Nikishin
Goalie: Frederik Andersen, expected
Special Teams
Penguins’ power play: 25.1%, 3rd. Penguins penalty kill: 84.5%, 1st
Hurricanes power play: 21.9%, 14th. Hurricanes penalty kill: 79.4%, 15th.
Penguins Game Notes
The series with Carolina has been a story of one-goal games. The Penguins are 3-2-3 in their last eight against Carolina. However, the Penguins are winless in their last nine games in Carolina, 0-4-5.
The Penguins have just one regulation loss against Metro Division teams this season and are 11-1-8.
Egor Chinakhov (14-14-28) is two goals and one point shy of tying his career highs of 16 goals, 29 points, respectively, which he set in the 2023-24 season. He set a new career high in assists with a helper on Monday in Colorado.
The Penguins enter tonight with four 50-point or more scorers (Sidney Crosby 59, Bryan Rust 53, Anthony Mantha 52, Evgeni Malkin 50). Only Vegas and Montreal (5) have more. The Penguins will soon tie those teams as Erik Karlsson has 49 points (7-42-49).
Noel Acciari has now scored three goals in his last four games and has four points (3-1-4) total. He also earned his 10th assist of the season Monday, the first time in his career he’s achieved that mark.
Bryan Rust is riding a four-game point streak (4-3-7) and has points in nine of his last 10 games played (6-7-13) dating back to Feb. 28.
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