Monthlong hot streak provides Penguins with momentum as 1st half of season concludes
Share this post:
By the end of this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have played 41 games, exactly half of the season.
Upcoming contests with the Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes await before the halfway point, and heading into Thursday’s home game against the Canucks, the Penguins (20-15-4) are on the outside of the playoff picture.
But not by much.
With 44 points, the Penguins are a point out of one of the Eastern Conference’s wild-card spots.
In the tight Metropolitan Division, the Penguins sit second-to-last, ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, a closer glance reveals that only five points separate the Penguins from second-place Carolina.
In between are the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals, all of whom have between 44 and 46 points.
The Penguins’ solid play over the last month has thrust them back into striking distance for a postseason spot.
Since Dec. 12, the Penguins have gone 9-3-1, accruing 19 of a potential 26 points.
“I think we’ve limited chances against, special teams have been really good, our goaltending has been awesome and the goalies have been giving us a chance every night to win games,” captain Sidney Crosby said.
Alex Nedeljkovic has proved an invaluable asset to the Penguins in buttressing Tristan Jarry.
Nedeljkovic has a 8-3-2 record, along with a 2.50 goals-against average and .922 save percentage, which rank 11th and fifth in the NHL, respectively.
Jarry, who has started 26 games to Nedeljkovic’s 12, owns a 11-12-2 record, 2.60 GAA (14th) and .912 save percentage (15th).
Highlights over the past month have included a high-scoring road win Jan. 4 against the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins and two key Metropolitan wins over the Islanders on Dec. 27 and 31.
On the season, the Penguins rank fifth in the NHL in goals against at 2.69 per game.
“That can make up for a lot of the mistakes you make when you get those big saves,” Crosby said. “(Jarry and Nedeljkovic) have been doing it all year, but they’ve especially been really good for us lately.”
The going hasn’t been perfect.
Losses to the subpar Buffalo Sabres (Jan. 6) as well as divisional foe Washington (Jan. 2), a team the Penguins are chasing in the standings, were the low-water mark over the club’s largely successful last month.
Since Dec. 12, the Penguins rank fourth in the NHL and second in the Eastern Conference with 19 points earned.
“I think we’re playing a more calculated game. I don’t think we’re playing a reckless game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think we’re playing a game that’s conducive to winning. We’re going to give ourselves a chance if we put a certain game on the ice each and every night, (and) we don’t beat ourselves.”
Health also has been a component.
Two players in particular have made their presence felt since returning from undisclosed injuries: forwards Noel Acciari and Rickard Rakell.
Acciari missed seven games between Dec. 2-16, and without him, the Penguins penalty kill suffered.
During that span, the Penguins posted a 70.3% (19 of 27) kill rate.
Acciari has been back since Dec. 18, and on the season, the penalty kill has re-emerged as one of the better units in hockey, with an 82.5% success rate that ranks ninth.
Rakell’s rough start included scoring zero goals through his first 17 games and a trip to long-term injured reserve that sidelined him for 12 games in parts of November and December.
But after getting into a groove after his return — in particular, upon joining the Penguins’ top line with Crosby and Jake Guentzel — Rakell has been producing like he did last season, when he contributed 28 goals and 32 assists.
Dating to Dec. 23, Rakell has five goals and four assists over his last eight games.
“It’s huge when you get guys back in the lineup,” Crosby said. “(Bryan Rust, Rakell, Acciari) — I think everyone tries to step up in different guys’ absence. Definitely, I think that we’ve had everybody contributing, and that’s what you need to win.”
As the Penguins turn their attention to the Canucks, followed by a game Saturday at Carolina, continuing to put together 60 minutes of sound hockey could have them owning, as opposed to eyeing, a playoff spot by the weekend’s conclusion.
“I think our guys, to their credit, are committed to playing the game a certain way, and they’re playing hard right now. They’re competing,” Sullivan said. “I give the players a lot of credit. I think we’re committed. We’re committed to each other, and I think when we do that, we’re a good hockey team.”