The Pittsburgh Penguins have been nothing short of astounding so far this year. There have certainly been some highs and some lows, but it seems that the highs have been outweighing the lows. They’ve been able to battle through constant injuries and absences in the lineup, leading to a solid record. Earlier this season, they went on a five-game winning streak and then a 10-game winning streak. Could the Pittsburgh Penguins start yet another winning streak?
The Last Three Games
The Pittsburgh Penguins faced off against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 8. The game started off a little rocky with David Pastrnak scoring twice in one period against Tristan Jarry. Then, an unlikely hero sparked the team. Danton Heinen scored twice in 28 seconds, which then led to another goal from Sidney Crosby with Bryan Rust capping the scoring at 4-2. Talk about an exciting game.
On Thursday, the Penguins went against the Ottawa Senators, and there was yet another unlikely hero. Jeff Carter struck first with a goal in the first period and Rust scored an empty-net goal. However, the real talk of the town that day was Casey DeSmith. He started after struggling for most of the season but was able to stop all 26 shots against him to walk away with a shutout.
The most recent game was Sunday against the New Jersey Devils. The first period went without a goal, but then the Devils’ Jack Hughes struck. Then, defenseman Mike Matheson was able to clap back, so it was 1-1 going into the third. Then, things kicked off as the Penguins scored three more with goals from Rust, Brian Boyle and Jake Guentzel. The Devils scored once more, so Pittsburgh was able to walk away with a 4-2 win.
Predictions
In professional sports, any fan knows that anything can happen. The Penguins could go on another 10-game winning streak, or they could lose the rest of the games in February. However, this team most certainly has the mentality needed to succeed. The amount of leadership in the locker room is almost unprecedented. The team has guys like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Jeff Carter that know a thing or two about keeping their head in the game.
Prior to winning the last three games, the Penguins were on a four-game losing streak. They could’ve let that go to their heads and let it affect their play, but they didn’t. They picked themselves up and got things done. That sort of mentality is needed if the team is to succeed, and words can’t express how paramount it is during the postseason.
The team has played quite well these past few games as they’ve been firing on all cylinders. The offense is seemingly having no issue putting pucks in the back of the net. The defense has been doing a good job contributing in the offensive zone as well as shutting down the opposition. Finally, the goalies, both Jarry and DeSmith, have been fantastic. This team looks like it has all of the tools to succeed.
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