There’s always multiple factors that can influence a team’s recent performance. Sometimes, there could be some questionable calls by the referees, or other times the crowd could influence the flow of the game. Most of the time, however, it could be chalked up to a handful of players. In the case of the Pittsburgh Penguins, there have been a few recent stars that have been shining bright.
Jake Guentzel
It shouldn’t come as a shock that Jake Guentzel is on this list. In seasons prior, Guentzel has always been one of the most consistent forwards on the offense. In fact, he is easily one of the better weapons Pittsburgh has at their disposal when it comes to scoring goals. When he’s on Sidney Crosby‘s wing, there’s little stopping Crosby’s vision and innate playmaking abilities and Guentzel’s deadly wrist shot.
In these past five games, Guentzel has been extraordinary. With four goals and six points, he’s been a leader for the offense. This comes as a breath of fresh air for Guentzel as he had been struggling for most of the season. Since he’s kicked it into high-gear, it doesn’t look like the young sniper is going to be stopped any time soon.
Tristan Jarry
If there’s anyone that needed to prove themselves to the Penguins organization this season, it was Tristan Jarry. Everybody knows the rumors going around after last year’s playoff performance. Fans were demanding him to be traded, but general manager Ron Hextall saw the potential in Jarry. Lately, he’s been proving all of his doubters wrong with astounding play.
Jarry’s tallied four wins in the past five games, two of which were shutouts. Those four wins followed a disappointing loss at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. Since that game, he’s been nothing short of shocking. Jarry should be looking toward the rest of the season with the utmost confidence, because if he keeps playing like he has, then the Penguins are in for a fortuitous season.
Aston-Reese-Blueger-McGinn Line
This section was going to be only for Teddy Blueger, but that line is a package deal. The combination of Blueger, Zach Aston-Reese and Brock McGinn has seemed to be a match made in heaven. It’s no secret that the players on this line are the reason that the Penguins currently have the No. 1 penalty-killing success rate in the entire NHL.
Even then, these guys have been notching the points lately. In the last five games, Blueger has five points, McGinn three and Aston-Reese three. For a line whose near sole purpose is to play defensively, those are some impressive points. If they keep the penalty-killing at an all-time high and the points keep rolling in, then this line is going to be paramount to Pittsburgh’s success.
Of course, games can rarely be chalked up to the performance of a few players. However, these are the guys that have been the recent stars for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team as a whole has been performing immaculately lately. On the other hand, there are still quite a few games left in the season and they need to keep working as hard as they have been in order to keep winning.
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