Penguins Enjoying 2nd Half Resurgence As Playoffs Near
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Penguins are on an absolutely torrid stretch at the moment.
Riding a six-game winning streak, the Penguins have climbed into third place in the Metropolitan Division. Over their last 18 games against division foes, the Penguins are 14-3-1.
This is a far cry from the darker days earlier this season, which saw the Pens on the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
A combination of factors has contributed to the Pens' surge in the standings.
One such factor is Sidney Crosby's amazing second half of the season.
When the 2015 calendar year ended, Sid only had 9 goals and 28 points. Frankly, he did not look like he was enjoying coming to the rink every day. Since then, Crosby has been on an absolute tear that has seen him rise to third in the NHL scoring race.
The buzz about Sidney being named the league MVP is getting louder too.
Chicago's Patrick Kane seemed to have the award locked up midway through the season, but has faded of late.
Crosby has now scored over 30 goals for the seventh time in his career. He is showing no signs of cooling down and is currently riding a 12-game point streak.
He is not only scoring, but playing a complete game, often playing goal line to goal line on each shift and breaking up chances in the defensive end.
Another reason for the turnaround is a commitment to team speed through acquisitions made by General Manager Jim Rutherford.
Trades made in December and January to acquire defenseman Trevor Daley and winger Carl Hagelin were the catalyst to this transition. Hagelin, who the Penguins knew all too well, scored the overtime goal in Game 5 to eliminate Pittsburgh from, last year's playoffs.
Both were struggling with Chicago and Anaheim respectively, but are flourishing in Pittsburgh. It's amazing what a change of scenery and some confidence can do.
A more recent trade for speedy, puck-moving defenseman Justin Schultz from Edmonton is still fresh and too early to judge. Schultz though, appears to be adjusting nicely and got his first goal in the Pens' 6-2 win over the Capitals on Sunday.
Also, additions from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are really starting to find their game at the NHL level, which is helping to solidify the bottom two lines - something the Penguins have lacked in previous years.
While injuries have forced some of those call-ups, that group of players from the Baby Pens has played a key part recently and only look to only be getting better.
Tom Kuhnhackl, Brian Rust, Conor Sheary and Scott Wilson were all brought up this season at various points. Aside from Wilson, who is injured, all have essentially cemented their position on the Penguins' roster for the remainder of the season.
The aforementioned players have played with desire and a relentless forecheck since coming up. They've been able to keep possession of the puck and cycle well in the other team's end.
Initially, all that offensive zone time was only leading to scoring chances. Now, that group is starting to put the puck in the net. One example was the beautiful goal Sunday night by Bryan Rust, which was created by an amazing spinning pass by Kuhnhackl.
Even more impressive is that the Penguins are playing this well without Evgeni Malkin, who put the team on his back during the first half of the season and kept them afloat at times.
Malkin is out for the remainder of the regular season and is doubtful for the first round of the playoffs with an upper-body injury.
The Penguins do have some good news on the health front though, as Beau Bennett and Brian Dumoulin are game time decisions for tonight's clash with New Jersey.
Bennett will likely be slotted into one of the bottom two lines.
Of course, head coach Mike Sullivan has to take some of the credit as well.
The Penguins feel like a more confident and connected group since he took over for Mike Johnston in December.
With a coaching change and a second half turnaround, some can't help but point out the similarities to this season and 2009, which saw the Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup.
One can only hope that this year's team can produce the same result, but we will await what springtime playoff hockey brings.
At least now there is an excitement and a real buzz around this team heading in to the home stretch of the regular season. It's a real energy around the team and the city that the Pens can make a deep Stanley Cup run.
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