Previewing the Pittsburgh Penguins West Coast swing

The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading out west, as they go on a road trip for the next five games.

After concluding a three-game homestand, the Pittsburgh Penguins head out west for a five-game road trip beginning Friday night in Anaheim. Here is how their opponents are trending, and the Penguins expected record on this trip.

The Anaheim Ducks have lost nine straight hockey games. As a result, their playoff chances have plummeted and they are now below 50%. Daniel Sprong and Marcus Pettersson have each produced 6 points since the December 3rd trade.

Anaheim only controls 47% of the even-strength shot share. They rely heavily on their goaltenders for success, as Pittsburgh native John Gibson and Ryan Miller have combined to stop nearly 94% of the shots they have faced. So the Penguins should be a favorite to win this game.

The only playoff games happening at Staples Center this spring will be featuring LeBron James and the Lakers. Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings will be on the beach. The Kings have just two players with 10 or more goals. They are a mess.

Former Kings winger Tanner Pearson has been a solid fit for the Penguins. Former Pens forward Carl Hagelin recently returned from an MCL sprain. I anticipate the Kings trading Hagelin to a playoff team prior to the trade deadline.

Here’s to hoping the Kings trade Jake Muzzin to the Penguins, too. On pace for 74 points, the Kings will be in the midst of the Jack Hughes sweepstakes when the draft lottery rolls around. Pittsburgh should win this game.

The Penguins have tremendous memories of the SAP Center. The San Jose Sharks and Pens face off there on January 15th. San Jose is playing excellent hockey right now. They have generated the most shot attempts and shots on goal in the NHL. Only Las Vegas generates more scoring chances.

With Erik Karlsson on the ice, the Sharks control a whopping 60% of the even-strength shot attempts. In net, Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have both been below average, as they each have a save percentage below .900.

Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard makes a lot of sense via trade for the Sharks. Both of these squads are on pace for 102 points. If San Jose’s goaltending improves, a rematch of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final is a real possibility. It could be a busy night for the Penguins goalies. I’ll take the Sharks to win this one.

My pre-season playoff pick of the Arizona Coyotes is not going to happen. Injuries have limited the potential of this Rick Tocchet coached squad. Top-nine forwards Michael Grabner and Nick Schmaltz are out long-term. Defenseman Jason Demers is out for the season. Elite netminder Antti Raanta has a lower-body injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Despite these key losses, Arizona is still an above-average possession team. The Coyotes have not been able to score in the crucial areas of the rink, as their high-danger shooting percentage of 9.34% is easily the worst in the NHL. The Penguins should be a favorite to win this contest.

Perhaps the NHL’s schedule makers did the Penguins a favor by allowing them to end this eight-day road trip in Vegas. After this game, the Pens are off for nine days. Following a trip to the Stanley Cup Final last spring, Vegas has a 10% chance of returning there.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the third best possession team in the NHL. As I noted earlier, they generate scoring chances at an elite rate. Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson have regressed a bit this season but they are still first-line forwards.

Former Penguins forward Ryan Reaves has a career-high 8 goals and is on pace to be a positive possession player for the first time in his career. Head Coach Gerard Gallant has relied on 34-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury in 85% of their games this season. That is too heavy of a workload and it will likely affect Fleury’s performance as the season winds down. Considering Vegas will have three days off leading up to this game, I will take them to defeat the Penguins in overtime.

So there is a preview of the Penguins five-game road trip. I have projected them to go 3-1-1 and get 7 of 10 possible points. The nine days off following the conclusion of this road trip comes at a great time for the Penguins. It will allow Justin Schultz and Zac-Aston Reese to rest up and heal their injuries. Hopefully, Kris Letang can enjoy some well-deserved time off, as he has certainly it.

Thanks for reading!