The Pittsburgh Penguins will wrap up their three-game homestand on Monday, February 2, by facing the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 7 PM, with doors opening an hour earlier.
Fans attending the game will receive a Black History rally towel provided by CNX. Several organizations focused on supporting and advancing Black excellence in Western Pennsylvania will have representatives present outside the F.N.B. Club behind Section 104. The Penguins Foundation plans to sell warm-up pucks and autographed specialty pucks, with proceeds directed toward diversity youth hockey programs and initiatives.
The matchup can be watched on SportsNet Pittsburgh or heard on 105.9 The X and through the Penguins app.
Currently, Pittsburgh holds a record of 28-14-11 while Ottawa stands at 26-21-7. The Penguins have collected points in 16 of their last 22 games against Ottawa since March 2017 and have earned points in 28 of their past 36 meetings dating back to January 2013. In home games against Ottawa, Pittsburgh has won 14 out of the last 18 contests. This game marks the final home appearance for the Penguins before the Olympic break.
On Tuesday, forward Bryan Rust was suspended for three games due to an “Illegal Check to the Head.” He is serving his final game of suspension during this matchup. Rust currently ranks third among Pittsburgh players with 39 points this season from 18 goals and 21 assists.
The team enters this contest with both the longest active winning streak (six consecutive wins) and point streak (nine straight games earning points) in the NHL. Forward Justin Brazeau has tallied four points in as many career games against Ottawa, maintaining a plus-three rating versus them.
Pittsburgh’s penalty kill unit has successfully stopped 28 of its last 30 penalties over eight games, reflecting a success rate above ninety-three percent.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson recently reached his thirteenth season with at least thirty assists, becoming only the thirteenth defenseman in NHL history to achieve that milestone so many times.
Anthony Mantha has led Pittsburgh’s offense during its six-game win streak; he recorded two goals and notched his fourth multi-point performance in six outings on Saturday. Over this stretch, no Penguin has scored more goals or accumulated more points than Mantha, who trails only three other NHL players league-wide for goals during this period.
Since returning from the holiday break on December 25, Pittsburgh has picked up points in fifteen out of seventeen games with a record of thirteen wins, two losses, and two overtime losses—placing them near league leaders across several statistical categories.
Rookie Ben Kindel recently registered his first three-game goal streak; he is tied for fifth among all rookies for goals this season and is also noted as the youngest forward playing in the NHL right now.
Sidney Crosby approaches another personal milestone: he needs three more goals to reach thirty for a fourteenth time in his career—and fifth straight season—a feat surpassed by only six players historically and just one other active player (Alex Ovechkin).
Throughout fifty-three games played so far this season, Pittsburgh has scored first in thirty-two contests—more than all but one other team—and leads most first periods except for one rival club. Only Colorado Avalanche have spent more total time leading games than Pittsburgh this year.
Egor Chinakhov has contributed eight points since joining Pittsburgh at the start of January; during those fifteen games he’s helped lead the team to an eleven-win tally out of fourteen matches played when he is dressed.
Crosby continues to add multi-point performances; he now sits just one such effort away from tying Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne for third-most multi-point games in NHL history.
