The first stop of the road trip for the Carolina Hurricanes was far from easy, but it yielded two points for the group as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3, in overtime on Friday night. It was the second straight game to require more than 60 minutes, with Alexander Nikishin scoring 41 seconds into overtime to get the second and incredibly valuable point.
Tonight, the middle stop takes the Canes to the Steel City for the final of four meetings with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the third clash in just under two weeks between the division foes. With as tightly contested as the last two games in Raleigh have been, this is destined to be a big game for the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division.
On the Other Side: Pittsburgh Penguins
Last meeting: For the entirety of regulation on Wednesday, the Canes and the Penguins went back and forth. The Canes led four times, but a pair of goals 23 seconds apart in the third period allowed Pittsburgh to take the lead. K'Andre Miller tied the game late in regulation to earn a point, and Sean Walker got the second in overtime, burying the pass that saw Sebastian Aho get his 700th point.
After a 2-1-2 road trip, with both extra-time losses coming in Raleigh, the Penguins returned to Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon to kick off a back-to-back. The Winnipeg Jets were in town, and the Penguins, once again, needed more than 60 minutes to decide a winner against the struggling Jets. However, they might've exercised a demon in the process.
Much like Wednesday's game, the Penguins and the Jets went back and forth during regulation. Erik Karlsson scored twice more, including the tying goal midway through the third period, to ensure the Penguins got something out of it. They failed to win the game on a power play in overtime, but they earned just their second win in 12 tries in the shootout to earn both points.
With 13 games remaining in the season, and the race within the division and the Wild Card both far from resolved, this is a massive game for both teams. For the Penguins, the difference between winning and losing is huge, especially if they have aspirations of taking the division lead from the Hurricanes. Even in the second half of a back-to-back, they will be ready to fight.
Penguins to Watch
Sidney Crosby: The Penguins' captain returned to the lineup for the first time in over a month in Raleigh on Wednesday, recording a goal and an assist. Crosby added an assist on the tying goal and the shootout winner against the Jets on Saturday. Historically, he's excellent against the Canes, and if anyone can drag his team into the fight, it's him.
Stuart Skinner: With Silovs earning the win over Winnipeg yesterday, it would take something extraordinary to keep Skinner out of the net today. If he starts, as he's expected to, it'll be his fifth time facing the Hurricanes this season, including all four Carolina-Pittsburgh meetings. He's 2-0-2 with a .908 save percentage and 14 goals against.
Hurricanes to Watch
Eric Robinson: In Friday's win over the Maple Leafs, Robinson's fingerprints were all over the team's second-period outbreak. He took a stick to the face to draw a double-minor, which the Canes struck on. Then, he earned a penalty shot and scored a goal. Robinson is just two goals shy of tying his goal total from a season ago, and he's getting hot at the end of the season.
K'Andre Miller: His game in Toronto might've been one of his best as a Carolina Hurricane. Miller scored a massive short-handed goal to round out the scoring in the second period, giving him goals in back-to-back contests after another long drought. He and his defensive partner, Sean Walker, have been strong over the last two games, and they'll need to keep that going in Pittsburgh.