Game Preview: 01.29.26 vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Penguins return home to take on the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 PM.

Tonight is the Penguins seventh annual Hockey Talks game, an NHL-wide initiative to break the stigma surrounding mental health. Fans can stop by the various mental health organizations in the Hall of Fame Hallway behind Section 112 for information and resources. Hockey Talks fundraising throughout the night will include proceeds from the 50/50 Raffle presented by BetRivers Online Casino and Sportsbook, mystery autographed pucks, warm-up pucks and a Hockey Talks auction featuring dozens of items including unique 'Hockey Talks' jerseys signed by some of your favorite players. Proceeds will benefit the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation's mental health initiatives and items can be found outside Section 104 and at pens.givesmart.com starting at 5 PM.

This game will be available to watch on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can listen to the game on 105.9 The X and on the Penguins app.

Team Records: PIT (26-14-11), CHI (21-23-9)

The Penguins enter tomorrow's game with points in seven of their last 10 games versus the Blackhawks (6-3-1). Pittsburgh has wins in three of their last four home games against the Blackhawks (3-1-0). The Penguins have points in 17 of their 23 games against Western Conference Opponents this season (11-6-6).

Related Links

Recent News

• Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang team up with Burton Morris and the Penguins Foundation for Charity
• 2016 Championship Reunion: Conference Final Lookback
• Defenseman Jack St. Ivany Undergoes Successful Hand Surgery
• 2016 Championship Reunion: Round 1 Lookback
• Musings: Penguins Start Hot and Get Big Win in Edmonton
• Penguins Elite Girls Program Shines at Under-18 World Championship
• Musings: Penguins Extinguish Flames
• Penguins Add to Defensive Depth with Young Blueline Ilya Solovyov
• Where You Come From Matters: Connor Clifton

GAME NOTES

QUICK HITS

Erik Karlsson has points in five of his last nine games against Chicago (3G-4A) and has 18 points (3G-15A) in 26 career games against the Blackhawks.

Tommy Novak is riding a three-game point streak (1G-3A) and has seven points (1G-6A) over his last six games.

On Tuesday, forward Bryan Rust was suspended three games for an “Illegal Check to the Head”. Rust ranks third on Pittsburgh with 39 points (18G-21A).

The Penguins have killed off 24 of their last 25 penalties over the past eight games (96%).

Stuart Skinner is a perfect 5-0-0 against the Blackhawks in his career with a 1.98 goals against and a .925 save percentage.

ON A ROLL

The Penguins continued their dominant play since returning from the holiday break on December 25 having picked up points in 13 of their 15 games with a 11-2-2 record. They rank near the top of the league in multiple statistical categories.

TEENAGE DREAM

Rookie forward Ben Kindel tallied two goals in his first trip back to his hometown of Vancouver on Sunday night, helping him reach the 10-goal plateau. He's just the fifth 18-year-old in Penguins history to notch 10 or more goals in a season along with Sidney Crosby (39), Jordan Staal (29) and Jaromir Jagr (27). He is also just the fourth Penguin in team history to have more than one multi-goal game as an 18-year-old.

SCORING SID-SASTION

Sidney Crosby comes into tomorrow's game three goals shy of reaching the 30-goal mark for the 14th time in his career and the fifth-consecutive season. Only six players in NHL history have more 30-goal seasons than him currently and only Alex Ovechkin has more among active players (19).

DAZZLING D-MEN

The Penguins have gotten a lot of production from their defensemen this season. They have accounted for 25.1% of the Penguins total points this year (455) and they have the fourth-most assists by their blueliners this season.

LEADING THE WAY

The Penguins have made a habit of scoring early and then keeping the lead throughout the first 50 games of the season. Pittsburgh has scored the first goal of the game in 31 of their 51 games this year (60.8%), and only two other teams in the NHL has more goals in the first period than the Penguins.

STUUU-PENDOUS GOALIE

Stuart Skinner has been red hot since the Christmas Break, winning seven of his eight starts (7-1-0). During this stretch, he has only allowed one goal in five of the eight games, and ranks near the top of the league in multiple statistical categories among goaltenders.

SCORING SENSATION

Egor Chinakhov has made his presence felt early on in his time in Pittsburgh. He has seven points (5G-2A) in 13 games, helping the Penguins go 9-2-2 with him in the lineup. Since he made his Penguins debut on January 1, only Sidney Crosby has more goals than him.

MULTI-POINT MAYHEM

Sidney Crosby has seven multi-point efforts in his last 13 games and is now one such instance shy of tying both Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne for third most multi-point games in NHL history.

LETANG 800

Kris Letang enters tomorrow's game three points shy of 800 career points. He would be the 21st defenseman to reach the mark in NHL history and fourth active.

Letang holds every major statistical record among defensemen in Penguins’ history which includes games played (1,210), goals (178), assists (619) and points (797).