1) Today, the Penguins begin their 13th set of back-to-back games. Thus far, the team is 9-15-0 in back-to-backs (3-9-0 on the first night and 6-6-0 on the second night).
2) Rickard Rakell has 17 points (8G-9A) in 20 games played against the Bruins, which includes four multi-point efforts.
3) Danton Heinen has four points (1G-3A) over his last five games overall. He has four points (3G-1A) in eight career games against the Boston Bruins.
4) Ryan Shea’s 21:47 of time on ice Thursday night against Philadelphia was a single-game career high. This season, Shea has established career highs in goals (2), assists (2), points (4) and blocked shots (31).
5) The Penguins own an overall record of 400-92-49 when both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin record a point in a game.
Head Coach Mike Sullivan is currently one win shy of becoming the 14th head coach in NHL history, and the first American-born head coach, to win 400 games with one franchise.
Evgeni Malkin enters today’s game with seven points in four games (3G-4A). He’s been playing some of his best hockey of the season as of late, and since returning from the 4 Nations break, Malkin is currently tied for fourth across the league in points.
He is currently three assists shy of tying Henrik Sedin for the 12th-most assists with one franchise in NHL history.
Malkin tied the game in the third period and scored the overtime winner Thursday night against Philadelphia. His four-point outburst (2G-2A) tied a season high, and with his 14th career overtime winner, he tied Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Kane and J.T. Miller for 21st all-time in overtime goals. Malkin’s 44 career overtime points rank second in NHL History to teammate Sidney Crosby’s 47.
Philip Tomasino found the back of the net for the second-straight game on Thursday, giving him four goals and six points in his last eight games. His four goals in that span lead Pittsburgh and his six points rank third.
Erik Karlsson has been on an offensive tear as of late. The defenseman has points in eight of his last nine games, which includes a season-long seven-game point streak which ran from Jan. 29-Feb. 23. Since Jan. 29, Karlsson is tied with Rasmus Dahlin for first in points among all defensemen.
Sidney Crosby has six goals in his last 11 games. With his next tally, he will surpass Bobby Hull for 18th place on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
Crosby’s 1,047 total career assists are two shy of tying Gordie Howe for 10th place on the NHL’s all-time assists list.
The captain has 74 points (19G-55A) in 60 career games against the Bruins, which includes 36 points (8G-28A) over his last 32 contests. No active player in the NHL has more points against Boston than Crosby.
In a win against the Boston Bruins on November 29, 2024, Crosby recorded one assist, surpassing Mario Lemieux for the most points versus Boston in franchise history.
Rickard Rakell has been having a career year with the Penguins, leading the team in goals (25) and ranking second in points (49). He is one point away from the fourth 50-point season of his career.
Rakell enters today’s game just one point away from reaching 500 career NHL points. The forward is looking to become the 12th player from his 2011 draft class to reach 500 points and the third Swede to do it. Rakell is looking to become the 12th active Swede to reach 500 points.
Defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson have had success against Boston in their careers. Letang is tied for third and Karlsson ranks fifth in points among active defensemen against the Bruins. Letang leads all active defensemen in assists (24) against the Bruins.
