Game Preview: 03.28.26 vs. Dallas Stars

The Penguins return home to take on the Dallas Stars at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is set for 5 PM ET. Doors will open at 3:30 PM.

Giddy up Penguins fans - it's Country Night featuring live music from the band Refuge throughout the game! Fans can also stop by PensGear to shop country-themed t-shirts and cowboy hats.

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 (36-20-16), DAL (43-18-11)

The Penguins have points in 10 of their last 15 games against the Stars (7-5-3) dating back to Feb. 9, 2018. Pittsburgh is 5-2-1 in its last eight home games versus the Stars dating back to Dec. 1, 2016. The Penguins have points in 14 of their last 19 home games (11-5-3).

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Game Notes

Quick Hits

Kris Letang has nine points (2G-7A) and is plus-10 in his last 16 games against the Dallas Stars dating back to December 1, 2016.

Rickard Rakell has points in 10 of his last 11 games (6G-8A). 

Defenseman Sam Girard comes into Saturday’s game looking to skate in his 600th career game. He would be the ninth player and third defenseman from the 2016 NHL Draft to reach the mark.

Erik Karlsson has scored 20 points (5G-15A) in 26 career games against Dallas. His 0.77 points-per-game currently ranks seventh among all active defensemen with a minimum of 10 games played against Dallas.

Bryan Rust (26G-33A) is one point shy of hitting the 60-point plateau for the second-straight season and second time in his career. He is looking to become just the 15th American-born skater with back-to-back 60-point seasons in each of the last two years.

A-MUSE-ING

Head Coach Dan Muse has the Penguins playing some of the most consistent hockey in the league in his first season in the NHL. Under Muse’s guidance, the Penguins have already surpassed last season's win total through 72 games, and the team has seen massive year-over-year improvement in multiple categories.

MARCH MADNESS

Erik Karlsson has been one of the NHL’s hottest players in the month of March, picking up 21 points (8G-13A) in just 14 games. Since March 1, only Nikita Kucherov (26) has picked up more points than Karlsson, and his 21 points are the most by a Penguins blueliner in a calendar month since Paul Coffey’s franchise record of 28 points in February 1990. Karlsson is just the fourth Penguins defenseman in franchise history to record 20 or more points in a month.

Karlsson’s eight multi-point games in March is tied with Randy Carlyle (8 in Dec. 1980) for the most by a Penguins defenseman in a single month.

CROSBY 1,100

Sidney Crosby enters Saturday’s game two assists shy of becoming the eighth player in NHL history to record 1,100 career assists joining Wayne Gretzky (1,963), Ron Francis (1,249), Mark Messier (1,193), Ray Bourque (1,169), Jaromir Jagr (1,155), Paul Coffey (1,135) and Joe Thornton (1,109). Among the group, Crosby is set to accomplish this feat in the third-fewest games in NHL history.

Crosby would also become just the second player in NHL history to record 1,100 assists with one franchise.

RUSTY STREAK

Bryan Rust enters Saturday’s game riding a career-long nine-game point streak (5G-8A) and has points in 14 of his last 15 games played (7G-12A) dating back to Feb. 28. He currently has the second longest active point streak in the NHL.

MANTHA'S CAREER YEAR

Forward Anthony Mantha enters Saturday’s game with points in six of his last 10 games (5G-3A) and has set career highs across the board in goals (26), assists (27) and points (53). During the Sidney Crosby Era (2005-Present), only four players on Pittsburgh have scored more goals than Mantha in their first season with the team.

SILKY SWEDE

Erik Karlsson tallied a goal and two assists on Thursday against the Senators and now has 22 points (8G-14A) in the last 15 games. He leads all defensemen in the NHL in points in that span.

In that span, Karlsson is tied for fourth in the League in power-play points (8) trailing only Mika Zibanejad, Jason Robertson and Martin Necas. His points total (22) ranks tied for third in the entire NHL.

MALKIN 1,400

Forward Evgeni Malkin enters Saturday’s game two points shy of 1,400 in his career. Malkin is looking to join Sidney Crosby (1,751) and Mario Lemieux (1,743) as the only players in franchise history to notch 1,400 points with the team, and he would also become just the 23rd player in NHL history to accomplish this feat.

Malkin would also become just the second Russian-born player in NHL history to accumulate 1,400 points along with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.

Malkin enters today’s game with points in three of his four games played (2G-3A) since returning from suspension.

DIRTY THIRTY

Sidney Crosby comes into Saturday’s game two 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).

MULTI-POINT MAYHEM

Sidney Crosby enters Saturday’s game one multi-point performance shy of surpassing both Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne for third most multi-point games in NHL history.