QUICK HITS
Tonight, the Penguins conclude their 14th set of back-to-back games. Thus far, the team is 11-8-8 in back-to-backs (6-4-4 on the first night and 5-4-4 on the second night).
Rickard Rakell has points in 12 of his last 13 games (8G-9A) and is currently on a four-game point streak (5G-2A).
Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon has points in back-to-back games (3A) and has nine points (9A) over his last nine games.
Rickard Rakell has 22 points (8G-14A) in 26 games against the Red Wings.
Justin Brazeau established a new single-game career high with three assists last night against the Islanders. It marked the third time in his career he’s notched three points in a game. This year, Brazeau has set career highs across the board in goals (16), assists (17), points (33) and game-winning goals (4).
FRANCHISE ICON
Captain Sidney Crosby notched two assists in his return to the lineup last night, giving him points in five of his last six games played (1G-6A). Crosby enters tonight’s game two points shy of tying Steve Yzerman for the seventh-most points in NHL history and second-most points with one franchise all-time.
POINT MACHINE
Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins with 66 points (28G-38A) in 62 games. Crosby, who can play in a maximum of 70 games this season, is four points shy of ensuring he will average a point per game or better for an NHL-record 21st season.
DIRTY THIRTY
Sidney Crosby comes into tonight’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).
MANTHA’S CAREER YEAR
Forward Anthony Mantha enters tonight’s game with points in eight of his last 11 games (8G-4A) and has set career highs across the board in goals (29), assists (28) and points (57). During the Sidney Crosby Era (2005-Present), only the captain and Evgeni Malkin have scored more goals than Mantha in their first season with Pittsburgh.
SILKY SWEDE
Erik Karlsson has 25 points (9G-16A) in the last 17 games. He leads all defensemen in the NHL in points in that span. Karlsson is tied for third in the NHL in power-play points (9) during that stretch.
MARCH MADNESS
Erik Karlsson has been one of the NHL’s hottest players in the month of March, picking up 24 points (9G-15A) in just 16 games.
Since March 1, only Nikita Kucherov (26) has picked up more points than Karlsson, and his 24 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 nine multi-point games in March is the most by a Penguins defenseman in a single month in team history.
BLUELINE BLITZ
Erik Karlsson has 38 points (9G-29A) in 36 games, and Kris Letang has 32 points (9G-23A) in 37 career contests versus Detroit. Their goal totals are tied for first among active defensemen versus the Red Wings, respectively.
Karlsson’s 1.06 points-per-game average ranks second among all active defensemen against Detroit, while Letang’s 0.86 points-per game average is tenth best among league blueliners (min. 10 GP).
MALK-A-MANIA
Evgeni Malkin has been historically successful against the Detroit Red Wings. In 33 career games against them, he has recorded 45 points (18G-27A), and has points in 15 of his last 20 games (11G-17A) versus Detroit. His 1.36 points-per-game average against them is second in the NHL among active players and is seventh in NHL history (min 25 GP).
BURNING RUBBER
Sidney Crosby has 53 points (20G-33A) in 40 career games against the Detroit Red Wings. He has multiple points in 10 of his last 17 outings against them (10G-17A). Crosby’s active nine-game point streak against the Red Wings (6G-12A) is the second-longest active such streak in the NHL.
RUST 500
Forward Bryan Rust enters tonight’s game with points in 15 of his last 17 games (8G-13A) and is just two points shy of becoming the 11th player in franchise history to reach 500 points.
Rust is also looking to become just the 22nd active American-born player to accumulate 500 points.
MALKIN 1,400
Forward Evgeni Malkin enters tonight’s game two points shy of 1,400 in his career. Malkin is looking to join Sidney Crosby (1,753) and Mario Lemieux (1,723) 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.
SUPER ROOKIE
Ben Kindel enters tonight’s game with 34 points (17G-17A) and 17 goals on the season, which ranks tied for fourth among NHL rookies. Four of his 17 goals have been game-winning tallies, and he’s one game-winning goal shy of the NHL single-season record for an 18-year-old.
