Game Preview: 12.04.25 at Tampa Bay Lightning

The Penguins continue along their three-game road trip as they take on the Tampa Bay Lighting at Benchmark International Aren

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

Team Records: PIT (13-7-5), TBL (16-8-2)

Pittsburgh has points in seven of its last 10 games against Tampa Bay (6-3-1). Going back further, the Penguins have points in eight of their last 12 games against the Lightning (7-4-1). Pittsburgh has wins in four of their last six visits to Benchmark International Arena (4-2-0) dating back to Oct. 12, 2021.

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Game Notes

Quick Hits

Tristan Jarry is 6-5-1 with a 2.84 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and one goal in 12 career games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Only three goalies in NHL history have more career points against the Lightning than Jarry’s two (1G-1A) – Olie Kolzig (4A), Martin Brodeur (3A) and Henrik Lundqvist (3A).

The Penguins enter tomorrow's game ranked first in the NHL in power-play percentage (33.3%) and fourth in penalty kill success rate (84.9%).

Tristan Jarry has helped the Penguins earn points in eight of his 10 starts this season (8-2-0).

The Penguins have points in 10 of their 13 road games this season (7-3-3), and have scored three or more goals in nine of the 13 games.

Boko Imama made his season debut on Monday and established a new single-game career high in time on ice (9:39). The Penguins have points in 12 of the 17 games (10-5-2) that Imama has appeared in since joining the team at the beginning of the 2024-25 season.

FRANCHISE ICON

Tomorrow, Sidney Crosby will be appearing in his 1,378th career regular-season game, all with Pittsburgh, and will tie Joe Sakic for the 13th-most games played with one franchise in NHL history.

GAME-WINNING GURU

Sidney Crosby’s second goal of the game in Philadelphia on Monday night doubled as the game-winning tally. It marked his 102nd career game-winning goal, surpassing Jarome Iginla for ninth place on the NHL’s all-time game-winning goals list.

GOALS GALORE

Sidney Crosby tallied a goal and an assist on Saturday, giving him multiple points in three-consecutive games (5G-1A) and four of his last five contests overall (6G-2A). His three-game goal streak is tied for the third-longest active streak in the league.

IN RUST WE TRUST

Bryan Rust tied his season high with three points (1G-2A) on Monday night in Philadelphia, extending his point streak to four games (3G-3A). A point tomorrow would tie the second-long point streak by a Penguin this season.

The versatile forward ranks third on Pittsburgh with 21 points (8G-13A) in 23 games. Rust is one of just seven American-born players in the NHL with 10 or more even-strength and power-play points on the year along with Jason Robertson, Jack Eichel, Matt Boldy, Alex DeBrincat, Trevor Zegras and Quinn Hughes.

DOMINATING D PAIR

Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon has found success on Pittsburgh’s top defensive pairing with Erik Karlsson after signing a two-year contract this past offseason. Wotherspoon, who ranks third on the Penguins averaging a career-best 21:06 of time-on-ice per game, has already established multiple career highs through 25 games.

Wotherspoon has been plus or even in 20 of his 25 games, and he enters tomorrow's game with five points (1G-4A) over his last nine games.

Per moneypuck.com, the Wotherspoon-Karlsson pairing has been on the ice for just 10 goals against during 5-on-5 play. Only four other defense pairings in the NHL have been on the ice for fewer goals against (min. 275 minutes together)

SHUTDOWN DEFENSE

The Penguins have allowed the fourth-fewest goals against in the NHL (68) and have held their opponents to two goals or less 11 times this season (8-0-3 when doing so).

ROAD WARRIOR

Sidney Crosby enters tomorrow's game three points shy of tying Gordie Howe for the 9th-most road points in NHL history.

BLUE LINE BLITZ

Defenseman Kris Letang has 42 points (6G-36A) in 49 career games versus Tampa Bay. He has more points against the Lightning than any other non-Metropolitan Division team. Letang and teammate Erik Karlsson are third and fourth in NHL history for points by a defenseman against the Lightning, respectively.

LIGHTNING STRIKES

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have both found success in their careers against the Lightning. Crosby (52GP, 24G-44A) and Malkin (48GP, 29G-35A) rank fifth and eighth in the NHL in scoring against Tampa Bay in NHL history.