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Penguins’ surging power play to face Bruins’ NHL-best penalty kill | TribLIVE.com
Penguins/NHL

Penguins’ surging power play to face Bruins’ NHL-best penalty kill

Chris Adamski
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AP
Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Drew O’Connor (in white) falls into Boston Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak as Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon defends during a game in January. The Penguins are 1 for 17 on the power play against the Bruins this season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have as many power-play goals over their past three games (five) as they had over the course of their first 12 games of the season. The five power-play goals they had in three wins over a recent five-day span were more than they managed during the entire month of February (four).

The current run of five over three games matches the most over a span that short since they had six over three games from March 10-14, 2019.

But maintaining that run won’t be easy. The Penguins’ next two games are against the team with the NHL’s best penalty-killing unit, the Boston Bruins.

“They do a great job of pressuring,” defenseman Mike Matheson said of a Bruins’ penalty kill that has an 89.5% success rate this season. “They have guys that have done it for a long time and have great instincts on the PK, so I think every time we get a (power-play) chance, it all comes down to out-working them.”

The Bruins have allowed only one power-play goal against in 16 opportunities over their past six games. They have not allowed more than a single PPG in any of their past 28 games, killing 89.7% of opposing chances in that time.

“They do a lot of things well. That’s why they’re the top penalty-killing unit in the league,” Sullivan said.

Boston’s No. 1 PK center, Patrice Bergeron, is second in the NHL in faceoff win percentage overall (61.9%) and while short-handed (61.5%).

The Bruins also are tied for second in the NHL in short-handed goals (five).

The Penguins are 1 for 17 against the Bruins on the power play this season.

“They’re a good shot-blocking team, they make good decisions, they’re a pressure kill and so we are going to have to be at our best,” Sullivan said. “It’s going to boil down to effort and execution, as it always does. … We’ve got to take what the game gives us. We’ve got to think about shooting the puck when the opportunity presents itself and then creating from there.

“It will be a big challenge for us, no doubt.”

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.

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Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
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