The stretch run is here, and it will tell us who is here to play and who will fade away. Coming into the night, the Pittsburgh Penguins were firmly entrenched in a three-way battle with the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders for Metropolitan Division positioning.
They dominated the Islanders 8-3 earlier in the week and faced a desperate and struggling Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. The Penguins didn’t even let the Red Wings get out of the gate, jumping on them early and coasting to a big 5-1 victory.
Geno Return, Pens Getting Healthy
Aside from the win itself, the most important development is the return of Evgeni Malkin. The 39-year-old center has been limited to just 51 games this season between injuries and suspension but returned to the lineup on Tuesday night.
Malkin was solid, adding an assist on the second goal of the game in just over 17 minutes of ice time. Bigger than that, Malkin’s return signifies an overall return to health for the Penguins as the playoffs approach.
It seems like their playoff destiny is in their hands and staying healthy will be a big factor in achieving that. The Penguins have their share of issues, but they have been playing well of late and getting everyone back certainly feels like a boost.
Anthony Mantha Hits 30
It cannot be talked about how much of a revelation Anthony Mantha has been this season. We touched on it a bit in the Islanders recap, but he has exceeded his career-highs in every meaningful way. On Tuesday, he hit another significant milestone: his first 30-goal season.
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Mantha has really developed a rapport with Rickard Rakell, who scored his 20th goal of the season to kick off the game. It is even more impressive for Mantha considering he has a high of 20 goals since scoring a career-high 25 goals back in 2018-19.
When he’s on, Mantha has the skills that harken to a prototypical power forward. His size and finishing ability will be valuable in the playoffs. Major props to Mantha for taking a huge leap forward in his first season in Pittsburgh.
A Strong Game from Skinner
Team defense has been better the last couple of games but Stuart Skinner was much improved in his effort against the Red Wings than he has been recently. He turned aside 22 of 23 shots against the Red Wings, far and away his best outing in nearly a month.
It is the first time since Mar. 3 that Skinner has allowed fewer than three goals (he allowed four or more goals four times over that span). It is the kind of confidence builder that he needed down the stretch; hopefully, he can continue to build on it.
The Penguins are playing above board largely because of the strength of their offense. Having Skinner and the defense turn a corner at the right time could be huge for not only the stretch run but the playoffs to follow.
A Little Breathing Room
This game is a perfect dichotomy between where the Penguins are and where the Red Wings are. The Penguins are 6-3-1 over their last 10 games and now have a three-point lead on the Islanders for the second spot in the Metropolitan Division. The Red Wings, meanwhile, continue to sit on the outside of the playoff picture.
The schedule for the Penguins remains tough and the margin for error is thin. That said, the Penguins are showing that they are very much for real and could win a playoff series or more. It’s just a matter of where they finish in the playoff picture, not if they finish in the playoff picture.
