PIT TBL Preview

The Penguins continue along a five-game homestand as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is set for 5 PM. Doors open at 3:30 PM.

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

Team Records: PIT (18-18-8), TBL (22-15-3)

Pittsburgh has points in seven of its last eight games against Tampa Bay (6-1- 1). Going back further, the Penguins have points in eight of their last 10 games against the Lightning (7-2-1). Here at home, the Penguins are 4-1-2 in their last seven games against the Lightning, and have points in 18 of their last 21 home games (16-3-2) against Tampa Bay dating back to Nov. 12, 2010.

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Game Notes

* The Penguins are 11-6-4 dating back to Nov. 27 and in this span, only two teams have scored more goals than the Penguins.

* Rickard Rakell continued his hot streak on Thursday, tallying another goal to give him his team-leading 21st goal of the campaign. This season, only William Nylander (24) has more goals in the NHL among Swedish-born players, and he is one of just 15 NHL players with 20 or more goals this year. Since Rakell was left off Team Sweden’s Four Nations roster on Dec. 4, he leads all Swedish players with 11 goals and 20 points.

Of Rakell’s 21 goals, 17 of them have come at even strength, which is tied for fourth in the league.

Dating back to Nov. 27, only Leon Draisaitl has more goals than Rakell, who’s notched 24 points (14G-10A) in 20 games in that span.

* Kevin Hayes found the back of the net on Thursday night against Edmonton, giving him two goals in four games since re-entering the lineup. Since he re-joined the lineup on Jan. 3, only Rickard Rakell has more goals on the Penguins than Hayes.

* Erik Karlsson enters tonight’s game with 12 points (2G-10A) over his last 12 games. Going back further, Karlsson has recorded 19 points (2G-17A) over his last 21 games and in that span, only three NHL blueliners have recorded more points.

* Sidney Crosby is just one goal shy of tying Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hull for the sixth-most goals with one franchise in NHL history. He’s also one assist shy of tying Hall-of-Famer Marcel Dionne for the 11th-most assists in NHL history; and just one even-strength goal shy of surpassing Teemu Selanne for the 12th most even-strength goals in NHL history

* Defenseman Kris Letang has 42 points (6G-36A) in 47 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.

* Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have both found success in their careers against the Lightning. Crosby (50GP, 24G-42A) and Malkin (48GP, 29G-35A) rank fifth and eighth in the NHL in scoring against Tampa Bay in NHL history.

Only Alex Ovechkin (50) has more goals against the Lightning than Malkin (29) and Crosby (24) among active players. Crosby is also on a nine-game point streak (5G-8A) against Tampa Bay, which is tied for the longest such streak in the NHL.

* Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have combined on 305 goals in their careers. They are one goal shy of tying Boston’s Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr for the second-most goals combined on by a forward-defenseman duo in NHL history.

Quick Hits

1) Today, the Penguins conclude their ninth set of back-to-back games. Thus far, the team is 7-10-0 in back-to-backs (1-8-0 on the first night and 6-2-0 on the second night).

2) Michael Bunting has recorded three goals, seven assists and 10 points in 12 career games against the Lightning. He has points in three of his last four games (2G-4A) against them.

3) Matt Grzelcyk is one assist shy of tying his career high of assists (22) set in 75 games with Boston in 22-23.

4) Tristan Jarry is 6-3-1 with a 2.49 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and one goal in 10 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).

5) The Penguins own an overall record of 398-90-48 when both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin record a point in a game.

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