The Pittsburgh Penguins are officially in a new, Jake Guentzel-less era. Despite team leaders stating their belief that they can still make the postseason, the deck is stacked against them for the final 20 games. The road is immediately difficult in their first game after the trade deadline. Here's what to watch as the Penguins take on the Boston Bruins.
1. Bunting's Debut
This matchup will mark the Penguins' debut for newly acquired forward Michael Bunting. Part of the return for Guentzel, Bunting looks to immediately jump into Pittsburgh's top two lines as well as their top power-play unit. He has 13 goals and 36 points this season, with six tallies coming on the man advantage. Can Bunting make a positive first impression in his debut contest with his new team?
2. Depth Down the Middle Propelling Bruins
When you are a Stanley Cup contender like the Bruins, you have depth at multiple positions. The reliability down the middle in Boston best displays that. Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle, and Morgan Geekie each have 15+ goals this season as the team's top three centers. No one in this group is an All-Star, but each contributes offensively while also producing on the defensive end.
Coyle is the offensive leader of the bunch, with a career-high 21 goals and 51 points in 65 games. The results speak for themselves, as the Bruins are currently second in the Atlantic Division and a legitimate threat to come out of the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh will most likely struggle with the offensive efficiency of Boston's first three lines, and it could be a long afternoon at TD Garden.
3. Sid's Goal Scoring To Continue
As if Sidney Crosby needs more recognition for his greatness, it must be mentioned how electric the Penguins' captain has been in the goal-scoring department. Leading the team in both points with 63 and goals with 32, Sid is bucking Father Time with his performance this season. He is tied for 11th in the NHL in goals scored, sitting alongside players like Leon Draisitl and Brayden Point. With Guentzel's departure, Crosby will now be shouldering even more goal-scoring responsibilities for the rest of the season.
If Crosby can score eight more goals this year, he will become the third oldest player to do so in league history and the second oldest active player to achieve that mark.
The Penguins and Bruins face off at TD Gardens for a matinee matchup at 3:00 p.m.
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