With Sidney Crosby riding a 12-game scoring streak to the top of the NHL scoring race and the once-sluggish power play gulping espresso, the Pittsburgh Penguins' current six-game streak could be easily attributed to the manifestation of offensive might.
The Penguins—with the combination of Crosby, former scoring champion Evgeni Malkin, rapidly improving Jordan Staal and offensively-gifted defensemen Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski—were expected to burn out a few bulbs on the scoreboard this season.
They largely have delivered on that promise, netting an average of 3.0 goals per game, the 10th best mark in the NHL, even though Staal has yet to take the ice due to various injuries.
Even the power play, which once ranked in the bottom third of the league, has begun to contribute regularly in the last two weeks. The Penguins have scored six man-advantage goals in the past five games, boosting their conversion rate to 16.2 percent, 16th in the 30-team circuit.
But for those seeking for a reason why Pittsburgh has gone 9-1-1 since a loss in Anaheim Nov. 5, climbing to within two points of Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia, ...
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Article written by Matt Gajtka
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November 28th, 2010 by Matt Gajtka Leave a reply »
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