With just seven games remaining in the regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will embark on their final road trip of 2024-25.
And it starts Thursday in St. Louis.
The Penguins will take on the St. Louis Blues, which happens to be the hottest team in hockey. After a rough start - and heading into the trade deadline - St. Louis was out of the playoff picture.
Now? An active 10-game winning streak has catapulted them to the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.
"They've gone a pretty good run here over the last month or month-plus," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "They're 10-0 in their last 10, and I don't think they've lost since the last time we played them. So, that's a pretty good run. [Blues head coach Jim Montgomery] is a good coach. He's done a good job with these guys."
Tristan Jarry will get the start in goal for the Penguins, and he has been very good against St. Louis in his career. He is 7-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average versus the Blues in his career.
Jarry is 5-3-1 since his return from a long stint in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - the Penguins' AHL affiliate, which practiced in Pittsburgh on Thursday - and Sullivan is happy with what he's seen from his goaltender in that overall stretch.
'We Have A Close Team': WBS Penguins Practice In Pittsburgh, Talk Chemistry Of GroupThe Penguins took to the ice for practice on Thursday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa.
"Jars has played extremely well for us since he's come back," Sullivan said. "And he's playing up to his capability. That was our hope when we brought him back up, and he certainly has done that for us."
As far as the rest of the lineup, young forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen - called up Friday prior to Pittsburgh's 1-0 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday - figure to remain in their top-six roles. And forward Evgeni Malkin - despite making the trip and skating with the team on Thursday morning - will not be in the lineup.
Here is the rest of the projected lineup for the Penguins:
McGroarty-Crosby-Rust
Dewar-Rakell-Koivunen
Hayes-Acciari-Tomasino
Heinen-Lizotte-Bemstrom
Grzyleck-Letang
Timmins-Karlsson
Graves-Shea
