Pittsburgh Penguins Notes:
LAST 2 GAMES
Oct. 22: Pittsburgh 6, Columbus 3 – Nationwide Arena
PIT Goals: Archibald, Rutta, Heinen (2), Crosby, McGinn
Multiple Points: Crosby (1G-2A), Heinen (2G), Rutta (1G-1A), Kapanen (2A)
Goalie: Jarry (29 saves/32 shots)
Key Stats: Pittsburgh scored five unanswered goals to begin the season with points in five-straight games for the second season in a row (4-0-1).
PP: 0-3
PK: 1-1
Oct. 20: Pittsburgh 6, Los Angeles 1 – PPG Paints Arena
PIT Goals: Rutta, Guentzel, Rakell, Petry, Carter, Poehling
Multiple Points: Petry (1G-2A)
Goalie: Jarry (39 saves/40 shots)
Key Stats: For the third-consecutive home game, the Penguins erupted for six goals from six different goal scorers to remain unbeaten in regulation on the season (3-0-1)
PP: 1-3
PK: 5-6
TONIGHT’S GAME
-The Penguins take on the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place for their first of two meetings in the 2022-23 season (TV: ATTSN-PT, NHLN, TVAS, SN1; Radio: 105.9 The X)
-The Penguins continue along their season-long five-game, eight-day road trip through Columbus, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle. Thus far Pittsburgh is 1-0.
-Pittsburgh has points in 19 of its last 21 games versus the Oilers (15-2-4) dating back to December 5, 2007.
-In their last 10 games at Edmonton, the Penguins have gone 7-1-2.
QUICK HITS
1) Pittsburgh has historically fared well on its Western Canada swing. Over the last 11 seasons that they’ve made the trip to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver dating back to the 2007-08 season, they’ve gone 21-6-6 which includes a 8-3-4 record over the last five visits.
2) Pittsburgh earned points in 23 of its 32 games against the Western Conference last season. The Penguins’ .641 winning percentage last season versus the West was the sixth-highest among all Eastern Conference teams. This season, the Penguins are 2-0 against Western Conference teams.
3) Evgeni Malkin has notched 17 points (7G-10A) in 17 career games against Edmonton. He has scored eight of his 17 points in nine games on the road.
4) Jeff Carter is first among active players in game-winning goals (6) against Edmonton. He has 37 points in 37 career games against Edmonton, recording 23 goals and 14 assists.
5) Sidney Crosby thrives when playing in his home country, as he’s picked up points in 18 of his last 23 games in Canadian cities. In those 23 games which date back to Nov. 4, 2017 in Vancouver, Crosby has tallied 28 points (11G-17A).
TEAM NOTES
LIGHTING THE LAMP
For the fourth time in five games this season, and for the second-consecutive game, the Penguins scored six goals in their 6-3 win in Columbus on Saturday.
The Penguins are outscoring their opponents 26-11 through five games this season, with their plus-15 goal differential and 5.20 goals-per-game average both leading the league. Pittsburgh’s 26 goals are the most any team in the NHL has scored since the 1993-94 season (LAK, 28; NJD, 27; TOR, 26).
There has only been one season in franchise history when the Penguins scored more goals through their first five games than this year’s 26.
QUICK START
Pittsburgh opened up its five-game road trip with a bang, scoring five unanswered goals in Columbus on Saturday night in a 6-3 win. The win gives the Penguins a five-game point streak to start the season (4-0-1) for the second-consecutive season, but just the sixth time in franchise history
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Forwards Josh Archibald and Brock McGinn each picked up their first goals of the 2022-23 campaign on Saturday night, giving the Penguins 14 players that have scored at least one goal this season. The team’s 14 unique goal scorers are the second-most by one team in the NHL.
MULTI-POINT MANIA
Four players recorded multi-point games in Saturday’s 6-3 win in Columbus, including Sidney Crosby (1G-2A), Danton Heinen (2G), Jan Rutta (1G-1A) and Kasperi Kapanen (2A). Saturday marked Crosby’s third three-point night in five games this season, the most among all NHLers this season.
Saturday also marked Crosby’s 162nd career three-point game, tying Gordie Howe for the 10th-most three-point games in NHL history.
Edmonton Oilers Notes:
QUICK FACTS
Monday’s game will mark Edmonton’s first of two games against Pittsburgh this season and the lone game in Edmonton. The next time these teams will meet is February 23rd in Pittsburgh.
The last time these teams met was on April 26th in Pittsburgh, with the Oilers winning 5-1.
Evander Kane leads the Oilers with 27 career points against the Penguins and has played in a team high 29 career games against Pittsburgh.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 14 D Philip Broberg recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
F Devin Shore loaned to Bakerfield (AHL)
Oct. 15 F Devin Shore recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
D Philip Broberg loaned to Bakersfield (AHL)
Oct. 17 D Markus Niemelainen recalled from Bakersfield (AHL)
F Brad Malone loaned to Bakersfield (AHL)
OILERS IN OCTOBER
Overall – 441 GP, 204-190-33-16, 0.518
2022-23 – 5 GP, 2-3-0, .400
2021-22 – 7 GP, 6-1-0, .857
McDAVID HITS 700-POINT MARK WITH SEASON-OPENING HAT TRICK
With Edmonton trailing 3-0 midway through the second period, Oilers captain Connor McDavid factored on four of his club’s five consecutive goals, capping off the night with the NHL’s first hat trick of the 2022-23 season. McDavid (3-1—4) boosted his career totals to 242-459—701 (488 GP) and became the fastest active player to reach the 700-point milestone.
The three-goal performance marked the second season-opening hat trick of McDavid’s career (also Oct. 4, 2017) as he became the third player in NHL history to record multiple hat tricks in season openers alongside Brendan Shanahan (2) and Cam Neely (2).
The Oilers overcame a three-goal deficit to win a season-opening game for the first time in franchise history. Edmonton became just the ninth club in NHL history to do so and the first since Anaheim on Oct. 5, 2017. Coincidentally, the Ducks overcame a 3-1 deficit Wednesday night to record their second-ever multi-goal comeback win in a season opener.
