Opinion
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Will the Penguins Glide Past the Sharks in Upcoming Clash at PPG Paints Arena?

As the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare to host the San Jose Sharks at PPG Paints Arena, fans are eager to see if their team can rebound from a recent loss and capitalize on home ice advantage. The upcoming game, scheduled for March 14th, is an opportunity for the Penguins to showcase their resilience and strategic prowess.


Nov 4, 2023; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (48) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The last outing for Pittsburgh was a tough one against the Calgary Flames on March 3rd. Despite scoring three goals and taking 30 shots on goal, they fell short with a final score of 3-4. The powerplay unit managed to convert once out of five opportunities, which is something they'll need to improve upon against San Jose. Faceoffs were a strong point with a win percentage of 61 percent; however, this did not translate into enough offensive production.


In contrast, during their game against Seattle Kraken on March 1st, Pittsburgh failed to light up the scoreboard despite firing off an impressive 33 shots. They ended up losing that game without scoring any goals while allowing two past their netminder. One area that stood out negatively was their powerplay performance – failing all three chances could have been pivotal in such a tight contest.


Nov 4, 2023; San Jose, California, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) warms up before the game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

However, it's not all doom and gloom for Pittsburgh fans as there's also reason for optimism looking back at February 28th's thrilling overtime victory over Vancouver Canucks where they scored four times from forty shots. Their tenacity paid off as they battled through regulation and into overtime before securing that hard-fought win with an overtime goal.


The key takeaway from these past performances is consistency – or rather lack thereof – in both offensive execution and defensive solidity when needed most. For instance, while shooting percentages have varied significantly across games (10 percent against Calgary but zero percent versus Seattle), goaltending has remained relatively stable with save percentages consistently hitting perfect marks even in losses.


Nov 4, 2023; San Jose, California, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Matt Nieto (83) talks with center Noel Acciari (55) during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Looking ahead at San Jose Sharks' visitation rights to PPG Paints Arena presents both challenges and opportunities for PIT. The Sharks will be entering hostile territory where Penguins' fans expect nothing less than victory especially after recent setbacks.


PIT must leverage its faceoff dominance while finding ways to penetrate through defenses more effectively during powerplays if they want success against SJ who will undoubtedly come prepared defensively as well as offensively seeking points away from home.


As we approach puck drop time on March 14th at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh PA (zip code:15219), loyal supporters should mark their calendars for what promises to be an exciting matchup broadcasted live across various networks including ESPN+ online streaming service along with SportsNet PT and NBCS-CA television channels ensuring no fan misses out on any action-packed moment of this encounter.

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