The Canucks are in the middle of a grueling six-game road trip and face the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins, who have fallen to last in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh has only seven wins and is allowing the most goals per game in the league, leading to a significant goal differential. Despite their troubles, Sidney Crosby continues to fight for the Penguins, recently reaching 600 career goals, although the team’s performance has been underwhelming. Crosby, now 37, remains a key contributor alongside Evgeni Malkin, leading the Penguins in scoring.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, who coached Crosby in Pittsburgh, admires Crosby’s work ethic and believes he could continue playing at a high level for several more years. The two teams are meeting for the first time this season, with Vancouver having split the series last year. Forward Max Sasson, who made his NHL debut with an assist, aims to prove himself further, while the Canucks need to avoid fatigue after their Tuesday match against Boston.
Elias Pettersson has been a standout for the Canucks, and Kiefer Sherwood has been on a hot streak with five points in his last five games. Vancouver also faces injuries to key players like Thatcher Demko and J.T. Miller.
