Every Penguins fan knows that their team has struggled with being able to beat the Carolina Hurricanes as of late. Every time it seems like the Penguins either start fast against them and just cannot hold on to the lead or they start slow and get behind and can just never recover.
They need to find a way to get a lead and hold on to it. This Hurricanes team has just always given the Penguins fits and it is frustating for the Penguins to play this team every season. But it is a new season and a fresh slate and it is the first time these two teams will face off this season.
The Penguins need to find a way to get the win and the two points. Head coach Dan Muse needs to have his team ready to go from opening puck drop. He had them ready to rock and roll when they faced the Blackhawks the other night.
There are no excuses for this Metropolitan Division matchup. This may be a tough team for the Penguins to be playing every season for the past 5 or 6 seasons, but they need to be ready to play.
The Hurricanes are missing Seth Jarvis and Jaccob Slavin, two players that usually give the Penguins fits in this matchup. The Penguins need to take advantage of these players being out of the lineup for Carolina.
If the Penguins are able to be ready from opening puck drop and show the energy right away that they showed against the Blackhawks, they should have no problem winning this game. It has been a long time coming since the Penguins looked like a competent team against the Hurricanes.
But the tide can turn, and things can change if Dan Muse has them ready to go right out of the gate. They need to play hard and play smart and play good defense and get timely goals. They need to be prepared on the powerplay and penalty kill.