The Pittsburgh Penguins face the Calgary Flames in a matchup between two of the best teams in the NHL. The Penguins have a 4-1-1 record and are near the top of the Metropolitan Division. The Flames meanwhile have a 4-1 record and are in first place in the Pacific Division. Both teams are looking to build off strong starts to the season and are hoping to put together Stanley Cup-caliber years and the upcoming game should be a great one as a result.
The Penguins are off to a great start to the season with their offense carrying them and scoring 5.20 goals per game. Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust have scored 10 goals and 12 assists to lead the top line but the rest of the offense has also stepped up. Danton Heinen, Evgeni Malkin, and Kasperi Kapanen have combined for eight goals and nine assists while defensemen Jeff Petry and Kris Letang have added a goal and seven assists from the point to open up the offense.
The offense has led the Penguins but the defense has also stepped up, allowing only 2.20 goals per game. Kris Letang and Jeff Petry have led the top two pairings but the entire defense has looked great with Marcus Pettersson, Jan Rutta, and the rest of the unit creating turnovers in all three zone and limiting shots on the net. Additionally, backup goaltender Casey DeSmith has stepped up in the net, saving 36 of the 39 shots he's faced on the season thus far.