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Pittsburgh Penguins March gauntlet: three Hurricanes games, winless in Raleigh since 2018
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins hit March with three Carolina Hurricanes games and zero Raleigh wins since 2018, and the playoff margin is thin.
That nasty note came from a circulating X post, and it lines up with what the calendar says next.
Pittsburgh is 31-17-14 right now, and the Bruins game Sunday is basically the door to the whole month.
Boston already took the first two meetings, 1-0 and 2-1, so this is not the kind of "get right" opponent.
Then it gets loud fast, Tuesday is in Carolina, and that building has been a trap for years.
The Penguins have not won in Raleigh since a 3-0 shutout on December 22, 2018.
That is not trivia, that is a real standings leak when you see two more Canes games right behind it.
March 10 and March 18 are both road games in Carolina, and March 22 is back home against them again.
That is three shots at the same puzzle, a fast forecheck, layers at the blue line, and very little free ice.
The fix is simple to say and hard to live, cleaner exits, fewer east-west passes at your own hashmarks, and a power play that actually earns set-up time.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins face the test
Pens fans can feel it, this month decides a lot.
If the puck management slips, Carolina turns it into a track meet, and Pittsburgh ends up defending for full shifts.
Ottawa on March 26 is another "never goes well" spot, because that game usually turns into chaos if the Penguins chase it.
The Islanders trip on March 30 is the opposite, slower, heavier, and it punishes teams that do not win enough net-front battles.
Flip even one of these old trends, and the room breathes before the next stretch hits.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Rickard Rakell points to pressure problem as Penguins drop another shootout to Flyers
Rickard Rakell points to pressure problem as Penguins drop another shootout to Flyers
| POLL | ||
MARS 8|163 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins March gauntlet: three Hurricanes games, winless in Raleigh since 2018 Do the Pittsburgh Penguins finally win in Raleigh this March? | ||
| Yes | 131 | 80.4 % |
| No | 32 | 19.6 % |
| List of polls | ||