Forget about Sidney Crosby. And for that matter, forget about Jake Guentzel.
The guy who has made the biggest impact for the Penguins since the March 8 trade deadline is someone who was considered nothing more than a book-balancing afterthought in the blockbuster deal that sent Guentzel from Pittsburgh to Carolina.
Yes, Penguins fans owe Michael Bunting an apology. While they are at it, they might also want to delete those tweets suggesting that GM Kyle Dubas had “lost his mind” when he re-acquired a player who had just 13 goals in 63 games with the Hurricanes.
Of course, that was before Bunting got a chance to play with Evgeni Malkin.
Related: The Morning Take: Fans React To Dubas Re-Acquiring Bunting for Guentzel — “He’s Lost His Mind”
Since coming to the Penguins, where he’s been thrust into a top-6 role, Bunting has scored four goals and 10 points in 15 games — including three points during the team’s three-game winning streak. In the process, Pittsburgh has gone from having the fourth-worst record in the East to being just two points out of a playoff spot.
What a crazy month it has been. And what a final couple of weeks we’ve got in store for us.
With six games remaining, Pittsburgh actually has a chance at the playoffs — though getting there will require the Penguins to essentially run the table from now until the end of the season.
It won’t be easy.
Four of those six games are against teams that are locked into a playoff spot. But luckily for the Penguins, they also play the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings, who they are chasing down for the final wild card spot. And luckily for the Penguins, they’ve got more than just Bunting playing the best hockey of his season.
Related: The High Cost of Contract Extensions for Sidney Crosby and Leon Draisaitl
Crosby, who has seven goals and 21 points in the 15 games since the deadline, continues to make a case for the Hart Trophy. With 84 points this year, it will be interesting to see where voters place him if the Penguins manage to sneak into the playoffs. Either way, Penguins fans might be looking at the Guentzel trade a lot differently than they were a month ago.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that trading Guentzel was the answer. Or even necessarily a win for Pittsburgh.
In fact, the former Penguins sniper has three goals and 17 points in 12 games since joining a Hurricanes team that has already clinched a playoff berth. But for anyone who thought that the trade was the equivalent of Dubas waving the white flag, think again.
The Penguins have gone 7-5-3 since the March 8 deadline, climbing past the Sabres and Devils in the standings. They are now just one point back of the Red Wings and Capitals, who are tied for 10th place, and two points back of the Islanders, who are holding down the final wild card spot, as well as the Flyers, who are third in the Metro.
If Pittsburgh can get in, ending up with Bunting for the next several years might not be such a bad move — especially when you consider the picks and prospects that Pittsburgh also ended up with in the deal.
Related: NHL Playoff Race: Does Anybody Want the East’s Second Wild-Card Spot?
News Summary:
- The Morning Take: The Player Responsible for the Penguins Late-Season Surge Might Not Be Sidney Crosby
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.