The Pens, led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and improved play by Marc-Andre Fleury, have won three of their last four, and look to build momentum at home Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are about as average as they come, with a 9-9-0 record, a 5-5 record in their last ten games, and three fewer goals scored than allowed. The Pens beat them 3-0 on the road three weeks ago. The Hurricanes are, however, coming off a 7-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jordan Staal's brother Eric Staal had a hat trick against Ottawa and currently leads the Hurricanes with nine goals and 22 points. Staal also has 13 points in his last five games.
Crosby could take the NHL lead in points with a multi-point performance against the Hurricanes - Steven Stamkos has 30 points, and Crosby has 29. Look out, also, for the Penguins' performance in penalty kills - the Pens are currently third in the NHL with a penalty-kill percentage of 88 percent, and they're at a remarkable 93 percent so far in November.