Penguins Begin Pivotal Western Trip With Dominant Victory

It may be 'do or die' for the Pittsburgh Penguins on their current road trip.

Jan 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72, center) celebrates with center Sidney Crosby (87) and defenseman Kris Letang (58) after scoring a goal during the third period at Crypto.com Arena. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The road is narrowing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. There are three weeks until the 4 Nations' Face-Off and just over six weeks until the NHL's annual trade deadline.

The Penguins have a lot of work to do between now and then.

They sit four points behind the final playoff spot in the East and have played more games than anybody in the conference. Rumors are picking up that they are looking to sell at the deadline, and only a handful of players are reportedly safe from speculation.

With the outside noise getting louder, the Penguins picked up a massive victory Monday night, dominating the Los Angeles Kings en route to a 5-1 final score. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin found the back of the net, and Alex Nedeljkovic backstopped a solid defensive performance to collect the team's second win of this season-long seven-game road trip.

With trade rumors beginning to circulate, Anthony Beauvillier may have put his name on the radar. Leading goal-scorer Rickard Rakell left the team before last night's game to tend to personal issues. In his absence, Beauvillier scored one goal and one assist next to Crosby on the Penguins' top forward line.

The 27-year-old forward has become a jack-of-all-trades piece for Mike Sullivan's staff and has found scoring success on each forward line. He's already more than doubled his goal-scoring total from last season.

While Beauvillier may be playing his way out of Pittsburgh, Kevin Hayes may be securing his position within the organization.

Hayes has been excellent since returning to the lineup earlier this month.

His calm demeanor and smooth skating in the offensive zone have started to rub off on his young linemates. Whether it be Cody Glass, two goals in three games, or Phil Tomasino, Hayes' influence is evident on the young wingers he's playing next to.

The veteran hasn't been too shabby on the power play either, scoring his fourth goal this season on the man advantage to open the scoring at Crypto.com Arena. His success since returning, specifically when playing alongside young wingers, may earn Hayes a role shepherding the next wave of young talent (Tristan Broz, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, etc.) in Pittsburgh.

This road trip may determine much of how Penguins' General Manager Kyle Dubas proceeds in the coming weeks. They kicked off the Western swing with a bang but need to follow it up to erase the damage from a rough few weeks since the Holiday break.

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