Crosby Meets Celebrini: One Hour From Now in San Jose, the Penguins' Whole Trip Is on the Line

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in California for five days, and the trip has told two completely different stories. On Saturday night in Los Angeles, they beat the Kings 5-2, snapped a four-game losing streak, and watched Sidney Crosby pass Marcel Dionne for sole possession of sixth place on the NHL's all-time scoring list. On Sunday in Anaheim, they wasted nearly four and a half minutes of straight power-play time, gave up three power-play goals, and lost 5-2 to the Ducks. Tonight at 10 p.m. ET at SAP Center in San Jose (SportsNet Pittsburgh, ESPN+, 105.9 The X), the three-game swing gets its verdict against the Sharks — win, and it is a 2-1 trip and a flight home with something to build on; lose, and it is five defeats in six games for a team already sitting last in its division. The matchup Pittsburgh (6-10-2, 14 points, eighth in the Metropolitan Division) closes the trip against a San Jose team (8-11-1, 17 points, sixth in the Pacific) that just found a pulse. The Sharks snapped a five-game losing streak Monday night, beating the New York Islanders 3-2 in an eight-round shootout, and head coach Ryan Warsofsky is running back the exact same lineup tonight — including goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, who was brilliant in that win. History says this building is kind to Pittsburgh. The Penguins are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against San Jose, averaging 4.50 goals per game in those contests, have points in six of their last seven meetings with the Sharks (5-1-1) dating back to February 14, 2023, and are 4-1-0 in their last five visits to SAP Center. The problem is the present: Pittsburgh is 2-7-1 on the road this season, and Dan Muse's team has lost four of its last five overall. The generational headline: Crosby vs. Celebrini This is the matchup within the matchup. Macklin Celebrini, the Sharks' young center, grew up idolizing Sidney Crosby — and tonight he gets him head-to-head. Celebrini leads San Jose with 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists), with Will Smith next at 13 points, and the pair drives everything the Sharks do offensively. Crosby, meanwhile, owns this opponent like few others. The captain is riding a 10-game point streak against San Jose (5 goals, 11 assists) dating back to January 2, 2022 — tied for the third-longest active point streak by any player against the Sharks. He has points in three straight road games (3 goals, 3 assists) and in six of his last seven road games overall. On the season Crosby has 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 18 games — below his usual point-per-game standard, which makes a matchup against a team he has feasted on for four years feel like a get-right spot. Projection, clearly labeled: if Crosby's San Jose streak reaches 11 games tonight, it will be because the Penguins' loaded top line spent the night in the offensive zone — that is a projection, not a guarantee. Who else has to carry it That top line is as heavy as Pittsburgh can make it: Evgeni Malkin (16 points, 6 goals and 10 assists) on one side of Crosby, Rickard Rakell on the other. Rakell has 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 40 career games against the Sharks, and his 16 goals rank 12th among all active players against San Jose. Tommy Novak, who shares the team goal lead with seven, has 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) in just nine career games against the Sharks — the kind of quiet matchup edge that decides late-night games. The engine, though, has been Erik Karlsson. He leads the Penguins with 18 points (3 goals, 15 assists) and enters tonight on an eight-game road point streak (2 goals, 10 assists), tied for the longest active road point streak in the league, and tied for third among NHL defensemen in road scoring. He has been held off the scoresheet just once in 10 road games. Projected Penguins lines, from the team's practice in Los Angeles and game-day reports: Malkin–Crosby–Rakell; Egor Chinakhov–Ben Kindel–Nick Robertson; Ville Koivunen–Tommy Novak–Justin Brazeau; Connor Dewar–Blake Lizotte–Rutger McGroarty. Late lineup reports have backup Sergei Murashov (1-4-1) as the confirmed starter in goal over Arturs Silovs (5-6-1, 3.35 goals-against average, .873 save percentage) — treat the goaltending as reported, not team-announced, until warmups. Injury updates Pittsburgh remains without Bryan Rust (lower body, on injured reserve, estimated return December 5), Ryan Graves (knee, estimated return November 28) and Elmer Soderblom (upper body, estimated return Saturday against Ottawa). Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower body) is on the road trip and practiced fully, but will not play tonight. Ville Koivunen, day-to-day with a lower-body issue, is projected in the lineup, and Sam Girard's absence from practice was termed a maintenance day — Pensburgh reports the expectation is that he plays. For San Jose, Alexander Wennberg plays his second straight game after missing the previous 10 with an upper-body injury; Igor Chernyshov remains out. What it means from here The schedule finally exhales after tonight — the Penguins have only three games between November 9 and 20. They come home Saturday, November 14, to host the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena, then get four more days off before St. Louis visits on Thursday, November 19. That makes tonight the hinge: a win sends a rested, healthier team home with a winning trip; a loss sends the same questions home with them, louder. Projection, clearly labeled: Pittsburgh's history in this building, Crosby's streak against this opponent, and Karlsson's road run all point one way, but the road record and the Anaheim tape point the other. This one feels like it is decided by the Penguins' power play, which cannot afford a repeat of Sunday.