March 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right side Elmer Soderblom (25) moves the puck against Boston Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirott (45) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images If the Pittsburgh Penguins have any chance of rising to the top of the NHL Metropolitan Division, they will want to make headway in the coming weeks.
The Penguins visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night for a game in Raleigh, North Carolina. The teams occupy the top two spots in the division and will meet three times in 13 days. The Hurricanes hold an 8-point lead over the Penguins.
Pittsburgh has struggled at times, going 1-2-1 in its last four games in March. The Penguins begin a five-game road trip that starts and ends in Raleigh with a 5-4 home overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Penguins coach Dan Muse said this was a much-needed result for a team about to embark on a challenging journey.
The Hurricanes returned from their West Coast road trip with a 2-2-0 record. Carolina, playing in Raleigh for the first time in March, holds the record for home ice points at 11 straight games.
The trip had mixed results.
“I thought we had a really good three games (before Saturday’s loss to Calgary),” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “I didn’t get the result in Seattle, but I thought we did really well. The other two games (Vancouver and Edmonton) were really, really good as well.”
Nonetheless, the Hurricanes became the first Eastern Conference team to reach 40 wins this season.
With defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere out again with a lower-body injury, the Hurricanes may tinker with their lineup. Meanwhile, Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker has a career-high five-game point streak.
Also among Carolina blueliners, Alexander Nikishin has eight goals, matching Justin Faulk’s franchise record for a rookie defenseman.
“I tell him every time, ‘You’ve got to hit the puck,’” teammate Andrei Svechnikov said. “He shoots hard and that’s what he needs to do.”
Both teams have added new faces since a week ago.
The Penguins, who have points in seven of their last nine games (4-2-3), added forward Elmer Soderblom of the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. He made his Pittsburgh debut on Sunday.
“This is a new system and things like that,” Soderblom said. “But I just tried to play my game and not think too much and just play.”
Muse said Soderblom was disruptive in pre-checks and expects players to gradually become more comfortable.
“It’s a big deal for a guy to get traded to a new team and play his first game, but I thought he did a good job,” Muse said. “I’m excited to have him here.”
Forward Nic Deslauriers joined the Hurricanes for a workout Monday after being acquired via trade from the Philadelphia Flyers late last week.
“I’ve really liked this guy for a long time because I know his personality,” Brind’Amour said. “First and foremost, he’s a great teammate. He hasn’t played a lot, but we know what he brings when he’s in the lineup. And that’s just that he’s very strong. He advocates for his group, and I think that’s something we’re really excited about.”
–Field level media
