The Pittsburgh Penguins on the heels of a perfect 4-0 Western Canada Road Trip, have stormed out to an 11-2-2 record over their last 15 games in making a massive jump in the standings and over this stretch they are carrying the play in the bulk of games

Pittsburgh enters Monday with the 8th best points percentage in the NHL at .618.

Let that sink in again for a club that operated last summer in not trying to win. Players like Anthony Mantha were signed to be flipped and Pittsburgh came awfully close to tearing things down to the studs in the summer.

Bryan Rust was nearly traded to Buffalo at the draft and a week later was almost sent to To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! It didn’t stop with Rust. In season Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers got close to the finish line on a To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

Instead by standing pat and combined with low-end buys, Kyle Dubas is in the midst of one of the great heaters right now in Pittsburgh becoming quite the story. We’re starting to reach the point where you have to look at the Pittsburgh Penguins as a legitimate playoff team. It’s suddenly going to become an upset if they don’t get in. That’s how good of a hockey club they look like right now. What’s remarkable is how many players up and down the lineup are performing above expectations:

Aside from the young guys like Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty not progressing and taking a step forward at the NHL level, you can make an argument everyone else has met or exceeded:

The Once Regarded Flip Group is here to stay?

–Anthony Mantha coming off ACL surgery has 16 goals and 35 points. Mantha and UFA signee Justin Brazeau have combined for 30 goals thus far. Just insane and unexpected development. Mantha was also going to be flipped and even Brazeau on a two-year deal was going to be moved by the deadline if Pittsburgh’s season went as predicted. Now both are big parts of the forward, well liked in the room, and Mantha with a young family in particular is said to have a strong interest in To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

–Pittsburgh out of nowhere has one of the best 4th lines in hockey and all were on one-year contracts to open season. Connor Dewar 11 goals in 51 games, Blake Lizotte a stalwart down the middle on the line in receiving a three-year extension and Noel Acciari a pending UFA has been a perfect veteran presence to complete the line………..

— Rival Clubs in December fully expected goaltender Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak to be prime flip candidates, especially Kulak as Pittsburgh was regarded as having opportunities to trade him immediately before the Christmas Freeze. Skinner is playing lights out and is in driver’s seat to be Pittsburgh’s #1 the rest of the way, while Kulak has helped rein in Kris Letang the Penguins believe. Neither are likely to be play ahead of the deadline. [/hide]

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