With the All-Star break in the rearview, the Penguins kickoff the unofficial start of the second half of the season tonight against the Sharks.
They do so from a position of strength after a rough start to the season. They have won eight of 11 since the start of the new year. What do the Penguins need to do to keep their winning ways going?
1. Get Matt Murray back on track.
With due respect to Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, who capably handled net duties the past month or so, the Penguins are not going to win three straight Stanley Cups without Murray at the top of his game.
Truth be told, Murray was not that the last time he started on Jan. 4, when he gave up four goals on 33 shots in a 4-0 loss to Carolina, or even in the weeks before that:
Understandably, his father's deteriorating health may have been more than a contributing factor for the 23-year-old.
The Penguins need Murray to be better than the .903 save percentage and 2.93 goals-against average he's posted this season. No one knows what's going through his head, but Murray is back where he belongs with his teammates.
"He's had a number of good practices and we think he's mentally prepared to be at his best," Sullivan said.
Look for an inspired effort from the Penguins to earn a win for the goalie who has lifted them to those two Cups.
2. Sharks go low-high better than anyone.
Few teams utilize point shots more than the Sharks, who boast Brent Burns, the second-leading scorer among all defensemen with 41 points (seven goals and 34 assists).
The Sharks rely on tips, redirects and deflections for a lot of their scoring and no one is better at that than Joe Pavelski. San Jose's 33-year-old captain might be having an off year with just 10 goals in 48 games, but he is always a threat in the slot or in the net front with perhaps the best hand-eye coordination in the league.
What do the Penguins need to do?
"It's mostly tying up sticks and knowing where people are," said Olli Maatta. "It's compete. They compete for every puck. They're always there. We have to do the same. The thing we have to do is win those battles."
3. Build off the Wild win.
No one is expecting the Penguins to put up six goals as they did against Minnesota before the break. It wouldn't hurt, but it's not realistic. San Jose has allowed just 133 goals this season, seventh-fewest in the league.
The Penguins found out Jan. 20 just how stingy the Sharks can be defensively when they mustered just one goal despite holding a 53-47 percent Corsi For advantage.
The Penguins' top-ranked power play, clicking at nearly 35 percent the last month, will also be in for a test against San Jose's fifth-ranked PK. The Penguins played well enough to win last time, but they need to finish when they get their chances.
Should they win by two goals, the Penguins would finally get back to zero in goal differential. That would be no small feat. They've been in the red since the second game of the season, a 10-0 loss to the Blackhawks at Chicago.