How about those Pittsburgh Penguins? Winners of four out of their last five games, the team is riding high with stellar goaltending from a reformed Tristan Jarry and a defensive unit that has been jolted by the return of Brian Dumoulin.

Add into the equation that the Pens are about to see the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils a combined 15 more times this season, and the arrow could easily be pointing upwards toward the trade deadline in one month’s time.

This episode of the PensBurgh Podcast attempts to answer one simple question: why?

The combination of Kasperi Kapanen and Evgeni Malkin have resulted in both forwards putting up four points and eight points in each player’s last five games respectively.

Originally traded to presumably play alongside Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, the two-time Penguin in Kapanen has found a home on Evgeni Malkin’s right side. Needless to say, the 34-year-old Russian superstar has turned his corner and is back to his dominant self.

But why do players like Kapanen (and James Neal, Patric Hornqvist, and Phil Kessel before him) find more success with Geno than Sidney Crosby? That question, and more, is answered in this week’s episode.

Throw in a seven-question mailbag and you have the makings for one hefty podcast. Hooks and I analyze The Office characters, talk about some spiffy, new Pensburgh merchandise, and theorize if a Staal brother could make his way to the Steel City.

Don’t forget to support us by rating and subscribing to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.

Make sure to also follow us on Twitter all season long to get updated every time a new episode drops: @PensburghPod

***

Intro/Outro music courtesy of: Sylendanna.

Track title - Online Now! & I Think Its The Way I Walk

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices