The week ahead: Road gets tougher for Penguins

Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesAfter winning two out of three games over the past week the Pittsburgh Penguins are continuing their mid-season surge that has seen them become one of the NHL’s best teams over the past month.

Dating back to the night before Thanksgiving game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Penguins are 10-4-1 over their past 15 games, with only three teams in the NHL having a better record during that stretch.

It continues to be a near 180 turnaround almost entirely across the board, with significantly improved special teams play, slightly improved defensive play and some balanced scoring throughout the lineup. While Saturday’s game on Long Island was a little underwhelming,…