DENVER. -- This might just have been the Penguins' most impactful win of the year.
The Penguins came into this game here in Denver having fallen out of a playoff position, riding a four-game losing streak and missing four of their six regular NHL defensemen. All these depleted, slumping Penguins had to do to get back on track was to get a win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, still very much contenders as the No. 2 team in the Central Division and riding a six-game winning streak.
A tall task, to say the least.