Tim Benz, Seth Rorabaugh on Penguins slump, injuries, Stars rematch, Lightning loss

It’s the final “Breakfast With Benz” podcast of the week. I’m joined by TribLIVE Penguins beat writer Seth Rorabaugh. He’s on the road, covering the team in Dallas. The Penguins play the third leg of their road trip against the Stars on Saturday night.

After a five-game winning streak, Mike Sullivan’s club has lost three in a row. The last time the Penguins won was on Oct. 18 when they beat the Stars, 4-2, at PPG Paints Arena. They need a win in the rematch to remain above .500, as their record has fallen to 6-5.

Part of the reason for the recent losing skid is that the Penguins have had trouble scoring. That win against the Stars was the only time in the last five games that the Penguins exceeded three goals in a game.

While Sullivan has been effusive in his praise over the team’s approach in recent games, the results just haven’t been there. And maybe the initial burst the Penguins got from their slew of AHL call-ups is fading. It’s high time to get their injured forwards back. Seth tells us that could start Friday with Bryan Rust and Nick Bjugstad.

We also discuss Tristan Jarry’s fine start to the season, the controversial ending to the loss in Tampa and Dominik Simon’s more impactful play of late.

LISTEN: Analyzing Penguins' slump, injuries, Stars rematch, Lightning loss