from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

Did any of you see this Pittsburgh Penguins run coming? I certainly did not.

A 6-2 win Sunday over the Washington Capitals continued a six-game win streak that has them sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division this morning, tied with the New York Rangers. The Penguins swept rivals Philadelphia and Washington during a perfect weekend and continue to ascend in the Eastern Conference standings.

The injury to Evgeni Malkin has served to further galvanize the Penguins' resolve, it would appear. We talked last Friday about Sidney Crosby's Hart Trophy-worthy season. The supporting cast is getting it done, too. Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl both scored goals Sunday, and Kuhnhackl's goal was a huge one, coming just moments after the Caps had tied the game 2-2 and seemingly taken momentum back. That goal put the Pens on their way for good. The AHL call-ups this season have served Pittsburgh well, too, just another key story in the Penguins' season.

more on the Penguins from the ESPN hockey crew...