Welcome to the latest edition of the Big Dave's Pens Pregame show. Tonight, the Penguins conclude their first home stand of the season when they host Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. Puck drops on Pens/Avs tonight at PPG Paints Arena at 7:00pm, but the latest edition of my pregame starts now...
Tonight's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" comes from one of the biggest indie/alternative bands of the 2000s. They had a plethora of hits, but this (mostly) instrumental song is by far one of my favorite ones of theirs. I am talking about Death Cab for Cutie and this song is "I Will Possess Your Heart." Enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
The Penguins are off to a great start in their title defense. They opened the season with a 3-2 shootout win over rival Washington on Banner Night, and followed it up Saturday with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. All-in-all, the Penguins are playing some pretty solid hockey in the process as well.
Atop of the list of playing well is goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The Flower kept the Penguins in the game after a fury of a start by the Ducks on Saturday. The Flower stopped 34 of 36 shots on the night and was, as always, a steadying presence for the Penguins on the back end.
Eric Fehr built off his momentum from the Opener. Though he didn't score a goal or add any points, the veteran winger had a strong two-way game that helped propel the Penguins to a 2-0-0 start on the season.
Finally, you have the big guns. Phil Kessel scored his first regulation goal of the season Saturday night. The True American Hero also added three shots and used that speed of his to create chances alongside his fellow HBK linemates. Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz continue to play well to start the year. Kunitz assisted on Conor Sheary's goal and also laid down a team high seven hits in the game. Hornqvist assisted on the Kessel marker and also contributed two takeaways on the evening.
What we wanted to see from the Penguins to start the year is exactly what we are seeing. The scoring depth they exhibited down the stretch last season and into the playoffs has been evident again early. That strong team defense has been present, with the Pens blocking 13 shots on the night. The power play has been solid to start the year, with the Pens adding a tally on the man-advantage in each of the season's first two contests. And, of course, the play of the goaltender has been unbelievable.
Tonight, the Penguins start a stretch of four games in six days, including a back-to-back tonight and tomorrow. The Pens have Montreal on the road tomorrow, and Nashville in the Music City on Saturday. The Western Conference Champions return to PPG Paints Arena for the first meeting since Game 6 of the Cup Finals on Thursday. And tonight, the Penguins take on the always troubling Colorado Avalanche. It is a game the Penguins should win, but one that never comes easy with the scoring depth of the Avs top six.
The Colorado Avalanche
But unlike the franchise's early years in Colorado, defense and goaltending remains an issues for this team. Semyon Varlamov was outstanding when he helped Colorado reach the playoffs in 2013-14, but he has been a flop since. While Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie are solid offensively, but they are far from top-tier defensemen. While Francois Beauchemin played well after signing last off-season, they still haven't upgraded nearly enough to be a playoff team, let alone a legitimate contender.
So what does Colorado need?
I still think they need another defenseman or two. A top-tier defenseman would go along way for this team to have some success. Next, the Avs need an upgrade in net. Hopefully Semyon Varlamov can regain a more respectable level of play than in recent years, or perhaps Calvin Pickard can emerge as a legitimate number one goaltender.
The Avs have had so much to like about their team up front for nearly a decade. That is all great, but until they address the issues on the back end more seriously they will never find the success of the Sakic/Roy/Forsberg teams of the late 90s, early 2000s.
What You Need to Know About Colorado:
- 39-39-4 during the 2015-16 season.
- Colorado went 22-19-0 on the road in 2015-16 season.
- The Avs were a perfect 6-0-0 in the preseason.
- Colorado won their only game of the season thus far, a 6-5 win over Dallas.
Scoring Leaders in 2015-16:
- C Matt Duchene - 59pts
- LW Gabriel Landeskog - 53pts
- C Nathan MacKinnon - 52pts
- C Carl Soderberg - 51pts
- D Tyson Barrie - 49pts
Offseason Acquisitions:
- LW Joe Colborne - UFA from Calgary
- D Fedor Tyutin - UFA from Colorado
- D Patrick Wiercioch - UFA from Ottawa
Offseason Subtractions:
- LW Mikketl Boedker, LW Shawn Matthias, D Nick Holden, D Nate Guenin, G Reto Berra
Injury Report:
- C John Mitchell (hip) is OUT tonight. Mitchell didn't make the trip after suffering a hip injury.
- RW Mikko Rantanen (ankle) is OUT tonight. Rantanen, who scored 60pts in the AHL last year, is rehabbing an ankle ailment in the AHL.
Projected Lines:
- Gabriel Landeskog - Nathan MacKinnon - Jarome Iginla
- Mikhail Grigorenko - Carl Soderberg - Matt Duchene
- Gabriel Bourque - Joe Colborne - Rene Bourque
- Andreas Martinsen - Ben Smith - Blake Comeau
Projected Pairs:
- Nikita Zadorov - Erik Johnson
- Tyson Barrie - Francois Beauchemin
- Fedor Tyutin - Patrick Wiercioch
Calvin Pickard is expected to start in net.
News & NOtes From Around the Penguins
- C Sidney Crosby (concussion) is OUT tonight. Sid skated prior to the gameday skate today, but he hasn't practiced with the team since last week.
- G Matt Murray (thumb) is OUT tonight. Murray also skated this morning prior to practice. HCMS stated after skate that Murray is "real close" to returning to the team.
- RW Bryan Rust (undisclosed) is OUT tonight. Rust skated with the team again this morning, and per HCMS he is close to being a "coach's decision" on when he gets back in the lineup.
Penguins Scoring Leaders:
- C Evgeni Malkin - 3pts (G-2A)
- RW Patric Hornqvist - 2pts (G-A)
- RW Conor Sheary - 2pts (G-A)
- Six tied with 1pt
Miscellaneous Notes:
- RW Patric Hornqvist enters the game on a two game point streak.
- C Evgeni Malkin enters the game on a two game point streak.
My Thoughts on Season Awards
Calder Trophy - Auston Matthews: It is going to be damn near impossible for anyone else to win this award unless Matthews gets hurt. Considering the majority of the voting media comes out of Toronto, and the way he has started the season, Matthews is the clear cut favorite and will most likely win the award. If I had to make another selection, it would be his teammate, Mitch Marner.
Selke Trophy - Jonathan Toews: I know many out there think that Toews is overrated and yatta yatta yatta, but I absolutely love this guy. He is one hell of a player, truly. I love his two way game, he scores in the top 20 in the league every year and he plays nearly every game. While guys like Anze Kopitar and Patrice Bergeron are always finalists and winners, I have a feeling Toews could get it this season.
Vezina Trophy - Martin Jones: This one is really, really hard for me to pick. I doubt Braden Holtby repeats the year he had last season. I doubt Carey Price plays a full season and as good as Marc-Andre Fleury is playing, even if he gets most of the starts, he won't even be considered. The name that intrigues me most is Martin Jones in San Jose. He had a breakout year as a starter last season, and that team remained in tact from their Stanley Cup Finals appearance. I think they will be even better and Jones will grow from his year last year. He is my pick for the Vezina. Runner up would be New Jersey's Cory Schneider.
Norris Trophy - Brent Burns: I'd love to say Kris Letang for this award, but the media doesn't seem to love him like the Pittsburgh fans do, and you always have to be concerned with his injury record. I think Erik Karlsson will again be a finalist, as he is the best scoring defenseman out there. Shayne Gostisbehere may even have his name in the ring, but I think it is Captain Caveman who gets it this year. He is going to score, we know that, and his pairing with former Penguins Paul Martin should keep his defensive numbers high as well. I'm picking Burns with Karlsson as my runner up.
Rocket Richard Award - Alex Ovechkin: Hard to go against the perennial goal scoring leader. Sure there is the off-season where someone else comes up and takes it, but Ovechkin has won this award practically every year he has been in the league. I am not betting against him this year. My runner up would likely be Tampa's Steven Stamkos.
Art Ross Trophy - Sidney Crosby: If Sid gets back on the ice within the next week, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will have a blistering season. The way he was playing in the playoffs last season, and in the World Cup in September, you'd be crazy to bet against him. That being said, depending on how long he misses with this concussion could be the determining factor. If Sid gets back in the lineup over the next week, he can run away with it. If he misses a month, it will be much more difficult, though not out of the question. If not Sid, then I think Jamie Benn is the guy to do it.
Hart Trophy - Sidney Crosby: Again, same as above. The Hart will come down to Sid and Benn. The winner will be based, in my opinion, on how long Sid is out with this concussion. Simple as that.
President's Trophy - San Jose Sharks: I love the way the Sharks play, and with their division, I don't think it is inconceivable they win the majority of the in division games. The Central is stacked, but the Sharks are one of, if not the best overall team in the West. I think they definitely win the West and I think they can win the Presidents Trophy too. The Pens will have a great chance in the East, as will Tampa Bay and Washington, but I think the East will hammer each other more than the West, giving the Sharks the best record.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Scott Wilson - Evgeni Malkin - Patric Hornqvist
- Chris Kunitz - Matt Cullen - Conor Sheary
- Tom Sestito - Eric Fehr - Tom Kuhnhackl
Pairs:
- Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
- Olli Maatta - Trevor Daley
- Ian Cole - Justin Schultz
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net for Pittsburgh.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Power Play: Two games, two power play goals... Am I dreaming? That is a great start to the power play, especially without Sid in the lineup. With a unit with this talent, the Penguins need to punish teams for giving them man-advantages. So far, they have. I just want to see that success carry over into as many games as possible.
3. Shoot, Shoot, Shoot: The Penguins had over 40 shots in Saturday's win v. Anaheim. That is a lot and that is what I like to see. The Penguins are a much scarier team when they are actually shooting the puck, instead of looking for the perfect pass/play to lead to a goal. This team's makeup now has shoot and collapse on net written all over it. It won them a Cup, it can win them a lot in the regular season too.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Scott Wilson: As mentioned above, he was switched to the left wing and Hornqvist moved up to the right while Geno centers. I think Wilson and Malkin have good chemistry, but Wilson just needs to get that first tally to get himself going. I think this line switch will be the ticket. I am predicting a Scott Wilson goal tonight.
3. Dad... I mean Matt Cullen: Hard to believe this guy is 39 years old. The way he plays is just unbelievable. His play with Kunitz and Sheary the other night was something to behold as well. Cullen and Sheary created several Grade A chances for each other, and a similar showing tonight would go a long way. I'm watching Dad closely tonight.
- Doors open at 6:00pm for an 7:00pm puck drop.
- All fans in attendance will receive a Penguins Team Calendar, courtesy of Highmark.
- Stop by PensGear powered by Reebok inside the Trib Total Media Gate at PPG Paints Arena during Saturday's game to take home your piece of the Championship from the Official 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Fan Program.
What to know for WATCHING the game:
- The game will be nationally televised on ROOT Sports.
- Coverage begins with Penguins Pregame at 6:30pm and Penguins Post Game following the action.
- Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey will have the call, with Dan Potash handling the interviews.
- Be sure to set your DVR or tune in following all the coverage tonight, because Root will be broadcasting the first episode of "In The Room" following tonight's game.
What to know for LISTENING to the game:
- Full coverage will be available on 105.9 the X, iHeartRadio and on the Penguins app.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage, starting at 6:00pm with Josh Getzoff.
- Hall of Famer Mike Lange and Phil Bourque will have the game coverage starting at 8:00pm.
- Penguins Hot Line follows the game action with Josh Getzoff.
Pens Points:
- Game Attendance - 50pts
- Concession Purchase - 10pts
- Merchandise Purchase - 10pts
- Radio Keyword - 5pts
- ROOT Pregame Keyword - 5pts
- ROOT Postgame Keyword - 5pts