Good evening Penguins fans and welcome to the latest edition of the Big Dave's Pens Pregame. Thank you for spending your pre-game Sunday with my Pregame and I. Tonight, the Penguins continue the Eastern Conference Finals with the Lightning in Pittsburgh.
Puck drop will be at 8:00pm tonight, but the Pregame is live now...
@pensfan2259 needs to make up for his Pantera pick in the previous "Big Dave's Gameday Jams" selection since the Pens lost in Game Four. Today, he has chosen Queens of the Stone Age's "No One Knows." Enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
The Pens were downright awful in the first two periods of Game Four. They gave up an opening goal in the first thirty seconds and looked completely disinterested from there. Kris Letang played atrociously, and give him credit for admitting so in the post game. Trevor Daley left with a potential serious injury; his status for tonight is unknown at this time. As a team, the Pens looked slow, lazy and downright out of touch with the game. The scoreboard reflected as much after two periods, as it read Tampa Bay: 4, Pittsburgh: 0.
The third period was much better from the Penguins. In fact, they almost fought their way back to tie it late and force overtime. The third period saw Phil Kessel continue his rampage across the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as Phil jumped on the ice, took the puck and scored with an effortless, yet wicked wrister. A few minutes later, Evgeni Malkin broke his nine game goalless drought when he knocked in his fourth of the playoffs and Chris Kunitz added a tap-in power play tally a few minutes after Malkin. With about a minute left, it looked like a Kris Letang point shot tied it, but it went just wide and despite a sustained attack, the Penguins fell to the Bolts 4-3, and the series evened up at two.
The final frame was something for the Penguins to build off for tonight. Evgeni Malkin finally broke his goalless drought, so hopefully that is enough of a spark to get him going. Chris Kunitz has goals in consecutive games, which would be a huge bonus if he got hot right now. Maybe most importantly, the Penguins saw the return of Marc-Andre Fleury to the crease for the final period. If I were Mike Sullivan, I would have put Flower back in the net in Game 5 v. Washington. Now, I definitely go with the veteran once again. While Murray has been good, he is 3-3 over his last six game and hasn't been as good overall as he was in his first six games. Fleury is rested and got some action, looking good in that action mind you. He is ready.
Tonight, the Penguins begin, in essence, a three game series with Tampa. A huge win tonight would send both teams back to Florida on Tuesday for Game Six. A win tonight would be paramount for the Penguins.
SCouting the enemy: Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning certainly played with a ton of desperation in Game Four and it served them well. They got an early goal and thus, the momentum. They added another goal in the first, before adding two more in the second period to take a commanding 4-0 lead into the third. While the Penguins own desperation showed up in the third, allowing them to crawl back into the game, Tampa finished it off and tied the series up at two games a piece.
Now, the series shifts back to Pittsburgh and Tampa will look to steal another win from the Penguins on the road. They may be aided by the return of Ben Bishop in net, though Andrei Vasilevsky has played very well in net. While Steven Stamkos will remain on the shelf, the Triplet line has heated up of late and the likes of Victor Hedman, Alex Killorn and Jonathan Drouin have all been very solid in this series. They have the ability to steal another game tonight.
The key for Tampa will be their start. If they can do what they did in Game Four, and steal an early goal on the road, then they will have a good chance of taking the game. If they flounder and allow the Penguins' momentum from the final period to carry over and dictate the pace of the game, then expect the Lightning to struggle like they did in Games Two and Three.
It is a best of three series now, and Tampa would love to play the role of spoil sports on the Penguins great run.
Lightning Playoff Scoring Leaders:
- RW Nikita Kucherov - 16pts (9G-7A)
- C Tyler Johnson - 15pts (6G-9A)
- D Victor Hedman - 13pts (4G-9A)
- LW Jonathan Drouin - 12pts (4G-8A)
- C Alex Killorn - 12pts (4G-8A)
Injury Report:
- G Ben Bishop (lower-body) will be a game-time decision tonight. Bishop reportedly has not structural damage to the knee according to the team and has skated the last few days. HC Jon Cooper hinted he could play tonight, so time will tell.
- C Steven Stamkos (blood clots) will be a OUT tonight. Stamkos had surgery to remove a blood clot from his arm near the end of March and was given a 1-3 month timetable. He has been skating with the team, even shedding the no-contact jersey of late, but only time will tell.
Projected Lines:
- Ondrej Palat - Tyler Johnson - Nikita Kucherov
- Alex Killorn - Valtteri Filppula - Jonathan Drouin
- Cedric Paquette - Brian Boyle - Ryan Callahan
- JT Brown - Vladislav Namestnikov - Jonathan Marchessault
Projected Pairs:
- Victor Hedman - Anton Stalman
- Jason Garrison - Andrej Sustr
- Matt Carle - Braydon Coburn
Andrei Vasilevsky will start in net for the Bolts tonight.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- D Trevor Daley (lower-body) status is unknown tonight. Daley left Game Four in the 2nd period and did not return. He was seen post game on crutches, and an update wouldn't be given until today. I doubt he plays however, so expect Olli Maatta to return to the lineup.
Penguins Playoff Scoring Leaders:
- RW Phil Kessel - 17pts (8G-9A)
- C Sidney Crosby - 13pts (5G-8A)
- C Nick Bonino - 13pts (2G-11A)
- C Evgeni Malkin - 11pts (4G-7A)
- LW Carl Hagelin - 11pts (5G-6A)
Miscellaneous Notes:
- The Penguins are 1-1 in Game Five's this post season, including a win at home in the opening round v. New York.
- Pittsburgh has not lost back-to-back games since mid-January, a streak they wish to continue.
- C Evgeni Malkin has points in back-to-back games.
- RW Phil Kessel enters tonight on a six-game point streak and three-game goal streak.
#AskBigDave
Alex, I am going with the Flower in this one. While Matt Murray has been pretty solid this playoffs, he has not been as sharp the last few games. In fact, he has gone 3-3 over his last six, and allowed three-or-more goals in four of those six games. His four goals allowed in Game Four were not all entirely his fault, but he has let up a few soft ones the last few days.
Marc-Andre Fleury hadn't played since March 31st after missing nearly seven weeks with a concussion and backing up the streaking Murray. He entered Game Four in the third period and shut down the Lightning. He didn't have good numbers v. Tampa in the regular season, but Flower was sharp and made some very good saves in his first game action in quite some time.
As I said, I have to go with Flower. Murray has been good, but I want the veteran, Stanley Cup winning netminder in the net for these final three games. If he struggles, then you can go back to Murray, but I want the Flower back in there for sure. I've wanted him in there since Game 5 v. Washington as a matter of fact. Now, Sullivan has the opening to return him to his spot as the number one goalie, and make no mistake, the organization still views Marc-Andre Fleury as the number one guy. Ride the Flower, go to Murray if necessary.
And I'm a fan of sausage over bacon. I'm one of those people that doesn't got bat-crap bananas over bacon. I prefer sausage over it every day.
From Rob A. and Darin W. on the Tweety: "If Trevor Daley is out, do you trust Olli Maatta to go back in or do you go with Derrick Pouliot, Steve Oleksy or Tim Erixon?"
This is a question I really wish I didn't have to answer, and hopefully one that won't be necessary when the lineups are announced tonight. However, I think Trevor Daley won't be in there, which means that someone will have to replace him.
My best guess is it will be Olli Maatta and I am 75% alright with that. Look, even a struggling Olli Maatta is better than Steve Oleksy or Tim Erixon. Hell, Maatta at his absolute worst is better than those two guys. Derrick Pouliot is alright, and he is why I am only 75% ok with Maatta returning to the lineup if Daley's out.
Pouliot is such an enigma. He has the talent, he just doesn't seem to have the drive and work ethic. The Penguins as an organization have noticed it, and he is doing nothing but going stale here. I personally don't think he'll be here when the team heads to training camp in the fall. Would I trust him in arguably the most important game of the season to date to step in and fill a top-4 role? No, I can't say that I would. Do I trust Olli Maatta in that spot? Definitely more so than I trust Pouliot, but if Maatta was playing at full strength, he wouldn't be in this conversation at all, which allows me to have some reservations.
Boys, I got with Maatta. Really the best option in my eyes.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Conor Sheary - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust
- Eric Fehr - Matt Cullen - Tom Kuhnhackl
Pairs:
- Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
- Olli Maatta - Ben Lovejoy
- Ian Cole - Justin Schultz
Marc-Andre Fleury will likely be the starter in net.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Power Play: Don't look now, but the Pens have PP goals in back-to-back games. KNOCK ON WOOD, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KNOCK ON WOOD. Anyway, that play needs to continue. The Penguins need to take advantage of those power play opportunities, because not only do the Pens stand to gain on the scoreboard in those situations, but they also keep the dangerous players of Tampa (Johnson, Kucherov, Killorn, Palat) on the bench.
3. Flower Power: I have Marc-Andre Fleury in there tonight if I'm HCMS. He is the number one goalie, and he deserves to get back in net. MAF played well in his return to game action in the third on Friday night, and I see him being a key to the Penguins tonight. I think he can steal this game, especially in front of an electric home crowd.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Kris Letang: Tanger has been good ever since Mike Sullivan took over, but Friday may have been his worst game since the Mike Johnston era. He tried to do way too much, which led to him making so many egregious mistakes, costing the Penguins dearly. Tonight, I want to see him simplify his game and just let it come to him. He is at his best when he plays that way, which means the Penguins will find success.
3. Brian Dumoulin: The 24-year-old rookie defenseman has been unbelievable this year. He went from the number six guy on Opening night to the top pair in the Playoffs. Now, more must be asked of the rook, with the absence of Trevor Daley looming over the team. Dumoulin will have to be even better defensively, and if he could chip in a few points on the opposite end like Daley does, it would be paramount.
What to Know About Attending/Watching/Listening
- Gates open at 6:30 for the 8pm puck drop.
- The Penguins will wear their "Pittsburgh Gold" jerseys tonight.
- Be sure to stop by PensGear Wednesday night to purchase Player Name and Number Tee’s – just $21.99! Sunday only!
- All fans in attendance tonight will receive a Penguins rally towel and Pittsburgh Gold t-shirt.
- Big Screen at First Niagara Fan Zone – Fans without tickets to Monday’s game are invited to catch the game on the Big Screen at the First Niagara Fan Zone located at the Peoples Gate! The First Niagara Fan Zone opens 3 hours before game time. All fans are invited to test their skills at a giant hockey inflatable, play interactive games, take advantage of free face painting and visit with Iceburgh and members of the Pittsburgh Penguins Ice Crew prior to the game!
- Miller Lite Party Plaza – Enjoy 24 oz. Miller Lite beers for only $6 at the Miller Lite Party Plaza located at the Verizon Gate! Opening 3 hours before game time, the Miller Lite Party Plaza will help you get ready for the game with free interactive games and a DJ!
- Bud Light Party Plaza - Enjoy 24 oz. Budweiser and Bud Light beers for only $6 at the Bud Light Party Plaza located at the Trib Total Media Gate! Opening 3 hours before game time, the Bud Light Party Plaza will help you get ready for the game with free interactive games and a DJ!
- Food Trucks – Grab a bite to eat before the game with the Penguins Food Truck round up lining Centre Avenue! Food trucks scheduled to appear prior to Monday’s game include: Las Chicas Mexican, Franktuary, Pittsburgh Smokehouse, Pittsburgh Pierogi Truck, Cool Beans, Dairy Queen, Dunkin’ Donuts and Nakama.
- Stop by Burgatory’s Burger & Shake Stand inside CONSOL Energy Center on Monday to try a Black & Gold Cake Shake. Thanks to Burgatory, $1 per shake served will benefit the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation.
- “The Bulliest Dozer,” co-written by Penguins center Eric Fehr, is now available for sale at the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation’s silent auction stand outside of the First Niagara Club. This children’s book about why bullying doesn’t pay is signed by Fehr for just $20. You can also purchase the book by using the Foundation’s mobile bidding app at bidpal.net/pens.
Here is what you need to know for WATCHING tonight:
- The game is NATIONALLY televised on NBCSN at 8:00pm tonight.
- Coverage should begin at 7:00pm on NBCSN with pregame coverage.
Here is what you need to know if you're LISTENING to tonight's game:
- 105.9 The X, the Penguins app, the Penguins website and iHeart Radio app are all places you can pick up the game tonight.
- Mike Lange and Phil Bourque will have the game call beginning at 8:00pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 7:00pm. Josh Getzoff will host.
- Penguins Hot Line will follow the game action.
Pens Points:
- Attending the Game: 50pts
- Merchandise Purchase: 10pts
- Concession Purchase: 10pts
- Pens Radio Keyword: 5pts