Good evening Penguins fans and welcome to the latest edition of Big Dave's Pens Pregame. Glad to have you all along for the game coverage tonight and hope you enjoyed my deadline coverage as well. What a day!
Tonight, our Penguins finish up their season series with the Western Conference's Arizona Coyotes. Puck drops on the action at Consol Energy Center tonight at 7:00pm, but you can enjoy the Pregame starting now...
Today's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" popped up on my radio yesterday and it had to be my song tonight. I grew up in the woods, I love me a little country music. This guy is one of my favorite country stars out there right now, and this song comes off my favorite album of his, "Barefoot Blue Jean Night." That's right, I am talking Jake Owen and this is his tune, "Wide Awake." Enjoy y'all!
The State of the Penguins
The Pens hit the ice at Consol Energy Center hungry to make up for the debacle they made us endure on Wednesday night in Boston. Evgeni Malkin returned to the ice for the first time since February 2nd; Nick Bonino for the first time since mid-January. The Pens had a somewhat full cast for the first time since Christmas and it was an impressive performance.
Pittsburgh played a solid game on Saturday. They were a little slow to start, a problem no coach seems able to solve with this team, but they finished big in the last 40 minutes. The Pens got huge games from players who really needed to do so. Carl Hagelin, acquired for David Perron at the end of January, scored two goals and threatened a hatty multiple times. It was a much needed offensive explosion for the speedy Swede. Then there was Ian Cole. A #PressBoxHero for the better part of February, Cole has replaced the injured Ben Lovejoy admirably and had a nice game on Saturday with two assists. HIs partner was solid too, playing arguably his best game since his recall from Wilkes-Barre. Yes, I am talking Derrick Pouliot who had two assists as well. It was a good win, and it's a style and passion the Penguins need to continue to play with over the next few months.
The theme of Saturday's Pregame was reinforcements, and that follows suit for the team as a whole, but just not for the next two games. Following Saturday's game, GM Jim Rutherford pulled of his first Trade Deadline deal when he acquired the talented, but underperforming defenseman Justin Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers received a third round pick for the defenseman and retention of half his salary. It is a very good move for the Penguins, one that has the potential for a lot of upside. He told DK's Josh Yohe Saturday that his confidence was shot in Edmonton, but he couldn't be happier to be joining the Penguins; one of his favorite teams to watch. Schultz won't join the team during the next two games, as visa issues will keep him from joining the team until Wednesday or Thursday. I for one am excited to have him and I discuss him deeper here: http://bigdavespenspregame.weebly.com/blog/first-deadline-deal-done-schultz-to-pens
The Pens have another game tonight where two points are paramount. The Arizona Coyotes are in town, and though they are playing better this season, they still won't be a playoff team. I'd love to see the Penguins have another huge night and grab these much needed points.
Laying Foundations: The Arizona Coyotes
A team thought to be destined for the basement, the Coyotes have gone out and shown that success is not too far off. The Coyotes find themselves out of the hunt for the most part, but they have had a very solid season thus far in 2015-16. They are 27-29-6 on the season, good for 60 points and 5th in the Pacific Division. Until about two weeks ago, the Coyotes were in the playoff hunt, now, it would take a lot for them to have a chance to make it.
All that in mind, the Coyotes have some great young players in place for the future and could acquire more before the deadline is over today. Franchise cornerstone Oliver Ekman-Larsson is under control for another three years after this season. The all-star caliber defenseman once again leads this team with 48 points in 62 games. Then you have Max Domi, who has successfully transitioned from junior hockey last season to the NHL this year. Domi has 17 goals and 42 points in 62 games. Wingers Tobias Rieder and Anthony Duclair have been great too. Rieder has 34 points so far on the season, while the rookie Duclair has 16 goals and 33 points in 61 games.
One name that unfortunately sounds like won't be part of the future is Mikkel Boedker. The impending UFA is the talk of the town and very likely will not lace up his skates and face the Penguins tonight. Boedker has played very good hockey for the 'Yotes, posting 39 points this season, but has likely priced himself out of town. The Coyotes want to keep him, but it is up to Boedker to do so. I don't see him playing in an Arizona sweater tonight, though I'd love to see him stay and build something with that organization. He could really help them going forward.
As for the rest of the Coyotes, they have some solid veterans to guide the youngsters along. Captain Shane Doan continues to defy age and post some great numbers in third line minutes. Doan has 38 points thus far in just 53 games. Antoine Vermette returned after heading to Chicago to win his Stanley Cup last year, and has posted 24 points so far. Finally, center Martin Hanzal has been a great influence and the young kids and benefitted from playing with the likes of Rieder and Duclair. Hanzal has 32 points in 49 games.
I really like what the Coyotes are laying down in the desert. If Mike Smith could rediscover his top-form and they add a few more pieces, I don't see why the Coyotes couldn't contend for a playoff spot as early as next season.
What to Know About the Coyotes:
- 27-29-6 overall record.
- Enters tonight with 60 points, good enough for 5th in the Pacific Division.
- Arizona has struggled mightily of late, losing 5 straight entering tonight and going 3-7-0 over their last 10 games.
- The road has been harsh to the 'Yotes, as they have gone 11-17-2 away from the desert this year.
Scoring Leaders:
- D Oliver Ekman-Larsson - 48pts (19G-29A)
- LW Max Domi - 42pts (17G-25A)
- RW Mikkel Boedker - 39pts (13G-26A)
- RW Shane Doan - 38pts (23G-15A)
- RW Tobias Reider - 34pts (16G-17A)
Injury Report:
- C Boyd Gordon (upper-body) is OUT tonight. Gordon hasn't played in a few weeks due to an upper-body issue. He has returned to practice, but won't play tonight.
- G Anders Lindback (lower-body) is OUT tonight and the remainder of the season. An achilles issue has knocked out the 'Yotes backup netminder for the remainder of the season.
- G Mike Smith (lower-body) is OUT tonight. He has missed a few weeks but still isn't ready to return.
- C Joe Vitale (concussion) is OUT today and the remainder of the year. The former Penguin played in just one game this year. He broke his orbital bone in a fight with Boston's Kevan Miller and has suffered from that and a concussion since. He will not play the rest of the season.
Projected Lines:
- Tobias Rieder - Martin Hanzal - Anthony Duclair
- Jordan Martinook - Antoine Vermette - Mikker Boedker* (Sergei Plotnikov)
- Max Domi - Brad Richardson - Shane Doan
- Kyle Chipchura - Tyler Gaudet - Viktor Tikhonov
Projected Pairs:
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Connor Murphy
- Klas Dahlbeck - Zbynek Michalek
- Kevin Connauton - Michael Stone
Louis Domingue is expected to start in net.
News & NOtes From Around the Penguins
- F Conor Sheary (upper-body) will be a game-time decision tonight. The pesky, little winger missed the last half of the win over Winnipeg and did not skate yesterday. The nature isn't fully known, but it sounds like it is an upper-body issue for Sheary.
- No updates on D Ben Lovejoy, RW Beau Bennett or C Eric Fehr
Transaction Notes:
- Penguins acquired D Justin Schultz from Edmonton Saturday for a 3rd round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. Edmonton also ate part of Schultz's remaining salary. Schultz won't join the team until mid-week and will wear #4 for the Penguins.
- F Sergei Plotnikov has been traded to the Arizona Coyotes for a conditional pick and a prospect.
- Penguins acquire C Dustin Jeffery from the Arizona Coyotes in the dying minutes of the deadline. Compensation for Arizona unknown.
- Penguins recalled G Matt Murray from Wilkes-Barre on Saturday evening. He is expected to serve as the Penguins' primary backup netminder for the remainder of the season.
- D David Warsofsky was recalled from a conditioning assignment in WBS, then placed on waivers Sunday. UPDATE: Warsofsky was claimed by New Jersey.
Pens/Coyotes Matchup Notes:
- Final game between these two this season.
- Arizona won the first matchup this season back in early October in Arizona 2-1.
- Phil Kessel scored the lone goal for the Penguins in that game.
- Marc-Andre Fleury absorbed the loss, allowing two goals on 39 shots.
- Tobias Rieder and Jordan Martinook scored both 'Yotes goals in the first matchup.
- Mike Smith earned the win in net for Arizona.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- The Penguins PK has been great of late, including killing 31 of their last 35 penalties at CEC.
- D Kris Letang can match a career high with his next goal scored. He currently has 10, career high is 11.
- G Marc-Andre Fleury is 9-1-1- in his last 11 games at Consol Energy Center.
- D Derrick Pouliot has 4 assists in his last 5 games with a plus-3 rating.
Big Dave's Ramblings
On Sergei Plotnikov's Trade:
The Pens executed the first trade of deadline day when they traded forward Sergei Plotnikov to Arizona. The Penguins received a conditional pick and a minor leaguer in the deal.
The situation for Plotnikov here was not good from the word go. He was never trusted by either coaching staff and the situation with Sullivan has never been good. He has been the goat, and now he finds himself out of town. I know a lot of fans are against him because he said he'd like to return to Russia, but guys, seriously, you cannot blame him for that with what he went through to get here and how he's been treated by this organization. It was a complete crapshow from the word go.
In the long run, the Pens get a pick in this deal and a minor league player. The draft choice is a 7th rounder in 2017 while the player they acquired is German winger Matthias Plachta. The 24-year-old is playing in his first season in North America after four seasons in the DEL for Manheim. He hasn't been great in the AHL, scoring just 2 goals and seven points, but it's added depth for WBS. More importantly, it frees up a little salary cap room for the rest of the year. I wish Plotnikov the best of luck and I hope he gets to play more in Arizona.
On the Penguins Relatively Quiet Deadline:
The Penguins had a relatively quiet deadline day. Sergei Plotnikov was traded early in the morning to Arizona, discussed above. At noon, the New Jersey Devils claimed David Warsofsky off waivers from the Penguins. It is disappointing for the Pens to lose him, especially since they're weak at defense.
Finally, just as the deadline came, the Penguins reacquired center Dustin Jeffrey from the Coyotes. Jeffrey has been really good in the AHL, playing to a point per game through 45 games for Springfield. Jeffrey will join WBS and likely slot right into their lineup, which has been depleted with the call ups of Wilson, Rust, Sheary, etc over the last month.
Other than that, I am completely ok with quiet deadline for the Penguins. As much as I like Kris Russell, the Penguins couldn't pay that price for a rental. The Penguins also just didn't have the pieces to move. Beau Bennett, Jeff Zatkoff and Ian Cole were their best options. Can't do much with that. So quiet goes the deadline and the Penguins move forward to chase a playoff spot. That will be my sole focus moving forward.
On the Eric Staal Trade:
This was a deal we all knew was coming. With Carolina's dip over the last week, they saw themselves fall further out of the playoff hunt. With that, it is time to sell what they can and bring in more young pieces to rebuild the franchise. They started that Sunday when they traded their captain, Eric Staal.
It was a deal we expected and one that needed to happen. Regardless as to whether Carolina was in it or not, they needed to move Staal and get the pieces they needed for the future. The New York Rangers paid the price, and Eric waived his no movement clause to play with his other brother, Marc. Carolina ate some money too in the deal, and received a prospect and two second round picks over the next two drafts.
It was a great move for Carolina. Time will tell where Eric will go in free agency, and I wouldn't count out him returning to Carolina in the offseason to keep playing with his brother, Jordan. In the meantime, Ron Francis acquires more pieces to continue the rebuild in Raleigh. For the Rangers, they get a veteran center with playoff pedigree who could help them down the stretch and in the playoffs. While Eric's numbers are down, I don't think he is done yet. He can really help the Rangers the rest of the year.
On the BUYING Florida Panthers:
Yes, you certainly read that right! The Florida Panthers are buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline and they made a plethora of moves Saturday to strengthen their roster. GM Dave Tallon first went out and got forward Jiri Hudler from Calgary for a 2nd and 4th round pick. Then, he acquired winger Teddy Purcell from the Oilers for a pick 3rd rounder. Finally, he acquired defenseman Jakob Kindl from Detroit for a future 6th round pick.
The Florida Panthers are for real, and GM Dave Tallon is doing everything he can to help them make a run. He did a great job in the offseason bring back Jagr and adding Reilly Smith via trade. His offseason work in 2014 laid the foundation for this run, along with his excellent drafting and development of players like Barkov, Ekblad, Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad. Hudler probably slots in on the second line with Bjugstad while Purcell plays in the bottom six. As for Kindl, I see him as a bottom pairing defenseman for them, even their seventh defenseman when everyone is healthy.
If the Panthers can get solid goaltending from Roberto Luongo down the stretch and in the playoffs, I see them as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see them add one more piece today.
On the Blackhawks and Their Deadline Moves:
I really wonder how Stan Bowman makes all these deals with almost no salary cap space. For those of you living under a rock the past few days, the Blackhawks acquired LW Andrew Ladd, C Tomas Fleischmann, LW Dale Weise and D Christian Ehrhoff from the Jets, Habs and Kings respectively. Heading out of Chicago were several picks, D Rob Scuderi and promising center Marko Dano.
The Hawks are all-in right now. After winning 3 cups in 6 years, they are doing everything they can to make it 4 in 7. I hope someone takes them down, but man, you got to give them credit for pulling these moves and making a run for yet another Cup. I think they are still the best team in the West until someone eliminates them from the playoffs. If they can remain relatively healthy, they should make it to at least the Conference Finals. I can see the Kings or Ducks knocking them out, but it will be a tough task for any competitor.
But for the deadline, the Hawks are certainly among the winners and if they can move Bryan Bickell in a deal, they will make even more moves.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- Carl Hagelin - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel
- Tom Kuhnhackl - Nick Bonino - Bryan Rust
- Kevin Porter - Matt Cullen - Scott Wilson
Pairs:
- Kris Letang - Olli Maatta
- Brian Dumoulin - Trevor Daley
- Ian Cole - Derrick Pouliot
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net tonight for the Penguins.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Top Six Production: Pens got two goals from Carl Hagelin Saturday, but as a hole, the top six has been quiet the last two weeks. Geno is back, the chemistry and line combos are there, the guys just need to do it. I'd love to see guys like Kessel, Kunitz, Hornqvist have a huge game tonight. I think they just might too.
3. Keep It Rolling: The Pens have gotten scoring from the bottom six in every game the last two weeks. I'd love to see that continue. I'm looking at Scott Wilson, four goals in five games, Tom Kuhnhackl, Bryan Rust to come out, get to their games and add an extra goal from the bottom units. It really helps and gives the team a jolt.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Derrick Pouliot: Pouliot has played really well offensively of late. He has four assists in his last five games. That's really good and I'm glad he's getting more comfortable joining the rush. Defensively, he has been up-and-down, but overall I cannot complain too much about his play his zone. He needs to work at it more, but I believe Sergei Gonchar will get him there. Tonight, I'd like to see him have a big night and get some more minutes to save the big guns for tomorrows showdown with the Caps.
3. Patric Hornqvist: I'd love to see Hornqvist have a big game tonight. I think he has played very well since returning to the top six on Sid's line, but he has been a little quiet over the last 5 games, as have the rest of the top six. Hornqvist could be a real pain for the Coyotes tonight in front of the net tonight. Lets see him be that pest and hopefully get some points tonight.
What to Know for Attending/Watching/Listening
- Puck drop is at 7:00pm with the doors to CEC opening at 6:00pm.
- The Penguins will wear their traditional home jerseys tonight.
- Every fan in attendance will receive a Penguins "sock penguin" (pictured above) via Trib Total Media.
- The Pens Gear Gameday Special is all items at PensGear stores at CONSOL Energy Center are 50% off during Thursday’s game and all remaining home games during the month of February!
- “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:
- ROOT Sports has the coverage tonight. Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey with the call beginning at 7:00pm. Dan Potash will have the interviews.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage beginning at 6:30pm.
- Penguins Post Game will follow the game action.
- 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 7:00pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 6:00pm. Josh Getzoff will host.
- Penguins Hot Line will follow the game action.
Pens Points:
- Game Attendance: 50pts
- Concession Purchase: 10pts
- Merchandise Purchase: 10pts
- ROOT Sports Pregame Keyword: 5pts
- ROOT Sports Post Game Keyword: 5pts
- Pens Radio Keyword: 5pts