Good evening Penguins fans and welcome to the latest edition of Big Dave's Pens Pregame. Tonight, the Penguins finish off a back-to-back Florida trip by facing Jaromir Jagr and the Atlantic Division leading Florida Panthers.
Puck drops on the action tonight at 7:00pm tonight, but you can enjoy my latest Pregame right now...
Are you ready for a throwback to 2000!?!?!?! I don't know what inspired tonight's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam," but it just came to me and I rolled with it. I'm sure many of you will remember this song from around the turn of the century, when the likes of N'Sync, Brittany Spears, Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees were the big names in popular music. This song comes from a band in the same vein, but may be one of the best songs from any of those boy bands from yesteryear. It is LFO's "Summer Girls," I hope it takes you back just like it took me back. Enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
The Penguins were whooped by the Lightning last night, by the final score of 6-3. Frankly, it isn't all that surprising they lost considering what we knew going in. One, the Pens would be without Evgeni Malkin and Eric Fehr, two instrumental pieces to various facets of this team. Two, the bottom six was totally comprised of Wilkes-Barre Penguins, including 21-year-old Oskar Sundqvist who was making his NHL debut. Finally, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was entering the game after a rough start on Tuesday night and the memory of a rough night in Tampa just three weeks ago. Would it all come to pass, or would the Pens sneak out a win against the NHL's hottest team?
The hottest team won and relatively easily judging by the tweets and the boxscore.
Marc-Andre Fleury was bad, giving up 4 goals on 14 shots. He gave up 5 on 23 Tuesday night as well. Don't take this as loss of faith in Fleury, because I can assure you, I have not. But I am starting to wonder if a blistering first half where he played in a lot of games is catching up to him. He saved the Pens skins a great deal over the first 48 games, it is unfair to expect him to save their skins the last 34 plus playoffs too. That being said, he needs to be better than this. What I am seeing in the numbers, 9 goals on 37 shots, is he isn't stopping the ones he should be and his defense is struggling in front of him.
It's fair to say the defense struggled on this night as well. Ten of the Penguins 18 skaters were a minus on the night. The second line of Hagelin, Kessel and Cullen were a combined minus-9 on the night. Kris Letang, though only a minus-1, seemed to draw a lot of ire from the nation for his defensive play on this night. While it is great he is producing a plethora points at the moment, he still needs to clean up his defensive game, period.
But it wasn't all bad for the Penguins.The top line of Crosby, Kunitz and Hornqvist had a stellar evening. They were responsible for two of the Penguins' three goals. Crosby scored his 21st and Hornqvist his 11th. Kunitz assisted on both goals. Matt Cullen's 6th of the season and second in as many games was the Pens other goal on the night.
The Penguins had a lot stacked against them going into last night, and they will have more tonight. They face one of the best teams in the league tonight in the Florida Panthers. They will once again do it without Malkin, Fehr and with a bottom six comprised completely of AHL kids. The question remains to be seen whether Marc-Andre Fleury will be back in net, or if Jeff Zatkoff will get the start after relieving Flower admirably last night after the fourth Tampa goal. Add the final piece to this mix, the Penguins are playing a back-to-back situation, meaning not only do they enter undermanned, but they enter with tired legs. It will be a tough night for the Penguins if they let any of this get to them...
Furocous Felines Rule Atlantic: The Florida Panthers
Just two summers ago, the Florida Panthers had the first overall selection in the NHL Draft. With that pick, they took defenseman Aaron Ekblad out of the OHL. He won the Calder Trophy then proceeded to be named to his first All-Star game this previous weekend. The kid even went so far as to score a nifty goal for the Atlantic team. That same summer, the Panthers went out and signed veterans like defenseman Willie Mitchell, foward Jussi Jokinen, center Dave Bolland and winger Shawn Thornton.
They were a surprise team last season. In the hunt around the trade deadline, Florida GM Dave Tallon brought in veteran Jaromir Jagr to help their run. They fell short of the playoffs, but Tallon put his team in position to make another successful run this season. He spent the offseason keeping together his core players, re-signing Jagr to a two-year deal and making one move to bolster his forwards by trading winger Jimmy Hayes to Boston for winger Reilly Smith.
To this point, the moves, and the Panthers, have greatly impressed the National Hockey League. Florida put together outstanding months in December and January, winning 19 of 26 games over those two months including a 12-game winning streak from December 15th to January 11th. They have led the league in defense, allowing a meager 2.16 goals per game entering the second half of the season and were just outside the top-10 in scoring.
This is a well-rounded team Dave Tallon has put together and I doubt they will fade coming down the stretch. In fact, Tallon told ESPN's Pierre LeBrun that he hopes to "bolster the lineup" at the trade deadline if the price is right. They already solidified their future by signing Aleksander Barkov to a six-year extension, but they will still have plenty of room under the cap to add pieces either to the top six or the back end. Don't be surprised if Tallon makes a few solid deals, like his acquisition of Jagr, to help during the stretch run.
The Penguins will have a tough test tonight. It is tough enough that they faced a great team in Tampa last night, but now they have to turn right around and face the Atlantic Division leaders. The Panthers will be ready, the Penguins will need to make sure they are up to the task early if they hope to add two points to the tally.
What You Need to Know About the Panthers:
- 31-15-5 overall record.
- The Panthers currently sit atop the Atlantic Division with 67 points through 51 games.
- Florida has gone 6-3-1 over their last 10 games including a 5 game win streak entering tonight.
- Home is where the heart is, and the Panthers have shown the home crowd love with a 17-7-2 record at the BB&T Center
- The Panthers' plus-33 goal differential is second in the entire NHL only to Washington (plus-52).
Scoring Leaders:
- RW Jaromir Jagr - 37pts (16G-21A)
- LW Jon Huberdeau - 37pts (10G-27A)
- C Aleksander Barkov - 34pts (15G-19A)
- LW Jussi Jokinen - 33pts (9G-24A)
- C Vincent Trocheck - 32pts (17G-15A)
Injury Report:
- C Dave Bolland (lower-body) is OUT tonight. The veteran center has not played in the 2016 calendar year and his return is still up in the air at the moment.
- D Willie Mitchell (undisclosed) is OUT tonight. The two-time Stanley Cup winning d-man hasn't played since mid-January with an undisclosed injury. His return is presumed to be soon, but it won't likely happen tonight.
Projected Lines:
- Jonathan Huberdeau - Aleksander Barkov - Jaromir Jagr
- Jussi Jokinen - Vincent Trocheck - Reilly Smith
- Brandon Pirri - Nick Bjugstad - Logan Shaw
- Quinton Howden - Derek MacKenzie - Corban Knight
Projected Pairs:
- Dmitry Kulikov - Aaron Ekblad
- Brian Campbell - Erik Gudbranson
- Steve Kampfer - Alex Petrovic
Roberto Luongo is expected to start in net tonight for the Panthers.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- Once again, no Evgeni Malkin, Eric Fehr, Nick Bonino or Beau Bennett tonight. No updates on their status' either.
Pens/Panthers Notes:
- The second matchup between these two teams this season. The final game will come on the 15th, again in Florida.
- The Penguins won the first game 3-2 at Consol Energy Center.
- Sidney Crosby scored a goal and three points on that night. Malkin and Kessel each had a goal as well while Kris Letang had two assists.
- Quinton Howden and Connor Brickley each had two points in that game.
- Pittsburgh is 3-0-1 in their last 4 games v. Florida.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- Captain Sidney Crosby stands one point away from 900 for his career entering tonight.
- Crosby also has an NHL-best 9-game point streak entering tonight.
- LW Chris Kunitz's assists tonight gave him 300 for his career
- RW Phil Kessel, who assisted on Matt Cullen's goal last night, now has a 5-game point streak entering tonight.
- Last night's game was the first game since season finale in 2002-03 where the Penguins had three or more Swedish born players on the ice (Hornqvist, Sundqvist an Hagelin) via @emptynetters
Big Dave's Ramblings
The injuries to Malkin, Fehr and Bonino are definitely troubling to the Penguins. While Malkin's seems to be minor and he could return as early as next week, Fehr could be gone for the majority of the rest of the year while Bonino won't likely be back until close to March. In their absence, I do not solely trust the likes of Kevin Porter or Sergei Plotnikov to fill those holes.
The Penguins made the right call in calling up Oskar Sundqvist
Sundqvist had an outstanding camp in 2014 before being sent back to Sweden at the last minute. He played very well that final year in Sweden before joining Wilkes-Barre in the playoffs. This year, he was slated to be the fourth line center before Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr were signed, designating him to a full year in the AHL.
Thus far, Sundqvist has played really well. He has 5 goals and 16 points through 39 games so far. He has been the center of the Baby Pens checking line and a key to their penalty killing success. He is 6-3, 210lbs and plays to his size. Calling him up was a smart move on the Pens part, for he fills the role on the third line and the holes on the PK with Fehr and Bonino out.
On Jiri Hudler:
Center Jiri Hudler is reportedly on the market according to multiple outlets. The 32-year-old Czech center is in the final year of his 4-year contract with the Calgary Flames and with the team struggling this year, he will likely be dealt at the upcoming trade deadline.
Hudler has had an up-and-down season. He started with 10 points in his first 12 games, but struggled greatly during November and December. Overall, he has six goals and 26 total points, but has played much better of late. Hudler has scored ten points over their last 10 games.
Several teams have called on the Flames to see the price on Hudler. The Fourth Period reports that the Penguins, Wild, Senators, and Islanders have all expressed interest, while ESPN reports that the Panthers and Hudler's former team, Detroit, have expressed interest.
I personally think he would be a good fit for the Penguins down the stretch. With the injuries to Fehr and Bonino, coupled with Bonino's underwhelming play thus far, another scoring center wouldn't be a bad pickup for the Penguins. I don't know what the price would be, but since he is a pending UFA, it wouldn't be as high as a controllable commodity.
On Winnipeg's Plans at the Deadline:
The Jets have a lot to figure out over the next month. They have impending UFAs in key players Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien. They are unlikely to make the playoffs this season and now goaltender Ondrej Pavalec is reportedly on the market as well.
Reports out of the Peg are that the team wants to re-sign Ladd and Byfuglien before they become UFAs this summer. According to TSN, the Jets would like to move Pavalec, and his 3.9 million dollar cap hit for this year and next, in an effort to re-sign both impending UFAs. The Flames are one team that appears to be interested in Pavalec and would be a fit considering both Jonas Hiller and Kari Romo will UFAs this summer as well.
If Pavalec cannot be moved, then the Jets will likely move one, if not both, of their key UFAs. Byfuglien has been rumored to many teams, including the Los Angeles Kings, who TSN's Pierre LeBrun thinks would be a perfect fit. As for Ladd, he reportedly broke off contract talks, but that doesn't mean he is gone. Only time will tell on that front.
I really like Andrew Ladd, and he is a name I have repeatedly explored at past trade deadlines. However, I don't think the Penguins will be after him this year. Though he would help in all aspects of the Penguins game, I just don't see them giving up what they'd need to to get him. Same goes for Byfuglien. While everyone is clamoring for him, the Penguins would be smart to avoid him. They need a defenseman, but there are cheaper, better options available for the Penguins to chase to fix the bottom pair of the defense.
On the Names in My 6 Targets Piece:
Last week I wrote about six names I'd like to see the Penguins make a run at during the upcoming trade season. Here are some updates on some of those names...
Brandon Prust: Prust was placed on waivers by Vancouver on Tuesday and cleared before the anyone claimed him. Reportedly the Canucks were trying to trade him, but no one was willing to take on his money, despite being an impending UFA. The only team that showed interest was the Washington Capitals, but they too were not interested in taking on his money.
John-Michael Liles: While the big name consistently talked about in Carolina is captain Eric Staal, it appears that the Canes are "very likely" to move Liles at the deadline according to the "News & Observer." Liles, 35, is an unrestricted free agent at season's end and would be a good fit for any team looking to upgrade its blue line and power play.
Jonathan Drouin: The Lightning are working on moving the currently suspended Drouin but no team is currently the "official" front runner. However, there have been multiple reports that the Blues are continuously scouting the Lightning and that they could be the ultimate winners of the sweepstakes. No word on if the Pens have had serious discussions, but I doubt the they are in on him seriously.
Kris Versteeg: It appears that the two-time Stanley Cup champion will be on the move come the deadline. The Fourth Period has Montreal, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Florida and the Rangers on the list of potential landing spots. Another team has joined the fray as well according to TSN, the team that traded him to Carolina, Chicago. The Blackhawks are looking for another winger and Versteeg could be one of their targets according to the Canadian outlet. I still think he'd be a great fit for the Penguins.
Dan Hamhuis: No updates on Hamhuis, though USA Today stated last week the Penguins were interested.
Kris Russell: No connection between the Penguins and the veteran defenseman, and there has been little indication that the Flames are looking to trade him at this time.
On A Potential Pens/Flyers Outdoor Game:
There were rumors abound Friday night that the Penguins and Flyers, along with the NHL, were on the verge of agreeing to a deal that would see the two hated rivals faceoff in an outdoor game in 2017.
According to NBC 10 News out of Philadelphia, the Pens and Flyers would play at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field in 2017 followed by an outdoor game in Philadelphia in 2019. The deal has yet to been finalized.
I absolutely love the idea of these two playing outdoors, especially if it is the Winter Classic next season. Besides the obvious reason that it's Pens/Flyers and it's the Classic, it also coincides with the 50th anniversary of both franchises. As a historian, I love little tidbits like that.
However, I am disappointed it will not be held at Penn State's Beaver Stadium, which could hold a capacity crowd of nearly 110,000 people. Reportedly, PSU wanted an insane amount of money to host the state's two NHL teams and both sides felt it was too much. This is disappointing because it would have been the perfect site for such an event. It may be the Pitt pride in me, but this is just another reason why I really hate Penn State.
Anyway, it looks like we finally get Pens/Flyers outdoors next season. That is something to celebrate at least.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- Carl Hagelin - Matt Cullen - Phil Kessel
- Tom Kuhnhackl - Oskar Sundqvist - Bryan Rust
- Scott Wilson - Kevin Porter - Conor Sheary
Pairs:
- Kris Letang - Olli Maatta
- Brian Dumoulin - Trevor Daley
- Ben Lovejoy - Derrick Pouliot
I am guessing Jeff Zatkoff gets the start tonight, but wouldn't be shocked to see Fleury after his early departure last night.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. The Top Line: A lot of the Pens scoring has come from the trio of 14-87-72 of late, and they provided 2/3s of the offense last night. With Malkin out and an AHL bottom six, the play, and ultimately, the ability to score for Kunitz, Crosby and Hornqvist is vital to the Pens chances. If they can continue to cash in goals, this team will have a better chance to win, even in its current predicament.
3. Secondary Scoring: I know the entire bottom six started the season in the AHL, and most of them were playing there prior to Christmas, but these kids need to add some offensive help. It wouldn't be such a big deal if Malkin, Fehr and Bonino were healthy, but they are not. These kids need to score and they are more than capable. WIlson and Sheary are top 12 in the AHL in scoring while Bryan Rust is a noted sniper at that level. These guys can score, they just need to do it.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Kris Letang: I didn't see the game last night, but from what I was told and read on the Tweety, Letang was a complete disaster in his own zone. That is nothing new of course, but we haven't seen him really struggle since the Johnston regime. Maybe it's the hand, maybe it's being tired from the ASG and no break, whatever. Letang is too good a player to play like he has the last two games in his zone. If he, and the rest of the D for that matter, don't clean it up a bit, it will haunt this team. Tighter defensively is what I'm looking for the most with Tanger tonight.
3. Tom Kuhnhackl: I just wanna see this kid score. I really like what the big German brings to this team, but he's got to score, especially with the current predicament the bottom six is in. He may not be the "pure scorer" the other WBS guys are, but he goes to the dirty areas, which means he can get the ugly goals. He's got to start doing that. Play just like the Swede on the top line Kuhnhackl, and you'll be just fine.
What to Know for Watching/Listening
- 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.
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 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:
- ROOT Sports Pregame Keyword: 5pts
- ROOT Sports Post Game Keyword: 5pts
- Pens Radio Keyword: 5pts
- Miller Lite Nite at Gators Grille in Glenshaw: 25pts