Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the latest edition of Big Dave's Pens Pregame show. Glad to have you here for yet another edition of the show, my gratitude for your interest. Today, the Penguins take a quick trip up Route 79 and face off with former coach Dan Bylsma and the Buffalo Sabers.
Puck drops on this nationally televised game at 12:30pm, but you can begin enjoying the Pregame now....
Today's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" comes from one of my favorite bands of my youth. Their "All Killer, No Filler" album was one of the best of the early 2000s and one of my favorites overall from my childhood. That's right, were going with the punk band Sum 41 for today's game and this song comes from that aforementioned album. The song is "Rhythms," enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins enter this game on the cusp of a playoff spot after another abysmal defeat yesterday afternoon at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Penguins dropped their third and final game to the Lightning by a final of 4-2, finishing the season series with a 0-2-1 record and a minus-6 goal differential. Hopefully, even if we make the playoffs, we don't see those guys again.
The Penguins were a split squad yesterday. The Wilkes-Barre guys were phenomenal. Tom Kuhnhackl was finally rewarded with his first goal, which he scored short handed to cut the Tampa lead to 3-1 in the second period. Later in the period, Scott Wilson added his second in as many games, after going scoreless in his first 12 games of the year. Bryan Rust added his first assist of the season on Wilson's goal, giving the WBS guys three for the day.
The other youngsters were strong as well v. Tampa. Derrick Pouliot played very well under increased minutes with Trevor Daley missing time and Ben Lovejoy sitting out the last two periods due to injury. Conor Sheary played well again, and looked good on the power play as well. Oskar Sundqvist, who's games are probably numbered due to no fault of his own, was good defensively again and won 60% of his draws. They all aren't "blue chip" prospects per-say, but each one has done everything they can to keep the Penguins afloat.
On the downside of things, the veterans were not very good yesterday. Jeff Zatkoff was simply bad once again. He let up four goals and was a major factor in the Pens losing this game. Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist struggled. They each had several golden opportunities and failed to convert them. Phil Kessel was a minus-2, and he did a lot of what saw him get taken off the top line earlier in the year; defer to much to Sid instead of taking his chances.
And then there was Kris Letang...
Look, I am not going to sit here and deny that he isn't a talented player with a lot of upside and a big part of this team. They do play worse without him in the lineup and I won't go so far as saying the loss was solely his fault. However, Letang was far from good and he needs to learn to control his head. He had six penalty minutes in this game and could have been ejected had Ondrej Palat not have ducked at the last minute on a clear boarding attempt by Letang in the first. Look, Kris posted a point and a ton of minutes, but he needs to be smarter with the penalties, and more importantly, when he goes to the box keep his mouth shut. These NHL refs are atrocious, but they call more stuff on him because he cannot keep his mouth closed. Be smarter and keep quiet and I won't qualm much more about number 58.
This game today is huge. The Penguins dropped a great chance yesterday to get two points on the first half of a back-to-back, now they absolutely need to get two points in this matchup against Buffalo. They cannot continue to keep giving points away, even if they are without Malkin, Fehr and Bonino. "Help us Evgeni Malkin, you're our only hope!"
Lottery Eligible: The Buffalo Sabers
The Buffalo Sabers enter today's game once again at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They have just 55 points on the year to this point and will likely received another top 5 pick in this summer's NHL Draft.
But there is some bright news. Firstly, the Sabers aren't the worst team in the East. Heck, they aren't even the second worse entering today's game. In fact, Buffalo is actually playing better of late, earning points in 8 of their last 10 games. While it is another forgettable season in the manner that they will not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Sabers are improving and for several reasons.
The first are the Sabers two big offseason acquisitions. Centers Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel have enjoyed a good deal of success in their first year in Buffalo. O'Reilly has 49 points on the season (17G-32A) thus far, while the rookie Eichel has 41 points (17G-24A). These two will be the foundation of the rebuild in Buffalo, and both are off to a very good start through 59 games in navy and gold.
Next, is the coaching of Dan Bylsma. There is no discounting that Bylsma is a good hockey coach. His time was up in Pittsburgh when he was let go, but it wasn't because he isn't a good coach. In fact, he's the perfect fit for a team that is rebuilding. The Sabers are not tearing up the league yet, which would have been a miracle considering their glaring holes on defense and in net, but he does have them playing better. If Buffalo is patient, and gives Bylsma a few more pieces, he can turn this team into a playoff team.
Finally, its the collection of youth and veterans. On the vet side of things, you have guys like Brian Gionta, Matt Moulson, O'Reilly and Tyler Ennis. All of those guys have been double digit point scores thus far. Then you have the young guys. Eichel has been everything promoted, but guys like defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart have been quite impressive. Ristolainen has 34 points from the blue line while Reinhart has 27 points and a team leading 18 goals. Buffalo still has a couple guys in the system that will bolster this team going forward, and they will likely acquire some more talent at the deadline for impending UFAs.
The Sabers aren't great, but they are certainly getting better. The Penguins cannot take this game lightly, otherwise they could end up getting embarrassed by Buffalo for lack of respect. Even if they aren't great, you can never underestimate an opponent. Pens would do well to remember that...
What to Know About the Sabers:
- 24-28-7 overall record.
- Good for 55 points and 7th in the Atlantic Division.
- Buffalo has gone 5-2-3 over their last 10 games including a 4-0 shutout win over Columbus Friday night.
- The Sabers are a minus-21 in goal differential this season.
- Home has not been friendly to the Sabers, as they are only 11-16-3 in their own barn.
Scoring Leaders:
- C Ryan O'Reilly - 49pts (17G-32A)
- C Jack Eichel - 41pts (17G-24A)
- D Rasmus Ristolainen - 34pts (8G-26A)
- LW Jamie McGinn - 27pts (14G-13A)
- C Sam Reinhart - 27pts (18G-9A)
Injury Report:
- D Cody Franson (undisclosed) will be a game-time decision today. He missed Friday's game with an undisclosed ailment, and his status for today remains uncertain.
- LW Tyler Ennis (upper-body) is OUT tonight. The pesky winger's return is "not imminent" according to Dan Bylsma, which is a blow to the Sabers top six. He has been working out, but no further updates available.
- C Cody McCormick (blood clots) remains OUT. The veteran center has missed time due to the clot issues, similar to those of our own Pascal Dupuis. There is no timetable for the 32-year-old's return.
Projected Lines:
- Evander Kane - Ryan O'Reilly - Sam Reinhart
- Jamie McGinn - Jack Eichel - Zemgus Girgensons
- Marcus Foligno - Johan Larsson - Brian Gionta
- Nicolas Desiauriers - David Legwand - Matt Moulson
Projected Pairs:
- Josh Gorges - Rasmus Ristolainen
- Jake McCabe - Zach Bogosian
- Cody Franson - Mark Pysyk
Robin Lehner is exected to start today for the Sabers.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- D Ben Lovejoy (upper-body) is OUT today. Lovejoy blocked a few shots and didn't play much past the first period before missing the entire third period. An update should be provided today postgame or tomorrow.
- C Evgeni Malkin remains out with a lower-body issue. He did skate both Friday and Saturday before practice and the game.
- C Nick Bonino (hand) has also returned to skating, but remains out with a broken hand.
- D David Warsofsky (concussion) continues to practice, but has yet to be cleared to play.
- No updates on Beau Bennett
Pens/Sabers Matchup Notes:
- Today is the second of four matchups between the Pens and Sabers.
- The Penguins won the first matchup 4-3 at Consol Energy Center in October.
- Four Penguins posted two points in that game: Evgeni Malkin (G-A), Ben Lovejoy (G-A), Patric Hornqvist (G-A) and Sidney Crosby (2A).
- Jeff Zatkoff posted the win in that first matchup for Pittsburgh.
- Rasmus Ristolainen and Ryan O'Reily each had two points (2A each) in the 4-3 loss to the Penguins. Matt Moulson, Nicolas Deslauriers and Jamie McGinn scored the goals.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- F Patric Hornqvist is still one point shy of 300 for his career. Be on the watch for that today.
Big Dave's Ramblings
On Pens Trade Rumors:
There have been a bunch of rumors out there surrounding the Pens and trades the last 10 days or so, and with the deadline just 8 days away, I expect a ton of chatter and deals over that time frame. Some of the most latest rumors and names have been Toronto defenseman Roman Polak, Arizona winger Mikkel Boedker and Columbus winger Scotty Hartnell.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun linked the Penguins to both Polak and Boedker earlier in the week and both names started a plethora of conversation. I personally don't think Polak is much of an upgrade over Ian Cole as a seventh defenseman, and depending on the nature of Lovejoy's injury, I'd not count on either long-term if he's out. Polak is a big defenseman, but he has no feet left and would essentially be another Rob Scuderi. He's a bottom pair guy in Toronto, which means he's not worth the pieces in my honest opinion.
As for Boedker, that is a deal I wouldn't mind seeing the Penguins make. Boedker is just 26 years old, entering his prime and has a ton of talent. Besides a minus-25 rating, his offensive numbers are quite solid (38 points in 57 games for Arizona). He will not come cheap, and frankly I don't know if the Penguins have the pieces for him, but I wouldn't mind picking him up if we could resign him to an extension.
Then there is Scotty Hartnell. I wrote in yesterday's #AskBigDave section that I really like the idea of seeing him in a Penguin sweater. He still has some hands, good power play guy and has a ton of character and grit. I love all that about him, except that he is a 32-year-old winger earning 4.75 million annually. That's the flaw in the plan. He would be a perfect third liner on the Penguins and the perfect guy for the playoffs, but the money doesn't work. Unless the Jackets were willing to eat the majority of the deal, which stretches until the 2018-19 season, I doubt the Penguins will be able to get him.
On PK Subban on the Block:
Reports continue to fly out of multiple outlets that the Canadiens and GM Marc Bergevin have been trying to trade their star defenseman and former Norris winner PK Subban. The Canadiens are free falling after jumping out to a huge lead in the Atlantic Division. Now, they will likely be on the outside looking in on a playoff spot if things do not pick up. The Habs problem, despite losing Carey Price for the year, is that they simply cannot score. They have a great defensive corps, but no one besides American Max Pacioretty to put the puck in the net.
The Habs are reportedly taking all calls, and other names have been discussed such as Alex Galchenyuk to the Chicago Blackhawks. But the big name the last 72 hours has been that of Subban, who multiple GMs have said Bergevin has called them to gauge their interest. Subban has 7 years remaining on his deal and an annual cap hit of 9 million.
Look, I cannot seriously think they would consider moving Subban, especially since he's been their most productive player and he's locked up long term. He is a franchise type player, and I find it baffling that the Habs would try to trade him. What Montreal needs is offense, they could stay in this playoff race simply by adding scorers at the deadline. Make a run at Eric Staal or one of the other big name players out there and keep Subban. He's you're money maker and best skater, he isn't the guy you dump during a bad year.
On Stamkos, Staal and Others:
Let's start this section with the biggest name, Steven Stamkos. Tampa GM Steve Yzerman came out last Monday and public stated he would not trade his captain by the deadline, regardless of the contract situation. Yzerman obviously still thinks there is a chance the Lightning can resign the generational talent who scored his 300th career goal against the Pens yesterday. While the whole situation is hurting the team, there is no questioning the team is better with him, than without. Even if this Stamkos' swan-song in Tampa, I don't blame Yzerman for going for it because few teams would give up the pieces necessary for a guaranteed month of Stamkos.
Eric Staal it seems is ready to move. The Canes seem intent on trading their captain at the deadline and Staal said he wouldn't stand in the way. He was quoted on Wednesday by reporters with, "I'm not going to be crushed if a decision is made and I'm moving on for a different opportunity." Ron Francis would be smart to trade his captain and get what he can for him, because there is no guarantee he would re-sign, even if his brother Jordan is still locked up for four more years. Among the teams interested in Staal are Chicago, Florida, St. Louis, Minnesota and the Rangers.
Calgary also has a couple impending UFAs on the market as the deadline approaches and both have been linked to the Penguins according to the Fourth Period. They are reporting that GM Jim Rutherford is keeping tabs on Flames center Jiri Hudler and defenseman Kris Russell. I discussed Russell at the All-Star Break in my "6 Names for GMJR to Explore" and it seems I got this one right, at least reportedly. Russell would be a great pick up for the Pens, especially if Lovejoy is going to be out with this injury he suffered yesterday. As for Hudler, he could certainly help any contender. He is a great forward with lots of scoring touch, good faceoff skills and not a bad defensive player. He would be a solid 3rd line pickup for the Penguins if Fehr wouldn't be back to play with Bonino.
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
- Ian Cole - Derrick Pouliot
Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to start in net after missing yesterday's game with an illness.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Bottom Six: The Pens have gotten points out of the bottom six the last two games and they need that to continue. Wilson, Kuhnhackl, Rust, Sheary have created a ton of chances and netted a couple points. Oskar Sundqvist and Kevin Poter need to factor in too. They've been good, but haven't chipped in points. I'd love to see this group get some points today, again.
3. Special Teams: The Pens PK has been solid the last few games. They continue to successfully kill off penalties. I'd love to see that continue. The PP on the other has been a disappointment with Malkin out. Against a weak team in Buffalo, even the struggling PP needs to get something from their opportunities. Do it boys, get one!
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Kris Letang: I don't want it to come across that I dislike Letang, because I don't, I like him. However, I do not like how easily he loses his composure and runs his mouth to the referees. Just shut up and play Kristopher. Plan angry, by all means, but don't take stupid penalties and don't run your mouth. Be seen, not heard.
3. Ian Cole: Cole reenters the lineup for the first time in close to a month with the injury to Ben Lovejoy. He has a lot to prove. He was great down the stretch last year and has not been happy to be sitting. Now, he needs to show what he's made of. He needs to be smart defensively and and he needs to fire shots from the point. A lot of pressure on this guy today, I hope he overachieves.
What to Know for Watching/Listenings
- Today's game will be nationally televised as part of Hockey Weekend in America on NBC at 12:30pm today as well as Sportsnet in Canada.
- The latest edition of "In The Room" is available on the Penguins website at the link here: https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/c-41378403
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 12:30pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 11:30pm. 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