Good evening Pens fans and welcome to the latest installment of the Big Dave's Pens Pregame. It's great to have you along for yet another night of Penguin hockey. Tonight, the Pens enter the final stretch of the regular season when they finish off their season series with the New Jersey Devils at Consol Energy Center.
Puck drops on Pens/Devils tonight at 7:00pm, but you can begin enjoying the Pregame now...
Tonight's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" is from one of the biggest bands on the planet these days. I have really come to enjoy the folksy sounds of Mumford and Sons over the last few years. Then in 2015 they went more alternative, dropped the banjo and added the drums. I love the new album, "Wilder Mind" and many of the songs on it are so well written and performed. This song is one of their latest singles off that album, it is called "Ditmas," enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
This is a term I used following Sunday's huge win over the Washington Capitals in convincing fashion at CEC. What the Penguins have shown over the last few weeks, and especially over the last three games, is that they are a team that will fight hard, fight back and never give up. That is not something we could say about this team prior to mid-December.
Mike Sullivan has made a world of difference. Sullivan has broken each player down and made sure they focused on their strengths, not what role "the norm" says they should play. That is why we have seen the return of Sidney Crosby to the top of the world. It is why we have seen Nick Bonino look more like the guy we saw in season's past in Anaheim and why guys like Tom Kuhnhackl, Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary are thriving in the NHL, just as they thrived in the American Hockey League. Sullivan has given each guy a role to play, but at the heart of that role is playing to that particular player's strengths. The whole is always greater than the sum of the parts, the Penguins are no different.
Tonight, the Penguins end their stretch of nine-straight games against Metropolitan Division foes. That stretch has seen this team win seven of the first eight games of that stretch, including six in a row and 8 of their last 10 overall. They entered that stretch of games on the cusp of a playoff spot, now they look to be a team that should not only qualify for the playoffs, but may very well finish second in the division. That was something few suggested when the calendar turned to March.
The New Jersey Devils are in town tonight for their final regular season matchup with the Penguins. They have struggled of late, are literally a team of walking-wounded, but that doesn't mean the Pens can look past them. They will fight and look to spoil the Pens streak. If Pittsburgh is smart, they will keep showing the league they are a team full of gumption.
Descent from Such Great Heights: The New Jersey Devils
This time one month ago, the Devils were still firmly in the race for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, the Devils are within ear shot, but would need a perfect storm to have them find the playoffs. They currently sit six points back of the final wild card spot, which doesn't make it impossible. However, it would take a lot, specifically collapses from both Detroit and Philadelphia down the stretch for Ray Shero and John Hynes to pull off the improbable run to the playoffs.
The real undoing of this team has not necessarily been it's play, but the multitude of injuries it has sustained over the past month. Vezina hopeful Cory Schneider went down at the beginning of the month in Dallas with an MCL sprain. He is close to return, but it won't make much difference unless the other teams come back to the Devils. Veterans Patrik Elias, Jiri Tlusty and Mike Cammalleri are done for the season with a plethora of injuries. Defensemen Jon Merrill, John Moore and David Schlemko have all missed games of late with various injuries, while the likes of Tyler Kennedy, Jordin Tootoo and Jacob Josefson have suffered minor injuries over the last week and aren't expected to play tonight.
Even with the injuries of late, the Devils still have some solid players on board. Devante Smith-Pelly has been great since coming over at the Trade Deadline. He has seven goals in just nine games. Kyle Palmieri continues to have a great first year in Jersey as he is the first player on the team to break 50 points on the year (27G-23A-50PTS). Adam Henrique has had a decent year with 45 points and Travis Zajac has chipped in 38 points as well.
The Devils are still dangerous, even with the amount of injuries and recent play. They would love nothing more than to spoil the Penguins current run of play, and don't think they couldn't do it. The Penguins need to be focused and play for 60 minutes tonight, otherwise, the Devils could steal this one from them.
The Lowdown on the Devils:
- 35-31-7 overall record
- 77 points on the season has the Devils just six points out of the final wild card spot in the East.
- 5-5-0 over their last 10 games, including earning a win Sunday v. Columbus.
Scoring Leaders:
- RW Kyle Palmieri - 50pts (27G-23A)
- C Adam Henrique - 45pts (26G-19A)
- LW Mike Cammalleri - 38pts (14G-24A)
- C Travis Zajac - 38pts (12G-26A)
- D David Schlemko - 19pts (6G-13A)
Injury Report:
- G Cory Schneider (lower-body) is OUT tonight. The Vezina hopefull has missed most of the month with an MCL injury, but reports out of New Jersey state he could return as soon as Tuesday against Boston.
- RW Mike Cammalleri (hand) is OUT tonight and the remainder of the season.
- LW Jiri Tlusty (wrist) is OUT tonight and the remainder of the season.
- LW Patrik Elias (knee) is OUT tonight. The formed Devils captain has missed the entire year with a knee issue, but has begun skating. Hard to believe he will play at all at this point, but it hasn't been ruled out.
- RW Jordin Tootoo (upper-body) is OUT tonight. The pest has missed the last few games with an undisclosed ailment, but is expected to be re-evaluated this week.
- C Jacob Josefson (upper-body) is OUT tonight. Josefson is expected to miss another week or two with a wrist issue.
- C Tyler Kennedy (lower-body) is OUT tonight. The former Penguins winger will miss the matchup after leaving this weekend's game with a lower-body issue.
- D Jon Merrill (upper-body) is OUT tonight. The defenseman has missed the last few weeks with an upper-body issue, and though he could return in a couple week, he may not play again this season.
- D John Moore (knee) is a game-time decision tonight. The veteran defenseman could return tonight after missing Sunday's game with a knee issue.
- D David Schlemko (upper-body) is game-time decision tonight. The Devils leading scorer on the blue line was slated as doubtful coming into the game, but has skated with the team both yesterday and today. He could play tonight.
Projected Lines:
- Joseph Blandisi - Adam Henrique - Devante Smith-Pelly
- Reid Boucher - Travis Zajac - Kyle Palmieri
- Blake Pietila - Sergey Kalinin - Mike Sislo
- Bobby Farnham - Stephen Gionta - Tuomo Ruutu
Projected Pairs:
- Andy Greene - Adam Larsson
- John Moore - Damon Severson
- David Warsofsky - Vojtech Mozik
Scott Wedgewood is expected to start in net tonight for the Devils.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- D Brian Dumoulin (lower-body) is expected to be in the lineup tonight. Dumoulin exited early Sunday after a big hit by Alex Ovechkin and did not return. He has skated the last few days and practiced fully on Wednesday.
- F Beau Bennett (upper-body) is a game-time decision tonight. Bennett has been practicing of late, but has yet to crack the lineup. HCMS said they would see how he handled another full practice and will decide during warm-ups if he will play.
- D Ben Lovejoy (lower-body) is ready to go, but likely won't play tonight. Lovejoy missed a few weeks with a lower-body injury.
- No updates on Evgeni Malkin or Scott Wilson.
Scheduling Notes:
- The date of the Penguins/Flyers outdoor game at Heinz Field has been moved from its original date to February 25th, 2017. The change was made so it could be a primetime showdown at 8:00pm on NBC as part of the NHL's "Coors Light Stadium Series."
Transaction Notes:
- The Penguins signed F Teddy Blueger was signed to a two-year, two-way entry level contract running through 2017-18. The 21-year-old Latvian native finished up his final season at Minnesota State - Mankato last week, where he produced 108 points over 155 games in his college hockey career. Blueger was selected in the 2nd round of the 2012 draft and will report to Wilkes-Barre where he will play out the remainder of the season.
- The Pens also signed F Jake Guentzel to a professional try-out in Wilkes-Barre. The Penguins 3rd round pick in 2013 will forgo his senior season at Nebraska-Omaha to join the Baby Penguins for the remainder of the season. In three years of college hockey, Guentzel has produced 119 points, which is 6th all-time in that program's history.
Penguins/Devils Matchup Notes:
- Tonight is the final regular season matchup between these two teams.
- Pittsburgh has won the last two games, while the Devils took the first game of the year in New Jersey 4-0.
- Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust lead all Penguin scorers in the season series with three points (1G-2A each).
- Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray have each earned a win against New Jersey this year.
- Adam Henrique is the Devils leading scorer in the season series with two assists. Injured Mike Cammalleri had three points and since traded Lee Stempniak had two.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- The Penguins enter this game on a six-game win streak and winners of 8 of their last 10 games. Those six straight wins tied the season high win streak.
- Pittsburgh leads the NHL in points and goals in the month of March. As a team, they have 16 points and 38 goals over the month.
- Captain Sidney Crosby was named the NHL's 1st Star of the Week last week. He currently has a 12-game point streak and leads the NHL with 17 points in the month of March.
- Matt Cullen became the 260th player in NHL history to score at least 650 career points on Sunday.
#AskBigDave
Great question Nick. I am really excited to see both of these kids make the jump to pro hockey.
While Blueger didn't exactly play in one of the elite programs in college hockey, he is a really talented player. He was a second rounder in 2012, what could be the Penguins best draft since 2005. This is what HockeyFuture.com has to say about him: "Blueger is a Latvian forward who has played in North America since he was 14. He is a skilled, two-way player who possesses a great hockey IQ. He also plays with a fair amount of physical flair, and is not afraid to get dirty in the corners or down low. He is also very good at faceoffs. Physically, Blueger must continue to get stronger, but he has added a fair amount of strength since he was drafted in 2012. His skating is by no means a red flag but upgrading his explosiveness would make him a significantly greater threat offensively."
He projects to be a Jordan Staal type player, a little smaller and not as offensively gifted, but that type of two-way forward. If that's the case, he could find himself in the NHL over the next few years. Never know, with injuries, he could see time in the NHL next season.
Same goes for Jake Guentzel, who is probably the most talented Penguin forward prospect not named Daniel Sprong. Again, here is HockeyFuture.com's take on him: "Guentzel is an undersized, yet highly skilled forward who possesses a hockey IQ. The biggest knock on him has been his size, but Guentzel possesses the requisite skill, speed, and grit to play a top-nine role in the NHL. He is a particularly effective player off the rush, and uses his speed and vision to create offensive plays. He will need to add considerable strength before he gets to the point where he can contribute to the NHL level, but he has the skill and hockey sense to one day make an impact."
Guentzel could be just like Chris Kunitz or even Bryan Rust. A little smaller for the NHL, but uses his speed and skill to create offensive chances with regularity. Guentzel played in a solid program at Nebraska-Omaha, where he is sixth in program scoring history. That says a lot, considering some quality names that have gone through there.
Nick, I'd say anything is possible. If I had to venture a guess, both could see time as early as next year if injury dictated, but I think a year or two in Wilkes-Barre would do both a lot of good. So to be safe, I'd say the 2017-18, but more likely the 2018-19 season before they could seriously factor in in Pittsburgh.
From Lets Talk Pens on Twitter: "If you could meet one Penguin, who would it be?"
This is a really fun question because I actually have met most of the Penguins over the past few years. I am a huge autograph collector and I have actually gone down to Consol to get the boys as they came in and out for games and practices while I was in undergrad. Now, I still go down to get the Pens when I can, but not as often as I did when I was in school.
As I said, I have met most of the past and present teams for the Penguins. My favorite players to meet and get autographs from the old teams were probably Pascal Dupuis, Brent Johnson and Deryk Engelland. Engelland stopped often and signed for us and he was always so kind to my friends and I. I always respected him for giving us as much time as he did. He was one of those guys who really got it, and treated the fans well. Same goes for Duper. When Dupuis was playing, he would stop often as well. He was a lot of fun when he would stop, as he would talk with us and joke. I'll never forget when he made fun of my playoff beard during the 2013 playoffs. Brent Johnson was also great. He didn't stop often, but he would not start signing until he found the Led Zepplin song that he was feeling at that moment. Once he found it, he'd sign. He was a really nice guy and cool dude.
Of the current Penguins, Patric Hornqvist is the coolest. He is a lot like Engelland, as he gives his time often to sign autographs and talk to everyone. Very nice fellow and I cannot say a bad thing about him on or off the ice. Ben Lovejoy and Ian Cole are also very good. They take the time to sign, take pictures and talk with everyone. Really makes you want to root for them because of it.
Fun question, glad to get to answer that one!
Apparently I am doing trivia now, as Rob A. asks: "Who was the first Pens draft pick to play 1000 games?"
To answer your question Rob, which I would never have been able to guess without your hint or hours of searching online, was former Pittsburgh first rounder Doug Bodger.
Bodger was drafted 9th overall in 1984, a year after Mario Lemieux was taken first overall. Bodger played for 16 seasons for the Penguins, Devils, Kings, Canucks, Sabres and Sharks. He was the first Penguins draft choice to play in 1000 career NHL games. Mario Lemieux only played in 915 career NHL games, due to injuries and Jaromir Jagr has now played in over 1500 games, but that didn't happen until recently.
From Crazy4Pens on the Tweety: "What do the Penguins do with Derrick Pouliot? Should he be in the lineup over Lovejoy, Cole, or Shultz?"
To be completely honest, he should probably be in the lineup. If he's going to be on the roster, he should probably play in my humble opinion. Otherwise, send him back to Wilkes-Barre so he is at least staying game-ready. Now, with the way the Penguins have played of late, I don't go putting him back in the lineup right now. In all honesty, I'd have Ben Lovejoy in the over Ian Cole as well, but with the away Schultz and Cole have played and paired the last two weeks, you are not going to sit them right now.
I think the offseason will be very interesting as to what the Penguins do. They will enter next year with Letang, Maatta, Dumoulin, Daley, Cole and Pouliot under contract. Justin Schultz will be a restricted free agent and Lovejoy an unrestricted free agent. I don't see Lovejoy coming back, but I think they bring Schultz back if they can get him for the right price. He has played very well for the Penguins. I am still not completely sold that the Penguins are all-in on Pouliot. They say the right things, but they don't seem to follow them. I wouldn't be shocked to see him involved in a big deal this summer. I don't think they should move him, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
But to answer your question right now, I think Pouliot should probably play, but with the current roll the team is on, I'm fine with him sitting.
From Bimal R. on the Tweety: "Who should be the Penguins MVP?"
The Penguins have a couple guys that certainly could be the team's MVP for this season, but if I had the ultimate choice, I think I'd still go with Marc-Andre Fleury.
Sidney Crosby has had a hell of a second half. He has returned to the level of play we are so used to seeing from him since Mike Sullivan took over, and the run he's on right now is unbelievable. He is the catalyst of this offense and this team will truly go as far as Sid can score.
However, that being said, the Penguins are no where near where they are without Marc-Andre Fleury. Flower's first half kept this team with a faint pulse while everyone around him was completely dead. Then the team took off and Flower kept riding the lightning. I truly believe the Penguins don't have the chance to be where they are now at without Flower's early season play, and his play on the whole of the season.
From Danny P on the Tweety: "Do you think the Pens will keep up the effort and intensity?"
It is all about our word of they day Danny, GUMPTION! But yes, I think the Penguins will keep this level of play up. I think Mike Sullivan is the catalyst of it all. He is the perfect man for the job and has made sure that every player has played to their strengths and to their role. Because of that, I really think the guys are having fun playing hockey again and they are really rolling right now. Their month of March has been great, with an 8-3-0 record on the month.
Now, the playoffs will be a different story, it always is. However, I see a hunger in this team that I haven't seen in the past couple seasons. I really think they are hungry not only to succeed, but to prove every nay-sayer and asshat like Mike Milbury wrong.
So yes Danny, I really think they will keep it up and have a good spring for the first time in a couple years.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Tom Kuhnhackl - Matt Cullen - Bryan Rust
- Conor Sheary - Oskar Sundqvist - Eric Fehr
Pairs:
- Olli Maatta - Kris Letang
- Brian Dumoulin - Trevor Daley
- Justin Schultz - Ian Cole
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in net this afternoon.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Pepper Wedgewood: The Penguins will face Scott Wedgewood in net tonight. He has only one start in the NHL this season, but it was a good one. Now, he will face the Penguins and a team that is really flying offensively right now. If the Penguins could post 40 shots on net, and make sure they get some guys in his face, the Pens should be able to rattle the kid. Look for guys like Hornqvist, Bonino, Kuhnhackl and Fehr to have good games in this regard.
3. Keep It Rollin': The Penguins are on a six-game winning streak. They are playing great hockey, and they need to keep that going. The Devils are struggling and literally fielding their AHL team. The Pens need to take advantage of this situation and get the two points.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Trevor Daley: How sexy were those two goals by Daley this past weekend. The Pens defenseman has been great since coming over in the trade for Rob Scuderi, but has really looked great of late. I want to see more of the same from him tonight. I'd like to see him use his speed, get in deep and get a couple offensive chances like he did v. Washington and Philly.
3. Patric Hornqvist: Hornqvist has played so well of late, riding the streak of Sid like many others on the team. But don't interpret that as a slight against Horny. In fact, Hornqvist has been one of the most consistent guys all year in my eyes. Tonight, I want to see him get in Wedgewood's grill and make his life a living hell in the crease. I think he will do just that, and don't be surprised if he has a big game.
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.
- Stop by Pens Gear tonight for the gameday special. Tonight, it's all T-shirts are 2 for $40 tonight!
- The Pittsburgh Penguins will host a Pet Supplies Collection Thursday night. All fans who make a cash donation or contribute pet supplies will receive a Pet Owner’s Emergency Decal and have the chance to win autographed prizes. Proceeds benefit the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center. The Penguins thank you in advance for your support!
- Dollar Energy Fund volunteers will be selling tickets for their Fan Appreciation Night Raffle during Tuesday’s game. Buy a $5 ticket to enter to win two tickets to the April 3 game and the chance to participate in the Shirts Off Our Backs ceremony! Proceeds benefit the Dollar Energy Fund.
- Be a part of the excitement at EVERY home playoff game at CONSOL Energy Center this post-season. 2016 Stanley Cup Playoff Packages are on sale now. Visit pittsburghpenguins.com/playoffs or stop by the booth behind Section 104 on Thursday night to speak with a Penguins representative.
- “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 http://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.
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:
- Game Attendance: 50pts
- Concession Purchase: 10pts
- Merchandise Purchase: 10pts
- ROOT Sports Pregame Keyword: 5pts
- ROOT Sports Post Game Keyword: 5pts
- Pens Radio Keyword: 5pts
- Miller Lite Nite at Sunny Jim's Tavern in Pittsburgh: 25pts