Happy Opening Day folks, and welcome all to the latest Big Dave's Pens Pregame. I hope you all enjoyed the Pirates Opening Day festivities today and welcome you all in for a little Sunday evening hockey. Today, the Pens close out their home schedule against their most hated rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.
The action gets under way at CEC at 5:00pm today, but you can begin enjoying the Pregame right now...
Today's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" comes from the boys of Guns N' Roses again. I know I used them earlier in the week, but tough titties Turkleton, this is my party and I'll jam to what I wish. Tonight, we return to the Use Your Illusion I album and jam out to the fast-paced, electrifying song, "Garden of Eden." Enjoy it!
The State of the Penguins
That is the official word of the day today. The Penguins are a team that keeps seeming to persevere. Four weeks ago, Evgeni Malkin went down with an injury. Everyone was ready to write this team off, and they just kept winning. Olli Maatta and Brian Dumoulin went down last week, the Penguins followed that with a five game win streak.
Now, the Penguins found out Friday that Marc-Andre Fleury would be out indefinitely with a concussion suffered in Thursday's win v. Nashville. It is the second concussion Flower has suffered this season, and it is certainly a big blow to this team on, and off, the ice.
But the Penguins continue to persevere. They went into Brooklyn on Saturday needing a win to clinch their ticket to the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It would be a tall order, with Malkin, Maatta, Rust and now Fleury out of the lineup. Yet all the Pens did was go in to the Barclays Center and send the Islanders home with their tails between their legs.
Pittsburgh won Saturday's contest by a five-zero shutout. 21-year-old rookie Matt Murray earned his first career NHL shutout. Rookie Oskar Sundqvist scored his first career NHL goal on the penalty kill midway through the first period. Tom Kuhnhackl added his 5th goal of the year, while Matt Cullen, Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel rounded out the scoring on the day. Justin Schultz had his best game in a Penguin sweater, assisting on two goals. At the end of the day, the Penguins got points from 9 of the 18 skaters and the defense was staunch in shutting down the Isles.
The Penguins continue to persevere and that is huge. Today, they close out their home building for the regular season when they play host to their cross-state rivals in Philadelphia. The Pens look to take their third straight game against the Flyers, while they continue their run up the Metropolitan standings.
Hanging on by a Thread: The Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia enters this game on a three-game win streak, including a 3-2 win over Ottawa yesterday afternoon. Over their last 10 games, they have gone 7-2-1. The final wild card spot is currently in Philly's possession, with a two point lead over Detroit for that spot. The Flyers under Dave Hakstol are actually resembling a good hockey team.
The typical names are the ones that are making the Flyers succeed. Claude Giroux has had a solid season, pacing the team with 65 points through 74 games. Wayne Simmonds, who has played in every game this season, has 56 points. Brayden Schenn and Jakub Voracek continue to chip in, with Schenn potting 56 points and Voracek 52.
The big surprise has been rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. I think many thought the young kid would wear down playing so many minutes in his rookie year, but he has only flourished. In just 59 games, the youngster has 42 points. He is a legitimate Calder Trophy contender and could well take it over Chicago's Artemi Panarin or Edmonton's Connor McDavid.
The Flyers need every point they can get as they desperately grasp to that final wild card spot. The key matchup will be Wednesday's showdown with Detroit in the Motor City. That game will be the first of two back-to-back situations for the Flyers to close their schedule. They will host Toronto on Thursday, then play us and the Isles on Saturday and Sunday. It will be a huge week for this team and they will need to beat a couple good teams to get that final spot.
The Lowdown on Philadelphia:
- 39-25-13 overall record.
- Their 91 points have them currently holding on to the final wild card spot in the East.
- The Flyers are hot, winning three straight including 7 of their last 10.
- The road hasn't been good to Philly, as they are just 17-15-6 on the season away from Wells Fargo Center.
Scoring Leaders:
- C Claude Giroux - 65pts (22G-43A)
- RW Wayne Simmonds - 56pts (28G-28A)
- C Brayden Schenn - 56pts (25G-31A)
- RW Jakub Voracek - 52pts (10G-42A)
- D Shayne Gostisbehere - 42pts (16G-26A)
Injury Report:
- D Michael Del Zotto (upper-body) is OUT today and the remainder of the year. Del Zotto will require surgery on his injured wrist that will keep him out multiple months.
- G Michal Neuvirth (lower-body) is OUT today and the remainder of the regular season. Neuvirth was playing some excellent hockey in the Flyer crease before a left knee issue sidelined him mid-month.
Projected Lines:
- Brayden Schenn - Claude Giroux - Wayne Simmonds
- Michael Raffl - Sean Couturier - Jakub Voracek
- Matt Read - Nick Cousins - Sam Gagner
- Chris VandeVelde - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Ryan White
Projected Pairs:
- Andrew MacDonald - Shayne Gostisbehere
- Nick Schultz - Mark Streit
- Brandon Manning - Radko Gudas
Steve Mason is expected to start in net today.
News & Notes From Around the Pens
- G Marc-Andre Fleury remains OUT today with that concussion. According to reports, the Penguins hope to have an update on him on Monday.
- F Bryan Rust remains OUT today with that upper-body issue.
- No updates on Evgeni Malkin or Olli Maatta.
Pens/Flyers Matchup Notes:
- Third of four regular season matchups between these two sides.
- The Pens have taken the first two games of the series thus far.
- Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz lead the Pens in scoring v. Philadelphia this year. Each has four points. Patric Hornqvist has three points as well.
- The Flyers are paced by Giroux, Voracek, Schenn and Gostisbehere in scoring v. Pittsburgh this year. Each has two points.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- The Penguins are currently 9-1 over their last 10 games and winners of four straight games.
- Pittsburgh has scored 4+ goals in six of their last eight games.
- F Oskar Sundqvist scored his first career NHL goal Saturday shorthanded.
- G Matt Murray earned his first career NHL shutout. He stopped all 24 shots he faced.
- C Sidney Crosby recorded his 690th career assist in yesterday's win.
Big Dave's Superlatives
I have several superlatives today, including Rookie of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Most Surprising Player, Most Consistent Player, Mr. People Person and finally, Player of the Year. I will also have an honorable mention for each category. So without further adieu, lets jump right into it...
Most Consistent Player - Marc-Andre Fleury: The Flower was without a question the Penguins most consistent player this season. Even over the first two and a half months when HCMJ was running this team into the ground, Fleury played to an insane level to steal wins for this team. Nothing changed when Mike Sullivan took over. He has won over 35 games for the 7th time in his career, posted five shutouts and has given the Penguins a chance in nearly every game. It was really hard not to make him my Player of the Year, which is why I gave him this award. Cheers to the Flower! Honorable Mention: Matt Cullen
Mr. People Person - Patric Hornqvist: This one I give to the Penguins top-line winger. Horny is just a genuine good person. He treats his fellow players, teammates and the fan base with a lot of respect. I give him a ton of credit for that. He doesn't need to sign autographs every day or always wear a smile on his face, but he does day-in, and day-out. He deserves a lot of kudos from everyone in the fan base. Cheers to Horny! Honorable Mention: Ben Lovejoy
Most Surprising Player - Matt Cullen: His signing in mid-August dumbfounded me. I felt the Pens had no need to sign a then 38-year-old center to play on the fourth line when someone like 21-year-old Oskar Sundqvist was ready to go. But, I must eat my words, because where would we be without Cullen? The veteran has played in every game this season and is currently 7th in team scoring (entering Saturday). I never would have expected him to be such a key component and now, I would gladly welcome him back next season, even at the age of 40. Cheers to Cullen! Honorable Mention: Brian Dumoulin
Rookie of the Year - Brian Dumoulin: This was a tough one, but ultimately it has to go to Dumoulin. The rookie defenseman came into the season as the huge X-Factor roster-wise, and he has done nothing but exceed expectations from game one. Until this current spell of missed games, Dumo played in every game, posted 16 points, was a plus-10 and only took six penalties all season. He has been the steady force on the blue line and in my opinion, the best defenseman in his own zone all season. He is very deserving of this award. Cheers to Dumo!
Honorable Mention: Bryan Rust
Defenseman of the Year - Kris Letang: I really wanted to give this to Brian Dumoulin, and may well have if I did this a month ago. However, there is no discounting the play of Kris Letang since Mike Sullivan took over, and particularly over the last couple weeks. He has turned his season into a legitimate Norris-caliber year and I would be shocked if he wasn't a finalist for the award come this summer. Despite missing 10 games, Letang has set career highs in goals and points this season, and has logged more minutes than anyone on the roster. The Penguins turnaround under Mike Sullivan would never have gone this well without Tanger's improved play, so he deserves a ton of credit. Cheers to Tanger! Honorable Mention: Brian Dumoulin
Player of the Year - Sidney Crosby: As of two weeks ago, I would have and said multiple times, that Marc-Andre Fleury was my team MVP. He kept the Pens in the game when they were atrocious under Mike Johnston and has maintained his high level of player throughout the year en route to his 7th 35+ win season. However, there is not discounting the play of Sidney Crosby over the last three and a half months. When Mike Sullivan was hired, Crosby had a mere 19 points on the season and many were questioning whether the real Sid would return. He has, and with a vengeance. Entering Saturday, Crosby had 61 points since Sullivan took over on December 14th. That total is higher than any other player in the NHL. He is a legitimate Hart Trophy contender and the Penguins likely wouldn't be in the position they are in the standings if not for his return to greatness over that time frame. Cheers to the Captain! Honorable Mention: Marc-Andre Fleury
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Patric Horqnvist
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Tom Kuhnhackl - Matt Cullen - Eric Fehr
- Conor Sheary - Oskar Sundqvist - Beau Bennett
Pairs:
- Trevor Daley - Kris Letang
- Brian Dumoulin - Ben Lovejoy
- Ian Cole - Justin Schultz
Matt Murray is expected to start in net today.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Penalty Kill: The PK is so good that it is incredibly scary. The Pens have scored nine shorthanded goals thus far this season and getting them from a variety of players. Yesterday, Oskar Sundqvist joined that party. I want to see the Penguins continue to use their speed to disrupt Philly's flow and use their aggressiveness to get shorthand chances.
3. Don't Goon It Up: The Flyers aren't the goons they once were, and this game is far too important for them to be stooping to goonism, but the Penguins need to make sure they don't take retaliation penalties in this game if it comes to it. Play smart, play your game and just win.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Carl Hagelin: The PK has gotten so much better since Carl Hagelin has joined the unit and Fehr and Bonino got healthy. Hags speed and forechecking ability is key in all situations, but particularly on the kill. I expect him to have a solid game and disrupt the always lethal Flyers power play.
3. Oskar Sundqvist: The young Swede scored his first career goal yesterday. If the current trends continue, it should spark the youngster to good things the rest of the way points-wise. He enters today with points in each of his last two games and I think he may just continue that today.
What To Know for Attending/Watching/Listening
- Puck drop is at 5:00pm with the doors to CEC opening at 3:30pm. NOTE: the gametime was pushed back to 5:00 to allow fans to enjoy Pirates opening day as well.
- The Penguins will wear their white road jerseys tonight.
- Stop by Pens Gear tonight for the gameday special.Tonight, all items are 50% off!!!
- Its a giveaway night at CEC. Fan Appreciation Night partners presenting prizes on Sunday’s scratch off cards including DICK’S Sporting Goods, Dairy Queen, Fox’s Pizza, GNC, McDonald's, Nakama and the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. We appreciate your tremendous support!
- Fans are encouraged to stick around after the game for a special end-of-the-year video presentation as well as the team’s annual “Shirts Off Our Backs” ceremony! Be sure to reveal the prize on the scratch off card you receive upon having your ticket scanned Sunday night to see if you are one of the lucky fans going home with a Shirt Off Our Back this year! It could be your lucky night!
- 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 Labatt Blue Bear will be posing for photos with fans prior to the game on Thursday behind Section 105 and will be guest bartending during the first intermission at the Labatt Blue Zone located behind Section 108.
- 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 5:00pm. Dan Potash will have the interviews.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage beginning at 4:30pm.
- 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 5:00pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 4:00pm. 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