NBC finally got themselves a real Wednesday Night Rivalry game when out Pittsburgh Penguins head to the Nation's Capital to play Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Good evening Penguins fans and welcome to the latest edition of Big Dave's Pens Pregame. It is the ninth installment of the show this year and I am happy to have you along for the ride once again. It ought to be a fun one again with the rivalry game; Sid v. Ovi, Pens v. Caps. It should be a fun one, so lets get going with it....
Tonight's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" comes from one of my favorite bands out there. They started out as "southern metal" and have transformed into more of a regular rock group that has the feel of that good southern living. They are Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and this song comes off their album "IV." The song is "In Dead We Dream," enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
The Penguins may have won on Saturday, but the glaring problems that have engulfed this team still exist. What are they exactly? Well, where do we begin?
Let's start with the so called "system."
The Penguins are not playing what Mike Johnston originally put in place at the beginning of last season. They don't carry the puck up the ice with support. Their entries are god awful and their breakouts are just as bad. The Penguins were still deficient in both realms on Saturday and unless they figured it out since then, I don't know if I expect anything different tonight.
Then there is the power play. They had a five minute power play in the heart of the first period on Saturday and registered just two shots on net. The majority of the time they couldn't get into the zone and when they did, it was a dump and chase that they didn't get to. The power play reportedly has been taken over by head coach Mike Johnston from Rick Tocchet. Regardless, both of them can't seem to figure out the issue.
And let's not forget the fact that the Penguins simply aren't scoring. They currently rank third in the NHL in shots on goal, but are the second worst offense in the entire league with just 13 goals for. That is a major issue. When you have a team that consists of Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel, Kunitz and Hornqvist and you have just 13 goals on the season, you have a major problem. Whether it comes down to bounces or whatever, this team just isn't doing enough. They are too pass-reliant. They need to stop making that extra pass and just shoot it. They need to crash the net and try to pound home a rebound. They're not doing that and the fact that they have the third most shots and the second worst offense proves that. Things need to change in a hell of a hurry.
There is no doubt that Mike Johnston is sitting on a hot seat at the moment. He is coaching scared and having the Penguins play a boring brand of hockey. Their defense has been good. It is in the top five in the NHL currently. Marc-Andre Fleury has been outstanding and probably could be 6-2-0 right now if his offense produced more. Those two reasons are the only thing that have gotten the Penguins to .500 on the season and not in a similar hole to Columbus or Anaheim. That being said, the Penguins are playing too conservative, and that is a result of Johnston coaching scared. The Penguins need to play with flair, attitude and hard-nosed if they plan on turning things around. If they don't start doing that soon, Mike Johnston will be but a memory in this town very soon.
The Penguins will have quite a tall task of righting the ship tonight. They head into enemy territory tonight to face a few old faces in Matt Niskanen, Brooks Orpik and the Washington Capitals.
Changing of Fortunes on Capital Hill: The Washington Capitals
The Capitals have always been a respectable team in their history, coming close in the playoffs a few times, but ultimately falling short of the ultimate prize in June.
I would not expect more of the same this season.
While it will be an unpopular opinion among most of you, I believe the Capitals are not only the best team in the Eastern Conference this season, but will be a serious Stanley Cup contender come spring time. They have all the right parts in place to make a deep run, especially if they remain healthy.
Last season saw the Caps take a big step forward under Barry Trotz. Alex Ovechkin was "The Great 8" again. Nicklas Backstrom emerged as a top-tier player in the league. Braden Holtby had a breakout season in net and the additions of Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen solidified the defense. While the Capitals ultimately fell in the second round of the playoffs, they were capable of being a Stanley Cup Finals team then.
This year is no different. In the offseason, the Capitals made a big splash by trading for US Olympian TJ Oshie from St. Louis. The deal cost them Troy Brouwer, but netted them a legitimate top six winger to pair with Ovi and Backstrom. Same can be said for the signing of "Mr. Game 7" himself, Justin Williams. The veteran winger already has three Stanley Cups to his name and he could be a key piece in bring the Capitals their first this season. The Caps also re-signed Holtby and added journeyman and former Penguin Taylor Chorney to the blue line.
The Caps lost some good players in the offseason, but it shouldn't cost them too dearly with the replacements they added. Eric Fehr left for Pittsburgh while winger Joel Ward headed west for San Jose. Long-time defenseman Mike Green left for Detroit and John Erskine was allowed to walk as well.
So far in 2015, the Capitals have exploded out of the gates to one of the best records in the NHL. They currently sit in second in the Metropolitan Division with a 6-1-0 record, including riding a five-game win streak heading into tonight. Alex Ovechkin has produced 9 points thus far, but the real story has been the play of youngersters Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson. Kuznetsov took advantage of Nicklas Backstrom's injury to play alongside Ovi and Oshie. In that role, he has produced 11 points in seven games including 8 assists. He is likely to remain there tonight. John Carlson has been just as good on the blue line. He is second on the team with 10 points, including 8 assists. Backstrom has picked up from where he left off last season, scoring seven points in just four games after returning from offseason surgery. The defense has been solid, allowing just 18 goals and currently having a plus-11 mark in the goal differential category.
The Capitals are an outstanding team and the Penguins will need their best tonight to stay close to them. I honestly believe this is the team that will represent the East in the Cup Finals next June and I'm sure you will see why tonight.
The Lowdown on the Caps:
- 6-1-0 on the season. Good for 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division.
- The Capitals have won 5 straight games coming into tonight.
- The Verizon Center has been good to Capitals thus far, as they are 3-1-0 at home.
Scoring Leaders:
- C Evgeny Kuznetsov - 11pts (3G-8A)
- D John Carlson - 10pts (2G-8A)
- LW Alex Ovechkin - 9pts (5G-4A)
- RW TJ Oshie - 7pts (3G-4A)
- C Nicklas Backstrom - 7pts (4G-3A)
Injury Report:
- No injuries to report of at this time.
Projected Lines:
- Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - TJ Oshie
- Marcus Johansson - Nicklas Backstrom - Justin WIlliams
- Jason Chimera - Jay Beagle - Tom Wilson
- Andre Burakovsky - Chandler Stephenson - Brooks Laich
Projected D-Pairs:
- John Carlson - Brooks Orpik
- Matt Niskanen - Karl Alzner
- Dmitry Orlov - Taylor Chorney
Braden Holtby is expected to start in net tonight.
My 3 Capitals to Watch Tonight:
- C Evgeny Kuznetsov: Kuznetsov came over from the KHL a few seasons back and has steadily progressed every season. He has officially broken out this year. He will likely skate alongside Ovechkin and Oshie once again and his 11 points on the season is near the top in all the NHL.
- LW Alex Ovechkin: Always a player to watch, especially against the Penguins. He always seems to find the twine and is particularly lethal on the power play. The Pens need to avoid penalties if they hope to keep him off the board.
- D John Carlson: The US Olympian is having another solid year. He played well alongside Brooks Orpik last year and the two have built on that chemistry this season. Through 7 games, Carlson has 10 points. It wouldn't shock me if he added a few more tonight.
News & Notes From the Penguins
- The Trib's Jason Mackey tweeted out yesterday that Jim Rutherford has indicated that forward Daniel Sprong will remain with the team past the 9-game tryout. While there has yet to be full confirmation, it is not a surprising development.
- The Penguins players have elected C Nick Bonino to be their team representative for the NHL Players Association.
- Sergei Gonchar has rejoined the Penguins. No, not on the blue line, but on the coaching staff. Gonchar was hired as the team's "Defensive Development Coach." The move was announced Tuesday afternoon.
Injury Report:
- The Penguins will be without F Bryan Rust for the foreseeable future. Rust blocked a shot on his arm/wrist in Saturday's win v. Nashville and didn't take another shift after the second period. HC Mike Johnston stated it is not a "day-to-day" injury and he is likely out a few weeks.
- It was released that Beau Bennett hurt himself during his goal celebration v. Montreal on the 13th of October. Bennett is ready to return and will be in the line-up tonight. Yo Beau, do yourself a favor and never, ever let it be known you got hurt celebrating a goal. It won't go over well.
- F Eric Fehr is close. He told DK on Pittsburgh Sports' Josh Yohe he could play this weekend v. Toronto or early next week against Vancouver. That being said, don't be shocked if he suits up tonight against his old team or tomorrow at home v. Buffalo.
Transaction News:
- The Penguins placed winger Bobby Farnham on waivers Sunday afternoon. He was claimed before the noon deadline on Monday by Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils. While Farnham was serviceable, his loss won't hit too hard except for a niche of the fan base. I'd take Bennett and especially Fehr over him every day.
Pens/Caps Notes:
- Washington won 3 of the 4 matchups in 2014-15. The lone Penguin win came on February 25th in Washington.
- The Penguins leading scorer in the series last year was Evgeni Malkin, who posted three assists in four games. Chris Kunitz had a goal (including the game winner on 2/25) and an assist.
- Alex Ovechkin torched the Penguins for four goals and five points in the four games and then Capital, now Penguin Eric Fehr had three points in four games.
- Caps goalie Braden Holtby went 3-1-0 v. Pittsburgh last year including 2 shutouts.
- Chris Kunitz has 14 points (9G-5A) in 13 career games at Verizon Center.
- Evgeni Malkin has a four-game assist streak against Washington.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- Kris Letang will play in his 500th NHL game tonight. He still sits 203 behind the leader, current Capital Brooks Orpik for most in franchise history.
- If Beau Bennett plays tonight, he will play in his 100th NHL game.
- Nick Bonino was a force in the faceoff circle v. Nashville on Saturday, winning 14 draws for a percentage of 87.5% success.
- The Penguins are currently fourth in the NHL in goals against average at 2.00 GAA.
Projected Pens Lines & Pairs
- Pascal Dupuis - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- David Perron - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel
- Chris Kunitz - Nick Bonino - Daniel Sprong
- Sergei Plotnikov - Matt Cullen - Beau Bennett
Defensive Pairs:
- Kris Letang - Ian Cole
- Brian Dumoulin - Ben Lovejoy
- Olli Maatta - Rob Scuderi
Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to start in net tonight.
Penguins Power Play Units:
- Letang (point), Kessel (left half wall), Hornqvist (net front), Malkin (right half wall) and Crosby (goal line)
- Cole, Bonino, Kunitz, Perron and Sprong
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Avoid Stupid Penalties: Its rivalry night and these two teams don't like each other. Tensions tend to get high and stupid penalties follow. The Penguins need to limit those unnecessary penalties tonight if they hope to win this game. The more opportunities you give Washington on the man-advantage, the more chances you have to be torched. I'm looking specifically at Malkin and Letang tonight, because they tend to take retaliatory penalties against the Caps.
3. Star Power: Its a big game, nationally televised. To me, that means the big stars need to be just that, big. I'm looking at the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel and Fleury needing to be dominant for the Pens to win this game. If they flounder, than the team likely goes down with them.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Sidney Crosby: Is he still the best player in the world? I think he is, but he needs to start proving it. Pointless in seven of eight games is completely unacceptable for this guy. I don't know what he needs to do, but he needs to figure it out and fast because if he isn't producing, it is going to be hard for this team to win. He's facing off against Ovechkin, who he usually plays well against. Lets hope that happens tonight.
3. Evgeni Malkin: Geno needs to be huge tonight. Frankly, he's been the Pens best forward over the last week and a half. He needs to be again tonight. He has a four-game assist streak against Washington going into tonight, he also had three points against them last year. If Malkin can stay on the ice, and out of the penalty box, then I think he could be huge. It's time to see the maestro create, get it done Geno.
What to Know for Watching/Listening
- No ROOT Sports coverage tonight for the Penguins.
- The game is part of NBCSN's "Wednesday Night Rivalries" and will be nationally broadcasted on NBCSN starting at 8:00pm.
- Doc Emrick will have the call, which is great, but we will also have to put up with Pierre McGuire as well. Ugggh!
What to know for listening tonight:
- 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 8:00pm.
- Penguins Live Pregame will precede the game coverage at 7:00pm. Josh Getzoff will host.
- Penguins Hot Line will follow the game action.
Pens Points Available Tonight:
- Pens Radio Net Keyword - 5pts
- Miller Light Night at Bella Luna in Monroeville - 25pts
- Miller Light Night at Rivers Casino on the North Shore - 25pts
- Miller Light Night at Mario's in the South Side - 25pts