Happy Sunday Penguins fans and welcome to the latest edition of Big Dave's Pens Pregame. Tonight, our Pens head to Anaheim to take on Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center.
Puck drops on the action at 8pm local time, but you can begin enjoying the Pregame right now....
Tonight's "Big Dave's Gameday Jam" comes from one of the hottest bands around now and one of my favorites of late. They are a family band, always nice to see that, from Chino, California named Echosmith. This song off their debut album "Talking Dreams" and was used for the promos of the Sochii Olympics in 2014. It is "Come Together" by Echosmith, enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
I wrote ahead of yesterday's debacle in Los Angeles that I had hoped to see a continuation of the play from the San Jose, but my gut told me that we would see a mediocre, half-assed performance.
Folks, my gut is usually right, and it was yesterday.
Yesterday was the absolute worst Penguin game I have watched all season. That was a team going through the motions and being so lackadaisical that it made the average offense of the Kings look like the Oiler dynasties of the 1980s. Once again, this team left it's world-class goaltender out to dry. It was a complete embarrassment.
At least one of the Penguins know it too.
I give Matt Cullen a lot of credit for the following quote, because few new arrivals would have the stones to say such a thing in this locker room. Cullen told the press, "I think we are a good team right now, but we're not a great team. That consistency of effort and consistency of execution is what separates you. We didn't have either one. That's a great team [LA Kings}. For us to not be ready for that challenge? There is no excuse for it at all." Cullen couldn't have hit the nail more on the head, but then he did when he talked about the Pens better play in the 3rd. "All I take out of the end of the game is that I wish we would have played like that all night."
Yeah, Matt, so does every Pens fan too.
The Penguins have to turn around tonight and play another game. They have so far faired terribly in back-to-back situations. Besides the win against Buffalo, the Penguins have been miserably outplayed in their last three back-to-backs, and have not won one of those games. They won't have a skate today to work on things either, which is both a blessing and a curse.
I wrote for the San Jose game that this was a make-or-break road trip for the Penguins. I still whole-heartedly believe that. While I hope they turn it around tonight, I find myself questioning that notion. I wonder if it would be in the team's best interest moving forward if they played just atrociously the next two games. Maybe then, we would get the necessary changes that would right this ship. Sorry Mike Johnston, I'm talking about you in this instance...
Digging OUt: The Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks were an overtime goal away last season from facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals. The offseason brought roster changes, but I believe they were changes that would make them an even more talented team. Carl Hagelin was acquired from the Rangers for Emerson Etem to solidify the top six. Chris Stewart was signed as a top-9 forward with the ability to produce on every line. Shawn Horcoff joined the bottom six and Kevin Bieksa was brought in from Vancouver to replace the free agents Francois Beauchemin and James Wisniewski.
But paper and execution are two different things, as the Ducks (and the Penguins) have learned in the early going of the season.
The Ducks got off to an absolutely atrocious start. They won just one game in the month of October and earned just 4 out of a possible twenty. Yikes! November was more friendly to the Ducks, with them going 8-4-3 to get back in the Pacific Division. However, they still have a ways to go, just like Pittsburgh.
Anaheim has suffered for two reasons. Firstly, their goaltending has been awful. Though they currently sit 11th in the NHL in goal allowed per game average, they did not start out that high. The starter coming into the year, Frederik Andersen has been bad, going 4-7-4 so far with a 2.54 GAA. His backup, Anton Khudobin, hasn't faired much better with a 3-3-0 record and 2.70. The better play of late can be attributed to Whitehall native Johnny Gibson, who has gone 3-2-1 with a 1.56 GAA since his recall at the end of November.
While goaltending has been an issue, the biggest issue thus far has been the team's complete inability to put the puck in the net. Sound familiar Penguins fans?
Anaheim has averaged only 1.93 goals per game this season. That is worst in the NHL and is completely unfathomable with the roster assembled. Ryan Getzlaf started the season incredibly slowly, before an appendectomy forced him from the lineup for a few games. Since his return, he has looked like his old self. Corey Perry, Getzlaf's permanent linemate, leads the team with 9 goals and 18 points so far. But the rest have been underwhelming. Second line center Ryan Kesler has just 11 points in 27 games and a minus-11 rating. Carl Hagelin has just 7 points in 27 games and only five players on the roster have double-digit points. That is atrocious and quite surprising considering the talent that the Ducks possess.
Anaheim is playing better of late, so if the Penguins think they can just come in here and walk over this team, they will be mistaken. That being said, we could be in for a shootout if both teams defenses struggle. Prepare yourselves Penguins nation, this one could get ugly too...
What You Need to Know About Anaheim:
- 10-12-5 on the season, good for 25 points and 5th in the Pacific Division.
- Despite a horrid 1 win October, the Ducks are just 2 points out of the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Pacific.
- The Ducks are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, including a 1-0 win against San Jose on Friday.
- Anaheim is a minus-14 goal differential on the season, despite currently having the 11th best goals allowed per game average.
- The Honda Center has been good for Anaheim, posting a 7-4-4 record at home.
Scoring Leaders:
- RW Corey Perry - 18pts (9G-9A)
- C Ryan Getzlaf - 17pts (1G-16A)
- D Sami Vatanen - 14pts (5G-9A)
- C Rickard Rakell - 12pts (6G-6A)
- C Ryan Kesler - 11pts (3G-8A)
Injury Report:
- G Frederik Andersen (illness) is OUT tonight. Andersen was placed on IR on December 2 after suffering with a nasty case of the flu. He has not played since November 21st due to the illness, but he wasn't much to ride home about leading up to then either.
- D Simon Despres (upper-body) is OUT tonight. The former Penguin prospect who recently signed a long-term extension in Anaheim, hasn't played since October with a concussion.
Projected Lines:
- Rickard Rakell - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
- Nick Ritchie - Ryan Kesler - Jakob Silfverberg
- Carl Hagelin - Shawn Horcoff - Andrew Cogliano
- Mike Santorelli - Nate Thompson - Chris Stewart
Projected Pairs:
- Cam Fowler - Kevin Bieksa
- Hampus Lindholm - Josh Manson
- Sami Vatanen - Clayton Stoner
John Gibson is expected to start in net tonight for the Ducks.
News & Notes From the penguins
- D Kris Letang (undisclosed) is a game-time decision tonight. He reportedly skated yesterday, but did not play in the game against the Kings. The "minor" injury could see him return tonight, but don't be surprised if he doesn't play until Wednesday in Colorado.
The Pens/Ducks Matchup:
- The Pens swept the season series last year in stunning fashion. They won on opening night at Consol 6-4 before winning in Anaheim 5-2 in March.
- The Pengins have won 4 straight against the Ducks and 8 of their last 10 in the series.
- Sidney Crosby led all scorers with 5 points in the season series, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists.
- Patric Hornqvist and Pascal Dupuis each had 4 points as well.
- Marc-Andre Fleury won the opening night matchup at Consol, tough he wasn't necessarily at his best giving up 4 goals.
- Corey Perry had a hat-trick v. Pittsburgh at Consol opening night, and led all Ducks scores with four points in the season series.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- Brian Dumoulin posted his first career multi-point game and a career high in ice-time yesterday. He posted two assist and 22:58 TOI.
- Chris Kunitz has had a good West Coast trip, leading the team with 5 points over the two games thus far (1G-4A).
- Evgeni Malkin's 13 points since November 17 is the best in the NHL entering today.
- Several Penguins have ties to the Ducks. Chris Kunitz won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 before being traded to the Penguins in February 2009. Nick Bonino played 189 games with Anaheim before being traded to Vancouver in the summer of 2014. Matt Cullen was drafted by the then "Mighty Ducsk" in 1990 and played 427 games in their sweater. Finally, the Penguins Ben Lovejoy played three seasons in Anaheim before being traded back to Pittsburgh this February.
#AskBigDave
Fun question Jeff, i do love being the Pens general manager from time to time. Who would I like to see the Penguins get to play on Sid's left wing? I'll give you two answers.
Firstly, I would like to see an in-house guy on Sid's left wing and he is currently serving as #PressBoxHero. That's right, I want to see Daniel Sprong on the left side of Sid with Patric Hornqvist on the right side. There is no reason why Sid could not produce with them on his wing, and it would give us a good look at what Daniel Sprong could bring us down the road. He was a steal in the 2nd round this year and he is being completely mis-used by Mike Johnston. So let's see him on the left side, for an in-house answer.
But, let's have some fun and take a look at the market. The biggest problem the Penguins have is that they only have roughly 400k of cap space. Hard to pick up a solid guy at that price. What the Penguins would need to do in that case is trade someone else to make cap room. Of course, the ideal choices for that would be Rob Scuderi or Chris Kunitz, but there is better chance of hell freezing over than either of them being moved. Which means, if the Pens are going to move someone, it will likely be David Perron, because his cap hit would create space and he would be a "wanted" commodity.
So, let's say the Penguins find a way to free up enough cap space with a trade (Scuds, Kunitz, Perron, etc.) who could they go get. The big name that is out there that I've been championing for for years now is Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, plays in all situations and is the current captain of the Jets, which means he is a hell of a good guy in the room. He is currently a 4.40 million cap hit, so they'd have to make a move for him to come, but he'd be my top choice.
The Islanders' Kyle Okposo is another name that has been rumored to be available. He is only a 2.80 annual cap hit and we know he can play alongside a world-class center. The biggest problem there is would the Isles trade him within the division, especially if they were close to a playoff spot. Not likely, but a boy can dream.
The only other name that catches my eye and who will likely be available is Arizona's Mikkel Boedker. Boedker is only 26 years old and is having a decent season so far for a lousy Arizona club. He comes at 3.75 cap hit and would come at a price for a rebuilding organization, but he would be a solid choice as well.
The biggest issue Jeff, just as it would be if they traded for a defenseman, would be to clear up the cap space. Someone would need to be moved to free up cap money for a trade for a defenseman or a forward. Time will only tell, but those are a few names I think would be decent fits alongside Sid if the funds are there.
From Claire H on the Tweety: "Do players pay attention to their own press? Like, does Sid know how much vitriol his low production is getting?"
This is a good question Claire, thanks again for asking another solid question. I don't know about every player, but I don't believe them when they say they don't pay attention to what is written/said about them. Now, I very much doubt they are paying attention to what I'm writing, but writers like Dejan Kovacevic, Josh Yohe, national writes like Pierre LeBrun, yeah, they have to know what they are saying from time-to-time.
Sid is a good example. He stated earlier in the season that he thought the local Pittsburgh media was being "too hard" on him and his struggles in the early going. Maybe that's just people telling him what is being written, but he is still aware of it. For someone like Sid, the media is always going to be saying something about him. It's just the nature of the business and who he is! The big difference this year is he is usually playing so well that it is hard to write anything otherwise, but this year he is struggling mightily and it's hard not to talk about it. I've read a lot of the local media stuff, and they still for the most part, and for lack of a better phrase, kiss Sid's hind-end. So how Sid feels they are being tough on him, I don't necessarily know, but it does prove that he is paying attention.
So, yeah, Sid is aware of what is being written and I'd be willing to be that the majority of the guys, especially the big guys, know what is being written/said about them in the media. Except for here, they have no idea what I'm saying about them.
Projected Lines & Pairs
Lines:
- Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Beau Bennett
- David Perron - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel
- Pascal Dupuis - Nick Bonino - Patric Hornqvist
- Sergei Plotnikov - Matt Cullen - Eric Fehr
Pairs:
- Ben Lovejoy - Brian Dumoulin
- Ian Cole - Olli Maatta
- David Warsofsky - Rob Scuderi
I expect to see Jeff Zatkoff in net tonight, though I wouldn't be shocked if Johnston overextended Fleury and started him again today.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Pepper the Net: The Ducks goaltending hasn't been great this season. So for the Penguins tonight, the key will be to pepper the goaltender and make sure someone is there to try to hack home the rebound. They need to make them feel uncomfortable and unnerved, otherwise, success will be hard to find.
3. Play Bigger: The Kings are a big team, and they punished the Pens along the boards and in the corners yesterday. That's unacceptable. The Penguins need to play bigger, play more physical if they hope to have success. Guys like Kunitz, Fehr, Hornqvist, Plotnikov need to use their frames and exert some force along the boards and in the corners.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Patric Hornqvist: I don't like that he is relegated to the bottom six, but he still needs to produce. This is a game where Hornqvist will be key, regardless of what line he is on. The Pens will need him to be an absolute menace in front of the Anaheim netminder, which should lead to quality scoring chances and rebound opportunities. Horny has the game, he has the mentality, he just needs to produce.
3. Chris Kunitz: He has, surprisingly, been the Penguins best player on this road trip so far. He has posted 5 points in 2 games, including a 3-point night yesterday. He finds himself on the top line again and has taken advantage of the situation. He needs to continue to do that. I think Kunitz has another solid showing tonight.
What to Know for Watching/Listening
- ROOT Sports has the coverage tonight. Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey with the call beginning at 8:00pm. Dan Potash will have the interviews.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage beginning at 7:30pm.
- 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 8:00pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 7:00pm. 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
I would like to thank you all for tuning in this weekend for the Pregame shows. I apologize for not having a post game yesterday, a severe headache knocked me out in the third and for the rest of the night.
I hope to have a post game tonight, but if not, I will at least tweet my post game thoughts. So check in for that.
Thank you all for tuning in. Enjoy the game and LETS GO PENS!!!