Gameday 44: Penguins @ Ducks

gameday_1819_44

gameday_1819_44

Penguins @ Ducks

Honda Center – Anaheim, CA

10:00PM Eastern – AT&TSN | SN3

The Penguins hit the road as they’re California dreamin’ for the first 3 games of a 5-game road swing taking them to Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Arizona, and Vegas, including back-to-backs Friday and Saturday for this week and next. Most of the Penguins will have an 8-day break following the trip as the All Star Game festivities are in San Jose on the 26th of January.

They get things started by facing the sinking Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who coincidentally haven’t collected a win since they defeated the Penguins in Pittsburgh on December 17th. For the maths experts out there, that’s 9 straight losses. The Penguins will look to deal the Ducks a 10th straight loss on Friday night in Anaheim.

The Penguins finished off their 3-game homestand with a 5-1 thumping of Florida which included 2 shorthanded goals, chasing Bobby Lu in the process. A pair of goals from the suddenly red hot Bryan Rust’s total to 11 on the season. Rust is the 6th Penguins forward to reach double-digit goals this year, while Kris Letang has 10 from the back end a touch more than midway through the year.

The game was a physical one against Florida, with Zach Aston-Reese KO’ing Colton Sceviour. It was more metal than the music ZAR’s dad was banging in the 80’s, but unfortunately ZAR’s hands are not metal, and he was injured while shitstomping Sceviour. He was placed in IR and will be out “a while.” The Penguins recalled Garrett Wilson in his stead. Hornqvist took a puck to the face early in the Panthers game and is out with a concussion.

Casey DeSmith signed a 3-year, $1.25M contract to be the Penguins’ backup for the next bit of time. Tristan Jarry, that is distinctly not your music.

Kris Letang made the All-Star last man in ballot.

Guentzel – Crosby – Rust

Simon – Malkin – Pearson

Sheahan – Brassard – Kessel

Grant – Cullen – Wilson

Dumoulin – Letang

Maatta – Oleksiak

Pettersson – Johnson

Murray

The Ducks, as mentioned, are mired in a 9-game losing skid. They’ve spent most of the year without Corey Perry, who is a dickhead.

Ryan Getzlaf leads the Ducks with 29 points in 38 games. The Penguins have 5 players with more than that thus far this year.

Rakell – Getzlaf – Sprong

Cogliano – Kesler – Silfverberg

Ritchie – Henrique – Kase

Sherwood – Rowney – Gibbons

Lindholm – Montour

Fowler – Manson

Larsson – Welinski

Gibson

Sink the Ducks.

Image result for fuck a duck

Go Pens.

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