Pens (7-2-2) @ Sharks (6-5)
SAP Center
10:30 PM — ROOT Sports
So it’s been a few games since anything has been posted here other than an explanation why nothing has been posted here. To be honest this sort of feels like the text you send to the chick you haven’t talked to since the last time you were drunk. We’ve missed a few games, but like the last post said, changes are being made and these things take time and luckily there is the majority of the season left to make up for it.
It’s been a weird year for sports, the NBA (that’s basketball) finals ended after the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 series lead, the world series ended after the Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 series lead, and for the first time in their existence the San Jose Sharks didn’t blow a 3-1 series lead in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Sharks they still suck and we all know how their playoffs ended. Something that drives me nuts about the Sharks is the media coverage talking about how much the team’s core “deserves” a Cup. Listen, you don’t deserve shit in this world. You earn it. Constantly blowing 2 or even 3 game playoff series leads doesn’t mean you deserve anything, it means your owners are delusional for believing in the same failures over and over. Paraphrasing Einstein here, but doing the same thing over and over and expected a different result is insanity. In the case of the Sharks’ it isn’t insanity, it’s stupidity.
The Penguins roll into the FAP Center looking to close out this early western coast swing with a 2-0-1 record. Sidney Crosby has been on fire since his return, lighting up the league with 6 goals in 5 games. Kris Letang has continued to show improvements in his game since his return from injury, and Carl Hagelin has continued to skate fast.
In their last meeting, the Penguins played subpar hockey for 2 periods before igniting for 3 goals in the third to beat the Sharks 3-2. We were still breathing at that time and actually recapped it, here is what we said:
“Nobody is going to look back on the fifth game as some pivotal moment in this season. And there will be a lot more adversity than what they overcame here. Talking about a team that over the last three seasons has lost players to everything short of the diseases from Oregon Trail — shit is going to happen. But in a spot where they could have easily given up, they found their sac in the third and pulled it out. Gotta like that.”
Starting Lineups:
It is a little early to speculate but after a subpar performance against the Kings it would be a safe bet that Murray is in net for the Pens. Sullivan changed up the top line midway through this trip, so look for Hagelin-Crosby-Hornqvist to start up top with the third line consisting of Rust-Bonino-Wilson. Suddenly the third line looks like the 4th line of an early 2000’s team before 4 scoring lines were needed to succeed.
Player to watch for Pittsburgh:
Sidney Crosby. While sitting out with his recent concussion I assume Crosby was watching highlights of McDavid, Matthews, and Laine and decided he would have to show them who is still the king.
https://twitter.com/SidneyCrosbyEgo/status/794402267344441344
Player to watch for San Jose:
The previous American hero Paul Martin. In their last game, Martin was on the ice for every Pens goal scored, fueling the theory that in his heart he still wishes he was in the black and yellow.
With the Sharks barely playing above .500 hockey and the Penguins quickly finding their groove, this game should be 2 points for the Pens. I look forward to this game being over because then we can all forget the Sharks exist until the playoffs come around. That is one of the joys about the Western coast trips, we get reminded that certain teams are still in the league, and then we wait until next November to see them again.
Currently, the over under is +4 for how many times Steigy references the Stanley Cup Finals before puck drops. No word on if the Pens players will be wearing their Stanley Cup rings during the game tonight, but if I’m Sullivan, I pull a Pierre McGuire and make sure that thing is always in view.
The Bitch is Back and it feels Great. Go Pens.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
