NATIONWIDE ARENA – COLUMBUS, OH
7:00 PM EST. ATTSN-PT, ESPN+
Don’t look now.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are hitting their stride.
The Pens are now only 6 points back of Washington and NYI with 14 games to go. They haven’t lost in regulation since February 21 and have creeped back up to a +28 goal differential. All of this has happened with half of the defense in a morgue somewhere outside of Philadelphia.
I’m not saying the Pens are going to win the Metro; I’m just pointing out that it’s on the table.
If they’re going to make a run at it (with massive games against the Caps and Sabres looming) starting tonight in Lumbus is where it’s gotta start. Pretty much everyone knows these home and homes end in a split, but if the Pens can somehow secure two more points tonight there’s an open road for them to get hot and clinch home ice.
This isn’t the Pens of 16 or 17 but a good chunk of these guys have been in these battles before. Securing home ice has to be a priority and you see it in guys like Hornqvist and Murray raising their levels of play this time of the year.
Jackets are going to be desperate tonight. Hard to call it a casket match for them just yet, but TLC at least.
Lines:
Letang and Maatta still out but inching closer. I think Rooweedle died. RIP roo
McCann – Crosby – Guentzel
ZAR – Malkin – Kessel
Simon – Bjugstad – Hornqvist
Blueger – Cullen – Wilson
Dumoulin – Trotman
Pettersson-Gudbranson
Schultz-Johnson
Murray or Desmith
No clue if Torts will make any changes he’s got enough pieces to move around.
Panarin – Duchene – Atkinson
Foligno – Jenner – Anderson
Wennberg – DuBois – Bjorkstrand
Dzingel – Dubinsky – Hannikainen
Werenski – Jones
Nutivaara – Savard
Harrington – Kukan
Bob
Bob in the cage at home against the Pens hasn’t always been the friendliest….
Do it
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