The Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night (Oct. 28) did not go as planned. Both teams entered the game with identical 3-4-0 records, looking to gain momentum in the early Eastern Conference playoff picture. Though the Penguins looked to be in control for much of the night, particularly the first period when they fired 22 shots on net, they fell by a score of 5-2.
On Monday (Oct. 30), the Anaheim Ducks visit. Though they were expected to compete for next season’s draft lottery, the Ducks have played well, especially in recent games. After a three-game skid, they won three straight last week, including a 7-4 shellacking of the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, Oct. 28. Their 4-4-0 record tops the Penguins’ 3-5-0, and there is reason to be optimistic about the team from Southern California.
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Meanwhile, the Penguins are still searching for answers. Their scoring has cooled, their defense hasn’t gelled, and their power play hasn’t produced a goal since Sidney Crosby picked up his second of the Penguins’ two goals with the man advantage against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 13. They hope to right the ship tonight.
Setting the Stage: Lineups, Injuries & Stats
The Penguins’ lineup has remained the same. Recent call-up, Radim Zohorna has been the main change to the forward lines. They brought up Vinnie Hinostroza from the minors, though he has yet to play. Meanwhile, the fourth line, particularly Jeff Carter, continues to struggle.
Injuries
- Penguins: Mark Pysyk (lower body, injured reserve), Will Butcher (undisclosed, injured reserve), John Ludvig (concussion, Ludvig did not play in Saturday’s (Oct. 28) game), Alex Nedeljkovic (the Penguins placed Nedeljkovic on injured reserve)
- Ducks: Chase De Leo (knee, injured reserve), Jamie Drysdale (lower body, the Ducks placed Drysdale on injured reserve), Alex Killorn (finger, the Ducks placed Killorn on injured reserve), Isac Lundestrom (Achilles, Lundestrom is out of commission with an Achilles injury, and is expected to miss six months), Brock McGinn (lower body, the Ducks placed McGinn on injured reserve)
Interesting Stats and Facts
- As Evgeni Malkin has cooled after his hot start, the ever-steady Crosby has overtaken the Penguins’ scoring lead. Both have nine points, but Crosby is tied with Bryan Rust for the team lead with five goals. So far, Crosby has only been scoreless once, against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 21, and he has 17 assists and 26 points in 22 games against the Ducks, while Malkin has 10 goals and 27 points in 21 games.
- Normally, a goal scorer first, Jake Guentzel seems to be settling in as a playmaker, leading the Penguins with seven assists for nine points in eight games. Against the Ducks, his numbers are reciprocal, with seven goals and nine points in eight games.
- For the Ducks, Ryan Strome is off to a strong start. He is among the NHL’s leaders in assists with eight and has ten points in eight games. Strome is on a four-game streak with five assists and seven points, including five points in the last two games. Against the Penguins, however, he has only eight goals and 17 points in 33 games.
- Frank Vatrano is off to a great start, tied for second in the NHL in goals with eight in as many games. He notched a hat trick in the Flyers game and has five goals in his last five games. Against the Penguins he has nine goals and 13 points in 18 games.
- Tristan Jarry has a share of the NHL’s shutout lead with two, but his 2-4-0 record, 2.62 goals-against average (GAA), and .901 save percentage (SV%) might not give you that impression. He was pulled after surrendering three goals on nine shots in 25:28 minutes against the Senators. Magnus Hellberg gave up two goals on 17 shots in relief. Against the Ducks, Jarry is 2-1-0 with a 2.33 GAA and .912 SV%
- For the Ducks, Lukáš Dostál is 3-1-0 with a 2.75 GAA and a .915 SV%, while the veteran John Gibson sits at 1-3-0 with a 2.81 GAA and a .905 SV%. Gibson is the only one with any experience against Pittsburgh, going 5-7-1 with a beefy 3.58 GAA and a .898 SV%, but he has shut the Penguins out once.
Penguins vs. Ducks Storylines
The Penguins’ offense is a question mark, as only a handful of players have been reliably productive. Aside from the usual suspects like Crosby and Guentzel, only Zohorna and Lars Eller have contributed anything from the bottom six. Against the Senators, Guentzel led all players with ten shots, while Rust was second with seven. Noel Acciari and Carter combined for zero.
As for Anaheim, high-priced star Trevor Zegras has started the season cold with only a goal and an assist through eight games. His goal came against the Flyers, however, and he may be heating up. Finally, 2023 first-round pick Leo Carlsson is off to a solid start to his season and career with two goals and an assist in four games.
The pressure is on the Penguins to produce, while the Ducks have nothing to lose. Puck drops at 7:00 PM EST.