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Penguins Game 33, Help Wanted: Lines, Goalies, & How to Watch vs. Senators
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- Penguins Game 33, Help Wanted: Lines, Goalies, & How to Watch vs. Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins game, Ottawa Senators
KANATA, Ont. —The Pittsburgh Penguins (14-9-9) are in the midst of the worst losing streak in the NHL and one of the most improbable in franchise history. Over the last six games, they've been soundly beaten twice, but had leads, including big leads, in four games, only to lose in overtime or a shootout. Thursday, they face a playoff rival, the Ottawa Senators (15-13-4), at Canadian Tire Centre.
The puck drops just after 7 p.m. and Lyndon Slewidge belts out a two-for-one National Anthem special.
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The Penguins ended their streak of disastrous blown leads Tuesday by never having a lead in a humbling loss to the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 at PPG Paints Arena. The score may show a competitive game, but no one on the inside of the locker room felt that way.
Edmonton scored a trio of power-play goals. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl had four points each, and former Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 18 of 22 in the win. T
The game also marked the Penguins' debut for goalie Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak , whom the Penguins acquired via trade from Edmonton last Friday.
Skinner had a couple of soft goals squeak by, but otherwise played solidly through the Edmonton shelling that included breakaways, odd-man rushes, and extended 5v3 power play time.
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The game was also unique as both Jarry and Skinner are still wearing their masks from their former team.
"We should have met at center ice and traded," Skinner quipped after the game.
The Penguins are winless in six games and searching for answers.
"It obviously adds up. It wears on you. Yeah, as I've said before, it's going to be different every night. Like, no two games are the same, and so we have to just focus on the things that we do," said coach Dan Muse. "Tonight it ended up being a lot of special teams … we put ourselves in a hole in the first period that I don't think we necessarily needed to be in."
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Through the malaise, the Penguins winning percentage still puts them in a playoff spot, though in raw point totals, they're two points behind the New Jersey Devils with two games in hand for the second wild card.
Of course, a team must win those games in hand rather than the cavalcade of loser points the Penguins have ammassed. The team is tied with the LA Kings for the second most extra-time losses. The Penguins are just 1-9 when the game goes beyond regulation.
Ottawa has not yet found the traction they hoped this season. The emerging team had more than soft playoff hopes but have struggled this season. Ottawas as 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games and trails New Jersey by five points for the final playoff spot but also has two games in hand.
Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson lead the team with 33 and 30 points, respectively, but the heart and soul of the franchise, Brady Tkachuk has battled injury, playing just 12 games with 11 points (2-9-11).
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Ottawa goalies are also struggling. Former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark has posted a mere .879 save percentage in 24 appearences.
If Muse holds to his platoon, Arturs Silovs should get the start Thursday. Ullmark likely starts for Ottawa.
Also of special note, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is one point shy of tying Mario Lemieux for the Penguins franchise all-time scoring record (1723).
And the Penguins might get some help. It is the annual Dad's Trip.
How to Watch
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Radio: 105.9 The X
Expected Penguins Lines
Muse also tinkered with the lines, again, in the absence of Evgeni Malkin .
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Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby- Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha - Tommy Novak -Justin Brazeau
Rutger McGroarty-Ben Kindel-Kevin Hayes
Connor Dewar-Danton Heinen-Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Brett Kulak–Jack St. Ivany
Goalie: Arturs Silovs
Expected Senators Lines
Brady Tkachuk -Tim Stutzle-Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron-Dylan Cozens-Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio-Ridley Greig-Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid-Stephen Halliday-Nick Cousins
Defense
Jake Sanderson-Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven-Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo-Nick Jensen
Goalie: Linus Ullmark, expected
Special Teams
Penguins' power play: 31.1%, 3rd. Penguins penalty kill: 81.6%, 13th.
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Senators power play: 25.5%, 6th. Senators penalty kill: 70.5%, 31st.
Penguins Game Notes
Bad news: Each of the Penguins' last four games at the Canadian Tire Centre have gone to overtime.
Bryan Rust (465) is one point shy of tying Jake Guentzel
(466) for the 11th
most points in franchise history.
Anthony Mantha has eight points (2-6-8) over his last eight gamesdating back to Dec. 1.
Tommy Novak has 10 points (4-6-10) over his last 10 games.
Sidney Crosby is two points shy of tying Gordie Howe for the ninth-most road points in NHL history.
Defenseman Brett Kulak has played in 296 consecutive games. The NHL did not count his missed games as a Penguins while he awaited an immigration visa as a missed game.
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The post Penguins Game 33, Help Wanted: Lines, Goalies, & How to Watch vs. Senators appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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