Pittsburgh Penguins (0-0-0) @ Vancouver Canucks (0-0-0)
10:00 P.M. Rodgers Center
TV: Versus
Radio: 105.9 The X--Also streaming live on the Pens' website.
Welcome back! It's the day we've been waiting all summer for. The day when the puck finally drops, and we can forget about the last season and focus on the 82 games that are in front of us. The Pens start there season in Western Canada for a three game road trip. The Stanley Cup runners-up, are up first for the Pens.
Last meeting--November 17, 2011: The Pens won the last meeting between the two teams 3-1 at the CONSOL Energy Center last November. This win would be the first of 12 straight for the Pens between November and December. Sidney Crosby scored in the first period, and Max Talbot and Arron Asham added a goal a piece in the second. Vancouver's lone goal was scored by Dan Hamhuis. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots and proved that he returned to form after a abysmal start to the 2011 season.
(Potential) Penguins' Lines
Forwards
Sullivan-Malkin-Neal
Kunitz-Staal-Kennedy
Cooke-Letestu-Dupuis
Asham-Vitale-Adams
Defensemen
Letang-Engelland
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen Lovejoy
Goaltender
Fleury
Canucks' Lines
Forwards
D. Sedin-H. Sedin-Borrows
Sturm-Hodgson-Samuelsson
Higgins-Malhotra-Hansen
Volpatti-Lapierre-Weise
Defensemen
Hamhuis-Bieska
Salo-Edler
Ballard-Tanev
Goatender
Roberto LOLuongo
POFA's Thoughts and Notes
The Penguins' Brooks Orpik is a game-time decision tonight as he is still recovering from offseason surgery for his sports hernia. Word around the internet is that Orpik will sit tonight.
Sidney Crosby who was placed on the injured reserved and not the long term injured reserved list, traveled with the team, but is still not cleared for contact. It is interesting that the pens chose to go this route, but could suggest that they believe Sid will be back before the time necessary to qualify him to be placed on LTIR.
It is interesting that Dan Bylsma has chosen to scratch Richard Park who has shown during the preseason that he can be a viable option on the penalty kill.
The Penguins' Power play will have a new look. Throughout the preseason, the Pens have had Steve Sullivan on the left point, Letang on the right point, with Neal, Malkin and Kunitz up front. From watching the power play, you can see that the Pens will try to run the power play through Sullivan at or around the left face-off circle. Hopefully the new look will work and the team can improve on last year's woeful power play.
Canucks forward Ryan Kessler has been cleared for contact, but will not be in this lineup this evening as he is still recouping from a hip injury, and it may be a few weeks before he will be able to play.
The Canucks have a .607 win percentage in season openers at home, and are 15-9-4 overall in those games.
The Canucks are 21-15-4 in home openers.
The Penguins lead the all-time series 57-36-12
This will be Henrik Sedin's 500th regular season game.
No comments:
Post a Comment