The Penguins head into Saturday night with more questions than answers, and the timing is not ideal. Pittsburgh is winless in three, coming off another messy outing, and now it has to deal with a Dallas team that just blanked Buffalo 4-0.
Puck drop is just after 7 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.
Friday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets was the latest reminder of how shaky the Penguins have been with the puck. Columbus spent most of the night dictating play, outshooting Pittsburgh 45-22, and the Penguins again spent too much time chasing the game because of turnovers and defensive breakdowns. Rookie goalie Sergei Murashov was the reason they were even able to salvage a point, turning in a strong performance that dragged the game to a shootout.
Bryan Rust got Pittsburgh going late in the second period, and Evgeni Malkin tied it early in the third to force overtime. But the Penguins couldn’t finish in the extra frame, and the shootout followed the same old script: three Pittsburgh attempts, no goals, and a Columbus winner past Murashov.
There was still a small silver lining afterward, even if it came wrapped inside another frustrating night: the Penguins at least got a point.
Dallas arrives with plenty of confidence after its own strong showing Thursday. Jason Robertson scored in the first period, then Sam Steel, Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz added goals in the second. Rantanen was everywhere, piling up a goal and three assists in a four-point night, while Jake Oettinger stopped all 26 shots for his second straight shutout.
Pittsburgh is expected to turn to Arturs Silovs in goal, and there could be a lineup tweak or two as well. Elmer Soderblom may be back in the mix for the first time since the team’s season opener, a 7-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins enter the night with the ninth-best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference, though they hold the second wild card because they’ve played more games. They’re one of four teams sitting at .500, along with Buffalo, Toronto and the New York Islanders.
On the ice, the Penguins’ expected lines are Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust, Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin, Hendrix Lapierre-Ben Kindel-Ville Koivunen, and Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Nick Robertson. On defense, the pairings are Declan Carlile-Erik Karlsson, Sam Girard-Kaedan Korczak, and Trevor van Riemsdyk-Kris Letang.
Dallas is expected to counter with Sam Steel-Wyatt Johnston-Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Jamie Benn, Justin Hryckowian-Arttu Hyry-Tyler Seguin, and Oskar Bäck-Radek Faksa-Colin Blackwell. The Stars’ defense pairs are Esa Lindell-Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley-Nils Lundkvist, and Lian Bichsel-Tyler Myers, with Jake Oettinger expected in net.
Special teams lean heavily toward Pittsburgh. The Penguins’ power play is clicking at 26.7%, good for ninth, and their penalty kill sits at 92.9%, third in the NHL. Dallas, meanwhile, has a 10% power play and an 83.3% penalty kill.
This is also the Penguins’ first back-to-back set of the season. Last year, they went 14-10-8 in back-to-backs, splitting the first and second games at 7-5-4 each.
Pittsburgh has had some success against Dallas in recent years, earning points in 10 of its last 16 meetings with the Stars, going 7-6-3 since Feb. 9, 2018.
Saturday is also the first of 11 games in which the Penguins will wear their gold third jerseys. Last season, they were 8-3-1 in those sweaters.
One more wrinkle: this game could feature a brother-versus-brother matchup between Nick and Jason Robertson. The two have met eight times before, and both have five points in those games. Nick has four goals and one assist in the head-to-head, while Jason has three goals and two assists.
In Other News...
Sidney Crosby's Slow Start Has Penguins Fans Facing A Tough Reality
Sidney Crosbys opening week has looked nothing like the standard hes set for so long in Pittsburgh. Through the first four games, he has yet to score a goal, has only two assists and sits at minus-3, even as he has continued to win faceoffs and put pucks on net. For a player whose game has always been built on drive, detail and constant pressure, the early numbers stand out because the process has not disappeared, even if the finish has.
The concern now is less about one cold stretch than what it might mean over time. Crosbys overall impact has dipped, and there is at least some question about whether the knee injury he dealt with during the Olympics is still lingering and affecting his play. For Penguins fans, the uncomfortable part is obvious: when the captain is still involved but not driving results the way he once did, it invites a harder conversation about age, wear and what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Fought Back But One Familiar Problem Ruined It
Bryan Rust gave the Penguins enough offense to hang around at Nationwide Arena, scoring twice in regulation as Pittsburgh battled Columbus into overtime. For a night that could have slipped away early, the Penguins found a response and a path to at least a point, with the game tightening around a young lineup trying to sort out the details on the road.
Sergei Murashov was a huge part of that fight, turning aside 43 of 45 shots and making several important stops in overtime to give Pittsburgh every chance to steal it. But once the game got to the skills competition, the familiar issue surfaced again, and the Penguins could not cash in on their chances while the Blue Jackets did just enough to take the 3-2 decision. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Have A Sidney Crosby Problem They Can't Ignore
Sidney Crosbys start to the season has been quieter than the Penguins would like, and it has only added to the unease around a stretch that has now carried over from late last season. Pittsburgh has been cycling through different line combinations in an effort to spark him, a reminder that even with a player of Crosbys stature, finding the right chemistry can still be a moving target.
The concern is not just about one slow opening, but about how long this has been building for the Penguins captain. He has struggled to consistently finish chances for months, and the team is clearly looking for familiar faces to help settle things down. A reunion with Bryan Rust on his wing could be one of the cleaner fixes available, but the Penguins still have to see whether the answer is as simple as putting Crosby back with the players who know his game best. [Read more 🡒]