Penguins Face Tough Challenge Against Avalanche
Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins continue their rigorous road trip as they face off against the Colorado Avalanche, a team that’s been nothing short of dominant this season. With the Presidents’ Trophy in their sights, the Avalanche boast the best goal differential in the league, making this matchup at Ball Arena a true test for the Penguins.
Game Time and Odds
Puck drop is set for just after 9:30 p.m. EST.
The Penguins enter as underdogs with FanDuel setting their odds at +190, while Colorado is favored at -235. Despite these odds, the Penguins have a slight edge on the Puckline, though the prediction models give a 67% chance for an Avalanche victory.
Penguins’ Lineup Boost
In positive news for Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin returns to the lineup after serving a five-game suspension. There’s also a possibility that Sidney Crosby could make his comeback tonight. Crosby has been showing promising signs, skating hard and taking light contact during morning practices.
Recent Penguins Performance
The Penguins are riding high after a thrilling comeback victory against the Utah Mammoth. Trailing 2-0, Anthony Mantha ignited the rally with a power-play goal.
Tommy Novak and Bryan Rust followed suit, each finding the net to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead. After a tying goal by former Penguin Ian Cole, Noel Acciari clinched the win with a gritty rebound effort.
This victory propelled the Penguins into a points tie for second place in the Metro with the New York Islanders, holding a game in hand and more regulation wins. The Penguins also maintain a slim lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and are just ahead of wild-card contenders Detroit and Boston.
Avalanche’s Recent Form
Colorado has been formidable, winning seven of their last ten games. However, they’ve stumbled slightly, dropping two of their last three, including a recent 3-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Despite this, they maintain a comfortable lead over the Dallas Stars in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.
Goaltending and Injury Updates
Arturs Silovs is expected to start in goal for Pittsburgh, following Coach Dan Muse’s rotation strategy. For Colorado, Scott Wedgewood is likely to be between the pipes. On the injury front, Penguins defenseman Sam Girard, a former Avalanche player, remains day-to-day and might miss this anticipated return to Colorado.
Line Combinations
Penguins’ Expected Lines:
- Egor Chinakhov-Rickard Rakell-Bryan Rust
- Anthony Mantha-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin
- Elmer Soderblom-Ben Kindel-Avery Hayes
- Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari
Defense:
- Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
- Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
- Ilya Solovyov-Connor Clifton
Avalanche’s Expected Lines:
- Nazem Kadri-Nathan MacKinnon-Martin Necas
- Gavin Brindley-Brock Nelson-Valeri Nichushkin
- Parker Kelly-Nicolas Roy-Joel Kiviranta
- Zakhar Bardakov-Jack Drury
Defense:
- Devon Toews-Cale Makar
- Josh Manson-Brent Burns
- Brett Kulak-Sam Malinski
Special Teams Battle
The Penguins’ power play ranks 4th in the league at 25.0%, while their penalty kill is an impressive 2nd at 84.2%. The Avalanche, meanwhile, have struggled on the power play, sitting at 29th, but their penalty kill is strong at 5th.
Penguins Game Notes
- The Penguins have a mixed record in Colorado, going 4-4-1 in their last nine games there.
- Bryan Rust is in fine form against the Avalanche, with an active seven-game point streak.
- Tommy Novak’s contributions have been pivotal, with the team earning points in 26 of 30 games when he scores.
- Erik Karlsson recently surpassed Bobby Orr in career points, moving to 12th all-time among defensemen.
- Anthony Mantha is on the brink of a career milestone with his next goal.
- Kris Letang is poised to join an elite group of defensemen with 800 career points.
As the Penguins gear up for this challenging encounter, they’ll need every bit of their skill and resilience to overcome the high-flying Avalanche.