On Saturday (Nov. 11), the Pittsburgh Penguins returned home to play the Buffalo Sabres after a successful swing through California, when they defeated the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings. Looking to keep the ball rolling, they knocked off the Sabres 4-0, with Tristan Jarry turning away 35 shots to earn his NHL-high third shutout of the season.
Tonight (Nov. 14), the Penguins are in Columbus to take on a 4-7-4 Blue Jackets team that has been struggling to get much going through this season. With 41 goals scored and 52 goals against, they rank 24th and 28th of the NHL’s 32 teams in each category. Winless in their last five games, the Blue Jackets are looking to turn things around after falling 4-3 in overtime to the Rangers in New York on Sunday (Nov. 12).
After a slow start of their own, the Penguins are now 7-6-0 and finally look to be clicking both offensively and, especially, defensively. Their 34 goals against ranks fifth in the league, and their 2.62 goals against average (GAA) ranks sixth. Not only that, but they have now shut out opponents twice in their last three games and four times this season, one of those a shared effort between Jarry and Magnus Hellberg.
Setting the Stage: Lineups, Injuries & Stats
Prior to the Sabres game, the Penguins sent Joel Blomqvist down to the American Hockey League (AHL) and called Vinnie Hinostroza back up before game time. Jarry ended up getting the nod, Hinostroza played, and Jeff Carter was a healthy scratch. Carter is now out with an upper-body injury.
For the Blue Jackets, they welcomed Patrik Laine back after an injury on Nov. 11, though now they have lost Jack Roslovic.
Injuries
- Penguins: Will Butcher (undisclosed, the Penguins placed Butcher on injured reserve), Jeff Carter (upper body), John Ludvig (concussion, the Penguins placed Ludvig on injured reserve), Alex Nedeljkovic (lower body, the Penguins placed Nedeljkovic on injured reserve), Mark Pysyk (lower body, the Penguins placed Pysyk on injured reserve)
- Blue Jackets: Roslovic (the Blue Jackets placed Roslovic on injured reserve. He will miss 4-6 weeks), Daniil Tarasov (the Blue Jackets placed Tarasov on injured reserve)
Interesting Stats and Facts
- With a goal and an assist against the Sabres, Evgeni Malkin continued his consistent production. He has four goals and seven points in the past five games and eight goals and 16 points through 13 games for the season. That gives Mr. 101 a pace of 101 points through 82 games. Against the Blue Jackets, Malkin has scored 15 goals and 42 points in 34 games.
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- With an assist against the Sabres, Sidney Crosby brought his points streak to eight games, during which he has four goals and 10 points. He’ll look to keep things going against a team he has 36 assists and 53 points in 38 games.
- Erik Karlsson has been on a tear lately. He had his first multi-goal (two) game against the Sabres, giving him three goals and nine points during his five-game scoring streak. Karlsson is now at a point-per-game, with four goals and 13 points in 13 games, and he has nine goals and 25 points in 24 games against the Blue Jackets.
- For the Blue Jackets, Boone Jenner has been the team’s most consistent threat, with seven goals in 15 games. However, due to a lack of support, he has managed only two assists. In 29 games against the Penguins, he has eight goals and 13 points, not to mention 47 penalty minutes amassed in those games.
- Showing that there are other strong rookies not named Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli has picked things up. He is on a three-game points streak with two goals and three points and is tied with Jenner for the team lead in points with nine, on four goals and five assists in 15 games.
- After missing the Kings game with eye swelling suffered against the Ducks, Jarry was sharp against the Sabres. Again, he has three shutouts and is 5-5-0 with a 2.23 GAA and a .920 save percentage (SV%). In nine games against the Blue Jackets, he is 6-1-1 with a 2.24 GAA and a .926 SV%.
- For the Blue Jackets, Elvis Merzlikins is 3-3-3 with a 3.15 GAA and a .901 SV% this season. In six appearances against the Penguins, he has struggled, going 0-5-0 with a 4.27 GAA and a .891 SV%. Spencer Martin is 1-4-1 with a 3.26 GAA and a .905 SV% and has fared better in two games against the Penguins, going 1-1-0 with a 3.05 GAA and a .915 SV%.
Penguins vs. Blue Jackets Storylines
Don’t look now, but the Penguins are now one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They are currently one of two teams, the Florida Panthers being the other, on a four-game winning streak. Whereas they had struggled to generate offense outside the top two lines through October, they are now hitting their stride and have a more balanced attack. That said, one guy who is struggling is Rickard Rakell. Despite playing with Malkin, he still has yet to score a goal.
Likewise, Johnny Gaudreau is having no luck for the Blue Jackets. The perennial All-Star is mired in a slump, with only a goal and six points through the first 15 games. Perhaps now that Laine has returned, they can get something going. In two games back from injury, Laine has a goal and has generated seven shots.
This is the first of four meetings between the two teams, though they won’t play again until March. After tonight, the Blue Jackets will host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday (Nov. 16), and the Penguins will play the New Jersey Devils at home on Thursday. The puck drops tonight at 7:00 PM EST.
