After a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in their season opener, the Pittsburgh Penguins won their next two games in convincing fashion, including a 4-0 shutout victory against the Washington Capitals, the first time the Capitals have failed to score in a home opener, and a 5-2 win against the Calgary Flames. What started as a potential disaster ended up being a decent 2-1-0 record through three games.
Tonight, the Penguins face off against a Detroit Red Wings team with the same 2-1-0 record and upward momentum after dropping their season opener to the New Jersey Devils. The Red Wings followed their opening-night loss with a 6-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning and then a 4-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With both teams looking to challenge for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season, this is the kind of early game that could have a downstream effect.
Setting the Stage: Lineups, Injuries & Stats
Yesterday (Oct. 17) afternoon, the Penguins closed a four-player trade with the Vancouver Canucks, sending defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ty Glover to the Canucks in exchange for defenseman Jack Rathbone and forward Karel Plasek. Both Rathbone and Plasek have been assigned to the minors, but in Rathbone, they get a younger blueliner than Friedman who has potential upside and can provide depth.
Injuries
- Penguins: Mark Pysyk (lower body, injured reserve)
- Red Wings: Robby Fabbri (undisclosed, did not play Oct. 16), Carter Mazur (undisclosed, injured reserve), Matt Luff (undisclosed, injured reserve)
Interesting Stats and Facts
- Both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have played well against the Red Wings in the past – Crosby has 16 goals and 38 points in 32 regular-season games against Detroit, and Malkin has fared even better with 17 goals and 41 points in 27 games.
- Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has played well against the Penguins, scoring eight goals and 17 points, though Alex DeBrincat is new to the Red Wings, he has three goals and seven points in ten games against Pittsburgh.
- Jake Guentzel and Malkin enter the game with six points on the season, tying them with six other players in the league for second behind Edmonton Oiler Leon Draisaitl’s seven. It is Guentzel’s fastest start through three games. DeBrincat leads the Red Wings’ attack with three goals and five points in three games.
- Though he played for the Red Wings the last two seasons, Penguins’ backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic has played well against his former teammates, going 2-0-0 with a .951 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.51 goals-against average (GAA). Tristan Jarry has been even better, going 3-0-0 with a .953 SV% and a 1.34 GAA. Jarry will be in net tonight for the Penguins.
Storylines
Though both teams are still finding their chemistry and scoring touch, they are scoring goals in very different ways. The Penguins have 11 goals through three games, getting the bulk of their offense from their top two lines. Malkin leads the way with two goals and six points, and Guentzel is next with six points mostly from a team-leading five assists, tied for the NHL lead. Malkin earned the NHL’s Third Star of the Week to start the season.
Crosby and Bryan Rust both lead the team with three goals. Five players, Reilly Smith joining those already mentioned with two goals of his own, have accounted for all of the Penguins’ goals.
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Rickard Rakell is shooting but hasn’t found the back of the net, Erik Karlsson is skating and passing well but has yet to score, and the bottom six has yet to get into the action. If Moritz Seider and Detroit’s defense can neutralize the Penguins’ top six, this will be a problem.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings have scored 13 goals and are getting offense from throughout their lineup. After DeBrincat’s three goals, Daniel Sprong has two, and eight players, including two defensemen, have scored one. This could make them difficult to play against if all four lines can contribute.
The Penguins’ goaltending has been strong, except for the third-period meltdown against the Blackhawks. In his two appearances, Jarry has a 1.53 GAA and a .944 SV%, including the shutout against the Capitals. He will need to be sharp against the swarming, scoring-by-committee approach of the Red Wings, especially if Karlsson gets caught up ice, jumping into the play.
At the other end, Ville Husso has been adequate, but he has battled. He lost to the Devils but did beat the Lightning. With a 3.57 GAA and .863 SV%, Husso is looking to get back on track and can do so if his defense can neutralize those top two Penguins lines.
The Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators entered this season with the Red Wings looking to be the team in the East to have a big breakout the way the Devils did last season. It’s a small sample size, but so far, it looks like the Red Wings could be that team this season, and the Penguins need to respect that. The way the East is shaping up, every game will be a battle to see who makes the playoffs.
