The Need to Knows

The Time: 4pm PST

The Place: PPG Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Place to Watch: KONG, KHN Networks, Amazon Prime, Sportsnet-Pittsburgh

Place to Listen: KJR 93.3-FM

An Opposing Viewpoint: Pensburgh

Game Preview

The Kraken have found an odd equilibrium to keep in the Pacific Division, popping up and trading places with just about everyone.

The Penguins meanwhile, have been the very model of anti-consistency. There is just nothing that keeps them truly going more than chaos.

Part of it is that while the lineup on paper is kind of weak, it still very much has a Sidney Crosby, an Evgeni Malkin, and a somewhat returning to form Erik Karlsson who are in the middle of an Olympic year; namely one that Crosby and Malkin may never get the chance to utilize again. With the NHL already a little leery of Italy’s ability to get a hockey rink built, the goal seems to be to make it effectively impossible for their respective national teams to dare ignore them, even if the NHL tries to renege. They will not let this opportunity go.

It also helps that some of the lesser known names are finding their groove; Justin Brazeau has found consistent work in the NHL with black and gold teams, and Bryan Rust continues being a now crafty veteran that the Pens can call upon for some depth. Arturs Silovs has been thrust into a role he dominated in the AHL, and has acquitted himself wonderfully to now that he’s been given the chance as a goalie; which just adds another guy looking to represent his home country in Milan once the calendar turns over.

What’s kept them from being truly consistent on their strange resurgence into being good is their depth largely struggles to exist.

Not in a “struggling to score or make an impact” sense, although that has been true, more in a “physically present” sense; they have six players on IR, one of whom is Tristan Jarry, the other is Rickard Rakell, who experienced a sort of light revival to his career after dawning Penguins Black. This leaves them with a couple of serious world-beaters putting their entire heart and soul into the season, and a rapidly thinning depth to help them out. It bears even into the game they played yesterday, which was…not exactly competitive.

Still, the Kraken can’t get lazy here; they’re on a back-to-back and neither of the teams they’re playing right now are bad enough to consider taking a shift off. It’s going to be a fight every step of the way and especially against the premiere stars of some truly impressive cup runs. They need to make the life of Artur Silovs very difficult and very fast if they wanna come away with a victory.

LET’S GO KRAKEN!