It was a bad day at work for the Pittsburgh Penguins (10-6-4) Friday as they ended their week-long layover from Sweden with a clunker against the red-hot Minnesota Wild, losing 5-0 at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins get right back to work Saturday as they host the Seattle Kraken (10-5-5) at PPG Paints Arena.
The puck drops just after 7 p.m.
But it’s also Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night with terrible parking and road closures. Plan accordingly (PHN will publish alternate routes and ideas a little bit later on Saturday).
On the ice, the Penguins were fairly abysmal Friday. They gave up an early goal with scattered defensive zone coverage and compounded their disconnected game with a few more defensive zone absences.
Matt Bouldy scored a pair of goals for Minnesota, and Kirill Kaprizov fed the helpers and scored one himself. The Penguins mustered 19 shots in the ugly loss.
Penguins coach Dan Muse pulled goalie Arturs Silovs after allowing four goals on 10 shots in just over 21 minutes of action. Sergei Murashov finished the game. Muse will announce Saturday’s starting goalie at 5 p.m.
The Kraken are 3-1-1 in their last five games, including a raucous third-period comeback win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. Seattle scored three third period goals to erase the 2-0 deficit.
Jayden Schwartz, Shane Wright, and Tye Cartye lit the lamp. Schwartz and Jordan Eberle lead the team with eight goals, while Eberle leads the team with 15 points.
Goalie Joey Daccord has started the bulk of the Kraken’s games (13). He stopped 22 of 24 in the win.
Muse will announce his starting goalie at 5 p.m.
How to Watch
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Radio: 105.9 The X
Expected Penguins Lines
Connor Dewar-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Kevin Hayes-Evgeni Malkin-Anthony Mantha
Tommy Novak-Ben Kindel-Sam Poulin
Joona Koppanen-Blake Lizotte-Danton Heinen
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Ryan Graves-Connor Clifton
Goalie: TBD (Sergei Murashov, expected)
Expected Kraken Lines
Mason Marchment-Matty Beniers-Jordan Eberle
Jaden Schwartz-Chandler Stephenson-Berkly Catton
Eeli Tolvanen-Freddy Gaudreau-Shane Wright
Tye Kartye-Oscar Fisker Molgaard-Ryan Winterton
Vince Dunn-Adam Larsson
Ryan Lindgren-Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans-Jamie Oleksiak
Goalie: TBD (Joey Daccord, expected)
Special Teams
Penguins’ power play: 32.6%, 1st. Penguins penalty kill: 84.7%, 5th.
Kraken power play: 20.7%, 18th. Kraken penalty kill: 69.6%, 30th.
Penguins Game Notes
The Penguins have lost three straight against the Kraken.
Danton Heinen has five points (1-4-5) in eight career games against Seattle. He has assists in back-to-back games against them (2A).
Erik Karlsson is two points shy of tying Peter Forsberg for the eighth-most points by a Swedish-born player in NHL history.
Karlsson is also one assist shy of tying Brad Park for the 12th most assists by a defenseman in NHL history.
Blake Lizotte will play in his 400th career game.
Sergei Murashov completed a shutout for his first NHL win Sunday. The only other Penguins goalie to do so was Jeff Zatkoff.
What’s the deal, ref? The Penguins have had the fewest power-play opportunities in the league (46), but their power-play goal total (15) is tied for ninth in the NHL.
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Categorized: Pittsburgh Penguins