Despite playing fewer games than most NHL teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins (14-7-6) have already played more road games than any other. They have played just 12 home games and 15 road games, including one of each in Sweden. They finally post up at home for a couple of weeks, beginning with the much-improved Anaheim Ducks (18-10-1) at PPG Paints Arena.
The puck drops just after 7 p.m., following Mr. Jeff Jimmerson singing the National Anthem.
The FanDuel odds aren’t strong in either direction, offering somewhat even odds on both the Penguins and Anaheim. Instead, the NHL prop bets are the better play Tuesday.
The Penguins claimed five of six points on their three-game road trip through Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Dallas. In fact, they were less than two minutes away from a perfect three-for-three until Dallas generated momentum with the extra attacker. D-man Miro Heiskanen blasted a shot through traffic to tie the game 2-2, and Dallas won in a shootout.
The Penguins are 0-4 in shootouts this season and 1-13 since the start of last season.
The Penguins got an early fourth-line goal Sunday when Connor Dewar one-timed a shot past Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger in the first period, and took a 2-1 lead when Tommy Novak set in motion an offensive sequence that ended with him tipping Kris Letang’s point shot.
Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry was again very good, though he didn’t face a high volume of action until overtime. Jarry faced only 18 shots in regulation and stopped two of three in the shootout. However, the Penguins’ SO contingent of Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, and Kris Letang failed to score in the shootout.
The very talented Anaheim forwards have been on a roll, winning three of their last four games, including giving the Penguins some help by beating the Washington Capitals 4-3 Friday in a shootout and then thumping the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1 Sunday.
With very talented forwards, Anaheim also relies on a bruising blue line that features (trigger warning) Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas.
Anaheim has been winning without starting goalie Lukas Dostal, who is still out with an upper-body injury. His return is expected within the next week. Ville Husso has been between the pipes for most of Dostal’s absence.
Jarry has started three straight games for the Penguins, the first time this season that any Penguins goalie has been tabbed for three straight. Coach Dan Muse will announce his starting goalie after the morning skate Tuesday.
Penguins center Evgeni Malkin missed Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury. Tuesday, the team placed him and Blake Lizotte on injured reserve, then recalled Sam Poulin and Danton Heinen from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
How to Watch
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, NHL Network
Radio: 105.9 The X
Expected Penguins Lines
Tommy Novak-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha-Kevin Hayes-Justin Brazeau
Rutger McGroarty-Ben Kindel-Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar-Danton Heinen-Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Ryan Graves-Connor Clifton
Goalie: Arturs Silovs, confirmed.
Expected Ducks Lines
Chris Kreider-Leo Carlsson-Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier-Mason McTavish-Beckett Sennecke
Ross Johnston-Ryan Poehling-Mikael Granlund
Frank Vatrano-Ryan Strome-Alex Killorn
Defense
Jackson LaCombe-Jacob Trouba
Ollen Zellweger-Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov-Drew Helleson
Goaltender: Ville Husso, expected
Special Teams
Penguins’ power play: 34.3%, 1st. Penguins penalty kill: 85.0%, 4th.
Ducks power play: 18.8%, 18th. Ducks penalty kill: 75.3%, 28th.
Penguins PP1: Erik Karlsson, Sidney Crosby, Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, Anthony Mantha.
PP2: Kris Letang, Ville Koivunen, Kevin Hayes, Justin Brazeau, Tommy Novak.
Penguins Game Notes
The Penguins are 8-4-0 in their last 12 against Anaheim, but Kreider scored with less than 90 seconds remaining to beat the Penguins 4-3 at the Honda Center on Oct. 14.
The Penguins have points in six of their last seven games (4-1-2).
Noel Acciari returned to the Penguins’ lineup Sunday. He assisted on Dewar’s tally and played 13:51. The Penguins are 8-3-3 with Acciari in the lineup.
Sidney Crosby has multiple points in seven of his last 20 games vs. the Ducks.
The Penguins’ power play has been hot, converting on five of the last 10 attempts.
Tommy Novak scored Sunday, extending his point streak to three games (2-2-4). Novak also has six points (2-4-6) over his last five games.
The Penguins have allowed the fourth-fewest goals against in the NHL (73).
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Categorized: Penguins Pregame