The Penguins head into tonight’s divisional matchup against the Washington Capitals with something they haven’t had in a while, a three game losing streak. Pittsburgh lost three consecutive games to the Kraken, Red Wings, and Kings. Those teams aren’t exactly the cream of the crop, but a reminder that more so than other sports anybody can win on any given night in the NHL. If you bet on the sport you already know this.
The Penguins are going with Tristan Jarry tonight. The Penguins continue to lean into him with an increased workload. Two of his last three starts have been below .900. It is something to keep an eye on. The Penguins might be entering a point of diminishing returns.
There are some other issues going on at the moment.
Mike Sullivan: "Chad Ruhwedel will not play tonight. He is in the COVID protocol. Brian Dumoulin is dealing with some bumps and bruises. He'll be a game-time decision."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) February 1, 2022
Danton Heinen missed practice yesterday and he was not part of the optional skate today. Things aren’t pointing in the right direction for his inclusion in the lineup.
Kasperi Kapanen has made a regular habit of being demoted from the Malkin line. He’s the epitome of an enigma. I wouldn’t be against dialing up the guy who used to first round picks to acquire the player on two separate occasions to see what he would be willing to pay for a third time.
From the other day: Jake Guentzel is pretty damn impressive, but we already knew that
With an assist on Bryan Rust's second goal, Jake Guentzel (77th overall) became the fastest player from his 2013 draft class to record 300 career points in 338 games. pic.twitter.com/T9APPJxYZF
— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) January 30, 2022
The Capitals are currently in fourth place in the division and are chasing the Penguins to avoid dealing with the wild card. Both teams have played 45 games with the Penguins at 61 points and the Capitals at 57. A win tonight would be a nice buffer for the Penguins while a Capitals regulation win will tighten things up.
Sidney Crosby is having another great season. So is his #1 rival. Alexander Ovechkin is having a Hart caliber season. In 45 games he has 29 goals and 29 assists. It is tremendous to watch these players defy the aging curve. Ovechkin’s goal pursuit of Gretzky will be highly entertaining to track the next few years. I never thought he would be able to do it, but I think he can, and I hope he does. Hockey fans have truly been blessed in this era to have 87 and 8.
Thanks for reading!