Devils (7-1-3, 2-1-2 Road) at Pens (8-4, 2-2 Home, CONSOL, 7:30 pm ET, NBC Sports Network
Game Night: Pens play New Jersey for third time in nine days
The Pens got their first home victory versus the Devils on Feb. 2 after opening the season with losses to Toronto and the Islanders at CONSOL Energy Center. Sidney Crosby came up with a goal, two assists and a plus-4 rating, as did Chris Kunitz.
New Jersey had 16 shots and two power-play opportunities in the first meeting. Yesterday, the Devils posted 28 shots on seven powers and 16-plus minutes of time on the man advantage.
In the 5-1 Pens’ win, Pittsburgh compiled 21 hits and 14 blocked shots while the Devils finished with 17 hits and 14 blocks. On Saturday, the Pens were credited with only eight hits and 13 blocks. New Jersey had 14 hits and 4 blocks.
Crosby
summarized his thoughts after the game.
“I think the way we played didn’t give ourselves a lot of chances to avoid taking penalties,” he said. “We turned the puck over and had to come back and hook someone or weren’t good in our own zone and had to take penalties there.”
Crosby said it was a weird game with all the penalties. He said that Marc-Andre Fleury and the penalty kill did a good job but it was simply too much to keep up with. The Penguins were flagged for 11 minor penalties and have been short-handed 19 times in their last three games.
In the first meeting, Zach Boychuk played his second game on Evgeni Malkin’s line. The move was hailed as one which would help solidify all of Pittsburgh’s lines.
Bob Errey said after the first contest that Boychuk was “energetic” and brought tenacity. Rumblings after yesterday’s game questioned whether Boychuk will even be in Sunday’s lineup, especially now that the five-game winning streak is history.
Kunitz started a four-game point streak the first time the teams met, posting his first plus-4 rating in 451 regular-season contests. He followed that game up with a four-goal effort against Washington. Kunitz then had four PIMS against the Islanders in the next game. For Kunitz, good things have been happening in “four’s.” He’ll have to start another foursome after going pointless in yesterday’s loss.
Robert Bortuzzo notched his first NHL goal in the first Pens-Devils game. His play has been everything anyone could ask for. It will be tough seeing him sit back on the bench when Kris Letang and Matt Niskanen return from injury. Dylan Reese has also played well in his short time. Reese recorded more than two minutes of power-play time Saturday. Letang will eat those minutes up in a hurry, however. It would stand to reason that Reese would be the first defender scratched, then Bortuzzo, though Bylsma mentioned Saturday how well Reese fits the system.
The Penguins have been “mum” on Letang’s ailment, other than to call it a “lower-body injury.” That most likely means that it’s a groin. If there’s any question about how he feels, then the team might be wise to sit him again Sunday. Pittsburgh is off with one of its longest breaks of the season following Sunday’s game – two days (the Pens have two three-day breaks, from April 6-8 and April 14-16, but that’s the most all season long).
Letang is currently riding a four-game point streak which he started with a goal against New Jersey eight days ago. Only he and Brandon Sutter, who has a five-game point streak (3G, 2A), have on-going streaks after Saturday’s 3-1 loss.
Beau Bennett returned to the ice Friday for Wilkes-Barre after a five-game injury absence. ROOT’s Paul Steigerwald said during Thursday’s Pens-Caps game that Bennett missed those games due to a knee injury.
A win Sunday night would put Pittsburgh over the .500 mark at home for the first time all season long.
*****
Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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