A massive game for the Pens.
Just the facts
When: Tonight, 8 PM
Where: PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
How to follow: ABC, ESPN+
Opposing perspective: PensBurgh
Know your enemy
- 37-30-12, 89PTS, 4th in the Metropolitan Division, WC2
- Sidney Crosby: 41G-48A-89PTS; Evgeni Malkin: 25G-38A-63PTS; Bryan Rust: 27G-27A-54PTS
- Alex Nedeljkovic: 17-6-7, 2.89 GAA, .904 save percentage
Game notes
- Three games to go! The Bruins and Penguins face off in a nationally televised tilt that has significant playoff implications for both teams.
- You know the Bruins’ story by now: the B’s start Saturday a point ahead of Florida for first in the Atlantic. The Bruins now have a game in hand on Florida as well.
- Tonight’s game is even more significant for Pittsburgh. The Penguins, whose playoff hopes looked dead in the water a few weeks ago, had a massive 6-5 OT win over Detroit on Thursday, pushing them into WC2. A win tonight would go a long way towards securing a spot in the playoffs.
- The Pens’ playoff hopes burst to life for two reasons: one, as Sky mentioned frequently, no one seems to want that second spot, and two, because they’re 7-0-3 in their last ten games. Maybe they’re the only team that wants it?
- Tristan Jarry has started the majority of Pittsburgh’s games this season, but it’s been Nedeljkovic’s crease of late. He has earned the win in five of his last six starts, but PensBurgh wonders if his luck is starting to run out.
- Sidney Crosby, in case you forgot about him, remains quite good. He leads the Penguins in points (per usual), but his goal-scoring has been impressive this season. He’s just three goals away from his second-highest season total (44 back in 2017). He won’t break his own single-season mark (51 in 2010), but he’s having quite a year.
- Erik Karlsson, who scored the OT winner in that big win against Detroit, will be honored for playing in his 1,000th regular season game tonight.
- Barring a setback, it appears that Pat Maroon will be making his Bruins debut tonight.
If you’re scoreboard watching, there are some big ones today:
- Islanders @ Rangers
- Sabres @ Panthers
- Lightning @ Capitals
- Red Wings @ Maple Leafs
- Devils @ Flyers