Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (19-12-9, 47 points, 4th place Metropolitan Division) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (18-16-6, 42 points, 8th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 3:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Broadcast
locally Sportsnet Pittsburgh and FDSN Ohio, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: After today is a three-day break for games for the Pens, who aren’t in action again until hosting New Jersey on Thursday. They better make the short break count, the NJ game starts a string of nine games in just 15 days from Jan 8 -22. The good news is five of the next six games after today are home games in Pittsburgh, at least.
Opponent Track: Columbus is still in last place in the division but they’ve tightened the standings up by winning four out of their last five games. That includes a resounding 5-1 win yesterday over Buffalo to break the Sabres 10-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets have only given up seven total goals in their four games played since Christmas.
Season Series: This is the third PIT/CBJ game of the season, neither of the first two ended in regulation. Columbus won 5-4 by way of a shootout back on October 25th in Pittsburgh, the Penguins returned the favor with a Kris Letang overtime goal in Columbus to take a 4-3 win in the November 28th matchup. The fourth and final game after today is coming up pretty soon when the Blue Jackets head to Pittsburgh one more time on January 17th.
Hidden Stat: Don’t think this game is safe in the third period, no matter who might be ahead. Columbus is 30th in the NHL with a .706% winning percentage (12-1-4) when leading after two periods. The Pens are right behind them at 31st with a .684% winning percentage (13-2-4). These teams (and 32nd place Toronto) are the only NHL clubs to fail to win 5+ games so far this season when leading after the second intermission.
Getting to know the Blue Jackets
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Mason Marchment – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko
Dmitry Voronkov – Cole Sillinger – Danton Heinen
Boone Jenner – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Zach Aston Reese – Brendan Gaunce – Kent Johnson
DEFENSEMEN
Zach Werenski / Denton Mateychuk
Ivan Provorov / Damon Severson
Jake Christiansen / Dante Fabbro
Goalies: Elvis Merzlikins (Jet Greaves played yesterday)
Potential scratches: Sean Monahan (injury), Dysin Mayo
Injured Reserve: Miles Wood, Isac Lundestrom, Erik Gudbrandson, Brendan Smith
- An injury to Monahan helped open the door to getting Heinen back into the NHL after last week’s trade from Pittsburgh. Heinen originally went to AHL Cleveland for a game and made his Columbus debut yesterday. Monahan is said to be day-to-day.
- The move to add Marchment via a trade has paid some nice early dividends, the big winger has six points (4G+2A) in six games with CBJ.
- Werenski returned to the lineup for his first game yesterday since 12/20, notching two assists. He’s got 2+ points in each of the last four games that he’s played in.
Season stats
via hockeydb
- Columbus remains in last place due to a lack of firepower, ranking 21st in the NHL in goals per game. Johnson and Monahan (who produced 54 and 57 points last season, respectively) have taken a step backwards in that column this year. Fantilli hasn’t been poor this season but he did score 31 goals last year and is running under that pace this season.
- Even a budding star like Marchenko, was in that category of being a minor disappointment until recently — he’s scored four goals in the last five games to make his boxcars look more respectable here lately.
- Greaves has provided a great option as a starting goalie this year, Merzlikins has continued to struggle to keep the goal of of his net when he’s played. The Pens have had some good fortune in the schedule to play 4/5 of their last five games for teams on the second half of a back-to-back, and while Pittsburgh is also in that situation today, it’s a big difference and drop off if they end up seeing Merzlikins in the net today.
Changes coming in Columbus?
It’s tough for the Blue Jackets to sit in 15th place in the East via points percentage when it comes with a fairly respectable .525%. They were hoping to take the next step this season and that hasn’t happened nearing the mid-way point.
Waddell has started an overhaul, getting Marchment (as mentioned above) and then recouping those draft picks from Pittsburgh to send out Chinakhov is the start of it. More could be on the way but the sheer number of teams ahead of them will make for a challenging climb. Columbus did well to come out and take down the streaking Sabres to better themselves a little more, they definitely should be playing with desperation today and fighting for a place that already could be slipping away if they don’t get it in gear soon.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha – Tommy Novak – Justin Brazeau
Yegor Chinakhov – Ben Kindel – Rutger McGroarty
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Brett Kulak / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Jack St. Ivany
Goalies: Arturs Silovs (Stuart Skinner played yesterday)
Potential Scratches: Ville Koivunen, Kevin Hayes, Connor Clifton
IR: Evgeni Malkin, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones
- Malkin was confirmed as not being on this short road trip, and given the nature of the impressive win yesterday there probably won’t be much in the way of lineup changes aside from swapping in the fresher goalie. If it is Silovs vs. Merzlikins that would make for the rare double Latvian starting goaltender matchup.
Pens looking to keep it going
The Penguins have suddenly won four-straight games and are right back in the thick of the playoff race. They’re coming off arguably their most impressive and complete game of the season, limiting first-place Detroit to only 12 shots on goal in a 4-1 road victory. Today presents a challenge on the road again and at the end of another hectic stretch of games, they can afford to ‘empty the tank’ with their efforts knowing that a three-day break lies immediately ahead.
