Game 75 Preview: Penguins Host Devils

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Mar 22, 10:32 AM | Hype this story!
W L OTL Pts.
4 2 0 8
 
Pts. W L OTL
5 2 3 1

7:30 @ Mellon Arena
FSN Pittsburgh, FSN New York (New Jersey)
Probable Goaltenders: Fleury (Pit), Brodeur (NJ)
 
Inside The Game
The retro logo worked Thursday after a few weeks on vacation, so we’ll stick with the winning formula.

And, speaking of the winning formula, the Pittsburgh Penguins got back to what has earned them a share of first place in the Atlantic Division by working hard and scoring goals.  The same intensity and dedication to winning will be needed tonight as the Penguins play host to the team they are tied with, the New Jersey Devils.

These two teams are so similar in the standings its uncanny.  Both have an identical 42-25-7 record, both have 22 home wins and both have 20 road wins.  The big difference is that the Devils play a more defensive game, scoring just 190 goals, but giving up only 173, the second fewest goals-against in the NHL.  The Penguins, on the other hand, go about it in an offensive way.  They just like to outscore their opponents, as they have scored 226 goals, good for seventh in the NHL, and have given up 203.

They’re also similar in that they both want/need a win tonight in order to own sole possession of first place in the division.

"We’re playing to finish first," forward Georges Laraque said to Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We’re not just playing to make the playoffs. We look at where we are, and we could have home-ice advantage, which is huge."

Added defenseman Kris Letang: "If we can give them a good game, it’s going to prepare us for playing over there — playoff hockey again,"

In goal, the expected matchup is sure-fire Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur battling a youngster he has praised on numerous occasions, Marc-Andre Fleury.

The test will be a difficult one, but coach Michel Therrien said his team is capable of winning — especially if the crowd keeps up the playoff intensity as it has for the last few months.

"We’re going to need our fans to be really loud.  I know my players. They feed off the fans. ... It’s not a coincidence the last month and a half we’ve been successful [at home] — our fans are really loud."
 
Standings
  GP W L OT Pts Division Conference League
Penguins 74 42 25 7 91 2, Atlantic 4, Eastern 6, NHL
Devils 74 42 25 7 91 1, Atlantic 2, Eastern 5, NHL
                 
Team Statistics
  GF GA PP% PK% Home Away L 10 Streak
Penguins 226 203 20.4 80.4 22-10-5 20-15-2 6-4-0 1 win
Devils 190 173 16.3 83.3 22-13-2 20-12-5 5-4-1 1 loss
                 
Team Leaders
  Stat Penguins   Stat Devils
Goals 42 Malkin Goals 30 Parise
Assists 57 Malkin Assists 32 Parise
Points 99 Malkin Points 62 Parise
PIMs 128 Laraque PIMs 179 Clarkson
Wins 18 Conklin Wins 40 Brodeur
 
Injuries
Penguins Injury Devils Injury
Crosby, DTD
Scuderi, DTD
Beech, IR
Hall, IR
Roberts, IR
Eaton, IR		 Sore Ankle
Fractured Finger
Broken Right Wrist
Sports Hernia Surgery
Broken Leg/Ankle Sprain
Torn ACL		 Salvador, DTD Lower Body Soreness
       
Note: Info up-to-date as of 11:29 am, Saturday, March 22, 2008.

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