Preseason Game 1: Penguins Host Lightning

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 20, 01:25 AM | Hype this story!
W L OTL Pts.
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Pts. W L OTL
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7:30 at Mellon Arena
Listen at Pens.com
Probable Goaltenders: Fleury (Pit), Smith (TB)
 
Inside The Game
Aside from the already worn-out storylines of ex-Penguin players migrating south, there really isn’t much to this game that differentiates it from any other preseason game.

Ryan Malone, Gray Roberts, Adam Hall and Mark Recchi won’t dress for the Lightning, and neither with most of their big name players, though first overall pick Steven Stamkos will make his NHL debut.

The Penguins, in need of creating team chemistry and adjusting line combinations due to a short preseason, will ice a team primarily composed of players certain to make the roster.  This likely will be the case for the other three games prior to the team’s departure for Europe, where they will start the season.

For those traveling to the game, take note of several issues that could make for heavy traffic:
  • 376 East will be closed the entire weekend due to construction
  • The Pittsburgh Panthers have an afternoon game
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates have a night game to be followed up with a Lynard Skynard concert

Allow yourself plenty of extra time and have patience if traffic slows you down.

And now onto the rosters…
 
Rosters
Penguins   Lightning
Forwards – Kris Beech, Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Godard, Evgeni Malkin, Janne Pesonen,Miroslav Satan, Jordan Staal, Ryan Stone, Petr Sykora, Jeff Taffe, Bill Thomas

Defensemen – Mark Eaton, Alex Goligoski, Sergei Gonchar, Ben Lovejoy, Brooks Orpik, Darryl Sydor

Goaltenders – Marc-Andre Fleury, Dany Sabourin

Line Combinations:

Dupuis – Crosby – Satan
Staal – Malkin – Sykora
Pesonen – Taffe – Thomas
Stone – Beech – Godard

Gonchar – Orpik
Sydor – Goligoski
Eaton – Lovejoy

Fleury
Sabourin

   Forwards – Evgeny Artyukhin, Brandon Bochenski, Ryan Craig, Jussi Jokinen, David Koci, Zenon Konopka, Chris Lawrence, Michel Ouellet, Wyatt Smith, Radek Smolenak, Steven Stamkos, Jason Ward

Defensemen – Jamie Heward, Andrew Hutchinson, Vladimir Mihalik, Janne Niskala, Andy Rogers, Matt Smaby

Goaltenders – Karri Ramo, Mike Smith

Line Combinations:

Unavailable
 
Note: Info up-to-date as of 12:20 am, Saturdy, September 20, 2008.

Comments

  1. Dabich

    Sep 20, 08:51 AM

    Go Pens!!!

  2. Santiago

    Sep 20, 10:05 AM

    Go Janne!!

  3. Alex Kirshner

    Sep 20, 10:31 AM

    Let’s Go Pens!

  4. Eric Politowski

    Sep 20, 11:53 AM

    Matt,

    The new logos are sick.

  5. Alex Kirshner

    Sep 20, 12:16 PM

    Just looking at the guys the Lightning are bringing to this game, I expect a 5 goal victory for the Penguins.

  6. Matt Bodenschatz

    Sep 20, 12:38 PM

    Thanks, Eric!

    Alex, this definitely will be a very lopsided victory. The Penguins — if they play hard to the end — could score 10 easily.

    I’m not sure I’ll be at the game now, but I’ll still try to cover it a bit.

    Prediction: 7-1 Penguins win

  7. Alex Kirshner

    Sep 20, 01:23 PM

    Matt-

    I to am not sure I’ll be at the game.
    My team just scheduled a scrimmage for tonight, and I’m an assistant captain, and our captain can’t play.

    Translation- No Pens game for me. (sighs)

  8. Matt Bodenschatz

    Sep 20, 02:52 PM

    Yeah, with 376 closed, my fiance recovering from the flu, and all of the sporting events in the Burgh today, I just don’t think it’s smart for us to make the 2 hour trip (which likely would become 2.5 – 3 hrs with traffic).

    I’ll try to listen and provide some insight, though.

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