Game 19 Preview: Penguins Visit Thrashers

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Nov 20, 11:19 AM | Hype this story!
Pittsburgh Penguins
Series – 0 GP
W L OTL Pts.
0 0 0 0
 
Atlanta Thrashers
Series – 0 GP
Pts. W L OTL
0 0 0 0

7:00 at Philips Arena
TV: FSN Pittsburgh (HD)
Radio: WXDX Radio, FM 105.9
Probable Goalies: Sabourin (Pit), Hedberg (Atl)

 
Inside The Game

Without Marc-Andre Fleury for the second consecutive game, the Pittsburgh Penguins will travel to Atlanta to play the host Thrashers at Philips Arena.

But that won’t be their only competition, as they will battle the Steelers for TV ratings and viewership among Pittsburgh sports fans.

The Penguins will look to re-energize their offense, which was stifled in their 2-1 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild Tuesday, and the Thrashers could be in for…well, a thrashing.

“We had opportunities, for sure,” Sidney Crosby said. “A lot of teams play well defensively. … Our game doesn’t change, we’re still going to get chances if we do the right things.”

The Thrashers have a team goals-against average of 3.58, while the Penguins are averaging just over three goals per game as one of the league’s most imposing offense’s.  That combination could be volatile.

What’s more, the Thrashers "boast" the league’s second worst penalty kill, preventing goals just 73.8 percent of the time.  The Penguins have been struggling on the power play of late, so this should be a good opportunity for Phillipe Boucher to learn on the fly as the Penguins’ new power play quarterback.

Projected Lines per Penguins’ website:

Talbot-Crosby-Satan
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Kennedy-Staal-Cooke
Dupuis-Zigomanis-Godard

Orpik-Letang
Scuderi-Gill
Boucher-Goligoski

Sabourin
 
Standings
  GP W L OTL Pts Division Conference League
Penguins 18 11 4 3 25 2, Atlantic 4, Eastern 6, NHL
Thrashers 17 7 8 2 16 3, Southeast 11, Eastern 23, NHL
                 
Team Statistics
  GF GA PP% PK% Home Away L 10 Streak
Penguins 59 50 18.8 84.4 6-2-2 5-2-1 6-2-2 1 loss
Thrashers 51 61 18.4 73.8 5-3-0 2-5-2 5-5-0 1 loss
                 
Team Leaders
  Stat Penguins   Stat Thrashers
Goals 8 Satan Goals 10 Kozlov
Assists 23 Malkin Assists 11 White
Points 30 Malkin Points 17 Little
+/- +6 Kennedy, Staal +/- +8 Little
PIMs 46 Godard PIMs 42 Boulton
Wins 8 Fleury Wins 3 Hedberg
GAA 1.51 Sabourin GAA 2.57 Pavelec
Sv% .945 Sabourin Sv% .903 Lehtonen
 
Injuries
Penguins Injury Status
Fleury, DTD
Gonchar, IR
Whitney, IR		 Undisclosed
Shoulder Surgery
Foot Surgery		 Doubtful
Out until late March
Out until December
Thrashers Injury Status
Rucchin, DTD
Bogosian, IR
Lehtonen, DTD
Schneider, DTD		 Concussion
Leg
Back
Hip		 Doubtful
Out until December
Out indefinitely
Questionable
 
Note: Info up-to-date as of 10:16 am, Thursday, November 20, 2008.

Comments

  1. Steve

    Nov 20, 11:56 AM

    I can safely say that I’ll be watching the Penguins game in its entirety. I’ll flip to the Steelers during commercials & intermission, but I won’t be missing the Pens to watch 6 seconds of action followed by 35-40 seconds of jibber-jabber by announcers over pointless replays…

    I actually had a quite heated discussion over this very topic while watching the Steelers/Colts game in a bar in Columbus prior to the Metallica concert last Sunday. All I said was that if both teams were on, I’d watch the Penguins. Needless to say, every Stillers fan in the joint within earshot were on my case like I was a Browns fan or something (one genius even said “where’s your Penguins now?” after they scored). Stupidity at its finest…

  2. Jon

    Nov 20, 12:17 PM

    I’ll be hooking up another TV through my internet cable and watching both games in its entirety. :) I agree, penguin game is fast-paced and needs watching, while the steeler game will have its moments to be watched… but I don’t want to miss a goal scored or a touchdown scored!

  3. Andrew R

    Nov 20, 01:01 PM

    So deep down, I’m hoping this can an audition for Kovalchuk to play on Sid’s wing come trade time. As long as it does not cost us Jordan Staal, I would definitely be willing to part with either Letang or Goligoski, a solid prospect, and a no. 1 for Kovalchuk. Thats assuming the Thrashers would agree to such a deal, but Shero and Waddell have a history of making big trades (see the Hossa deal). The thought of this team with a true elite sniper to play with Sid is just downright scary. Sid and Kovalchuk would draw the other team’s top defense pairing and Malkin would be allowed to run wild on 2nd and 3rd pairings. The powerplay would be downright unreal with Sid on the halfboards, Malkin on the point, and Kovalchuk as a triggerman.

    I know Kovalchuk and Sid have a history of trash talking, but I doubt they couldn’t put it behind them for the chance to play together. It would solve the Penguins one remaining weakness—the lack of a sniping winger. Plus, Kovie is signed through next year at around a $6.3 million cap hit. I don’t like trading away so many no. 1 picks, but the Pens will likely be picking in mid-20s anyway.

    This all could be wishful thinking, but I doubt there is any Penguin fan would wouldn’t love to watch them play together.

  4. THEONEANDONLYSURGE

    Nov 20, 02:02 PM

    Andrew, the cap will prevent that from ever happening. Sid, Malkin, Staal and an elite winger for Sid is too much under the days of the cap. I still think the cap is the best thing that could of happened to the sport.

  5. Matt Bodenschatz

    Nov 20, 02:22 PM

    Surge, i think you’re right. With Staal and Malkin due for raises next season, the Penguins just won’t have room for another big ticket player — unless someone with a large contract (Gonchar or Whitney) is dealt. And, since Gonch is hurt and has a no-trade clause, he’s unlikely — and Whitney’s contract will be a bargain compared to others of his skill around the league by next season.

    There is one area the Penguins have really lacked in since Dick Tarnstrom was claimed on waivers: a keen eye for signing/acquiring underachieving players and turning them into stars. You’ll recall Robert Lang, Martin Straka, Dick Tarnstrom all had great success here and were had cheap.

    Andy Hilbert was brought in a few years back under the same philosophy, but it didn’t work. R.J. Umberger and Blake Wheeler are two guys that could have come relatively cheaply after not signing with the team that drafted them. Now, I realize there are 30 teams in the NHL and only one can nab these players — but I didn’t really hear much about the Pens having interest in Wheeler, and Craig Patrick had interest in Umberger, but didn’t play his cards well at all.

    That’s a bit off topic, but to draw it all together, I think Shero needs to find the right fit for Sid and/or Geno by making sly acquisitions like those mentioned above, considering cap room will be difficult to come by in the very near future.

  6. Andrew R

    Nov 20, 03:17 PM

    Yes, the cap is of course the issue I failed to mention. Perhaps this is the type of move the Pens could make in 3-4 years when the cap goes up, but all of our stars—Sid, Geno, Fleury, Whitney, Orpick, Staal—are still locked in at bargain prices. A trade of this variety or a free agent signing, perhaps along the lines of the one Hossa signed with Detroit (that is to say, short and below market value for a chance at a Cup).

  7. DaBich

    Nov 21, 06:16 AM

    It would be nice if Satan and Fed step it up. I can see it happening. And with the third line we have, no need to rush into anything. Look over what’s there and play it smart.

  8. Matt Bodenschatz

    Nov 21, 12:47 PM

    Dabich, what you see is what you get with Fedotenko. Asking for more is asking him to be a better player than he actually is. Satan, however, has been hot and cold. I’m fine with his point production, but would like to see a bit more consistency out of him.

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