Game 80 Preview: Penguins Visit Lightning

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Apr 7, 01:42 PM | Hype this story!
Pittsburgh Penguins
Series – 3 GP
W L OTL Pts.
2 1 0 4
 
Tampa Bay Lighting
Series – 3 GP
Pts. W L OTL
3 1 1 1

7:30 at St. Pete Times Forum
TV: FSN Pittsburgh
Radio: WXDX Radio, FM 105.9
Probable Goalies: Fleury (Pit), Ramo (TB)

 
Inside The Game

A win tonight clinches the Pittsburgh Penguins’ third consecutive playoff berth, but will the Tampa Bay Lightning add to the birds’ Southeast Division woes of this past weekend?

Projected Lines…

  • Kunitz – Crosby – Guerin
  • Cooke – Malkin – Sykora
  • Fedotenko – Staal – Kennedy
  • Dupuis – Talbot – Adams
     
  • Orpik – Gonchar
  • Letang – Eaton
  • Gill – Scuderi
     
  • Fleury
  • Garon

To Clinch The Playoffs…

  • 93 pts: clinched (unofficial)
  • Magic Number: 2 (Penguins win or Panthers loss results in playoff berth)

Other Games Of Importance…

  • NY Islanders (15th place, 61 pts) at Carolina (5th place, 95 pts)
    No brainer here.  The Isles sit in dead last in the East, while the Hurricanes are the next rung on the ladder for the Penguins to climb the standings.
  • Montreal (7th place, 92 pts) at NY Rangers (8th place, 89 pts)
    Both teams pose a minimal threat to the Penguins, so the reality is, Penguins fans should be looking for either team to win the game in regulation.  A three-point overtime game wouldn’t be ideal.
  • Florida (9th place, 89 pts) at Philadelphia (4th place, 95 pts)
    I realize a Panthers loss puts the Penguins in the playoffs.  But I also realize a Penguins win does the same thing.  So, why not cheer for our boys to win AND for Florida to help the cause by beating one of the teams directly in front of the Penguins.
 
Standings
  GP W L OTL Pts Division Conference League
Penguins 79 42 28 9 93 3, Atlantic 6, Eastern 11, NHL
Lightning 79 24 37 18 66 5, Southeast 14, Eastern 29, NHL
                 
Team Statistics
  GF GA PP% PK% Home Away L 10 Streak
Penguins 249 233 17.0 82.1 24-13-3 18-15-6 6-2-2 2 losses
Lightning 202 263 18.4 78.4 12-16-11 12-21-7 1-5-4 6 losses
                 
Team Leaders
  Stat Penguins   Stat Lightning
Goals 34 Malkin Goals 29 Lecavalier, St. Louis
Assists 74 Malkin Assists 49 St. Louis
Points 108 Malkin Points 78 St. Louis
+/- +20 Scuderi +/- +6 St. Louis
PIMs 164 Godard PIMs 137 Artyukhin
Wins 33 Fleury Wins 14 Smith
GAA 2.68 Fleury GAA 2.62 Smith
Sv% .912 Fleury Sv% .916 Smith
 
Injuries/Suspensions
Penguins Injury Status
Zigomanis, IR Shoulder surgery Out for regular season
Lightning Injury Status
Malik, DTD
Craig, IR
Lecavalier, IR
Melichar, IR
Petiot, DTD
Murphy, DTD
Smith, IR
Meszaros, IR
Ranger, IR		 Lower body
Arm
Wrist
Lower body
Shoulder
Foot
Concussion
Arm
Undisclosed		 Out indefinitely
Out for season
Out for season
Out for season
Questionable
Out for season
Out for season
Out for season
Out for season
     
Note: Info up-to-date as of 12:45 pm, Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

Comments

  1. bag o' pucks

    Apr 7, 01:53 PM

    Melichar’s out of the lineup. Cakewalk for the Pens…

  2. Tim

    Apr 7, 03:01 PM

    If Pens don’t roll this game up quickly, I begin to worry about 1st round exit.

  3. bag o' pucks

    Apr 7, 06:14 PM

    Tonight should be a good opportunity for the scoring lines to break out of their mini-slumps, that’s for sure.

  4. bag o' pucks

    Apr 8, 12:50 AM

    Pens win and clinch a berth, Crosby with two grapes, Malkin with two apples, Fedo stays hot, Sykora gets off the schnide, and none of the other Eastern games went past regulation. The late lazies against the Bolts wasn’t pleasant but, all in all, a good night.

  5. DaBich

    Apr 8, 06:47 AM

    Pucks, those late lazies skeered me. I thought we were gonna blow it! Amen for the clinched playoff spot.

  6. Pens1967

    Apr 8, 07:58 AM

    It’s not a good sign the Pens seem to be reverting to their early season form of getting 2, 3, 4 goal leads going into the 3rd period and then letting the other team back into the game.

    It’s also not good that the Pens are giving up goals with less than a minute left at the end of periods. Against Florida, this cost them the game.

    IMHO, if the Pens don’t straighten these two things out fast, they are in for a short playoff run.

  7. bag o' pucks

    Apr 8, 11:21 AM

    You and me, both, Dabs. You and me, both.

    67, point taken. Although I think a game like this right before the playoffs is a good thing. Nasty, adverse situation, perseverance. Could get them focused just right.

Commenting is closed for this article.