Gold: Canes getting reacquainted with Penguins
Posted February 20, 2022 8:43 a.m. EST
For the first time in nearly two years the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Penguins will meet on NHL ice. March 8, 2020, a 6-2 Hurricanes win at PPG Paints Arena was the penultimate game before the league shut down as the pandemic was beginning it’s disruption of everything in North America. Last year, the Metropolitan Division rivals were split up, so this will be a reunion of sorts on a couple of fronts.
This game is part of the revamped NHL schedule thanks to over 150 canceled games due to the pandemic. Although this particular game was not one of them. This was supposed to be the season finale but, to accommodate other scheduling changes, the league shifted this one forward.
The Pens and Canes are tied atop the division standings, each with 70 points, though Carolina does have three games in hand. But, make no mistake, This is not the same Pittsburgh team that started the season 5-6-4. Sidney Crosby didn’t begin the season due to an injury. Evgeni Malkin only resumed playing a few weeks ago. And, almost every significant player has missed time.
But, they are fully operational right now, sport a record of 26-6-4 in their last 36 games and are backstopped by All Star goaltender Tristan Jarry, who combined with Frederik Andersen to help the Metro to the win at the All Star Game.
The Pens are 10th in the league in scoring (3.29 goals per game), 4th in goals allowed (2.57) while the Canes rank 6th (3.48) and 2nd (2.40), respectively. Pittsburgh’s power play ranks 12th in the league at 21.4% and it’s worth noting that when the Hurricanes haven’t been 1st in the NHL on the penalty kill (89.9%), it’s been because the Penguins were.
Helped along by our old friend Brock McGinn, the Black and Gold have the second best shorthanded unit in the league at 87.1%. Brock has played more than 90 minutes shorthanded this year, morse than anyone else in the Pens forward group and has tossed in a sporty 10 goals on the season.
Of course, that’s not in the Jake Guentzel category. Pittsburgh’s other All Star has 25 goals on the year to lead the team in scoring with 51 points. Sid is next with 46 points in just 39 games. In their most recent win, a 5-4 comeback in Philly, Crosby scored his 500th career goal.
Last time out, however, the Penguins were iced by the Maple Leafs in Toronto, 4-1. That setback, in part, due to an 0 for 5 performance with the man advantage. But, over the last 10 games, with their full line up basically in tact, the Pens are 12 for their last 35 on the power play (34.3%) and have potted multiple PPG’s in 4 of those games.
It’s becoming a given in these previews. For the Hurricanes, they have to reverse the fact that they are shorthanded more than any other team in the NHL.
Hot or not…
Sidney Crosby has gone 1 straight game without a goal (smiley face emoji) but has 22 points (9g, 13a) in his last 15 games.
Evan Rodrigues has 15 goals on the year, but none in his last 18 games.
Andrei Svechnikov has 14 goals and 26 points in his last 19 games and now leads the Hurricanes in goals with 22.
Sebastian Aho had 2 assists in the win over Nashville, but has scored a goal in just one of the Hurricanes last 9 games.
This illustrates the main problem for Carolina offensively. When their big three of Aho, Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen are not producing offense the reliance on their depth scoring becomes more paramount. However, Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis are goal-free in their last 11 games. Martin has just 1 in his last 19. And, while he played his most complete game in about a month Friday night against the Predators, Necas needs to produce goals otherwise the Hurricanes will have to address that at the trade deadline.
Vincent Trocheck did not practice yesterday, but made the trip with the team to the Steel City and will be a game time decision for Rod Brind’Amour.
Coverage begins on 99.9 the Fan at 12:30 with Storm Watch starring Alec Campbell. Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy follow with the live play-by-play just after 1:00. Make sure to follow the Canes Corner Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. A new episode drops the #MorningAfter every Hurricanes game.
