Though October may not have gone how the Pittsburgh Penguins had planned, November started off with a bang. On Saturday, Nov. 4, the Penguins visited the San Jose Sharks, a team mired in what could be a historically bad season. What followed was a 10-2 romp for the Penguins, the second straight game the Sharks allowed double-digit goals.
Tonight (Nov. 7), however, they continue their West Coast swing in Anaheim against a Ducks team that defeated them 4-3 in Pittsburgh last Monday, Oct. 30. The Ducks have shown themselves not to be pushovers early this season. At 7-4-0, they have won six games in a row, including three in overtime. They won their last game 4-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights, handing the defending Stanley Cup champions their first loss in regulation.
While the Penguins look to build off the momentum from the Sharks game, the Ducks want to keep this good thing they’ve got going. And the Penguins know all too well that these Ducks are not to be taken lightly.
Setting the Stage: Lineups, Injuries & Stats
Between the Ducks and Sharks games, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan needed some roster shakeup, so veteran forward Jeff Carter practiced as the eighth defenseman, pairing with Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Carter then found himself a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, replaced by Vinnie Hinostroza on the fourth line. Joseph played over Chad Ruhwedel, the other healthy scratch.
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As for the Ducks, they recently activated forward Alex Killorn from injured reserve. Though he did not score in his first game this season, Killorn was credited with a shot in 17 minutes played in the victory against the Golden Knights.
Injuries
- Penguins: Mark Pysyk (lower body), Will Butcher (undisclosed), John Ludvig (he is out indefinitely with a concussion, per CapFriendly), Alex Nedeljkovic (lower body)
- Ducks: Chase De Leo (knee), Jamie Drysdale (lower body), Isac Lundestrom (he is out of commission with an Achilles injury, and is expected to miss six months), Brock McGinn (lower body)
Interesting Stats and Facts
- Continuing his bounce back season, Bryan Rust picked up a goal and three assists against the Sharks. Through 10 games, he now has six goals and 11 points. By comparison, he did not reach as many goals or points until his 25th game last season. Coincidentally, Rust scored a goal and three assists in that game, too.
- In addition to Rust, Jake Guentzel and Reilly Smith piled up four points, both scoring two goals and two assists. Guentzel leads the Penguins with nine assists and his 13 points are tied with Evgeni Malkin for the team lead through 10 games. Smith has six goals and 11 points through 10 games.
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- For the Ducks, Mason McTavish has continued to impress. After two goals and three points in the last game against the Penguins, he picked up an assist against the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 1 and scored the eventual game winner against the Golden Knights. He now has five goals and 10 points in a seven-game scoring streak to go along with six goals and 13 points in 11 games.
- As with the rest of the Penguins, Tristan Jarry was able to bounce back against the Sharks. He saved 24 of 26 shots faced in that game, and now has a 2.73 goals against average (GAA) and a .897 save percentage (SV%) to go along with his two shutouts.
- In the game against the Penguins, Lukáš Dostál relieved John Gibson after the first period. The game was tied 1-1 at the time, but Dostál turned away 33 of the 35 shots he faced to earn the win. He then earned the win in the next game against the Coyotes, as Gibson was out with an upper body injury. Gibson did get the nod against the Golden Knights and got the win, saving 30 of 32 shots faced.
Penguins vs. Ducks Storylines
One main story through the early part of this season has been the Penguins’ lack of depth scoring outside the likes of Sidney Crosby, Malkin, and Guentzel. But lately they may have broken the curse, as Radim Zohorna has contributed on the third line, and Hinostroza came through with a goal and an assist on the fourth line. Hinostroza’s presence woke up both Matt Nieto and Noel Acciari, who picked up their first goal and first assist of the season, respectively.
The Ducks, as we have seen, will not be an easy mark. The Penguins already know that after blowing a 3-2 lead and allowing two goals by McTavish in the third period, including the shorthanded game-winner with 13 seconds left in regulation. McTavish has more than made up for the slow start from Trevor Zegras, and he currently shares the NHL lead for game-winning goals (three) with Brayden Point and Mikko Rantanen.
This is the final of two meetings between the two teams. After tonight, the Ducks play the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday (Nov. 10), and the Penguins head over and play the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday (Nov. 9). Puck drops at 10:00 PM EST.