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Penguins Notebook

Penguins News Roundup 2/13/18: Welcoming Ottawa; Sniffing Around Toronto

Safe to say tonight’s game won’t be a playoff preview, with the Senators all but eliminated already.

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Craig Anderson By Michael Miller (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0]

6:50 p.m.: And for the Senators …

Hoffman-Duchene-White
Smith-Brassard-Stone
Dzingel-Pageau-Pyatt
Pääjärvi-McCormick-DiDomenico

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Mike Condon is in the cage for Ottawa. Follow Matt on Twitter @MattGajtka for updates throughout the game and afterward. Coverage to follow here on PHN!

6:45 p.m.: Looks like Blueger is going to have to wait — again — to make his NHL debut. He took the warmup, but Rowney got the line rushes. The Penguins just announced the following lineup:

6:20 p.m.: Via Matt at the arena, here are the teams scouting tonight’s game …

Jets (2)
Sabres
Predators
Blue Jackets
Oilers

No really big names among the scouts, although Jets assistant GM Larry Simmons is part of the Winnipeg contingent. Former Columbus general manager Scott Howson is here representing Edmonton.

12:58 p.m.: Interesting insight from Mike Sullivan on what it’s going to take to get Jake Guentzel going again:

As Matt wrote Monday, one area in which Conor Sheary has outperformed his fellow winger is in forechecking and the grittier aspects of the game.

12:30 p.m.: Here are some thoughts from Bryan Rust on why the Senators (19-26-9) might be struggling, despite a well-established mode of play courtesy of coach Guy Boucher:

“They play a hard, stingy style of game. They’re very patient. That (Senators’ record) shows how hard this league is. If you’re not playing 100 percent, you can lose games.”

12:12 p.m.: Per Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette, Teddy Blueger was on the ice for an extended time this morning, giving a strong indication that Carter Rowney will be able to go after being given a maintenance day Monday.

11:07 a.m.: Matt Murray is the first goalie off the ice. He’ll start tonight against the trade-market trendsetters, Ottawa Senators. Also, morning skates no longer reveal the lines because:

7 a.m.: The Penguins begin a three-game homestand tonight against the Senators at PPG Paints Arena, with Matt Gajtka on our coverage for the Eastern Conference final rematch. Safe to say it won’t be a playoff preview this year, with Ottawa all but eliminated.

Should be interesting in at least one way, since Derick Brassard was thrown into the Penguins rumor mill by TSN’s Bob McKenzie over the weekend. No need to send a scout elsewhere to get a good look at the 30-year-old pivot.

Speaking of that subject, the Penguins were part of a healthy contingent on scouts for Leafs-Lightning last night in Toronto:

The Penguins have had a regular scouting presence for Leafs games over the past couple of weeks. Former Penguin Dominic Moore, 37, is Toronto’s fourth-line center, for what it’s worth.

Keep your eyes on this post all day long for your morning skate news and anything else that turns up prior to Pens-Sens. In the meantime, take a look at Shelly Anderson‘s piece on Sidney Crosby‘s Olympic thoughts and have a listen to Dan Kingerski‘s latest No Pucks Given podcast.