Penguins

Penguins Game 9 vs. Ducks: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2023

Pittsburgh Penguins Game, vs. Anaheim Ducks

The Pittsburgh Penguins (3-5-0) take on the Anaheim Ducks (4-4-0) needing a win to earn a split of their four-game homestand before heading on a West Coast trip that will include a rematch at Anaheim. The Ducks will be looking to polish off a perfect four-game road trip and are coming off a dominant 7-4 win against Philadelphia.

Penguins Game Time:

The Penguins game starts a bit after 7 p.m.

Penguins Preview

Which Penguins team will show up — the one that played a compete game in a statement win against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, or the one that reverted to some of the same shortcomings that have plagued them often during a loss against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday?

The loss to Ottawa left coach Mike Sullivan saying that, “I just think we’ve got to try to keep our swagger.”

Two issues in particular seem to be haunting the Penguins: goaltending and the power play.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry is 2-4, with both wins coming by shutout, but he has been inconsistent in other games and was pulled Saturday against Ottawa.

The Penguins power play is on an 0-for-16 skid.

Read More:

Molinari: The Rollercoaster of Highs and Lows

Kingerski: Heat on Mike Sullivan?

Anaheim needed overtime to win the first two games of its Eastern trip, at Columbus and Boston, before Frank Vatrano notched his second hat trick of the season in the win at Philadelphia.

Vatrano, who has eight goals in eight games, and Ryan Strome, who has eight points in eight games, have provided veteran leadership for a young Anaheim team.

Expected Pittsburgh Penguins lines

Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Reilly Smith-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell

Drew O’Connor-Lars Eller-Radim Zohorna

Matt Nieto-Noel Acciara-Jeff Carter

Defense

Ryan Graves-Kris Letang

Marcus Pettersson-Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea-Chad Ruhwedel

Goalies

Tristan Jarry

Magnus Hellberg

Expected Anaheim Ducks Lines

Trevor Zegras-Leo Carlsson-Troy Terry

Frank Vatrano-Ryan Strome-Mason McTavish

Max Jones-Adam Henrique-Jakob Silfverberg

Ross Johnston-Sam Carrick-Brett Leason

Defense

Cam Fowler-Jackson LaCombe

Pavel Mintyukov-Ilya Lyubushkin

Uhro Vaakanainen-Radko Gudas

Goalies

John Gibson

Lukas Dostal

Penguins special teams

Penguins power play: 10%, 30th

Penguins penalty kill: 84%, 10th

Ducks power play: 11.5%, 27th

Ducks penalty kill: 75.6%, 20th

Penguins Game Notes

The Penguins are 6-1-0 in their past seven games against Anaheim, 13-5-0 in the teams’ past 18 meetings dating to Nov. 18, 2013, and have won three in a row at home against the Ducks.

Sidney Crosby (5 goals, 4 assists) and Evgeni Malkin (4 goals, 5 assists) are tied for the team lead with nine points each in eight games.

Malkin has multiple points in three straight games against Anaheim.

If anything in Monday’s game lends itself to carryover to the teams’ next meeting, they won’t have to wait long. The Penguins play at Anaheim in eight days during a West Coast swing.