Penguins Game 67 vs. Red Wings: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins finish up a three-game homestand with – stop us if you’ve heard this before – a critical game Sunday, this one against the Detroit Red Wings.

The Penguins (29-28-9) need to try to make up some ground against the Red Wings (34-27-6) as one of the teams chasing a wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

Game Time

The game starts a little after 6 p.m.

Penguins Preview

The Penguins sit seven points behind the Red Wings with one game in hand. The Red Wings have a precarious hold on the second and last Eastern wildcard spot.

There are four teams, three of them from the Metro, crowded between the Penguins and Red Wings.

Things broke the wrong way Saturday for the Penguins. They fell to one of the goliaths, the Metropolitan Division leading New York Rangers, 7-4, while Detroit snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over Buffalo.

The Penguins are 1-1-1 in their past three games, but are 2-7-1 in their past 10.

While a loss Sunday won’t eliminate the Penguins from a spot in the playoffs, it certainly would dig quite a hole with 15 games left after this one.

One bright spot for the Penguins is that their offense has come alive. They have racked up 10 goals – from eight different players – over their past two games after getting just two goals over the four preceding games, including two shutout losses.

Read more:

Kingerski: Penguins Room: Some Explanation on Kris Letang’s Penalty; More Reaction

Molinari: Rangers, Panarin Too Much for Penguins, 7-4

Detroit had fallen out of that wildcard spot before regaining it Saturday with its first win since Feb. 27.

Now that the losing streak is over, the Red Wings certainly can’t afford to start another.

Detroit captain and leading goal-scorer Dylan Larkin, who missed his seventh straight game Saturday because of an upper-body injury, has begun skating with the team some, but coach Derek Lalonde said Larkin isn’t ready to return Sunday.

Penguins Expected Lines

Drew O’Connor-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell

Reilly Smith-Lars Eller-Valtteri Puustinen

Emil Bemstrom-Noel Acciari-Jeff Carter

Defense

Marcus Pettersson-Kris Letang

Ryan Graves-Erik Karlsson

John Ludvig-P.O Joseph

Goalies

Alex Nedeljkovic

Tristan Jarry

Expected Red Wings Lines

Alex DeBrincat-J.T. Compher-Patrick Kane

David Perron-Joe Veleno-Lucas Raymond

Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp-Christian Fischer

Robby Fabbri-Austin Czarnik-Daniel Sprong

Defense

Jake Walman-Moritz Seider

Ben Chiarot-Jeff Petry

Olli Maatta-Shayne Gostisbehere

Goalies

Alex Lyon

James Reimer

Penguins Special Teams

Penguins power play: 14.7%, 30th

Penguins penalty kill: 81.9%, 8th

Red Wings power play: 22.9%, 10th

Red Wings penalty kill: 80.6%, 12th

Penguins Game Notes

In the teams’ only meeting so far this season, the Penguins lost at Detroit 6-3 on Oct. 18. After today, the teams play again April 11 in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins are 7-2-2 in their past 11 games against the Red Wings, 5-0-2 in their past seven home games against the Red Wings. During that home point streak, they have outscored Detroit 35-14 and have averaged five goals a game.

Sidney Crosby had an assist Saturday to maintain his point-per-game pace with a team-leading 66 points in 66 games, but his goal drought has reached 11 games.

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who his expected to start, is 2-0-0 with a 1.51 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage in two career games against Detroit.

Evgeni Malkin has 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 28 career games against the Red Wings.

Rickard Rakell has 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 19 career games against the Red Wings.

Sidney Crosby has 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) in 33 career games against Detroit.

Erik Karlsson has 31 points (7 goals, 24 assists) in 29 career games against the Red Wings.

Bryan Rust has five goals over his past six games overall, nine goals over his past 13 games.

Ryan Graves has blocked 22 shots in the past nine games.

How to Watch

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Radio: 105.9 FM the X

Also visit sister site Detroit Hockey Now