Tanev Family Feud! Penguins Game Preview, Scouts & Notes vs. Canucks

It is the “Tanev Bowl” when the Pittsburgh Penguins (13-7-4) host the Vancouver Canucks (12-9-4) at PPG Paints Arena, Wednesday. Penguins winger Brandon Tanev will face his older brother, Christopher Tanev, who is an alternate captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Thus far, Brandon and his teams are 7-1-0 all-time in the head-to-head matchup.  The Penguins have points in 11 of their last 13 games including a 3-2 OT win over the Calgary Flames on Monday. Eight of the  last 13 Penguins games have gone to overtime

Last season, the Penguins went 1-0-1 against Vancouver, but suffered a 3-2 loss in overtime on October 16, 2018, at home.

Vancouver scratched Jacob Markstrom late against the Penguins, Wednesday. Thatcher Demko will start for Vancouver. After deferring the net to Tristan Jarry the last two games, Matt Murray will return to his home crease.

It was another day, another overtime game for the Penguins in a 3-2 OT win against Calgary on Monday. The Penguins kept pace in the Metropolitan Division and held on to a wild card spot. Calgary and the Penguins exchanged goals in the first, but neither team played an impressive period. Calgary’s Dillon Dube took a pass from Rasmus Andersson and ripped a shot to open the scoring in the game. The goal gave a burst of shortlived momentum as a first-year Penguins forward notched his first goal. On the power-play, Alex Galchenyuk found a rebound and sent it five-hole to tie the game. The goal broke Galchenyuk’s 15 game scoring slump with the Penguins and rewarded his practice work ethic.

Just like the first period, the teams exchanged markers in the second, but it was the Penguins who broke the tie first. Alex Galchenyuk found the score sheet again by setting up Jared McCann for his ninth of the year. McCann’s shot fluttered and dipped on its way to the net but it was fortunate puck luck for the injury bitten Penguins. Sean Monahan (6) used a power-play score late in the period to force the tie and eventual overtime.

After a scoreless and uneventful third period, the three-on-three OT didn’t disappoint the PPG Paints Arena crowd. After back and forth action majority of the extra frame, Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau whiffed on a breakaway with 1:36 remaining in overtime that shifted momentum the Penguins’ way. Jake Guentzel scored his Penguins-leading 12th goal on a wrist shot from the top of the left face-off circle after a heads up play at center ice by Dominik Kahun. Tristan Jarry, in his second consecutive start, made 32 saves including the OT stop to make the Guentzel winner possible. David Rittich stopped 35 of 38 shots in the loss.

You can read more about the Penguins game dousing of Calgary in Dan’s Recap and the PHN Extra Report Card.

Vancouver scored first, but surrender the next two in a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia, Monday. First-year Canuck JT Miller notched his tenth of the year in the first period for Vancouver’s only goal. Sean Couturier (7) and Jakub Vorachek (6) scored for Philadelphia. It was Vorachek’s second straight game with a goal after a 12-game drought. Thatcher Demko made 32 saves for Vancouver in the loss while Carter Hart stopped 16 of 17 shots.

Notes

Jake Guentzel has points in all six of his career games against Vancouver, but has dominated at home. At PPG Paints Arena, he has four goals in three games against them. Guentzel also leads the team in points against the Western Conference this season, having picked up 10 points in 11 games.

John Marino continues to contribute despite not being a household name to start the season. Marino is just the eighth rookie defenseman in Penguins history to record a point streak of five-plus games. The MA native’s nine points on the year rank fourth among all rookie defensemen, while his plus-7 this season ranks second among all NHL rookies.

Scouts:

Only Metro scouts checking out the game tonight:

Carolina
Philadelphia
New Jersey

— Dan Kingerski 🇺🇦 (@TheDanKingerski) November 27, 2019

Injuries

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby (Core Muscle, 6+ Weeks)
Nick Bjugstad (Core Muscle, 6+ weeks)
Justin Schultz (Longer-Term)

Vancouver Canucks

Tyler Motte (Foote)

Antoine Roussel (Knee)

Micheal Ferland (Concussion)

Brandon Sutter (Strained Groin)

Special Teams