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Gameday: Penguins Exhibition Lineup, Prospects Second Chance vs. Buffalo

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PIttsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t do so well in their first exhibition game on Monday night. They were generally disorganized and lackluster despite outshooting the Columbus Blue Jackets for most of the game. Eventually, they lost 3-0, and head coach Mike Sullivan has cherry-picked things he liked about the game and players’ performances.

The prospects who were collectively pedestrian on Monday will get a second chance on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. Of course, if Buffalo dressed their NHL roster or their expected AHL roster, would anyone know the difference?

I kid, I kid.

After the Monday exhibition loss, the Penguins began the second phase of training camp by splitting their 48-player squad into two. Sullivan placed the NHL players in Group 1 and the prospects and minor leaguers in Group 2. However, the head coach said several players would have a chance to win their way into Group 1.

He also gently chided his team’s performance in the first preseason game.

“…There was a lot of sloppy play, and we know we got a long way to go,” Sullivan said on Wednesday.

Based on the roster for the second exhibition game, it may be a make or break for a few of them as they get another chance in the Penguins lineup. However, the Penguins are not dressing any of their NHL centers: Jeff Carter, Teddy Blueger, or Brian Boyle.

If you’re the betting sort, the under may be the way to go.

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The lineup is primarily the same–heavily dotted with the prospects like Sam Poulin and Nathan Legare. Sullivan used goalies Tristan Jarry and Filip Lindberg in the first game. On FridaO’Connor he will use his other two goalies Casey DeSmith and Louis Domingue, who signed with the Penguins as an NHL-experienced third goalie. Domingue opened up this week about the mental struggles, loss of confidence, and motivation after playing for seven teams in the last two seasons and being stuck on the taxi squad last season.

The Buffalo Sabres are expected to dress NHL regulars: Casey Mittelstadt, Jeff Skinner, Victor Olofsson, Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, Colin Miller and Craig Anderson.

PHN will update the lines after the morning skate at the UPMC Lemieux Complex. The game is not televised, but can be heard on the Pittsburgh Penguins flagship radio station, 105.9 the X.

The Buffalo Sabres will stream the game, however, such streams often have local restrictions. PHN is unsure if it will be available to Penguins fans. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

Forwards:

10 – Drew O’Connor

20 – Kasper Bjorkqvist

22 – Sam Poulin

26 – Michael Chaput

34 – Nathan Legare

42 – Kasperi Kapanen

45 – Jonathan Gruden

49 – Dominik Simon

57 – Anthony Angello

64 – Jordy Bellerive

67 – Radim Zohorna

75 – Kyle Olson

76 – Valtteri Puustinen

 

Defensemen:

4 – Taylor Fedun

24 – Mitch Reinke

27 – Matt Bartkowski

28 – Marcus Pettersson

44 – Will Reilly

79 – Niclas Almari

 

Goaltenders:

1 – Casey DeSmith

70 – Louis Domingue