GDT: Game 42: Halfway Home Edition | Penguins @ Hawks | 1/6/2016 | 7 PM CT | NBCSN

[Any Colour You Like]

VS.

PIT vs. CHI
(M5) 19-15-5 || 24-13-4 (C2)

Wednesday, January 6, 2016
7:00 PM CST
Chicago, Illinois

Nationally Broadcast On

[fieldset="Setting the Stage"]

Pittsburgh Penguins

Crosby scored his 12th of the season and sixth in his last six games to start Pittsburgh's comeback. Letang added his fourth with a shot from the point with 2:50 to play to force overtime. Fleury stopped 27 shots in the first game of a home-and-home with the defending Stanley Cup champions.

''What I loved about our group was the resilience,'' Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. ''We just keep playing. We raised our intensity level when we had to. That's a great sign for this team.''

Chicago appeared to be firmly in control going into the third and managed to improve to 17-0-1 when leading after two, but this one was harder than most.

Crosby gave Pittsburgh life when he ripped a wrist shot by Crawford's blocker 5:54 into the third. He nearly added another after the ensuing faceoff only to have his backhand beat Crawford but hit the post. Letang finally tied it with less than 3 minutes remaining when his blind shot from the point emerged from a sea of jerseys to slip by Crawford's glove.

The Penguins earned at least one point for the sixth time in their last seven games and appear to be figuring things out under Sullivan, their once-sleepy offense getting a need jolt from its stars and a rejuvenated power play that was converting nearly 40 percent of its opportunities since Dec. 19.
- AP for Fox Sports

Chicago Blackhawks

There’s something about the Blackhawks when they play in Pittsburgh: it’s never easy. The Blackhawks haven’t taken a regulation victory in this city in nearly 20 years – seriously, it was Feb. 22, 1997, when some of the current Blackhawks were elementary-school age or younger.

Tuesday wasn’t easy, either. But just when it looked like the Blackhawks were going to squander a point after squandering a two-goal lead, they found the overtime answer.

Artemi Panarin scored two goals, including the winner 3:47 into overtime, as the Blackhawks beat the Penguins 3-2 on Tuesday. The Blackhawks have now won four in a row as they head back to Chicago, where they’ll face the Penguins again on Wednesday night.

Jonathan Toews, who scored his 14th goal of the season, was cut early in overtime when he collided with Patrick Kane. Coach Joel Quenneville said Toews is fine and the captain is expected to play on Wednesday. Corey Crawford had another strong game, stopping 34 of 36 shots in the victory.
- Tracey Myers, CSN Chicago​

[/fieldset]

Starting Lineups

[fieldset="Pittsburgh Penguins"]

GP | 39 | ROW | 18
GF | 93 | GF/G | 2.38
GA | 96 | GA/G | 2.46
AWAY | 10-7-4 | PP% | 18.5% (19th)
STREAK | OTL 1 | PK% |84.4% (4th)

14-87-57
Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - David Perron
7-71-81
Matt Cullen - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel
43-13-72
Conor Sheary - Nick Bonino - Patric Hörnqvist
11-16-61
Kevin Porter - Eric Fehr - Sergei Plotnikov

3-58
Olli Määttä - Kris Letang
8-12
Brian Dumoulin - Ben Lovejoy
5-6
David Warsofsky - Trevor Daley

37
Jeff Zatkoff
29
Marc-André Fleury​

[/fieldset]
[fieldset="Chicago Blackhawks"]

GP | 41 | ROW | 23
GF | 114 | GF/G | 2.78
GA | 99 | GA/G | 2.41
HOME | 15-5-1 | PP% | 23.2% (3rd)
STREAK | W4 | PK% | 81.6% (10th)

65-19-81
Andrew Shaw - Jonathan Toews - Marián Hossa
72-15-88
Artemi Panarin - Artem Anisimov - Patrick Kane
11-24-86
Andrew Desjardins - Phillip Danault - Teuvo Teräväinen
29-70-28
Bryan Bickell - Dennis Rasmussen - Ryan Garbutt

2-4
Duncan Keith - Niklas Hjalmarsson
57-7
Trevor van Riemsdyk - Brent Seabrook
32-52
Michal Rozsíval - Erik Gustafsson

33
Scott Darling
50
Corey Crawford​

[/fieldset]
[fieldset="Injury Report"]

Player | Injury | Duration
Beau Bennett | Upper-body | 4-6 weeks

Player | Injury | Duration
Marcus Krüger | Dislocated wrist | 4 months

[/fieldset]

LET'S GO HAWKS! ​

Click to read more...

 

[HLLYWD99]

I'll take another just like the one we had last night.

Danault finally gets rewarded and Scuderi undress's disgruntled Daley for the OT winner with 1 second left in OT.

Shaw draws at least 2 penalties, probably on Daley.

5 - 4 Hawks

 

[clydesdale line]

Little throwback. Let's go boys!

 

[LordKOTL]

Hoping the boys reel in the turnovers. It looked like they were giving the puck away like it was an HIV-infested fruitcake last night--even though I loved the result.

 

[hawksfan50]

This marks the start of the 2nd half...hopefully we play better than we did in the first half despite our somehow getting to 2nd in the Central and a top 5 in the NHL in the points..But several of our core guys are not really performing to A game form with frequency and urgency...we are winning a lot of close games and OT games ...but too many go MIA too often to be looking like there is no room for big improvement in individual and team performance to a higher standard. ..it seems we do just enough to be at this level in the points. The 2nd line is carrying the team to this point but we need more from the other lines and we need more A games from our d-corps as a whole..
Not some guys showing up some games while others slack off those games and then it changes the next game
..aall I want to see is more of their best effort on a more consistent basis...not this game I will try hard but next game or the one after let somebody else carry the team ...I want to see everyone on the mission giving effort with purpose .

 

[Backyard Hockey]

Re: last nite's game. Nice to see them get two points and seeing Dallas start to cool off a bit.

I rewatched the OT again. That was some of the most exciting hockey I've seen in a long time.

Hawks got away with a too many men, but...Pitt got away with a tackle on Pan as he drove to the net. Evens out.

Two things though:

- Hoss just cannot shoot anymore. It's sad. It's as if there are 2-3 spot where the puck WILL go in (perhaps 5 hole, perhaps top shelf) - it's as if he's shooting it right to the spot where it's easiest for the goalie to stop and/or he simply can't get it to the place he wants it to go.

- Kane - as much as I love his speed, ability and record in OT, his defensive effort is embarrassing. During the last Kessel flurry before they scored, Kane was in the left slot literally standing there. Standing. Doing nothing. I realize he's looking for the breakout, but I really can't believe it hasn't bitten them in the arse yet.

- Bickell - did he even play? I can look at every forward and remember something they did, good or bad. Shaw did nothing but did have the big hit on Daley. We saw Danault and Desi flashing. Bickell was literally invisible. Yes, he's a $4M player, but how is it possible for a forward to be completely invisible for an entire game. Its one thing to be snakebitten like Hossa this year or Sharp last year, but he's simply not on the map. Not getting shots, not making hits, just nothing. Nada. Bizarre.

- Anisimov - 44% at the dot. Love that he's scoring and the center that Kane needs, but he MUST work on that. The second line is an absolute mess in the D zone (largely due to Kane's laziness), but both of the goals against in the 3rd resulted off of direct Anisimov dot losses. The second being the most egregious. Would really love to see him increase that part of his game. It's part of the reason Vermette was so valuable to this team and frankly, was the difference in the Hawks getting the Cup last year.

 

[HLLYWD99]

This marks the start of the 2nd half...hopefully we play better than we did in the first half despite our somehow getting to 2nd in the Central and a top 5 in the NHL in the points..But several of our core guys are not really performing to A game form with frequency and urgency...we are winning a lot of close games and OT games ...but too many go MIA too often to be looking like there is no room for big improvement in individual and team performance to a higher standard. ..it seems we do just enough to be at this level in the points. The 2nd line is carrying the team to this point but we need more from the other lines and we need more A games from our d-corps as a whole..
Not some guys showing up some games while others slack off those games and then it changes the next game
..aall I want to see is more of their best effort on a more consistent basis...not this game I will try hard but next game or the one after let somebody else carry the team ...I want to see everyone on the mission giving effort with purpose .

1 Sign of a good team capable of greatness

2 Wait til the post season

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Just keep winning

 

[Backyard Hockey]

I'll take another just like the one we had last night.

Danault finally gets rewarded and Scuderi undress's disgruntled Daley for the OT winner with 1 second left in OT.

Shaw draws at least 2 penalties, probably on Daley.

5 - 4 Hawks

Scuderi won't be in the lineup tonite. Had a couple of brutal turnovers last night and his lack of speed really showed. Rosi is Rosi but he's been fine of late. Pairing him with Gus has really helped his game. So much so that I've seen him pinching and getting in the zone - he got the shot/first helper on the Anisimov goal on Sunday.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

If we're going by brutal turnovers last night then we'll need to recall five guys from Rockford. Scuds wasn't close to our biggest problem yesterday.

 

[BobbyJet]

Hoping the boys reel in the turnovers. It looked like they were giving the puck away like it was an HIV-infested fruitcake last night--even though I loved the result.

Yeah, for sure. I got a chuckle when I saw Seabs at +2 last night. He was the worst offender when it came to giveaways. His head seemed elsewhere. Gus wasn't great either. 88/72 need to be 100 percent sure when dangling in the neutral zone - as well the defense needs to be backing them up in that area of the ice.
I'd like to see Danault bury one tonight.

 

[bwana63]

2 points, please. No more giveaways, we lucked out last night.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

If we're going by brutal turnovers last night then we'll need to recall five guys from Rockford. Scuds wasn't close to our biggest problem yesterday.

Agreed, but...

Seabrook is a stalwart. He had a bad game. It happens. He's about as proven a commodity and it was a rarity.

Scuderi has been in, what, 10 games? He was a scratch in the last 4-5 and Rosi has played fine. He had a couple of brutal turnovers. Also, he's not, nor should he be a day to day player.

Translation: Rosi will be in the lineup today, not Scuderi.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

They might play Scuds because it's against his old team, but so long as they don't sit Gus it's whatever.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

When you look at the multiple silly turnovers in dangerous areas I would say Crawford played better last night then his shutout 2 nights prior. The mistakes made last night were covered up by Crow time and time again and we managed to convert on a few of the not so many quality chances we managed. We were seriously outplayed in that 2nd period yet outscored them 2-0. Fortunate.

That being said it is nice to see the team winning and moving up in the standings. Since the beginning of the 2014 season we have never looked like a dominant team in the regular season. Some young guys are starting to show promise and some veterans (Shaw and Desi) have improved. We have some hope, which a month ago I didn't have much.

 

[BobbyJet]

Re: last nite's game. Nice to see them get two points and seeing Dallas start to cool off a bit.

I rewatched the OT again. That was some of the most exciting hockey I've seen in a long time.

Hawks got away with a too many men, but...Pitt got away with a tackle on Pan as he drove to the net. Evens out.

Two things though:

- Hoss just cannot shoot anymore. It's sad. It's as if there are 2-3 spot where the puck WILL go in (perhaps 5 hole, perhaps top shelf) - it's as if he's shooting it right to the spot where it's easiest for the goalie to stop and/or he simply can't get it to the place he wants it to go.

- Kane - as much as I love his speed, ability and record in OT, his defensive effort is embarrassing. During the last Kessel flurry before they scored, Kane was in the left slot literally standing there. Standing. Doing nothing. I realize he's looking for the breakout, but I really can't believe it hasn't bitten them in the arse yet.

- Bickell - did he even play? I can look at every forward and remember something they did, good or bad. Shaw did nothing but did have the big hit on Daley. We saw Danault and Desi flashing. Bickell was literally invisible. Yes, he's a $4M player, but how is it possible for a forward to be completely invisible for an entire game. Its one thing to be snakebitten like Hossa this year or Sharp last year, but he's simply not on the map. Not getting shots, not making hits, just nothing. Nada. Bizarre.

- Anisimov - 44% at the dot. Love that he's scoring and the center that Kane needs, but he MUST work on that. The second line is an absolute mess in the D zone (largely due to Kane's laziness), but both of the goals against in the 3rd resulted off of direct Anisimov dot losses. The second being the most egregious. Would really love to see him increase that part of his game. It's part of the reason Vermette was so valuable to this team and frankly, was the difference in the Hawks getting the Cup last year.

- OT:
What I saw was within the the bounds of: Rule 71 – Premature Substitution. At the discretion of the on-ice
officials, should a substituting player come onto the ice before his
teammate is within the five foot (5’) limit of the players’ bench (and
therefore clearly causing his team to have too many players on the
ice), then a bench minor penalty may be assessed.
When a player is retiring from the ice surface and is within the five
foot (5’) limit of his players’ bench, and his substitute is on the ice,
then the retiring player shall be considered off the ice for the purpose
of Rule 70 – Leaving Bench.

- Yes, Kane was lazy at times last night but Q let's him get away with it, as he has done for most of Kane's career.

- Bickell and the entire 4th line played less than 6 minutes last night. Hopefully the other forwards will have enough gas to play a full game tonight.

- The OT was thrilling hockey with some of the most talented players on the planet going head-to-head. I look forward to more of that tonight (without the OT).

 

[Cyber]

Any coach who demands Kane focus on the defensive side of the game is not a good coach.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

Really hoping Q does the smart thing and plays Scotty tonight.
But the way the rest of this season has gone, I am not confident that he will

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

Finally get the chance to sit down and watch a full game tonight without anything else going on.

So, I would then expect the Hawks to get blown out. Just a warning

 

[PELUSO44]

Does anyone know the hawks record on the second game of back to backs this year or in the past 5 years. I think I read it somewhere but cant find the stat.

 

[CourtneyDagger50]

Finally get the chance to sit down and watch a full game tonight without anything else going on.

So, I would then expect the Hawks to get blown out. Just a warning

Make plans! Right now!

 

[hisgirlfriday]

kane goal and 2 hawks points please

 

[cassac]

Finally get the chance to sit down and watch a full game tonight without anything else going on.

So, I would then expect the Hawks to get blown out. Just a warning

So find something to do then? Just kidding, hoping that the Hawks make this an easy win but think it will be a bunch of good scoring chances with the Hawks winning 3-2 in regulation.

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

No guys, I will watch the Hawks and enjoy it, win or loss dammit

 

[BobbyJet]

Really hoping Q does the smart thing and plays Scotty tonight.
But the way the rest of this season has gone, I am not confident that he will

Tracey Myers ‏@TramyersCSN 1h1 hour ago
No morning skate for #Blackhawks. So all goaltending, lineup and Panik questions for Q at 5 pm today