GDT: Penguins vs. Oilers|February 4, 2015|8 ET (Extra info in post 139)

[OilerPensfan97]

VS.

at.

Date: February 4, 2015
Time: 8 PM ET
TV: Sportsnet, Root

Pens Lineups:

Kunitz - Crosby - Perron
Spaling - Sutter - Hornqvist
Bennett - Lapierre - Downie
Sill - Arcobello - Adams

Despres - Letang
Scuderi - Martin
Bortuzzo - Pouliot

Fleury (unconfirmed)
Greiss


Oilers lineups:

Hall - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Pouliot - Roy - Yakupov
Fraser - Lander - Purcell
Hendricks - Gordon - Klinkhammer

Klefbom - Schultz
Ference - Petry
Aulie - Fayne

Scrivens (unconfirmed)
Fasth


Preview:

Season series: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers split two games last season. Evgeni Malkin's power-play goal in the third period gave the Penguins a 3-2 win in Pittsburgh on Oct. 15, 2013. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a power-play goal 1:01 into overtime when the Oilers won 4-3 in Edmonton on Jan. 10, 2014.

Penguins team scope: This is the start of a Western Canada road trip for Pittsburgh featuring three games in four nights. It's also the return of forward David Perron to Edmonton, where he had five goals and 19 points in 38 games this season before being traded Jan. 2 for forward Rob Klinkhammer and a first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Perron has six goals and nine points in 12 games with the Penguins. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff (head), who has missed the past two games, did not practice Tuesday. Malkin (lower body), who has missed five straight, was on the ice for a second straight practice. He centered Mark Arcobello and Patric Hornqvist. Malkin is "pretty close right now" and could play, coach Mike Johnston said via the Penguins official Twitter account.

Oilers team scope: Edmonton has won four of six and is 4-3 in the shootout this season following a 13-rounder against the San Jose Sharks on Monday when Klinkhammer finally scored to give the Oilers a 5-4 victory. Goalie Viktor Fasth is 3-1 with an .870 save percentage (three goals on 23 shots) in the shootout. Forward Jordan Eberle scored twice and has three goals in two games. Defenseman Justin Schultz had a goal and an assist, and for the second time in three games had a plus-3 rating. Forward Taylor Hall returned after missing three games with a bone bruise. He assisted on Eberle's first goal but reaggravated the injury and didn't take a shift after the second period. Forward Benoit Pouliot, who missed five weeks earlier in the season with a broken foot, didn't finish the game Monday after taking a puck off his foot.

Stats:

Previous game highlights:

[NHL]2014020740-X-h[/NHL]

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Click to read more...

 

[Syrinx]

Fleury and Fasth probable according to http://goaliepost.com/.

 

[Will Hunting]

Oilers are playing better hockey than the Pens recently. As sad as it sounds, this is not gonna be a gimme game.

 

[metalan2]

Malkin is back correct?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

A reminder for everyone:



Thanks Adams.

 

[Giant Yankee Pens]

Malkin is back correct?

Yes. Expect:

Kunitz Crosby Perron
Arcobello Malkin Hornqvist
Spaling Sutter Downie
Sill LaPierre Adams
Bennett

Martin Letang
Scuderi Despres
Pouliot Bortuzzo
Harrington

Fleury Griess

 

[Kristopher Letang]

A reminder for everyone:



Thanks Adams.

Better reminder. "Scuderi Calls Out Penguins" lol


http://www.thescore.com/news/404782

 

[wej20]

Love to hear what Arcobello did to deserve a promotion.

 

[mikethelegacy]

Better reminder. "Scuderi Calls Out Penguins" lol


http://www.thescore.com/news/404782

As sad as it might sound, that was a great move by Scuds. I'd kill for him to do that more often. Some players on this team need to step up and hold others accountable because the coach is just an idiot and punishes the wrong players.

Obviously it would be better to be someone with a little more weighted voice in the locker room...

Who knows though, judging by the way Despres talked about him, I bet a lot of the players on this team look up to Scuderi. Obviously not for his play, but he must be a decent mentor/leader.

 

[CrosbytoKessel]

So Beau is playing?

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Those lines aren't up-to-date. He's probably not.

 

[SUBdrewgANS]

Yes. Expect:

Kunitz Crosby Perron
Arcobello Malkin Hornqvist
Spaling Sutter Downie
Sill LaPierre Adams
Bennett

Martin Letang
Scuderi Despres
Pouliot Bortuzzo
Harrington

Fleury Griess

Gross..
Is bennett really sitting again?

 

[mikethelegacy]

This coach is an absolute joke. There is literally no fathomable reason to do anything he has been doing recently.

 

[Fordy]

this organization is trash

 

[Will Hunting]

This coach is an absolute joke. There is literally no fathomable reason to do anything he has been doing recently.

Johnston is not "in our heads" yet, in a way. That said, imagine if Bylsma was here instead of him for these last 8-10 weeks. Maan, I guess some posters here would be ready to find his address and burn his house. No joke here, I´m serious. MJ is that bad actually.

 

[SUBdrewgANS]

honestly what do they expect Bennett to do with Sutter as his Center on the second line? it works when they are on the 3rd line because they get more favorable match ups.
Now you're benching him instead of playing him with Malkin? What a joke.

IMO the lines should be

Perron - Crosby - Hornqvist
Spaling - Malkin - Bennett
Kunitz - Sutter - Downie
Arcobello - Lapierre - Sill/Adams

 

[Captain Hook]

No one knows if Bennett is benched for this game yet. It's possible he'll play or that he's injured. He did get sat down a few games back. I didn't have an issue with that. He probably deserved it. The issue is the vets aren't held accountable the same way. We saw too much of that with DB as well.

 

[mikethelegacy]

Johnston is not "in our heads" yet, in a way. That said, imagine if Bylsma was here instead of him for these last 8-10 weeks. Maan, I guess some posters here would be ready to find his address and burn his house. No joke here, I´m serious. MJ is that bad actually.

Only difference would be, Bylsma was very good at motivating the team, I'll give him that. He was TERRIBLE at everything else. I'm beginning to wonder if Johnston is just terrible at everything....

I mean Malkin is a HUGE loss, but if this team continues to looks like hot garbage with him back in the lineup, MAJOR changes need made. He's basically a politician; makes all these big promises and goes against them when it comes down to it.

A few things he's lied about:

1. Playing an up-tempo game
2. Playing a puck support system - (or getting the players to buy in to it at least)
3. Believing not all players can play any wing
4. These "pairings". The only constant "pairing" all year has been Kuni-Crosby, which is a joke.
5. Getting Crosby/Malkin away from the opposing team's best.

 

[Will Hunting]

Only difference would be, Bylsma was very good at motivating the team, I'll give him that. He was TERRIBLE at everything else. I'm beginning to wonder if Johnston is just terrible at everything....

I mean Malkin is a HUGE loss, but if this team continues to looks like hot garbage with him back in the lineup, MAJOR changes need made. He's basically a politician; makes all these big promises and goes against them when it comes down to it.

A few things he's lied about:

1. Playing an up-tempo game
2. Playing a puck support system - (or getting the players to buy in to it at least)
3. Believing not all players can play any wing
4. These "pairings". The only constant "pairing" all year has been Kuni-Crosby, which is a joke.
5. Getting Crosby/Malkin away from the opposing team's best.

He was also lying about Farnham and Bennett. As for Bylsma, he had some stinkers for sure. But once we had an abysmal game in a regular season, we could be almost sure that the team would play hard in a next game. It´s different under Johnston, they suck once, they suck twice and they still don´t care in a next game..

 

[mikethelegacy]

He was also lying about Farnham and Bennett. As for Bylsma, he had some stinkers for sure. But once we had an abysmal game on a regular season, we could be almost sure that the team would play hard in a next game. It´s different under Johnston, we suck once, we suck twice and they still don´t care in a next game..

Yepp, and I (we) really don't know if it's Johnston's lack of preparation (I doubt it, I hear he watches insane amounts of tape), his lack of ability to motivate, or if the players literally just don't like playing for him, but something needs to give here and he needs to figure it out. Soon.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Its hard to believe that the pens will be back in first place with a win tonight considering how they have played recently.

The Metro is so tight though, first place and forth place are separated by only 3 points.

Hall and Pouliot both got hurt last game, pens might catch a break if they are out of the lineup.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Its hard to believe that the pens will be back in first place with a win tonight considering how they have played recently.

The Metro is so tight though, first place and forth place are separated by only 3 points.

Hall and Pouliot both got hurt last game, pens might catch a break if they are out of the lineup.

It's the Oilers. It really, really shouldn't matter who's in the lineup for them.

 

[Will Hunting]

It's the Oilers. It really, really shouldn't matter who's in the lineup for them.

It matters though. It´s a road game and the Oilers are better recently. Not a cakewalk at all. Also, it looks like we´re playing all of the healthy teams recently, it would be refreshing to catch a break, for once.

 

[Fordy]

No one knows if Bennett is benched for this game yet. It's possible he'll play or that he's injured. He did get sat down a few games back. I didn't have an issue with that. He probably deserved it. The issue is the vets aren't held accountable the same way. We saw too much of that with DB as well.

he's not hurt

you're deluding yourself if you think a vet will ever be benched. this is them pushing him out the door not sending a message. this team has chosen kunitz sill and adams over bennett

 

[cheesedanish87]

It's the Oilers. It really, really shouldn't matter who's in the lineup for them.

I'v watched some Oiler games recently, they aren't the dumpster fire they were at the beginning of the year, there actually playing some decent hockey right now.

They best teams like Chicago Caps Isles and Sharks over the last month.