Expected Lines
Sabres (6-14-4)
Hall-Cozens-Reinhart
Olofsson-Staal-Sheahan
Skinner-Lazar-Mittelstadt
Rieder-Eakin-Okposo
Irwin-Ristolainen
Bryson-Montour
Dahlin-Miller
Johansson
Penguins (15-9-1)
Guentzel – Crosby – Rust
Rodrigues – Malkin – Kapanen
Aston-Reese – Blueger – Tanev
Sceviour – Jankowski – Angello
Dumoulin – Letang
Matheson – Ceci
Pettersson – Marino
Jarry
Scouting the Penguins
xGF%: PIT: (19th) vs BUF: 23rd
Goals for: PIT (7th) vs BUF (31st)
Corsi: PIT (12th) vs BUF (21st)
- Sidney Crosby leads the way for Pittsburgh with 24 points in 24 games.
- Tristan Jarry will start in net for the Penguins; he is 10-7-1 this season with a .914 sv%.
- Kris Letting has 5 goals in 24 games from the back-end.
- The Penguins (31 PTS) currently sit 3rd in the East division behind the Islanders (36 PTS) and Capitals (34 PTS).
- Pittsburgh is 7-3 in their last 10 games and currently riding a 3 game win-streak.
Eichel update; first line stays intact
Ralph Krueger said on Tuesday that Jack Eichel would be out a minimum of a week with the undisclosed upper-body injury. We saw Eichel having what seemed to be odd neck cramps on the broadcast, but it’s unfair to assume that’s what the injury is. Regardless, Eichel will have to quarantine for seven days upon returning to New York State.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted on WGR this mornign that the injury may be worse than hoped for, but we just have to wait for the diagnosis.
As for the Sabres top-line, Dylan Cozens remains at 1C alongside Sam Reinhart and Taylor Hall. The line generated two even-strength goals against the Flyers on Tuesday and Taylor Hall said he feels the line has begun to build some chemistry:
“I’ve been playing with Reino for a few weeks now, you see how smart of a player he is. I think him and I are starting to [build some chemistry] — he’s knowing where to stay in the offensive zone and where I can find him a little bit. Cozy’s [Dylan Cozens] so fast and has a long reach that creates a lot of turnovers.”
Krueger not feeling the heat
