Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. New York Islanders GameDay, Odds, And Preview
By Larry Snyder
The Pittsburgh Penguins (13-3-1, 27 points) plan to make it four in a row, and extend their winning streak tonight when they host the New York Islanders at CONSOL Energy Center.
This evening is the first game since the announcement on Wednesday that forward Pascal Dupuis will miss the next six months because of a blood clot in his lung. The Black and Gold practiced on Thursday with Blake Comeau on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Comeau played on the first line when Dupuis was scratched from the lineup on Tuesday in the 4-0 shutout over Montreal.
Jack Capuano‘s crew (12-6-0, 24 points) are in second place behind the Pens in the Metropolitan Division and are coming off a 5-2 win at home on Tuesday over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Isles are 6-1-0 in their past seven contests and averaged 3.5 goals in their six victories.
This evening is the second of five meetings between the Metro adversaries with the third contest coming on Saturday night. New York is 7-4-0 on the road this season while the Pens overall record against the Isles at Consol Energy Center is 9-3.
When: Friday, Nov. 21
Puck Drop: 7:05 p.m.
Site: CONSOL Energy Center
Television: ROOT Sports Network
Announcers: Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey
Radio Coverage: 105.9 FM – The X and the Penguins Radio Network
Announcers: Mike Lange and Phil Bourque
Live Video Steam: NHL GameCenter LIVE
Audio Stream: Penguins Radio 24/7
Sirius XM Satellite Radio: XM Channel 218, XM Internet 942
Odds: Penguins -1.5 According to Bovada Online Sportsbook with the Over/Under at 5.5.
In their first matchup this season, right wing Patric Hornqvist put up two goals and had an assist in the Penguins 3-1 victory on Oct. 18 against the Islanders. The two teams combined for 73 shots. Pittsburgh had both sides of their special teams working that night as they went 2 for 4 on the power play while going a perfect 7 of 7 on the penalty kill.
Pittsburgh will need to remain vigilant on the penalty kill as only the Los Angeles Kings with five shorthanded goals have more than the Islanders, who have three so far this season.
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Capuano reunited Kyle Okposo with Frans Nielsen and Mikhail Grabovski on the second line to generate some offense on Tuesday against the Lightning, and it worked. Grabovski had a goal in the second period while Nielsen and Okposo had two assists each in the contest.
This evening, Pittsburgh begins their third set of back-to-back games. Last weekend, the Pens went 2-0 in a back-to-back pairing by defeating the Maple Leafs 2-1, and the Rangers 3-2 in a shootout. They are 1-1 in the first contest of back-to-backs, and 1-0-1 in the second game.
With Dupuis out of the lineup, center Zach Sill has been playing on the fourth line, filling in for Comeau. Meanwhile, Olli Maatta returned to the lineup against Montreal on Tuesday after having a cancerous tumor removed from his neck two weeks ago. The defenseman was plus 1 in 20:14 of ice time.
Up Next: The Black and Gold pack their bags and head to the Nassau Veteran Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Nov. 22 for a return match with the New York Islanders. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ROOT Sports Pittsburgh.
From The Clipboard: Right wing Craig Adams has played in 305 consecutive games for the Pens which is the second longest games-played streak in team history. His participation in Tuesday’s contest in Montreal was his 400th career game in a Pittsburgh sweater…Marc-Andre Fleury has 299 career victories and is seeking to become the 31st goaltender in NHL history to win 300 games…Beau Bennett put up one goal and two assists for a career-high three points in Tuesday’s win at Montreal.