The Pittsburgh Penguins (10-5-4) return home after a weeklong adventure in Stockholm, Sweden, where they managed to secure three out of a possible four points against the Nashville Predators. The Penguins are set to face the Minnesota Wild (10-7-4) at PPG Paints Arena on Friday night, with the puck dropping just after 7 p.m.
During their last outing, the Penguins endured a tough match, ultimately earning a point in an overtime loss to the Predators. However, redemption came in the form of a commanding 4-0 victory on Sunday, marking a remarkable first win and shutout for rookie goalie Sergei Murashov at Avicii Arena.
Tristan Jarry will remain sidelined due to injury, paving the way for Murashov to see significant playing time this weekend as the Penguins face back-to-back games against Minnesota and Seattle. Additionally, the Penguins have made roster adjustments, sending Philip Tomasino down while placing Ville Koivunen on injured reserve, and recalling Sam Poulin. Poulin, still classified as a rookie despite being drafted in 2019 due to limited NHL game appearances, has been practicing on the third line.
Currently, the Penguins sit in the first wild-card position, with one or two games in hand on other Metropolitan Division teams that hold a slight edge in points. Earlier this season, the Penguins defeated the Wild 4-1, but Minnesota has rebounded impressively since then, boasting a record of 7-1-1.
One of Minnesota’s key players is Kirill Kaprizov, who stands out as the league’s highest-paid player with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games. The Wild also feature standout rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who is enjoying an undefeated streak of 5-0-2 and recently showcased his skill by stopping 42 of 45 shots against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Penguins coach Dan Muse has confirmed that Arturs Silovs will take the net for the Penguins following his strong performance last Friday, which helped secure a point against Nashville.
Fans can catch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh or listen via 105.9 The X.
In terms of expected lineups, the Penguins will likely feature:
– Dewar, Crosby, Rust
– Hayes, Malkin, Mantha
– Novak, Kindel, Poulin
– Koppanen, Lizotte, Heinen
On defense, look for:
– Wotherspoon, Karlsson
– Shea, Letang
– Graves, Clifton
– Dumba, Brunicke
The Wild’s anticipated lines include:
– Kaprizov, Yurov, Johansson
– Johansson, Eriksson Ek, Boldy
– Foligno, Trenin, Hinostroza
– Ogran, Jones, Pitlick
Their defense pairs are expected to be:
– Brodin, Faber
– Middleton, Spurgeon
– Buium, Hunt
The special teams’ performances reveal the Penguins’ power play at an impressive 34.1%, ranking first, while their penalty kill stands at 85.7%, placing them fifth. Conversely, the Wild boast a 25.6% success rate on the power play, placing them fifth, yet struggle defensively with an ineffective penalty kill at 72.9%.
In their recent history against the Wild, the Penguins have remained dominant, securing points in 12 of their last 14 matchups (11 wins, 2 losses, 1 overtime loss). Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin have consistently performed well against Minnesota, contributing significant scoring stats in their career matchups.
Both teams are dealing with injuries, with notable absences for the Penguins including Tristan Jarry, Noel Acciari, Justin Brazeau, and Rickard Rakell, while the Wild are missing Ryan Hartman, Nico Sturm, Zach Bogosian, Marco Rossi, and Vladimir Tarasenko.
As the Penguins hope to build on their winning momentum, fans are eager to see if the home advantage and returning home spirit can propel them to success against a resurgent Wild team.