The Pittsburgh Penguins (6-2-1) will be without a pair of regulars for the next two months as injuries are beginning to beset the lineup. The patchwork Penguins will face the St. Louis Blues (3-4-1) Monday at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins will be without third-pairing defenseman Caleb Jones, who suffered a lower-body injury Thursday against Florida. Jones is out approximately eight weeks.
More importantly, top-line winger Rickard Rakell will also be out six to eight weeks after successful surgery on his left hand. Rakell’s absence caused coach Dan Muse to shuffle the lines.
The Penguins are slight underdogs on Fanduel Sportsbook at -104. While the St. Louis Blues’ banged-up lineup is -135 . There are plenty of interesting Penguins-Blues prop bets Monday, too.
Rookie Filip Hallander will get the first crack at taking Rakell’s spot playing on Sidney Crosby’s left wing. The Penguins also recalled rookie winger Ville Koivunen, who will likely take Hallander’s spot on the third line.
The Penguins have been badly outshot and outchanced by their last two opponents, beating Florida 5-3 on Thursday, but losing 5-3 in a shootout to Columbus on Saturday.
St. Louis has lost three in a row, falling to LA, Utah, and Detroit in succession.
The Penguins’ goaltending rotation is holding, and Tristan Jarry will start against St. Louis. This is also the Penguins’ first of back-to-back games, and the last home game before a four-game road trip.
How to Watch Penguins Game
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Radio: 105.9 The X
Expected Penguins Lines
Filip Hallander-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha-Evgeni Malkin-Justin Brazeau
Tommy Novak-Ben Kindel-Philip Tomasino/Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherpoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Matt Dumba-Connor Clifton/Harrison Brunicke
Goalie: Tristan Jarry
Blues Lines
Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Jake Snuggerud
Mathieu Joseph-Bryaden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Pavel Buchnevich-Pius Suter-Nathan Walker
Dylan Holloway-Oskar Sundqvist-Nick Bjugstad
Defense
Cam Fowler-Colton Parayko
Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk
Tyle Tucker-Matthew Kessel
Goalie: Jordan Binnington, expected
Special Teams
Penguins power play: 33/3%, 1st. Penguins penalty kill: 77.8%, 17th.
Blues power play: 25%, 10th. Blues penalty kill: 72%, 25th.
Penguins Game Notes
The Penguins are 7-1-1 over the last nine games against the Blues and have won five straight home games against the Blues dating back to Dec. 4, 2019.
Evgeni Malkin leads the Penguins in scoring with 14 points (2-12-14) in nine games. Malkin is on a six-game point streak (2-7-9).
No player on Pittsburgh’s roster at any point this season has logged under 10:00 of time on ice in a game under Head Coach Dan Muse.
Kris Letang is one assist short of tying Rob Blake for 22nd all-time amongst NHL defensemen in assists. He is two short of tying Borje Salming for 21st.
Sidney Crosby enters tonight’s game just two points from becoming the ninth player in NHL history to 1,700 points, and the fourth-fastest to do so.
Categorized: Penguins Pregame
