After a 2-0, shutout win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks get right back into action as they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins for their second game of a back-to-back.
The Penguins come into Wednesday’s game after three days off but have also lost three games in a row on their current five-game homestand. We are seeing some changes to the Pens’ lineup after three days off, three losses in a row, and a trade.
At Tuesday’s practice, the newly acquired Phil Tomasino is skating on their second line with Evgeni Malkin and former Canuck Anthony Beauvillier. Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson are playing on the top-pairing while 20-year-old, rookie defenceman Owen Pickering is playing with Kris Letang on their second pairing.
Jake DeBrusk continued his strong play on the road with the game-winning goal on Tuesday night against the Bruins. He’s had a nice start to the season on the road with six goals in nine games. DeBrusk has added four assists to make him over a point per game away from Rogers Arena.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins in scoring with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 23 games played. He is closely followed by Evgeni Malkin, who has five goals and 15 assists for 20 points. Malkin and Crosby each have five power play assists while Crosby has three power play goals and Malkin has one.
- Alex Nedeljkovic has started 10 of the Penguins’ 23 games. He has a 3-4-3 record with an .877% save percentage and a 3.42 goals-against average. Tristan Jarry has started two of their last three games and possesses a 1-3-1 record with an .869% save percentage and a 4.41 goals-against average.
- The Penguins’ .879% save percentage is 28th in the league and their 8.38% shooting percentage is 30th.
- Winning the shot battle seems to be the recipe for a win against the Penguins this season. The Pens are 4-2-3 when they outshoot their opponents but are 3-10-1 when they are outshot.
- The Pens have been outscored 91-58 this season with their first periods being the worst. They have given up 27 goals and scored 16 in the opening periods this year.
The Story: Blocked Shots
In a 2-0 shutout win over the Bruins on Tuesday night, the Canucks set a season-high for blocked shots. Tyler Myers, Noah Juulsen, and Carson Soucy each blocked four shots as the team finished with 26 on the night.
On the season, the Canucks have 271 blocked shots, and Tyler Myers is the leader with 37 through 20 games played.
Elias Pettersson has blocked 27 shots in 20 games and is ranked sixth in the NHL for blocked shots from a forward.
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Elias Pettersson: 2g-4a-6p
Conor Garland: 2g-4a-6p
Kiefer Sherwood: 3g-2a-5p
Jake DeBrusk: 3g-2a-5p
Quinn Hughes: 1g-3a-4p
When and Where to Watch
Wednesday’s game is a 4:30 p.m. start time and you can watch it on Sportsnet or listen along to the radio call with Brendan Batchelor on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
