Game Notes
P.O Joseph is looking to appear in his 100th career NHL game. Last year, Joseph set career highs across the board in games played (75), goals (5), assists (16), points (21) and plus/minus (+8). His plus-8 was tied for first on the Penguins. He has goals in each of his two career games versus Dallas (2G).
Evgeni Malkin got the scoring started in St. Louis on Saturday, giving him eight points (4G-4A) in his first five games to pace Pittsburgh. It’s the third-most points he’s had to start a season through five games at any point in his career (2006.07, 9; 2018.19, 9), and since the beginning of the Sidney Crosby/Malkin Era post-2005 lockout, Malkin’s four goals are tied for the fourth-most tallies by any Penguin in their first five games of a season.
Through five games, Pittsburgh’s defense corps has been one of the more productive units at 5-on-5 play. Among NHL blueliners, only Carolina’s Jacob Slavin (5) has more even-strength points than the Penguins’ Erik Karlsson (4) and Kris Letang (4), and Pittsburgh’s 12 even-strength points from the defense ranks fourth in the NHL.
One of Pittsburgh’s offseason pickups, Matt Nieto, enters tomorrow's game one point shy of 200 in his career. Last season, Nieto split the 2022.23 campaign between the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche, recording 12 goals, 12 assists, 24 points and two game-winning goals in 81 games.
