Penguins Ready for Good Test Against Some Familiar Faces

The Penguins practiced on Wednesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex after a day off on Tuesday. Their matchup with the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena begins a stretch of three games in five nights.

“It's nice to always get some resets here and there, and especially at home,” Erik Karlsson said. “We played a lot of games and we're going to play a lot of games in a short period of time here coming up. I think as of right now, we're going to push as hard as we can until the break and once we come back through that break, it's pretty much every second day.

All healthy players were present, and the team stuck with the same lines and D-pairs they used in their 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Monday:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rakell

O’Connor-Malkin-Rust

Smith-Eller-Puustinen

Harkins-Acciari-Carter

Petterson-Letang

Karlsson-Joseph

Graves-Ruhwedel

(Shea-Zohorna)

The Penguins are 9-3-1 in their last 13 contests and are only a single point behind Tampa Bay for the final wild-card spot. They’re facing a Vancouver squad that has taken a huge step forward this season, holding a six-point lead in first place in the Pacific Division, along with the best goal differential in the NHL.

Penguins Head Coach Mike Sullivan trusts the way his team has been playing, and believes it gives them a chance to win every game they play, regardless of their opponent.

“I think we're playing a more calculated game,” he said. “I don't think we're playing a reckless game. I think we're playing a game that is conducive to winning. We're going to give ourselves a chance if we put a certain game in the ice each and every night, we don't beat ourselves.”

There are several familiar faces on Vancouver’s roster. Teddy Blueger was drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft and played 250 games for the Penguins; Sam Lafferty was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft and grew up about two hours away in Hollidaysburg, Pa.; Ian Cole was part of the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and ’17; and Casey DeSmith signed as an undrafted free agent in 2015, beginning his career in the ECHL and working his way up to the NHL.

“It’s always fun playing and competing against former teammates,” Marcus Pettersson said. “They're playing really well. It’s fun to see them really flourishing over there. That team is playing really well right now. They’ve beaten a few Metro opponents for us. Hopefully, we can come away with a win. It’ll be a good test.”

Members of the Canucks coaching staff and front office have also called Pittsburgh home. President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford built those teams that won it all two years in a row as the GM here; General Manager Patrik Allvin started out as an amateur scout for the Penguins; and Head Coach Rick Tocchet was an assistant during the back-to-back championship runs after winning a Stanley Cup as a player in 1992.

Sullivan had this to say on seeing the recent success of Tocchet on Vancouver’s bench:

“I think he gets better with every year that he coaches, and I think one of Tocc’s greatest attributes is his humility,” Sullivan said. “He's a guy that loves the game and he loves to learn, and he's open to ideas. He's a great guy to talk hockey with. I really admire his humility with the way he approaches the game every day with his coaching staff and with the players, and I think that goes a long way to creating an environment that's optimal for winning. It doesn't surprise me that Vancouver's having the success that they have with him at the helm.”

NOTE: Thursday’s game will be the team’s fifth annual Hockey Talks Game, which is in support of mental health awareness and the Break the Ice initiative.

Break the Ice is a movement for each and every Penguins fan, as mental health is health. Through #BreakTheIce, fans are challenged to connect with one another and to take positive action regarding their own mental wellness and that of their loved ones.

“I think I feel like we as a sport have come a long way in the last few years, but we've still got a long way to go,” Pettersson said. “And in saying that, it’s okay to talk about it, it's okay to not feel okay.  So, it's an ongoing discussion. It's great that we have it and it's a great cause and it's like I said, we've come a long way but we still have a long way to go. So, it's important to raise those issues.”