Penguins Preview: New Forward Added to Lineup

The Pittsburgh Penguins take on their in-state rivals with new faces in the lineup.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are ending their most recent home stand with a weekend matinee tilt. Looking to make up ground in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins get a chance to steal two points from a divisional foe. Here's what to watch as the Penguins take on the Philadelphia Flyers.

The most disappointing aspect of the Penguins season has been their power play failures. With the acquisition of Erik Karlsson, the expectation was for them to be a top-10 unit. The exact opposite has been the Penguins’ reality: they sit 30th in the league with a 14% success rate. 

Their failures are ever present; the team has shown a glimmer of hope over this homestand. They’ve scored on the man advantage in two of their past three games. The Penguins need their underachieving power play in a pivotal contest to find twine again. 

The Flyers announced some exciting organizational news recently. Forward Sean Couturier was named the 20th captain in team history, succeeding the vacant captaincy left by Claude Giroux. 

Couturier is a natural replacement, playing his entire career in Philadelphia. The 31-year-old has 11 goals and 33 points in 53 games and has his team in third place in the Metropolitan Division, eyeing a playoff berth. 

While the Penguins try to convince their management they deserve more reinforcements, Kyle Dubas made a minor move to bolster the team’s forward depth. In a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Penguins gave up AHL forward Alex Nylander and a future draft pick in exchange for forward Emil Bemstrom. 

Bemstrom is a 24-year-old forward capable of playing all three positions. He has five goals and 11 points through 32 points this season. Last year, he established career highs with 15 assists and 22 points in 55 games. In Pittsburgh, he’ll get a chance to improve the team’s third-line and second-power play. He’ll look to make his Penguins’ debut against the Flyers. 

The Penguins and Flyers face off at 3:30 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena. 

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