The Pittsburgh Penguins matchup against the Buffalo Sabres has several interesting storylines to keep an eye on.
The Pittsburgh Penguins meet the Buffalo Sabres for a preseason tilt in Buffalo.
After reducing their roster size to 45 players, the Penguins are looking to get their younger players some playing time. The only NHL regulars in the lineup are Kasperi Kapanen and Chad Ruhwedel, but bubble players like Drake Caggiula, Radim Zohorna, and Mark Friedman are also suiting up for the match-up against the Sabres. Despite the lineup being full of players destined for Wilkes-Barre, there are several storylines and players to pay attention to.
1. PO Joseph and Ty Smith battle for defensive spot
The early part of training camp has been a battle for the third pairing defensemen spots. Ty Smith has been skating in that spot since the opening of camp, but PO Joseph is seeking to insert himself into that position. After a stellar year in Wilkes-Barre, Joseph is on the fringe of being a regular NHL player. Coach Mike Sullivan is giving Joseph plenty of opportunity to make his case, and he needs to have a great performance in Buffalo to move up the depth chart.
Meanwhile, Ty Smith has been skating with the Penguins' top six defensemen to start training camp and the preseason. Paired with the defensively responsible Jan Rutta in practices, Smith will see time with either Chad Ruhwedel or Mark Friedman in their matchup against Buffalo. Smith is looking to continue his solid play in the preseason and take a firm grasp on the third left-side defenseman position. He'll need another strong performance with the puck on his stick and to continue his poised playmaking on the power play to continue building his case to be on the opening night roster.
2. Young guns on offense
The Penguins lineup will not feature any of the big guns on offense, but there are two players looking to show they can stick with the NHL squad to start the season: Drew O'Connor and Ryan Poehling. Both players are under 25, and can add speed and potential to the lineup. O'Connor is looking to build off an impressive season last year, spent mostly in the AHL. So far in the preseason, Coach Sullivan has deployed O'Connor often. In their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, O'Connor led the forwards in ice-time with over 20 minutes played. He also registered three shots against the Detroit Red Wings in their most recent preseason game. O'Connor will be desperate to put the puck in the net against Buffalo and show that his offensive skills are ready for the next level.
Ryan Poehling is vying for a 4th line spot for opening night, and with the injury bug already hitting the lineup, Poehling has an outside shot receive third line minutes when the season starts. Like O'Connor, Poehling has yet to prove his offensive games can produce consistently at the NHL level. He's coming off of a 17 point campaign with Montreal last season, but the team is optimistic they can unlock more of his scoring potential. This game against the Sabres can be a great step for both to show how much they have improved.
3. Jarry needs to rebound
The Penguins starting netminder had a rough outing in his first appearance of the preseason. Facing the Detroit Red Wings, the Penguins looked uninterested and lackadaisical, and both Jarry and Casey DeSmith had to face the result. Jarry struggled mightily, allowing four goals on 14 shots in only 28 minutes of ice time. The defense in front of him was poor, but his performance was just as poor. Recovering from his foot injury over the summer, Jarry certainly needs more playing time to get back into form. This game against Buffalo is a prime opportunity to gain some confidence and consistency.
The Pittsburgh Penguins face-off at 1 pm against the Buffalo Sabres. The roster for the Penguins can be found here.
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