The Pittsburgh Penguins conclude their road trip with a stop in Seattle against the Kraken.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a funk. After starting their road trip with a victory in Columbus, the Penguins have dropped three straight against Western Conference opponents.
They are looking to end that losing streak and get back on track against the newest team in the NHL. Here’s three things to watch for in this matchup.
Fix that Penalty Kill
There’s certainly no need to panic about the Penguins losing three games in a row. There is, however, much reason to panic about this team’s penalty killing. They are ranked amongst the bottom of the league through their first nine games, and looked absolutely miserable against the Vancouver Canucks.
Part of the problem is missing top penalty killer, Teddy Blueger, but this unit’s play has been so poor, it begs the question of what impact Blueger’s return will have upon his return.
The biggest problem that was evident in their struggles against Vancouver was their inability to defend the middle of the ice. The Canucks fed countless passes cross-ice, and neither the forwards or defensemen were able to clog up those lanes. They have to address this and adjust if they want their penalty killing to improve.
Familiar Faces
It was a little over a year ago that the Penguins blundered the expansion draft, resulting in Seattle selecting both Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann. Both players quickly established themselves as fan favorites in Seattle, with McCann especially raising his game since becoming a member of the Kraken.
Last season, McCann scored a career-high 27 goals and 50 points. He’s off to a fast start with eight points through the team’s first nine games.
The Penguins will have to find a way to slow down McCann, especially on the power play, if they want to win this game.
DeSmith needs to be DeMan
Goaltender Casey DeSmith is likely to get the start for the Penguins agains the Kraken. The 31 year-old netminder is still searching for his first victory of the season. On the heels of a three game slump, getting that first win for DeSmith is even more important.
DeSmith's play has been exactly what you’d expect from your back-up goaltender in his first two appearances. If the team plays better in front of DeSmith than they did in front of Jarry in Vancouver, DeSmith should have a great chance to pick up his first win of the season.
The Penguins meet the Seattle Kraken for a 10:00 pm EST face-off.
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