Tonight we're going to have a match-up between what used to be a really good team, and what used to be a really bad team. The Penguins meet the Devils tonight in Jersey, without both of their star players. This is the first time that this has happened since February of 2006, back then Geno wasn't even on the team! To fill the void Byslma has called up Dustin Jeffrey again and put him up on the first line against the Devils. Earlier in the year Jeffrey was called up to go and scored the opening goal for the Pens to go on and win against Buffalo, the last game of the 12 game streak the Penguins put together.
Unfortunately for Jeffrey, the points he put up in the Sabres game (1G 1A) are the only points he's been able to produce in his 4 games this year for the Penguins, however he is one of the scoring leaders for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. So far in 37 games this year Dustin has 41 points off of 15 goals and 26 assists, he led the baby Pens in scoring last year with 71 points with 24 goals and 47 assists. Tonight he has to be hoping he can end this small scoring drought in the NHL and keep showing the top brass and his team mates why he should be on the Penguins full time.
Staal will still be out there to fill a large part of the void that's there with both Geno and Sid out, so it's a good thing that he has picked his game up, with 6 points in the past 3 games. Chris Kunitz also has a goal in each of the past 3 games the Penguins have won without Crosby. At the same time though the Devils have won 3 of their last 4, putting up 18 goals in those 4 games. Penguins defense and P.K is going to need to be spot on tonight to prevent this surging Devil's offense from slamming pucks down our goalies throat.
Lines for the game tonight for the Pens:
Kunitz-Jeffrey-Dupuis
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Conner
Adams-Letestu-Asham
***Late minute line changes, Letestu is going to be on the first line and the first PP line. Jeffrey's gonna be on the Adams, Asham line.
Big Brent Johnson will be between the pipes for the Penguins.
A lot of big names missing for the Penguins in this game with the goalie choice of BBJ, but this is definitely a time for the Penguins to show their mettle against a team that is trying to come out from the basement.
Also apparently as a stab against the Jersey locals the game tonight is a Terrible Towel Invasion night for Penguins fans, so if you're going to the game you better bring that Terrible Towel with you and swing it with pride! Go Pens! Go Steelers!
**Okay, this photoshop is too funny not to post. It showed up after I had already made this post.
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