Cryers vs Penguins gameday 77

"This is it! The moment I've been waiting for, the annual Arlen grillathon!" Not quite the Arlen grillathon but it's game 6 of this seasons match-ups against the Flyers, and if you had asked me at the beginning of February that it would be for the number 1 spot in the conference and division I would of said you're crazy.Crosby was dead, Malkin had an ailing knee going into the start of the month, and the injury train gained a full head of steam and wasn't going to stop.Yet here we are, 2 points out of a tie for first place. Even though the Flyers are one game ahead of us now, before we play Atlanta to end the season, we'll be a game ahead of them with a chance to stay in #1.

Both of these teams have sealed their Playoff chances and now are fighting for seeding and home ice advantage. In order to secure the likelihood of being in 1st place, the Penguins absolutely must win this game in regulation, it cannot go to overtime, even if the record for most shootout wins in a row was achieved on Sunday. Prior to the start of this stretch of shootouts, NHL.com had an article about how shootouts were down 22% leaguewide for the year. Well not for the Penguins after participating in four in a row. Shootouts are great because you get to see good one on one action, and it's pretty like this:

Though in this game, it simply is not an option. Winning in 60 minutes is the only choice on this test question, there is no correct answer other than winning in regulation. Giving the Flyers a point only solidifies the hold they have on first place most likely with an iron fist.

The Penguins got back the services of Brooks Orpik on Sunday who originally wasn't going to start until tonight, and also will have Mark Letestu back out on the first line with Neal and Kovalev. Deryk Engelland will be a healthy scratch tonight as Bylsma seems to like what Lovejoy is doing lately. After the play Lovejoy had in the 2nd period of the Panthers game pinching the D along the boards and getting it to Kovy who tic tac'd it back to Lovejoy for a top shelf rifle shot, I don't blame Dan for making this decision at all. I wasn't impressed with Lovejoy early on and admittedly was, and still am, in Engelland's camp for that 6th defensive spot, it's still extremely tough to deny what Lovejoy has done of late.

To give you an idea of how impressive Lovejoy has really been lately, when Chris Kunitz was four games into his five game point streak, the "hot" player to watch for was still Ben Lovejoy. What he's done on defense for the Pens filling in for Orpik has been very remarkable, clearly enough so that we will sit Engel down in a rivalry game, meaning you probably won't see a fight unless someone really pisses off Rupper or Talbot.

With Letestu back in the line up the lines from practice and presumably for the game look like this:

James Neal - Mark Letestu - Alex Kovalev

Chris  Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Chris Conner - Maxime Talbot - Pascal Dupuis
Mike Rupp - Craig Adams - Arron Asham

Kris Letang - Brooks Orpik
Zbynek Michalek - Paul Martin
Matt Niskanen - Ben Lovejoy

Between the pipes for the Penguins? Marc "MVP" Andre Fleury!

2points in regulation Pens, accept no substitute. Do it.