After dismantling the Flyers 5-1 on Monday the Penguins are going to have their work cut out for them this evening. They are visiting Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tampa Bay remains one of the better sides in the league. They are currently on top of the Atlantic Division with 34 points in 26 games played. The Penguins have 31 standings points in 25 games played.
A quarter of the way through the season and there is a lot of blue on the Tampa chart. They are good offensively and defensively in both process and results. Strangely enough, the power play and goaltending are the two lowest areas on here. Given the talent on the power play and the fact Andrei Vasilevskiy is in net I don’t think these are long term issues.
In fact, it isn’t Vasilevskiy at all. He has a .917 save percentage on the year. He’s 13th among goaltenders with 200 minutes with a .923 5v5 save percen tage. His high-danger save percentage is a respectable .854 at 5v5. He’s 5th overall with 9.38 goals saved above average in all situations per Natural Stat Trick. Basically, he’s the same old Andrei Vasilevskiy he’s always been. It is Jonas Johansson’s eight games at .895 bringing down the ranking.
With all that said, no Vasilevskiy for the Lightning tonight. In theory, this should make things easier for the Penguins
Penguins on the mend
The Penguins are still missing multiple forwards from their lineup. Some of them are getting really close to coming back into the lineup. It is looking like Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau are on the cusp of returning.
Both players are itching to get back in the lineup and who could blame them. They both had solid starts to their 2025-26 season.
For Brazeau it was one of the best starts of any player in the NHL this year. He had six goals and 12 points in his first 12 games this year while playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha. Brazeau’s previous high in points for a season was 20 when he did so with the Bruins in 57 games back in the 2023-24 season. Unfortunately, there is a real possibility that the lightning he caught in a bottle might not be there when he returns. I imagine Coach Muse will give him an opportunity to see if it is still there.
Acciari also had a positive start to the year forming a rambunctious 4th line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar. The trio provided competent minutes at the bottom of the lineup to start the season.
Unfortunately, one of the injuries they’ve been waiting on is not on the cusp of making a return. Rickard Rakell is still a ways off
Getting Rakell back would do a lot of good for the Penguins forward lineup. The original estimates had him at a 6-8 week recovery time. This looks like it is more like an 8-10 week ordeal. With Rakell it isn’t a “next man up” situation. I know coaches like to say that as a way to empower the replacement players, but sometimes it just isn’t true. They don’t have a replacement for Rakell’s skill set. The wait continues.
Catching up with Jake
Tonight, the Penguins will take on one of their best former players of the current era. Jake Guentzel dons the Lightning blue these days and still has love for his former teammates.
Jake is one of my favorite players I have covered over the years. His combination of hockey IQ and smart hands was a pleasure to watch. He just makes everything he does look so natural. If I’m flipping through NHL games at night and Tampa is on I still make a point to see if it is during a Guentzel shift so I can see him do his thing.
He’s been great in Tampa, which is no shock. He plays great with great players because of his IQ. He isn’t a product of the great players, he himself is one.
In his first full season with Tampa he was a point per game player. In 80 games he had 41 goals and 80 points. This year he has 14 goals and 27 points in only 26 games. He’s still the same Jake we knew and loved in Pittsburgh.
It is going to be tall task this evening against the Lightning. One that an aspiring playoff team should welcome.
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