Tonight, the Penguins return home for the first time since the 6-1 drubbing the New York Rangers laid on them ten days ago.
The Vancouver Canucks will be in town, and that includes some Penguins ties, including Jim Rutherford, Patrik Allvin, Marcus Pettersson, Teddy Blueger, Drew O’Connor, and PO Joseph.
It was from the Pettersson trade where the Penguins netted the first round pick they traded to move down in the draft and select Bill Zonnon and Will Horcoff in this year’s entry draft. It was a good deal by Kyle Dubas to get a first round pick for Pettersson, but it is only as good as how you spend it. Time will tell with the two Penguins prospects selected.
Vancouver Looking For Four In A Row vs. Penguins
The Canucks arrive in Pittsburgh on a three-game winning streak and 4-2 overall on the season, just like the Penguins. There are not identical in how they drive play. So far this season, the Vancouver Canucks are 29th overall in xGF% at 5v5 at 43.53, while the Penguins have perhaps outperformed expectations, being 8th overall at 53.42.
The big difference early on this season is that the Canucks are the second-best shooting team at 5v5 this year, at 13.08%, and the Penguins are 25th, at 7.35%.
Familiar face going up against Canucks
Despite earning the shutout on Saturday, it will not be Tristan Jarry getting the start against the Canucks. It will be the former Canuck, Arturs Silovs.
Silovs had a short tenure with the Canucks where he played 19 games with an .880 save percentage. Even if his tenure was short, he had some notable moments. He was able to step in and win a playoff series against the Predators before taking the Oilers all the way to a Game 7. Additionally, he backstopped the Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup championship last year with a .908 save percentage, the same save percentage he currently has with the Penguins through three games.
Kindel facing hometown team
Ben Kindel will have an opportunity to face the NHL team from his area, growing up. Kindel resides in Coquitlam, BC, which is about an hour east of Vancouver. Even Kindel’s family and friends probably didn’t think he’d be competing against the Canucks this early into his career.
Kindel’s parents were professional athletes in Vancouver, with his father, Steve, and his mom, Sara, playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Good health news
I have some very good news to pass along. Josh Getzoff, who fainted during the Ducks game, is healthy and ready to return to the play-by-play booth
Glad to see it wasn’t something overly serious and Josh can get back to calling Penguins games.
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