Pittsburgh Penguins Game Day Thoughts: Calgary Flames
The Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the Calgary Flames tonight at 9 p.m. EST.
With the team suffering injuries and tiredness as we enter the final stretch of the season, many may see this game as one that is not as important. However, this game is still a crucial factor in the Pittsburgh Penguins final stretch of the season leading up to the playoffs. Here are a few thoughts of mine heading into the game.
1) Only One Point Behind Washington
Pittsburgh Penguins
Heading into tonight’s matchup against the Flames, the Penguins currently are only one point behind the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals are sliding. They just lost their fourth game in a row. Alex Ovechkin hasn’t scored in 10 games now too.
The Penguins really have to turn their drive up and really try to push for first place. With Washington looking so shaky, it’s prime time for the Penguins to take this opportunity and not let it slip away. It’s in their hands to take the division, let’s get it!
2) The Injury Bug
The Pens are still bitten with the injury bug. Key defencemen Kris Letang and Trevor Daley are out, as well as Carl Hagelin, Patric Hornqvist, and Bryan Rust, in addition to others.
Despite these injuries, the Penguins line combinations still look fairly solid. It would be better if these players weren’t injured, but I’m sure the Pens can make do with what they have.
The Flames shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for the Pens. If we can get our offence going from the get go, we should be fine. Let’s just hope our IR list shortens itself soon.
3) Rest Up
Because of the injuries and the fact that we’re in the final stretch of the season, this game could be seen as one in which the Pens could rest up a bit and not play completely hard. After all, the playoffs are what matters.
But to this I personally disagree. The Penguins have to keep pushing. There’s still 15 games remaining and there’s still a lot at stake. The Flames are a weaker team in the league, they shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle for the Pens. Play smart, play strong, and try not to fall victim to the injury bug. That list is long enough.
4) Not Exactly Easy Money
Like I said, the Flames really aren’t that big of a deal. They are currently fighting for a playoff spot in the west with a 38-26-4 record. We are easily the dominant team here.
With that said, there are still players to watch out for, like Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Mikael Backlund, and of course Johnny Gaudreau. Not to mention Brian Elliott has been heating up in net recently. After a weak beginning to the season he really picked things up. He has two shutouts in his last two games and is definitely trying to get his third straight.
If we keep it together and play our game like we have all season, we should be able to crack down on the Flames pretty easily.