Pittsburgh Penguins Battle Log: Preseason – Game 2

The Carolina Hurricanes will visit the Consol Energy Center tonight to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in their second preseason contest. It’s simply an exhibition game but for Penguin fans, it means much more.

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Tonight marks the debut of Phil Kessel dawning his new colors. He’ll be on a line with Sidney Crosby, just as Mike Johnston promised a few weeks back. However, I’d expect some shuffling throughout the game in order to see what combinations workout the best.

There are story lines galore tonight, which is quite rare for this type of event. But, after such an eventful offseason in the Steel City, should we be that surprised? How will the number one power play look with Kessel on the left side? Will Sergei Plotnikov play well with Evgeni Malkin and earn a spot in the top-six? Why hasn’t Rob Scuderi or Derrick Pouliot played in either preseason game so far?

We won’t be able to answer all of those questions tonight. But, Plotnikov will indeed flank Malkin on his left, while Patric Hornqvist plays the right side. You can find full line combos below, courtesy of Jason Mackey.

The defensive pairings are just as intriguing as the forward lineup, considering this is the second straight preseason game in which Scuderi and Pouliot are being held out. Could Scuderi be involved in trade talks? It seems like a possibility but we know that Pouliot isn’t. He had a less-than-impressive tournament in London, Ontario though which could be part of the reason we haven’t seen him yet.

Oh, and in case you aren’t completely familiar with the new numbers yet…

I’ve mentioned before that I have little interest in who wins a preseason game. Instead, I’ll be paying close attention to a few individual players and how they handle their change in role. For some, it’s simply watching for how they handle hockey at the NHL level.

Pittsburgh Penguins Players to Watch

Aside from the obvious names like Kessel finally playing with arguably the two best centers in the game, there are a few other interesting tidbits in this lineup.

First, Tyler Biggs is a player that is viewed as a bust but I’m not sure that’s a fair assessment just yet. He had injury issues and never really found his place in Toronto but has approached 2015-16 with a renewed confidence. He’s a big bodied power forward that has the physical traits you want in your bottom-six but the question remains of whether or not he can put it all together. He’ll get his chance starting tonight.

I look for Daniel Sprong to get a fair amount of ice time with either Crosby or Malkin, as he performed very well in the recent rookie tournament that took place in London, Ontario. His speed and hands were on display and while there’s likely no chance of him making the NHL roster this season, he’ll get a few looks to see how he performs with that caliber of talent.

Lastly, how will Sergei Gonchar look with Brian Dumoulin? Dumoulin is a pretty classic stay-at-home defenseman, while Gonchar is clearly the exact opposite. With all of the recent chatter around Gonchar earning a spot with the Pens, I don’t think it’s an accident that he’s paired with Pittsburgh’s only true defensive-minded blue-liner dressing for tonight’s contest.

I don’t suggest putting too much stock in what you see in preseason, as I discussed in a previous post located here. That being said, enjoy the fact that hockey is back and fans will get the chance to see their newly acquired sniper on home ice tonight.

Next: Top-10 Pens Defensemen Power Ranked

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