The Pittsburgh Penguins have multiple game-time decisions ahead of their upcoming matchup against the Utah Mammoth.
Per Josh Getzoff, Egor Chinakhov and Sam Girard took the ice at the Penguins’ morning skate. That puts them into the projected lineup for tonight, but they remain game-time decisions in the hours leading up to the matchup.
Arturs Silovs is starting, per Getzoff via Daily Faceoff. Silovs is currently 3-2-0, with an .875 save percentage, a 3.20 GAA, and a shutout. Silovs will look to bounce back from his outing against the Colorado Avalanche, when he allowed five goals. He has shown the potential to shut down opponents this season, but he has been up and down in the early stages.
Brogan Houston noted that Sebastian Cossa will get the nod for the Mammoth. Cossa is looking to get back on track after allowing four goals in the last 12 shots he faced. Cossa had a good outing earlier in the year against the Columbus Blue Jackets, when he made 18 saves on 19 shots. He is 1-1 this season and has made three appearances.
Pittsburgh Penguins Projected Lines And Pairings Against Mammoth
Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby, and Bryan Rust look like they will take the first line. Crosby is looking to claw his production back to a point-per-game pace. He currently has six points and three goals in nine contests.
Chinakhov looks like he will take a spot on the second line if he’s good to go. Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin are slated to join him. Malkin and Novak continue to lead all Penguins forwards in points with seven in nine contests. Malkin leads the team with five goals.
Andrei Kuzmenko, Ben Kindel, and Ville Koivunen are the projected third liners. Kindel has four points in eight games and is looking to break through the half-point-per-game barrier. And the projected fourth line is Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Nicholas Robertson. Dewar is once again establishing his physical presence with 12 hits.
Declan Carlile and Erik Karlsson are slated for the first pairing. With nine points in nine games, Karlsson continues to lead the Penguins in production. Girard should pair with Kaedan Korczak if he’s good to go for the matchup, while Spencer Stastney and Kris Letang are projected for the third pairing.
Penguins Facing Higher-Than-Usual Stakes Early In The Season
Pittsburgh’s season has been bizarre since its shutout victory in the season opener over the Philadelphia Flyers. They have yet to win another game in regulation and have regressed. But it’s still early enough for them to climb back in and get relevant as teams move into the 10-game mark of the season.
Still, they need a sense of urgency. The Pittsburgh Penguins, seven points, are already eight behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. They must take advantage of the inconsistent Cossa, who also has just four games of NHL experience, three of which have been fewer than 60 minutes.
If they can use their experience against what is still a relatively upstart Utah Mammoth team, the Penguins could surprise in this one. The puck will drop at 9:00 EDT.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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