GDT: | Game #LXVI | Pens vs Rangers | Game 66? Win it for Super Mario!

[Zirakzigil]

vs

Pittsburgh Penguins (39-16-10, second in the Metropolitan)
vs.
New York Rangers (40-19-5, third in the Metropolitan)

New York; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT


BOTTOM LINE:
Metropolitan foes New York and Pittsburgh will play.

The Rangers are 24-8-1 against Eastern Conference opponents.

The Penguins are 12-4-2 in division games.

Pittsburgh defeated New York 1-0 in the last meeting between these teams on Feb. 26.


TOP PERFORMERS:
Chris Kreider leads the Rangers with 42 goals and has 58 points. Artemi Panarin has 13 assists over the last 10 games for New York.

Jake Guentzel leads the Penguins with 31 goals and has 64 points. Crosby has seven goals over the last 10 games for Pittsburgh.


LAST 10 GAMES:
Rangers: 6-4-0, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.1 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game with a .909 save percentage.

Penguins: 6-2-2, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.6 assists, 3.4 penalties and 8.4 penalty minutes while allowing 2.2 goals per game with a .928 save percentage.

​

Per usual, stats from TSN.com, ESPN.com, NHL.com and are most likely inaccurate

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[Zirakzigil]

We are really in need of more volunteers to make GDT's. They dont have to be fancy and can be done quickly. Just need to be something remotely informative and where you wankers can complain about things during the game. Please sign up in the GDT.

 

[Andy99]

The Rangers got an extra day of rest for this game…not fair…another close game I think and I’m predicting the Rags pull out the win…I hope Rackell gets more experimentation and is tried on Geno’s LW…I, again, will be missing the first half of this game

 

[pistolpete11]

Holy shit. Chris Kreider has 42 goals? Where have I been?

 

[The Old Master]

i voted for lemieux first but i see he's safely no. 1 so i changed my vote to orr. he's deffently no. 2 but it didn't seem to be getting any love.

 

[Tender Rip]

Number 2 of 8 straight wins against the Rangers. Yummie.

Will be ready with coffee and bagel tomorrow morning for a 7AM tilt. Prediction: 1-5 Pens.

 

[Andy99]

Holy shit. Chris Kreider has 42 goals? Where have I been?

like 40% are on the PP…Rangers Pp is one of the tops in the league and that’s thanks in large part to Kreider…

 

[DesertedPenguin]

 

[Andy99]

Yes on Rakell on L2 as LW! Good job Sully

it looks like Zucker might be ready next week to play after a couple contact practices…and what’s wrong with trying a top six of:

Zucker-Sid-Jake
Rakell-G-Rust

if that works, we have the best top six we can put together and I think the bottom six will fall nicely into place

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

Good Lord, get Dupuis 2.0 off the top line already. He kills the play every time he touches the puck. Sid is getting visibly annoyed with him.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Yes on Rakell on L2 as LW! Good job Sully

it looks like Zucker might be ready next week to play after a couple contact practices…and what’s wrong with trying a top six of:

Zucker-Sid-Jake
Rakell-G-Rust

if that works, we have the best top six we can put together and I think the bottom six will fall nicely into place

I've got some bad news for you:

1. Guentzel isn't being moved to RW to accommodate Zucker
2. If Rakell works out, I imagine Rust will be moved back to Crosby's RW judging from Sullivan's usual m.o.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Good Lord, get Dupuis 2.0 off the top line already. He kills the play every time he touches the puck. Sid is getting visibly annoyed with him.

Let Sid be annoyed and imagine what it must be like for Malkin to have a Rodrigues on each side for almost the whole season.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Nice to see Rakell as a temporary placeholder for Jason Zucker.

 

[Andy99]

I've got some bad news for you:

1. Guentzel isn't being moved to RW to accommodate Zucker
2. If Rakell works out, I imagine Rust will be moved back to Crosby's RW judging from Sullivan's usual m.o.

i think Sullivan at this point is hoping ERod still works on L1 lol…also, weve seen Jake make that transition before and he’s a lot better than Zucker was there…I do think that would work

 

[Andy99]

are we the only team to employ four of five righties on the PP? Lol…why?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

This team has already tortured Malkin for years with Zucker. There's no reason to rope poor Sid into that whole mess.

IS Zucker an appreciably better player than ERod? REALLY? Especially coming off of core surgery?

I can already practically hear some people angrily rushing to their keyboards but c'mon.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

i think Sullivan at this point is hoping ERod still works on L1 lol…also, weve seen Jake make that transition before and he’s a lot better than Zucker was there…I do think that would work

There just aren't a lot of great options at 1RW if Rust is with Malkin.

We should all pray that ERod finds a way to make it work so Rust isn't yanked from Malkin again. Zucker's likely headed back to Malkin's line whether we like it or not.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Nice to see Rakell as a temporary placeholder for Jason Zucker.

Ugh, sad but true.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

This team has already tortured Malkin for years with Zucker. There's no reason to rope poor Sid into that whole mess.

IS Zucker an appreciably better player than ERod? REALLY? Especially coming off of core surgery?

I can already practically hear some people angrily rushing to their keyboards but c'mon.

Zucker just needs to gtfo. Bottom 6 until he shows he has the brains for more, then catapult him in the summer.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Zucker just needs to gtfo. Bottom 6 until he shows he has the brains for more, then catapult him in the summer.

It only makes good sense to work him through the bottom six. Not just because you hope he can find some usefulness there and perhaps even play a Satan-esque role in a run but simply just to ease him in slow coming off of a pretty major surgery.

But who would be shocked to see him vaulted straight up to L2 first game back at this point? Because his usage is bizarre.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

It only makes good sense to work him through the bottom six. Not just because you hope he can find some usefulness there and perhaps even play a Satan-esque role in a run but simply just to ease him in slow coming off of a pretty major surgery.

But who would be shocked to see him vaulted straight up to L2 first game back at this point? Because his usage is bizarre.

Nobody. It's his default role here no matter how spectacularly he fails with Malkin.

The unfortunate thing is he might actually be useful in our bottom 6.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The unfortunate thing is he might actually be useful in our bottom 6.

100% agree.

I really hope I'm just being paranoid for no reason and that's the plan. I think the ream benefits all around if so.

 

[wheelz87]

Wonder if Heinen is actually the placeholder for Zucker. I figured Rust would go to L1 and Rakell L2 RW. Maybe not, if sully insists on Rakell as a LW though.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Rakell-Malkin-Rust is happening boys!

Fantastic

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Wonder if Heinen is actually the placeholder for Zucker. I figured Rust would go to L1 and Rakell L2 RW. Maybe not, if sully insists on Rakell as a LW though.

Rakell is a little better as a LW, per Ducks fans.