GDT: Pens vs Flames 1900hrs EST: Can we make it 3 in a row?

[Zirakzigil]

November 30 - The season was going well for the Calgary Flames one week ago. Less so for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Seven days later, the tide has turned for each team before Saturday night's contest in Pittsburgh.
Last Saturday, the Flames concluded an undefeated four-game homestand with a 4-3 shootout triumph against the visiting Minnesota Wild. Two days later, the Flames embarked on a four-game trip through the Eastern Conference. Three games into their voyage, they're still in search of a win, most recently falling 5-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

"The first period was awful. The second period was awful. The third a push," defenseman Rasmus Andersson said of the game versus the Blue Jackets. "Just not good enough. ... We have to be better on the road."
The road hasn't been kind to Calgary, which is 3-5-4 in opposing rinks compared with a 9-3-0 record at home. The Flames lost six straight on the road (0-3-3) and nine of 10 away from home, with the lone win on Nov. 5 against the Montreal Canadiens.

"It's on each guy. ... Every guy in this room needs to be better (on Saturday)," Flames forward Blake Coleman said. "These are games we need to start taking care of on the road if we want to be taken seriously as a playoff team here. It's early, but it's never too early to keep trying to climb up the standings. Good teams find ways to stop the bleeding."
Offense has been hard to come by for Calgary, which ranks tied for 27th in the NHL with an average of 2.54 goals per game.

The Penguins, meanwhile, have won two games in a row after recording only one win in their previous seven games (1-4-2). They beat the Vancouver Canucks, one of the NHL's top road teams, 5-4 on Wednesday, and followed that with a 2-1 victory against the Boston Bruins on Friday.
Philip Tomasino, acquired via trade from the Nashville Predators on Monday, scored the go-ahead goal against Boston to give Pittsburgh consecutive wins for the first time since Oct. 31-Nov. 2.

"There's a price to pay to win, and I thought our guys worked really hard tonight," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "... The last couple of games, we look so much more like the team that we want to be. Just being proactive, controlling momentum. I just think there's a lot to build on."
Friday's win marked the first time since Nov. 8 that the Penguins have held their opponent to two goals or less.

"Coming down to a tight game in the last period, I guess the whole game was really good for our whole group," said goalie Tristan Jarry. "From top to bottom, just blocking shots, keeping pucks down low, holding onto pucks. I think we held momentum most of the game, and I think that's what really helped us down the stretch."​

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[Andy99]

I’d give PoolParty another shot…lol

 

[HandshakeLine]

Lurk more, op.

 

[ncm7772]

Harkins has a deceptively good shot.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Ain't no party like a Sullivan party, cause a Sullivan party don't stop!

 

[Icarium]

If all the interviews with players and coaches were to be generated by AI from now, do you think anyone would notice?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

If all the interviews with players and coaches were to be generated by AI from now, do you think anyone would notice?

Who is this Al you speak of?

 

[BusinessGoose]

Who is this Al you speak of?

Al B. Damned if they win tonight

 

[Empoleon8771]

Lol Smith is being healthy scratched by the Rangers already.

No clue how he fell off so quickly, he’s still okay but okay is a big step back from where he once was

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Always nice to win the battle of Boston DD), but tonight will be harder. Calgary works very hard and they are coming off a couple of losses.

This team is not as bad as it has shown. And the East is a pile of mediocrity. They now have the look of two scoring lines, so that is a start. The third line brings nothing to the table as currently constructed and the fourth is just defense. Nieto is completely unnecessary when Lizotte, O'Connor, Rust, Hayes and Acciari are all in the lineup. You don't need six PK forwards, especially when five of those six provide no offense.

The defense is definitely going to be harder to fix, especially if Sullivan believes last night's pairings is the way to go moving forward.

I hate to root for an injury but Puljujarvi needs a forward to go down to get back in. Which is truly sad.

 

[Darren McCord]

Lol Smith is being healthy scratched by the Rangers already.

No clue how he fell off so quickly, he’s still okay but okay is a big step back from where he once was

Can’t believe they got a 2nd and 5th for him.

 

[Ryder71]

Can’t believe they got a 2nd and 5th for him.

Dubas working his magic. Great trade! Got that bum outtahere!

 

[Icarium]

When I read Smith, it took me like ten seconds to realize it must be Reilly Smith, that's how memorable he was a Penguin.

 

[Malkinstheman]

When I read Smith, it took me like ten seconds to realize it must be Reilly Smith, that's how memorable he was a Penguin.

My first thought was when did Ty Smith end up on the Rangers and when did he become a NHL regular lol

 

[Ulf5]

Who is this Al you speak of?

Bundy. He scored 4 TDs in ONE game.

 

[Fordy]

Lol Smith is being healthy scratched by the Rangers already.

No clue how he fell off so quickly, he’s still okay but okay is a big step back from where he once was

he threw a fit after vegas traded him and never recovered. tbh i thought he’d bounce back on a less dysfunctional team, but obviously this guy thought he’d never have to play anywhere else

 

[Ugene Magic]

 

[Rudy Russo]

Lol Smith is being healthy scratched by the Rangers already.

No clue how he fell off so quickly, he’s still okay but okay is a big step back from where he once was

Dubas did well in trading him after last season.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

 

[Pancakes]

Lol Smith is being healthy scratched by the Rangers already.

No clue how he fell off so quickly, he’s still okay but okay is a big step back from where he once was

He really sucked here. One of the laziest players I've seen.

 

[Al Smith]

He really sucked here. One of the laziest players I've seen.

He had a couple good weeks and then apparently had an epiphany that Derrick Brassard as a Pen was the optimal role model.

 

[Ryder71]

Amazing that Sid and Geno don't miss any games anymore, yet when they were in their primes they missed a ton costing them Scoring titles and potentially MVP's.

Now, when they're on the back end of their careers you can't get em off the ice!