[7:30 PM] Penguins @ Panthers

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Penguins (16-7-3)

@ Florida Panthers (12-11-4)

 

Starting Goalies:

Matt Murray (PIT): Confirmed

Roberto Luongo (FLA): Confirmed

 

• Florida Panthers general manager/interim coach Tom Rowe is doing his best to remain positive in the face of a pronounced negative. With four losses in five games since dismissing former coach Gerard Gallant, Rowe and the Panthers look to turn around their fortunes on Thursday as they open a modest two-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• Sidney Crosby scored his league high-tying 17th goal on Tuesday to extend his point streak to five games (three goals, five assists) while fellow former Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin has collected 11 points (two goals, nine assists) during his six-game run.

• Aleksander Barkov has left a 21-game goalless drought in his rear-view mirror with three tallies in his last four contests. Fellow forward Jaromir Jagr has recorded three goals and an assist in his last seven games but torched the team with which he began his eventual Hall-of-Fame career with 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in 55 career encounters. Roberto Luongo, who is seven years younger than the 44-year-old Jagr and owns a 14-9-5 career record versus the Penguins, is expected to be back in net after getting the night off on Tuesday.

• Seventeen of the 19 skaters on the Penguins recorded at least one point during the team’s three-game homestand.

• Florida is 0-for-15 on the power play this month.

• Pittsburgh shuffled D Derrick Pouliot and C Jake Guentzel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Florida Panthers

Confidence: 4/10

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