Game #31 - at Blues

Pittsburgh Penguins at St Louis Blues

Pittsburgh - 8-16-6 - 22 pts - Last in Atlantic
St Louis - 5-17-4 - 14 pts - Last in Central

Tonight the Pens play the worst team in the NHL. The Blues have the fewest points in the NHL, the fewest wins in the NHL and the worst home record in the NHL. Having said that, here are a few fun facts showing that things aren't as bad as they seem for the Blues:

• Three of their five wins have come in the last month, including a win at Detriot.
• They had THIRTEEN power play chances on Saturday night against the Rangers (though they lost in OT).
• In fact, in their last three home games, they've drawn double-digit penalties, scoring seven power play goals over those three games.
• They've outshot their opponent in the last four straight home games.
• Keith Tkachuk has returned from injury and has 13 points in his last six games.

The Blues just release Patrick Lalime. That means we'll probably see either Curtis Sanford, whose number don't look all that bad, but who hasn't been the same since winning at Detroit (good thing Fleury didn't win - he might have been slated for a tailspin too!), or Jason Bacashihua who was just called up from the minors when Lalime was released.

The Pens need to keep the energy high tonight after playing last night in Detroit. Getting a lead would be a priority. I'm just concerned that the fact that the Pens have seemed to have energy and hustle issues in the past, combined with playing the third game in four nights and St Louis improving at home will all stack up to a disappointing evening. Let's hope it doesn't turn out that way. Let's also hope that Fleury is in net again.

Let's go Pens!