Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Game #52 - vs New York Islanders

Game 52
Islanders (16-27-7, 39 points) at Penguins (32-15-4, 68 points)

Why does it matter?
Malkin may return tonight, but the important thing to note is another chance to get two points and improve the divisional record. The Isles are pretty bad right now - this would be a missed opportunity if the Pens didn't come out with a W.

What has been happening lately?
  • Pens - Six wins in their past seven games. Last night's game at MSG was a good example of the resilience this team has shown this year.
  • Islanders - They just won last night in Atlanta... Poulin has been decent in net... Grabner is really fast... other than that, the results have not been good.
Questions to be answered
  • The biggest question for me tonight is how will many of the guys who played big minutes last night react? They aren't used to getting over 20 minutes of ice time. Will there be tired legs tonight?
  • Can the Pens get back to drawing chances on the power play? It seems like some of the "keep the legs moving" kind of stuff isn't there right now.
  • How effective will Tangradi be if he gets into the lineup?
Keys to the game
  • Keep it simple. Get into the grinding mode right from the beginning of the game.
  • Pace yourself. Don't look to get into a track meet early - keeping the legs for the third period is important.
  • Stop Okposo. He's the biggest threat on the Isles, and he just scored two goals last night.

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