CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t get the most efficient that P.O Joseph has to supply right through their season-opening 6-2 victory towards Arizona Thursday.
Even so, he it sounds as if will dangle onto his spot at the No. 3 protection pairing when Tampa Bay visits PPG Paints Arena Saturday at 7:08 p.m.
The Penguins, who made it in the course of the Coyotes recreation with none vital accidents, caught with the similar staff mixtures they used towards Arizona whilst training Friday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Those integrated:
Jake Guentzel — Sidney Crosby — Rickard Rakell
Jason Zucker — Evgeni Malkin — Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen — Jeff Carter — Kasperi Kapanen
Brock McGinn — Ryan Poehling — Josh Archibald
Brian Dumoulin — Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson — Jeff Petry
P.O Joseph — Jan Rutta
(Chad Ruhwedel used to be the No. 7 defenseman, and had injured middle Teddy Blueger as a spouse in some drills.)
No. 1 energy play — Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Guentzel, Rust
No. 2 energy play — Petry, Carter, Zucker, Heinen, Kapanen
Ty Smith labored on Rutta’s left facet for many of the preseason, however used to be despatched to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ farm workforce in Wilkes-Barre Sunday as a result of salary-cap issues.
Jospeh used to be plugged into that spot — Ruhwedel used to be the opposite candidate to fill it — and won most often lackluster critiques for his play Thursday.
That he’ll keep in the lineup isn’t essentially a wonder, then again. One recreation isn’t a lot of an audition for a defenseman adapting to a new spouse, particularly when that recreation used to be a four-goal victory.
Lightning nonetheless putting
The Penguins must have a lovely just right thought of what to anticipate from Tampa Bay once they face the Lightning Saturday.
After all, Tampa Bay has reached the Stanley Cup ultimate in 3 consecutive years — and earned a pair of championships in the method — so it hasn’t precisely been running underneath the radar.
If, then again, Mike Sullivan and his personnel are in quest of any further nuggets of data in regards to the Lightning, Rutta may be able to supply them.
He spent 4 seasons in Tampa sooner than becoming a member of the Penguins as a loose agent this summer season, so he has some lovely just right insights on that membership.
“It was a good three or four years there,” he mentioned. “A lot of friends.”
And a lot {of professional} recognize for them, and the best way that workforce continues to compete.
“We were two games away from a three-peat (this spring), and we lost two overtime games,” he mentioned. “It could have swung both ways. I think the fire definitely was there.”
Still, regardless of the binds to a couple former teammates, Rutta mentioned he doesn’t be expecting to pay a lot consideration to the Lightning because the season progresses.
“To be honest, I don’t really care,” he mentioned. “I’ll follow a little bit.”
And he isn’t dissatisfied that he’ll be dealing with his former membership in the second one recreation of the season.
“Maybe it’s good that it’s early in the season,” he mentioned. “Just get it out of the way.”
Penguins catching a ruin?
Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning is likely one of the NHL’s premier goaltenders, but it surely looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins gained’t must take care of him Saturday.
Tampa Bay performs in Columbus Friday night time, and Vasilevskiy is scheduled to be in target towards the Blue Jackets.
Because the Lightning have video games on consecutive days, the Penguins are anticipated to stand backup goalie Brian Elliott.
No touch for Blueger
Blueger’s routine — on-ice exercise with Ty Hennes sooner than observe, then participate in the observe whilst dressed in a no-contact jersey — stays unchanged, and there was no projection of when he would possibly rejoin the lineup.
He used to be the one participant to sit down out the opener towards the Coyotes as a result of an damage.
