Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Dallas Stars 3/22/2024 - Lines, how to watch
The Pens take to Texas
Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (30-29-9, 69 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Dallas Stars (42-19-9, 93 points, 3rd place Central Division)
When: 8 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Sportsnet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Southwest in the local markets, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Pens head over to Colorado for a Sunday afternoon game (2pm Eastern time start) and then go back home next week for two home games. Up first for that will be Carolina on Tuesday and then hosting Columbus on Thursday. The Blue Jacket fun continues with a rematch in Columbus next Saturday March, 30th.
Opponent Track: Tonight wraps up a five-game home-stand for the Stars. They’re only 2-2-0 on it, but those two wins have come in their last two games, including a 5-2 victory their last game out over Arizona.
Season Series: Dallas beat the Pens 4-1 back on October 24th, but it might as well have been 40-1. The Stars controlled that game big time and were a very tough matchup for the Pens.
Getting to know the Stars
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Joe Pavelski
Mason Marchment - Matt Duchene - Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn - Wyatt Johnston - Logan Stankoven
Craig Smith - Radek Faksa - Sam Steel
DEFENSEMEN
Thomas Harley / Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell/ Chris Tanev
Ryan Suter / Nils Lundkvist
Goalies: Jake Oettinger, Scott Wedgewood and the other Matthew Murray
Possible scratches: Ty Dellandrea, Jani Hakanpaa
IR: Evgeni Dadonov
—The Stars are proof that old guys can still get it done. All of Pavelski, Duchene, Seguin and Benn are on the back-half of their careers and thriving in key roles. Youngsters in Johnston and Stankoven have added some energy and skill (which no doubt the Pens will be hoping to bring in the likes of those types of players in the upcoming years) to add to the core.
—It’s on defense that Dallas is young (outside of veterans Suter and Tanev). Three key blueliners are 25 or younger. 22-year old Harley (drafted two spots ahead of Sam Poulin back in 2019) has been the key breakout, going from 1 NHL goal in 40 games entering this season to a whopping 15 this year.
Player stats
(via hockeydb)
—Dallas doesn’t have any elite scoring players, but they make up for it with the most potent balanced attack in the league. An NHL-high nine players currently have 45+ points for them (the Pens have three).
—Jake Oettinger entered this year, his fourth in the NHL, on such an upward trajectory. Last season he finished 5th in Vezina voting and won 10 playoff games en route to leading the Stars to within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final. He looked well on his way to carving out a spot among the handful of very elite and consistent goalies of this age. And then this year happened. Just goes to show that goaltending is the most unpredictable of positions, though Oettinger still has time and the opportunity to make everyone forget about a forgettable regular season if he plays his best when it counts.
And now for the Penguins
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Drew O’Connor - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Michael Bunting - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell
Reilly Smith - Lars Eller - Valtteri Puustinen
Jesse Puljujarvi - Noel Acciari - Emil Bemstrom
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Graves / Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson / Erik Karlsson
John Ludvig / P.O. Joseph
Goalies: Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic
Potential Scratches: Jeff Carter
IR: Matt Nieto (knee surgery), Jansen Harkins (hand injury)
—Carter skated before practice yesterday but didn’t join the team, so he looks to likely miss another game today with his minor injury. Almost expecting the Pens to again call-up Jonathan Gruden from the AHL for tonight’s game, but as it stands it could be Puljujarvi’s first game since March 9th.
One point away from more history