After two impressive performances, the Pittsburgh Penguins sure put forth a stinker in their last trip to the ice. Coach Dan Bylsma’s club will look to atone for its first loss of the season when it travels to Manitoba to face the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin and captain Sidney Crosby scored their team’s goals in a 5-2 loss to Toronto in the home opener on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh at Winnipeg
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, January 25, 2013
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
TV: 8 p.m., ROOT (Pittsburgh), TSN (Winnipeg)
Prediction: Penguins 4, Jets 1
Pittsburgh has a good chance to return to its winning ways if recent history holds true. The Penguins have won three straight and 15 of 16 against the Jets’ franchise. Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler collected a goal and an assist apiece in Winnipeg’s 4-2 triumph over Southeast Division foe Washington on Wednesday.
Malkin, who has secured points in all three games this season, has tormented the Jets by registering five-point performances in each of the last two meetings. James Neal led all scorers with five goals in the season series – including a hat trick in Pittsburgh’s 8-4 victory on March 20, 2012. The eight-goal effort was the second straight in the set by the Penguins, who won three of four against Winnipeg.
While the MTS Centre was pretty much a safe haven for Winnipeg last season, coach Claude Noel’s club lost its final four home tilts in the 2011-12 campaign before suffering a 4-1 loss to Ottawa in Manitoba on Saturday. The Jets collected three points (1-0-1) on their two-game road swing – and doubled their previous scoring output by erupting for four goals versus the Capitals. Ondrej Pavelec boasts a spectacular .929 save percentage this season, but – like his team – has struggled versus the Penguins.
25% Bonus via Western Union
