Your Penguins need this one against New York tonight
Alright yinz, it's Tuesday, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are headin' out to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. This ain't no casual Tuesday night, believe me. We’re sitting third in the Metro, but it’s tight, like trying to fit a double-decker Primanti's sandwich into a regular mouth. We’ve dropped our last one, and the last ten have been a bit of a rollercoaster, so getting a W tonight is huge for momentum, especially with the playoff picture getting clearer than the view from Mount Washington. You gotta wonder if the boys are feeling that pressure, but this team, especially with Crosby at the helm, usually rises to the occasion.
What I'm watching for tonight is how the defense holds up. The Islanders can grind it out, and their building, UBS Arena, gets loud. We need to play tight, keep the puck out of our zone, and let the skill guys do their thing. And speaking of skill, all eyes are always on Sid. He’s been carrying us on his back more nights than not this season, and against a team like the New York Islanders, you just know he’s gonna bring that playoff intensity even in a regular season game. He thrives in these kinds of games, the ones where every shift matters.
The vibe here in Pittsburgh is always electric on game day. People are talking about it over their coffee at Pamela's, wondering if this is the night we really start to string some wins together. This isn't a rivalry game like Philly, but it's a divisional one, and those points are gold. It's a must-win in my book, a chance to show we're for real and ready to make some noise.
* Watch for the defense to step up * Crosby’s always a factor * Need to dictate the pace early * This one's a big divisional test
From dahntahn Pittsburgh — yinz know what time it is. Let's Go Pens.
My buddy Stosh breaks all this down every morning, yinz gotta check him out over at mornings.live.