
Could Harden actually allow Philadelphia to acquire a third star with him and Joel Embiid?
Rumor: James Harden could decline player option to allow 76ers to open max cap space — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
Could Harden actually allow Philadelphia to acquire a third star with him and Joel Embiid?
Rumor: James Harden could decline player option to allow 76ers to open max cap space — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
2021-22 Matchups vs. Pittsburgh: Third of Three
2021-22 Record vs. Pittsburgh: 0-2-0
Toronto Season Record: 31-12-3
Toronto Home Record: 17-4-1
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
January 28, 2022
Defenceman Carl Dahlstrom has been assigned to the Maple Leafs taxi
squad from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
January 28, 2022
Defenceman Alex Biega has been reassigned to the Marlies from the
Maple Leafs taxi squad.
January 24, 2022
Forward Joey Anderson, defenceman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender
Erik Kallgren have be reassigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL) from the
Maple Leafs taxi squad.
January 22, 2022
Goaltender Erik Kallgren has been reassigned to the Maple Leafs taxi
squad from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Score: Toronto 6 at Seattle 2
LAST GAME
Date: Monday, February 14, 2022
TOR Goals: Kerfoot, Bunting, Kaše, Marner, Kämpf, Muzzin
SEA Goals: Jarnkrok, McCann
TOR Goaltender: Campbell, 23/25, .920 SV%
SEA Goaltender: Grubauer, 8/11, .727 SV% – Driedger, 11/14, .786 SV%
TOR Power Play: 2-for-2
TOR Penalty Kill: 3-for-4
Team Notes:
PENGUINS
LAST 2 GAMES:
Feb. 15: Pittsburgh 5, Philadelphia 4 – PPG Paints Arena
PIT Goals: Crosby (PP), Simon, Guentzel (PP), Ruhwedel, Letang
Multiple Points: Crosby (1G-1A), Letang (1G-1A)
Goalie: DeSmith (23 saves, 27 shots)
Key Stats: Sidney Crosby became the 46th player in NHL history to record 500 NHL goals and Kris Letang’s overtime winner capped off a two-goal
comeback win.
PP: 2-4
PK: 4-4
Feb. 13: Pittsburgh 4, New Jersey 2 – Prudential Center
PIT Goals: Matheson, Rust, Boyle, Guentzel (EN)
Multiple Points: Boyle (1G-1A), Matheson (1G-1A), Rust (1G-1A), Crosby (2A)
Goalie: Jarry (28 saves, 30 shots)
Key Stats: Pittsburgh extended its win streak to three games and claimed first place in the Metropolitan Division.
PP: 0-3
PK: 2-2
INJURIES
Position, Player, Status (Consecutive Games Missed, Total Games Missed)
F Drew O’Connor, upper-body (13 consecutive, 16 total)
F Jason Zucker, lower-body (12 consecutive, 19 total)
G Louis Domingue, lower-body (12 consecutive, 12 total)
F Teddy Blueger, upper-body (9 consecutive, 10 total)
2021-22 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 187
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 11 – F Michael Chaput and F Valtteri Puustinen re-assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Feb. 6 – F Michael Chaput and F Valtteri Puustinen recalled from WBS (AHL).
Feb. 6 – F Evgeni Malkin added to the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol List.
Feb. 2 – F Kasper Bjorkqvist, F Michael Chaput, D Juuso Riikola and D P.O Joseph re-assigned to WBS.
TONIGHT’S GAME
-The Penguins hit the road for a brief stop as they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena (TV: AT&T Sportsnet; Radio: 105.9 The X).
-Pittsburgh is looking to sweep the season series with Toronto for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign when they went 3-0-0 versus them.
-Pittsburgh is outscoring Toronto 9-1 in two games this season.
-The Penguins enter tonight’s game with points versus the Maple Leafs in four of their last five games (4-1-0).
-Following tonight’s game, the Penguins will play four-straight, and five of their next six games, against divisional opponents.
QUICK HITS
1) No team has scored more power play goals than the Penguins (20) since Jan. 1. Only Toronto (33.3%) has a better power play percentage than
Pittsburgh’s 31.1% in 2022.
2) Kris Letang has 10 points (1G-9A) in his last 10 games against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
3) Since the 2015-16 season, Pittsburgh’s power play ranks second-best (13/49, 26.5%) against the Toronto Maple Leafs behind only Washington’s
(15/49, 30.6%).
4) Tristan Jarry is 4-1-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in six career games against the Maple Leafs. His .929 save
percentage against Toronto is tied for first among all active goaltenders (min. 5 GP).
5) John Marino (8) and Mike Matheson (6) rank first and second in the league in penalties drawn among defensemen since Jan. 16.
PENGUINS vs. MAPLE LEAFS:
Pittsburgh’s All-Time Record vs. Maple Leafs: 89-77-24
In Pittsburgh: 53-35-8
In Toronto: 36-42-16
OT Record vs. Maple Leafs: 8-7-4
Shootout Record vs. Maple Leafs: 5-1
2021-22 Results: Pittsburgh is 2-0-0.
Penguins All-Time Point Leaders vs. MAPLE LEAFS:
Mario Lemieux – 33GP, 71 PTS (31G-40A)
Evgeni Malkin – 39GP, 64 PTS (22G-42A)
Sidney Crosby – 46GP, 63 PTS (28G-35A)
TEAM NOTES:
SIMPLY SID-SATIONAL
Sidney Crosby scored his 500th NHL goal on Tuesday night against Philadelphia. In doing so, he became the second active player (Alex Ovechkin),
and the 46th player in NHL history, to record 500 career regular-season goals.
Crosby enters tonight’s game riding a seven-game point streak (3G-9A) and has points in 12 of his last 14 games (9G-13A), seven of which have been
multi-point efforts. Since this stretch began on Jan. 15, Crosby is tied with Toronto’s Mitch Marner for most second-most points in the NHL:
Points Leaders Since Jan. 15
Player GP G A PTS
Johnny Gaudreau 13 5 19 24
Sidney Crosby 14 9 13 22
Mitch Marner 11 11 11 22
Matthew Tkachuk 13 7 15 22
Crosby also has points in each of his last six road games (5G-5A).
POINT STREAKIN’
Tonight’s game features three of the league’s longest active point streaks, as Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel are both riding seven-game point
streaks entering tonight’s game, while Toronto’s Auston Matthews (8 games) has the NHL’s longest active point streak:
Player GP G A PTS
Auston Matthews 8 7 9 16
Johnny Gaudreau 8 4 8 12
Elias Lindholm 8 7 6 13
Sidney Crosby 7 3 9 12
Jake Guentzel 7 4 7 11
Guentzel has been one Pittsburgh’s of the most consistent skaters this season. Dating back to Nov. 13, he has been held off the scoresheet in just four
of his last 33 games, and he has points in all but one road game that he’s played in this season (22GP, 17G-14A).
ROAD WARRIORS
The Penguins have been the NHL’s best team on the road in 2021-22 as they enter tonight’s game with a 17-5-3 road record. The team’s 17 road wins,
37 road points, .740 road points percentage and 2.24 road goals-against per games are all tops in the NHL, while their 84 goals for away from home are
tied for fourth most.
Pittsburgh has won six-consecutive road games (6-0-0) dating back to Jan. 15 and with a win tonight can tie the longest road winning streak in the NHL
this season (Toronto, 7GP; Vegas, 7GP). A win tonight would also tie the second-longest road winning streak in franchise history:
Longest Road Winning Streaks in Franchise History
Streak Season Road Win Streak Dates
8 Games 2015-16 Mar. 11-Apr. 7, 2016
7 Games 2009-10 Oct. 3-Nov. 3, 2009
7 Games 2010-11 Nov. 6-Dec. 11, 2010
6 Games* 2021-22 Jan. 15, 2022-Present
6 Games Three Times N/A
KRIS IS CLUTCH
With his overtime winner on Tuesday night against Philadelphia, Kris Letang now has the most overtime points by a defenseman in NHL history (30). It
also marked his eighth-career overtime goal tying him for fifth most in NHL history among defensemen.
All-Time Overtime Points Among Defensemen
Player OTP
Kris Letang* 30
Erik Karlsson* 29
Nicklas Lindstrom 26
Tomas Kaberle 25
Duncan Keith* 25
Brent Burns* 25
*Active
Letang’s 45 points (6G-39A) are fifth most among NHL defensemen this season, and he is one assist shy of hitting the 40 assist plateau for the sixth
time in his career.
CROSBY IN CANADA
This season, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has played seven games in his home country, recording two goals, five assists and seven points, helping
Pittsburgh to 5-1-1 record in those games. Overall, Crosby thrives when playing Canada, as he’s picked up points in 18 of his last 22 games in Canadian
cities. In those 18 games which date back to Nov. 4, 2017 in Vancouver, Crosby has tallied 28 points (11G-17A).
In 23 career road games against the Maple Leafs, he has 13 goals, 13 assists and 26 points.
MALKIN VS. THE LEAFS
Evgeni Malkin has made a habit of turning in big performances against the Toronto Maple Leafs over the course of his career. In 39 games, Malkin has
22 goals, 42 assists and 64 points. He has been held scoreless against Toronto only seven times in his career, and has recorded three or more points
10 times. In the 18 games that he’s recorded multiple points versus the Maple Leafs, the Penguins are 13-4-1. Malkin’s 1.64 points-per-game average is
his highest against any team:
Team GP G A PTS PTS/GM
Toronto 39 22 42 64 1.64
Detroit 22 11 21 32 1.45
Winnipeg 36 20 32 52 1.44
Arizona 19 7 19 26 1.37
Nashville 14 6 13 19 1.36
Malkin is quickly closing in on Mario Lemieux’s franchise record for points against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 33 career games, Lemeiux recorded 71
points (31G-40A).
GAME-WINNING GURUS
Evgeni Malkin tallied his 74th career game-winning goal in his season debut. His next game-winner will surpass Mario Lemieux for sole possession of
second place on the team’s all-time game-winning goals list, while Sidney Crosby sits one game-winner shy of a three-way tie for second place:
Player GWGs
Jaromir Jagr 78
Evgeni Malkin 74
Mario Lemieux 74
Sidney Crosby 73
Jean Pronovost 42
PENGUINS COACH’S CHALLENGE
2021-22: 4-for-4, 100%
Last Challenge: Feb. 1, 2022 – Call overturned; Capitals skater Nic Dowd impared Tristan Jarry’s ability to make a save, therefore no goal for
Washington.
All-Time (since 2015-16): 23-for-45, 51.1% (Interference: 11-for-26, 42.3%; Offsides: 12-for-19, 63.2%)
2021-22 PENS’ MULTIPLE-GOAL GAME LEADERS
Name Total 2G 3G 4G
Bryan Rust 5 4 1 0
Jake Guentzel 4 3 1 0
Jeff Carter 3 3 0 0
Evan Rodrigues 2 1 1 0
Sidney Crosby 1 0 1 0
Kasperi Kapanen 1 0 1 0
Teddy Blueger 1 1 0 0
Danton Heinen 1 1 0 0
Kris Letang 1 1 0 0
Evgeni Malkin 1 1 0 0
Mike Matheson 1 1 0 0
Drew O’Connor 1 1 0 0
Jason Zucker 1 1 0 0
2021-22 PENS’ OVERTIME POINT LEADERS
Name G A PTS
Kris Letang 2 2 4
Jeff Carter 1 1 2
Jake Guentzel 1 0 1
Sidney Crosby 0 1 1
2021-22 REGULAR-SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS BREAKDOWN
Power Play
Overall: 33-149, 22.1%
5-on-4: 29-143, 20.3%
5-on-3: 3-9, 33.3%
4-on-3: 1-3, 33.3%
Penalty Kill
Overall: 106-121, 87.6%
5-on-4: 103-117, 88.0%
5-on-3: 1-2, 50.0%
4-on-3: 3-3, 100.0%
MILESTONES WATCH
F Bryan Rust 8 games from 400
F Brock McGinn 8 games from 400
MILESTONES ACHIEVED
F Sidney Crosby recorded his 500th NHL goal on Feb. 15, 2022 vs. Philadelphia.
D Chad Ruhwedel skated in his 200th game with Pittsburgh on Feb. 15, 2022 vs. Philadelphia.
F Zach Aston-Reese skated in his 200th NHL game on Feb. 8, 2022 vs. Boston.
F Jake Guentzel recorded his 300th NHL point on Jan. 30, 2022 vs. Los Angeles
UTICA COMETS (28-9-5-0 – 61 Points) vs.
TORONTO MARLIES (22-12-2-1 – 47 Points)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
1 | 2 | 3 | OT | FINAL | |
UTICA | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
TORONTO | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 6 |
GAME SUMMARY | GAME SHEET | PHOTOS | SCRUMS
SCORING SUMMARY
Utica: F. Zetterlund (18) PP (R. Russo, J. Gambardella), A. Holtz (17) (C. De Leo, M. Vukojevic)
Goaltender: A. Schmid (25/31) L
Toronto: N. Ritchie (1) PP (J. Anderson, B. Seney), A. Steeves (13) (J. Anderson, B. Seney), J. Blandisi (5) (N. Robertson, J. Duszak), J. Kopacka (4) (B. McMann), J. Blandisi (6) (C. Dahlström), B. McMann (11) (M. Hollowell, B. Seney)
Goaltender: E. Källgren (32/34) W
ON THE SCORESHEET
OF NOTE
RECORD WHEN Scoring first 16-1-1-1 Leading after 11-1-2-1 Leading after 2 16-1-2-1 At home 11-5-1-1 February 3-0-0-0 Wednesday 4-3-0-1 | MARLIES LEADERS *Amongst active players Goals 14 (J. Anderson) Assists 26 (J. Duszak) Points 34 (B. Seney) PPG 5 (J. Anderson) Shots 87 (A. Steeves) +/- +13 (B. Seney) PIMS 55 (R. Clune) |
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH GREG MOORE
On Toronto’s power play (2 goals):
Power play looked sharp, along with the overall team game in terms of our puck play, looked really clean. You could tell that they were anticipating where to go with the puck before they got it and the mindset of everybody using each other and using all five guys on the ice.
On Joseph Blandisi:
He’s been really good. He’s been scoring a lot lately, he’s really, really competitive. He works really hard, does a lot of little things well defensively, makes it hard on other guys and the other team. He closes quickly, plays inside of contact and finishes his hits. He brings a lot of energy, not only physically but verbally on our bench.
On Nick Ritchie:
He played great. Obviously, a goal there to get us started. He was a presence for us on the power play. Good strong wall plays on breakouts. For a big guy he moves really well, sees the ice really well and has really subtle hands to make small area plays and make his teammates better.
JACK KOPACKA (1 GOAL)
On Toronto’s forecheck:
It’s a big part of our game plan. We have a lot of skilled players on our team, a lot of guys with a lot of speed and we can get behind their D and work the cycle game. We’ve got big bodies as well as skilled players that can make plays out of the corners and we’re having a lot of success.
On the team’s attitude:
We’re going good right now, but you got to keep it going. I think we have a lot to prove to ourselves going into trying to make a playoff push. It’s going to be exciting.
UPCOMING GAMES:
*All times Eastern Standard Time
February 18 at Belleville – 7:00 p.m.
February 19 vs. Belleville – 4:00 p.m.
February 21 vs. Laval – 3:00 p.m. (Scotiabank Arena)
February 23 vs. Laval – 7:00 p.m.
February 26 at Rochester – 3:05 p.m.