The Pittsburgh Penguins have won four of their last five games, including two-straight.
They recently defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in a wild, chaotic game on Thursday, in which Nikita Kucherov’s game-tying goal was taken off the board for a hand pass. The Penguins were able to survive the final minute of regulation and walk away with two points.
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The Penguins have responded since head coach Dan Muse called them out following the Nov. 22 3-2 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken, and will try to carry that strong momentum into Sunday’s game against a Dallas Stars team with Stanley Cup aspirations. The Stars are currently in second place in the Central Division with a 19-5-5 record and have won two in a row and seven of 10.
Stars forward Jason Robertson has been outstanding this year, compiling 18 goals and 37 points in 29 games. He’s been doing it all for the Stars and if he’s not on Team USA’s Olympic team in February, then something is seriously wrong.
Mikko Rantanen has also been outstanding, racking up 13 goals and 38 points in 28 games. He’s very crafty in the offensive zone and can make anyone pay in an instant.
Wyatt Johnston continues to do his thing with 16 goals and 33 points in 29 games and doesn’t get talked about enough. He’s one of the most underrated players in the NHL.
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Miro Heiskanen leads the Stars defensively and is one of the best defenseman on the planet. He can do everything in all three zones and has exceptional gap control.
Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith have both been good in goal this season and it’ll be interesting to see which goalie gets the nod in this one.
As for the Penguins, there may be a couple of changes coming to the lineup after Saturday’s practice. Evgeni Malkin missed practice with a maintenance day but is expected to play on Sunday. Justin Brazeau was back in his usual spot on the second line during line rushes and Noel Acciari was back on the fourth line.
Matt Dumba was also in Connor Clifton’s spot on the bottom pairing with Ryan Graves.
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Here’s what Sunday’s lineup could look like if Brazeau and Acciari are cleared to return:
Forwards
Novak-Crosby-Rust
Mantha-Malkin-Brazeau
McGroarty-Kindel-Koivunen
Dewar-Lizzote-Acciari
Defense
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Shea-Letang
Graves-Dumba
Penguins head coach Dan Muse will likely announce a starting goaltender when he meets with the media before the game. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh, and fans can listen to the game on 105.9 ‘The X.’
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