Penguins/NHL
PENGUINS TO ALTER LINEUPDan Bylsma has picked his starting goaltender for Game 3 but the Penguins head coach declined to share with the media. However, indications are Tomas Vokoun will most likely be in goal Wednesday night for Game 3. The Penguins head coach, though, admitted today that there will be changes to the lineup and line combinations tomorrow night.
“I think there is going to be some changes to our lineup and some of our lines,” Bylsma said moments ago. “I think very early on last night we got behind by a goal and then the second goal right after the penalty kill, and we got off our game plan.
“We got off individual games by trying to get back a goal or goals by one play, by one instance, by one situation, and it got us off a path, and we deviated from the game plan in an effort to do so. We have to as a group and as lines and as D-pairings, we have to get back to playing our game. We have to get back to playing good defensive hockey, we have to get back to playing get away from the puck, and that’s got to happen throughout our lineup, and I think you’ll see some changes in our lines and a few guys being added to the lineup to do so.”
One key area we could see changes for the Penguins is on the top-2 lines as the Penguins top line of Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby, Pascal Dupuis and the second line of Jarome Iginla, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal have no points in the series.
The Bruins top-2 lines have greatly outplayed the Penguins top-2 lines, a huge downfall for the Penguins in the series.
Pascal Dupuis, James Neal, Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin did not practice today, so there was little to go on for tomorrow’s lineup.
With the Penguins down early in Game 2, Bylsma tried several different line combinations in Monday’s loss. Few worked.
What the Penguins could use is some youth into the lineup with Beau Bennett and Simon Despres entering the lineup. Don’t be surprised if both play tomorrow night.
