Pittsburgh Penguins Announce Starting Goalie for Important Road Game Against Islanders
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Alex Nedeljkovic gets his third start in a row as the Pittsburgh Penguins begin a three-game road trip tonight against the New York Islanders.
Every game counts for the Penguins, who are now 2-7-1 and only one point ahead of the Islanders in the Metropolitan Division standings. They know they must remain dedicated on both sides of the puck as they ride hot goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who has given up just two goals on 49 shots in the last two games, for a third consecutive game.
Alex Nedeljkovic, who has a 2-0-0 record, a 0.98 goals-against average, and a .959 save percentage, has been a reliable goalie. Since October 31, he has the second-highest save percentage (min. 2 GP) in the NHL (Shesterkin, 2 GP,.962 Sv%). In the same time frame, his 0.98 goals-against average is second in the NHL. He will be looking to extended his strong performance tonight as starting goalie.
Sidney Crosby, who has scored four goals in his last two games, is only three goals away from becoming the 21st player in NHL history to reach 600 goals going into tonight's game. Crosby wants to become one of the few active players to reach this milestone, along with Alex Ovechkin of Washington (860). Mario Lemieux (690) is the only player to score more than Crosby in Pittsburgh Penguins history.
Crosby is only three assists away from tying Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for the 13th most assists in NHL history going into tonight's game. Additionally, he wants to tie Sakic for the sixth-most assists in league history by a player with a single franchise.
It will be the fourth time that Penguins forward Anthony Beauvillier, who played for the Islanders for the first seven seasons of his NHL career before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks at the 2023 trade deadline, will be facing his old team while wearing a different uniform.
"It definitely still feels a little bit weird to be on the other side, but it's always great," Beauvillier said. "So many good memories here in the city, in this building, just opening night here, and everything that surrounds here. I have so many good memories with these people over there, and it feels weird to be on the other side, but it's fun to come back."
Beauvillier has spent the last two Penguins victories in the fourth line, where he will probably be positioned alongside Blake Lizotte and Kevin Hayes. Head coach Mike Sullivan is aware that Beauvillier is excited to play against his old team, which should provide him with "extra motivation" to perform well on Tuesday.
In their last 13 meetings with the Islanders, the Penguins have a 6-4-3 record. Further back in time, the Penguins have a 10-5-3 record against the Islanders in their last 18 meetings. Puck drops at 7:30PM, and the game will be available for you to watch on SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN+.
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