Well this game will certainly be interesting. Rather than familiar faces attempting to mesh with the new guys and a handful of kids, tonight we’re basically treated to a bizzaro team. Only Michael Frolik, Nick Leddy and Bryan Bickell played significant time with the club last year. John Scott is in there again too but the only thing he did last year of any significance was make some dude’s head bleed real good. So enjoy the Rockford Icehogs game tonight…
- Brandon Saad is getting more time on the ice tonight after a pretty solid game against the Oilers. It’s unlikely that he’ll jump from the OHL straight to the big club but it gives you something to look forward too
- Speaking of Saad, they remind us on the preview that he’s a Pittsburgh native and that his favorite player in the NHL is Sidney Crosby… isn’t it a little demeaning to make a prospect list his favorite player on his draft profile? This isn’t the little league world series
- Oh wait, he’s only 18.. he almost could play little league.
- Daniel Carcillo will once again get a chance to do whatever it is that Daniel Carcillo does. Pittsburgh always has pretty entertaining games against Philly so it could be interesting to see if Carcillo brings any of that level of animosity to tonight’s tilt.
- We’ll also get another chance to see if either Emery or Salak will take a step forward as the frontrunner for the back up role. Salak may have the edge but it’s still up in the air as to who will be opening and closing the door on the bench for most of the year.
- The defense is really what to watch tonight as Leddy, Lepisto and O’Donnell will all be sure to make the club but their roles aren’t set in stone yet.
This is your game thread – get at it