NBCSN’s coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season continues with Tuesday’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
The Penguins come into this game having won five of their last seven games (5-1-1) and have closed in on the division leading Capitals. Pittsburgh trailed Washington by 13 points entering play on Dec. 12, 2019, but have gone 19-5-2 (40 points) in 26 games since then to close the gap to just one point.
The Penguins have earned at least one point in each of their last six games at PPG Paints Arena (5-0-1) and recorded their 21st home win of the season overall – matching the Bruins for the most home wins in the NHL.
Jason Zucker, who was acquired on Feb. 10 from the Wild for Alex Galchenyuk, prospect Calen Addison and a conditional first-round pick, has three points in three games for the Penguins and has been skating on the top line with Sidney Crosby. He tallied his first multi-goal game of the season in Friday’s 4-1 win over the Canadiens, and then added an assist in Sunday’s 5-1 win over the Red Wings.
The Leafs enter this game having lost five of their last eight games (3-4-1). Toronto is coming off a 5-2 loss at Buffalo on Sunday night where they gave up three goals in the span of 91 seconds in the third period after the score was even at 2-2. Toronto sits in third place in the Atlantic, but the fourth place Panthers are just two points back with one game in hand.
Leafs star forward Auston Matthews is currently tied with Boston’s David Pastrnak for the league lead with 42 goals this season, and his 42 tallies have already set a career high. The Leafs star has done the majority of his damage on
home ice with 30 goals in 30 games any Scotiabank Arena.
[COVERAGE BEGINS AT 6 P.M. ET ON NBCSN]
WHAT: Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh Penguins
WHERE: PPG Paints Arena
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Maple Leafs-Penguins stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
MAPLE LEAFS
Zach Hyman – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
William Nylander – John Tavares – Alexander Kerfoot
Pierre Engvall – Frederik Gauthier – Kasperi Kapanen
Kyle Clifford – Jason Spezza – Dmytro Timashov
Jake Muzzin – Justin Holl
Rasmus Sandin – Tyson Barrie
Travis Dermott – Martin Marincin
Starting goalie: Frederik Andersen
PENGUINS
Jason Zucker – Sidney Crosby – Dominik Simon
Jared McCann – Evgeni Malkin – Bryan Rust
Brandon Tanev – Teddy Blueger – Patric Hornqvist
Dominik Kahun – Andrew Agozzino – Sam Lafferty
Jack Johnson – Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson – Justin Schultz
Juuso Riikola – Chad Ruhwedel
Starting goalie: Tristan Jarry
Kenny Albert and Pierre McGuire will call the action at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.
An hour-long special on Connor McDavid, titled Connor McDavid: Whatever It Takes will premiere following the game at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The feature provides an inside look at McDavid’s comeback from a knee injury in last season’s final game. Click here for a trailer.
The Miracle on Ice – 40th Anniversary, featuring Al Michaels, who called the momentous matchup in 1980, and Mike Tirico, will premiere on Wednesday night at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. 40 years to the month, this 30-minute special will feature Tirico’s wide-ranging conversation with Michaels about the buildup to the game, his iconic call, as well as the legacy of the moment that became bigger than sports and still resonates today.
