NBC’s coverage of the 2019-20 NHL season continues with Sunday’s matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET on NBC. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.
Pittsburgh enters this matchup just three points back of the Metro-leading Capitals as the Penguins look to extend their playoff run with a 14th straight appearance. The Pens enter this matchup after a 4-1 win against Montreal on Friday night to improve to 4-1-1 since the All-Star break.
Sidney Crosby and newly acquired Jason Zucker led the way over Montreal. With 3 assists, including one on each of Zucker’s goals, Crosby paced all players on Friday night. Since returning from a 28-game absence due to core muscle surgery, Crosby has 17 points (5G-12A) in 11 games and the Pens are 7-3-1. Part of those 17 points are two overtime goals (Jan. 17 at DET, Jan. 31 vs PHI) and a game-winner at FLA on Feb. 8.
Zucker, who was acquired on Monday and playing his second game with the Pens, put up his first multi- goal game this season (47 GP). The 28-year-old was born in Newport Beach, California, raised in Las Vegas, competed for the U.S. National Team Development Program, played his college hockey at the Univ. of Denver and spent the first eight-plus years of his NHL career with the Wild after Minnesota drafted him in 2010.
Detroit will look to avoid a season sweep in this third and final meeting after falling to Pittsburgh on Dec. 7 (5-3) and Jan. 17 (2-1 OT). The Red Wings, who have lost 26 of 31 on the road this season (5-24-2), conclude a four-game road trip with this game (0-3-0 thus far). For the Penguins, this is the third game of a four-game homestand that ends on Tuesday vs Toronto. Pittsburgh is the second-best home team in the league this season (20-5-4, 44 pts) behind Boston.
Detroit has lost 46 of their first 60 games this season, while their 32 points have them the frontrunners for the top overall pick. The Wings are on pace to finish this season with just 43 points, which would be the fewest points by any team in an 82-game season since the expansion Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-00 (39 points).
[COVERAGE BEGINS AT 12 P.M. ET ON NBC]
WHAT: Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins
WHERE: PPG Paints Arena
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 16, 12 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
LIVE STREAM: You can watch the Red Wings-Penguins stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
RED WINGS
Robby Fabbri – Dylan Larkin – Anthony Mantha
Tyler Bertuzzi – Valtteri Filppula – Andreas Athanasiou
Darren Helm – Luke Glendening – Frans Nielsen
Adam Erne – Christoffer Ehn – Brendan Perlini
Filip Hronek – Mike Green
Patrik Nemeth – Alex Biega
Trevor Daley – Gustav Lindstrom
Starting goalie: Jimmy Howard
PENGUINS
Jason Zucker – Sidney Crosby – Dominik Simon
Jared McCann – Evgeni Malkin – Bryan Rust
Zach Aston-Reese – Teddy Blueger – Brandon Tanev
Sam Lafferty – Andrew Agozzino – Patric Hornqvist
Jack Johnson – Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson – Justin Schultz
Juuso Riikola – Chad Ruhwedel
Starting goalie: Tristan Jarry
NBC Sports celebrates Hockey Day in America this Sunday with an NHL tripleheader on NBC and NBCSN, as well as a collection of stories and features which explore hockey’s impact and influence across the U.S.
The HDIA tripleheader begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC, when Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins host Tyler Bertuzzi and the Detroit Red Wings, followed by an Original Six matchup with David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins visiting Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Coverage shifts to NBCSN at 6 p.m. ET for a Central Division battle as Ryan O’Reilly and the St. Louis Blues head to Music City to battle Roman Josi and the Nashville Predators.
Hockey Day in America pre-game coverage begins at noon ET on NBC from the plaza outside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Host Liam McHugh and analysts Keith Jones, Anson Carter, and Brian Boucher will anchor pre-game, intermission, and post-game coverage throughout the day.