The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to unveil a pair of key trade deadline acquisitions Wednesday as they look to halt a three-game losing skid in Los Angeles. Patrick Marleau will make his Pittsburgh debut after being nabbed from the San Jose Sharks, while fellow forward Conor Sheary makes his return to the Penguins franchise via trade.
- Date/Time: February 26, 10:30 p.m.
- Arena: Staples Center
- TV Coverage: NBCSN
- Sportsbook Odds: Penguins -175 | O/U 6
- Penguins vs Kings Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Penguins opened as hefty -175 favorites, and that line quickly climbed into the -190 to -200 range. The total sits at 6, with the OVER at -105 and the UNDER at -115 in most spots.
Pittsburgh News & Notes
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan loves rolling all four lines – and the team’s deadline deals will help him do that more efficiently. Marleau will likely see most of his ice time in the bottom six; he has 10 goals and 10 assists in 58 games this season but isn’t far removed from three straight 25-goal seasons with the Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sheary is an even more interesting pickup, having spent his first three NHL seasons with Pittsburgh before being dealt to Buffalo in June 2018. The undrafted Massachusetts native had a career-best 23 goals with the Penguins in 2016-17, and the hype over returning to the team that signed him as a free agent in 2014 could make him a savvy point prop play.
Los Angeles News & Notes
With losses in 16 of their past 21 games, the Kings are playing out the string yet again. And things will probably get worse before they get better, with veterans Jack Campbell, Kyle Clifford, Tyler Toffoli, Alec Martinez and Derek Forbort all having been dealt away in the days leading up to and including Monday’s trade deadline.
It all makes you feel a little sorry for forward Anze Kopitar, who was spared a trade out of Tinseltown but might wish he had been dealt given how the rest of the season will likely unfold. That said, Kopitar remains the Kings’ top forward by a landslide and is the best shot at a player prop conversion against a Penguins team that allows 3.10 goals per game on the road.
Betting Pick: Penguins -1.5
The Penguins are angry – and the Kings just aren’t very good. We’re leaning toward the team that added pieces for the stretch run over the one that sold off nearly a half-dozen regulars.
- Pittsburgh is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games vs Pacific Division clubs.
- Los Angeles is 2-7 in its past 9 home games.
- The UNDER is 6-2 in Pittsburgh’s last 8 road games.
