Pens host Lightning.

It was announced yesterday that Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal will be the next player profiled on the all-access series “NHL 36.” Cameras will join Neal this morning and follow him for the next 36 hours as he and the Penguins host afternoon games this weekend against the Tampa Bay Lightning and tomorrow against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
NHL 36: James Neal will air Wednesday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network. Then, NBC Sports Network will air the Penguins’ home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.



Another busy weeeknd for Pens hockey and today the Pens are taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Consol Energy Center in an afternoon game. The Lightning have been making trades trying to improve their team that is currently out of a playoff spot. However, they are 10-4-2 in their last 16 games. Steven Stamkos has been on a big roll lately and had a 3 point night against the Winnipeg Jets the other night and those 3 points put him in a tie with Evgeni Malkin for the scoring lead in the NHL. Stamkos leads the league in goals with 43 as well. The two players will certainly see a lot of each other today as they will most likely be matched up together for most of the game.
Steve Yzerman has been busy making some trades lately but he also picked a player off waivers on Thursday rather than making another trade. The Lighning claimed former Penguin Tim Wallace off waivers. He should be in the lineup for today’s game. Wallace has played in 31 games this season for the New York Islanders with one assist and six penalty minutes.
The Pens will have to play a strong game defensively and see if they can contain Stamkos' line as they did a few weeks ago. It will be a tough task and the Pens will also need to add some offensive flair to complete a win today. A strong, consistent game from the Pens is what they need and we will see which leading scorer comes out as the winner today.