So the Detroit game is the one to watch first. Win or lose, it decides who's in net in Pittsburgh. If Skinner plays Sunday, a back-to-back usually means somebody else starts Monday, and Winnipeg hasn't said a word about how it'll split the 2 nights. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET.
Pittsburgh's start has been loud in both directions. The Penguins opened with a 7-0 shutout in Philadelphia, then put up 4 goals in the second period against Montreal to lead 5-2, gave up 3 straight in the third, and still won 6-5 in overtime. Evgeni Malkin is back on a 1-year deal and already on the scoresheet, and Ben Kindel came off IR early and scored in his return after a preseason lower-body injury was expected to keep him out week-to-week. Dan Muse, a Jack Adams finalist last season, has a lineup that finds the net. Keeping the puck out after building a lead is the part that needs work.
Pittsburgh's IR has some bodies on it too: Bryan Rust and Justin Brazeau on the right side, plus Ryan Graves, who is out indefinitely on the blue line. Even so, the Penguins are rested, at home, and scoring in bunches, while the Jets show up on the second night of a back-to-back with their goaltending still unsettled. Winnipeg's best path is the one it had against Boston: Connor and the top guys get to their game early, and the Jets hold a lead this time instead of watching it go in the third.