First Call: Lamar Jackson health update as Steelers game nears; Penguins host 'streaky' Blues; NHL star on fire

Friday’s “First Call” previews the next opponent for the Pittsburgh Penguins. We check out the hottest player in the NHL. Lamar Jackson is trying to stay healthy in Baltimore as a game against the Steelers looms.

Also, the Pitt and Duquesne men’s basketball teams look to keep their winning ways going.

Singing the Blues

After dispatching the Vegas Golden Knights (4-3) on Thursday, the Penguins host another Western Conference team Saturday night. The St. Louis Blues are in town at 7 p.m.

And you thought the Penguins have been up and down this year? Check out the Blues. They may be the most streaky team in hockey.

Craig Berube’s bunch won its first three games. Then they lost eight in a row. That slump was followed by a seven-game win streak. Now they have lost four of their last five. As a result, St. Louis is 11-12-0. That’s good for 22 points, sixth in the Central Division.

The Penguins are 12-8-4. That puts them fourth in the Metropolitan Division and currently in the Eastern Conference’s top wild-card spot.

Robertson red hot

Like the rest of the Central division, the Blues are looking up at the Dallas Stars. They lead the Central with 32 points. Jason Robertson is the biggest reason why.

The 23-year-old forward is on a 17-game point streak, and he just tallied a hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

JASON ROBERTSON HATTY!!!

THE BEST GOAL SCORER IN THE @NHL! pic.twitter.com/JxAgOH43t0

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) December 2, 2022

Robertson was the engine behind a 5-0 Dallas win. He leads the NHL with 22 goals. Connor McDavid is the only player in the NHL with more points (43) than Robertson (39).

Limping Lamar

Lamar Jackson didn’t finish Wednesday’s practice. He was dealing with a quadriceps injury. However, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback was a full practice participant Thursday.

Jackson has been on the Ravens practice report with various ailments for three weeks in a row. Two weeks ago, he was sick. A hip injury sidelined him for a day last week.

Baltimore lost their most recent game 28-27 in Jacksonville on Sunday. The Ravens host Denver this weekend. Then they come to Pittsburgh next weekend.

The Steelers swept the Ravens last year. Jackson didn’t play in the second game.

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Howling at the ’Pack

The Pitt Panthers men’s basketball team plays its first ACC opponent Friday night. Jeff Capel’s team is in Raleigh to battle N.C. State. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

The Panthers are riding a four-game win streak after an 87-58 beatdown of Northwestern in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Blake Hinson had 22 points. His 16.8 points per game are good for seventh-best among ACC players so far this season.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack is led by Jarkel Joiner’s 17.3 points per game. That’s third best among ACC scorers in pre-conference action. N.C. State is 7-1 so far this season. The only loss they have suffered is against ninth-ranked and defending national champion Kansas.

Hoops at Coop

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for Duquesne are in action this weekend.

The men’s team hosts Ball State at 2 p.m. Saturday at the UPMC Cooper Field House. Keith Dambrot’s Dukes are 6-1. That’s already as many wins as they had all of last season. At 79.1 points per game, that is the second-highest scoring average of any team in the Atlantic 10.

Ball State comes in at 4-3. This is their first-ever meeting with Duquesne. Dambrot is 15-5 all-time versus the Cardinals. He was 0-5 as a coach against them with Central Michigan. He was 15-0 against them when he was at Akron.

Meanwhile, the women’s team is on the road. Dan Burt’s club visits Delaware. Both teams are 5-2. The Dukes are looking to bounce back after a 65-59 home loss to Tulsa on Wednesday. Winchester Thurston grad Ayanna Townsend will try to build upon a career-high 21-point effort in that game.