As any would-be hockey broadcaster raised in Pittsburgh, Cooney was influenced heavily by Mike Lange. The longtime voice of the Penguins and a broadcaster emeritus, Lange is famous in the region — and throughout North America, really — for his dozens of colorful goal calls.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey reviews the scheduled games and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will win in head-to-head matchups.

It won’t be the best matchup when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks meet on Thursday night. Both teams are in seventh in their respective divisions, with the Penguins heading for a rebuild and the Ducks still trying to emerge from their lengthy quest to be contenders.