Coach Mike Sullivan took a puck to the head during last night’s Penguins preseason game, but was all right afterward, joking with reporters about a long tradition of Pens’ coaches who have had the same thing happen to them. It happened off the third period faceoff and Sullivan left the bench to get stitches in his forehead, missing nine minutes of game time.
The Penguins won the game, 5-4 in a nine-round shootout after falling behind 2-0 in the first period. Casey DeSmith went the whole way in goal, stopping 23 of 27 shots and 6 of 9 in the shootout. Penguins forwards Drew O’Connor (who had scored the Pens’ first goal) and Radim Zohorna scored to tie the game at 3 in the third period, but the Sabres retook the lead. Kasperi Kapanen then scored his third goal in the last two games to tie the game and force it to overtime. In the shootout, the Penguins got goals from Kapanen, Bryan Rust, Danton Heinen, and Jason Zucker.
Sullivan says that the Penguins are going to have to be on top of every aspect of their game playing without injured star centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
The coach says his long-held emphasis on playing tight defense will be especially important without Crosby and Malkin.
With Crosby and Malkin out, it opens up opportunities for young players such as O’Connor and Zohorna, and Sullivan likes what he sees.
Sullivan says forward Jake Guentzel has been asymptomatic after being diagnosed with covid-19 on Sunday. If he remains that way, Guentzel could return in time for Tuesday night’s season opener against Tampa Bay. Forward Zach Astin-Reese has had symptoms since his positive test for covid-19 and will take longer to return. Sullivan says Astin-Reese is feeling better now.
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