The Penguins practiced yesterday but a number of players were not suited up due to excused absences for what coach Mike Sullivan termed “formal active recovery.” That included all of the members of the top two lines and top two defensive pairs. Both goaltenders practiced.
Owners of a four-game winning streak, the Penguins will skate tomorrow night in New York against the Rangers and then return home to play Toronto on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
Sullivan says the Pens have worked hard to climb back out of their early-season slump.
Indiana County now has a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. He’s Josh Wirt of Homer City, who was inducted last night into the Hall along with his teammates on the 2002 gold-medal winning U.S. sled hockey team. Wirt joined former Penguins Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen along with Olympian Brianna Decker, and Frederic McLaughlin, the founder of the Chicago Blackhawks as new enshrinees. Broadcaster Sam Rosen received the Lester Patrick Trophy “for outstanding service to hockey.”
Mike Sullivan was happy that Stevens and Cullen, each of whom won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins, were inducted in Pittsburgh.
The NHL will take a mid-season break in February to play in the inaugural “4 Nations Face Off”, featuring teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. The rosters were released yesterday and Canada’s Sidney Crosby and Sweden’s Erik Karlsson are the only Penguins in the tournament. Mike Sullivan will coach Team USA, assisted by his Penguins assistant David Quinn. The Pens’ video crew will also participate for the U.S. Former Penguins player and executive Bill Guerin is the general manager.
Bryan Rust was snubbed by the U.S. team. His former linemate, Jake Guentzel, is on the team, though.
The tournament is February 12th through the 20th.
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