Opening night is finally here for Penguins fans, and it’s the start of a quest for a sixth Stanley Cup for the team, a fourth for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
The Penguins and the New York Rangers face off at 7:38 PM at PPG Paints Arena. It’s a chance for the Pens to get off on the right foot against a Metro Division rival and one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers won the NHL’s President’s Trophy last season with a league-leading 114 points.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan says his team is charged up and ready to go.
Sullivan says the Pens love playing for the home fans.
The Penguins have reshaped the roster, particularly the forward group, with more talent on the bottom six. Sullivan says he wants more offense from the whole lineup so teams can’t focus exclusively on stopping the top two lines.
Forward Brian Rust will start the season on injured reserve but he practiced yesterday in a non-contact jersey. Goaltender Alex Nedljkovic also will start the schedule on injured reserve. He skated before practice, along with forward Matt Nieto, who is on long-term injured reserve and is about two months away from being able to play.
Tonight’s game airs at 6:30 on 92.5 FM U92. The Pens will play Detroit tomorrow and the NHL has changed the start time of the game to 8 PM, with the baseball playoff game between the Guardians and Tigers at nearby Comerica Park getting underway at 6:08 PM.
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