The Penguins got off to an impressive start on their West Coast road trip, taking down the powerful Los Angeles Kings in LA. Paul Steigerwald has the recap.
Coach Mike Sullivan called it perhaps the most complete Penguins game of the season, especially when playing at even strength.
Kevin Hayes has been on a tear since Sullivan put him back into the lineup and moved him from the wing to center. The coach says Hayes brings certain intangibles to the Penguins.
Sullivan says the Penguins have played well when games are stacked up in a crammed schedule, because they have a lot of veterans.
Alex Ndeljkovic stopped 25 of 26 shots by the Kings. Ndeljkovic says the Penguins played a high-pressure game that bottled up the Kings’ offense.
With his 605th career goal, Sidney Crosby passed Bobby Hull and moved into fifth place all-time in goals scored with a single franchise. He said the Pens played well offensively…maybe.
Rickard Rakell missed a game for the first time this season, because, according to Sullivan, he had to fly home to Pittsburgh to attend to a personal matter. Anthony Beauviller replaced Rakell on the top line and scored a goal.
The Penguins are in a three-way tie with the Rangers and Flyers for fifth in the Metro Division, although the Pens lose the tiebreaker to both teams. They are also fifth in the Eastern Conference Wild Card playoff race. They skate in Anaheim on Thursday night.
NHL
The NHL has suspended Edmonton star Connor McDavid for three games for a cross-check to the head of Vancouver’s Conor Garland on Saturday night. Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers has also been suspended three games for cross-checking the Oilers’ Evan Bouchard in the face after McDavid’s hit on Garland.
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