The Penguins hit the ice at PPG Paints Arena tonight against Vancouver, with both teams sporting 4-2 records. The Pens have won two in a row and the Canucks have won three straight.
Tonight’s game will be a return to Pittsburgh for some former Penguins stalwarts. Drew O’Connor, Marcus Pettersson, Teddy Blueger, and P.O. Joseph all skate for Vancouver, Joseph having just been activated from injured reserve last Thursday and not yet having skated in a game.
As always, Sidney Crosby is leading the Penguins, and coach Dan Muse says since coming to Pittsburgh, he’s seen that it’s not just on game night.
Arturs Silovs and Tristan Jarry have been alternating in goal for the Penguins, each playing every other game, and each with almost identical stats. Muse says the rotation wasn’t exactly planned, but it’s working.
Sidney Crosby wasn’t thrilled when he was asked yesterday if he is off to a slow start. Crosby leads all NHL forwards in turnovers and has won less than half of his faceoffs. But he says the season is young and he doesn’t pay attention to stats anyway.
Crosby has noticed that players have been going hard, perhaps in an effort to make their country’s Olympic team.
The Penguins have suspended 20-year-old defenseman Emil Pieniniemi for failing to report to Wheeling in the ECHL. He was reportedly upset that he would not be playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but the Penguins wanted him to skate a regular shift in the ECHL instead of playing part-time in the AHL. One report says Pieniniemi has returned to Finland.
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