Opening night for the 60th season of Penguins hockey arrives on the same ice on which the 59th season ended, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, where they lost 1-0 in overtime in Game Six of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It’s a new season for the Penguins, who return a core of players who led them to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and with a reworked defensive complement working the blue line.
Coach Dan Muse says that after a 2-2 preseason, the Pens are ready to go.
Muse is happy so far with the work of the new blue-liners, Declan Carlile, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Kaedan Korczak, working with returnees Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Sam Girard, and Ilya Solvyov.
It’s a 21st season working together for the Pens’ Big Three, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, and Muse says watching them all spend extra time on the ice after practice every day is an inspiration for the entire organization.
For captain Sidney Crosby, the expectation is not just a return to the playoffs, but a deep run.
It’s season number 21 for Malkin and Letang, and when the puck drops tonight, Crosby will begin his 22nd season, passing the Pirates’ Willie Stargell as the longest-tenured athlete in Pittsburgh history.
Bryan Rust will start the season on injured reserve and will be replaced on the top power play unit by sharpshooter Egor Chinakhov. Forward Blake Lizotte is also on the injured list, but he was a full practice participant and could be activated in time for the game tonight.
Tonight’s game faces off at 7:30. The airtime on 92.5 FM U92 is 6:30. After tonight, the Penguins home opener is Saturday against Montreal at PPG Paints Arena.
NHL
In NHL openers last night, defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina was beaten by the team whose crown they took last season. Florida topped the Hurricanes 1-0 in overtime. Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas blasted Chicago, 5-2.
The Minnesota Wild said yesterday that defenseman Brock Faber underwent surgery for a fractured skull on Sunday, two days after he was struck in the head by a puck. There’s no timetable for his return to the ice.
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