The Penguins return to the ice tonight at PPG Paints Arena against the two-time Stanley Cup winning Tampa Bay Lightning. The Pens beat the Bolts in the season opener on October 12th in Tampa.
Sidney Crosby put in his first full-contact practice with his teammates, while injured forwards Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin skated before the team took the ice. Center Jeff Carter remains in covid protocol while coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that defenseman Kris Letang has tested positive for covid but did not say if he was symptomatic.
Sullivan says seeing Crosby participate in a full practice was great, but the team will remain cautious.
With the Penguins starting 3-0-2 and grabbing eight of a possible ten points, they have become one of the top stories in the NHL, but Sullivan cautioned that the season is still young.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry has been stellar in the net for the Penguins so far this season, working under the tutelage of new goaltenders coach Andy Chiodo. With so much attention on his mental state after his poor playoff performance last season, Jarry says in the end, it’s not a mental thing.
Jarry says his focus in the offseason was improving as a player and as a person.
Jarry is fourth in the NHL with a 1.47 goals against average and sixth in the league with a .943 save percentage.
With both Kris Letang and jeff Carter out, the Penguins called up former second round draft choice Kaspar Bjorkqvist from Wilkes Barre-Scranton. Tonight’s game is on 92.5 FM U92, with the pregame beginning at 6:00.
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