The Penguins will host the Ottawa Senators in a 1:00 p.m. start this afternoon. The Penguins also played the Senators on Monday, October 21, 2010.
That day, the Penguins won by a score a 5-2. It was just the fifth regular season game at Consol Energy Center. Mike Comrie and Mark Letestu assisted on Evgeni Malkin’s game-winning goal, and Craig Adams made a return to the Penguins lineup after a two-game absence.
In the ensuing four years and 46 days, Craig Adams has skated in every single contest for the Penguins. Today, he will set the franchise record for most consecutive games played. He’s currently tied with Ron Schock with 313 straight games.
Schock’s streak ended when he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres after the 1976-77 season.
AFTERNOON DELIGHT: It will be the Penguins first afternoon game of the season. They went 5-4-1 in afternoon games in 2013-14. The Senators are 0-1 in afternoon contests this season. Ottawa was 3-7-2 in the afternoon last season.
“Afternoon games –we’re going to start to see a lot of those in the New Year,” said captain Sidney Crosby.
The Penguins have six more afternoon games this season. The next one is scheduled for January 18 versus the New York Rangers.
MOVING PARTS: The Penguins acquired forward Rob Klinkhammer from the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, along with a conditional 2016 fifth-round draft pick, for defenseman Philip Samuelsson.
The Penguins also recalled rookie winger Bryan Rust from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League and placed wingers Chris Kunitz and Scott Wilson on the injured reserve.
Winger Patric Hornqvist’s status for the game is unknown after he was injured in Thursday’s 3-0 loss to Vancouver.
TODAY’S OPPONENT: This is the first of three meetings this seasons between the Penguins and the Senators. The teams split their three games in 2013-14, 1-1-1.
Tbe Senators have lost four straight games including both ends of a home-and-home with the Islanders earlier this week, losing 3-2 in overtime on Long Island on Tuesday, and 2-1 in Ottawa on Thursday.
Ottawa is led by defenseman Erik Karlsson with 18 points, Clarke Macarthur with nine goals, and Eric Gryba with 56 penalty minutes.
OLD FOES: The Penguins and Senators matched up four times in the playoffs in a span of seven years between 2007 and 2013.
Only two Senators remain from that 2007 squad that eliminated the Penguins in five games, right-winger Chris Neil and defenseman Chris Phillips. For the Penguins, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Rob Scuderi were all in the lineup.
Under the conference alignment that was changed after the 2012-13 season, it is unlikely for the Penguins and Senators to play each other before the third round of the playoffs.
Another member of those Ottawa squads was captain Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson retired on Thursday after being unable to return to the ice this year following a back injury last season.
“He scored a lot of big goals over his career,” Crosby said. “He was an amazing player, so it’s nice to see do that in Ottawa and go out the way he wanted.”
MINOR MATTERS: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (13-8-2, 1st East) defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5-1 on Friday night. Captain Tom Kostopoulos scored two goals and Tom Kuhnhackl, Conor Sheary, and Derrick Pouliot also scored. Sahir Gill recorded his first AHL point. Jeff Zatkoff made 21.
The team recalled defenseman Alex Boak and Clark Seymour from ECHL Wheeling before the game. They host Hershey Saturday night at 7:05 p.m.
Wheeling (10-7, 3rd in North) beat Utah 5-2. David Gilbert, Chaz Johnson, Bobby Shea, David Makowski, and Derek Army scored for the Nailers. Franky Palazzese made 19 saves. Utah will get a rematch Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. at WesBanco Arena.
#CAWLIDGEHAWKEY: Robert Morris (9-1-3, 1st in AHA) beat Sacred Heart 5-4 in overtime. Zac Lynch scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Daniel Leavens, Jeff Jones, Brandon Denham, and Cody Wydo also scored for the Colonials. Terry Shafer made 31 saves for the win. The teams will meet again at 84 Lumber Arena at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday.
Penn State (8-4-2, 1st in Big Ten) defeated Wisconsin 5-2. David Glen, James Robinson, Dylan Richard, Casey Bailey and David Goodwin scored for the Nittany Lions. Eamon McAdam got the win in goal while making 22 saves.
The Lions and Badgers will face off again Saturday night a 9 p.m. The game will be televised on tape delay at 10 p.m. on WPMY MyTV Ch 22 in Pittsburgh and WJAC-TV Ch 6 in Johnstown, Altoona, and State College.
