The Penguins will host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight; and the Hurricanes will return the favor tomorrow evening, as the teams will meet in a holiday weekend home-and-home series.
It might feel like a holiday for many of the players, as they will renew some old acquaintances on both sides of the ice.
Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford held the same position with the Hurricanes from their inception in 1997, winning a Stanley Cup in 2006. Current Carolina general manager Ron Francis played eight seasons for the Penguins and won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh.
Penguins center Brandon Sutter and Hurricanes center Jordan Staal were traded for each other in a draft-day trade in 2012. The same trade also saw the Penguins acquire defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin and Derrick Pouliot.
Carolina forward Zach Boychuck played seven games with Pittsburgh in 2012-13. Brandon Sutter’s cousin Brody has played four games with Carolina this season, but he is currently with their American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte.
FIRST HELPING: The Penguins have been the first team to score in 17 of their 21 games this season. When scoring first, they are 12-3-2.
“It’s great if you can do that,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “I don’t think you can always evaluate your start based on that. It’s nice if you can get that first one, but you just have to make sure that if you do get it, that you’re playing the right way, and maintain that same play for the rest of the game.”
ON A ROLL: Following a 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers on November 11, head coach Mike Johnston decided to change up his top two lines, putting Patric Hornqvist and Chris Kunitz with Evgeni Malkin. Since then, Malkin’s play has gone to another level.
In the past six games, he’s recording a point in every game. He has 11 points in that span. On the 11, eight have been at even strength. He only had six even strength points in his first 15 games.
He has scored a goal in each of the past three games, and has six points in that span. In the past three games, his shooting percentage is an unheard of 57%.
TURKEY ON THE TABLE: The Penguins have been neck-and-neck at the top of the Metropolitan Division with the New York Islanders for most of the early part of the season. This weekend’s home-and-home series with Carolina is an opportunity for the Pens to put some distance between themselves and the Isles.
While the Penguins have two games against the struggling Hurricanes, the Islanders have the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils this weekend. If the Penguins can win these two games, they have a good chance at opening up a lead on the rest of the division.
SMALL POTATOES: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (11-8-2) lost in a shootout in Hershey on Wednesday. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin scored the game-tying goal with under a minute left in the third period. It was the only goal for the AHL Penguins. Jeff Zatkoff made 26 saves, but the Bears scored on two of four attempts to win the shootout. Defenseman Taylor Chorney was injured and left the game in the first period.
Wheeling (8-6) beat the Greenville Road Warriors by a score of 4-2 at WesBanco Arena on Wednesday. Sahir Gill and Zack Torquato each had a goal and two assists for the Nailers. Bobby Shea and David Gilbert also scored. Franky Palazzese made 18 saves to earn the win. The Nailers host the Florida Everblades tonight at 7:35 p.m.
