The Pittsburgh Penguins boarded a train to travel from Washington, D.C. ton Newark, New Jersey on Thursday. Ironically, part of what they need to fix going into tonight’s game against the Devils, has been that there have been far too many passengers on the ice for the Pens lately.
“Just the intensity; I think you have to raise your level when you’re on the road,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said of what can be done to improve the team’s fate. “I think in general, just making sure that you’re ready to compete.
BEAU, NO: Winger Beau Bennett has been singled out as one player whose compete level needs to be higher by the coaching staff. As a result, he will be a healthy scratch tonight for the first time this season.
“As with every other game, when you have 13 forwards, you’re always making decisions as to who you think can help you for a particular game, and depending on what’s happening with your lineup, and that’s the decision we made tonight,” said Penguins head coach Mike Johnston. “With Beau, I just thought his last couple games could be improved.”
Nick Spaling will take Bennett’s place on the second line, while Andrew Ebbett will draw into the lineup in a fourth-line role.
THE 4077: Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who was injured late in the third period of Wednesday night’s game when he collided with Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, has returned to Pittsburgh. Ehrhoff appeared to hit his head on the ice during the collision, and will be further evaluated by team physicians.
“Once they see that there’s any head contact with the glass or contact with the ice, then they go through the typical protocol,” said Johnston.
Evgeni Malkin and Blake Comeau, who are not with team on this trip, are probably still a few days away from returning. Expect them to make the team’s next road trip, which is to western Canada late next week.
TONIGHT’S OPPONENT: The New Jersey Devils have struggled to put the puck in the net all season. Their 109 goals for is third-worst in the NHL, surpassing only Buffalo and Carolina. At the same time, their defense – long a staple of their success in New Jersey – has struggled as well, with 135 goals allowed on the season, ninth-worst in the league.
Their problem hasn’t been goaltending. Corey Schneider has been excellent despite a ridiculous workload. He’s played the most games, made the most saves, and seen the most shots of any goaltender in the league. Despite the amount of time he’s seen, he still has a very respectable .921 save percentage. At the Prudential Center, he’s been even better, with a .925 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average.
ROCK BOTTOM: The Penguins have struggled at the Prudential Center since it opened in 2007. The Penguins are 6-12-3 in the building and have lost their 13 of their last 15 games in Newark.
“Sometimes it’s hard to figure out, some teams just seem to play you tough and have your number,” Penguins defenseman – and former Devil – Paul Marin said. “For us, I think we need to make sure that we do get through the neutral zone. We can’t turn any pucks over. They’re pretty good at capitalizing. If we can get that puck in their zone, and spend some time cycling it, get some traffic, get pucks to the net, that will be our best bet.”
#JAGRWATCH? The Penguins are rumored to be pursuing the veteran forward, and while any immediate deal seems unlikely, Penguins management will get a first-hand audition from the former Penguins captain tonight. He returned from an illness on Wednesday against Toronto. He was a minus-1 with two penalty minutes. He has nine goals and 16 assists in 44 games this season with the Devils.
MINOR MATTERS: The winds of change have swirled through the minor league hockey landscape this week, as announcements were made that involved five AHL teams moving to California (Oklahoma City to Bakersfield, Worcester to San Jose, Norfolk to San Diego, Glens Falls to Stockton, and Manchester to Ontario). Three of those markets will be replaced by ECHL teams (Bakersfield to Norfolk, Ontario to Manchester, and Stockton to Glens Falls). The ECHL also announced the termination of the Las Vegas Wranglers franchise and a future 30-team cap on membership.
The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins (23-17-4, 2nd AHL East) are traveling to Springfield, Massachusetts for a 7:00 face-off against the Falcons. The Penguins are set to get right-winger Adam Payerl back from injury. They will be back at home against Lehigh Valley on Saturday.
The Wheeling Nailers (19-20, 5th in ECHL North) face a huge test this weekend, as they will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a two-game series against the fourth-place Wings. The top four teams in the North Division will make the playoffs at season’s end, and if the Nailers want to be in that group, taking points away from Kalamazoo on the road would be a great start. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.
#CAWLIDGEHAWKEY: No. 20 Robert Morris (17-5-4, 1st AHC) is in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a weekend series against the Air Force Academy. The Falcons are in 4th place in the AHC and took three of four points from the Colonials in a November series at 84 Lumber Arena. Both of this weekend’s games start at 9:05 p.m. Eastern time.
Penn State (12-7-4, 2nd Big Ten) is hosting No. 14 Vermont at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia for the third-annual Philadelphia College Hockey Faceoff. The Catamounts have been their opponents all three years. The teams have a 1-1 all-time record. Vermont will be without goaltender Brody Hoffman, who has been suspended from the team.
Photo credit: CBC
