After a six-day hiatus, the Pittsburgh Penguins will find their way back to Consol Energy Center ice tonight as they host the Winnipeg Jets. The Penguins looked like they needed a rest, as they coasted into the all-star break on fumes, going 0-2-2 in their final four games, a span that included three critical Metropolitan Division contests.
TONIGHT’S OPPONENT: For the Winnipeg, the all-star break couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Jets came into the break on an absolute tear, winning five straight games and earning a point in seven straight contests.
“When we saw them (earlier in the season), I commented after that game, that was a very good game and I thought that they were a team that was certainly going to be one of the top teams,” Penguins head coach Mike Johnston said.
Goaltender Michael Hutchinson has been excellent this season for Winnipeg and had a shutout in the Jets last game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has a .935 save percentage and a 1.90 goals-against average on the season. Over his last three games, he’s stopped 85 of 89 shots for a .955 save percentage.
However, the Jets are going with veteran Ondrej Pavelec in goal this evening. Pavelec, who came into the season as the starter, has steadily lost playing time to Hutchinson. Pavelec has a 12-10-6 record and a .913 save percentage on the season. His career numbers against the Penguins are abysmal, with a 2-12-1 record, a .870 save percentage, and a 4.21 goals-against average.
GOING WITH GREISS: With the Penguins playing on back-to-back nights coming out of the break, Johnston is going with backup Thomas Greiss in goal tonight against Winnipeg. In 10 games this season, he has a .920 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average. He has only played one career game against the Jets, an overtime loss last April in which he stopped 21 of 22 shots for a .955 save percentage.
SNOW DAY: With Greiss starting tonight, Marc-Andre Fleury will get an extra day off, and he may need it. He played the second period for Team Foligno during Sunday’s NHL All-Star game in Columbus and took the loss while allowing seven goals on just 16 shots.
“It was interesting,” Fleury said of his all-star experience. “The weekend was nice. It was a nice city. It’s good to hang out with the guys and skate with them. The game wasn’t as fun, though.”
Fleury will be back between the pipes Wednesday night in Washington.
THE 4077: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will miss tonight’s game. Crosby is required to miss the game in accordance with NHL rules because he missed Sunday’s all-star game.
“There’s a reason why (the rule) is there,” Crosby said. “They don’t want guys skipping the all-star game and going to Florida for four days while other guys commit their time to do it, so I understand the thought process behind it, but my case isn’t the case there.”
He received an injection over the break for an injury originally suffered Jan. 10 against Montreal. Crosby skated today, and he is questionable to return for tomorrow night’s game in Washington.
Center Evgeni Malkin was placed on the injured reserve list Monday and is also suffering from a lower-body injury. He left the team’s game on Jan. 20 in Philadelphia but was able to return. He took pre-game warm-ups the following day, but he was unable to play against Chicago. He isn’t expected to resume skating until the end of the week.
Defenseman Kris Letang has passed every step so far in returning from concussion-like symptoms. Letang was injured in last Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia when he was boarded by Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo. Rinaldo was suspended eight games by the league on Monday. Letang practiced in full for the second day in a row this morning and seems likely to play at least one of the team’s next two games.
Right-winger Patric Hornqvist has also practiced on back-to-back days and was slotted on the top line with Brandon Sutter and Beau Bennett at morning skate. Hornqvist has missed 11 games after taking a teammate’s shot off his lower leg on Dec. 27.
Mike Johnston characterized both Letang and Hornqvist as game-time decisions, but they seem likely to play.
“They skated this morning,” said Johnston. “All of them are being checked now by the medical staff and we’ll determine exactly who is in the lineup.”
Because Hornqvist is on the long-term injured reserve, the team would need clear over $1.1 million of cap space to add him to the roster.
Left-winger Blake Comeau is skating, but won’t practice for about another week as he rehabs his wrist injury. Defenseman Simon Despres, who has missed the last two games with an illness, is still feeling under the weather but appears to be healthy enough to play tonight. Right-winger David Perron missed part of Monday’s practice with an illness, and will also be a game-time decision.
UP AND DOWN: The Penguins recalled veteran center Andrew Ebbett and rookie wingers Scott Wilson and Bryan Rust and defenseman Scott Harrington from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Monday.
Ebbett, who had just been sent down on Thursday, has played 18 games for each team this season. In WBS, he has seven goals and 11 assists. In Pittsburgh, he has one goal and five assists. Ebbett cleared waivers on Jan. 16, and can remain on the roster for nine more games played or 23 more days on the roster.
Wilson, a 22-year old rookie from UMass-Lowell, was injured and was unable to finish his only career earlier in the season. In 25 AHL games this season he has seven goals and 11 assists.
Rust, also 22, had a longer stay in Pittsburgh last time and played in 14 games, scoring one goal and one assist. In 27 games in Wilkes-Barre, the Notre Dame product has 10 goals and four assists.
Harrington has been called up several times this season and has played in nine games in Pittsburgh, but hasn’t recorded a point and is a minus-9. In 24 games with WBS, he has six assists and is a plus-4.
MINOR MATTERS: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (23-17-4, 2nd AHL East) forward Tom Kostopoulos and defenseman Derrick Pouliot each had an assist at the AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, New York on Monday. The East lost to the West, 14-12.
The Penguins swept Norfolk over the weekend, winning 4-2 on Friday behind two goals from Ebbett, and 3-2 on Saturday with Kostopoulos’ overtime winner. Rookie goaltender Matt Murray earned both wins, improving his record to 10-7-3.
The Wheeling Nailers (19-20, 5th ECHL North) got the weekend started off on a good foot as they unveiled new video boards at WesBanco Arena on Friday and beat the Fort Wayne Komets 5-4 thanks to a pair of goals from defenseman Morgan Ellis and four assists by Riley Brace. The Komets got revenge on Saturday with a 4-1 win.
The Nailers then went on the road to complete their three-in-three and were trounced 5-2 by the Toledo Walleye. Franky Palazzese played all three games in goal. The Nailers poor weekend has dropped them one point behind Kalamazoo for the fouth and final playoff spot in the ECHL North.
#CAWLIDGEHAWKEY: Robert Morris (17-5-4, 1st AHC) swept Holy Cross last weekend and is now ranked 20th in the USCHO.com poll. Freshman defenseman Alex Bontje was named the Atlantic Hockey defensive player of the week. In two games, Bontje had five blocks and was a plus-2. He leads all Colonials with a plus-16 rating.
Penn State (12-7-4, 2nd Big Ten) won one and tied one in their weekend series at home against Northern Michigan. The Nittany Lions gave up 4-1 leads in both contests, but roared back to win 5-4 on Friday and tie 5-5 on Saturday. Dylan Richard had three goals and two assists on the weekend and backup goaltender P.J. Musico earned both decisions in relief while stopping 30 of 32 shots.
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Penguins
