Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins closed out the rare home-home back-to-back on Sunday against the Florida Panthers. Pittsburgh once again took care of business after dispatching the Cats 9-4 on Saturday with a controlled, 5-2 win on Sunday, led by Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell. [Recap]
Egor Chinakhov has made an impact few could have imagined when he arrived with the Penguins after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets, thriving on a “fresh start” that’s boosted his confidence and production. [Penguins]
Evgeni Malkin reached his 1,400th career point during the Penguins’ dominant win on Saturday, capping it with a hat trick and becoming the oldest player in franchise history to do so. [Penguins]
It seems like every time the Penguins take the ice these days, one of the players reaches a career milestone. Combine franchise greats like Crosby, Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan Rust leaving their marks in the history books with a resurgent team on the brink of a playoff berth, and coaches are reminding these players and fans not to take these special moments for granted. [Penguins]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Patrick Roy was fired as coach of the New York Islanders on Sunday. Peter DeBoer was named his replacement with four games left in the season. [ESPN]
The Buffalo Sabres are going dancing for the first time in a long time. The Sabres clinched a playoff berth, ending their NHL-record 14-season drought—the longest in league history—after the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings in regulation on Saturday. [TSN]
The Toronto Maple Leafs have begun their search for a new general manager and are expected to target Florida Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta, known for his strong analytics background and role in the Panthers’ recent success. [Sportsnet]
