With points in seven straight and wins in five of those games, the Pittsburgh Penguins head into Minnesota looking to put the cherry on top of an already successful October. Awaiting them is a Wild team
who has struggled out of the gate this season, but they still possess enough talent to cause any team trouble. This will be the second game of a four game road trip for the Penguins who are coming off a shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.
Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
Like the Penguins themselves, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are off to hot starts individually as well. Malkin is near the league lead in points and Crosby is well over his career point per game pace. None of this comes as a shock to head coach Dan Muse. [Sportsnet Pittsburgh]
Red hot is the best way to describe the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right now as they kept their early season undefeated run intact with a trio of wins last weekend. The Baby Pens sit at 7-0-0 on the season and are being led by the reigning AHL Player of the Week Sergei Murashov. [Pensburgh]
Right now, goaltending has not been the Achilles heel of the Penguins as it has in the recent past. If that changes at any point, and Murashov remains hot, calls for his to come up may rise. A trio of veteran goalies says the Penguins should remain patient with him regardless. [PPG]
Parker Wotherspoon was not a household name in Pittsburgh before signing with the Penguins in July, but his strong play to begin the season has plenty of fans familiar now. Hailing from Surrey, British Columbia, the big defenseman is completely fine flying under the radar. [Penguins]
Connor Dewar was a throw in name in a little discussed trade between the Penguins and Maple Leafs at the deadline last season. He made his mark with a flurry of goals after joining the Penguins and now he’s contributing once again on the fourth line. [Trib Live]
With the Penguins and Flyers both struggling on the ice in recent years, their inter-state rivalry lost some of its luster. Now that both teams are infused with new, young talent and are on the rebuilding path, some of the hate that defines these two teams is returning. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
Pittsburgh product Logan Cooley is on the verge of launching into NHL stardom with the Utah Mammoth and the franchise has no plans on letting him go anywhere. Cooley and the Mammoth agreed to an eight-year contract extension that carries a $10 million AAV against the cap. [NHL]
On Wednesday, the NHL.com released its first round of roster projections for the upcoming Winter Olympics to celebrate 100 days until the Games begin in Italy. [NHL]
