Coming off a difficult Western Conference road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins return home this evening for a matchup with the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena. Sitting on a four game losing skid, the Penguins could certainly use some home cooking to get back on track and right the ship a bit after a tough go out west.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
Due to the medical incident suffered by Ben Kindel on the Penguins flight home from Salt Lake City,
all team activities were cancelled on Wednesday. Kyle Dubas is scheduled to speak on Thursday ahead of the team’s gameday skate before taking on the Panthers. [Pensburgh]
A weekend split with Cleveland has the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins sitting at 3-2-1 through six games. Over that span, the Baby Penguins have totaled 25 goals, leading the AHL while Rutger McGroarty and Avery Hayes both sit among the Top 10 in scoring. [Pensburgh]
NHL News and Notes…
You can’t make the playoffs in October, but a good opening month can provide some cushion in case a team stumbles on tough times later in the season. This is also the case for missing the playoffs, where too big a hole early can prove a tough climb out. [Daily Faceoff]
Brady Tkachuk made his long anticipated return to Ottawa on Wednesday night after an acrimonious break up over the summer that saw the former Senators captain traded to the Florida Panthers. Upon his return, Tkachuk spoke highly of his former home and his time there. [NHL]
Barry Zito has a pair of Stanley Cups to his name as general manager of the Florida Panthers, but he’s hoping to add another title to his mantle, this one as a fan. In 1982, Zito was a bat boy for the Milwaukee Brewers the first and last time they played for a World Series. [NHL]
