Pens (37-21-5, 17-13-3 road) at Avs (33-28-4, 18-14-1 home), Pepsi Center, 9:00 pm EDT
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The Pittsburgh Penguin’s good health lasted all of 10 minutes Wednesday before Dallas defenseman Eric Nystrom checked Kris Letang into a possible second concussion. A period later, power-play puck carrier Steve Sullivan was felled with a lower-body injury. So much for the team’s good health.
Still, the news is not all bad. The Penguins stretched their winning ways to four straight games Wednesday, the longest current streak in the NHL. With just four regulation losses since Jan. 11, the team has moved its way up into the East’s fourth and final home playoff slot – thanks to a 16-4-1 mark.
In a really half-full statement (as opposed to half empty), Sidney Crosby has continued to skate and hasn’t suffered any setbacks. It’s easy to second guess when Crosby may or may not return to action, but at least he hasn’t been shut down again.
Perhaps the worst news of the potential Letang concussion is that it’s thought to be minor in nature.
Coach Dan Bylsma said Friday in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Letang's symptoms "are not dramatic at this point, but certainly [we are] going to get home and get him evaluated by our doctors." Where have Penguins fans heard that line before?
Pittsburgh won’t decide whether Steve Sullivan sees action against the Avs until after Saturday’s morning skate. Sullivan provides the team with a steadying influence as he brings the puck up ice. He’s not the perfect power-play point man – he apparently injured himself tracking down a giveaway from the right point Wednesday – but his numbers have ramped up appreciably in recent weeks. Sullivan is riding a six-game point streak that includes two goals and seven assists.
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With 79 points in 63 games, it might appear as though the Pens have a tough road ahead trying to catch first-place New York, which has 89 points in 63 contests. But out west, Colorado really faces a rocky mountain climb up against the Canucks. Vancouver holds a 20-point edge, 90 to 70, respectively, over second place Colorado in the Northwest Division. There’s a slim-and-no chance the Avs catch the Canucks, but they are only two points out of the playoffs. What’s interesting about the Avs is that while they’ve won five more games that they’ve lost (33 to 28), they’ve surrendered eight more goals than they’ve scored.
Colorado ended February with a 7-2-1 record but was blanked, 2-0, at home by Columbus on Thursday.
Gabriel Landeskog was named NHL rookie of the month for February, netting seven goals and 13 points in 12 contests. For the season, Landeskog holds a plus-21 rating, significant because no other Colorado player is better than plus-8.
Steve Downie has scored two goals and seven points in five games since coming over in a trade from Tampa Bay. Downie potted two goals against the Pens the last time he played against them with the Lightning.
David Jones, who was thought to be a Pittsburgh trade target, has 15 goals and 13 assists in 53 games.
After missing a month and a half, the Matt Duchene has two points in six games. He’s the type of talented young star ie Jeffrey Skinner and TJ Oshie that seems to give the Penguins fits, however. Duchene scored a goal against Pittsburgh earlier in the season.
Jean-Sebastian Giguere is expected to start in goal over Semyon Varlamov, according to the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Giguere is the backup but helped to beat the Red Wings in Detroit the last time he got the nod.
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Pens-Avs: By the Numbers
Goals For/Against
Pens: 3.08-2.59 (per game)
Avs: 2.48-2.68
5-on-5 Goal Ratio
Pens: 1.04
Avs: 0.93
Power Play
Pens: 19.8 percent, 23-for-116 (road)
Avs: 13.3 percent, 12-for-90 (home)
Penalty Kill
Pens: 87.7 percent, 107-of-122 (road)
Avs: 84.6 percent, 88-of-104 (home)
Hits-Blocked Shots-Missed Shots-Giveaways-Takeaways
Pens: 847-417-414-212-219 (33 road games)
Avs: 693-442-348-202-371 (33 home games)
Record When Leading After 1st Period, 2nd Pd//Trailing After 1st Period, 2nd Pd
Pens: 17-4-3, 20-0-2//9-11-1, 6-16-2
Avs: 17-2-2, 18-3-2//7-18-0, 6-21-0
Record When Scoring First//Trailing First
Pens: 23-7-3//14-14-2
Avs: 19-6-3//14-22-1
Shootout (Home//Road)
Pens: 4-0//4-3
Avs: 3-1//4-0
The Pens' power-play clicks at 21 percent with Kris Letang in the lineup and 18.5 percent without him.
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Have a great weekend and be thankful you root for a team that has great ownership and leadership. You could be a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Treasure life & Let’s Go Pens!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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