Pens stop slide Wednesday, Cooke involved in controversy, Bennett recalled
Poll Results:
Question: How concerned are you with Evgeni Malkin's start to the 2013 season?
More than half of voters (54 percent) said they were “somewhat concerned” with Malkin. The way the response was phrased “once he gets a linemate to go along with James Neal he'll be fine” comes into play with Beau Bennett recalled. Thirty percent of respondents aren’t concerned at all with Malkin while 14 percent are “very concerned.”
Malkin had a strong game on his bobblehead night Wednesday, finishing plus-2. He failed to register any points, but he set up shop in the offensive end on both of the Pens’ final two goals against the Sens. The center took a team-leading four shots, had three others blocks and missed the net three times.
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My Quick Notes
Matt Cooke played pretty well with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal in the third period Wednesday, notching the first point of the season by a left winger on the Pens' No. 2 line. That said, Pens' GM Ray Shero likely wanted to see what he has in Beau Bennett before deciding what kind of player he needs to be in the trade market.
Cooke is a better third-liner than second-line player -- his long NHL career has shown that to be the case. By giving Bennett a chance here, he has five games to determine whether the organization's top offensive prospect can handle the rigors of the league in his first professional season.
Bennett had a good training camp, scored a goal coming down the left wing in the Black & Gold Scrimmage and has put up points for Wilkes-Barre when healthy. He's a set-up guy more than a finisher, but that shouldn't be a problem with Malkin and Neal. No, it could actually be a boon to Malkin.
There are certainly risks with Bennett. He recently missed time with a knee injury. The team will do well to keep tabs on that issue. He's never played in the NHL before, let alone with linemates which potted 50 goals and 40 goals, respectively, in 2011-12. But having the five-game trial will give the Californian native a leg up on his NHL future.
Pittsburgh is hoping for success right off the bat, but even if he struggles, he can be sent back to the Baby Pens to work on his weaknesses. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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Regarding the Matt Cooke cut, I'm of the belief Cooke meant to get his left skate between Karlsson's legs to slow him up. I don't believe Cooke intentionally tried to hurt Karlsson in any way -- the league has already backed that perspective -- but his past leads to extra scrutiny with everything he comes in contact with. I would have preferred seeing Cooke use his upper half to put the body on Karlsson rather than raising and lowering his left skate the way he did, but that's irrelevant at this point. Sympathies to Karlsson and the Ottawa organization.
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Letang came back and played 27:33. What's interesting is that Paul Martin saw 7:31 on the power play and Letang, just 4:41. Those numbers will flip-flop at some point. Coach Bylsma has stated how he likes the way Martin distributes the puck at the point and that works when a team has shooters such as Malkin, Crosby, Neal and Kunitz. Once teams see Martin at the point too frequently, however, they'll be able to adapt and take away some of his distribution skills and force him to shoot. That's why the team would be wise to switch things up with Martin and Letang at the point going forward.
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How about Sidney Crosby? He's got four three-point games in seven February contests. There's no way a healthy Crosby doesn't win the Art Ross Trophy, is there?
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The return of Letang and Matt Niskanen forced Roberto Bortuzzo back to the bench. The Penguins would be wise to find a way to put him in the lineup next Wednesday at home against Philly.
Did you see Scott Hartnell is targeting a Wednesday return from his month-long injury?
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Links 'n At
Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson’s injury broken down.
The best player on the Senators and possibly the best player in the league, Karlsson, was cut by Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke’s skate in a collision along the boards late in the second period.
Perhaps we should let the bolded portion of the article go unmentioned on a sad day for the Sens, but “possibly the best player in the league?”
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Pens halt losing streak with 4-2 win over Ottawa.
"It was the end of a penalty-kill," Cooke said. "I was at the end of a shift and [Craig Adams] took a shot and I went to the corner. ]Karlsson] and I were engaged. He went down screaming, and I didn't even know what happened.
"Obviously, I feel terrible about it. I'm not trying to do that, obviously. It's happened [to various players] a few times over the last couple of years, and it's scary."
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Pens’ Cooke cleared in collision which led to Karlsson injury.
This article is more of a statement than an article.
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Penguins trade Tangradi to Winnipeg.
"He didn't ask for a trade, but he was getting scratched [from the lineup]," Shero said. "[The trade] was an opportunity for him to stay in the NHL, and I felt with Winnipeg it was a good opportunity for him. Maybe we'll see him Friday."
The Penguins play Friday night in Winnipeg.
Tangradi was seen as a power forward most of his time with the Penguins.
"He's a younger player," Shero said. "He needs to play. He wasn't in our plans, it seemed. It just seemed like there were some guys passing him by [with the Penguins]."
Tangradi and Chris Kunitz were traded to Pittsburgh from Anaheim in exchange for Ryan Whitney in one of Shero’s better trades.
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Bennett could benefit from Tangradi trade.
Besides the wonderful alliteration in the headline, Josh Yohe correctly hinted that Bennett might stick around after a “visit” to Pittsburgh on Thursday.
General manager Ray Shero did not dismiss the possibility that Bennett would remain with the Penguins.
“We're going to address that,” Shero said. “We'll talk with him after the game. More importantly, it's just a matter of seeing what the doctors say. We just want to make sure he's 100 percent.”
“We'll see,” Shero said. “We'll see.”
Click
here to view Bennett’s Baby Penguins’ page.
The Pens’ GM also spoke regarding about Eric Tangradi’s future in the league.
“I don't know if it's going to be a top-six role for him,” Shero said. “It might be a bottom-six role. I just think he needs an opportunity to find his confidence at the NHL level. It just seemed like there were some guys passing him by.”
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Penguins Notebook: Letang, Niskanen return to lineup against Senators.
The return of two top-four defensemen means that rookies Simon Despres and Robert Bortuzzo will compete for a spot among the top six, Bylsma said.
“It's four right shots,” Bylsma said, referring to Letang, Niskanen, Bortuzzo and veteran Deryk Engelland.
“Righties, in particular, find it a little more difficult to play the off side. Simon adds the left shot, and it alleviates a little bit of that. “Simon probably has a little bit more of the advantage adding the left shot.”
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Bennett & Despres working against one another during 2011 rookie camp
Bennett dominating a goalie
Treasure Life!
JT
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