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LATE EDIT:
Post-Practice Penguins Audio
Dan Bylsma
Paul Martin
Steve Sullivan
Courtesy of Pittsburgh Penguins
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The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke the story of the day, which can be found
here. Sidney Crosby is close to getting clearance to return to play, possibly as soon as the first game of the playoffs.
Crosby made a pair of returns during the 2011-12 season. He debuted on Nov. 21, 2011, scoring two goals and adding two assists in a 5-0 blanking of the Islanders. He also came back after a long layoff against the Rangers on March 15, 2012 in Madison Square Garden, tallying two assists and finishing plus-3 in a 5-2 win.
That said, Crosby admitting his timing and fitness levels lagged upon his return. Unfortunately, at this stage of the season there’s really no other way to get Crosby back into game shape other than using him in the playoffs.
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I didn’t see much difference between Dustin Brown’s elbow on Jason Pominville (which resulted in a two-game suspension) and Michael Del Zotto’s reverse elbow on James Neal, which resulted in Neal missing the Pens’ last seven games and no discipline for Del Zotto.
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At least Martin St. Louis passed Sidney Crosby in the scoring race with a flourish – netting his seventh career hat trick. I’d forgotten –actually I never knew – that St. Louis started his NHL career with the Calgary Flames in 1998-99. At age 37, he would become the oldest scoring champion ever, provided he holds off teammate Steven Stamkos and others. St. Louis, who won the Art Ross Trophy in 2003-04 with 94 points,
What I find remarkable is that the 5-foot-8 forward has missed a total of seven games since the beginning of the 2002-03 campaign.
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Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault declared goalie, Cory Schneider, out with a “body injury,” according to the
Vancouver Sun. That’s right, not even an upper or lower body designation, just a “body injury.” Amazing.
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A look at the Eastern Conference standings
One would think that the standings would be closer after 40-some games than in a regular 82-game slate, but that isn’t the case. Florida is in last place, 18 points behind the eighth-place Senators and Rangers.
Montreal finished dead-last in the East a year ago, but only trailed eighth-place Ottawa by 14 points. The difference is just an interesting observation.
At this point, it appears the Pens will be playing the Rangers, Sens or Jets (in that order of possibility) in the first round of the playoffs.
Chicago has clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the best overall record in the NHL. There’s no dispute for the title, nor is there any disputing that only one team with the best regular-season mark has won the Stanley Cup in the last 10 seasons. That would be the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings.
What is interesting is the separation between the Pens and the rest of the Eastern Conference and the ‘Hawks with the West. Pittsburgh holds an 11-point edge over the second-place Bruins while Chicago sits 11 points ahead of Anaheim (with one game in-hand).
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Just a horrible leap for page views by
The Globe and Mail, with a headline Report: Sidney Crosby could be back in Penguins lineup this weekend.
The information comes from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article which in no way, shape or form says that Crosby might come back this weekend. The Toronto “report” offers no direct link to the Post-Gazette article, either.
Crosby, who has not played since his jaw was fractured by a deflected shot March 30, is expected to seek medical clearance today or Friday to resume playing.
If that's given, he would not return to the lineup for the Penguins' game at New Jersey tonight or the regular-season finale Saturday against Carolina at Consol Energy Center, but dressing for Game 1 of the playoffs is not out of the question at this point.
Crosby might surprise everyone and play against Carolina on Saturday, but nowhere in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article say that or even hint at that.
Just another of terribly weak example of reporting on the Penguins by the Toronto-based newspaper. The Ottawa Sun would be proud.
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Tweets ‘O the Day
Josh Yohe @JoshYohe_Trib
Devils coach Peter Deboer: "Take away Crosby. Take away Neal. The Penguins' depth up front is still unmatched. They can embarrass you."
Rich Chere @Ledger_NJDevils 1h
Johan Hedberg, who starts against the Penguins tonight, is first onto the ice for the morning skate
Shelly Anderson @pgshelly 34s
#Penguins lines Iginla-Malkin-Dupuis, Morrow-Jokinen-Bennett Kunitz-Sutter-Cooke, Adams-Glass-Kennedy (Jeffrey, MacIntyre)
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Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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