The Penguins are in New Jersey tonight to play the Devils in their last road game of the season. They return to PPG Paints Arena on Sunday to face the Bruins and then cap the season against Washington on Thursday of next week. This is the third straight season that the Pens have missed the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Coach Mike Sullivan yesterday named a lengthy list of players who will miss the season’s final two games, including Tommy Novak, Blake Lizotte, Rutger McGroarty, Noel Acciari, and Matt Nieto.
Sullivan is hopeful that McGroarty’s injury, suffered when he was hit in the foot by a slap shot, will heal sufficiently that he can return in time to get in some playoff hockey with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The team recalled Emil Bemstrom, Vasily Ponomarev, and Valtteri Puustinen as emergency replacements and all three skated at practice yesterday.
The airtime for the Penguins and Devils on 92.5 FM U92 tonight is six o’clock, with faceoff shortly after seven.
Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has been named general manager of Team Canada for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship tournament. He’s already been named GM of Team Canada for next year’s Olympics.
Pens assistant general manager Jason Spezza is among those named to the team’s selection committee for the world championship tournament.
