All of the action in the NHL last night was in the Western Conference, so the Penguins’ playoff chase was on pause, but they are back on the ice tonight against one of their top rivals for the final playoff spot in the East, the Detroit Red Wings.
The Pens and Red Wings are tied in the points race, with 84. That’s one point behind the Washington Capitals, who currently hold the second and final wild card slot. Pittsburgh is technically third in the race and Detroit fourth based on the second tiebreaker, wins in regulation. The Penguins are 8-2-2 against the Red Wings in their last dozen games and they are 6-0-3 in their last nine games overall.
Coach Mike Sullivan likes the intensity the Penguins have shown in their late-season surge.
The Penguins yesterday called up forward Radim Zohorna from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and sent forward Sam Poulin back down. Sullivan says Zohorna makes a lot of sense for the bottom six forwards.
Sidney Crosby is two points shy of tying Phil Esposito for 10th place all-time on the NHL career scoring list, and if those next two points are assists, he would reach 1,000 for his career. The last player to enter the top ten in scoring was Jaromir Jagr, sixteen years ago. Crosby says the Penguins have what it takes to keep up their torrid pace.
Top line forward Bryan Rust says the Penguins are a battle-tested group that knows it can make the playoffs, and more.
The NHL Players Association yesterday released its annual poll of players, and for the fifth straight year, Crosby was named hockey’s most complete player. With 38.37 percent of the vote, Crosby more than doubled the next most complete player, Florida’s Alexsander Barkov. He was also second to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in response to the question, “If you need to win one game, who is the forward you want on your team?” The NHLPA also took Crosby as the second choice to win a faceoff, behind Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly.
The Penguins and Red Wings have played twice this season. Detroit won, 6-3 on October 18th. The Pens won by the same score, 6-3, on March 17th.
Tonight’s game faces off shortly after 7 o’clock. The pregame airs on 92.5 FM U92 at 6.
The Capitals are at Buffalo tonight. The Islanders, who are currently third in the Metro Division, host Montreal.
