Pens Points Wednesday: Thornton Hearing Set for Friday

Shawn Thornton will have his disciplinary hearing for attacking and concussing Brooks Orpik on Friday afternoon at 1 pm at the NHL offices in New York.

James Neal will cool off his hot head for another four games, during which time Dan Bylsma hopes he will learn something about playing the game the right way and not crossing the line. From Molinari at PPG, he vows to mend his ways.

The Pens had an open practice for area school kids yesterday, who were thrilled to get the captain run around high-fiving everyone in the stands.

Jarome Iginla had a very emotional return to Calgary last night. They played a fantastic tribute video and gave him a long standing ovation. Avs' struggles of late have Patrick Roy waiting to erupt. There will be blood.

Here is a picture of Kris Letang standing next to Jakob Chychrun, a 15-year-old supposedly incredibly talented player who could be the #1 overall pick in next year's OHL draft. Good god. There is a kid like that in my son's school, approximately the size of Shaquille O'Neal at 11. Genetics.

Captain Cally will be out 4-6 weeks with a serious MCL sprain, suffered in a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators. THN cover curse is alive and well. The Isles and Jonathan Drouin are the latest case in point.

Mike Green had a pretty awful 1st period last night: 3:31 TOI, 9 shot attempts against, 0 for, 5 penalties. Tampa Bay kept turning these PP opportunities into goals, but alas, Alex Ovechkin was determined to bail out his embattled defenseman, scoring 4 goals on the night and paving the way to a SO win. Say whatever you want about his lack of passing. Alex Ovechkin has 48 goals in his last 49 games played.

Three other games went into a shootout last night. Zemgus Girgensons scored in regulation and won it in SO for Buffalo, making Ryan Miller the winningest SO goalie ever, passing Lundqvist. Aleksander Barkov went all Peter Forsberg on Jimmy Howard and scored, and Kevin Poulin somehow, somehow, led the Isles to a SO win against the Sharks with 46 saves on 48 shots. Wowzer.