Pens Points: Flames Game Day

Good morning one and all,

The Pens are in Calgary, and the game at the Saddledome is on at 9 pm Eastern tonight. Get ready for the Flames with this game preview. [Penguins.com]

We catch up with another former Penguin, the good guy Deryk Engelland. Here's one for Stros. 46 games, 0 g, 3 a, -14. Hoo boy. [Calgary Sun]

Pens are not very proficient on faceoffs and that is now officially a concern. They won the faceoff battles only 3 times in the last 18 games. [PPG]

Kris Letang is no longer the guy who comes with his risks and rewards. He is one of the NHL top defensemen, period. What a treat he's been to watch this season. [Trib]

Good news on the second-to-last injured player we can reasonably hope to get back this season, as Blake Comeau is easing back into on-ice work. [Trib]

Christian Ehrfohh is not with team in western Canada, but the news is that the Pens and his agent have deferred any contract talks until end of season. [The Fourth Period]

Besides being happy for Kimmo, the rare good guy in orange and black, I took the news of Kimonen returning to practice as a sign of hope that Duper may indeed have good news by May as well. [Sportsnet]

Evander "Calamity" Kane has a shoulder injury, the extent of which is unknown. Has had altercations with teammates. Not a happy camper in Winnipeg. Not a sharp dresser. Elliotte Friedman looks at the big picture. [Sportsnet]

Anyway, is it realistic Pens will want to trade for a player with an unknown extent to his injury for a deep playoff run? Not really. Let's move on from there and look at, you know, real trade options. [Hockey Buzz]

Slava Voynov is going to trial in March, and the original police report from his arrest has been released. Good grief. I had trouble getting through that. [LA Times]

Ovi has finally pulled off his All Star game move in a real game. 10 straight seasons with 30+ goals, this guy. A very rare thing. [NHL.com]

Excellent information on the 5% escalator to the salary cap, on which the NHLPA must vote by July 1 - and they will vote for it, no doubt. They do need money in the system. Terrific read about the history of such votes. [Sportsnet]

And for the end, here is your all-NHL overrated team, whose starting center is one Brandon Sutter. [USA Today]