Pens Points: Dallas Game Day

Good morning one and all,

The Pens are in Dallas where they will take on the Stars this evening. Here is the game preview and what's new with the Stars. [NHL.com]

Geno will not be joining the team on this road trip after all. The earliest he can return is next Tuesday against St. Louis Blues. [Trib]

Pens look to break out of a major scoring funk. Never a good idea to enter the postseason unable to score goals. [Trib]

At least the schedule is pretty favorable now, which will allow for some recent injuries to heal and some more practice time to work on things. [PPG]

Why officiating is an NHL-wide problem and not just the Penguins problem. [The PensNation]

Let's catch up with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and who better than Jonathan Bombulie. Everything you need to know is here. [Penguins Insider]

Here is Shelly Anderson's terrific story about Mt. Lebanon native and current Bruin Matt Bartkowski, and why winning isn't the only goal. Aside from the Montreal Gazette article at the end, my best read this week. [Mt. Lebanon Magazine]

So many 5-star reading recommendations today: Why the NHL stars of today don't get to score as much. Excellent article. [Sportsnet]

We're on a roll here, and we have a gem from Deadspin (I know, I know; Deadspin actually has many good writers who get overshadowed by the slapstick). What happens to enforcers when hockey uses them up? [Deadspin]

More than hockey, Bryan Murray wants increased cancer awareness and earlier detection to be his lasting legacy. I want a playoff run for the Sens so, so badly. [Canadian Press]

Speaking of which, there's kind of a huge game tonight - Sens are 4 points behind the Bruins with one game in hand, and the two teams meet this evening. This is what I'll be watching. [CBS Sports]

Panthers emergency goaltender chaos may be a perfect opportunity for one goalie. [Yahoo Sports Canada]

Some more amazing GoPro footage with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. [NHL.com]

Things are not getting any better for Nazem Kadri, who was slapped with a 4-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Edmonton's Matt Fraser. [USA Today]

Patrick Sharp is in a rut as well. It seems that his slump goes way beyond bad luck. Terrific read by Chris Boyle. [Sportsnet]

In honor of Hamburglar's incredible stretch, Down Goes Brown looks at 10 most unusual and unexpected NHL goaltending records. [Grantland]

NHL GMs endorse a change in face-off rule. They will also look at the All Star Game. [USA Today]

And for the end, we go back 34 years, to March 4, 1981, when Guy Lafleur scored his 1000th NHL point and got a standing O at the Montreal Forum. Cheering from the front row is a young and handsome future NHL superstar. [Montreal Gazette]