Pens Points: Meeting of the Superstars

Coming off another lopsided loss on Saturday night at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Penguins will look to get back in the win column this evening when they play host to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at PPG Paints Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on AT&T Sports Network.

Now for your daily dose of Pens Points...

Biggest news of the day was the Pens placing backup goaltender Antti Niemi on waivers after a disastrous beginning to his tenure with the franchise. In three starts this season, Niemi was 0-3-0 with a 7.49 GAA. [Pensburgh]

With Niemi out of the picture the Pens recalled goalie Casey DeSmith from the AHL to serve as the new backup to starter Matt Murray. DeSmith is 3-0 this season in the AHL with a .98 GAA. General manager Jim Rutherford was announced forward Carter Rowney has been placed on injured reserve. [Penguins]

A major part of what made the Penguins back-to-back Stanley Cup champions was their depth at the goaltending position. With two “Number 1” goalies in Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury the Pens were able to fill a void due to injury or poor play. Now with Fleury gone, the Pens are realizing the struggles of having only one top goalie. [Trib Live]

Expected to make his Penguins debut tonight against Edmonton, Riley Sheahan was centering a line alongside Carl Hagelin and Patric Hornqvist at practice on Monday in Cranberry. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Although his time with the Red Wings ended with a thud, Sheahan’s former employers expect him to thrive in Pittsburgh. [Detroit Free Press]

Considered the two best players in the game, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid will face-off once again later this evening. Crosby comes into the matchup as the two time reigning Conn Smythe award winner while McDavid enters as the defending scoring champion and league MVP. [Trib Live]

Winter is quickly approaching and to make sure everyone has the proper clothing to deal with the cold conditions, the Penguins took a group of local children to Dick’s Sporting Goods to get them gear up for the cold weather ahead as a part of the Salvation Army’s Project Bundle Up. [Penguins]

No current NHL players will participate in the 2018 Olympic games but there will still be plenty of familiar faces in South Korea including a little Pittsburgh flavor on the United States side. Former winger Ryan Malone was selected to play in an exhibition series for Team USA. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

After conducting a thorough investigation into allegations of a homophobic slur used by Andrew Shaw, the NHL is making it clear that any form of discrimination will not be tolerated by the league. [ESPN]

If Drew Doughty decides to test free agency next offseason, his decision to leave or stay with the Los Angeles Kings could have a ripple effect throughout the entire league. [Sportsnet]