Pens Points: Sunday Letdown

Sunday marked the annual “Hockey Day in America” and the Penguins took on the Detroit Red Wings in an afternoon matinee to celebrate. Unfortunately for the Pens, that is as far as the celebration would go. A sluggish and uneven display from the Penguins resulted in a 5-2 Red Wings victory and the Pens first regulation loss since before the All-Star break. Tom Kuhnhackl scored a shorthanded goal in the first period and captain Sidney Crosby notched his 32nd goal of the season in the loss. [Pensburgh]

Tomorrow will serve as a travel day for the Pens as they head to Raleigh for a Tuesday night contest against the Carolina Hurricanes. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on ROOT Sports.

If Friday night was any indication, a Penguins versus Blue Jackets playoff series will be on another level. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Injuries to defenseman Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz may dictate what moves Jim Rutherford will be making at the upcoming trade deadline. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Using lessons learned from the 2011 Winter Classic in Pittsburgh, the NHL is developing a top notch fan experience for the Stadium Series game on Saturday. [Trib Live]

With injuries stacking up on the blue line this season for the Penguins, Ian Cole has stepped up whenever needed and having his best season in a Pens uniform since coming over from the St. Louis Blues. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Youth hockey participation has skyrocketed in Pittsburgh over the last twenty years to coincide with the success of the Penguins franchise. [Penguins]

News and notes from around the NHL...

In theory, the newly introduced bye week seems like a great benefit for the players as they slog through the lengthy NHL schedule. However for some teams, victories are hard to come by when returning from the break. [Puck Daddy]

The three point system has long been discussed as a solution for the controversial “losers point” for an overtime loss. [Fan Rag Sports]