With the Penguins having played a few games more than most of the league, a long break like this week was bound to happen at some point so other teams could make up their games in hand. Good news is, the Pens are riding a five game winning streak and this break gives them a chance to rest up before the final playoff push in the coming weeks.
Here now, your daily dose of Pens Points on this beautiful day in Pittsburgh...
Hockey is an international sport that garners fandom around the world, even in the some of the remote places. Recently, two Penguins fans from Iceland finally had the opportunity to see their favorite team and players without worrying about the five hour time difference. [Penguins]
After being called up from the AHL but not getting the chance to make his NHL debut, forward Teddy Blueger has been reassigned back to the AHL. [Trib Live]
There is no question Penguins’ general manager Jim Rutherford will be looking to add pieces to his roster in an effort to win a third straight Stanley Cup. What we don’t know is what exactly Rutherford is willing to part with the get the pieces he wants to improve the team. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Rutherford likely won’t pull off a trade for a top line scoring winger or a top pairing defenseman. What Rutherford could do however, is try and bring in another player in the mold of Riley Sheahan who helps fill out the bottom six. [Trib Live]
Hockey players are notoriously superstitious about a lot of different and odd things. From how their sticks are taped to what they eat before a game, hockey has some truly unique routines and the Penguins’ players are no different than the rest. [Penguins]
One issue that hampered the Penguins early in the season was the lack of contributions at times from their non-star players. On nights where Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel were held off the score sheet, it was almost certainly a loss. Now that the Pens are getting scoring from their role players, they look almost unbeatable on most nights. [Pensburgh]
News and notes from around the NHL...
There is no doubt the NHL players wish they could be competing in the Winter Olympics right now but even though they are stuck in North America, they are making it a point to still tune in and support their home nations. [CBC]
Player tracking data is being tested at the Olympics and if all goes well, it could make its way to the NHL very soon. [Sportsnet]