Pens Points: Duck Hunt

We had to check the schedule, but it turns out the Penguins will in fact play road games this season. That won’t happen until Saturday, however, as the Penguins wrap up a four game season opening homestand when the Anaheim Ducks come to town this evening. [Game Preview]

Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on AT&T Sports Network.

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According to a new report from Bob McKenzie of TSN, general manager Jim Rutherford is making calls regarding the trade of defensemen Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbranson. Rutherford’s hope is a one-for-one deal if a trade is to be made. [Pensburgh]

More rough injury news for the Penguins not even a week into the news season. Forwards Patric Hornqvist and Alex Galchenyuk both missed practice on Wednesday, with Hornqvist being listed as day-to-day while Galchenyuk will head to the IR. [Pensburgh]

With Galchenyuk heading to the injured reserve and out for a while, the Penguins have to dip to the minors for his replacement. Adam Johnson gets the call up from the AHL in the wake of another injury. [Penguins]

As more guys go down to injuries, it will put more pressure on depth players to step up and perform in their absence. Guys like Zach Aston-Reese, Brandon Tanev, and Jared McCann are all names that come to mind. [Trib Live]

Prior to their meeting with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, the Penguins honored legendary broadcaster Mike Lange for his 45 years with the franchise. Lange’s famous goal calls have become a staple of Penguins fandom. [Pensburgh]

Overall, the Penguins did not play a terrible game in their 4-1 loss to the Jets, but any good they produced was completely outdone by catastrophic defensive mistakes. Lack of organization and lazy puck watching made it easy too easy for the Jets. [Pensburgh]

Through three games, the Penguins are 1-2-0 which is not the end of the world by any means. Perhaps a bigger concern for the Penguins at this point is the fact they have looked rather listless through nine periods of hockey. [Pensburgh]

Sam Lafferty grew up a Penguins fan and lived out a dream very few will ever have the chance to. Hailing from Hollidaysburg in Blair County, Lafferty made his NHL debut on Tuesday night for his childhood team. [Penguins]

No one in the building on Tuesday night was more proud of Sam Lafferty than his family. His parents, brother, sister, and 100 others were in attendance for his NHL debut, all watching a kid from Hollidaysburg live out his dream. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

There were many fan tributes to Mike Lange on display Tuesday night, but one of the wildest was a leg tattoo featuring his most famous sayings. The story behind the tattoo makes the permanent tribute even better. [Trib Live]

There is no question time is running out on this era of Penguins hockey. With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin into their 30’s, the window is closing, but the Penguins have a plan to extend that window as long as possible. [ESPN]

Mike Sullivan is 1-for-1 on challenges this year after successfully overturning an offsides call against the Jets. His victory saved him from a two minute penalty, a consequence which Sullivan is not keen on. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Since Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle bought the Penguins years ago, the franchise has been blessed with solid ownership who has shown a commitment to winning. Sadly, the same cannot be said for fans of the Ottawa Senators. [The Ringer]

Fan frustration comes with the territory in the NHL, especially if your team is middling at best from season to season. One of those teams is the Philadelphia Flyers and they are being courteous enough to provide fans with an outlet for their frustrations. [CBS Sports]

Joe Pavelski spent his entire career with the San Jose Sharks until signing with the Dallas Stars as a free agent this offseason. Getting acclimated with a new team will take time and Pavelski is hoping he can adapt quickly in the Lone Star State. [NHL]