Pens Points: Southern Swing

With temperatures starting to drop in Western Pennsylvania, there is no better time for the Penguins to head south. After playing seven of their first nine games on home ice, the Penguins will begin a three game road trip this evening in sunny Florida against the Florida Panthers.

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

Get your game day started with the latest news in Pens Points...

After a busy weekend, the Penguins returned to the ice on Monday and head coach Mike Sullivan provided an injury update on several players. He delivered mostly good news for many of the guys injured, but some bad news for one key blue liner. [Pensburgh]

For the first time in a long time, some good news came about from all the Penguins injuries, even with the setback to Brian Dumoulin. With guys returning to practice, it’s only a matter of time before they are ready for game action. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

With guys like Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Alex Galchenyuk, and Nick Bjugstad missing from action, that’s almost a full two lines out of commission. In their absence, the top line of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Dominik Simon has carried the team. [NBC Sports]

Sitting at 6-3-0 on the season, the Penguins have arguably outperformed expectations given their injury situation at the moment. The question now is, can they continue producing winning results until healthy reinforcements to arrive? [Pensburgh]

While some prospects are being relied upon to help the Penguins through this injury crisis, others are producing and developing in juniors or overseas. None more so than Samuel Poulin who recorded an eight point game on Sunday. [Pensburgh]

One prospect making a name for himself at the NHL level is forward Sam Lafferty. The former fourth round pick was called up as injury replacement but may be playing himself into a roster spot even once everyone is healthy. [NHL]

John Marino made a splash when it was announced he made the Penguins opening night roster, and the early returns on his play are generally positive. Once you learn more about Marino and his hockey story, he’s an easy guy to root for. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

This was announced a few weeks ago but here is a quick reminder. The Penguins will host the U.S. and Canada Women’s National Teams for a training camp at UPMC Lemieux on November 4th through the 11th. [Penguins]

Playing seven of their first nine games on home ice helped aid the Penguins as they waded through early injuries and they cashed in with four wins. While playing at home has its perks, the Pens are ready to be tested on the road. [Trib Live]

Morning skates have been a staple of hockey for years, but they are being less a part of the modern game with each passing season. On Monday, Mike Sullivan didn’t exactly mince his thoughts on the long standing practice. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL...

It’s Monday which means the NHL gave us a fresh set of “Three Stars of the Week” for last week’s slate of games. Leading the way is David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins followed by John Carlson of the Capitals and Carter Hutton of the Sabres. [NHL]

Several teams are off to fast starts this season, but not all are created equal. Some hot teams will turn out to be Stanley Cup contenders, while others will start to slide back and ultimately be forgotten come playoff time. [NBC Sports]

Most teams are approaching the 10 game mark, so it’s a good time to check who bettors have as the Stanley Cup favorite. As it was at the end of last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning still sit as the favorites with the Maple Leafs not far behind. [USA Today]