Pens Points: North of the Border

First place is a nice position to be in, but if the Penguins want to remain there, they still have much work in front of them. That work resumes tonight as the team heads to Toronto to complete the second half of their home-and-home series with the Maple Leafs. A victory will help the Penguins consolidate their spot atop the Metro division and give them a season sweep over the Maple Leafs in the process.

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

Pens Points is here to deliver your latest team news...

Neither injuries or illness seem to be able to stop the Penguins right now and that perseverance was on full display Tuesday night. This run of success despite the setbacks can be directly attributed to Sidney Crosby and Mike Sullivan. [Pensburgh]

Perhaps the sports hernia was causing Sidney Crosby more issues than we will ever know. Since his return from surgery last month, Crosby has seamlessly returned to his old self and propelled the Penguins to first place in the division. [Trib Live]

Jim Rutherford was able to cross Jason Zucker off his trade wish list last week and now he can return to what is left. With the deadline just five days away, it remains to be seen what else Rutherford may have up his sleeve. [Pensburgh]

Aside from his obvious pursuit of Zucker, Rutherford rarely shows his hand when it comes to making trades. We will have to wait and see what he does before Monday’s deadline, but Rutherford sent out word that he is listening. [NHL]

There no Evgeni Malkin at practice on Wednesday but that doesn’t come as much of a surprise given his last second scratch on Tuesday night. Regardless, Malkin will travel with the team to Toronto and Brian Dumoulin is back on skates. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

John Marino has been sent to injured reserve as he continues to recover from facial surgery to repair a broken cheek. With only six healthy defensemen on the roster, the Penguins recalled Zach Trotman from the AHL. [Penguins]

With just over a quarter of the season remaining, the Penguins still have a lot of work in front of them to take care of, but the work they have already put in this season has generated some eye popping statistics. [Penguins]

Tuesday night was a night to forget for Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen as the Penguins lit up the Swedish netminder for five goals on 24 shots. Andersen will get a shot to redeem himself tonight when he gets the nod again. [Toronto Star]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Trades keep rolling in as the deadline approaches ever closer. The fire sale continues for the Los Angeles Kings who send Stanley Cup winning defenseman Alec Martinez to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a pair of draft picks. [NHL]

Scoring goals is a crucial component to winning games in the NHL and there are a handful of great scorers on the trade block heading into the deadline. From young guns to veterans, there is plenty of scoring talent for sale. [Sportsnet]

There are very few coaches in the NHL who can claim they have strong job security and even that handful probably aren’t as safe as many think. Coaching in the NHL has plenty of perks, but also comes with a shelf life. [FiveThirtyEight]