Crosby Misses Preseason Debut With Family Death
Crosby missed today's game v. Columbus due to the passing of his grandmother. He informed the team of the family matter and traveled home to Nova Scotia to spend time with his family. From all of us at the Pregame show, we want to pass along our sympathy and prayers to Sid and his entire family during this trying time. It was not stated when Sid will return to the team.
Bennett Injury Update
Saturday prior to the game, Mike Johnston announced that Bennett will miss roughly six weeks. He will miss roughly twelve games in that span. Considering what we were hearing from the incident, it was not far from my mind that Bennett would be missing more in the range of six months, not weeks. As far as I am concerned, this is good news for Beau and the Pens. It is serious enough to miss some time, but he won't miss the season.
Bennet was firing on all cylinders to begin camp; playing incredibly well in the first few preseason games and creating real chemistry with Brandon Sutter. Here's to hoping Beau has a speedy recovery and he picks up where he left off this week.
Pens Even Up the Preseason Record
Chris Kunitz made his preseason debut after missing the first few games of the preseason with an undisclosed injury. He skated on a line with Brandon Sutter and Kasperi Kapanen and spent 19:11 on the ice. He had no points to show for his icetime, but had one shot on net and one hit.
2014 1st rounder Kasperi Kapanen scored his first NHL goal in this contest. Receiving a pass from Marcel Goc, Kapanen wristed home a shot at the 5:52 mark in the first period. Goc and Comeau were awarded the assists on Kapanen's first.
Andrew Ebbett netted the other goal in the game for Pittsburgh, assisted from Christian Ehrhoff and Oskar Sundqvist.
Several of the younger guys played great games today, including Kapanen, Sundqvist and defensemen Simon Despres and Taylor Chorney.
Marc-Andre Fleury got the win in this contest. He stopped eighteen of nineteen shot opportunities.
Sounds from Around the Pens-Sphere
- On Kapanen (via Pens Twitter): "The original plan was to have Kasperi play alongside Kunitz and Crosby today. There is a good chance Kapanen could crack the opening night lineup."
- On Dupuis and Maatta: "Pascal Dupuis will play the final two preseason games in Minnesota and Detroit. Maatta is closed to playing and will play in at least one of those final two games."
Kasperi Kapanen via Penguins Twitter:
- On the goal: "It's a big thing for me. It gives me more confidence. Hopefully there is more to come."
Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet via Pens website:
- On the Pens play: "It didn't seem like a preseason game for some guys the way they were blocking shots."
Who Has IMpressed?
1. Patric Hornqvist: James who? This guy has played two games and I already love what he has showed. He goes to the net, but more importantly, he has his way in that area. That is what the Pens have lacked in recent years. Granted, Chris Kunitz plays that game and is pretty good at it, but Hornqvist is a superstar at it. It may not be the flashiest, but it is by far the most effective. I cannot wait to see him on a line with Geno.
2. Beau Bennett: It's really tough to see Beau go down with the injury, especially with his performance this preseason. He has played some stellar hockey. He had a goal and assist over his first two games and had really stood out amongst all the "veteran" guys. His injury hurts, but hopefully he picks off where he left off when he comes back.
3. Christian Ehrhoff: The German defenseman is going to be a beast in the Pens system. First of all, he is a solution to the "shooting on the PP" problem. He has a cannon shot from the point which will result in goals and cleanup opportunities in front of the net. His play with Kris Letang is phenomenal. They have played roughly 40 minutes together and have the chemistry of guys who have played together for the last four seasons. Johnston needs to play them together, period!
4. Oskar Sundqvist: The young Swede has really impressed me. Kapanen may make the final roster, but if Oskar keeps it up it will be tough to send him packing. He has played stellar hockey over these past few preseason games, putting up a goal against Minnesota and an assist against Columbus on Saturday. He is still adjusting to the smaller rink, but has looked ready to make a serious run at a roster spot.
5. Scott Harrington: His waivers status works against him, but it is going to be incredibly hard for the staff to send this guy back to Wilkes-Barre. He is NHL ready. He is not an offensive juggernaut, but he is a solid defenseman who can be relied on in his own end. I'd love to see him make the team but, like I said in the open, his waiver status is against him.
An honorable mention: the Mike Johnston system. The style of hockey the Pens are playing right now is awesome. They are playing physical, but smart. That's a step in the right direction itself. Next, they are getting a lot of shots on net. Frankly, the Pens have not been shooting enough. This system has them peppering the net when they are in their zone instead of trying to be cute. I am a firm believer that it doesn't matter how pretty it is, as long as it ends up in the back of the net. Finally, the players are really buying into it. There were questions as to whether the big guys would buy into this system, but they certainly have (though we still don't know about 87 and 71). The players are playing well, and the system is working. I love it.