PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pens open a five-game home stand tonight against New Jersey at 7p with Tristan Jarry in goal. They got good news having Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen take the first steps to returning by practicing. There is other good news.
Namely the schedule and the last 11 games of the season.
As the Pens try and work through some recent scoring woes, there are three games against the non-playoff Devils. Then a chance to make a move in the division with a pair of games at home against Boston before going to Washington for two. Pens finish the regular season with two at sixth place Philadelphia and two against last place Buffalo.
As for Scoring
"When you go throughout a season there are going to be highs and lows," said forward Mark Jankowski. "We just have to work through it. We obviously know as a team we can score goals."
After rolling through 16 goals in three games, only six goals in the last three and two of those losses.
"We have to play the game the right way," Jankowski said Tuesday. "Focus on defense and good defense leads to offense. If we work through it and we battle hard. We will be able to get out of it."
"I think it's a matter of puck luck right now," said forward Zach Aston-Reese. "When stuff like this happens, you just have to keep working. Eventually you will be rewarded with bounces."
Lines
Colton Sceviour, Jankowski and Sam Lafferty were the fourth line during morning skate Tuesday with Radim Zohorna working in. Jeff Carter remained centering the second line with Jared McCann and Jason Zucker. Malkin and Kapanen did not go through line rushes.
The defensive pairings stayed the same with Mark Friedman and Chad Rudwedel working on a spare line.
Running with the Devil
Pens are 3-2 against New Jersey this season with the top line each having game-winning goals, Bryan Rust, then Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel on April 11.
"It's always tough going up against a team that really has nothing to lose," Aston-Reese said. "They have a lot of young guys, new to the league. I saw their average age was younger than some college out there."
"They are young and hungry and play with nothing to lose. That's always dangerous."
