Game preview: Pens @ Florida Panthers

Preview - The Pens continue their road trip with a match tonight in Southern Florida. Catch the game at 7:30 on FSN-HD.

Pittsburgh is 3-0 against the Panthers this season, only allowing 3 goals in the three games. The two teams played a home/home series in early January with the Pens only giving up one goal in those two games. Conklin earned a shutout in the first game and only gave up one in the second. In the third game of this seasons series, Ryan Malone was the hero, scoring 2 goals in the final 3:20 of the game to erase a 2-1 deficit and earn the win. Tonight's game should not be much different than the previous 3. The Panthers are near the bottom of the conference and really have little to play for except pride. If the Pens start out with the intensity they have been able to play with recently, there should be little doubt as to the outcome of this match. My prediction: Pens 4, Panthers 1.

Injury Update - Jordan Staal should rejoin the line-up tonight. His bruised ribs have healed enough since the last game to allow him to skate.

News of Note - The Pens will break their previous record of sellouts in a single season when the Sabres visit the Igloo next Wednesday. The previous record of 34 was set in 1988-89 and tied again in 1989-90. Since the remaining games this season are expected to be sold out, expect that record to be at 42 when playoff time rolls around. This will also put the consecutive games sold out at 55 going back to March of 2007.

Rough Week for the Pens

The Penguins had a rather tough week losing a bruising game to the Flyers by the score of 8-2 and dropping one last night at the Igloo to the Senators 4-1.
For the Flyers game, while being quite entertaining with the 4 fights and nearly 250 penalty minutes doled out by the referees, it was evident that the team was tired following a trip through Western Canada. They played uninspired and let Philadelphia have their way physically in the early parts of the game. When the Flyers build a lead in the second period it got ugly, real ugly. The Flyers took several cheap shots which the Pens retaliated for and it was downhill from there. Game misconducts, 10 minute majors, fighting majors and countless penalties followed.

The Ottawa game was a different story and was actually a much closer game than the score would indicate. The game was tied into the third when the Sens were able to get a couple past Dany Sabourin to make it 3-1 with an empty netter at the end.

Injury Update: Marc Andre Fleury is out for the next month with a high ankle sprain so the Pens called Ty Conklin up from the Baby Pens. Look for a Conklin start possibly against the Islanders on Saturday the 15th and probably on one of the back-to-back games on the 20th or 21st.

Notes: Sid Crosby was held without a point for only the third game this season. Sid is 5th in the NHL in points only 7 behind Tampa's Lecavalier. Sid continues to lead all NHL players in All Star votes.