Penguins-Red Wings preview
Some news, notes and numbers in advance of the Penguins’ game against Detroit at Joe Louis Arena tonight:
*** The Penguins – who are without the likes of Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Rob Scuderi, James Neal and Tanner Glass – aren’t the only team that will rely on a diluted lineup this evening. Detroit is scheduled to be without Henrik Zetterberg (back), Darren Helm (shoulder), Stephen Weiss (groin), Danny DeKeyser (shoulder) and goalie Jimmy Howard (knee).
*** The Penguins did not have a game-day skate, although goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Jeff Zatkoff, defenseman Brian Dumoulin, Glass and Neal worked out on the ice at Joe Louis Arena.
*** Red Wings coach Mike Babcock on Penguins winger Chris Kunitz, a candidate to play for Babcock on the Canadian Olympic team: “Kunitz is obviously having a big year.”
*** The Penguins, Detroit and Montreal are the only NHL clubs to be ranked in the top 10 in both power play and penalty-killing.
*** Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has not named his starting goaltender, but Zatkoff, a Detroit native, appears to be the likely choice.
*** The Penguins have won three of their past four road games and have scored a power-play goal in all four.
*** The Penguins are in their seventh set of games on consecutive days this season. They are 3-3 in the second game so far.
*** Red Wings winger Daniel Alfredsson, the former Ottawa captain, has 64 points in 64 career games against the Penguins. He needs two assists to reach 700 for his career.
*** The Penguins have won seven consecutive shootouts, while the Red Wings have lost 11 in a row, including six this season. Detroit’s most recent defeat in one came Thursday night in Tampa.
*** The Penguins are 18-2 when getting the first goal of the game and 11-1 when leading at the first intermission.
*** Detroit averages just 8.6 penalty minutes per game, second-lowest figure in the league.
*** Penguins center Evgeni Malkin still is two points shy of 600 for his career.
*** This will be the first game between the Penguins and Red Wings since Detroit’s 4-1 victory at Consol Energy Center Dec. 13, 2011.
*** Penguins center Brandon Sutter has seven assists, one less than he earned last season.