Penguins-Avalanche preview
Some news, notes and numbers in advance of the Penguins’ game against Denver at the Pepsi Center tonight:
*** The Penguins recalled forward Adam Payerl from their farm team in Wilkes-Barre. He is expected to make his NHL debut this evening, although it is not known whose spot he would be taking. Payerl, 23, is 6 feet 3, 218 pounds and had three goals and six assists in 38 games with the Baby Penguins.
*** Marc-Andre Fleury is scheduled to be in goal for the Penguins.
*** Colorado has won six games in a row, the longest active streak in the NHL.
*** The Penguins have 49 victories, and can hit 50 for the third time in franchise history.
*** Patrick Roy of Colorado is the fifth coach in NHL history to win 50 games in his first season behind the bench.
*** The Penguins are 3-16-1 when center Sidney Crosby fails to record a point.
*** This will be the final away game of the regular season for the Penguins, who are 22-15-3 on the road.
*** Colorado has 106 points and needs just one to match the second-highest total in franchise history.
*** Avalanche center Paul Stastny has a six-game points streak.
*** The Penguins are 36-4-1 when scoring the first goal. Colorado is 36-3-4 when it opens the scoring.
*** Avalanche center Max Talbot, a former Penguin, has a career-high 17 assists.
*** The Penguins will surpass the 500 man-games lost to injury and illness this evening. Their league-leading total currently stands at 495.
*** Crosby has seven goals and 21 assists in the 16 games he has played this season when Evgeni Malkin has not been in the lineup.
*** Colorado is the only team in the league to defeat the other 29 NHL clubs this season.
*** The Penguins, who will be playing their third game in four nights, did not have a game-day skate.
*** Colorado, coming off a 4-0 victory in St. Louis Saturday, is 4-3-1 in the second game when playing on consecutive days.
*** The Avalanche is 28-4-6 in one-goal games, a winning percentage of .737 that is the highest in the league.