Daily Clips – 2/26/14

For Penguins, a rough home stretch to regular season By Chris Adamski

Welcome back to the NHL regular season, Penguins.

Shutting down the league for three weeks with half the team idle and the other half flying to the other side of the planet for an emotionally draining tournament? That was the easy part.

For the Penguins, the Olympics were just the beginning for this peculiar and grueling stretch.

“The Olympic guys might need a day or two of rest here, and then they've got to get back to the NHL game,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “And for the rest of us, we've got to get back into playing real hockey again. And we've all got to click.”

There isn't much time.

The Penguins will gather as a full squad for the first time in almost three weeks when they practice Wednesday. A day later, at home, is their first game since Feb. 7.

The return to normalcy will be short-lived: The Penguins head to Chicago for an outdoor practice Friday and game Saturday at Solider Field.

Part of a stretch of five games in nine days, the game against the Blackhawks starts a five-game road trip that spans the country, stopping in four time zones. By the time the Penguins arrive home to play the Washington Capitals on March 11 in the second end of a back-to-back, home-and-home, they will have covered about 6,000 miles.

That's roughly to the distance between Pittsburgh and Sochi, Russia, where the Olympics just wrapped.

Soon after, the Penguins endure a six-games-in-10-days gauntlet — all against teams currently in playoff spots. In all, the Penguins play 13 such teams in their 16 games in March.

It's all part of a post-Olympics stretch of 24 games in 46 days before the playoffs.

In a 32-day span beginning Thursday, the Penguins play 17 games in nine cities in addition to 11 scheduled practices in six different venues.

Counting Finland's run in Sochi, rookie defenseman Olli Maatta has played 63 games since the Penguins' season started. He never has played more than 66 in a season. But if the Penguins advance deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs, Maatta might have 50 or more games left to play by mid-June.

“It's more about your head. It's more about mental,” Maatta said of fatigue.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said ice time and minutes will be monitored, particularly for the Olympians.

He noted the Penguins spent the stretch leading up to the Olympics evening out ice time among lines to not overtax Olympians or allow the others to get stale.

“We'll count on the guys who were back here practicing so we're able to play four lines and have distribution among minutes,” Bylsma said.

With a 16-point lead in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins have the luxury of not worrying about a playoff race and can focus on preparations for the postseason. Come mid-April, the goal is to have Olympians and non-Olympians on the same page.

“After a three-week break, we're not going to be perfect out there on the ice right away,” defenseman Rob Scuderi said. “But we've got (24) games to get our P's and Q's together and make sure we have the right mindset heading into the playoffs.”

Starkey: Penguins have a blueprint By Joe Starkey

Minutes after receiving his gold medal, Sidney Crosby found himself one-on-one with NBC's Pierre McGuire.

These would be Crosby's first public words after a landmark victory in which he scored a spectacular breakaway goal. As always, he chose them carefully. This is how he characterized Team Canada's ruthless ride through Sochi:

“We played great defensive hockey.”

Great defensive hockey. That, ladies and gentlemen, should be the Penguins' mantra for the final 24 games of the regular season. Somebody should find all those signs at the arena — including the one in the locker room — and add a word to make them read like this: It's a Great Day for (defensive) Hockey.

That is not the same as passive hockey. It's not about skating backward all game (an aggressive forecheck is often your best defense). It's no time drop into the Guy Boucher 1-3-1 or pack 10 guys around the goalie, either.

No, this is about adopting a mindset. It's about committing to the singular purpose of goal-prevention. It's about getting comfortable winning 2-1 games, insulating your goaltender and protecting a 3-0 lead instead of trying to make it 8-0. It's about making smart, unselfish decisions with the puck.

You know, like Team Canada.

If a cast of wildly talented All-Stars can embrace such a philosophy, why can't the Penguins? They're headed in that direction anyway. The change started last season, coming off the Flyers debacle, but the Penguins still got lured into a first-round track meet against the Islanders.

Marc-Andre Fleury says this is the best defensive team he has played on. Jacques Martin was brought in to monitor the defensive side of the puck. Rob Scuderi returned. Coach Dan Bylsma installed a left-wing lock to add layers, or “lanes,” of defense. The penalty kill has been phenomenal. Patience has become a watch word.

All of it has added up to a 40-15-3 record and a goals-against average of 2.36, which, if it holds, would be the team's lowest since Kevin Constantine's first season of 1997-98 (2.11).

But the Penguins still have relapses. They are offense addicts trying to kick the habit (“Hi, I'm Evgeni, and I'm a goal-a-holic.”). They must learn to trust their system in the crucible of playoff hockey, and it has to start with their two best players, Crosby and Malkin.

You'll learn to forgive those two real quick if they don't score and the Penguins still win. Remember the narrative coming off Game 5 of the 2009 Cup Final? It went like this: The Penguins had no chance if their superstars didn't start finding the net.

Except that their superstars combined for zero goals in Games 6 and 7, and the Penguins won the Cup.

Why? Because they played great defensive hockey. Crosby and Malkin were demons on the back check and dominant deep in the defensive zone.

The Penguins' GAA that year was lower in the playoffs than the regular season. The opposite has been true every year since, sometimes reaching catastrophic proportions (see: 5.00 vs. Flyers). Part of that is Fleury's fault, of course, but, like all goalies, he is largely a product of his team's approach.

The Penguins are seventh in the NHL in GAA. Why not shoot for first? Bylsma spoke Tuesday of how allowing two or fewer goals per game pretty much guarantees victory. He agrees there is another level to reach.

“I think we can be better defensively,” he said.

Scuderi is like a good A.A. sponsor. When he spots signs of a relapse, he points it out. He did so last month when he said the Penguins were turning into the “Harlem Globetrotters.”

Hey, buddy, what's wrong with a 6-5 game?

“As a fan, I absolutely see it's entertaining,” Scuderi said. “I've been in those situations, watching, saying, ‘Wow, this is great.' But as a player, you know a lot of mistakes are happening, and when it comes down to crunch time in the postseason, those games just don't happen. The teams that clamp down are the ones that win.”

Clamping down like never before should be the Penguins' goal, their mission, their singular purpose beginning Thursday against Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens.

This team, injuries and all, has been playing quite well defensively for much of the season.

Now it's time to play great.

Penguins star Malkin angry after Russia's flameout at Olympics By Rob Rossi

Evgeni Malkin tried to leave the Olympics behind a week ago.

Instead of staying for the closing ceremony in Sochi, Russia, Malkin caught a flight to Moscow, where he owns an apartment, the morning after Team Russia was eliminated from the Olympic men's hockey tournament.

He returned to Pittsburgh on Monday and practiced with the Penguins at Consol Energy Center on Tuesday. His demeanor was unmistakable to longtime teammates.

“Angry,” James Neal said of his regular center with the Penguins.

“He hasn't said much,” goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. “He's just mad, I think.”

For Malkin, an expected professional high point — the Winter Olympics staged in his hockey-mad homeland — provided one of the more bitter experiences.

It lingered Tuesday.

Malkin declined comment, though he planned to speak publicly Wednesday. Teammates and close friends said they doubted Malkin would reveal many of the details that contributed to ruining his Olympics experience.

Dismayed, still, by Russia's flameout at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Malkin had looked upon the Sochi Games as a shot at redemption and an opportunity to make history by helping his country to its first gold medal.

Instead of playing a pivotal role on a gold medal squad, Malkin felt marginalized by his Olympic coaches, lacking an opportunity to truly spark a medal run. He produced only a goal and two assists, and he didn't score a point in the final four games.

Uncustomary poor offensive production — he is a two-time NHL scoring champion and had scored five goals and 12 points in 11 previous Olympic games — did not sour Malkin in Sochi. Rather, his frustrations stemmed from factors that evoked memories of his near decade-long distrust of Russian hockey authority:

• Malkin, second among NHL players at 1.23 points per game, did not play regularly on the top power-play unit.

• Malkin believed coaches catered to players who were members of his country's Kontinental Hockey League. He sensed a point was being made at the expense of star Russians — specifically, he and Washington's Alex Ovechkin — who have chosen to remain in the NHL.

• Malkin felt the system was geared toward protecting the defense, which consisted mostly of KHL players, instead of playing to what he perceived the squad's strength: skilled forwards.

• Malkin sensed coaches were dismissive of players' feedback. He and Ovechkin, a winger on his line, repeatedly pushed to be split because of their limited experience playing together and their respective preferences to carry the puck. Malkin and Ovechkin felt playing on the same lines made the team an easier matchup for opponents.

Until a few weeks before the Olympics, Malkin thought he was set to play on a line with Toronto's Nikolai Kulemin, a fellow native of Magnitogorsk, Russia. They had played together for their hometown KHL club during the NHL lockout in 2012, with Malkin producing 65 points in 37 games.

(Kulemin produced 38 points in 36 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk during the lockout. He did not score at the Olympics.)

In late December, Malkin learned he would play on a line with Ovechkin. Neither player favored that decision by Russian coaches, though not because of their on-again/off-again rivalry.

Ovechkin and Malkin, who have combined for three scoring titles and four MVPs since they were the first Russians to go 1-2 in the NHL Entry Draft (2004), privately feared their styles would not mesh fast enough in a short tournament such as the Olympics.

Malkin and Ovechkin also confided to associates' fears that Russia's NHL and KHL Olympians would not always be on the same page. Both players had hoped defenseman Sergei Gonchar, a respected veteran of four previous Olympics with NHL players, would make the squad to help captain Pavel Datsyuk bring players from hockey's two most prominent leagues together.

Gonchar, now playing for Dallas, was not chosen by the Russian Federation — a decision that equally frustrated and confounded Ovechkin and Malkin.

Tired of public relations demands that dated to last summer, Malkin struck Penguins teammates as more resigned than joyous in the final weeks leading up to Sochi. Once at the Games, Malkin was scarcely heard from or seen by Penguins Olympians.

He tried early to soak up his third Olympics, but after the preliminary round Malkin told family and friends that a combination of pressure and dissatisfaction were weighing on him.

Though he played in Russia during the lockout and spends offseasons in Moscow, Malkin's history with his country is complicated when it comes to hockey.

He prefers the smaller rinks of North America and competition provided by the NHL. Also, his messy split with Metallurg prior to joining the Penguins eight years ago left scars that have not completely healed.

Malkin has said he can deeply love his country without being one of its faces of hockey for the Russian Federation.

“He was in a tough spot,” Neal said Tuesday. “He wanted to do so well for the people of his country, be the best he could. He wasn't really given that chance.

“It's a different situation for Geno here in Pittsburgh. For one, he's comfortable.”

Injuries could handcuff Penguins' Shero at trade deadline By Josh Yohe

Ray Shero is in a bad spot.

The Penguins general manager announced Tuesday that injuries bombarding his team are worse than expected, that the team's salary-cap inflexibility will make swinging a deal before the March 5 trade deadline difficult and that few teams are interested in dealing desired veterans because of the logjam in the standings.

With the Olympics in the rearview mirror for the man who served as Team USA's assistant general manager, augmenting a talented but incomplete Penguins roster appears to be a difficult task.

Shero said he doesn't intend on adding to a defense core that has been decimated by the losses of Kris Letang (stroke) and Paul Martin (broken hand).

“With Paulie and Kris out, it goes back to where we were before,” Shero said. “We'll give these young guys opportunities. We'll see what happens over the next week or so. Hopefully there won't be any more injuries. Adding a defenseman for any team is going to be difficult.”

The injury report provided by Shero and coach Dan Bylsma was grim:

• Right wing Pascal Dupuis' knee injury wasn't just to his ACL but also to his MCL. He was forced to strengthen other portions of his knee before finally having surgery seven weeks following his injury. Dupuis will miss six to eight months, making his availability at the beginning of next season uncertain.

• Right wing Beau Bennett, dealing with a broken wrist, suffered a setback that will keep him out of the lineup for at least three to four more weeks. Bylsma called the setback “more of a bump in the road than a wall,” but Bennett figures to see little game action before the postseason.

• The Penguins remain unsure whether Letang will play again this season.

• Martin will miss at least four weeks with a broken hand and could miss closer to six weeks.

• Neither Bylsma nor Shero confirmed that goalie Tomas Vokoun, out since September with a blood clot, will play this season.

Letang's immediate future should play a role in how aggressive Shero is at the trade deadline. The general manager said he would leave room for Letang to play, should he be medically cleared to return before the playoffs. Shero would have more salary-cap flexibility to make a move if the team moved Letang to the long-term injured reserve list, which would free $3.5 million of prorated salary.

Shero said the team will attempt to make “an educated guess” regarding Letang's status, then act accordingly at the trade deadline.

Unlike last season, when he orchestrated a number of trades, Shero is predicting a quieter trade deadline day.

Only four teams — Calgary, Edmonton, Buffalo and Florida — are more than 10 points out of a playoff spot, which means few players are being sold off.

“We'll have a good idea come March 5,” Shero said. “In terms of attaining a top winger, I think that's a bit far-fetched.”

For Penguins, focus shifts from gold to Stanley Cup

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The United States lost its shot at a gold medal when it was beaten by Canada, 1-0, in the Olympic semifinals Friday.

It likely lost any realistic hope of taking home a bronze medal at the same time.

Oh, it took a 5-0 loss to Finland in the bronze-medal game the next day to make a fourth-place finish official for the U.S., but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who ran Team USA’s bench, clearly believes the impact of the Canadians’ victory was felt long after that game had ended.

“You play a 1-0 game and what you came there for, really, to win a gold medal, is gone,” he said. “We had to deal with that disappointment going on to the next game.

“I don’t think you get rid of the disappointment. I don’t think you say, ‘Hey, you can put this game behind you, and let’s move on.’”

Team USA clearly didn’t and, after a solid first period against the Finns, turned in a fairly lifeless final 40 minutes to close out the tournament with its second consecutive defeat.

“For sure, we wanted it more, and it showed,” said Penguins rookie defenseman Olli Maatta, who played for Finland. “It’s not easy to find motivation for the bronze-medal game after a tough loss.”

The Finns got theirs by rallying around future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne, who was making his final appearance on the national team.

“He was our idol, growing up,” said Penguins forward Jussi Jokinen, who also played for Finland.

The U.S. had no such incentive. Just the empty ache of a one-goal loss to its arch-rival in a rematch of the gold-medal game four years earlier.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero, associate general manager of Team USA, praised the Canadians lavishly Tuesday, saying they “might be the greatest Olympic hockey team ever.”

Two of that team’s members, center Sidney Crosby and left winger Chris Kunitz, play for the Penguins, who now must focus on the final 24 games of the regular season before trying to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

Of the seven Penguins who played in the Olympics, it is likely that none will be more eager to get immersed in the NHL season than Russian center Evgeni Malkin, whose team didn’t make it past the quarterfinals.

“I talked to Evgeni,” Bylsma said. “Probably the third thing out of Evgeni’s mouth was the Stanley Cup and coming back here and being focused on that.

“We have 24 games to get back and be focused on this team being the best it can be and getting to the Stanley Cup [final] and winning.”

Malkin should be flanked by his usual linemates, Jokinen and James Neal, when the Penguins face Montreal at 7:08 p.m. Thursday at Consol Energy Center.

Who will line up alongside Crosby and Kunitz on the top unit isn’t clear, although Brian Gibbons appears to be the favorite.

He’s the most recent replacement for Pascal Dupuis, who will miss the rest of the season after knee surgery two weeks ago. Whether the Penguins will try to bring in a more experienced fill-in before the March 5 trade deadline remains to be seen, although Shero made that seem unlikely.

“In terms of trying to replace Pascal Dupuis with a top-line winger, I think that’s going to be a bit far-fetched,” he said.

Even if the Penguins were inclined to pursue an established top-six winger, they almost certainly would have to clear salary-cap space to make it possible. Capgeek.com, the leading authority on such matters, says they have no more than $1,195,000 in annual space available.

Most of the movement at this time of year involves “rental players,” which are guys — nearly always from teams out of serious playoff contention — who are about to become unrestricted free agents. The Penguins added three of those (Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray) near the deadline in 2013.

With so many teams having limited cap space available, however, it’s possible that playoff contenders will swap UFAs-to-be, rather than surrendering draft picks or prospects to bring in a rental.

“You could see that,” Shero said. “If you want to trade a defenseman for a forward or vice versa, if you have that need, you’re not so concerned about the [potential UFA’s] status. I could see that happening.”

What the Penguins will look like when the deadline passes is hard to predict, but the team as now configured is scheduled to gather for a practice today. At that point, memories of the

Olympics, be they golden or ghastly, will have to be put aside as the 2013-14 stretch drive begins.

“You have to put it behind you and [deal with] the task at hand,” Bylsma said. “Coming back here and playing for the Penguins.”

Penguins notebook: Injuries back in the forefront

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins are coming out of the NHL’s Olympic break the same way they entered it — with a long list of injured players.

And they not only have added a new name — defenseman Paul Martin, who played for Team USA in Sochi, Russia, is expected to be out four to six weeks because of a broken hand — but also got some discouraging news about a player who has been injured for much of the season.

Winger Beau Bennett, who is recovering from wrist surgery, has suffered what coach Dan Bylsma characterized as “a setback … more of a bump in the road than a wall” and likely will need another three or four weeks before playing.

What’s more, defenseman Kris Letang, diagnosed with a stroke shortly before the break, has not returned to practice and apparently does not have a timetable for doing so.

General manager Ray Shero was noncommittal about whether he expects Letang to play again this season — “I’m not operating under any premise right now regarding Kris Letang, whether he’s coming back or not,” he said — but seemed to downplay the possibility of adding a veteran defenseman before the March 5 trade deadline.

“I’m comfortable with what we have here in terms of on the roster and internally, down on the farm, but we’ll see what the next week brings us,” he said.

In other injury news, Bylsma said:

• There is no timetable for goalie Tomas Vokoun, who has not played this season because of blood clots, to get back in the lineup. Vokoun has been practicing with his teammates.

• Right winger Pascal Dupuis, who had surgery Feb. 12 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, faces a six- to eight-month recovery period, with mid-October being on the outer range. Dupuis already has begun rehabilitation at Consol Energy Center.

• Right winger Chris Conner (wrist) will go about another week before being allowed to practice.

• Forwards Joe Vitale and Taylor Pyatt, who returned to practice this week, have been cleared to resume playing Thursday, when Montreal visits Consol Energy Center.

Patching, filling on defense

With Martin out of the mix for most of the stretch drive and no indication of when Letang might be able to play again, the Penguins will again have to patch together their defense corps.

Bylsma said he expects the Olli Maatta-Matt Niskanen and Rob Scuderi-Robert Bortuzzo pairings to remain intact.

The other three healthy defensemen are Brooks Orpik, Simon Despres and Deryk Engelland, the latter of whom has played right wing at times this season but who Bylsma said is now penciled in for work on the blue line.

Maatta, who had a strong showing for Finland at the Olympics and has played his way into the rookie of the year conversation, said he is prepared to take an even larger role, if that is asked of him.

“There are always guys who step up,” Maatta said. “If it comes to me, yeah, I’m ready for it.

“But we have a lot of good [defensemen] in this organization. It doesn’t matter who’s on the ice. You know they’re going to do their job.”

Different way of looking at it

Although the Olympics in Sochi were contested on international-sized sheets of ice, which are about 15 feet wider than those in the NHL, there were fewer goals scored in the tournament this year than four years ago in Vancouver, where an NHL-sized rink was used.

While that might sound counterintuitive, Bylsma offered a simple explanation for such a decline.

“There’s more room, there’s more space, but the middle of the ice is defended a lot harder,” he said.

“The scoring area is contested very vigorously by pretty much every team.”

Malkin takes part in practice

Center Evgeni Malkin, who played for Russia in Sochi, went on the ice for the Penguins’ workout Tuesday at Consol Energy Center, making him the first of their seven Olympians to resume practicing.

Malkin did not speak with reporters, but is expected to do so today.

Gene Collier: No reason for shame in Olympic performance of Team USA

By Gene Collier / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Just a week ago today, he was the toast of the hockey world, Dan Bylsma, commanding Team USA through four consecutive victories at the Sochi Olympics by a combined score of 20-6, escaping from the medal-mad Russians on their home stage, sitting for an appreciative profile by veteran Sports Illustrated hockey ace Michael Farber.

Then, within 72 stunning hours, he was just toast. Chewed up ravenously by ever-demanding, never-satisfied angry Americans, his charred crusts cast into the waiting maw of hockey cyber mutts the world over.

The only guy on that curve of the planet who had a worse Olympics was probably Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, routed from his opulent palace after weeks of unspeakable violence in Kiev’s public square and still on the lam.

At least nobody died on the ice at Sochi, but you wouldn’t know it from the scorching disappointment within too big a segment of the Team USA fan base.

Back inside the Consol Energy Center after two weeks by the Black Sea, Bylsma Tuesday recalled the hurt from disappointment’s ground zero.

“We had played four games and we end up with the Canadians in the semifinal game, and maybe the biggest disappointment of the tournament was that that wasn’t the gold-medal game,” Bylsma said. “You play the Canadians in a semifinal game, you play a 1-0 game, and what you came there for really, to win a gold medal, is gone.

“And we had to deal with that disappointment going into the next game, and I don’t think you get rid of the disappointment. I don’t think you can say, ‘Hey, you can put this game behind you, and let’s move on.’ ”

That was pretty obvious in the 5-0 belly-flop before the Finns with the bronze medal still within reach, but the critics who’ll point to America’s 137 consecutive scoreless minutes to end the tournament as damningly analogous to the Penguins’ feeble exit from the Eastern Conference Final in June against Boston aren’t much for cause on effect on this one.

They’d rather have those 137 minutes as the final proof that Bylsma can’t adjust, runs a flawed system, should likely have his name rubbed off the Stanley Cup and doesn’t always match the right tie to the right suit.

This ignores the near-suffocating intensity of the semifinal, an ice war that flowed end-to-end for 60 minutes in which but one puck crossed a goal line that just happened to be the one behind Jonathan Quick. It could as easily been the one behind Carey Price; it just wasn’t.

There’s no shame in that.

The shame is in thinking there is.

“Carey Price and Jonathan Quick played fantastic, the way they did through out the tournament,” said general manager Ray Shero, who was in Sochi as one of the architects of Team USA. “Looking back, shots were 37-31; they had the better opportunities, but we had our chances.

“You want to play a certain way, but, when the puck drops, it’s different a lot of times. The game was really fast, and it seems in the four or five days since that game the message is always how the U.S. didn’t play. Well, I think the credit has got to go to Canada. Those guys were really, really good. There’s no denying that fact. That might be the greatest Olympic hockey team ever.

“To look at how they played the game, their defense was fantastic. They were big. They were strong. They were mobile. And they were just deep, deep, deep.

“I thought we had a great group of players, a great group of caring guys who were leaders on their own teams, NHL captains. A lot should be said about that and not so much about how the Americans didn’t score. Canada scored one goal. They did not score a lot of goals in the tournament [17 in six games]. It was one game and it was a good game. It was nothing to be ashamed of.

“The only thing is you’ve got to come back the next day against the Finns. We talked about it and we talked about it as a team. We had a good first period, but inside of 11 seconds we were down, 2-0, in second period and couldn’t recover for some reason. That’s the game you wish you could do over, but, obviously, we can’t.”

I don’t see how all of this puts Bylsma anywhere but where he was a week ago, the winningest Penguins coach, the winningest Penguins coach in the NHL playoffs, and, but for a bouncing puck this way or that, a Penguins coach with a gold medal around his neck.

Not exactly the kind of leader that gets routed from the palace.

Martin will be out of Penguins lineup for 4 to 6 weeks

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Penguins defenseman Paul Martin, who broke his hand playing for Team USA at the 2014 Olympics, will be out four to six weeks, coach Dan Bylsma said today.

General manager Ray Shero said he is “comfortable” with the makeup of the Penguins’ defense corps, despite the absence of Kris Letang (stroke) and Martin, and downplayed the possibility of making a trade for a defenseman before the NHL trade deadline March 5.

Winger Beau Bennett, who is recovering from wrist surgery, has suffered what Bylsma described as “a setback” will be need three or four more weeks to recover.

Bylsma also said that winger Chris Conner will be out for another week and that there is no timetable for goalie Tomas Vokoun, who is recovering from blood clots, to resume playing.

Shero Prepares For Deadline

By Sam Kasan

The NHL’s annual trading deadline is March 5, a mere eight days away. And Penguins general manager Ray Shero has some decisions to make.

Shero, the reigning NHL General Manager of the Year, is always highly active around deadline day since arriving in Pittsburgh in 2006. He’s pulled the trigger on the acquisitions of Marian Hossa, Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, Gary Roberts and Jarome Iginla.

One area the Penguins may look to bolster at the deadline is their defensive corps, which has suffered various injuries throughout the season to key members such as Paul Martin, Brooks Oprik, Rob Scuderi and Kris Letang. At one point in the season the Penguins’ top-four blueliners were all out of the lineup.

The Penguins begin the post-Olympic break stretch without two of their top defensemen. Letang is out indefinitely after having a stroke Jan. 29. Martin will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken hand.

However, the cost to add a blueliner may be too steep for the Penguins to pay. And Shero said he is comfortable with the D-men on their current roster and those from Wilkes-

Barre/Scranton, who have been called into duty throughout the year due to injuries on the backend.

“At this point adding an NHL defenseman for any team is going to be difficult,” Shero said. “Going back two, three months with the injuries we’ve had has given these younger players opportunities and experience to possibly help us down the stretch here and in the playoffs.”

That being said, the team has to weigh the length of Letang’s injury. But with the deadline a mere week away, it may come down to an educated guess on the part of Shero and his staff on the best course of action.

“(Letang) hasn’t made a decision one way or the other whether he’s coming back or not. That possibly does exist,” Shero said. “With all the information I need to have on our injured players by next Wednesday, part of that is with Kris. I need to make an educated guess on if I think he can come back with the information we have at that point. I want to make that space available for Kris Letang so he can come back and play games prior to the playoffs.”

One thing is for sure, Shero has no plans to try and replace winger Pascal Dupuis, who is out for the season after having ACL surgery, and expected to make a full recovery for next season.

“Replacing Pascal Dupuis, I’m not sure that’s ever going to be possible,” Shero said. “In terms of this trade market there are only four teams that are out of the playoffs at this particular point. The assets to trade for players will be steep. It comes down to cap space and what you have available to add. Trying to replace Pascal Dupuis with a top-line winger would be far-fetched.”

Shero will have to consider many factors before making decisions on his roster.

“It’s a little bit of a guessing game for us, but we certainly have to have the most information we can have by March 5,” he said. “We have a lot of moving parts. We’re going to do the best we can.”

Maatta, Jokinen Return to Pittsburgh With Bronze

By Michelle Crechiolo

The 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia was NHL rookie Olli Maatta’s first Olympics, and possibly Jussi Jokinen’s last. And the Penguins teammates came out of it together with a bronze medal while representing Team Finland.

It had been devastating for them to lose a tight 2-1 game in the semifinals to Sweden, but the Finns were able to regroup thanks to an emotional players-only team meeting held by respected veteran leaders Teemu Selanne, Kimmo Timmonen and Sami Salo prior to their meeting with Team USA in the bronze medal game, which they won 5-0. Both Maatta and Jokinen scored in the contest.

“We knew it was (Selanne), Kimmo Timonen, and Sami Salo’s last game (with) the national team, so obviously we wanted to win that medal for them,” Jokinen said, “But I think every one of us realized that the biggest message in that meeting was that you get these chances so few times in life. And when you get the chance, you have to use it. It was an emotional meeting. Obviously we were still a little bit down losing that (semifinal) game, but at least after that meeting, all we could think about was (winning) the bronze medal.”

And while Maatta cherished the experience of winning his first Olympic medal, the young defenseman’s thoughts were also of those guys as they skated around the ice during the postgame celebration and ceremony.

“It was awesome. Felt really good,” he said. “At the same time, it was my first and many players’ last medal for us. So I felt really, really happy.”

He should be, as this is yet another tremendous accomplishment for the 19-year-old neophyte who wasn’t even sure if he’d be in the NHL this season, much less winning a bronze medal while playing for his country at the Olympics.

“It feels kind of surreal for me,” Maatta admitted. “I really never thought during the summer that I’d be even playing in the Olympics or playing in the NHL.”

Since making the Penguins out of training camp, Maatta has opened many eyes with his maturity both on and off the ice. But with the pressure of representing an entire country on an international stage like the Olympics, there was always the possibility that he might actually, for once, look his 19 years of age when he got to Sochi.

But to no one’s surprise, Maatta fit right in. Excelled, actually. Finland’s coaching staff entrusted him with a heavy workload, and he was up to the challenge – finishing the tournament as the team’s most consistent defenseman.

“I think how he played is going to help me, I don’t have to tell everybody how good he is anymore,” Jokinen joked. “Everyone in Finland understands now how good of a player he is. Before the tournament and during our season, lots of people were asking me what kind of player he is and how good he is, but I think he showed during that tournament how good of a player he is. I think we already know here in Pittsburgh how great of a player he is. He played a great tournament and I think this will give him lots more confidence. He knows that he can be one of the great players. I think that he’ll be a great player for us in Pittsburgh.”

Maatta played with confidence and was fearless in his decision-making, never hesitating to jump into the play when the opportunity presented itself. He finished the tournament tied for fourth in scoring among defensemen with three goals and five points in six games, and a couple of those scores came from crashing the crease and finding rebounds.

To be fair, Maatta wasn’t perfect. He had lows to go along with his highs. But Maatta displayed remarkable resiliency, recovering quickly from any mistakes that he made. And while overall Maatta was satisfied with his performance, he made sure to credit his teammates for helping to put him in a position to succeed.

“I felt good. Really good,” Maatta said. “But at the same time, I feel like the whole team played really well. That was a really big thing, that it was really easy for me to jump in there with the older guys, the leadership we had.”

That was our takeaway from Maatta’s play, but what was his?

“It was the best experience I’ve probably had in my life, being a part of the Olympics, and I think that’s something I’ll take out of it,” he said.

“(Now) I’m just excited to play the next game. (Fatigue is) more (in) your head. It’s more mental. All I am is excited to play the next game. I’m really proud that I’m here and I’m going to enjoy every moment.”

He’s certainly earned that right, as has the 30-year-old Jokinen. He and Maatta arrived back in Pittsburgh Monday, and Jokinen said it was wonderful to see his family and have the chance to enjoy his medal with them – which he’ll add next to the silver he won with Finland during the 2006 Winter Games.

“It’s very high up there, obviously,” Jokinen said when asked where this particular win ranks in his career. “I was in 2006 in Turin where we won silver. It’s a much better feeling right now than losing that game and getting that silver. But (since) you won your last game, you had a much better feeling. It’s right up there with that other Olympic medal I have.”

By Wednesday, all of the Penguins Olympians will have returned to Pittsburgh. And now, said Jokinen, it’s time for all of them to move forward. Together.

“Now come to the rink today and probably start to move your mental thinking process a little bit to the game on Thursday and the rest of the season,” he said.

Bylsma, Pens Move Forward After Olympics

By Sam Kasan

Home sweet home.

Dan Bylsma was back in familiar territory Tuesday afternoon, running practice and orchestrating drills on the whiteboard for Penguins’ practice at CONSOL Energy Center.

Bylsma has spent the last two-plus weeks as head coach of Team USA in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. But now that the Olympics are finished, he is back in Pittsburgh with the Penguins.

Even though Bylsma is disappointed that Team USA did not finish the Olympics with a medal, losing in the Bronze Medal Game against Finland, he is ready to move on and throw all his energy behind the Penguins.

“You have to put (the Olympics) behind you,” Bylsma said. “The task at hand is coming back here and playing for the Penguins. That’s the best way to put it behind you.”

The Penguins are entering the toughest stretch of the condensed Olympic schedule. They reopen the season Thursday at home against the Montreal Canadiens. Then they kick off a five-game road trip, starting with the Stadium Series in Chicago on Saturday.

The Penguins finish the road swing with stops in Nashville, San Jose, Anaheim and back-to-back games against Washington – first in the nation’s capital and then the second half in Pittsburgh.

“We play a lot of games. We travel out to the west coast and back for back-to-back against Washington,” Bylsma said.

The Penguins had seven players participate in the Olympics: Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz for Canada; Jussi Jokinen and Olli Maatta for Finland; Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin for USA; and Evgeni Malkin for Russia. With a brutal travel schedule on the horizon the Penguins will have to be careful with the workload these players will shoulder (other than Martin, who is out 4-6 weeks with a broken hand).

“We have a lot of games checked in here. We have given consideration to the Olympians,” Bylsma said. “They’ve traveled and played hockey games. We’ve given that consideration. Goaltender, the number of games that we play and the number of games that Marc-Andre (Fleury) has played at this point and time.”

The Olympics are over. The NHL season is back in session. And focus has turned from gold to silver.

“The third thing out of Evgeni’s mouth was the Stanley Cup, coming back here and being focused on that,” Bylsma said. “There’s disappointment and congratulations. Now we have 24

games to get back and be focused on this team being the best it can be, getting to the Stanley Cup and winning.”

Despite injuries, Penguins could stay quiet at deadline

By Wes Crosby - NHL.com Correspondent

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins could be quiet at the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline despite facing needs at multiple positions.

Injuries to three key players -- top-line right wing Pascal Dupuis, 2013 Norris Trophy finalist Kris Letang, and defenseman Paul Martin -- leave Pittsburgh with a lineup consisting of several American Hockey League call-ups. With Letang (stroke) and Martin (broken hand) each sidelined for at least the next month, the defense is in a state of flux.

Martin is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, and Letang's return is uncertain. Despite those holes, Penguins general manager Ray Shero said he will take a more subtle approach at the March 5 trade deadline than he has in the past.

"With [Martin] being out now, along with Kris, I think it goes back to where we were during the course of the season where we're giving some of these younger guys opportunities," Shero said. "They certainly did a good job for themselves and that's part of the growth process."

The Penguins have won eight of the 10 games they have played without both Martin and Letang in the lineup this season. Injuries on both ends have forced Pittsburgh to experiment with its defensive pairings, putting Robert Bortuzzo with Rob Scuderirecently, and playing defenseman Deryk Engelland at right wing on the fourth line.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma did not divulge whether Engelland or newly recalled defenseman Simon Despres will take Martin's place next to Orpik against theMontreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Though Shero said Pittsburgh "would certainly prefer to have" Letang and Martin, he is confident in its current group.

"We'll see what happens over the next week or so as far as further injuries. Hopefully, that won't happen," Shero said. "But at this point, adding any NHL defenseman for any team is going to be difficult, and we go back two or three months and the number of injuries we have had has

given these younger players opportunity and experience to potentially help us down the stretch or into the playoffs.

"We'll evaluate the next week or so, but I'm comfortable with what we have here on the roster right now and certainly down in the farm."

Despres, who averaged a career-high 18:55 of ice time in 18 NHL games this season, impressed early in his first stint with Pittsburgh, but his performance dropped significantly prior to his last game on Jan. 10. But the team seems comfortable with his potential return to the lineup, which is in line with Shero's narrative.

"I guess at this point, you're kind of numb to [the injuries]," Scuderi said. "I broke my leg when a lot of the other injuries happened [earlier in the season], so I wasn't playing at the time, but just the feel in the locker room is just a next man up mentality.

"Certainly, you want the team to be on the ice that you planned to play for in the offseason, but sometimes things happen."

Matt Niskanen has been one of the Penguins' most reliable defensemen this season and said he expects the 20-day period between games to affect the team more than the lineup changes.

"It's been a long break," Niskanen said. "We have to get back into playing hockey again and we have to do it quick. We'll have a good test on Thursday with Montreal. I don't expect we'll be on the top of our game for the first 10 minutes of that first game, but the quicker we can get everybody going, the better for our team."

Pittsburgh's forwards have faced similar difficulties. Dupuis isn't expected to fully recover from a torn ACL for another 6-8 months, while Beau Bennett sustained a setback to his wrist/hand injury and is expected to return in 3-4 weeks, Bylsma said.

This has led to Brian Gibbons, who has played 19 NHL games, replacing Dupuis on the Penguins' top line next to Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz.

Shero has traded for a top-six forward at or near the deadline in recent years, including Jarome Iginla last season. But he said a similar trade will be "a bit far-fetched" this season.

"Replacing Pascal Dupuis, I don't know if that's going to be possible," Shero said. "In terms of this trade market, there's probably only four teams that are really out of a playoff spot at this particular point. In terms of the assets to grab players or try to make a play for players, we know it will be steep, and again it goes down to cap space and what you have available.

"We've played a number of games without Pascal. We're certainly better with him, but other guys have got opportunities and certainly have done a good job for us."

Shero said he isn't sure how much cap space the Penguins have due to "moving parts," including if Letang will be able to return, and expects that to play a pivotal factor in what moves the team can make at the deadline.

"I have not, and he has not, made a decision one way or the other as to whether or not he's coming back or not, but that possibly does exist," Shero said. "If there is a chance for him to come back with the information we have at that point [March 5], I certainly want to make that space available for Kris Letang so he can come back and play games prior to the playoffs.

"Some of that might just depend on the trade market, the asking price and what we do have for cap space."

Broken hand to sideline Penguins' Martin 4-6 weeks

NHL.com

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Paul Martin will be sidelined 4-6 weeks with a broken hand sustained playing for the United States at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The news was reported via the Penguins' Twitter account on Tuesday.

The hope is that Martin, who missed the last two games for the United States against Canada and Finland at the Olympics, will be ready to play when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin in mid-April. Martin has two goals and 12 points in 33 games for the Penguins.

The Penguins also revealed that goalie Tomas Vokoun, who hasn't played a game this season after developing blood clots in his leg in September, has been cleared to practice with the team. There is no timetable for his return.

Penguins' Crosby remains Hart Trophy favorite

By Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

With three-quarters of the 2013-14 season complete, NHL.com looks at some of the biggest storylines and award contenders.

It hasn't seemed to matter who his linemates are, or what kind of teammates he's been on the ice with. All Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has done is produce and help his team win games.

And with a daily injury report that has at times read like an all-star game roster, and a Penguins roster that at times has featured as many American Hockey League players as NHL, Crosby has shown this season why he's the best -- and most valuable player -- in the League.

The easiest place to start is with the most general stats. At the Olympic break, Crosby led the League with 50 assists and 78 points. That puts him on pace for 110 points, which would be the second-most he's had in his nine seasons. With 28 goals, he's going to hit 30 for the sixth time; he's on pace for 39, so it wouldn't be a stretch to see him get to 40 for the second time.

Crosby has had a hand in 42.8 percent of his team's 182 non-shootout goals, and he's been just as good at home (12 goals, 40 points in 28 games) as on the road (16 goals, 38 points in 30 games).

He's reached those numbers while averaging 22:01 of ice time per game, second among all NHL forwards. And when he's been on the ice it has been against the hardest competition the opposition has thrown at Penguins forwards, according to advanced metrics at BehindtheNet.ca. Though he's started 50.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, he's finished 52.8 percent of his shifts there, a sign he can create offense from anywhere on the ice.

Crosby also has been used as a penalty killer (0:34 per game) and won 52.3 percent of his faceoffs, a respectable success rate for a player who's taken 1,392 faceoffs, the most in the League.

Though Crosby is the clear pick right now to win his second Hart Trophy, there are a number of outstanding performers keeping themselves in contention for the honor.

FINALISTS

Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks -- The Ducks captain has been the best player on the best team in the Western Conference. Getzlaf entered the Olympic break second in the League in scoring to Crosby with 67 points in 56 games, and his 29 goals are tied for fourth. He's had a hand in 34.5 percent of the Ducks' 194 non-shootout goals, and his seven game-winning goals are second in the League.

He has a plus-24 rating while averaging 21:02 of ice time per game; his 2:13 of shorthanded ice time is a career best and second among Ducks forwards.

And Getzlaf has accomplished all this while facing the toughest competition among any Ducks forward. Maybe just as impressive is that only 45.8 percent of Getzlaf's shifts have started in the offensive zone according to BehindtheNet.ca, fewest among Ducks forwards; however, 49.8 percent of his shifts have ended there.

Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning -- At age 38, regardless of who his linemates are, the Lightning's dynamo forward hasn't seemed to miss a beat. At the Olympic break, St. Louis ranked in the top 12 in the League in goals (29) and points (56). He has a plus-15 while ranking third in average ice time per game among forwards at 21:45; of the 26 forwards to average at least 20 minutes per game, only four have a better plus/minus than St. Louis.

St. Louis also has been the go-to offensive player for the Lightning for the majority of the season while teammate Steven Stamkos has been recovering from a broken right leg. Despite the absence of Stamkos and playing mostly on a line with rookies Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, St. Louis has continued to produce at a high level.

He also weathered the storm of questions that have surrounded the team during Stamkos' recovery and bid for a spot on Canada's team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, as well as St. Louis' own omission from the original list of players selected and then his subsequent addition to the team when Stamkos wasn't cleared medically to go to Russia. Between Jan. 7, the day the Canadian Olympic team was announced, and the Olympic break, St. Louis had eight goals and 18 points in 16 games, and at least one point in 14 of the 16 games.

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Deadline Fixes: Metropolitan

Scoring depth is needed around the division; which players fit each club best?

By Matthew Coller | Hockey Prospectus

With the Olympic break giving the hockey world a reprieve from endless trade speculation and innuendo, NHL GMs have had plenty of time to analyze their roster strengths and weaknesses and put themselves in position to strike as soon as the roster freeze lifts after the Winter Games.

From that moment until 3:00 p.m. ET on March 5, those same GMs will be in a mad scramble to address their various roster holes and either strengthen their rosters for a hopeful postseason push or sell off extraneous pieces as they build toward better days in future seasons. Hockey Prospectus has scoured the league to find good fits for each of the 30 teams. Monday, we started the series off with the Atlantic Division.

Several teams in the Metropolitan Division are finding themselves in "soft sell" mode, where they want to improve, but not at the cost of the future. The East is stocked with clubs battling it out for the wild-card spots, and some are more likely to make a move for a star player than others if history is any guide.

Ali Doyle Communications Graduate Assistant Pittsburgh Penguins adoyle@pittsburghpenguins.com Office: 412-255-1809 | Fax: 412-255-1980 CONSOL Energy Center | 1001 Fifth Avenue | Pittsburgh, PA | 15219

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Note: Goals versus threshold (GVT), is Hockey Prospectus' proprietary player valuation metric.

Carolina Hurricanes

The need: Power-play scoring

If the Hurricanes are going to secure the final playoff spot, they will need to improve their scoring. Carolina ranks 21st in goals per game and 26th in power-play scoring percentage, and have received disappointing production from second-line center Jordan Staal and winger Jiri Tlusty, the latter of whom scored 23 goals in 48 games last season. It will be a near impossible task to win the final spot without another scoring forward who also can contribute on the power play.

The fix: Ray Whitney, Dallas Stars, 2.1 GVT

The 41-year-old has not been a fit in Dallas under coach Lindy Ruff, often being relegated to a third-line role. Whitney has seen a major drop in power-play ice time, from being on the ice for 64.5 percent of the team's total man-advantage time last season to 45.6 percent in 2013-14. Even so, the veteran winger has managed nine power-play points, and has racked up 20 or more assists in a season seven times in his career. Whitney's setup ability could help get Tlusty and others rolling again and improve Carolina's chances at a postseason berth.

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Columbus Blue Jackets

The need: An elite scorer

Thanks to strong depth and the return to form of their Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets are in contention for a playoff spot. However, Columbus lacks a top-end scoring talent, even with aging winger Marian Gaborik likely to return to the lineup. The top point producer is 21-year-old Ryan Johansen, who had 46 points before the break. The Jackets are generating only 28.7 shots on goal per game, which is 23rd in the NHL, and their power play is 15th; both will have to increase if they are planning to extend their season into the playoffs.

The fix: Thomas Vanek, New York Islanders, 10.7 GVT

With young talent and draft picks as assets to trade, the Blue Jackets could add the former 40-goal scorer without entirely sacrificing their future. Vanek has elite finishing ability around the net and is a force on the power play, scoring double-digit man-advantage goals seven times in his career. The former No. 5 pick by Buffalo also could help Columbus' shot total problem. He has 173 shots on goal this season, which is 25th in the NHL and more than anyone on Columbus' roster.

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New Jersey Devils

The need: Young scoring forwards

To take a shot at the postseason in what is likely Martin Brodeur's last season in New Jersey, the Devils duct-taped their forward group together by signing older free agents such as Jaromir Jagr and Michael Ryder. Ageless Jagr has defied the laws of time again, but the team's overall results have been short of expectations. With the playoffs still in sight, the Devils need to keep their future in mind at the deadline and should opt for younger scoring forwards.

The fix: Tomas Jurco, Detroit Red Wings, 0.3 GVT

The 22-year-old prospect has shown a great deal of promise in the American Hockey League -- with 32 points in 32 games -- and has played in a handful of games in the NHL this season. He shows a great deal of promise on the offensive end and is considered one of the best puck-handling prospects in hockey. Jurco is not an outstanding defensive player, but his shortcomings -- like Ryder's and Jagr's -- could be mitigated by New Jersey's strong defensive team ethic. To get younger and still compete, the Devils also could consider moving Brodeur to a team looking for an experienced netminder.

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New York Islanders

The need: Long-term goalie option

The Islanders' puzzling decision to bring Evgeni Nabokov back for another season plus their lack of strong goalie prospects has hit them hard. Ranking as the fourth-worst team in even-strength save percentage, it is clear that poor goaltending has played a major role in their failures this season. If there had been any shot at making a miracle run at the postseason, that went down the drain with a season-ending injury to star John Tavares. With the campaign all but over, it is time to look toward next season and beyond. Finding the goalie of the future should be a priority as the Isles sell off parts.

The fix: Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks, 7.9 GVT

Anaheim possesses two of the NHL's best goalie prospects in Andersen and John Gibson. Andersen is the more NHL-ready of the two, and he has performed at a high level this season, playing 18 games and posting a .928 save percentage. However, Gibson might be the netminder the Ducks see as their long-term option, making Andersen movable.

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New York Rangers

The need: Quality depth forwards

After a slow start to the season, the Rangers have been on the rise the past two months. As good as they have been, the Blueshirts are still short on forward depth and will have a tough time stacking up their third and fourth lines against the best of the East. Forwards such as Dominic Moore, Brian Boyle and Dan Carcillo leave much to be desired in terms of puck possession and scoring prowess. An injury to top scorer Mats Zuccarello in Sochi, which could keep him out as long as a month, could force the Rangers to bump up a lower-line player, leaving an even bigger gap on the bottom six for an extended period of time.

The fix: Matt Cullen, Nashville Predators, 1.9 GVT

At age 37, Nashville's experienced center still has some offense left in the tank, with five goals and 17 assists for a poor Predators team. He is tremendous in the faceoff circle, winning 57 percent of draws so far this season, and is a big improvement over the Rangers' grinder group of fourth-line forwards in puck possession, ranking third among Predators forwards in Relative Corsi. Cullen does not fight or lay booming hits, but he is a physical player and is good at getting pucks to the net. The veteran has 98 shots in 54 games, whereas Moore has just 66 shots in 51 games and Carcillo a mere seven shots in 15 games.

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Philadelphia Flyers

The need: Even-strength scoring

Disappointing results from two big-name acquisitions in wingers Vincent Lecavalier and Steve Downie have left the Flyers short on 5-on-5 scoring. As a team, Philadelphia ranks 20th in even-strength goals, getting a total of only five all season from Lecavalier and Downie. The Flyers also have put a great deal of pressure on youngsters Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn, neither of whom has stepped up as a dominant offensive force. There is decent offensive depth on this club, but Philadelphia needs one more go-to goal scorer to make itself a serious threat in the postseason.

The fix: Mike Cammalleri, Calgary Flames, 1.6 GVT

It will require some salary-cap finagling to grab Calgary's veteran forward, but the extra goal-scoring skill and playoff experience would be worth the hassle. Cammalleri has twice the number of 5-on-5 goals that Lecavalier and Downie do this season, and he has posted 32 points in 32 career playoff games. The Flyers have a decent power play -- 10th in the NHL -- scoring on 19.3 percent of opportunities, but, as a below-average 5-on-5 scoring and possession team, they will need all the help they can get with the man advantage. Cammalleri has nine power-play points this season, and he scored 19 power-play goals back in 2008-09.

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Pittsburgh Penguins

The need: Healthy options on the wing

The Penguins do not have too many shortcomings, as they are at the top of the Eastern Conference once again. But one of their key injuries at forward could be an issue come playoff time. With winger Pascal Dupuisout for the season, coach Dan Bylsma has tried everyone and anyone on the top line with Sidney Crosby, but none of them have been a great fit. The Penguins do not have to shoot for the stars; they simply need to find a versatile, two-way winger who can slide into Dupuis' role next to Crosby.

The fix: Tomas Fleischmann, Florida Panthers, 0.8 GVT

The 29-year-old winger has had a tough time putting the puck in the net this season but might be the victim of some bad puck luck. With a 3.8 percent shooting percentage -- down from 11.3 percent over his previous career -- Fleischmann is bound to return to his old self at some point. His shot rate over the past two seasons was 2.6 shots on goal per game; that figure has not slipped much this season, at 2.3 per game. The Czech winger, like Dupuis, has the ability to play

in all situations, playing on the power play and the penalty kill in Florida. Although the Panthers have Fleischmann under contract for one more season, they should be looking to move older forwards to make way for an impressive group of prospects in waiting. Pittsburgh would have to make some room to take on his cap hit but probably could handle his salary next season with the cap number going up.

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Washington Capitals

The need: Reliable goaltending

Aside from a hot stretch from rookie Philipp Grubauer, the Capitals have had unreliable goaltending in 2013-14. Their two starters, Braden Holtbyand Michal Neuvirth, have pingponged back and forth, with neither emerging as a netminder upon whom the Caps can rely. Holtby has a .912 save percentage; Neuvirth has been only a shade better at .914. Washington is 22nd in the NHL in goals allowed per game, with 2.85 allowed per contest. That will not be good enough to make -- let alone compete in -- the playoffs.

The fix: Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres, 14.6

There is an argument to be made for Miller as the NHL's best goalie this season. He is playing on the worst team and has still posted an outstanding .923 save percentage. If anyone can handle playing behind Washington's mediocre defense, which allows 33.3 shots per game, it is the 2009-10 Vezina Trophy winner. Although he has not been in the playoffs the past two seasons, Miller does have an excellent playoff track record, with save percentages of .922, .926 and .917 in his most recent postseasons. The price for Miller might be the only thing that gives the Capitals pause, but his unrestricted-free-agent status has the Sabres shopping him to the highest bidder.

Who should win the Hart Trophy (MVP)?

By Sarah Goldstein | ESPN.com

It's easy to say Sidney Crosby is the runaway pick for the Hart Trophy, as he leads the league with 78 points and the Penguins are the only bright spot in a dreadful Metropolitan Division. But there are a lot of other guys having dominating seasons.

Ryan Getzlaf is having arguably his best season for the Western Conference-leading Ducks with 67 points (29-38) through 56 games.

Ben Bishop and Martin St. Louis have kept the Lightning in the mix since Steven Stamkos' injury.

On the Blackhawks alone, you could say Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp andJonathan Toews all deserve a look. But having so many candidates on one team seems to cancel them all out.

John Tavares was having a great season, but a season-ending injury in Sochi -- not to mention his team's disappointing place in the standings -- put him out of the running.

And you cannot forget the man who leads the league in scoring: Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals' captain should be motivated after the Olympics to get Washington back in the playoff picture and to add to his 40 goals.

Top 25 trade targets

By Craig Custance | ESPN.com

We can speculate. We can look at pending unrestricted free agents and make educated guesses. We can talk to those running teams and sense an appetite to make more "hockey trades" than usual.

Still, until the NHL’s trade deadline expires on March 5, we can’t say for sure how it’s going to play out. Especially not if someone right in the thick of it doesn’t know.

“Managers will be every bit as busy as they’ve been in the past,” said Washington CapitalsGM George McPhee when we chatted this past week. “Will it be different than other years? I think the one thing we can count on is we don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how to project what’s going to develop at the deadline. We never can.”

This year is definitely different than the typical trade deadline in that cap space is at a premium. In order to facilitate deals, small-market sellers might have to retain salary, which is an interesting twist on the new CBA rule that many assumed would lead to big-money teams retaining salary.

The need to include salary in both sides of the trade equation along with a thinning summer free-agent crop has general managers itching to make traditional hockey trades, rather than rentals. At least in theory.

“Probably the way to view it is that there are more teams involved in hockey trades at this point in time,” said Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford. “The races are so tight. There’s always a great appetite for trades at the deadline. It’s not always as many teams as there will be this year.”

With that in mind, here’s a look at the top 25 trade targets for 2014, with assistance from former NHL assistant general manager Frank Provenzano, who provides realistic trade return for each player:

1. Thomas Vanek, F, New York Islanders

He’s the prize of the trade deadline. Earlier this season, he cost the IslandersMatt Moulson and two draft picks (a first- and second-rounder). Considering Moulson could fetch a first-round pick at the deadline, that’s three high picks. The return won’t be as high now, especially since it’s clear Vanek wants to test free agency, but GM Garth Snow will be able to recoup some of those assets. One Eastern Conference executive estimated the return for Vanek could be as high as a first- and second-round pick and a B-level prospect. Vanek dealt with Olympic controversy after word got out that the Austrians put in a long shift partying during the tournament. That will have zero impact on his trade deadline value, said one assistant GM. “They didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” he said. “They made a bad decision, they’re not bad people.”

Provenzano’s price tag: A first-round pick and a B prospect. A roster player may have to go back to the Islanders to make the money work.

2. Ryan Miller, G, Buffalo Sabres

There was no griping from Miller when Dan Bylsma went with Jonathan Quickin the Olympics after Miller played well in limited action, which is another plus for Miller aside from his strong play on a bad team. He’s the best goalie available, and the best move yet may still be for the Sabres to re-sign him if Miller is willing. There are only a few logical destinations, with the Blues the best fit, and if he’s not dealt, that may open up a secondary goalie market that doesn't currently exist. But Miller is a team changer. He would put the Blues at the same level as the Blackhawks.

Provenzano’s price tag: An NHL roster player (like a No. 3-5 defenseman or No. 5-9 forward), plus an A-minus prospect and a third- or fourth-round draft pick.

3. Dan Girardi, D, New York Rangers

The focus has been on Ryan Callahan among Rangers trade candidates, but the belief is that GM Glen Sather will move Girardi if he can’t be signed before the deadline. More teams are in the market for defensemen at the deadline, and rarely does a top-pair defenseman from a contending team shake loose at midseason. This would be a huge addition for a team that needs help on defense and plays a style suited for and needed in the postseason. The Capitals and Bruins both would benefit greatly from the addition of Girardi if Sather is willing to deal within the conference.

Provenzano’s price tag: A first-round pick and a midlevel roster player.

4. Alexander Edler, D, Vancouver Canucks

According to one NHL source, the Canucks were very open to shaking things up for the right price before the Olympics started. A roster full of no-trade clauses makes that hard to do, but of those, Edler makes the most sense to trade. Vancouver has depth on defense and he’d bring a strong return. Vancouver would like a young center as part of a package in return who they can immediately plug into their top two lines. He’s signed through 2018-19 at a cap hit of $5 million per season. That’s a lot of term, but it’s a fair price for a player of his talent, especially for a GM looking to make a traditional hockey trade. “He’s a really good player,” said a Western Conference source. “You’ll have to give up or they should demand a very sizable return.”

Provenzano’s price tag: A first-round pick, B prospect and roster player.

5. Ryan Callahan, F, Rangers

It’s amazing that a team expected to be among the Eastern Conference contenders has two players in the top five, but the Rangers aren't willing to lose two valuable pieces in the offseason without getting something in return. Callahan showed his value during the Olympics when he was one of the few Americans to show up from start to finish. A selfless leader who would immediately improve any playoff contender is also a challenge to deal for because the Rangers will need a player or two in return they can plug into their lineup to continue pushing their way up the Eastern Conference standings.

Provenzano’s price tag: A first-round pick plus an NHL roster player.

6. Dustin Byfuglien, D, Winnipeg Jets

Despite their surge under Paul Maurice, there’s still the possibility GM Kevin Cheveldayoff makes a significant move at the deadline beyond trading his potential UFAs. Part of the appeal of bringing Maurice into the fold was having an outside voice evaluate the talent, and Maurice has had a chance to get a feel for the Jets' players. Byfuglien is a handful at forward but prefers to play on defense and could have appeal to a team like the Bruins looking to add more offense from the blue line. One executive said he’d be slightly leery adding Byfuglien unless the team making the trade has a veteran group with strong leadership. We’ve seen the impact Byfuglien can have on a playoff race and there aren’t many defensemen around who can produce offensively at his level. Only Erik Karlsson and Shea Weber have more goals among NHL defensemen. That’s it.

Provenzano’s price tag: A midlevel roster player plus an A-level prospect.

7. Matt Moulson, F, Sabres

Moulson is a guy you can pencil in for 30 goals every season, but his goal-scoring production has dropped in the move away from John Tavares to Buffalo. Last season, he averaged 0.32 goals per game. That number is down to 0.23 goals in his first 40 games with the Sabres. He’s only shooting 9.3 percent with the Sabres, so that also helps explain the lack of goal scoring. Surround him with better players and his production will increase.

Provenzano’s price tag: A first-round pick and a roster player or B-level prospect.

8. Chris Stewart, F, St. Louis Blues

If GM Doug Armstrong is going to be aggressive at the trade deadline, he’s going to need more salary cap flexibility than he currently has. Moving Stewart makes sense, especially since there’s appetite among his fellow GMs to add a player with some term (and in this case, not too much). Stewart has one year remaining on a contract that comes with a $4.15 million cap hit. It’s not a bad number for a guy capable of scoring 25 to 30 goals, but it’s a lot to pay a guy playing only 14:39 per night for Ken Hitchcock in St. Louis.

Provenzano’s price tag: A roster player for a roster player.

9. Marian Gaborik, F, Columbus Blue Jackets

As well as Columbus is playing this season, the Blue Jackets just aren’t at the point in their development where they can let him leave for nothing. They’ll try to move him before the deadline, and if the return is good enough, expect GM Jarmo Kekalainen to collect more young assets for a franchise that suddenly has a really bright future. He’s in the last year of a contract that comes with a $7.5 million cap hit, so Columbus might have to take an NHL player back to make the money work.

Provenzano’s price tag: A first-round pick if Columbus retains salary.

10. Mike Cammalleri, F, Calgary Flames

He’s a solid consolation prize for teams looking to add scoring who don’t land Vanek. He comes with a healthy $6 million cap hit, so there might have to be some salary retention involved for the Flames to max out the return. There’s risk in trading for Cammalleri, considering he missed time with a concussion this season, although he got in four games before the Olympic break, logging 20:25 against the Flyers in his final game before the Olympics. He hasn’t played in the playoffs since 2011, but he’s a known producer when he gets there. He has 17 goals and 15 assists in 32 career playoff games.

Provenzano’s price tag: A second-round pick and a B-level prospect, plus a roster player may have to go back to Calgary to make the money work.

11. Sam Gagner, F, Edmonton Oilers

There was speculation that a Gagner deal to the Kings was just waiting for the Olympic trade ban to be lifted, but that still hasn't materialized. Gagner is small and skilled, attributes in which there’s no shortage in Edmonton. He’s also signed through 2015-16 at $4.8 million, which might sound like a lot, but if he hit the market this summer as an unrestricted with the cap rising, a 24-year-old center closing in on 300 career points would earn at least that much. A team like the Kings is a perfect fit since they already have size and would benefit from Gagner’s skill.

Provenzano's price tag: A second-round pick plus a midlevel roster player.

12. Andrew MacDonald, D, Islanders

He’s a tough player to gauge, in that he plays a ton of minutes on a team that isn’t particularly good at defending and his advanced stats are a bit alarming. OK, really alarming. His relative Corsi (per behindthenet.ca) is minus-21.1, suggesting that way too many shots are on the Islanders' goal when he’s on the ice. But you can’t ignore his willingness to step in front of them. His 192 blocked shots leads the league, and he’s averaging 26:33 of ice time, a number that would likely come down fairly dramatically if he’s dealt to a contender. If he gets his way,

he’s not going anywhere at the deadline. “He’s a gamer. He wears the letter,” agent Peter Cooney said of MacDonald, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent. “We like to think we can get a deal done with the Islanders and he can remain a part of their core.”

Provenzano's price tag: A second-round pick plus a B-level prospect.

13. David Legwand, F, Nashville Predators

There aren’t too many centers on this list, which speaks to the scarcity of that position at the deadline. That’s a good thing for GM David Poile. The bad news is that Legwand has a no-trade clause, and may not be eager to play anywhere. He’d look great centering the second line in Chicago or in the middle with the Anaheim Ducks, and considering he once gave up a first-rounder for Paul Gaustad, Poile will want a similarly strong return for the original Nashville Predator. After watching Ryan Suter walk away for nothing, Poile can’t allow that to happen again for another Nashville core player.

Provenzano's price tag: A second-round pick plus a B-level prospect.

14. Steve Ott, F, Sabres

Ott loves Buffalo and wants to stay, which gives the Sabres some leverage in trade talks since they can always hang on to him if the offers aren’t good enough. But at this point in their rebuilding process, gaining an additional pick and prospect might be too good to pass up. He brings sandpaper and versatility to a team looking for forward depth and is exactly the kind of player the Penguins could use come playoff time.

Provenzano's price tag: A second-round pick plus a B- or C-level prospect.

15. Ales Hemsky, F, Oilers

There’s no shortage of wingers who can provide offense, but few come with Hemsky’s high-end skill. For the right price, a short-term bet on Hemsky could come with a big payoff. One executive said he’d be lukewarm to the idea of trading for Hemsky, but understood the attraction, saying, “If somebody needs skill for five weeks ...” The Devils could use offense, and Hemsky would be a nice fit in New Jersey.

Provenzano's price tag: A second-round pick and a B-level prospect, plus the Oilers might have to take salary back.

16. Tim Thomas, G, Florida Panthers

Thomas has been a nice fit with the Panthers, and Dale Tallon said before the break that he had no intentions of trading him unless Thomas came to him with the request. As of Monday afternoon, that hasn't happened. “No talks about that,” said his agent, Markus Lehto, on Monday. “I’m sure I’ll talk to Timmy today or tomorrow.” There haven’t been any serious contract extension talks, either, which opens up the possibility that Thomas could be moved to a contender, even if he ends up back in Florida this summer. And we’ve seen enough of Thomas this season to feel confident starting him in a playoff series. The problem is, there just aren’t too many contending teams with a need in goal. That could change if Ryan Miller is taken off the market or if there’s an injury. “You can’t bring him in to be a backup,” said one NHL source. “But I think he’s worth a high pick and maybe a roster player.”

Provenzano's price tag: A third- or fourth-round draft pick.

17. Tom Gilbert, D, Panthers

Gilbert has been a much better fit in Florida than he was in Minnesota, with his offensive production reflecting as much. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent and there haven’t been any significant contract talks with the Panthers, but he likes it in Florida and has played well for the Panthers, with his relative Corsi (6.8) trailing only teammate Brian Campbell. For teams looking for a puck-mover (Boston?) on defense, Gilbert would be a nice pickup.

Provenzano’s price tag: A second- or third-round pick.

18. Stephane Robidas, D, Dallas Stars

He broke his leg in late November and likely won’t be back before the trade deadline, although, like Steven Stamkos, his recovery has gone remarkably well. If the Stars are in the playoff hunt, GM Jim Nill might prefer to keep him around, but considering the lack of quality defensemen available, contenders might be willing to assume the risk of trading for Robidas even though he’s still a few weeks away from playing.

Provenzano's price tag: A third- or fourth-round draft pick.

19. Ray Whitney, F, Stars

A veteran winger who is a proven goal scorer with a Stanley Cup ring is always a commodity at the trade deadline, but Whitney’s offensive production is on the decline. He has just seven goals this season in 51 games and isn’t being helped much by a 7.1 shooting percentage. One potential red flag is his recent playoff production. He managed just two goals during the Coyotes' run to the Western Conference finals in 2012.

Provenzano's price tag: A third- or fourth-round draft pick.

20. Lee Stempniak, F, Flames

In 2010, Stempniak was traded to the Coyotes by the Maple Leafs at the deadline for Matt Jones and a fourth-round pick, then went on to score 14 goals in 18 games for the Coyotes down the stretch to give GM Don Maloney great value. He shot 29.2 percent during that stretch and is at just 5.6 percent this season, so perhaps he’s a strong buy-low candidate for a contender.

Provenzano's price tag: A third-round pick plus a C-level prospect.

21. Cam Ward, G, Hurricanes

Trading Ward is a long shot, but if Carolina can get out from under his contract, it should jump at the chance. At some point, GM Jim Rutherford is going to have to move one of the three Carolina goalies: Ward, Anton Khudobin or Justin Peters. “It’s hard having three goalies in practice because one guy doesn’t get enough time,” Rutherford said. “Really where it stands, I’m keeping an open mind with it now. We’ll just see where it goes.” Carolina is another small-market team that might have to retain salary to get the deal done, something Rutherford didn’t rule out. “It depends,” he said. “Depends on what the deal is. Who it is.”

Provenzano's price tag: This is only a conversation if Ryan Miller doesn't get traded. If Carolina retains salary or takes significant salary back, a B-level prospect.

22. Olli Jokinen, F, Jets

The Jets have a number of potential UFAs who could draw interest at the deadline if Cheveldayoff is ready to move some of those assets. Along with Jokinen, Devin Setoguchi, Mark Stuart, Chris Thorburn and Al Montoya are all playing in the final year of their contracts and could be useful for different contenders. Jokinen is one of the few available players who could capably fill a roll as somebody’s second-line center. Cheveldayoff’s former employer, the Blackhawks, could use a short-term solution at center until Teuvo Teravainen is ready.

Provenzano's price tag: A third-round pick and/or a B-level prospect.

23. Kyle Quincey, D, Detroit Red Wings

Detroit doesn’t sell too often at the deadline, but with the injuries piling up front and the depth the team has on defense, it would be wise for GM Ken Holland to get assets for Quincey, if possible. He wasn’t particularly good to start the season, but his game has steadied as the

season progressed. He’s capable of playing as a top-four defenseman, and would be an upgrade on defense for a team like Colorado if the Avalanche are interested in bringing him back. An ideal situation would be for Holland to add a player like Edler in a long-term play and sell Quincey in the short term, although that’s easier said than done.

Provenzano's price tag: A second-round pick.

24. Brad Boyes, F, Panthers

Only T.J. Oshie, Logan Couture and Jonathan Toews have more shootout goals than Boyes, currently at six. That’s not a skill particularly useful in the playoffs, but for a team like the Devils, who can’t buy a shootout win, adding a player like Boyes could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing them. He’s useful at even strength as well. When he’s on the ice, 51.9 percent of the shot attempts are on the opposing goalie (per ExtraSkater.com). His 15 goals so far this season are the most he’s scored since finishing the 2008-09 season with 33.

Provenzano's price tag: A third-round pick.

25. Tuomo Ruutu, F, Hurricanes

His game is just now rounding into form as he recovers from hip surgery, but the Olympics were a good showcase for Ruutu, whose strong play helped Finland win the bronze. He’s a physical player who can also score and play up and down the lineup. He’s also expensive ($4.75 million through 2015-16) with a no-move clause. That’s not an easy contract to move. Carolina needs a team that knows him well to take that risk, like Columbus, where Team Finland assistant GM Jarmo Kekalainen runs the show, assisted by Ruutu’s former agent, Bill Zito. His current agent, Markus Lehto, politely declined to get into whether or not he’d be willing to waive his no-move clause but confirmed that Ruutu’s health is on the rise. “He had a great Olympics. He played real well,” Lehto said. “He’s getting better and better. Day by day.”

Provenzano's price tag: If Carolina retains salary, he’s worth a second-round pick or B-level prospect.

Bylsma back with Penguins after Sochi struggles

By DAN SCIFO (Associated Press) AP - Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Coach Dan Bylsma knows that the disappointing finish of the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team in Sochi will linger.

But now he has shifted his focus back to the Pittsburgh Penguins and looks to get his first-place team to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

''I don't think you get rid of the disappointment,'' Bylsma said Tuesday. ''But you have to put it behind you. The task at hand is coming back here and playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and I think that's the best way to put it behind you.''

The U.S. nearly knocked off Team Canada in Vancouver in 2010, falling just short of a gold medal and instead settled for silver.

The Americans wanted to win an elusive Olympic hockey gold for the first time since the ''Miracle on Ice,'' in 1980, and U.S. executives felt Bylsma's team had the right blend of skill, speed, and grit to get the job done.

The U.S. offense got off to a strong start through the first four games of the tournament, outscoring the opposition 20-6.

Included was the exhilarating, 3-2, eight-round shootout victory against the host Russians, one of the most memorable games of the tournament.

''The Russian game was as unique of a game as I've ever coached,'' Bylsma said.

''The stage in terms of the tournament doesn't mean a whole lot because everyone's going to play a fourth game, but trying to compare it to a Stanley Cup or a Game 7 was completely different. It had a different feel.''

Team USA head coach Dan Bylsma looks up at the scoreboard during the second period of men's quar …

The U.S. cruised past the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal showdown with Canada.

''It's a game we all wanted,'' Bylsma said. ''Maybe the biggest disappointment is that it wasn't the gold medal game.''

Regardless, the U.S. had to get through Canada to win gold, and for the second straight time in Olympic competition, the Canadians topped the U.S.

Canada, which went on to win its second straight gold medal, blanked the Americans in a suffocating 1-0 effort that wasn't as close as the final score.

Bylsma was criticized after the loss, some drawing comparisons to the Boston Bruins' four-game sweep of a punchless Penguins' team, which had trouble scoring during the 2013 Eastern Conference finals.

''You can draw the comparisons, but I don't know if they're valid or applicable,'' Bylsma said. ''The one thing we would like to go back to in that game was playing faster and playing quicker, allowing us to be on the forecheck in a better manner.''

Penguins GM Ray Shero, also the associate general manager for Team USA, credited Team Canada.

''That might be the greatest Olympic hockey team ever,'' Shero said. ''You can look at how we wanted to play, but sometimes the opponent doesn't let you get to your game.''

The Canadians, who never trailed in the tournament, flexed their defensive muscle, allowing just three goals in six games to become the first team in 30 years to go unbeaten through an Olympic tournament.

''Canada was very good,'' Shero said. ''We came in with high expectations and there's nothing wrong with setting a high goal.''

Both wanted to see a different outcome after a humiliating 5-0 defeat the following day against Finland in the bronze medal game.

''The bronze medal game was a tough one for us to rebound and get to,'' Bylsma said. ''That's the biggest disappointment of the tournament.''

But now the attention shifts back to Bylsma's Penguins where Olympians Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz are back with gold medals from Team Canada, while Jussi Jokinen and Olli Maatta earned bronze with Finland.

Bylsma returned empty-handed along with U.S. Olympians Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin, who broke his hand in the quarterfinal round and is out four to six weeks.

Russian star Evgeni Malkin is also without a medal, motivation that Bylsma hopes will further fuel a deep playoff run for the Metropolitan Division-leading Penguins. The Penguins return to action when they host Montreal on Thursday.

''We have 24 games to get back and focus on this team being the best it can be, getting to the Stanley Cup and winning it,'' Bylsma said.

NHL heads back to the ice after Olympic break

By LARRY LAGE (AP Sports Writer)AP - Sports

The Sochi Olympics are over and the NHL is back after freezing its schedule so that the world's best hockey players could compete for gold - perhaps for the last time.

Sidney Crosby won another Olympic championship with Canada. Now, Sid the Kid wants to help the Pittsburgh Penguins hoist the Stanley Cup again.

Crosby and the Penguins host Montreal on Thursday, the third day of league games after the Olympic break, just four days after helping the Canadians beat Sweden in the gold-medal game in Russia.

''In some ways, it will help, playing at this speed in one-game elimination with desperation,'' Crosby said Sunday after the final competition of the Sochi Games. ''I haven't really had this transition midseason with Olympic ice, going back to regular size, but I don't think it's a bad thing.''

In the East, Boston holds a seven-point lead over Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division coming out of the Olympic break. Pittsburgh holds a 16-point lead over the Rangers in the Metropolitan.

It's much tighter in the West, where St. Louis and defending champion Chicago are tied atop the Central Division, just five points in front of Colorado. The Ducks have the conference's top mark and a seven-point lead on San Jose.

The NHL is going to have its fifth and sixth outdoor games of the season on Saturday, when the Chicago Blackhawks play Pittsburgh at Soldier field, and the next day in a Vancouver-Ottawa matchup at BC Place.

Despite seemingly having success with the expansion of the concept beyond an annual Winter Classic, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn't ready to say there will be more than one game exposed to the elements next season.

''We haven't made any decisions about how many games next year (will be outdoors), but the games this year so far have been nothing short of spectacular,'' Bettman said in an interview with The Associated Press during the Olympics. ''The Winter Classic had over 100,000 people in

Michigan, played in the snow, and at two games in Yankee Stadium and the game in Los Angeles, fans couldn't have been more engaged.

''When you think about the impact of these regular season games have had, it shows you how excited our fans get about the outdoor games.''

The Detroit Red Wings lost to Toronto in a shootout at the Big House on New Year's Day, giving the Maple Leafs an extra point that could prove to be pivotal when the regular season ends April 13. The storied franchises are likely competing for one of the two wild-card bids in the Eastern Conference.

If the playoffs began today, the Red Wings would extend their postseason streak to 23. Detroit made it last year by only one point and the race might be as tight again with Columbus, Ottawa, Washington, Carolina and New Jersey within a win or two of moving into a wild-card spot.

''When we play teams like Montreal and Toronto, those are really like four-point games,'' Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said.

In the Western Conference, which appears to be filled with better teams, it looks like Dallas, Phoenix, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Nashville may be vying for the eighth and final spot in the playoffs. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, have an NHL-low 38 points - nine fewer than the last place team, Edmonton, in the Western Conference.

That gives Buffalo plenty of incentive to shop goaltender Ryan Miller and his expiring contract. Miller was primarily used as a backup for the United States in the Olympics.

The Sabres are running out of time to get something in return for the face of their franchise. The NHL's trade deadline is March 5.

Some teams that were hit by injuries during the Olympics may make moves to replace the players they lost. Others, such as Buffalo, might decide to trade talented or expensive players if it appears they have no shot to be a part of the postseason.

---

Penguins snap skid with wild victory

By Tom Venesky

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Three goals in less than three minutes. A two-goal lead with half of the third period to go. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins seemed to be in a pretty good spot during Tuesday’s matchup against the Hershey Bears.

As it turns out, the Penguins needed just a little bit more.

Spencer Machacek scored twice in a third period that saw both teams combine for seven goals. The Penguins scored four times, including twice on the power play and once shorthanded to snap a six-game losing streak and beat the Bears 6-5.

The win stops a five-game skid against the Bears, gives the Penguins the season series against Hershey based on points and catapults them up three spots to sixth overall in the Eastern Conference.

So which is most important?

“It’s all huge,” said Bobby Farnham, who had a goal and an assist in the first two periods. “Hershey is our rival and it was huge to win that season series and hopscotch them in the standings.”

Farnham made a nifty pass from behind the net to Mike Carman in front to put the Penguins on the board first less than three minutes into the game. The Bears added two goals later in the period to take a 2-1 lead.

Farnham took matters into his own hands in the second, backhanding home a rebound past Bears goaltender David Leggio to even things up 2-2 heading into the third period.

And that’s when things got even more interesting.

In the opening seconds, Dane Byers powered down the right side and beat Eric Hartzell with a shot just inside the post to give Hershey 3-2 lead.

The goal was Byers’ fifth against the Penguins out of nine goals total on the season.

The Penguins weren’t about to pack it in, however.

“There was no let up after that,” head coach John Hynes said. “We didn’t back down after we gave up that goal.”

Minutes later, Brendan Mikkelson evened things up when he gained the puck, and with plenty of time in the slot, ripped a wrist shot past Leggio inside the far post for a shorthanded goal.

There was plenty more to come.

Hershey’s Dustin Gazley was given a double minor for high-sticking, and the Penguins quickly took full advantage of the four minutes of power play time.

Twenty seconds into the first half of the power play, Andrew Ebbett shoveled in a rebound at the corner to make it 4-3.

And just 23 seconds later, on the second half of the power play, Machacek put a shot in through traffic to make to give the Penguins a two goal lead, 5-3.

“That power play was really a key point in the game,” Hynes said. “It was critical.”

Still, the Penguins weren’t comfortable with the lead.

“When you’re on a six-game skid like we were, I don’t think any of us thought it was a safe lead,” Farnham said. “Hershey’s a very opportunistic team.”

Jeff Taffe brought the Bears to within one at the midway point to make it 5-4, but Machacek answered two minutes later with a blast from the left side to give the Penguins their second two-goal lead of the period.

After Taffe’s goal, Hynes pulled Hartzell in favor of Jeff Deslauriers. On the night Hartzell stopped 12 of 16 shots.

Thirty seconds after Machacek’s goal, Hershey scored again on a shot by Nicolas Deschamps to make it 6-5 with seven minutes to play.

“It was one of those games where we score one, and they score one. A ping-pong match,” Machacek said. “It was a pretty crazy game.”

In the end, the Penguins came out on top of a seven-goal third period to snap their losing streak and gain a critical two points in a tight Eastern Conference.

“We’ve been so close the last few games, the win is something that we needed,” Hynes said.

NOTES

• D Brian Dumoulin (injury), C Zach Sill (injury), RW Tom Kuhnhackl, LW Anton Zlobin and D Harrison Ruopp were scratched for the Penguins.

• Hynes said it was a difficult decision to pull Hartzell in the third period. Hartzell has struggled in February, winning one and losing four.

“That’s something we’ll have a talk about with him and goaltending coach Mike Buckley to see if we can get some normalcy back into his play,” Hynes said.

***

Penguins 6, Hershey 5

Hershey`2`0`3`—`5

Penguins`1`1`4`—`6

First Period

Scoring – 1. WBS, Mike Carman 6 (Farnham, Leblond) 2:38. 2. HER, Dane Byers 9 (Potulny, Brouillette) power play 13:45. 3. HER, Casey Wellman 14 (LeBlanc) 16:50. Penalties – WBS, Machacek (slashing) 2:56; HER, Brouillette (holding) 4:44; WBS, Leblond (goaltender interference) 12:10; WBS, Machacek (tripping) 14:48.

Second Period

Scoring – 4. WBS, Bobby Farnham 5 (Leblond, Ebbett) 9:11. Penalties – HER, Wey (closing hand on puck) 6:16; WBS, Uher (kneeing) 14:15; HER, Brouillette (slashing) 16:13.

Third Period

Scoring – 5. HER, Dane Byers 10 (Wey) :28. 6. WBS, Brendan Mikkelson 5 (Megna, Uher) shorthanded 5:00. 7. WBS, Andrew Ebbett 9 (Drazenovic, Mikkelson) power play 7:30. 8. WBS, Spencer Machacek 14 (Kostopoulos, Drazenovic) power play 7:53. 9. HER, Jeff Taffe 16 (Potulny) 10:01. 10. WBS, Spencer Machacek 15 (Ebbett, Samuelsson) 12:24. 11. HER, Nicolas Deschamps 13 (Galiev, Stoa) 12:54. Penalties – WBS, Leblond (goaltender interference) 3:29; HER, Gazley (high-sticking – double minor) 7:10; WBS, Goers (delay of game) 12:58.

Shots on goal

Hershey – 6-4-10-20; Penguins – 6-14-9-29

Power-play Opportunities

Hershey – 1 of 6; Penguins – 2 of 5

Goaltenders

Hershey – David Leggio 15-14-2 (23 saves – 29 shots); Penguins – Eric Hartzell (10-14); Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers 18-14-3 – 10:01 of the third period (4-6)

Starters

Hershey – G David Leggio, D Patrick Wey, D Julien Brouillette, LW Dane Byers, C Matt Watkins, RW Casey Wellman; Penguins – G Eric Hartzell, D Reid McNeill, D Philip Samuelsson, LW Dominik Uher, C Andrew Ebbett, RW Spencer Machacek

Three Stars

1. WBS, Spencer Machacek (two goals) 2. WBS, Andrew Ebbett (goal, two assists) 3. HER, Dane Byers (two goals)

Referees – Ryan Murphy, Ryan Hersey. Linesmen – Jud Ritter, Matt McNulty

Attendance – 4,391

Penguins end slide with win over Bears

BY JONATHAN BOMBULIE (STAFF WRITER)

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - Spencer Machacek was starting to think maybe it was him.

After all, days after he arrived in a Feb.6 trade, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins began a season-long six-game losing streak.

He doesn't think that anymore.

Machacek scored twice in a wild, seven-goal third period, leading the Penguins to a skid-busting 6-5 victory over the Hershey Bears on Tuesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

"I started thinking to myself, 'Maybe it's not good I'm here,'" Machacek said with a laugh. "It's definitely huge to get back in the win column."

The win had all kinds of repercussions for the Penguins. It stopped a streak of five straight losses to the Bears, allowed the Penguins to win the 12-game season series against their intrastate rivals and moved the team from ninth to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.

"It was huge," said winger Bobby Farnham, who had a goal and an assist as the Penguins and Bears played to a 2-2 tie through two periods. "They're our rival. They're in our division. To win

that season series was huge for us. We could hopscotch them in the standings too. The guys came ready to play."

The Bears got off to a quick start in the third when Dane Byers skated up the right wing, pulled up in front of defenseman Philip Samuelsson and blasted a shot past goalie Eric Hartzell to give his team a 3-2 lead just 28 seconds in.

The Penguins responded with three goals in a five minute-span in the middle of the period.

"It wasn't like we had a letdown for five or 10 minutes," coach John Hynes said. "We just kept playing."

Brendan Mikkelson skated into the offensive zone shorthanded, took a cross-ice pass from Jayson Megna and tied the score 3-3 from the top of the right faceoff circle at the five-minute mark.

Two minutes later, Hershey's Dustin Gazley was handed a double minor for high-sticking and the Penguins converted on both ends of the four-minute penalty.

Nick Drazenovic threw a puck into the crease and Andrew Ebbett jammed it past goalie David Leggio at 7:30 to give the Penguins the lead for good. A Tom Kostopoulos shot from the left faceoff circle banked in off Machacek's skate to make it 5-3 just 23 seconds later.

"We had a couple power plays prior to that where we didn't get much accomplished," Hynes said. "That was a key point in the game. The guys really executed. They did the right things and they got rewarded."

The Bears twice got to within a goal in the last 10 minutes of the game. Jeff Taffe scored off a faceoff to make it 5-4 with 9:59 left and Nicolas Deschamps did the same to make it 6-5 with 7:06 to go.

"When you're on a six-game skid like we were, I don't think anyone was sitting back," Farnham said. "I don't think anyone thought it was a safe lead, especially because Hershey is a very opportunistic team."

To maintain the lead, the Penguins took two key steps.

First, Hynes pulled Hartzell after he stopped 12 of 16 shots. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers stopped 3 of 4 the rest of the way.

Second, they got another goal, a Machacek slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle with 7:36 left that turned out to be the game winner.

"Today was one of those games where it felt like everything was going in and we were getting some bounces," Machacek said. "It was a pretty crazy game, but it was good to come out on top."

Let the games begin for Canadiens

By pat hickey, THE GAZETTE February 25, 2014 7:15 PM

Most of the talk at the Canadiens practice is still about Team Canada's performance at the Olympic games.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien went on at length Tuesday about his happiness over Canada sweeping the gold medals in men’s and women’s hockey at the Sochi Olympics.

He might also have mentioned he was happy to see that the seven Montreal players who competed in Sochi returned to North America without any ailment more serious than jet lag.

The same can’t be said of the Canadiens’ next two opponents.

When the Detroit Red Wings visit the Bell Centre Wednesday night (7:30 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690), they will be without Henrik Zetterberg, who is their captain and leading scorer. A herniated disc forced Zetterberg to leave the silver-medal Swedish Olympic team after one game in Sochi and he subsequently underwent surgery that will sideline him for 6-8 weeks.

And the Pittsburgh Penguins will be without defenceman Paul Martin when the Canadiens travel to the Consol Energy Center on Thursday (7 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN Radio 690). Martin suffered a broken hand while playing for the United States in Sochi.

The injured players provide ammunition for those who believe National Hockey League players shouldn’t compete in the Olympics, but in Zetterberg’s case he had back problems before going to Sochi. While he has collected 48 points in 45 games, Zetterberg missed 13 games because of his wonky back.

Injuries have been a concern for the Red Wings all season and that’s why they are fifth in the Atlantic Division, six points back of Montreal. On the plus side, Pavel Datsyuk is healthy again and Johan Franzen is returning from a concussion, but winger Stephen Weiss — who has been a free-agent disappointment — is still a week away as he recovers from a groin injury.

Pittsburgh is down two top defenceman as Martin joins Kris Letang on the injured-reserve list. Letang suffered a stroke last month and is out for at least another month.

The Canadiens’ main concern will be getting back up to speed after the Olympics. For players like Carey Price, P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty, that will mean adjusting to the nine-hour time difference after returning from Europe on an early morning flight Monday.

While Pacioretty joined his teammates for practice Tuesday, Subban and Price took an extra day off. Price will get some additional rest because Therrien has decided to give Peter Budaj the start in goal against the Red Wings. That should mean Price will play in Pittsburgh, although Therrien said he was keeping his options open.

For the players who didn’t go to Sochi, the key will be to get back into the competitive swing after some time off.

“You’re always worried about timing, but the key is making sure that you’re not too excited,” captain Brian Gionta said. “It’s about keeping things in check. You want to get out there and push hard, but you’ve got to keep your emotions in check.”

While the Red Wings have struggled at times this season, they are 1-0 against Montreal this season and haven’t missed the playoffs since 1990.

“They’re a veteran group; they’ve got guys who know how to win,” Gionta said. “You have to be aware of their offence, but they do a good job of not giving you too much time and space through the neutral zone. We’ve got to find a way to penetrate, making sure that we support each other so that we’re not just chasing the puck all night.”

The Detroit game kicks off a stretch of seven games in 11 nights for the Canadiens and the competition only gets tougher. The Canadiens are home to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night and then hit the road for games in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix and San Jose.

The Canadiens had a three-game winning streak going into the Olympic break and will be healthier than they were three weeks ago. Alex Galchenyuk (broken hand) and Travis Moen (lower-body injury) will both be back in uniform for the Detroit game.

Brandon Prust (upper-body injury) and Michael Bournival (concussion) are still out, but the good news is that both skated Tuesday. It was Bournival’s first time on skates since he was accidentally hit on the chin by a teammate’s stick on Feb. 6.

Russians aren’t looking for Olympic excuses, Habs’ Markov says

By DAVE STUBBS, THE GAZETTE February 25, 2014 9:14 PM

It wasn’t the way Andrei Markov imagined the end of his third Olympics, being dumped 3-1 by Finland in the quarter-final round and eliminated from medal contention in Sochi.

The veteran Canadiens defenceman has played 65 games for his country — 17 on the Olympic rink, 35 in world championships, 13 more in world juniors. He has won a gold and two bronze medals at the worlds; a silver and a bronze at world juniors.

Sochi was supposed to be Russia’s home-soil, storybook return to the podium’s top step, a gold medal elusive since the so-called Unified Team — a quilting of Russia and a few former Soviet republics — took top prize at Albertville in 1992.

Russian President Vladimir Putin showcased his nation’s Sochi team virtually as a can’t-miss. And then the home team missed, early and often, while Putin was photographed in the Bolshoy Ice Dome as the Games’ face of glum.

On Tuesday, following the Canadiens practice in Brossard, Markov spoke highly of the full Olympic experience and lowly of the hockey result, his country still in a state of shock after its stunning ouster at the hands of the eventual bronze medallist.

And true to form, the 35-year-old fenced with reporters not among the dressing-room regulars over unsubstantiated reports/rumours about his contract status or continued to probe about Sochi.

“That was a great experience,” Markov said of the Olympics as a whole. “It was kind of incredible, but obviously the hockey result was not so good.

“I think we had pressure,” he said in grand understatement of the Russian squad, “but it’s kind of like an excuse. We’re not looking for excuses. We didn’t really play a good game over there, that’s only our fault. It’s not about the pressure, it’s about us.

“It’s kind of a bad feeling,” Markov added of the early exit. “It’s not easy. After those moments, after those losses, you feel kind of empty inside. We can’t blame anyone else. The Russian organization, the (hockey) federation did a great job. They did everything for us.

“We lost the chance to win something, especially at home, but life continues and we have to move forward.”

Russian head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov was strafed by his country’s media and millions of fans for his inflexibility and inability to make vital adjustments as his club teetered on the brink of a disaster over which it finally would plummet.

Superstar Alexander Ovechkin scored just once and added a single assist in his five games; Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists.

As the quicksand deepened, Bilyaletdinov stubbornly rolled units of five players in what might have been the worst Olympic hockey coaching performance ever.

“This has certainly been an unsuccessful appearance,” was his translated reply to a reporter’s suggestion following elimination that the final result was a catastrophe for Russian hockey.

“I apologize to the fans for this result. We were unsuccessful and the expectations were totally different.”

Markov had two assists while averaging 18:46 on ice through the tournament, well below his team-high 25:04 with the Canadiens after 59 games. Fellow Habs defenceman Alexei Emelin didn’t have a point in his first Olympic appearance, averaging 14:36.

There were reports of a divided Russian dressing room in Sochi, arguments over an NHL vs. KHL system. Markov wasn’t going there on Tuesday, even snapping at a reporter who pressed him on a question of the Russians’ depth and a perceived talent gap between top and lesser players.

“I’ve already said it’s in the past,” he replied after 10 minutes of analysis. “We’re going to continue talking about it? What do you want to hear? Why are you asking me questions? I don’t have answers for that.”

But leaving plenty to read between the lines, Markov had earlier said this:

“It’s not up to me, but if we lost over there, after every loss, you have to learn something. Hopefully next time it will be much better.

“We have to try to stay positive, and that’s not easy right now,” he said with a tight grin.

Markov said he hadn’t been asked by his federation for feedback on the team management that helped paint this dismal result, nor did he expect to be.

“Actually no,” he said. “Any team — a national team, the Montreal team — is kind of a family. What happens inside of that family has to stay inside. Whatever is going to happen with management is not our (players’) decision. They’ll see and they’ll talk and we’ll see what happens.”

The sky wasn’t entirely gloomy over Sochi, Markov said, finding positives in his country’s performance as a whole. Indeed, the host nation won the final medal count, its 13 gold and 33 total topping both tables.

“The Olympics isn’t about just one team or one athlete,” he said. “Overall, the Russian Olympic team did a great job, getting first place overall. That’s the positive news. I’m kind of proud.

“The way (organizers) did the job over there, I don’t think anyone can say something bad about those Games, how they set up everything. Buildings, the services there, volunteers, everything was great.”

An unrestricted free agent come July 1, Markov reiterated that his desire is to remain a Canadien.

“I love it here, I like the organization and the city,” he said. “I can’t control (business), it’s not up to me, I just try to enjoy every moment.”

He sniffed at a question about one rumour circulating that he was offered $6 million for one season here.

“Who said that?” he asked, answering a question with one of his own. “I don’t know. Were people there at the meetings? I have nothing to say right now.

“Whatever you (media) guys are fishing for, I don’t know,” he added, grinning. “It’s up to you guys.”

After the media scrum broke up, Markov told me that contract talks “are still in progress. We’ll see what happens. There are eight days left (until the March 5 trade deadline). It can happen at any time,” he said, alluding to an agreement.

With Sochi in his rear view and a contract up the road, Markov would rather focus on the road he’s driving now, Motor City’s Red Wings in town Wednesday.

“I’m going to focus on the game and try to help our team be better and to do my best on the ice,” he said. “I feel good. I can’t wait to play again.

“I’m just happy to play the game and have fun out there.”

Budaj gets Wednesday start vs. Red Wings

Posted by Dave Stubbs

From Slovakia with love: Peter Budaj, back from the Olympics, starts Wednesday at the Bell Centre vs the Detroit Red Wings.

The Canadiens took another step Tuesday toward returning to their post-Olympic season, practising at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard for Wednesday’s game vs. the Detroit Red Wings (7:30 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

Goaltender Peter Budaj will get the start in goal for the Habs, Olympic hero Carey Price having been given the day off on Tuesday. Price should take part in the team’s morning skate Wednesday, but Budaj gets the starting assignment, according to head coach Michel Therrien.

Also missing from practice Tuesday was Team Canada defenceman P.K. Subban, also entitled to a day away per the NHL’s CBA. Brandon Prust (upper-body) skated after the Brossard practice, while Michaël Bournival (concussion-like symptoms) skated before the 11 am practice.

Look for Alex Galchenyuk and Travis Moen both to be in the Canadiens’ lineup vs the Red Wings, uncustomarily in a battle for a playoff berth.

“I would like to congratulate Hockey Canada for their gold medals in the men’s and the women’s tournament, as well,” Therrien said in his post-practice news briefing. “That was really impressive. I really liked the way both teams played.

“I would like to congratulate the management staff, the coaches and especially the players on both teams. I was watching the games and I was really proud to be Canadian.”

Therrien won’t have to look far to find some of that management on Wednesday; Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock will be behind the Red Wings bench.

Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at practice:

Pacioretty-Desharnais-Gallagher

Briere-Plekanec-Gionta

Galchenyuk-Eller-Bourque

Moen-White-Weise

Parros

Markov-Emelin

Bouillon-Gorges

Murray-Tinordi