Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin (71) scores against Winnipeg Jets goalie Al Montoya (35) in the first period of their NHL game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday. (Reuters)
Agencies/Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ perfect march through March is turning into a flat-out sprint. And the latest addition to their star-studded lineup isn’t even due in town until the weekend.
The streaking Penguins raced past the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 on Thursday night for their 14th straight win. At the rate Sidney Crosby and company are going, the NHL record of 17 consecutive victories set by Pittsburgh 20 years ago is well within reach. Not that Crosby is putting much stock in his team’s remarkable run. Honest.
“It’s not something we really talk about,” said Crosby, who had two assists to push his point total to a league-leading 56.
“We know that the streak is nice but at the end of the day it doesn’t really mean anything. I think it’s a result of our hard work, but I don’t think anyone is going to remember that come playoff time.”
Pascal Dupuis scored twice for Pittsburgh and Evgeni Malkin celebrated his return to the lineup with his first goal in more than three weeks. Chris Kunitz added a goal and an assist as the Penguins capped a giddy 24 hours by dominating the Southeast Division leaders. And to think newly acquired Jarome Iginla is still in Canada working through immigration issues. The Penguins acquired the six-time All-Star forward late Wednesday night, an audacious move that thrust them from Stanley Cup contender to favourite.
Hurricanes caught in deadline dilemma - deal or no deal
The Carolina Hurricanes find themselves trapped in a deadline day dilemma after a seventh straight loss on Thursday, slowly slipping out of a playoff race and pondering whether to make a deal or stick with what they have.
With the National Hockey League’s April 3 trade deadline fast approaching, the Hurricanes have little time to decide if they want to roll dice and make a trade that could help send them to the post-season or ride out the current storm. “When you play well and don’t get anything out of it that’s what is tough,” Hurricane’s coach Kirk Muller told reporters. “It’s a test for us, we’re still in it.
“It’s like a playoff series, you lose a few and you know it’s not over yet, I don’t think anyone is going to quit.”Despite a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the slumping Hurricanes remain just three points out of a playoff spot, leaving Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford scratching his head over what to do next.
The Hurricanes, however, are not the only team caught in a deadline day no man’s land. The lockout-shortened 48-game season has created a unique competitiveness, further complicated by a salary cap that is set to drop from $70 million to just over $64 million next year, forcing general managers to balance the reality of the books against their dreams of making the playoffs.
When the puck was dropped on Thursday, only seven points separated the New York Rangers, who occupied the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, and the Philadelphia Flyers in 14th. With just four weeks remaining in the regular season, only a handful of teams have written off their post-season hopes, blurring the lines between buyers and sellers.