Penguins/NHL
Off-day Playoff notes:
*Tyler Kennedy’s status for game 5 is in doubt after suffering a lower body injury in Tuesday’s win. Any fans hoping to see Eric Godard in the lineup, don’t count on it.
Godard is under zero consideration to replace Kennedy and Ruslan Fedotenko has been informed to be ready to get back into the lineup.
Pittsburgh held an optional skate on Wednesday. Fedotenko is expected to get the first shot at playing on the third line with Matt Cooke and Jordan Staal.
*Defenseman Jordan Leopold (concussion) is believed to be progressing but will be out of the lineup for at least another week and likely longer. Leopold will not return for the series.
Defenseman Jay McKee who is a plus-2 through two games, has filled in admirably and is regarded by some evaluators as being a better fit in this series than Leopold.
*Ending the series in five games is the Penguins primary focus right now. They don’t want to go back to Ottawa.
Max Talbot and others talked today about how they hope that they have learned from last years mistake when they came out flat in a disappointing game 5 loss to the Flyers.
Head coach Dan Bylsma feels that the attention to details will be extremely important to clinch the series.
“I think that the details and execution of our game are extremely important, Bylsma said.
“They are not going to hand it over, and it will be probably the most difficult game to win…… But I think just the mentality which we have tried to establish in the last three games.”
“Our execution north as quickly as possible and the grind down factor with containing the play in the offensive zone and the physicality that was especially evident in Games 2 and 3 from our team.”
“We need to make sure that that is our focus for the game…. We need to play our very best and be ready for their physical forecheck which is going to come again and has been a factor in every game.”
*The Penguins have informed the next line of callups but players have been given a few days off as Wilkes Barre’s season ended Monday. They will report in the next couple days.
*Playoff Notes: The Boston Bruins have taken a 3-1 series lead over the Buffalo Sabres as Miroslav Satan scored the game winner in the second over-time to give the Bruins a 3-2 OT win.
The six-seeded Bruins appear primed to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs.
The Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadians 6-3 Wednesday nght, to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
