Penguins/NHL
PENGUINS WANT TO HAVE HARRINGTON AROUND THE TEAM
Penguins management sees 21 year old defenseman Scott Harrington as being a big part of the team and it’s just a matter of them finding a spot for him. That has led to the Penguins wanting to get him accumulated to the big club even if there’s not a full time spot available to him yet.
“We thought Scott had a good camp and heading into this weekend when we go on the road in Toronto, we’ll be bringing in some players probably back and fourth,” Johnston said on Friday. “He’s had a good training camp. We want to bring him up for a big here and just have him with the big team.”
The Penguins are surprisingly staying in Toronto until Monday, despite not playing again until Thursday night at home against Dallas.
The Penguins recalled Harrington on Friday, he practiced with the team and is with them in Toronto. Penguins coaches feel he is one of their top-6 defenseman and Harrington is a possibility to make his NHL debut tonight in Toronto, though, not likely with the Penguins coming off a win. This is more of a situation of the Penguins wanting Harrington to be around the team for the trip.
NEW FOUND TOUGHNESS?
A hot topic in the locker room is standing up for players. Steve Downie has been extremely focal in putting that message out there and Penguins head coach Mike Johnston has made it known he wants players sticking up for everybody, not just the stars.
Johnston liked how the Penguins responded when the Ducks were taking runs.
“I think to protect anybody, I do like that for sure,” Johnston said. “I liked the response of our team when that happened. Whether we thought the hit was clean or dirty, it was still a dangerous hit and I thought our guys responded in the right way.”
Sidney Crosby said after Friday’s practice it’s good to see after one game. “We could have been better in that area last year,” Crosby said.
Several veteran players on Friday felt how the Penguins responded to the Ducks taking dangerous hits was a step in the right direction but when it comes to the talk that the Penguins should have stood up for Sidney Crosby last spring in the second round of the playoffs when Marc Staal repeatedly cross-checked him in the head, Craig Adams said the Penguins weren’t in the position to retaliate.
“I just shake my head at that stuff,” Adams said via the Tribune-Review. “That’s what playoff hockey is. The best players are usually going to get a rough ride. That’s part of winning in the playoffs. That’s why it’s so hard to win. It’s part of the sacrifice you make. If we had gone out and given them four or five power plays, I don’t know that doing that would have been the best way to handle it.”
WHY HAS COMEAU UNDERACHIEVED?
With an excellent shot and solid puck skills for a role player, Blake Comeau is an interesting player from the standpoint of why he hasn’t produced more since his 24 goal season in 2010-2011.
Comeau has not scored more than six goals in a season since 2010-2011 and despite being just 28 years old, did not have a strong market in the summer, landing a one year deal at just $700,000 with the Penguins after making $1 million last season.
Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reported over the summer the Blue Jackets showed little interest in resigning Comeau.
In his prime years, Comeau regressed the last several seasons but he has the look of being in a situation where he should be a threat for at least a 10-12 goal season.
Penguins scouts have liked Comeau for years and recommended acquiring him from Calgary during the 2012-2013 season.
