Penguins/NHL
Dupuis, Talbot injured in 6-4 win
Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma or team officials did not have an update on Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis had a major gash over his right eye and had to be helped off the ice after being hit from behind by Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton.
Updated: A team official told me there doesn’t appear to be too much concern regarding any kind of serious head injury. Dupuis was alert after the game and the injury is being described as an “undisclosed facial injury”.
Also injured in tonight’s win was forward Maxime Talbot. Talbot suffered a right foot injury and according to a team source, will be evaluated tomorrow morning when the swelling goes down.
Dan Bylsma indicated after the game that he doesn’t think the injury is long-term.
Johnson gets the start over Curry
Brent Johnson returned to the lineup after being sidelined with a groin injury for the Penguins last four games.
Although there were indications that Bylsma wanted to go back to John Curry tonight as Bylsma is a believer in Curry, this is a business and Pittsburgh needed to get Johnson some reps before Thursday night’s game against the Washington Capitals.
Kennedy benched in third period
Tyler Kennedy was benched for a few shifts in the third period of tonight’s game. Kennedy turned over the puck in the D-zone that led to an Islanders goal but the main player at fault on the play was Sergei Gonchar. After the goal, Craig Adams skated the next three shifts on the Matt Cooke/Jordan Staal line
Godard has 1:24 of ice time
Eric Godard earned his paycheck tonight. Godard skated for a total of 2 shifts and had a 1:24 of ice time.
Notes
*Pittsburgh was dominate in the face-off circle. Sidney Crosby was 16-for-23 and Jordan Staal was 16-for-21. Evgeni Malkin was also productive in the face-off circle (4-for-6).
*With the return of Brooks Orpik, Dan Bylsma went back to his regular pairings of Orpik-Gonchar, Eaton-Letang, McKee-Goligoski.
The pairing of Jay McKee-Alex Goligoski was a combined minus-4.
*Marc Andre Fleury did some light work this morning prior to the Penguins morning skate. Fleury will not be in the lineup Thursday night.
A more likely target date at this point is Monday night against the Rangers.
American Hockey League All-Star Game
The Canadian AHL All-Stars won the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic tonight with a come-from-behind 10-9 shootout win over PlanetUSA in the 2010 AHL All-Star Game at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
Penguins prospect Dustin Jeffrey scored in the third period for the Canadians who trailed by four goals with less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
