Game 45. Pens at Sens

 Eugene Melnyk's CSI Lab. 7:30. ROOT
 

 

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins (34-10-0) take on the Ottawa Senators (23-15-6). The Sens could be a potential first-round matchup since the Sens and Rangers are tied with 52 points, though the Sens has played one less game. Time will tell. Pittsburgh has won the first two meetings with Ottawa: 2-1 in shootout and 4-2 in regulation.

As we all should remember, probably because Sens fans won't let anyone forget, the last meeting between the Pens and Sens contained a collision between Cooke and Karlsson that ended with Karlsson receiving a lacerated Achilles. This injury was thought to take about 6 months to recover but behold, he is now feeling 100% and practicing with his team after 9 weeks. But with that said, he will not be facing the Penguins tonight.

This all leads us to one of the most hilarious things ever. The "Red Scarf Union". Basically, this group of Senators fans are organizing what they call a "hate fest" for Matt Cooke by creating posters and wearing red scarves. That will show Cooke who's boss!

 

Matt "The Dirtiest Player in the NHL" Cooke... Original. Gold star for you!

 

 

And I guess the Ottawa Sun just had to pipe in too...

 

 

Right. Stay classy, Ottawa. Anyways, on to more important things...

 

LINES:

 

Kunitz - Jokinen - Iginla

Morrow - Jeffrey - Dupuis

Cooke - Sutter - Kennedy

MacIntyre - Adams - Glass

Orpik - Engelland

Murray - Niskanen

Despres - Bortuzzo

Vokoun

 

Michalek - Turris - Alfredsson

Conacher - Zibanejad - Silfverberg

Greening - Pageau - Condra

Kassian - Smith - Neil

 

Wiercioch - Gonchar

Phillips - Methot

Cowen - Gryba

 

Anderson

 

 

Stuff:

• With a win, Tomas Vokoun will become the 28th goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career victories.
• Dan Bylsma can potentially earn his 200th NHL coaching win tonight. With the Pens' next victory, Bylsma will become the fastest coach in NHL history to reach 200 wins.
• Fleury and Letang will not be present for the game tonight (as you can tell by the line-up). Letang due to a food poisoning illness, Fleury due to him and his wife expecting the birth of their child.
• Crosby, Neal, Malkin and Martin all skated back in Pittsburgh today.
• Bennett is now day to day with an upper body injury.
• Penguins playoff tickets for games 1 and 2 are now on sale.
• Keep in mind that your Penguins have gone 21-2 in the last 23 games. Amazing team we have here, guys.

Pssstttt... Haters, this one's for you.

 

GO PENS.