Our poor Penguins can’t seem to catch a break.
No sooner do we get Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari back from IR than two more guys go on the shelf. Key guys, I might add.
Centers Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte have been placed on IR on a week-to-week basis. Geno’s ailment is reported to be upper body, Lizotte’s is undisclosed.
The long and short of it…literally? The injuries rob the Pens of their most dynamic offensive player this side of Sidney Crosby in Malkin (29 points in 26 games), not to mention their emotional heartbeat, and their fourth-line anchor/penalty-killing linchpin in Lizotte.
Truly a shame, because the team’s been on a 4-1-1 roll and appeared to be emerging from a November-long funk.
In corresponding moves, the club recalled the Baby Pens’ top two scorers, Sam Poulin and Danton Heinen. The former has 20 points in 21 games at Wilkes, including nine goals, the latter 18 points (6+12) in a dozen games.
Heinen produced strong underlying numbers during a nine-game stint with the Pens earlier this season, but nary a goal. Poulin appeared in two games for us, without a point.
I’m guessing coach Dan Muse will continue to deploy veteran Kevin Hayes in Geno’s slot on the “Big Line,” at least for the time being. Heinen and Poulin may both get cracks at filling in on the fourth line, with Acciari perhaps shifting from wing to center.