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Pittsburgh (32-26-6) at Tampa Bay (21-30-12)
The Pittsburgh Penguins have stepped up their play without the injured Sidney Crosby, picking up three consecutive wins that have them back in playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
With their captain on the verge of coming back, though, they’re certainly not complaining.
Crosby could return from a left groin injury Tuesday night as the Penguins try to extend their longest winning streak since mid-November when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Pittsburgh (32-26-6) went 2-1-1 in its first four games under interim coach Dan Bylsma and Crosby played a big role, recording two goals and five assists. However, Crosby, third in the league with 79 points, left practice Feb. 24 with a sore groin and has missed the last three games.
Instead of reverting to the disappointing play that led to the firing of coach Michel Therrien on Feb. 15, Pittsburgh has put together its longest win streak since a six-game run from Nov. 1-15. The Penguins managed a lackluster 1-0 home win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, but opened a five-game road trip by beating Chicago 5-4 in overtime Friday and won 4-1 over Dallas on Sunday.
“We’re playing right now without Sid - an outstanding player - and eventually we will get him back and add to how we’re playing,” Bylsma said. “We still need to get better and better going down the stretch.”
Pittsburgh is 4-0 this season without Crosby.
That’s due in large part to having the NHL’s leading scorer on the roster. Evgeni Malkin scored in overtime against the Blackhawks and had a goal and two assists in Sunday’s win, which pushed the Penguins into eighth place in the East.
“The trophy is not the thing right now, the two points are the thing,” Malkin said.
Crosby has participated in the last two pregame skates and says he’s felt better each day, and some odd recent history suggests he’ll be on the ice Tuesday.
Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain in a game against the Lightning last Jan. 18 and missed 21 games before returning - at Tampa - on March 4. He recorded an assist in a 2-0 victory.
The Penguins went 11-6-4 in that stretch without Crosby, as Malkin had 14 goals and 22 assists.
The Lightning (21-30-12) haven’t had an easy time producing offensively this season, averaging 2.57 goals to rank in the bottom third of the league. They scored 15 goals while going 1-5-1 to close out February.
Tampa Bay, though, got off to a fantastic offensive start in March. Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis each scored twice in an 8-6 win over Calgary on Sunday night that snapped a seven-game road losing streak.
“The guys in here have stuck together through this. Guys aren’t going to quit,” said former Penguin Mark Recchi, who had five assists to move past Bryan Trottier into 14th on the NHL career list with 1,426 points. “It’s been an interesting year, a frustrating year for all of us, but at the same time, you’re not going to quit on each other.”
Rookie center Steven Stamkos certainly hasn’t. The top pick in the 2008 draft scored a goal in all three games of Tampa Bay’s trip through western Canada.
The Penguins and Lightning have split two meetings this season, both in Pittsburgh. Malkin had two goals - one in overtime - in a 4-3 win Feb. 4.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have stepped up their play without the injured Sidney Crosby, picking up three consecutive wins that have them back in playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
With their captain on the verge of coming back, though, they’re certainly not complaining.
Crosby could return from a left groin injury Tuesday night as the Penguins try to extend their longest winning streak since mid-November when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Pittsburgh (32-26-6) went 2-1-1 in its first four games under interim coach Dan Bylsma and Crosby played a big role, recording two goals and five assists. However, Crosby, third in the league with 79 points, left practice Feb. 24 with a sore groin and has missed the last three games.
Instead of reverting to the disappointing play that led to the firing of coach Michel Therrien on Feb. 15, Pittsburgh has put together its longest win streak since a six-game run from Nov. 1-15. The Penguins managed a lackluster 1-0 home win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, but opened a five-game road trip by beating Chicago 5-4 in overtime Friday and won 4-1 over Dallas on Sunday.
“We’re playing right now without Sid - an outstanding player - and eventually we will get him back and add to how we’re playing,” Bylsma said. “We still need to get better and better going down the stretch.”
Pittsburgh is 4-0 this season without Crosby.
That’s due in large part to having the NHL’s leading scorer on the roster. Evgeni Malkin scored in overtime against the Blackhawks and had a goal and two assists in Sunday’s win, which pushed the Penguins into eighth place in the East.
“The trophy is not the thing right now, the two points are the thing,” Malkin said.
Crosby has participated in the last two pregame skates and says he’s felt better each day, and some odd recent history suggests he’ll be on the ice Tuesday.
Crosby suffered a high ankle sprain in a game against the Lightning last Jan. 18 and missed 21 games before returning - at Tampa - on March 4. He recorded an assist in a 2-0 victory.
The Penguins went 11-6-4 in that stretch without Crosby, as Malkin had 14 goals and 22 assists.
The Lightning (21-30-12) haven’t had an easy time producing offensively this season, averaging 2.57 goals to rank in the bottom third of the league. They scored 15 goals while going 1-5-1 to close out February.
Tampa Bay, though, got off to a fantastic offensive start in March. Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis each scored twice in an 8-6 win over Calgary on Sunday night that snapped a seven-game road losing streak.
“The guys in here have stuck together through this. Guys aren’t going to quit,” said former Penguin Mark Recchi, who had five assists to move past Bryan Trottier into 14th on the NHL career list with 1,426 points. “It’s been an interesting year, a frustrating year for all of us, but at the same time, you’re not going to quit on each other.”
Rookie center Steven Stamkos certainly hasn’t. The top pick in the 2008 draft scored a goal in all three games of Tampa Bay’s trip through western Canada.
The Penguins and Lightning have split two meetings this season, both in Pittsburgh. Malkin had two goals - one in overtime - in a 4-3 win Feb. 4.
