PITTSBURGH – Good health has returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins just in time to for them to start their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
All signs are pointing to Marc-Andre Fleury getting the start in goal against the New York Rangers less than two weeks after suffering his second concussion of the season.
He was in the home net for Wednesday’s morning skate and flashed his typical mile-wide smile in the dressing room afterwards. The Penguins wouldn’t confirm his return – this being the playoffs – but it would rank as a surprise if backup Jeff Zatkoff got the call for Game 1 instead.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS:
First Round Series Previews | Broadcast Schedule
Stanley Cup Playoffs Fantasy Hockey
“I didn’t watch the morning skate, but we’re certainly aware of where our guys are at and make a game-time decision,” said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.
They also appear set to welcome defenceman Olli Maatta back from a lower-body injury. He missed the last nine games of the regular season, but had been on the top pairing with Kris Letang before that.
It’s a promising sign for a team that didn’t miss a beat in their absence.
The Penguins won 12 of 14 games to finish the year and have “probably been since the second half of the season the best team in the league,” according to Rangers coach Alain Vigneault.
One systematic change he’s detected since Sullivan was hired in December is that Pittsburgh now does a better job of forcing turnovers, which is particularly lethal because they’re such a fast, dangerous team.
“They’re clogging up the neutral zone a lot more than they have been in the past,” said Vigneault. “They’ve got numbers back there; a lot of times five guys skating backwards. They’re looking to clog it up and force turnovers and with their speed counter-attack and generate some good offensive looks.”
As a result, the coach is emphasizing the importance of controlling the puck for long stretches in the Penguins’ end. He hopes to wear down Pittsburgh’s defence.
The Rangers are underdogs heading into the series, especially since Ryan McDonagh’s availability is a question mark. He’s definitely out for Game 1 with a broken bone in his right hand.
However, goaltending can be a great equalizer – and Henrik Lundqvist has been dominant against Pittsburgh in the playoffs the last two years. There is plenty of familiarity between the Metropolitan Division rivals and a little less mystery about what to expect when the series starts on Wednesday night.
“I think it helps both teams,” said Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. “It’s up to whoever plays their game the best. There shouldn’t be anything that’s new or you don’t expect at this point.”
They’ll have a long wait before Game 2 is played on Saturday afternoon, so there’s a little added importance to getting off on the right foot. There was certainly some excitement in the air on Wednesday morning.
“The build-up and the anxiety is over, and now it’s time to play hockey,” said Sullivan.
