Oct 14, 2009 9:21 am US/Eastern
Penguins Vs. Hurricanes Preview
By: Sergei J. Feldman
RALEIGH, N.C. (KDKA) ―
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Ruslan Fedotenko No. 26 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his goal with Maxime Talbot No. 25 after scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at RBC Center on May 26, 2009.
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
When the Pittsburgh Penguins take on last year's Eastern Conference Finals opponent, the Carolina Hurricanes, at the RBC Center tonight, they will play on the very ice that propelled them to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
While considerably less will be at stake, much like that series-sweeping night, the Penguins (5-1-0) will look to skate away with a victory.
Tonight's reunion will conclude the Penguins' four-game road trip, during which the team has thus far gone unscathed.
They are also a perfect 4-0-0 on the road overall.
Since, for all practical purposes, the Penguins' no-show performance against the Phoenix Coyotes, a game in which the flightless birds were blanked, their offense has come to life.
During the team's current three-game winning streak, the Penguins have outscored opponents, 14-7.
Equally as impressive has been the team's ability to generate offense without the help of those players wearing numbers 87 or 71.
Against the Ottawa Senators Monday night, when the Penguins escaped with a 4-1 victory, both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held off the scoresheet.
Tyler Kennedy, tied with Crosby for most goals on the team with four, chipped in with two goals that night.
Meanwhile, Jordan Staal is riding a three-game goal-scoring streak; forward Craig Adams is coming off a two-assist night and Mike Rupp earned his first point in a Penguins uniform.
The balanced attack exhibited by the Penguins thus far has contributed greatly to their Eastern Conference-leading start and was precisely what overwhelmed Carolina last May, when the Penguins won the best-of-seven series four games to none.
Pittsburgh outscored Carolina, 20-9, in those four games.
With the way the team has played this year, the Penguins can bring an unwelcome feeling of deja-vu against a Hurricanes bunch that is a mere 2-3-0 on the year.
Notes:
-Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is 5-0-0 on the year, is expected to get the nod in net.
-After the conclusion of tonight's four-game road challenge, the Penguins will play six of their next seven games at home.
-The puck drops at 7 p.m.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Penguins 2009-10 Season In Pictures
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