PITTSBURGH — Kasperi Kapanen‘s left foot is on the mend. The Pittsburgh ahead practiced together with his teammates with out restrictions Wednesday for the primary time since being positioned on injured reserve final month.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan mentioned there may be nonetheless no timetable for Kapanen’s return, pointing to an absence of observe time as a result of workforce’s compressed schedule. The Penguins host New Jersey on Thursday evening and are within the midst of a very busy stretch by which they may play 10 video games in 17 days to finish the common season.
That does not go away a lot time for Kapanen to get again in control. It is extra probably sooner or later he’ll simply be thrown into the lineup and see what occurs.
“As soon as I come again, I need to begin the place I left off,” Kapanen mentioned. “I really feel like I used to be taking part in my recreation and I used to be good.”
Kapanen, reacquired by the Penguins within the offseason from Toronto, has seven targets and 14 assists in 30 video games. After some points early within the season, he flourished when moved subsequent to Evgeni Malkin on the second line. Malkin has been out since getting damage on March 16, with Kapanen becoming a member of him on the sideline per week later.
“That is hockey,” Kapanen mentioned. “Sadly I really feel like me and (Malkin) had been actually meshing collectively and taking part in effectively and we had been scorching. So everytime you really feel that approach you need to have the ability to play. Simply dangerous luck on our half.”
Pittsburgh is 9-Three-1 throughout Kapanen’s absence to drag inside a degree of Washington and the New York Islanders for first place within the East Division.
“We have plenty of guys out,” Kapanen mentioned. “Loads of guys have been stepping up and being main and being key for the workforce. That is at all times an excellent factor to see. You see guys with confidence on the market. So it is enjoyable to see.
The surge features a weird 7-6 victory over the Devils on Tuesday by which the Penguins practically let a six-goal lead slip away within the third interval.
Sullivan spent 10 minutes at observe on Thursday going over one of many uglier durations of hockey within the franchise’s historical past. He isn’t anxious about there being a carryover impact.
“We have had plenty of success taking part in a recreation a sure approach and it is a matter of creating positive we get again to the self-discipline of the main points and a sure competitiveness that offers us a chance to have success,” Sullivan mentioned. “And for me that is the way you get hold of constant outcomes on this league, is a compete degree. After which it boils right down to consideration to element and that is the workforce recreation we have to reply with. “