The Penguins are one win away from getting into the record
books. However, to do so they will have to win in a city where they haven't
tasted victory in nearly 12 years.
Pittsburgh will try to match the league record for most road wins to begin a
season, as it visits the Anaheim Ducks tonight at Honda Center.
The Penguins begin a four-game road trip tonight with a perfect 6-0-0 record
as the visitor. A victory in this game would match the record held by the
1940-41 Maple Leafs, 1985-86 Flyers and 2005-06 Red Wings.
Pittsburgh will play the first three games of its swing in California versus
the Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks before returning to the east
coast to battle the Boston Bruins.
The Penguins have won two in a row and three of their last four versus the
Ducks, but have lost five straight in Anaheim, where Pittsburgh hasn't claimed
a victory since December 10, 1997.
Prior to this swing, the Penguins played three games in four nights, a run
that culminated with Saturday's 2-1 loss to Minnesota.
"This will be a chance to go on the road; a week trip going out west,"
Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, who played with the Ducks from 2000-04, told
his team's official Web site. "We should have some time to focus on our game
and this is a trip you circle. This is a good time for our team to go out on
the road. We're looking forward to a little bit of rest and getting on the
road."
In Saturday's loss, Pascal Dupuis scored the lone goal and Marc-Andre Fleury
gave up both scores on 15 shots for the Penguins, who have split their last
four games after winning seven in a row.
Sidney Crosby was held without a point for the first time in seven games and
picked up a second-period fighting major in the setback.
Pittsburgh played its second straight contest without reigning Art Ross and
Conn Smythe Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin, who is out two-to-three weeks because
of a shoulder strain. Also, Tyler Kennedy has missed the last three contests
due to an undisclosed injury.
The Ducks will try to put a disappointing loss to the Coyotes behind them
tonight in the opener of a three-game homestand.
Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne both scored in Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to
Phoenix, but the Coyotes' Vernon Fiddler followed Selanne's go-ahead third-
period goal with a tally of his own just 18 seconds later.
Radim Vrbata then beat Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller, who made 30 saves, for
the lone shootout tally.
"We got ourselves a lead and then we give up a goal 18 seconds later, which
could be a back-breaker," said Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle. "But I thought
we battled back and we got ourselves to the shootout. It's not so much about
the loss; we're not going to lament the loss. We're not going to get too low
with a shootout loss."
Hiller has made three straight starts with Jean-Sebastien Giguere day-to-day
with a groin injury for the Ducks, who are 2-5-0 at home and have lost five of
their last six (1-4-1) overall.
Hiller has lost his only previous start versus the Penguins, giving up five
goals on 29 shots, while Fleury has won both of his starts versus the Ducks
while halting 40-of-45 shots faced.
Anaheim will be without defenseman James Wisniewski, who was suspended for two
games because of a blow to the head delivered to the Coyotes' Shane Doan on
Saturday.
Wisniewski will also miss Thursday's game versus Nashville before being
eligible to return on Saturday versus Phoenix.
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