Pittsburgh (8-4-2) at Detroit (9-2-2), 7:00 pm EDT
DETROIT (Ticker) -- Off to their best start in over a decade,
the Pittsburgh Penguins have the chance to enjoy some revenge
for getting bounced in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins visit the defending champion
Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday in a rematch of last season's title
series.
Winners of three straight, the Penguins are off to their best
start through 14 games since the '95-96 season, when they went
8-3-3. They are coming off a 4-3 shootout victory over the New
York Islanders on Saturday in which Dany Sabourin made 19 saves
while starting netminder Marc-Andre Fleury rested after playing
three straight contests.
A major reason for Pittsburgh's success has been Malkin, who
leads the NHL with 22 points. The 22-year-old Russian recorded
three points against Detroit in the Stanley Cup Finals and 22
overall in the playoffs.
The Red Wings have improved a great deal since last facing the
Penguins, thanks to the offseason signing of superstar right win
Marian Hossa. Hossa helped Pittsburgh to an Eastern Conference
title, recording 12 goals and 14 assists in 20 postseason games
before the team was bounced in six games by the Wings.
After signing a one-year, $7.45 million contract in the
offseason, Hossa has eight goals and nine assists this season
with Detroit, which is second in the West with 20 points.
Backup goaltender Ty Conklin also fled for the Western
Conference foe after helping the Penguins mostly when Fleury was
injured for all but 35 games in the regular season. Conklin is
3-1-0 with a 3.19 goals-against average in four games this
season but will not get the nod by coach Mike Babcock in this
game.
Chris Osgood will start again and try to notch his 370th
victory, which would put him in sole possession of 14th place on
the all-time wins list. He is currently tied with Tom Barrasso
and three victories away from pulling even with Andy Moog, who
stands at 13th.
The Red Wings are coming off a 3-1 win over the New Jersey
Devils on Saturday, and a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks one
day earlier.