Penguins at Canucks
The Pittsburgh Penguins still have time to capture the second Presidents' Trophy in franchise history and continue their quest Saturday, when they visit the Vancouver Canucks. Pittsburgh pulled within three points of league-leading Washington with Friday's 3-2 shootout win at Edmonton, which was the club's fourth straight win overall and improved it to 2-0-0 on its five-game road trip.
Evgeni Malkin scored his 32nd goal Friday to move one point ahead of captain Sidney Crosby (70) for the team lead and climb within four of Edmonton's Connor McDavid (75) in the chase for the Art Ross Trophy. Malkin registered a tally and an assist in a 4-0 home triumph over the Canucks on Feb. 14 by the Penguins, who won their lone Presidents' Trophy in 1992-93. Vancouver is trying to remain in the race for a playoff spot as it sits eight points behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the Western Conference. The Canucks enter Saturday's contest with a four-game point streak (2-0-2) but have yet to win on their five-game homestand, falling to both Montreal and the New York Islanders in overtime.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), Sportsnet, CBC (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (42-16-8): Pittsburgh is hoping Nick Bonino remains hot, as the 28-year-old center followed a hat trick at Winnipeg on Wednesday with a goal in Edmonton to extend his point streak to four games. Malkin is riding four-game goal and point streaks — collecting six and nine, respectively — while defenseman Justin Schultz (three goals, four assists) also has landed on the scoresheet in four straight contests. Crosby leads the NHL with 34 goals but is mired in a six-game drought, last scoring Feb. 25 against Philadelphia.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (28-30-9): Alexandre Grenier may receive another chance to record his first point in the NHL as he was recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League on Friday. The 25-year-old right wing, who leads the Comets in assists (24) and points (40), was scoreless in six games last season — his first in the league — and also was held without a point in two contests late last month. Sven Baertschi scored his career-high 16th goal in Thursday's setback against the Islanders, eclipsing the mark he set last season.
OVERTIME
1. Penguins G Matt Murray will be in net Saturday after Marc-Andre Fleury made 40 saves in the win over Edmonton.
2. Vancouver D Nikita Tryamkin returned Thursday after missing six games with the mumps, but LW Nikolay Goldobin was sidelined with the flu.
3. Pittsburgh LW Conor Sheary is two tallies away from becoming the fourth member of the team to reach the 20-goal plateau this season.