Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesIMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect CRANBERRY TWP. Pa.
— The final question Sunday for Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse came from an unlikely source. Sunday, the Penguins had a family skate after practice, and numerous children of players and staff rolled through the dressing room in full Halloween costumes to Trick-or-treat as players passed out candy, or simply gobbled up the chocolates from the provided buckets themselves.
That’s when Muse got the best question of the year, not from a reporter, but from assistant coach Nick Bonino’s tiny daughter, who is about five or six. ” she asked.
For the record, Muse said he likes Snickers. But it was a lighthearted practice day in which 14 players took part on the second rink.
The participating players played 2v2 and 3v3 games on one-third ice, and even argued the results. The contested issue without benefit of a replay from Toronto was Tommy Novak picking a coach’s pass out of the air and snapping it past goalie Arturs Silovs before anyone could react.
The puck hit the back bar and launched out, causing several players to question the goal, especially on the losing side. Even Muse had to do the losers’ push-ups after Novak’s team won.
PHN was in prime position and later confirmed a good goal. Perhaps it is two wins in a row.
Perhaps it was the family day that followed practice. But the room echoed with laughter and good-natured arguing over goals, and then the rattle of plastic buckets filled with candy.
“We don’t have a lot of (practice time) in the season, and so to get a couple of pockets that we know are there, so we want to make sure that we’re taking advantage of those pockets,” Muse said. “And for some guys, it’s also going a little bit less.
We saw that today.” In fact, most of the Penguins’ veteran players were absent, except for Malkin. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell were not part of practice.
Penguins Injury Updates The notable inclusions in practice Sunday, which lasted just short of one hour, were Evgeni Malkin, who missed Saturday’s 3-2 OT win over Nashville due to illness, Egor Chinakhov, who has been out day-to-day, and Justin Brazeau, who has been out since suffering a lower body injury in preseason. All were full contact, including Brazeau.
Defenseman Sam Girard skated by himself in the injured “group,” but he and Brazeau remain on injured reserve. “I’m feeling a lot better.
Obviously, it’s a tough way to start a year. I mean, it kind of feels like I’m still in the summer a little bit,” said the 6-foot-6 Brazeau.
“(I’m) feeling good. I’m just kind of taking it day by day and kind of seeing how it’s going.” Last season, Brazeau set career highs with 18 goals and 18 assists but was in a battle with a gaggle of forwards to make the NHL roster in camp.
However, center Ben Kindel was not on the ice Sunday. Kindel, 19, suffered a vasovagal episode on the team plane home from Salt Lake City on Tuesday and was taken to the hospital, where he remained until Thursday.
Kindel was in the locker room, appearing in good spirits, but was not on the ice. The Penguins are off on Monday, so the next available team skate will be Tuesday.
