Penguins Bury Avalanche, 7-2

Several times on Monday, Wright’s Gym members who also happen to be Penguins fans approached the front desk, each asking a variation of the same question.

“What do you think of our chances against the Avalanche?”

“Not good…” I replied before pausing for emphasis. “…but every time I think we’re going to lose big, we wind up winning.”

And so it was. In keeping with previous upsets like our 5-1 thrashing of the ‘Canes on December 30 and our 5-2 dicing of the Sabres on February 5, the Pens pummeled the Avs last night by a 7-2 score at Ball Arena.

I confess, I didn’t feel especially upbeat when Evgeni Malkin, fresh off a five-game suspension, took a tripping penalty just 48 seconds in.

Geno, how could you!

However, like a jack-out-of-the-box, Geno exited the sin bin two minutes later, flew up the ice while executing a give-and-go with Bryan Rust and beat Scott Wedgewood with a spinning backhander.

Welcome back, big guy!

But hold the phone. Coming late on the ensuing shift, Sidney Crosby pal Nathan MacKinnon promptly tied it up with his 45^th goal of the season.

It would prove to be the Avs’ high-water mark. A mere 15 seconds later, Anthony Mantha took a gorgeous 115-foot stretch pass from Erik Karlsson in full stride and buried a backhander behind Wedgewood to retake the lead at 4:23.

Cue No. 71 again. Geno struck on a wrister off a pretty feed by countryman Egor Chinakhov through two defenders to make it 3-1, Pens, at the 13-minute mark.

That was all she wrote for Wedgewood, who yielded the Avs’ net to tandem-mate Mackenzie Blackwood.

Didn’t matter.

Forty-three seconds later, hulking newcomer Elmer Söderblom drove to the net (and through Avs defender Devon Toews) and beat Blackwood off a fourth-line cycle. Four-one, Pens.

Ageless Brent Burns managed to salvage a shred of dignity for the Avs at 14:21 to close the gap to 4-2. However, to borrow from an old Aerosmith standard, the Pens’ train kept a rollin.’

Karlsson and Rust padded our burgeoning lead in the second period and Noel Acciari applied the finishing stroke (or final nail in the Avs’ coffin) at 9:06 of the third period.

Train kept a rollin’, indeed!

Puckpourri

At their absolute sharpshooting best, the Pens struck for seven goals on 20 shots! Shades of the days when we routinely tortured the Wedgewood/Blackwood tandem when they backstopped the Devils.

At the opposite end of the rink, Arturs Šilovs stopped 25 of 27 in a nice, bounce-back performance.

What a return for Geno, who potted two goals and added a helper to snatch top-star honors! The big Russian zoomed past former Pen Luc Robitaille and into 24^th place on the all-time NHL scoring list with 1396 points. In addition, Geno equaled last season’s output of 50 points…in 21 less games!

With a goal and three points, Karlsson continued his extraordinary run. With three goals and 14 points in his last 10 games, EK65’s pretty much taken charge in Sid’s absence. To think some knucklehead who writes for PP (yours truly) suggested trading him straight-up to Detroit for Nate Danielson (seven points in 28 games). Good thing Kyle Dubas doesn’t solicit my opinion when making deals.

Speaking of our POHO/GM, his under-the-radar trade deadline acquisition, Söderblom, replaced Blake Lizotte (hand/wrist injury) on the fourth line and looked right at home, notching a goal and an assist.

Might “Lizzo” morph into the modern-day version of Wally Pipp, the Yankees’ first baseman who sat out with a headache and lost his job to iron-man slugger Lou Gehrig?

Justin Brazeau returned from an upper-body injury, displacing Avery Hayes. Unfortunately, big Braz and kid linemates Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen did not make sweet music together. Geno returned to his now customary slot beside Chinakhov and Tommy Novak. Mantha continued to skate with Rust and Rickard Rakell.

When we do get Sid back, our lineup’s going to be downright lethal. We’re 5-3-3 sans our captain.

In the hotter-than-blazes-department, Chinakhov has eight points (1+7) in his past six games. Mantha (5+2) has seven points in his last five contests. Perhaps the smokin’-est of all? Trusty Rusty, with six goals and 13 points in 10 games.

Standings-wise, the Pens (34-18-15, 83 points) maintain their hold on second place in the Metro, two points better than the third-place Islanders. Four points up on the CBJ, who have a game in hand.

In the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel department, we finish our grueling, five-game road trip Wednesday night in Carolina before returning home to host the Jets and ‘Canes back-to-back this weekend.

Absolutely love the Avs-Nordiques retro jerseys. Count me among those who believe Quebec should have an NHL team. In its all-too-brief heyday, the Nordiques-Canadiens rivalry was a sight to behold.