Penguins split back to back games on the road

Despite a bullshit schedule, and nearly 30M of firepower on the bench, the Penguins have 10 points after 8 games, which is a 100 point plus pace.  Let's hope the fucking hockey gods stop fondling themselves and allow this team a break for once in the health department.  They probably have lost their defensive call up Brian Strait for a while due to another injury. This put even more pressure on the defensive corps, heaping tons of extra minutes on Lovejoy, Niskanen, Engelland, Martin, and Michalek.   Now for the good stuff.  The Penguins after a boring first period put up 4 goals to beat a solid Minnesota team 4-2 tonight.  Chris Kunitz opened the scoring, assisted by Pascal Dupuis early in the second period.  After that Jordan Staal scored a dirty goal on the POWER PLAY off of a Matt Niskanen rebound giving the Pens a 2-0 lead.  Before you could finish celebrating the PP goal, they also gave up a SHG on the second part of a double minor.  James Neal scored in the third, his sixth of the season, unassisted to tie Kris Letang for the team lead in scoring with 7 points.  Then short handed, Matt Cooke creates a turnover, and hits a flying Pascal Dupuis to set up a breakaway that Duper buried to put the Pens up 4-1.  A minute later the Wild scored to keep it close, but the Pens closed it out to win 4-2.  Brent Johnson, as usual was excellent, stopping 24 of 26 shots.  It was great to see the top wingers on the team score goals tonight, as well as Jordan Staal, and a very underrated Pascal Dupuis.  Nice balance for the boys tonight.  It was also great to see the best back up goaltender in the league in top form, and a gutsy performance by a defensive corps minus its top pairing, and short a man.  Now for an  update relative to the team leaders in scoring.   Currently, Kris Letang shares the team lead  in scoring along with James Neal, both with 7 points in 8 games, with Letang having 1 goal and 6 assists, while The Real Deal has 6 goals and an assist.  Both players are operating at nearly a point per game!    Neal has also been a force on the forecheck, and is doing all of the little things away from the puck well. Jordan Staal, who despite being a Selke finalist, and a 20+ goal scorer never makes the Yinzers happy is next on the team with 6 points, including 3 goals and 3 assists.  Tied with Staal, is Pascal Dupuis with 2 goals and 4 assists, while Matt Cooke rounds out the top 5 on the team with 3 goals and an assist.  Not bad production for this group despite the absence of the two headed monster. The Penguins have dealt with their share of adversity already this season, and despite a few rocky games, they remain solid in terms of point production.  Of note, the penalty kill was huge tonight, now killing 26 of 27 power plays this season.  And the picture above is my love for former bad-ass, current cream puff,  Brendan Shanahan.