Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins dipped into the pre-trade deadline pool to make a move earlier this week. Their newcomer, defenseman Sam Girard, got in all of one game with his new team before adversity struck.
Girard did not practice with the Penguins Friday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, and the Penguins revealed he is being evaluated for a lower-body injury. Girardi is traveling with the team to New York, where the team faces the Rangers on Saturday afternoon, according to coach Dan Muse.
Muse did not have anything further on Girard, who lined up on the left side with veteran defenseman Kris Letang for Thursday’s 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Girard played 17:53 in his Penguins debut, with one shot and four blocked shots against the Devils.
Miller, Trocheck in ‘a huge role’
There was backlash, from media types and on social media, when New York Rangers forwards Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller were included on the Team USA Olympic team. The two — who have Western Pennsylvania roots and who face the Penguins Saturday in a game at Madison Square Garden — acquitted themselves nicely in Milan as part of the gold-medal team.
“I think they played a huge role there for that team,” said Muse, a former Rangers assistant. “They come in there, (Trocheck), faceoffs, that’s always been a specialty of his. He had some points as well. Both guys were big parts of the penalty kill for the U.S. team, and they go perfect. I can’t remember in a major tournament, a penalty kill group that’s gone perfect before.
“Those were two guys I had an opportunity to work with in the past. Excited for them to be a part of that win.”
Trocheck had three assists in six games. Miller had no points.
Practice notes
Defenseman Jack St. Ivany, recovering from left hand surgery, continues to work out on the ice. He skated before the group on Friday.
The forward configurations remained the same in practice. Girardi’s absence meant changes to defense pairings, with Ryan Shea moving up to the second pair, and forward Kevin Hayes filling in. It looked like this:
Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin
Avery Hayes-Rickard Rakell-Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha-Ben Kindel-Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Ryan Graves-Ilya Solovyov
(Kevin Hayes)-Connor Clifton
Tags: Dan Muse Pittsburgh Penguins Sam Girardi Shelly Anderson
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