Chris Kunitz News

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma used the same word to describe his two remaining injured players, saying they are "progressing," but he didn't sound overly optimistic that defenseman Alex Goligoski and winger Chris Kunitz will be back in the lineup imminently.

Seeing the Colorado Avalanche on the opposing bench wasn't exactly normal for Tony Granato, the Penguins' newest assistant coach.

The good news for Pittsburgh is Jay McKee will be back on the blue line Monday night for the first time in seven games when the Penguins play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma beamed with pride Monday when they unveiled the latest Stanley Cup plaque honoring their 2008-09 Stanley Cup winners at NHL headquarters.

Streak: Lost 1 Season series: Penguins lead, 1-0. The Penguins started the season by beating the Rangers, 3-2, on the evening the 2009 Stanley Cup banner was raised at Mellon Arena.

's return from a shoulder injury has provided exactly what he was lacking. Looking to continue their dominance of the New York Islanders , Crosby and the Penguins seek their fourth straight victory when the teams meet Friday afternoon at Nassau Coliseum.

The trio now must adapt in a different way. With three players who were in the AHL 10 days ago manning half of the Penguins ' defensive unit, McKee, Eaton and Skoula have seen their responsibilities expand.

Share + Nov 20, 2009 6:45 pm US/Eastern LINK: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins PITTSBURGH 1 of 1 Nikolai Kulemin No.

It is Thursday, November 19th, 2009. A the Pittsburgh Penguins have completed 25.6 percent of their schedule and the only thing people can write about are the injuries.

In yet another eventful day on the Penguins' injury front, there was good and bad news.

Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined for six points in Saturday's 6-5 overtime victory over Boston.

A few hours before Saturday night's game with the Boston Bruins, Dan Bylsma and the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that top-line left wing Chris Kunitz would miss two weeks with an always ridiculously specificA "lower body injury." Bylsma calmly explained to the media, " Chris [Kunitz] has been dealing with a lower-body injury for a while now.

Evgeni Malkin's return from a seven-game absence was enough to help the Penguins snap their longest losing streak of the season.

Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar is expected to return to the lineup in less than two weeks.

He came to save the day. Center Evgeni Malkin showed the way for the Penguins on Saturday with three assists - including a nifty, cross-ice dish to set up winger Bill Guerin's tying-goal with .04 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Penguins have recalled forward Mark Letestu from its American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre. Letestu presumably was brought up in case Evgeni Malkin, who missed the past seven games because of a strained shoulder, or left winger Chris Kunitz, who was excused from Friday's practice because of what coach Dan Bylsma called "a nagging ...

Left wing Chris Kunitz didn't participate in Friday's practice, taking what Penguins coach Dan Bylsma called a "maintenance day" to rest an unspecified "nagging injury." Kunitz skated with Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin on the second line Thursday, but he was replaced by Chris Bourque in practice.

Could there be a team more glad to go home? The Penguins left town Nov. 1 for a four-game, cross-country trip with an 11-3 record.

Ryan Whitney was Pittsburgh's second-best puck-moving defenseman behind Sergei Gonchar last season.

ANAHEIM, Calif. ? Hoisting the Stanley Cup last spring hasn't changed Penguins general manager Ray Shero's perspective on trading defenseman Ryan Whitney to Anaheim on Feb.