Schultz, Sheary In For Game 7; Hornqvist Out
After missing most of the Eastern Conference Finals, Justin Schultz will be in the lineup for Game 7. Unfortunately for the Penguins, Patric Hornqvist will not be.
Both Penguins have been out of action for most of this series with upper body injuries. Schultz played just 3:40 before leaving Game 2 versus Ottawa. So far, Schultz has two goals and six points in 14 games while averaging just under 20 minutes per night. Hornqvist last played in Game 1 of this series. Prior to his injury, he had four goals and seven points in 13 games.
According to the Penguins’ lineup notes, Schultz will lineup alongside Ian Cole on Pittsburgh’s third pair. In lieu of Hornqvist’s return, Conor Sheary will return to the lineup and dress on the fourth line. Sheary has been a healthy scratch since Game 5; he has just three assists in 15 games this post-season.
Morning Notes: Krueger, Penguins, Leafs
Though Ralph Krueger had been linked as recently as this week to the vacant Buffalo Sabres head coaching job, it seems as though he’s doing just fine in his role as the chairman of the Southampton Football Club, and has no plans to leave. Talking to NBC’s ProSoccerTalk, Krueger revealed that he’d already been offered two jobs in the NHL but that he’d turned down both.
It was nice and honorable that I was offered two NHL jobs post-season and I was happy they didn’t forget about me but I turned them down. It just feels like we’ve only just got started here and especially with the management re-organization we just did, there is kind of like there’s something here where we are going to take it to another level.
Krueger doesn’t actually say that the jobs were head coaching positions, but many believe that he was on the short-list for the Vancouver Canucks vacancy before it was filled by Travis Green, and Vegas may have reached out to him before hiring Gerard Gallant.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins had Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist skating this morning, but unfortunately it was without the rest of the team. The pair took the ice to work before the practice began, and will likely not be available tonight when the team takes on the Ottawa Senators. Trevor Daley, however, did participate with the main group meaning there is a possibility he returns tonight.
- The Maple Leafs’ addition of Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman yesterday were the fourth and fifth entry-level deals the team has given out this spring. Miro Aaltonen, Jeremy Bracco and Carl Grundstrom also all inked contracts, adding to the impressive young pipeline the Maple Leafs are building. The influx of another group of 19-23 year-olds should continue to build the long-term success that President Brendan Shanahan and head coach Mike Babcock have spoken often of. Mining the European ranks for talent seems to be a growing trend in the NHL as teams look for every advantage.
Patric Hornqvist Out Tonight
The Pittsburgh Penguins have scratched forward Patric Hornqvist right before tonight’s Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Ottawa Senators. Hornqvist took the warmup skate and participated in line rushes, but did not make the final roster. Fellow Swede Carl Hagelin will replace him in the lineup.
Hornqvist missed practice on Sunday and did not take part in this morning’s skate, reports the NHL’s Dan Rosen. The Penguins are going to miss his production. He has 4G and 3A in 13 playoff games so far, and adds valuable scoring depth to an offensive-minded team.
Hagelin will have to step up his production if he wants to keep a roster spot. He currently has 1G and 0A in five playoff games, and averaging only 11 minutes a night. He took a step back this season, scoring only 6G and 16A in 61 regular season this year. The Penguins will look to tie the series at one apiece tonight, and will need to be firing on all cylinders.