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NEW YORK — The Pittsburgh Penguins are in such a sweet spot nowadays that not even the spectre of going back to Madison Square Garden, where they have not won a game this season, troubles them.
In fact, the team chemistry is such that head coach Michel Therrien does not want to change it even though veteran forward Gary Roberts is healthy enough to return to the lineup. Roberts, who played a big role in the first two games of the first round of the NHL playoffs before suffering a groin injury, was told in the morning that he will not play in Game Three of the Eastern Conference semi-final against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
With the Penguins holding a 2-0 series lead and Adam Hall playing well in Roberts' place, Therrien decided to leave things as they are.
"We want Gary Roberts back in the lineup but we want him back at the right time," Therrien said. "If we bring him back, who are we going to take out? We have great chemistry right now."
Pittsburgh Penguins' Gary Roberts, center, Darryl Sydor, right, and backup goalie Ty Conklin participate in the NHL hockey team's practice Monday in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
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The Penguins also have both sides of their game clicking. They won a 5-4 "track meet" in the words of Rangers head coach Tom Renney in the first game and then beat the Rangers at their own game, putting on a defensive clinic to win 2-0 in Game Two.
So heading into hostile Madison Square Garden, where the Penguins went 0-4 against the Rangers this season, doesn't scare them.
"What happened in the past doesn't matter," Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu said. "This is no different that any other building. We just have to play our system, our way."
The playoff statistics back them up. The New York Post came up with an interesting statistic regarding home-ice advantage in the playoffs — it doesn't matter like it used to. From 1967 to 1979, homes teams won 61.4 per cent of the games. But from 1994 to the present, the home team has won only 53.7 per cent of the games.
"I don't even address that to my team," Therrien said of the home-ice issue, noting his team played well on their last regular-season visit to New York but lost in overtime. "Those are [just] stats. The only thing we can control is tonight [Tuesday night]."
The Penguins also heard on Tuesday that centre Evgeni Malkin was chosen as one of the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's most-valuable player. Malkin stepped up when Sidney Crosby was hurt and led the Penguins, finishing with 106 points, second to Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who is also a Hart finalist. The third one is Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames.
"That is very deserving," said Crosby, who won the Hart last year. "He's a guy who carried the whole group. He's been a great leader."
Therrien says that at 21 years of age, Malkin has not shown everything he can do.
"I'm very proud for him," the coach said. "Sidney did a great job last year when he won the trophy and it would be great for Geno [Malkin] to win, too.
"One thing I know about Geno — he understands more of the game. He's got a lot of talent, a lot of skill and he makes great plays you can't teach. On the other hand, I know he's going to get better."
