PHILADELPHIA — There’s still a decent chance that injured Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz will return in time to play against the Philadelphia Flyers — just not the game Tuesday night.
Schultz, who rejoined practice Monday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury Dec. 17, was ruled out for Tuesday night’s game by Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. Their next game is not until Jan. 31 … against the Flyers.
The decision means that Schultz will get, at a minimum, at least 10 additional days of rest, a full All-Star break and an off week before a possible return when the Penguins play host to the Flyers, the second consecutive meeting between the two teams. The Penguins will then go on a three-game road trip to Washington (Feb. 2), Tampa Bay (Feb. 6) and Florida (Feb. 8).
When the team evaluated when the best time would be to bring Schultz off injured reserve, Sullivan said the break was “one of the factors that weighed into it for sure.”
“The safety of the player is the priority first and foremost,” Sullivan said. “I think our medical staff does a real good job of advising the player and us about when that opportune time is. Based on where Justin is at, we think this is in the best interest of him and the team.”
Meanwhile, at least based on the original time line the team provided, Nick Bjugstad should be nearing a return as well. On Nov. 21, the Penguins announced that Bjugstad would miss a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery. Jan. 16 marked exactly eight weeks since the announcement. The game on Jan. 31 will be just over 10 weeks from surgery.
Bjugstad has been skating since at least Dec. 27 with the team’s skills coach, Ty Hennes.
“Nick is making progress,” Sullivan said. “Both of them are skating back at home right now with Ty, our skills coach. Obviously, we’re hopeful that they’ll be making significant progress. After the break, we’re hoping we get them back in a fairly timely fashion.”
In other injury news, Dominik Simon, who suffered a hip pointer during the Penguins’ comeback win against Boston on Sunday, suited up against the Flyers on Tuesday night. He played on Sidney Crosby’s left wing. Dominik Kahun remains in concussion protocol.
Malkin in the circle
Penguins star Evgeni Malkin has enjoyed a bounce-back season in a number of different ways. He’s one of the league leaders in points-per-game. He’s showing a commitment to playing away from the puck. He has cut down on his giveaways.
And he’s doing it in the faceoff circle.
Entering Tuesday night, Malkin had won 50.6% of his draws — the best percentage of his 14-year NHL career. The significance of Malkin’s success in the circle was magnified over the last couple weeks when Sidney Crosby was injured. Crosby turned himself into one of the game’s best faceoff men. In his absence, Malkin was asked to take more significant draws and largely helped to fill the void.
“When Sid was out, he was terrific in the faceoff circle,” Sullivan said. “I wish I knew the reason why. I think it’s because he started to value the importance of it. I think he realized the benefit of winning faceoffs and how it can help his overall game.
“Geno is so capable. He’s such a talented player. He’s capable in every aspect of the game. I give him a lot of credit.”
Yo-yo Blandisi
Joseph Blandisi’s yo-yo season continued this week when the Penguins recalled the forward for the seventh time this season. In total, Blandisi has been part of 18 different transactions since the start of the season, including two times in which he cleared waivers.
“He’s handled it extremely well,” Sullivan said. “I’ve talked to Joseph a lot of this year about the role he plays on this team. The reality is it takes more than 12 forwards and six defensemen and two goalies to win in this league. The 13th and 14th and 15th forwards are really important. The seventh, eighth and ninth defenseman are really important. These guys are valuable parts of our organization.”
“I think Joseph understands the role that he plays within our organization and he’s embraced it.”
Blandisi, who was recalled when Kahun entered the concussion protocol, was a healthy scratch on Tuesday night.
Penguins to hold ‘Black Hockey History Day’
The Penguins will celebrate “Black Hockey History Day” during the Flyers game Jan. 31, when the NHL’s Black Hockey History mobile museum comes to Pittsburgh for the first time.
The mobile museum is the centerpiece of the NHL’s Black Hockey History Tour, which celebrates black achievement in hockey by looking back at history makers and Stanley Cup champions (including ex-Penguin Trevor Daley) and looking ahead to the next generation of stars. The league-wide tour began Jan. 12 and will continue through March 22, with scheduled stops in 14 NHL markets.
During a full day of activities, the mobile museum will make a mid-day stop at Miller African Centered Academy in the Hill District for private tours by the students. The museum will then move to Logan Avenue across from PPG Paints Arena and be open to the public free from 4-7 p.m.
Special guests on Jan. 31 will include members of the Black Girl Hockey Club, a national organization whose founder, Renee Hess of Riverside, Calif., is a Penguins fan. More than 45 members of the club from across the country are expected to attend, and many will volunteer to help Miller African Centered Academy students during the mobile truck tour.
On Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month, the Penguins and the Black Girl Hockey Club will co-host a special screening of “Soul on Ice: Past, Present and Future,” a 2016 documentary that tells the history of black hockey players in the U.S. and Canada. The event will be held at 11 a.m. at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center.
Jarry in goal again
Tristan Jarry will get the nod in goal when the Penguins play the Flyers.
The 24-year-old netminder carries a 2.16 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. Both are among the league’s best among eligible goaltenders.
Recently, Matt Murray earned back-to-back starts for the first time since Nov. 19 and 21, adding just a little bit of intrigue to Tuesday’s decision. The goaltender usage will certainly be one of the hot-button issues to monitor when the team returns from the All-Star break.
Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mikedefabo
First Published: January 21, 2020, 6:57 p.m.
