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Pittsburgh Penguins striker Kasperi Kapanen returned for Thursday’s home game against the New Jersey Devils back to the line-up in the PPG Paints Arena.
Kapanen was activated from an injured reserve before the game and opened the competition on the fourth row with Mark Jankowski in the middle and Colton Sceviour on the left wing.
Before Thursday, Kapanen appeared in 30 games this season and had 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists).
« As soon as I come back, I just want to start where I left off, » Kapanen said via video conference on Wednesday. « I feel like I’m playing my game and I’ve been good. »
Penguin trainer Mike Sullivan said striker Brandon Tanev can skate solo for the first time since an unknown injury on April 3rd.
Currently Tanev has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 32 games this season. He is not expected to return to the line-up until after the regular season is over.
Striker Evan Rodrigues opened the competition on Thursday on the right wing of the third line along with Teddy Blueger in the center and Zach Aston-Reese on the left wing for the fifth consecutive year.
« (Rodrigues is) a different player than (Tanev), » said Sullivan. “(Tanev) brings a lot of speed and energy and edge and energy. (Rodrigues) is a little more cerebral. Even so, both with Teddy and Zach (Aston-Reese) were effective. It just gives us different looks depending on who is available for a lineup on a particular evening. But we both like looks, whether we have (Tanev) there with Teddy and Zach or we (Rodrigues) have there.
“We play (Rodrigues) in all situations in the entire line-up. He has the ability to play middle or he can play the wing. He’s a right-handed man who can make innuendos. For example, if he’s out there with Teddy, he can do the draws on the right, Teddy can do the draws on the left. He’s a good playmaker.
Angello hasn’t played since April 3rd. Angello has four points (two goals, two assists) in 19 NHL games this season.
On Tuesday the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), which includes the Erie Otters, officially canceled its 2020-21 season due to the pandemic.
After canceling the remainder of the 2019-20 season in March 2020, the league announced a number of delays since the decline, in hopes of orchestrating a semblance of a 2020-21 season before going on Tuesday was finally canceled.
Jeff Carter, a former captain of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound’s franchise expressed disappointment with the league’s decision, even if it seemed inevitable.
« That’s tough, » said Carter. “You feel for those children who have prepared to play every year. Especially the children of the draft age. You lose a whole year showing (NHL scouts) what you can do to hopefully take the next step. You have to feel for the children. Hopefully they’ll find something out for her. »
The penguins scratched Frederick Gaudreau, Sam Lafferty, Radim Zohorna and defenders Mark Friedman and Chad Ruhwedel on Thursday.
Seth Rorabaugh is a contributor to the Tribune Review. You can contact Seth by email at [email protected] or on Twitter.
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