It was announced today that the injury decimated Penguins acquired Alexei Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators for a conditional 7th round pick. The pick becomes a 6th round pick if the Penguins advance past the first round of the playoffs and Kovalev plays in 50% or more of those games.

The AK-27 gets another stint with the Penguins at 38 and was told of the trade today on his birthday. Despite being 38, Kovalev has proven to still have a scoring touch. Just two years ago with the Canadiens he tallied 35 goals and 84 points. Last year he had 26 goals and this year so far he has netted 18 pucks for Ottawa.

Kovalev seems certain to add some scoring punch to a team that is still missing many of its top scorers due to a rash of injuries. I assume that Kovalev, considering his age and tenure, will be wearing the #27 when he suits up for the Penguins. Although that number is currently worn by veteran forward Craig Adams.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were not weighed down by too much turkey on Thansksgiving as on Friday night they won a hard fought game against the Ottawa Senators 2-1 and on Saturday they breezed past the Calgary Flames 4-1. The Senators, now 9th in the East, have struggled.

Through Saturday the Senators had scored 14 less goals than they have allowed and are 4-6-0 in their last ten. Despite jumping out to a 1-0 lead against the Pens, Evgeni Malkin (8 – PPG) and Alex Goligoski (5) provided all the offense needed in front of Marc-Andre Fleuy’s 43 save performance. Despite 21 shot in the first period, Ottawa just could not find the net.

Calgary has been on of the worst teams in the Western Conference this year. After loosing to the Penguins their record stood at just 9-12-2 but with a goal differential of just -5 on the year they are capable of staying in games. But the Penguins jumped on them early in the second with a goal by Arron Asham (3) and a hat trick by Sidney Crosby (16, 17 & 18) thanks to the empty net to make the game never in doubt. Brent Johnson spelled Fleury who has been red hot lately and made 30 saves as the Penguins shot the puck 43 times.

The win against the Flames was the Penguins sixth in a row and they have points in their last 9 going 8-0-1 in that time. Over their last ten games the Penguins are 8-1-1.

Next up for the 15-8-2 Penguins are the 14-10-1 Rangers on Monday night. Last time these two teams met the Penguins scored two late goals to take a 2-1 lead only to see the Rangers score late to tie the game and then finish the Pens off in overtime.

Tonight the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators renew a match up that is becoming commonplace in the post season. In recent years each team has had to beat the other in order to advance. Pittsburgh, the forth seed in the East, and Ottawa, the fifth seed, drop the puck in less than an hour at the Igloo.

Pittsburgh didn’t limp into the playoffs but did not impress in March and April nearly as much as they had in the previous two seasons where they used the final weeks of the regular season to build momentum. When you count overtime and shootout losses as what they are, losses, the Penguins were basically a .500 team. Ottawa on the other hand finished the season 7-2-1 so they are not going to be an easy first round opponent.

As much as Penguins fans want to be optomistic there are questions about whether star players who have not played up to snuff (Fleury, Malkin, Gonchar) lately can find that extra gear, bear down and play playoff hockey. Fleury has been one of the best netminders in the playoffs over the past two years winning 7 of 8 series and only loosing that one finals series against Detroit. He is capable but has to steady himself in net.

Tonight, not all answers will be given but a glimpse of what is to come is certainly going to be on view. Someone better find the switch and flip it soon. Because Crosby can’t win another cup on his own.