The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting healthier as of late, which means that lineup decisions are going to be a little tougher. Even so, it’s a bit surprising to see Steve Downie out of the mix against the Ottawa Senators tonight, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Dave Molinari notes.
At the moment, it sounds like it was a healthy scratch.
Downie is no stranger to taking penalties, and it sounds like there’s at least a chance that one justified his night in the press box according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Josh Yohe.
Johnston said last night's penalty on Downie wouldn't be the reason he would be out of the lineup. Didn't think it was a good call.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) February 13, 2015
Downie has nine goals and 22 points to go along with a league-leading 173 penalty minutes in 49 games this season.
In more pleasant Penguins news, it sounds like Christian Ehrhoff is getting closer to returning to Pittsburgh’s lineup.
Christian Ehrhoff skated today. Coach Johnston hopes he can join the #Pens at practice on Saturday.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 12, 2015
Updated: It wasn’t pretty, but the Penguins won in a shootout without the pesky forward.