EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The current scheduling policy is a touchy enough subject that few in NHL management will talk about it.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero yesterday said he would rather wait until after he speaks with team CEO Ken Sawyer before commenting. Earlier during the Penguins' West Coast trip, coach Michel Therrien was asked by a California reporter about the post-lockout setup, but he declined to offer an opinion.

Teams now play division rivals eight times, other teams in their conference four times, leaving just 10 games against teams from the opposing conference.

That means some teams don't face each other in a season, so some NHL cities don't play host to rising stars such as the Penguins' Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin very often.

One NHL general manager who didn't skirt the issue is Vancouver's Dave Nonis.

"I hate the schedule," he told reporters this week. "It does nothing for us. We should play every team in the league at least once."

Nonis' concern is not so much marketing and exposure as it is fairness in travel.

"Right now the Western teams are getting it right in the teeth for no good reason. We fly as much as we ever did, and the Eastern teams don't do a bloody thing."

It's thought that the new scheduling policy was designed to emphasize division rivalries, but that travel budgets might have also played a part.

The matter of scheduling probably will come up during general managers' meetings next week in Toronto.

A happy birthday

The Penguins' five-game winning streak going into tonight's game at San Jose serves as a good present for Therrien, who turns 43 today. Although he has a son and a daughter, Therrien is right where he wants to be for his birthday -- coaching a successful team in the NHL.

"You know, a hockey team is a family -- the players and staff," he said. "This is a family for us, and I feel comfortable being with them on my birthday."

Skater sees grandpa's team

As the Los Angeles Kings were wrapping up their practice on one of the rinks at the Toyota Center and the Los Angeles Lakers were working out on a basketball court, an Olympic figure skater was practicing on the second ice surface.

Evan Lysacek, who finished fourth in Turin in February and is the reigning U.S. national silver medalist and world championship bronze medalist, was working on his short program.

During an hour between his two workouts, Lysacek watched the Penguins, whose practice followed the Kings'. Lysacek's family on his mother's side is from New Kensington, and he said he has a grandfather who is an avid Penguins fan.

The Toyota Center is Lysacek's home rink, but he won't be there again for a while. He's leaving next week for the China Cup, then going to Toronto to work on a new long program.

Slap shots

Therrien said goaltender Jocelyn Thibault will get into a game sometime in November. Marc-Andre Fleury has started every game. ... Defenseman Brooks Orpik is recovered sufficiently from hand surgery to play, but Therrien said he is reluctant to change his lineup while the team is winning and will wait until today to decide whether Orpik will play tonight against San Jose. ... Colby Armstrong, who is still looking for his first goal this season, has been back on the top line with Crosby and Malkin at practice after Therrien moved Michel Ouellet there Wednesday against Los Angeles.