Let it never be said that NHL locker rooms are bastions of political correctness.

Consider the goaltending helmet Dany Sabourin commissioned and plans to christen tonight when the Penguins play on the road against the New York Islanders. It features two frogs, an allusion to the derogatory term for the French -- or, in this case, French-Canadians.

"It's just kind of a joke in the dressing room because some of us are French," Sabourin said yesterday after practice at Mellon Arena. "I don't know all the stories about the French and the frogs, but we just joke about it."

Sabourin is good-natured about that and other locker room humor. After all, the Penguins' home has been an important place in his hockey career.

Now in his second stint with the Penguins and facing his second chance to be an everyday goaltender, Sabourin, 28, is flourishing. He is expected to make his third consecutive start and sixth overall tonight while No. 1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury remains inactive with an unspecified lower-body injury.

"He's having a hell of a year," Penguins goaltending coach Gilles Meloche said of Sabourin. "He's getting his chance, and he's taking advantage of it."

On Monday, Sabourin (4-2-1) had climbed to the top of the NHL charts with a 1.66 goals-against average and ranked third with a .935 save percentage. Those numbers haven't changed, but he slipped back under the minimum for appearances to be included in the official league statistics.

It has been a winding trail for his career. Among the outposts he visited were Johnstown, Las Vegas and Wheeling of the East Coast Hockey League.

"That was my path," Sabourin said. "I had a good time in those places. I liked the people there."

Eight seasons ago, Sabourin sat one night in Mellon Arena, never guessing he would eventually make that his work address.

"When I was in Johnstown, my first pro year, I came here to watch a game," he said. "I don't remember who they played, but I know Garth Snow was in net for Pittsburgh. I never thought I was going to play here one day.

"The thing I remember is, when you come off the [Fort Pitt Tunnel], all the lights and the water. Now it's an everyday thing. It's still really beautiful, but the first time it's always something special."

Two seasons later, Sabourin played in four games for Calgary. He spent 2004-05 and 2005-06 with the Penguins organization (splitting time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wheeling and playing in one NHL game). After a season backing up Vancouver Canucks star Roberto Luongo, Sabourin re-signed for two years with the Penguins in 2007.

Last season, when Fleury was incapacitated in early December with an ankle injury, Sabourin faltered as the starter and was supplanted by Ty Conklin. While the Penguins qualified for the Stanley Cup final, Sabourin spent the playoffs as a third wheel. He still had career highs with 10 wins and 24 appearances, and appreciated the experience.

"If you've never been put in that position, game in and game out, you've got to get used to that," Meloche said. "He learned a lot from last year."

Sabourin is putting that to good use.

"I feel better this year," he said. "I'm pretty happy right now with how it's going."

As soon as the playoffs ended, he went to work with his offseason goaltending trainer, Daniel Coutu, in his hometown of Val d'Or, Quebec.

At 6 feet 4, 200 pounds, Sabourin is imposing in the net, and his technique has improved.

"His strength is his positioning," Meloche said. "He's got a great butterfly style, great size. For him, less is more. If he has to make three or four spectacular saves, he's having a bad game."

If Sabourin gets enough starts and stats, he could shop himself around as a potential starter for another team after his contract expires next summer.

"When I signed here for two years, I knew that I wasn't ready to be a No. 1," he said. "With the experience I learned from last year and the chance I have right now, if I can keep going like that, I'll be even more ready to be a No. 1. It's step by step."

NOTES -- Online ballot stuffing is in full force among Montreal fans. Canadiens currently hold the lead in all six starting spots for the Jan. 25 All-Star Game in Montreal. Penguins center Sidney Crosby is fourth among forwards, center Evgeni Malkin fifth; Marc-Andre Fleury is second among goaltenders; Sergei Gonchar is fourth among defensemen, Ryan Whitney sixth; and forward Jordan Staal has 9,897 write-in votes. ... Islanders defenseman Thomas Pock is eligible to return tonight after completing a five-game suspension for elbowing Ottawa forward Ryan Shannon in the head Nov. 11.

Matchup: Penguins at New York Islanders, 7:08 p.m., Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.

TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WXDX-FM (105.9).

Probable goaltenders: Dany Sabourin for Penguins. Joey MacDonald for Islanders.

Penguins: Are 7-1-1 in November. ... Four consecutive road wins tied for current NHL longest streak. ... Are 9-2-2 vs. Eastern Conference, 3-0-2 vs. Atlantic Division.

Islanders: Have won five of past six. ... Doug Weight has six-game point streak (1 goal, 7 assists) and Bill Guerin has 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in past six games. ... MacDonald is 7-3-1 in November, most wins this month by an NHL netminder.

Hidden stat: Neither of the Penguins' top two scorers, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, has a winning goal, but each of the next four leading scorers has at least one winner.