mbpensfan: Hi Shelly, I was wondering, when a player, like Crosby a couple weeks ago, makes a save in the crease to a shot that is on net, does that shot count as a shot and a save for the goalie even though it wasn't the goalie that made the save?

Shelly Anderson: Shots are stats that are at the discretion of the NHL off-ice officials and their well-trained eyes. I would imagine shots that are stopped by skaters -- such as Sidney Crosby in the game you sited, or former defenseman Rob Scuderi late in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final -- are recorded as blocked shots for those skaters. It's the same as a player blocking a shot five feet in front of the goaltender. Goalies make saves; skaters block shots.

ajt123: Can you give a quick bio on the Guenin guy they called up? How many minutes do you think he will log?

Shelly Anderson: Defenseman Nate Guenin will make his Penguins debut tonight. There is no real choice but to give him regular shifts, considering one-half of their healthy defensemen now are recent call-ups from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Guenin is a local, raised in Hopewell and a former Pittsburgh Hornets player. He had a strong training camp. This won't be his NHL debut. He played in 12 games for the Flyers after a career at Ohio State. He's more of a stay-at-home defenseman.

ajt123: Ever seen such a rash of injuries?

Shelly Anderson: No, this seems to be a ridiculous overlap in injuries for the Penguins, who started the season with only forward Max Talbot out after he had offseason shoulder surgery. It's happening across the league, though, with several teams hit hard by injuries and several stars sidelined. Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle, a former Penguins defenseman, had some thoughts on that. You can read those later today on the Penguins Plus blog at www.post-gazette.com/plus. The site is free for today.

mbpensfan: Do you think we will ever, or should ever, see number 68 hanging from the rafters?

Shelly Anderson: Well, Jaromir Jagr hasn't retired. He's still playing overseas. But it's doubtful the Penguins will retire his No. 68. It's true he was one of the very best to play in the NHL, much less a Penguins sweater, but with all the Hall of Famers from that 1990s Penguins era and seemingly more on the way from this group, the Penguins seem to be taking a less-is-better approach to retiring numbers. For now, the only player banners belong to Mario Lemieux and the late Michel Briere.

ajt123: What's your opinion to date of backup B. Johnson?

Shelly Anderson: Brent Johnson has been fine as a backup goaltender. He didn't get much goal support his first couple starts, and he doesn't make some of the spectacular saves that No. 1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury does, but he's more than steady.

ajt123: Any updates on Goligoski's injury?

Shelly Anderson: The Penguins aren't divulging Alex Goligoski's injury, although he left late in regulation Saturday against Boston favoring his upper left leg. He is supposed to have an MRI today, but coach Dan Bylsma said even before those results are in, they are expecting the defenseman to miss two to three weeks. He's another key loss after having a great first several weeks of the season at both ends of the ice.

ajt123: Do you think Malkin is more consistent and better overall than Crosby?

Shelly Anderson: I would have a difficult time picking one over the other when it comes to Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. They both can speed up the game, and both are probably overlooked for their play in their own end. Malkin can be more electrifying at times, but he also can disappear at times. Crosby is incredibly consistent in terms of going all out every second of every shift. The Penguins should be the envy of the other teams for having both of these guys.

ajt123: Do you have any sentimental feelings for leaving the igloo at the end of the season?

Shelly Anderson: Not overly so. It's nice to think back on the long playoff runs at Mellon Arena, but I certainly won't miss the grimy seats and whatever that smell is.

Shelly Anderson: Thanks, everyone. Chat with you next week.

Penguins Plus, a blog by Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson, is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.