Penguins’ Sykora injured, sidelined

The newcomer suffered a
broken nose in a collision with a teammate Tuesday in a
preseason game.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PITTSBURGH — Penguins right wing Petr Sykora will miss at least two preseason games because of a broken nose and probably won’t resume practicing until next week.

Sykora’s nose was broken during a collision with Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik during the Penguins’ 5-2 exhibition victory in Montreal on Tuesday night.

Sykora had earlier scored Pittsburgh’s third goal.

“When I got hit, I immediately felt for my teeth. I was happy to have them,” Sykora said.

Sykora will have his nose realigned Friday.

He won’t play in preseason games Friday in Detroit or Saturday in Pittsburgh against the Red Wings.

Sykora, signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent during the offseason, will accompany the team when training camp moves to West Point, N.Y., next week.

The Penguins have two preseason games next week, both against Buffalo.

In other news Wednesday, the Penguins assigned goaltender John Curry to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.

Blue Jackets 4, Blackhawks 3.

CHICAGO — Manny Malhotra’s second goal of the game, a shot from the right wing that deflected off Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook with 7:02 to play, gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 preseason victory Wednesday night.

Jason Chimera and Curtis Glencross also scored for Columbus (1-1).

Patrick Kane, the first pick overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, played his first game with the Blackhawks.

The 18-year-old right wing opened the game on a line with fellow rookies Jonathan Toews, a center and the Blackhawks’ first-round pick in 2006, and Kris Versteeg. Kane saw limited ice time.

Yanic Perreault had two goals and an assist and Robert Lang added a goal and assist for the Blackhawks (1-1).

Both goalies played the entire game. Chicago’s Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 28 shots, while Pascal Leclaire made 25 saves for the Blue Jackets.

Lang opened the scoring at 4:47 of the first period on a 5-on-3 power play. Chimera tied it with 2:34 left in the period on a tip-in.

Perreault’s power-play goal at 2:56 of the second gave Chicago a 2-1 lead.

With 3:20 left in the period, Glencross’ shot from the left circle trickled between Khabibulin’s pads to tie it.

Perreault made it 3-2 at 2:25 of the third and Malhotra tied it at 6:08 with a short-handed goal.