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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The do-everything, be-everything centre is slumping, at least as far as superstar slumps go.The elder statesman, resident prankster and unquestioned heart is out for the year and maybe forever with blood that just wont behave.The wunderkind 20-year-old defenceman beat cancer but not a shaky shoulder.The businesslike and still kind of mysterious rookie head coach remains months away from the real litmus test, but the early results are encouraging.And then theres the mumps.For the better part of a month, the Pittsburgh Penguins saw their roster almost comically ravaged by a childhood virus that temporarily —and quite painfully — turned Sidney Crosbys face into something created by a 4-year-old with Play-Doh and took a handful of teammates along for the ride.Yet here Sidney Crosby and the new-look Penguins are at the midpoint of an already eventful season back in their usual spot this time of year: near the top of the Eastern Conference and cruising toward the playoffs, which is only barometer that really matters.Pittsburgh trails the first-place New York Islanders by a point in the Metropolitan Division and are on pace for the second-best regular season in team history. Not bad considering nearly three dozen players — including a steady stream of prospects or minor leaguers thrust into action out of necessity rather than merit — have suited up.It hasnt been easy but to everybodys credit theyve done what they had to do, general manager Jim Rutherford told The Associated Press.Even if Pittsburgh is doing it in sometimes very un-Penguinlike ways. With defence. With goaltending. With responsible checking and attention to detail. While coach Mike Johnston allows plenty of work remains to be done by the time April rolls around, considering what his team has gone through during Johnstons first four months in charge, things could be a worse.The first half we were still learning a lot of different things, getting used to a new system still, forward Brandon Sutter said. Now I think in the second half its been kind of time to cement that into our game.The Penguins hired Johnston to replace Dan Bylsma last summer and tasked him with finding a system that could thrive in both the regular season and the playoffs. The first six weeks went relatively smoothly, even with forward Pascal Dupuis sent to injured reserve with blood clots that have jeopardized his career and Olli Maatta missing a few weeks while a cancerous tumour was removed from his thyroid.It was a mirage. The injuries and illnesses began piling up in December, forcing Johnston to abandon teaching the finer points and simply trying to find enough healthy bodies to throw onto the ice on a given night.Its also forced the Penguins to learn to win by any means necessary, relying more heavily on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and less on the scoreboard-tilting exploits of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Pittsburgh is just ninth in the league in scoring, with Crosby on pace for his lowest goal total over a full season. A sputtering power play over the last month hasnt helped, though Crosby did score an overtime goal at Montreal last weekend.Crosby brushes off any concern about his production. Really, wasnt the point of the off-season front office overhaul to find a way to make the team less reliant on their two centerpieces? Crosby and Malkin are both in the top five in the league in points and the Penguins have had 24 different players find the back of the net, the most of any team in the league.In the whole scheme of things its more about how youre playing and making sure the chances are there and everyone is contributing, Crosby said. That goes further than anything.Crosby hardly looked like a guy struggling to find his game in a 7-2 win over Minnesota on Tuesday, collecting three assists and putting together a handful of sublimely spectacular dashes to the net.Weve had so many injuries and so many moving parts here, both him and (Malkin) dont get to play with the same guys all the time, Rutherford said. Hopefully we can get these guys some regular linemates.The process is already well underway. Forward Chris Kunitz appears all the way back from a foot injury that kept him out for 10 games. Rutherford acquired David Perron from Edmonton on Jan. 2, and the talented forward has four points in his first four games, including a slick forehand to backhand rebound from in front of the net on Tuesday night that showcased his soft hands.Rutherford isnt sure the Penguins are done shopping. With Blake Comeau and Patric Hornqvist also nearing returns from their own medical issues and a schedule that includes games against the Rangers, Philadelphia and Chicago over the next couple weeks, theres a chance to build chemistry and make a statement at the same time.Ill get a better sense for it by the middle of February, Rutherford said. I want to see Hornqvist and Comeau get back in there and get that group of forwards together. I do feel were edging in the right direction. Fake Balenciaga .Martin Caceres marked his return from injury by scoring in the 3-1 win at Napoli and he believes Juventus sent out a warning to the rest of the league with that result.We go out on the pitch every game looking to give our all, Caceres said. Wholesale Balenciaga .com) - Rajon Rondo turned in a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds and seven assists as Dallas claimed a 102-98 win over the Lakers on Friday. https://www.fakebalenciaga.com/ . "Rob brings a wealth of coaching experience, having worked both in Canada and overseas in player development," Canada Soccer technical director Tony Fonseca said in a release. Fake Balenciaga From China . Winners of two straight, the Flames will try to become the first team in 25 years to go three consecutive games without taking a penalty Saturday night in San Jose. Cheap Balenciaga . Carreno Busta broke his opponent five times in the match, but also lost his serve three times in the second set before prevailing in the tiebreaker. Both players struggled with their first serve, as Carreno Busta landed just 51 per cent of his to 47 per cent for Kukushkin.With the NHL Draft coming up on June 27 and free agency opening on July 1, discussions between NHL general managers are heating up towards a busy off-season. Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Where Willie Go? As TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger tweeted Friday morning, there may be a change of heart in Pittsburgh as hes hearing Willie Desjardins is no longer a slam dunk for the head coaching job following his meeting with the Penguins Thursday night. Dreger adds that as of Thursday night, Desjardins was Pittsburghs target but perhaps his interest in the Canucks coaching job scuttled the Penguins plan. Broadway Bucks Craig Custance of ESPN.com speculates that if the New York Rangers use their second and final compliance buyout on Brad Richards, they could use some of the money saved to go after unrestricted free agents like Paul p;Stastny, Dan Boyle or Mikhail Grabovski.dddddddddddd Floor Issues As John Vogl of The Buffalo News points out, the Sabres are about $16 million under the expected $52 million salary floor for next season. As it stands, their payroll for next season is $36 million, which covers 17 players. Vogl adds that if the team sends qualifying offers to restricted free agents Cory Conacher, Jamie McBain and Chad Ruhwedel, theyre still more than $12 million from the floor with Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno left to re-sign. Peter Prinicple As Tracy Myers of Comcast SportsNet.com writes, there have been no contractual discussions yet between the Blackhawks and Peter Regin, though his agent Craig Oster said things should become clearer over the next week as the NHL draft approaches. Regin, 28, played 17 regular season games, recording two goals and four points. ' ' '