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Penguins

Beau Bennett has surgery; out 8 to 10 weeks

Josh Yohe | Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, 12:57 p.m.

Penguins winger Beau Bennett will miss the next eight to 10 weeks after having surgery in Pittsburgh on Monday.

Bennett, who was injured Friday against the Islanders, has a “broken wrist/hand,” said coach Dan Bylsma.

There is no update on left wing Tanner Glass, who was injured Saturday in Montreal after blocking consecutive shots from defenseman P.K. Subban. Glass was seen rubbing his hand on the bench after blocking the shots and did not play against Boston on Monday.

The Penguins recalled Zach Sill and Andrew Ebbett from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

If Glass misses extended time, he might be severely missed. Glass ranks second in the NHL with 99 hits, which is 28 more than any Penguins player (Brooks Orpik has 71). Bennett, meanwhile, had been playing his best hockey of the season in recent weeks and had been promoted to center Sidney Crosby's line.

He scored his first goal of the season in Washington in the game before sustaining the injury against the Islanders.

Malkin receives No. 1 star

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin was named the NHL's No. 1 star for the past week.

He produced one goal and seven assists during the past four games, leading the Penguins to three victories.

Many of Malkin's seven assists were memorable, notably a pass he made on James Neal's second goal against Montreal on Saturday.

Malkin went crashing into the boards on the play and remained on the ice for a minute, but suffered only an injured tailbone and played Monday against the Bruins.

He also set up rookie Brian Gibbons' first NHL goal against Anaheim last Monday and moved into the NHL's top 10 scorers. Malkin is seventh in the NHL with 26 points, trailing league-leader Sidney Crosby by four.

Lofty TV ratings

NBC Sports Network has pushed its Wednesday Night Rivalry series, and the Penguins have been a big part. Playing in four straight “rivalry games,” the Penguins have helped the network achieve record ratings.

The Penguins' game Nov. 13 against Philadelphia drew 759,000 viewers, making it the most-watched November game on cable since 2001. It also represented the second most-watched game this season, behind the Washington-Chicago season opener.

NBC Sports Network's ratings are up 31 percent from two years ago.

Franchise 8th in value

Forbes released its annual report detailing each NHL team's financial status, and the Penguins ranked high on the list.

The franchise is valued at $480 million, ranking eighth in the NHL and fifth among American franchises. Toronto boasts the NHL's most valuable team and is the only organization to be valued at more than $1 billion. Forbes projected that the Penguins' value increased by 67 percent over the past year.

Compassionate coach

Bruins coach Claude Julien saw Steven Stamkos break his leg in Boston two weeks ago, and he later visited the Lightning star in the hospital. His respect for Stamkos, who met with reporters without a cast or crutches on Monday, is clear.

“I had him at Olympic camp, and I got to know Steve the person,” Julien said. “He's one of the reasons we fill buildings in this league.”

Josh Yohe is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jyohe@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JoshYohe_Trib.

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