It might be the most intriguing matchup of the season.
No, not the Penguins' game with the rival Capitals Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena, nor the one they'll play a day later against Carolina, which is trying to claw its way into an Eastern Conference playoff berth.
Rather, it's the one that will pit Patrick Marleau's ironman streak against the Penguins' wretched luck with injuries this season.
Their 4-2 victory in Buffalo Thursday night marked Marleau's 850th consecutive appearance, extending a streak that is the fifth-longest in NHL history and dates to April 9, 2009. He has played in each of the Penguins' five games since being acquired from San Jose at the trade deadline, which places him squarely in conflict with the Penguins' medical misfortunes in 2019-20: Their total of man-games lost is closing in on 300.
While Marleau's streak speaks to his durability, it should be not construed as evidence he's managed to stay completely healthy for more than a decade.
"There have been some bumps and bruises along the way," he said. "I've played through some things, but I've been pretty fortunate. A shoulder ... minor separations, things like that. Bumps and bruises, for sure. My back kind of seized up or a rib went out or something like that."
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