On June 16, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they would play a six-game pre-season, including the first-ever game at the new Consol Energy Center on September 22 against the Detroit Red Wings.
[2] On July 26, 2010, longtime Penguins PA announcer John Barbero died of brain cancer at age 65.
The Penguins inaugurated their new arena on October 7 with a home opener against their in-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, the defending Eastern Conference champions, whom they will play three times in the first month of the season.
Jordan Staal made a return to the Penguins lineup in the Winter Classic after being held out all of the 2010 contests of the season due to foot and hand injuries.
Crosby suffered a concussion in an open ice hit in the Winter Classic but remained in the game and took part in the following contest with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Defenseman Kris Letang had a breakout first half of the season, sitting second on the team in points scored behind center Sidney Crosby.
Malkin also missed multiple games in late January due to a lingering lower body injury and a sinus infection.
James Neal scored the lone goal, marking the fourth year in a row the Penguins have won a game on March 25 in a shutout and the first to go to overtime or a shootout.
During the stretch, the team defeated the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers in a seven-day period.
Pittsburgh Penguins' picks at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.