Dec 29, 2003 3 min read

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) – It may be a while longer before Pittsburgh Penguins forward Aleksey Morozov gets the chance to snap out of his latest slump. The 26-year-old right wing injured his left shoulder during the first period of the teams’ 2-0 loss Saturday against New Jersey and was held out of practice Sunday. Pittsburgh (8-19-5-3) will host Chicago (8-18-7-3) Monday at Mellon Arena.

“We’ll know more tomorrow, but we had to give a couple guys the day off just to rest,” coach Eddie Olczyk said Sunday. “He got treatments done and stuff, so well see how he’s feeling.”

The Penguins also recalled right wing Eric Meloche from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

Meloche led the Penguins AHL affiliate in scoring with 10 goals and 23 points in 31 games and scored five goals and two assists in 36 NHL games.

“We know he brings energy, finishes his checks and this is an opportunity for another one of our young players in this organization,” Olczyk said. “He’s going to get his opportunities, just like all of our players that have gone up and down.”

One thing that has gone down for the Penguins is Morozov’s production.

He has failed to score a goal in 19 games.

With eight seconds to play in the second period against New Jersey, he cleanly beat Devils backup goaltender Corey Schwab, but clanked the puck off the right post.

“I thought that it would go in,” Morozov said afterward. “It was a good opportunity, I just missed a little bit.”

If any team could have helped Morozov out of a slump, it’s New Jersey, the one team he’s consistently played well against throughout his career.

In 28 games against the Devils, Morozov has 12 goals and 13 assists.

In his other 382 NHL games, he’s netted just 61 goals and 160 points.

Morozov ended the longest scoring drought of his career against New Jersey during the 2000-01 season when he snapped a 46-game goal-less skid.

“I’ve gone through it before, but before I wasn’t playing as much as I am now,” Morozov said. “Normally I’m playing around 19 minutes, but before I was only playing five or seven minutes a game and it’s tough to score.”

That’s not the case this season.

Morozov has consistently played on the Penguins top two lines, often with second-leading scorer Rico Fata. He has netted five goals and chipped in 11 assists, but has not hit the back of the net since a Nov. 14 game in Buffalo.

“Right now, I’m going into every game thinking tonight is going to be the night,” Morozov said.

“I’m trying to do my best to put the puck in the net and hoping that this streak will be over.”

For a team that has scored an Eastern Conference-worst 73 goals in 35 games, the Penguins need production out the player chosen by the Penguins in the first round of the 1995 draft.