Anticipation: The Heinze Way

Pittsburgh Penguins' Equipment Manager Dana Heinze didn't show up on the final box score on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

He should be credited with an assist.

Sidney Crosby broke a skate near the end of regulation, but didn't miss much time to make the repair or to set up Makin's game-winner in OT.

Actually a repair wasn't needed. All he needed to do was - get this - change his skate.

That's because Heinze changed team policy by insisting that players travel with a second set of skates. In years past, players only took one set of skates. Heinze figured out a way to pack more equipment bags on the charter flights without leaving the surf 'n turf meals back in the 'Burg.

It's good way to protect your job, too. Imagine explaining to the GM that the franchise player couldn't make it back before overtime ended because he didn't have a useable skate.

This is the kind of attention to detail off the the ice that is helping the team with their focus.

One of Heinze's first acts as equipment manager was to make "the best purchase made so far" when he bought a state-of-the-art Blademaster skate sharpening system. It has two sharpeners to speed the process. With Heinze's anticipation, templates were made for each player's skate preference to help the machine memorize the blade specs.

For the record, here's the ammended box score for the game-winning, overtime goal against the Kings:

(OT) 2:45 Malkin (7), Gonchar, Crosby & Heinze.