At the Rink: Blackhawks at Penguins

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Rob Scuderi will each face his former team at Consol Energy Center on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, SNO, SNP, CSN-CH, ROOT) for the first time since being traded less than a month ago.

Daley was traded to Pittsburgh on Dec. 14 for Scuderi midway through the Penguins' 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, which was Mike Sullivan's first game as Pittsburgh coach. Scuderi was expected to play against Washington, but was a late healthy scratch prior to his departure.

"We came in off the ice and [Scuderi] was nowhere to be found," Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy said. "I went and looked for him in the dressing room and he was getting changed, and he told us he had been traded. I gave him and big hug and said, 'Good luck.'"

After failing to score a goal in his 29 games with the Blackhawks, Daley scored in his second game with the Penguins against the Boston Bruins on Dec. 18. He scored a point in three of his first four games with Pittsburgh, but has been held without one in each of his past five, primarily playing alongside defenseman Ian Cole.

"They have a great group of guys," Daley said of the Blackhawks, who acquired him from the Dallas Stars in the offseason. "They made it really welcome coming in there from Dallas. So I got to know a lot of those guys and a lot of those guys continue to be friends of mine. I wish I had bad things to say about that team, but I don't. The guys were unbelievable. I enjoyed my time there and I learned a lot.

"I went in there with an open mind to figure out what these guys have been doing right all these years. I think I took a lot out of it, but the biggest thing I took out was I met a lot of really good people over there."

Pittsburgh held an optional Tuesday morning skate, so it is unknown if any changes will be made to its lineup, but none are expected.

Scuderi, who found former Penguins coach Mike Johnston's system taxing because of its reliance on dynamic defenseman who can join the rush, is scoreless in seven games with the Blackhawks. He had one goal and 18 points in 160 games during his second stint in Pittsburgh.

After playing in each of Chicago's first five games following the trade, Scuderi has been scratched in two of the Blackhawks' past three games. He will likely play with defenseman Erik Gustafsson on Tuesday.

Scuderi spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Kings before rejoining the Penguins in 2013-14. He played a primary role in Pittsburgh's 2009 Stanley Cup run, but was unable to match the feat upon his return.

"I think, obviously coming back to a team you won a championship with, there are a lot of good memories regardless of the outcome of the last two and a little bit years," Scuderi said. "Getting back with some old friends and trying to win a championship. I know it didn't happen, but it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying or a lack of effort."

Lovejoy said Scuderi's place in Penguins history is secure.

"He was 'The Piece,'" Lovejoy said. "He was laying in the crease face-first, helping the Penguins win their third Stanley Cup."

Here are the projected lineups:

BLACKHAWKS

Andrew Shaw – Jonathan Toews – Marian Hossa

Artemi Panarin – Artem Anisimov – Patrick Kane

Andrew Desjardins – Phillip Danault – Teuvo Teravainen

Bryan Bickell – Dennis Rasmussen – Ryan Garbutt

Duncan Keith – Niklas Hjalmarsson

Trevor van Riemsdyk – Brent Seabrook

Rob Scuderi – Erik Gustafsson

Corey Crawford

Scott Darling

Injured: Marcus Kruger (wrist)

Scratched: Brandon Mashinter, Michal Rozsival

PENGUINS

Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – David Perron

Matt Cullen – Evgeni Malkin – Phil Kessel

Conor Sheary – Nick Bonino – Patric Hornqvist

Kevin Porter – Eric Fehr – Sergei Plotnikov

Kris Letang – Olli Maatta

Ian Cole – Trevor Daley

Brian Dumoulin – Ben Lovejoy

Marc-Andre Fleury

Jeff Zatkoff

Injured: Beau Bennett (upper body)

Scratched: Scott Wilson, Adam Clendening, David Warsofsky

Status report: The Blackhawks acquired forward Richard Panik from the Toronto Maple Leafs for forward Jeremy Morin on Sunday. Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said Panik will not join the Blackhawks until he receives his visa. … Crawford will most likely face Fleury in the front-end of a home-and-home.

Who's hot: Crosby has scored 10 points in his past seven games and at least one goal in four of his past five games. He is second on the Penguins with 29 points, eight behind Malkin. … Kane has scored seven points in his past three games, including one goal and two assists in two of those three. He leads the NHL with 57 points, five more than Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.