Penguins likely to stick with same lineup in Game 5

Friday, 05.24.2013 / 1:11 PM | Shawn P. Roarke  - NHL.com Senior Managing Editor

PITTSBURGH -- It does not appear Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is going to mess with a good thing.

Judging from line rushes during the morning skate Friday in preparation for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS), it appears the Penguins will ice the same lineup that dominated the final 40 minutes of Game 4 Wednesday in Ottawa.

The biggest questions revolved around forward Brenden Morrow, who missed Game 4 with an undisclosed injury, and forward Chris Kunitz, who barely played in the third period of Game 4.

They were on the ice Friday morning at Consol Energy Center. Kunitz took a regular turn on his normal line with Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis. Morrow was relegated to the collection of extra forwards during the line rushes.

Morrow said he felt good during the skate and that his participation in Game 5 would be a game-time decision, but it appears Bylsma will stay with veteran Jussi Jokinen and rookie Beau Bennett, each of whom joined Craig Adams on a reconstituted fourth line.

Here is how the Penguins lined up at the morning skate:

Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Pascal Dupuis

Jarome Iginla - Evgeni Malkin - James Neal

Matt Cooke - Brandon Sutter - Tyler Kennedy

Beau Bennett - Jussi Jokinen - Craig Adams

Brooks Orpik - Paul Martin

Mark Eaton - Kris Letang

Douglas Murray - Matt Niskanen

Tomas Vokoun

Marc-Andre Fleury

Scratched: Brenden Morrow, Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres, Deryk Engelland, Tanner Glass, Dustin Jeffrey, Joe Vitale

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