PITTSBURGH -- Dan Bylsma criticized a media member's choice of orange in his wardrobe. Then he talked of turning over framed pictures of Peter Laviolette.

Laviolette's counter? "Enough of this sentimental crap."

Ah, it must be Penguins-Flyers.

Just in time for the Wednesday Night Rivalry presented by Coors Light, the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Atlantic Division antagonist Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

"Any time you play Pittsburgh," veteran Flyers forward Danny Briere said, "for us with the rivalry with them, it's not hard to get up for a game like that."

PITTSBURGH -- The projected lines and defense pairings for Wednesday night's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers at Consol Energy Center:

PENGUINS

Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – Pascal Dupuis

Matt Cooke – Evgeni Malkin – James Neal

Beau Bennett – Brandon Sutter – Tyler Kennedy

Tanner Glass – Joe Vitale – Craig Adams

Brooks Orpik – Paul Martin

Matt Niskanen – Kris Letang

Simon Despres – Deryk Engelland

Tomas Vokoun

Marc-Andre Fleury

Injured: None

Scratches: Robert Bortuzzo, Dustin Jeffrey, Zach Boychuk

PITTSBURGH -- Ottawa Senators winger Milan Michalek was scratched from Wednesday night's game against the Penguins due to a lower-body injury sustained during warm-ups.

The Senators dressed Patrick Wiercioch in place of Michalek, giving them seven defensemen for the game.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are close to adding more than 46 minutes of ice time back to their blue line.

Defensemen Matt Niskanen (eight games) and Kris Letang (three games) were activated off injured reserve Wednesday. They have missed time in recent weeks due to lower-body injuries. Both practiced with the team Tuesday and took part in the morning skate Wednesday, and were termed "game-time decisions" for the Wednesday night game against the Ottawa Senators.

"[Letang and Niskanen] are moving close to being able and ready to play," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said earlier Wednesday. "We'll see both what the doctor says and (make) a game-time decision on the lineup."

Dylan Reese was returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

PITTSBURGH -- Marc Methot couldn't recall the most recent time he had a letter stitched onto his jersey for a game prior to Tuesday. He did know he was honored for the experience.

"That," the Ottawa Senators defenseman said, "was pretty cool for me."

Just 13 games into his tenure for his hometown team, the 27-year-old Methot was an alternate captain for the Senators in their 2-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at Scotiabank Place.

Methot is a veteran of 288 NHL games since breaking into the League in the 2006-07 season. All his experience came with the Columbus Blue Jackets until being acquired by the Senators in a trade this past summer.

PITTSBURGH -- The projected lines and defense pairings for Wednesday night's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators at Consol Energy Center:

SENATORS

Colin Greening - Mika Zibanejad – Daniel Alfredsson

Erik Condra – Kyle Turris – Jakob Silfverberg

Jim O'Brien – Zack Smith – Chris Neil

Patrick Wiercioch – Stephane Da Costa – Kaspars Daugavins

Marc Methot – Erik Karlsson

Mike Lundin – Sergei Gonchar

Chris Phillips – Andre Benoit

Craig Anderson

Ben Bishop

Scratches: Milan Michalek

Injured: Peter Regin, Guillaume Latendresse, Jared Cowen

For the 12th time in 14 games this season, Anderson will start. It's the second time this season he's playing both ends of a back-to-back; he allowed three total goals in two wins Jan. 29-30 against Washington and Montreal. Coach Paul MacLean swapped Benoit in for Wiercioch as the only lineup change from Tuesday's 2-0 win against Buffalo. "We want to make sure we keep both of them playing," MacLean said.

Michalek was a last-minute scratch due to a lower-body injury.

PENGUINS

Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – Pascal Dupuis

Zach Boychuk – Evgeni Malkin – James Neal

Matt Cooke – Brandon Sutter – Tyler Kennedy

Tanner Glass – Joe Vitale – Craig Adams

Brooks Orpik – Paul Martin

Simon Despres – Kris Letang

Robert Bortuzzo – Deryk Engelland

Marc-Andre Fleury

Tomas Vokoun

Injured: Matt Niskanen

Scratches: Eric Tangradi, Dustin Jeffrey, Dylan Reese

Letang has missed the past three games and Niskanen the most recent eight (both with lower-body injuries). Both skated with the team during practices the past two days, and each sounded encouraged he could play Wednesday night. Both are on injured reserve, however, so roster moves will be required if either or both is cleared. Letang sounded a bit more optimistic about his ability to play than Niskanen -- but neither is considered a sure thing, either way. Reese will play if both remain out; it's a toss-up as to whom the odd man out is if both suit up. The best guess is Bortuzzo.

Also of note is that Fleury will start for the fourth time in the past five games.

PITTSBURGH -- Johan Hedberg enters Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh's Uptown neighborhood, takes a peek across Center Avenue and sees an expanse of asphalt.

"It's hard to imagine what was there when you just see a parking lot," Hedberg said, referring to the former Mellon Arena.

Less than 12 years ago, the now-New Jersey Devils goalie was living one of the top feel-good stories of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 46-year-history on that very site. Acquired for seldom-used defenseman Bobby Dollas from the San Jose Sharks' International Hockey League affiliate in Winnipeg in March, Hedberg quickly became the go-to goalie for the Stanley Cup-contending Penguins over the next two months.

"It's been (12) years, but for me it's a special place to come back to," said Hedberg, who will start against his former team Sunday night. "(The Penguins) always are going to be special for me."

Hedberg made his NHL debut four days after the trade and went 7-1-1 down the stretch for a Pittsburgh team that boasted Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Alex Kovalev, but had a question mark in net. He immediately filled that need and was a big reason why the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

He became a folk hero in Pittsburgh. The trade went down so fast he was still wearing the powder-blue helmet of the Manitoba Moose for the Penguins. Fans at Mellon Arena chanted "Mooooooooose" after Hedberg saves. Some wore foam moose ears.

"I thought it was a great story back then, especially because of the Moose chant," said Martin Brodeur, the player Hedberg now backs up on the Devils.

Brodeur's Devils ended Hedberg's run in 2001 with a five-game series win in the conference finals.

"We knew they were riding a hot goalie," Brodeur said Sunday. "We were fortunate enough to be able to solve him, I guess, in that series."

Hedberg said that as time goes by, he gets asked about his magical run less and less. He added that trips to Pittsburgh aren't nearly as emotional for him now that Mellon Arena has been razed.

"It doesn't have the same feeling with the new building," Hedberg said. "Not like coming back to the old Igloo."

The results haven't been the same, either. Hedberg has never won in Pittsburgh since being traded by the Penguins to the Vancouver Canucks for a second-round draft choice in August 2003.

He allowed four goals on 29 shots of a loss in his most recent start here on Oct. 22, 2011. Hedberg also made two starts in the three-year-old building during the 2010-11 season. In all, Hedberg is 0-3 with a 3.35 goals-against average and .889 save percentage at Consol Energy Center.

At Mellon Arena after leaving the Penguins, Hedberg was 0-1-1 with a 4.87 GAA and .848 save percentage.

The Devils are out to complete a home-and-home weekend sweep of the Penguins, with whom they are in a tight battle for first place in the Atlantic Division. With Brodeur in net Saturday, New Jersey went 2-for-10 on the power play in a 3-1 win.

"I don't think you're going to see the same kind of game tonight as we did last night," Hedberg said. "I'm sure they don't want to spend the time in the box as they did. We have to clear our minds and know what their tendencies are, but it's more focusing on what we want to do."

PITTSBURGH -- Exactly two weeks into what was projected to be a 2-4 week recovery time, Matt Niskanen is closer to returning to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. It won't be Sunday against the New Jersey Devils, though.

Niskanen joined more than a dozen teammates for an optional morning skate at Consol Energy Center Sunday but remains on injured reserve due to an ankle injury sustained 14 days ago.

"It is feeling better, and I'm able to do more and more things on the ice every day," Niskanen said. "I'd like to think I'm close -- but we'll just have to wait and see how I progress. I've got a few more steps to take."

Coach Dan Bylsma said Niskanen "is progressing, and we'll see how he continues to go." Niskanen has been skating on his own with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar over the past week.

"It feels good to be out with the team again," said Niskanen, who had a goal and two assists in five games this season. "Mike Kadar does a good job -- but that gets old pretty quick."

Niskanen, who signed a two-year contract extension with Pittsburgh this past summer, opened the season with Kris Letang as his partner on the Penguins' top pairing. Letang will miss his third game due to a lower-body injury Sunday.

PITTSBURGH -- The projected lines and defensemen pairings for tonight's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils at Consol Energy Center:

PENGUINS

Chris Kunitz – Sidney Crosby – Pascal Dupuis

Zach Boychuk – Evgeni Malkin – James Neal

Matt Cooke – Brandon Sutter – Tyler Kennedy

Tanner Glass – Dustin Jeffrey – Craig Adams

Brooks Orpik – Paul Martin

Simon Despres – Dylan Reese

Robert Bortuzzo – Deryk Engelland

Tomas Vokoun

Marc-Andre Fleury

Injured: Matt Niskanen, Kris Letang

Scratched: Eric Tangradi, Joe Vitale, Joe Morrow

Morrow was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League this morning, so it's very possible the 2011 first-round pick makes his NHL debut tonight. Coach Dan Bylsma termed his recall "insurance" for "bumps and bruises" among Pittsburgh's defensemen. Martin was the only defenseman to skip the team's morning skate.

DEVILS

Stefan Matteau - Travis Zajac - Ilya Kovalchuk

Patrik Elias - Adam Henrique - David Clarkson

Ryan Carter - Stephen Gionta - Steve Bernier

Krystofer Barch - Jacob Josefson - Bobby Butler

Bryce Salvador - Mark Fayne

Andy Greene - Adam Larsson

Anton Volchenkov - Marek Zidlicky

Johan Hedberg

Martin Brodeur

Injured: Dainius Zubrus

Scratches: Peter Harrold, Henrik Tallinder

Coach Peter DeBoer said there will be no changes in the lineup a day after the Devils beat the Penguins in Newark.

PITTSBURGH -- Could yet another young defenseman be making his Pittsburgh Penguins debut Sunday night?

Joe Morrow, the club's first-round draft choice 20 months ago, was recalled from Pittsburgh's American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre-Scranton. The 20-year-old had two goals and eight assists in 39 AHL games in his first season as a pro. In his past nine games, though, Morrow was a plus-5.

"He can skate, he's big, he's a strong guy," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "He's highlighted for his shot and offensive ability and skating ability -- which is very high-end -- but he's also a big body.

"This game today, if Joe Morrow were to get into the game, you're going to see some power-play time, see some skating ability and see him being able to handle guys down low."

Bylsma said Morrow was recalled for "insurance" because the Penguins' defense corps has "some bumps and bruises." Bylsma, as is his policy, said the lineup for the Sunday evening game against the New Jersey Devils will not be announced until gametime.

Paul Martin was the only healthy defenseman not to participate in what was an optional morning skate Sunday. There was no immediate indication Martin had any injury, and he amassed 28:49 of ice time -- by far a team high -- in Saturday's 3-1 loss at New Jersey. It would not be atypical for Martin to skip an optional skate under such circumstances. (The Penguins' top five forwards, for example, did not take part.)

Brooks Orpik was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in Saturday's game, but it seems highly unlikely he is in danger of being suspended. Orpik said the penalty was for saying something to Devils winger David Clarkson after Clarkson hit him behind the play.

With the team's top pairing of Kris Letang and Matt Niskanen both out with lower-body injuries and Ben Lovejoy traded to the Anaheim Ducks last week, Dylan Reese made his Penguins debut in Thursday's home win against the Washington Capitals. Other defensemen who were with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton as recently as last month who are now playing regular shifts for Pittsburgh are Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres.

"They've done a great job," Niskanen said. "Simon Despres has been awesome, Robert Bortuzzo has been really solid, Dylan Reese has done really well in the short time he's been here. It's fun to watch young guys come in and have success ... they'll continue to get better."

To make room for Morrow on the roster, Letang was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Tuesday, when he most recently appeared in a game. He has missed the past two contests.

Morrow was a first-team Western Hockey League All-star last season, when he had 64 points (17 goals, 47 assists) in 62 games and added 17 points in 22 playoff contests. He was the 23rd pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.