Stars at Penguins preview

STARS (11-8-2) at PENGUINS (7-8-4)
7 p.m. ET; ATTSN-PT, FS-SW+, NHL.TV

The Penguins center has missed three games with an upper-body injury sustained in a 4-2 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 13. He participated in Pittsburgh's optional morning skate Wednesday after practicing fully Tuesday.
The Penguins were 0-2-1 without Crosby, and are 1-7-2 in their past 10 games. If they lose Wednesday, it would mark their second five-game losing streak this season.
Goalie Anton Khudobin will start for the Stars in place of Ben Bishop, expected to miss at least a week with a lower-body injury. Khudobin is 3-3-1 with a 2.37 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in seven games (six starts) this season.
Dallas, which has allowed two goals or fewer in four straight games, is 2-1-0 in its past three and 6-3-2 in its past 11.

Players to watch

Stars center Tyler Seguin has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past six games. He has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 21 career games against the Penguins.
Penguins forward Phil Kessel has eight points (three goals, five assists) in a five-game point streak.

They said it

"It's a game you have to get up for. As a centerman against [Crosby and Evgeni Malkin], you have to be ready." -- Stars center Jason Spezza
"I feel good. I'm glad. I'm excited to get back in the lineup and get out there." -- Penguins center Sidney Crosby

Stars projected lineup

Jamie Benn -- Tyler Seguin -- Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark -- Jason Spezza -- Roope Hintz
Blake Comeau -- Radek Faksa -- Tyler Pitlick
Valeri Nichushkin -- Jason Dickinson -- Brett Ritchie
Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen
Gavin Bayreuther
-- Roman Polak
Joel Hanley -- Ben Gleason
Anton Khudobin
Landon Bow
Scratched: Gemel Smith
Injured: Ben Bishop (lower body), Julius Honka (illness), Stephen Johns (upper body), Martin Hanzal (back), Connor Carrick (lower body), Marc Methot (lower body), John Klingberg (upper body), Devin Shore (lower body)

Penguins projected lineup

Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Patric Hornqvist
Tanner Pearson -- Evgeni Malkin -- Phil Kessel
Zach Aston-Reese -- Derick Brassard -- Bryan Rust
Dominik Simon -- Riley Sheahan -- Derek Grant
Brian Dumoulin -- Kris Letang
Jack Johnson -- Jamie Oleksiak
Olli Maatta -- Juuso Riikola
Casey DeSmith
Matt Murray
Scratched:Chad Ruhwedel, Daniel Sprong
Injured:Justin Schultz (left leg fracture), Matt Cullen (lower body)

Status report

Honka did not take part in the Stars morning skate; their defense pairs rotated without him. ... DeSmith will start his second straight game with Murray backing up Wednesday. He has appeared in six of Pittsburgh's past seven games and is 3-3-3 with a 2.53 GAA and .923 save percentage in 12 games (eight starts) this season.

Stat pack

Khudobin is 2-2-0 with a 2.53 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in four games against the Penguins. ... Hornqvist has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past five games. … Maatta needs two points to reach 100 in the NHL.