The Penguins enter Game 5 at Verizon Center on Saturday with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.
"We know the elimination game is always the most difficult to get," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said after an optional morning skate at Verizon Center on Saturday. "We're going to get Washington's best game and we have to have our very best game in order to win. We're going to have to play with a heightened intensity, a heightened sense of urgency. We're going to be at our very best and everybody has to contribute in order to help us get the result. Our players are very aware of that."
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will play after being suspended for Game 4 because of a hit on Capitals forward Marcus Johansson in Game 3.
Sullivan said forwards Eric Fehr and Bryan Rust will be game-time decisions. Fehr missed Game 4 because of an undisclosed injury.
"I feel great," Fehr said. "I fully expect to be in the lineup tonight."
Rust did not skate Friday but said Saturday that he's ready to play.
"I'm a little banged up, but the more time the better," he said. "When I get a chance I rest, and when I've got to play, I've got to play."
Goalie Braden Holtby was not present at the Capitals' optional skate Saturday here at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, but coach Barry Trotz said all players are available for Game 5.
That means Capitals forward Mike Richards, who missed practice Friday and did not skate Saturday, is a possibility to play.
Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt will return to the lineup after he was scratched for Game 4.
"It's a great opportunity for us," Trotz said of Game 5. "We have our backs against the wall. There's no margin for error. I always think from a coach's standpoint you get to see the best of your players. You get to see your true players. So we'll find out what we're all about tonight, that's for sure."
Here are the projected lineups:
PENGUINS
Conor Sheary - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - Eric Fehr
Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
Tom Kuhnhackl - Matt Cullen - Bryan Rust
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Justin Schultz - Trevor Daley
Ian Cole - Ben Lovejoy
Matt Murray
Jeff Zatkoff
Injured: Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion), Kevin Porter (ankle), Scott Wilson (lower body), Olli Maatta (upper body)
Scratched: Oskar Sundqvist, Beau Bennett, Derrick Pouliot
CAPITALS
Alex Ovechkin - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie
Andre Burakovsky - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Justin Williams
Jason Chimera - Mike Richards - Marcus Johansson
Daniel Winnik - Jay Beagle - Tom Wilson
Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen
Dmitry Orlov - John Carlson
Nate Schmidt - Taylor Chorney
Braden Holtby
Philipp Grubauer
Injured: None
Scratched: Mike Weber, Stanislav Galiev, Michael Latta
Suspended: Brooks Orpik
Status update:Maatta skated Saturday morning but will not play in Game 5. He's been out because of an upper-body injury sustained on a hit by Orpik in the first period of Game 2.
Who's hot:Hornqvist has three points in his past two games. … Carlson has four points in his past four games.
