PENGUINS (14-9-9) at SENATORS (15-13-4)
7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, SN-PIT
Penguins projected lineup
Rickard Rakell -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha -- Tommy Novak -- Justin Brazeau
Rutger McGroarty -- Ben Kindel -- Kevin Hayes
Connor Dewar -- Danton Heinen -- Noel Acciari
Parker Wotherspoon -- Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea -- Kris Letang
Brett Kulak -- Jack St. Ivany
Arturs Silovs
Stuart Skinner
Scratched: Ville Koivunen, Ryan Graves, Connor Clifton
Injured: Evgeni Malkin (upper body), Caleb Jones (lower body), Filip Hallander (blood clot), Blake Lizotte (undisclosed)
Senators projected lineup
Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio -- Ridly Greig -- Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid -- Stephen Halliday -- Nick Cousins
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo -- Nick Jensen
Linus Ullmark
Leevi Merilainen
Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Olle Lycksell
Injured: Thomas Chabot (upper body), Shane Pinto (lower body), Lars Eller (broken foot)
Status report
The Penguins held an optional morning skate. … Silovs will start, coach Dan Muse confirmed. … Mantha and Novak were moved up to the second line in practice Wednesday. … Malkin and Lizotte each skated Wednesday but neither forward is ready to return from injury. … The Senators held an optional morning skate with four skaters and two goalies. … Ullmark and Sanderson left practice early Wednesday, but coach Travis Green said Thursday “they’ll both be fine” and each will play. … Chabot, who has missed 11 games because of an upper-body injury, was a full participant in practice Wednesday. The defenseman skated again Thursday, but will not play. … Pinto skated Wednesday, for the first time since the forward sustained a lower-body injury Dec. 4.
