MATCH: Penguins vs. Devils
TIME: 7 p.m. EST
PLACE: Prudential Center
TV: ROOT Sports
RADIO: 105.9 FM, the X
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
This is the third of five meetings between the teams this season. A victory tonight would clinch the season series for Pittsburgh, as the Pens have won each of the previous two games. … They most recently beat the Devils on Friday in Pittsburgh by a score of 4-1, with Eric Fehr, Patric Hornqvist, Sidney Crosby and Chad Ruhwedel (first career NHL goal) tallying for the Pens … Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves in the win and head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the goaltender will start again tonight.
MORNING SKATE REPORT:
\Olli Maatta was the only player absent from the session and he will not be in the lineup. Sullivan said the defenseman was not feeling well coming out of the holiday break so he did not make the trip. "We thought he'd be better served resting for today."
\During line rushes, the team used the same forward combinations they went with on Friday…
Sheary-Crosby-Rust
Kunitz-Malkin-Hornqvist
Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel
Wilson-Cullen-Fehr
Pouliot was in for Maatta on defense. Here's how the pairs looked…
Dumoulin-Schultz
Cole-Ruhwedel
Pouliot-Oleksy
*Defensemen Kris Letang (lower-body, 5 games missed) and Trevor Daley (upper-body, 4 games missed) and forward Tom Kuhnhackl (lower-body, 4 games missed) all skated with the team for the first time since their respective injuries wearing yellow no-contact jerseys.
Letang said it was his first time on the ice since getting hurt, "So it didn't feel that great. But it's fun to get back out there with actually some players, you're not skating on your own."
