Steen took part in warmups, but was a late scratch for the afternoon's game vs. the Islanders. Coach Hitchcock said that a couple of players are banged up, so it sounds like Steen is battling a minor injury. Joakim Lindstrom will enter the lineup.
Dubnyk allowed a single goal on 23 shots after replacing Mike Smith in Thursday’s 4-0 loss to Los Angeles. He will make his eighth start of the year tonight vs. the visiting Bruins. Dubnyk is 5-1-1 with a 2.43 GAA and .925 SV% this year—solid numbers from a guy who was nearly out of the NHL a year ago.
Kuznetsov was a healthy scratch on Thursday, but he will be back in the lineup tonight vs. the Devils. He will be in for Andre Burakovsky—Barry Trotz indicated he might platoon the two young forwards for awhile.
Downie took line rushes with Sidney Crosby and Nick Spaling during pre-game warmups this afternoon. The Penguins have been banged up at forward, so Downie, who has just 10 points (3G / 7A) in 25 games, will skate with Crosby vs. the Senators.
Rychel was skating with Ryan Johansen and Jack Skille at the Blue Jackets' morning skate. The 20-year-old has registered three assists in his first three NHL games, despite averaging only 10:47 TOI.
Staal had surgery on his fractured fibula in late September. Staal is not expected to be back until later this month at the earliest, most likely early January.
Dubinsky is not quite ready to make his season debut, but it sounds like Dubinsky is getting really close. The next game he would be eligible to play in is Tuesday vs. the Flyers.
Holtby stopped 29 of 30 shots in the Capitals 2-1 victory over Carolina on Thursday. The win snapped a shot two-game losing streak and moved Holtby to 9-7-3 with a 2.42 GAA and .912 SV% on the season. Tonight he will take on the Devils, who he has gone 1-1-0 against so far.
Schneider allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Devils 5-3 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday. The win was his 10th of the year and snapped a personal four-game losing skid. His splits are strong (2.54 GAA / .916 SV%) but the Devils 22nd ranked offence limits his chance at racking up wins.
Howard stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Red Wings 5-2 win over the Stars on Thursday. It was a nice bounce-back performance for Howie, who has won four of his last five. He is 12-5-4 and hold the 12th best GAA (2.22) with a .916 SV%. He will take on the Rangers at home tonight—Howard is 9-3-2 at the Joe this year.
Elias missed Thursday’s game vs. the Maple Leafs with a groin injury. It was obviously a minor groin injury, so monitor his status in pre-game warmups. Elias has 11 points (2G / 9A) in 25 games.
Stone did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh, so he will be replaced by Zack Smith today vs. the Penguins. Stone is considered day-to-day.
Hemsky stayed on late at the morning skate, which suggests that he will not play tonight vs. the Canadiens. Curtis McKenzie will enter the lineup for Hemsky.
Rinne gave up three goals on 32 shot in the Predators 4-3 win over the Blues on Thursday. After one loss, Rinne jumped right back on the winning train, he now sits at 17-4-1 with a 1.88 GAA and .931 SV%. He will be in tough tonight with Chicago in town, but he did stop 30 of 32 in a 3-2 win over the Hawks in October.
Bishop stopped all 13 shots that he faced in the Lightning’s 5-0 shutout win over the Sabres on Thursday. Yeah he wasn’t tested much in this one, the Lightning dominated from start to finish. Bishop has won five in a row with a 1.60 GAA and .936 SV% and draws another good matchup tonight with the banged up Blue Jackets in town.
Letang will miss his fourth consecutive game with a groin injury this afternoon. However, the fact that he skated this morning suggests that he could join the Penguins for practice next week, which is the next step in returning to the lineup.
Klinkhammer was acquired from the Coyotes on Friday and will play today, likely on the third line with Brandon Sutter and Steve Downie. Klinkhammer does not bring a ton of offence and won’t see any special teams work today, but he does bring a bit of a physical edge, his 44 hits ranks fourth among Penguins forwards.
Hornqvist, who was injured on Thursday, is still undergoing tests for a concussion so he will sit this afternoon vs. the Senators. Rob Klinkhammer, who was acquired from the Coyotes yesterday, will make his Penguins’ debut today with Hornqvist sidelined.
Lehtonen allowed five goals on 40 shots in the Stars loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday. He has now lost two in a row while giving up five goals in each start. The Stars are a mess defensively, ranking dead last with a team GAA of 3.58. Tonight, he faces a skidding Habs team who have lost five of their last six.
Halak allowed a single goal on 21 shots in the Islanders 2-1 win over the Senators. The W marked the 11th straight win for Halak who continues to dominate for the Isles. This afternoon will be a huge game for Halak, who takes on his former team for the first time. It isn’t a great matchup, but lets be honest, you aren’t benching Halak right now.
