Pittsburgh Penguins News

Mantha will miss Tuesday’s game against the Lightning with an undisclosed injury but GM Ken Holland said the winger could possibly be out long-term. Mantha will be re-evaluated later in the day and the Red Wings should provide more details on the nature of the injury. With Mantha out, rookie Michael Rasmussen could take on an expanded role but this injury is devastating for a Red Wings team that was playing better than most people expected.

Kulak has had a nice start to the season in the AHL, leading all Laval defensemen with 11 points (3G / 8A) in 19 games. There is no word whether or not Kulak will make his Canadiens debut on Friday.

Crosby has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury, but will play Wednesday vs. the Stars. Crosby will be back on the top line with Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist on his wings.

Crosby was back on the ice this morning, but skated as an extra during the Penguins morning skate. Crosby will miss his third straight game, but his return to the ice suggests that he could be available later this week.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise as head coach Mike Sullivan said he expects Crosby to mis about one week. With Crosby missing his second straight game, Evgeni Malkin will play huge minutes again tonight.

The Bruins are extremely banged up on the back-end, so 2013 fifth round pick Connor Clifton will play tonight in Dallas. Clifton has just four assists in 14 AHL games this season and 17 points (4G / 14A) in 68 career games with Providence.

Acciari was a healthy scratch for the last three games, but will replace Chris Wagner tonight. Acciari has no points in 15 games this season.

The Bruins blueline continues to take hits, with Zdeno Chara sustaining what looked to be a serious injury on Wednesday. Clifton could make his NHL debut on Friday after picking up just four assists in 14 games with Providence.

Crosby will not be available on Thursday, but the Penguins announced that his upper-body injury is not a concussion. Head coach Mike Sullivan thinks that Crosby will probably be out for a week, meaning he will probably miss at least Saturday’s game in Ottawa.

Crosby was absent during the Penguins practice session on Wednesday, making him questionable for Thursday’s game against the Lightning. Monitor his status during tomorrow’s morning skate.

Letang missed Tuesday’s game, but was back on the ice for Wednesday’s practice and could play Thursday vs. the Islanders. Letang’s return to the lineup would be huge for the Penguins, as the veteran defenseman has picked up 11 points (4G / 7A) in nine games this season.

Letang left Monday’s practice with what was described as a nagging lower-body injury. Letang did not take part in Tuesday’s optional morning skate and is officially listed as a game-time decision. If Letang can’t play, look for Juuso Riikola to draw back into the lineup.

Heinen has been a healthy scratch for the last two games, but will draw back in on Thursday. Heinen has no points while averaging 12:47 TOI/GM in his first four games. He will replace Anders Bjork in the lineup and skate with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.