The Penguins final game of the season is on Thursday against the Washington Capitals and unfortunately Hayes is not ready to draw into the lineup. The 32-year-old Hayes is averaging 12:03 time-on-ice and has 23 points (13G / 10A) in 64 games this season.
Poulin will slot in for Kevin Hayes, who was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury. He'll start the game on Pittsburgh's fourth line alongside Vasily Ponomarev and Valtteri Puustinen.
The Penguins final game of the season is on Thursday against the Washington Capitals and it's unclear if Hayes will be ready to draw into the lineup. The 32-year-old Hayes is averaging 12:03 time-on-ice and has 23 points (13G / 10A) in 64 games this season.
The Penguins will conclude their third consecutive season without playoff hockey, turning to Nedeljovkic between the pipes on Thursday against the Washington Capitals. Nedeljkovic played well in his most recent outing but did not receive ample goal support, saving 28 of 30 shots (.933 SV%) in a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The 29-year-old goalie has a 3.16 GAA and .894 SV% in 37 appearances this season (13-15-5). The Penguins enter Thursday's contest as -101 home underdogs against a Capitals team that is 2-3-0 in their last five games.
The Penguins final game of the season is on Thursday against the Washington Capitals and it's unclear if Hayes will be ready to draw into the lineup. The 32-year-old Hayes is averaging 12:03 time-on-ice and has 23 points (13G / 10A) in 64 games this season.
The Penguins announced on Wednesday that Letang had successful closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO; small hole in the heart). The expected recovery time is four to six weeks, so Letang will be ready for training camp in the fall.
The Penguins are coming off a 5-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, a 26-save performance by Jarry for his second shutout of the season. Jarry has been better since returning from the AHL in mid-March but remains inconsistent. He has two shutouts in his last five games (3-1-1) but sports a pedestrian .893 SV%. The Penguins enter Friday's contest as +165 road underdogs against a New Jersey Devils team coming off a disappointing 7-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.
Nieto recently returned from a six-week NHL absence, playing one game, but will return to the sidelines and miss the remainder of the season. The 32-year-old Nieto is averaging 12:15 time-on-ice and has three points (1G / 2A) in 32 games this season.
Novak has not played since March 9th and will miss the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Novak is averaging 13:14 time-on-ice and has 22 points (13G / 9A) in 54 games this season.
Lizotte did not play in Pittsburgh's previous game and will miss the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Lizotte is averaging 12:43 time-on-ice and has 20 points (11G / 9A) in 59 games this season. Matthew Nieto will draw into the lineup as Lizotte's replacement.
McGroarty recently made his NHL debut, scoring three points (1G / 2A) in eight games, but will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old McGroarty was the 14th overall pick of the Winnipeg Jets in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Puustinen last appeared in an NHL game in mid-November. He's spent most of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying 35 points (16G / 19A) in 47 games. The 25-year-old has appeared in 10 NHL games this season, scoring one goal with one assist.
