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.
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.
Ouellet was a healthy scratch for the last two games, but will replace Mike Reilly tonight in Calgary. Ouellet has just three assists while averaging 17:21 TOI/gm in 16 games this season.
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.
Riikola has been a healthy scratch for the last two games, but is expected to be back in the Penguins lineup on Monday. The rookie defenseman has failed to record a point while averaging 17:34 TOI/GM in his first six NHL games.
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.
Riikola had a rough night in Edmonton on Tuesday, so he will get a chance to sit in the press box tonight. Chad Ruhwedel will replace him on the third pairing.
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.
Jarry backed up Casey DeSmith last week, but Matt Murray returned to the bench on Saturday so there’s no reason for the Penguins to carry three goaltenders. The 23-year-old netminder has yet to make an appearance this season, but was 9-5-0 with a 3.05 GAA and .901 SV% in 16 AHL games last year.
Johnsson has not picked up a point while averaging just 8:26 TOI/GM in the first three games of the season. Tonight he will be replaced by Frederik Gauthier as the Maple Leafs try to add some size to their lineup vs. the Stars.
