The Penguins will play the final game of their California road trip tonight, taking on the Sharks in San Jose.
The Pens sit last in the Metro Division and in the entire Eastern Conference entering the action tonight while the Sharks are sixth in the Pacific Division.
At practice yesterday, Pens coach Dan Muse switched up his lines again, moving Nick Robertson up to the second line with Egor Chinakhov and Ben Kindel, putting Ville Koivunen on the third line with Justine Brazeau and Tommy Novak, and inserting Rutger McGroarty on the fourth line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar. The top line again was made up of Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin.
Muse says Crosby and Malkin have played together before and they know each other’s game so well, it’s a natural fit.
The coach said he wanted to see how Robertson’s offense worked with Chinakhov and Kindel.
Defenseman Sam Girard was off the ice for what Muse called a “maintenance day”. His place was taken by Trevor Van Reimsdyk, who was a full practice participant for the first time since going on injured reserve. He’d suffered an apparent foot injury three days before against Columbus.
Faceoff tonight is shortly after ten o’clock. The airtime on 92.5 FM U92 is at nine.
