Pittsburgh Penguins News

Letang missed Saturday’s game vs. the Kings but could play Monday vs. the Ducks. Letang was a full participant in the Penguins morning skate, suggesting he’ll be back in tonight.

Jones was recalled from Bakersfield (AHL) after Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell was injured. Jones sat as a healthy scratch last night but is expected to replace Chris Wideman on Friday. Jones is Seth Jones’ brother but doesn’t have the exact same skillset. Jones is a physical defenseman with a little offensive upside, picking up 12 points (2G / 10A) in 21 games with the Condors this season.

With Oscar Klefbom out for an extended period of time, it looks like Jones will jump from the AHL to the NHL and leapfrog Chris Wideman and Jason Garrison on the depth chart. Jones, who was a fourth-round pick in 2015, has two goals and 10 assists (12 points) in 21 games with Bakersfield this season.

Rakell suffered a sprained ankle last Wednesday and will miss at least a few weeks. With Rakell out, Daniel Sprong has taken on a larger role early in his Ducks career and could play top-6 minutes until Rakell is back.

Mantha broke his had in a fight with Patrik Nemeth on Sunday and will miss at least one month. With Mantha out, Gustav Nyquist will move to the top-line on Tuesday and Luke Witkowski will dress as a seventh defenseman.

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.