PREGAME: Pens vs. Ducks

Consol Energy Center. 7:30. ROOT.

It's a hockey night in Pittsburgh and the first match-up of the season against the Anaheim Ducks (15-5-2). This will also end up being Anaheim's Teemu Selanne's last game in Pittsburgh. Both Pittsburgh and Anaheim are in slumps right now, Pens losing four of their last five games and the Ducks losing three straight. The last meeting between the teams was on February 15, 2012 with the Ducks having a 2-1 victory at CEC.

Forward Brian Gibbons was recalled from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins to play tonight. Also, you will be noticing a couple of line changes in tonight's game. Hopefully this will help with the team's scoring issue as of late, which captain Sidney Crosby weighed in on (via penguins.nhl.com):

"At the end of the day, you've gotta score, but if you're getting chances, I mean, I don't know what you really change. You try to go to the net just as much, work on those little things like stop at the net, get a screen, competing down at those areas. But ultimately, it's a matter of putting it in when you get a chance."

LINES:

(Via Daily Faceoff)

Kunitz - Crosby - Bennett

Dupuis - Malkin - Neal

Jokinen - Sutter - Gibbons

Glass - Vitale - Adams

Martin - Orpik

Engelland - Letang

Maatta - Niskanen

Fleury

Penner  - Getzlaf - Perry

Etem - Bonino - Selanne

Maroon - Palmieri - Rakell

Smith-Pelly - Cogliano - Winnik

Beauchemin - Fistric

Fowler - Lovejoy

Allen - Lindholm

Fasth

INJURY REPORT:

• PIT - Kobasew (lower-body), Scuderi (ankle), Vokoun (blood clot).
• ANA - Perreault (flu), Koivu (concussion), Silfverberg (hand).

LET'S GO PENS!