PREGAME: Pens vs. Sharks

Consol Energy Center.  7:00. ROOT.

Tonight is the first of two games this season between the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-9-1) and the San Jose Sharks (19-3-5). The last time they met, on November 3rd, 2011, the Pens fell in a 4-3 shootout loss.

Tonight is the return of Tyler Kennedy, who played 6 seasons with the Pens and contributed to their 2009 Stanley Cup win. Fans on Twitter acting like they suddenly care that he's gone and miss him sooooooooo much and the Pens will honor him by showing a video in first period.

Pretty crappy news came about a few hours ago; Evgeni Malkin will be out of this game and is day-to-day with an unspecified lower body injury. Get well soon, Geno!

LINES:

(Via Daily Faceoff)

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis

Jokinen - Sutter - Neal

Conner - Ebbett - Sill

Adams - Vitale - Bortuzzo (?!)

Engelland - Orpik

Maatta - Letang

Niskanen - Despres

Fleury

Hertl - Thornton - Burns

Marleau - Couture - Wingels

Havlat - Pavelski - Kennedy

Sheppard - Desjardins - Brown

Braun - Vlasic

Stuart - Boyle

Demers - Hannan

Niemi

INJURY REPORT:

• PIT - Vokoun (blood clot), Scuderi (ankle), Martin (tibia), Kobasew (lower-body), Bennett (wrist/hand), Glass (hand), Malkin (lower-body).
• SJ - Torres (knee), Burish (lower-body).

LET'S GO PENS!