Pens/Leafs
Penguins: Are 1-1 vs. Maple Leafs this season, including 4-0 loss Oct. 27 and 3-1 victory Nov. 1. ... LW Jan Hrdina has five goals, seven assists in 13 career games vs. Toronto. ... Have lost past three road games by combined score of 15-2.
The Penguins practiced for a little more than an hour yesterday at Air Canada Centre, working mostly on the transition game. All players who made the trip participated, although LW Dan LaCouture, LW Jan Hrdina, RW Aleksey Morozov and RW Toby Petersen had to leave because of various ailments. All are expected to be available tonight, leaving the Penguins without C Mario Lemieux (hip), LW Martin Straka (leg) and RW Billy Tibbetts. Tibbetts is not allowed to enter Canada because of his criminal record, so he flew Sunday directly from Phoenix, site of the Penguins' previous game, to Boston, site of the next game and his hometown. He will rejoin the team when it arrives in Boston tomorrow.
Kehoe's juggling of lines continued with another overhaul for practice yesterday. C Robert Lang was on the top line between Hrdina and RW Alexei Kovalev, C Milan Kraft between LW Stephane Richer and Morozov, C Kris Beech between LW Kevin Stevens and Petersen and C Wayne Primeau between LaCouture and RW Krzysztof Oliwa
Kehoe said G Johan Hedberg will start tonight. That would be his fifth in a row, and it would come after back-to-back games in which Hedberg allowed five goals. Several players spoke about the need for improved defense in front of Hedberg
The Maple Leafs had all of their players at practice except LW Mikael Renberg, who is questionable for tonight because of a bruised foot. If he doesn't play, that would leave Toronto without a critical piece of its top forward line, an all-Swedish trio which includes C Mats Sundin and RW Jonas Hoglund. They have combined for 64 points and a plus-39 rating. Also, D Wade Belak, who missed two games because of the death of his grandfather, returned to practice and will play.
Penguins: Are 1-1 vs. Maple Leafs this season, including 4-0 loss Oct. 27 and 3-1 victory Nov. 1. ... LW Jan Hrdina has five goals, seven assists in 13 career games vs. Toronto. ... Have lost past three road games by combined score of 15-2.
The Penguins practiced for a little more than an hour yesterday at Air Canada Centre, working mostly on the transition game. All players who made the trip participated, although LW Dan LaCouture, LW Jan Hrdina, RW Aleksey Morozov and RW Toby Petersen had to leave because of various ailments. All are expected to be available tonight, leaving the Penguins without C Mario Lemieux (hip), LW Martin Straka (leg) and RW Billy Tibbetts. Tibbetts is not allowed to enter Canada because of his criminal record, so he flew Sunday directly from Phoenix, site of the Penguins' previous game, to Boston, site of the next game and his hometown. He will rejoin the team when it arrives in Boston tomorrow.
Kehoe's juggling of lines continued with another overhaul for practice yesterday. C Robert Lang was on the top line between Hrdina and RW Alexei Kovalev, C Milan Kraft between LW Stephane Richer and Morozov, C Kris Beech between LW Kevin Stevens and Petersen and C Wayne Primeau between LaCouture and RW Krzysztof Oliwa
Kehoe said G Johan Hedberg will start tonight. That would be his fifth in a row, and it would come after back-to-back games in which Hedberg allowed five goals. Several players spoke about the need for improved defense in front of Hedberg
The Maple Leafs had all of their players at practice except LW Mikael Renberg, who is questionable for tonight because of a bruised foot. If he doesn't play, that would leave Toronto without a critical piece of its top forward line, an all-Swedish trio which includes C Mats Sundin and RW Jonas Hoglund. They have combined for 64 points and a plus-39 rating. Also, D Wade Belak, who missed two games because of the death of his grandfather, returned to practice and will play.