Canucks at Penguins
Two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Matt Murray is expected to return to the ice as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday before embarking on a four-game trek through Canada. Murray has been sidelined with a concussion that he sustained during a practice on Oct. 8.
"It's hard to know with injuries like that," the 24-year-old Murray told reporters of his fourth career concussion. "It's no fun to have those injuries. I was happy with how quickly it resolved." Casey DeSmith has drawn solid reviews from coach Mike Sullivan after turning aside 72 shots over his last two games for Pittsburgh, which fell to Montreal for the second time this season with a 4-3 shootout loss on Saturday. Vancouver answered two setbacks with back-to-back wins over the Sunshine State representatives (Tampa Bay and Florida) to even its six-game road trip with a 2-2-0 mark. Bo Horvat, who had a goal and three assists in two meetings with Pittsburgh last season, scored a goal for the third time in four outings on Saturday when he snapped a tie in the third period of a 3-2 victory over the Panthers.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Vancouver), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (3-2-0): The injury bug visited Vancouver as promising rookie Elias Pettersson and fellow forward Jay Beagle are expected to miss time with their respective ailments. The 19-year-old Petterson, who leads NHL rookies in goals (five) and points (eight), is out 7-10 days with a concussion after he was on the receiving end of a hit from Florida defenseman Mike Matheson on Saturday while Beagle will be sidelined six weeks with a fractured forearm. Adam Gaudette was recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League on Monday and could be slotted on the second line while fellow forward Markus Granlund may see duty on the fourth.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (2-1-1): Pittsburgh likely won't feel sorry for the Canucks' injury woes after learning defenseman Justin Schultz will be sidelined four months following his surgery this past weekend to repair a fracture of his lower left leg. "(Schultz) is not an easy guy to replace," coach Mike Sullivan said of the 28-year-old offensive-minded defenseman who is averaging 17 minutes of ice time before being injured Saturday. "He's a very good player and has been very good for us for a long time. So it's a tough loss from our standpoint, but certainly we've got to be prepared with the guys that we have." Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin will remain the top pair, with Schultz's partner Jack Johnson likely to join Olli Maatta on the ice.
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver D Alex Edler has recorded all of his team-leading five assists in the last four games.
2. Penguins RW Phil Kessel, who has scored four goals and set up another in his last two contests, notched three assists in two encounters with the Canucks last season.
3. Vancouver LW Sven Baertschi has two goals and three assists in his last three outings.