Panthers at Penguins
THE STORY: After dropping a 5-0 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Florida Panthers will venture to the western side of the Keystone State to visit the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. Pittsburgh will vie for its eighth straight win as Sidney Crosby makes perhaps his last appearance in the team's luxury suite. The captain, who is now symptom-free from a concussion, has been rumored to make his return Sunday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Panthers), ROOT Sports (Penguins)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (31-23-12): Coach Kevin Dineen's club looked every bit as rusty as a team that hadn't played in four days. After posting a 4-2 triumph over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, the Panthers were sluggish against the Flyers on Thursday and were shut out for the fourth time in 18 games. Goaltender Jose Theodore will look to rebound against the Penguins, against whom he has posted an impressive 20-5-2 career mark with one tie and four shutouts. The veteran stopped 39 of 41 shots in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh on Nov. 19.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (40-21-5): Pascal Dupuis collected two goals and an assist as Pittsburgh rallied from an early deficit to secure a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Hart Trophy candidate Evgeni Malkin was held off the scoresheet versus Toronto, but his next point will be the 500th of his career. The Russian did score in Pittsburgh's 4-1 triumph over Florida on Jan. 13.
OVERTIME:
1. The Panthers have permitted the first two goals in six of the last seven contests (2-3-1) and seven of nine (2-4-1).
2. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who received a rare night off Wednesday, is expected to be back between the pipes. Fleury defeated Florida in both his starts this season, stopping 57 of 60 total shots.