:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60637111/usa-today-9331933.0.0.0.jpg)
It will be flashbacks to June when the San Jose Sharks take to Pittsburgh ice again, this time in the 2016-17 regular season.
However, for the Penguins, a lot of star power will be sitting and watching. Sidney Crosby (concussion) remains out and Kris Letang is gone too, leaving a big absence in the lineup. Depth-wise Game 2 SCF OT hero Conor Sheary won't play after being high-sticked in the eye last game, and Brian Dumoulin was banged up not to skate, but is expected to play.
San Jose's bringing the better team on paper, however games are not played on paper.
San Jose expected lines
Tomas Hertl - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski
Mikkel Boedker - Logan Couture - Joonas Donski
Patrick Marleau - Chris Tierney - Joel Ward
Micheal Haley - Tommy Wingels - Melker Karlsson
Paul Martin / Brent Burns
Marc-Eduoard Vlasic / Justin Braun
Brendon DIllon / David Schlemko
Pittsburgh expected lines
Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust
Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
Scott Wilson - Matt Cullen - Patric Hornqvist
Tom Kuhnhackl - Eric Fehr - Tom Sestito
Defensive pairs are uncertain but Derrick Pouliot will make his season debut and join the 5 healthy players in the lineup (Dumoulin, Trevor Daley, Olli Maatta, Ian Cole, Justin Schultz)
Marc-Andre Fleury will play the 5th straight game in net.
---
The Sharks come into tonight's game 3-1-0 on the season, and tonight is the 4th game in an early season 5 game Eastern Conference swing for them. So far on this trip they've beaten Columbus, lost to NYR and defeated NYI in their most recent contest Tuesday night. Next up is a game in Detroit to close out their trip.
The Penguins come in losers of their last two games but still maintaining a 2-1-1 record. Pittsburgh flies to Nashville tomorrow for a Saturday night contest there.
Brent Burns is currently leading the league in scoring! The big defensemen has 8 points (3g+5a) in the first 4 games of the season to take the early lead. Pavelski (2+4), Thornton (0+5) and Couture (2+2) all are performing at a point/game or better rate as well.
Pittsburgh has a lot on their plate with a depleted lineup, but crazier things have certainly happened then to have a competitive game tonight.