Game 5: Sykora scratched, Letang game time decision

The Penguins just concluded their morning skate and the big news from the skate is Petr Sykora will be a healthy scratch.

Sykora has 6 points in his last 29 games.

Sykora will be replaced in the lineup by Miroslav Satan.

Pascal Dupuis will be moved up to the 2nd line and Miroslav Satan will start the game on the 4th line according to a source.

Kris Letang who suffered a lower leg injury in Tuesday’s game,

participated in the morning skate and will be a game time decision.

Letang was one of the first players off in the morning skate and the injury is bothering him more than the Penguins thought it would as he participated in the Penguins dryland activities yesterday.

Philippe Boucher will play with Eaton, if Letang is out as Bylsma doesn’t want to switch the Scuderi – Gill pairing.

Strong vibe around the arena today that we will probably see Boucher tonight and one of the reasons is because Bylsma wants to use Boucher on the power play.

Evgeni Malkin is going to see plenty of different line combinations tonight. Pascal Dupuis is expected to begin to the game with Evgeni Malkin while Satan will start on the 4th line.

Satan will get some shifts with the second line as the game evolves but Bylsma doesn’t want to start him on the 2nd line after not playing an NHL game since March 3rd.

Kunitz – Crosby – Guerin

Fedotenko – Malkin – *Dupuis

Cooke – Staal – Kennedy

Satan – Talbot – Adams

Orpik – Gonchar

Gill – Scuderi

Eaton – Letang (GTD)/ Boucher

Marc Andre Fleury (3-1, 2.09 goals-against-average and a .937 save percentage in the series), will start in goal

Fleury’s goals against average dropped from 2.42 to 2.09 and his save percentage went from .917 to .937 after his 45 save performance.

Gagne – Richards – Knuble

Hartnell – Carter – Lupul

Briere – Giroux – Asham

Carcillo- Ross – Powe

Timonen – Parent

Coburn – Carle

Alberts – Jones

Martin Biron (1-3, 2.81 goals-against-average and a .912 save percentage in the series) will start in goal

“It’s going to be a tough test, but to be successful, some times you have to overcome some challenges,” Briere said. “This is a tough one, but we’re not quitters. We have to keep working hard. We could easily be up 3-1, but we’re not. It is what it is and we have to keep showing the same urgency we showed in the last couple games.”