Morning skate buzz; Malkin to miss 2nd straight game; Fleury to start in goal

Pittsburgh Penguins (41-24-5-87pts) @ Boston Bruins (31-26-12-74pts)

Penguins morning skate update

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin will miss his second straight game tonight. Malkin did not attempt to participate in the Penguins optional skate.

Meanwhile, Dan Bylsma will go back to Marc Andre Fleury in goal.

Fleury participated in the Penguins optional skate and will look to rebound from last night’s loss. The initial plan was to start Brent Johnson.

The Penguins kept Matt Cooke away from the media and he did not participate in today’s morning skate and was not available to the Boston or Pittsburgh media.

Enforcer Eric Godard who has been sidelined with a torn groin, has been cleared to return to the lineup by team doctors.

Godard will be a coaches decision and is expected to participate in warmups. If Bylsma opts to play Godard, Tyler Kennedy or Max Talbot will come out of the lineup.

A source on the scene who spoke to defenseman Jay McKee after the morning skate tells me that McKee has not been given any indication whether he will return to the lineup tonight.

With the Penguins having an optional skate, Bylsma has yet to post tonight’s lineup.

Bruins morning skate update

*Goaltender Tuukka Rask will start in goal for the Bruins. Rask, 23, is 16-9-4 on the season with a 2.09 GAA and a .928 save percentage.

The emergence of Rask potentially becoming a No. 1 goaltender in Boston has been know for over a year which is why many league executives were questioning the Bruins decision to give Tim Thomas a four year extension worth more than $5 million per season last spring.

*Bruins leading scorer Patrice Bergeron will play despite a bruised knee.

*Dennis Wideman, Blake Wheeler and Johnny Boychuk did not participate in the Bruins morning skate. Wideman and Wheeler are ill.