Morning Skate Report: Conner in lineup; Engelland back in

Morning Skate Report

The 7-8-1 Pittsburgh Penguins are about to take the ice for their morning skate as the team hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at the Consol Energy Center.

Army specialist Pat McIlvain who is a former Cal U hockey player from the 2003-04 season until 2006-07 is a special guest of the Penguins this morning.

McIlvain was seriously wounded in May while on active duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. He is a longtime Pens fan and traveled from a rehabilitation facility in Virginia to attend a special Veterans Day Hockey Event hosted by Cal U last night at the Consol Energy Center in what was a great event.

The Penguins went through their normal line rushes and Chris Conner is expected to make his season debut and skate on the third line with Mark Letestu and Tyler Kennedy.

Deryk Engelland will be back in the lineup tonight, replacing Ben Lovejoy.

Mike Comrie and Eric Godard are expected to be healthy scratches for Pittsburgh.

Lines & D-Pairs:

Kunitz – Crosby – Dupuis

Cooke – Malkin – Asham

Conner – Letestu – Kennedy

Adams – Talbot – Rupp

Extras: Comrie, Godard. Both are expected to be scratched….

D-Pairs

Martin – Michalek

Orpik – Letang

Goligoski – Engelland

Extra: Lovejoy

10:44 a.m. – Power Play Set Up

1st Unit: Kunitz – Malkin – Crosby

Letang – Goligoski

Notes: Evgeni Malkin is playing down low on the goalline with Sidney Crosby at the right half boards.

2nd Unit: Cooke – Conner – Letestu

Michalek – Martin