Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman, missed his second straight game due to illness, having also sat out against Columbus. In his absence, Owen Pickering made his NHL debut, while forward Vasily Ponomarev also played his first game for the Penguins after a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Penguins are struggling, holding a 6-10-3 record and have been outscored 16-5 during a three-game losing streak. They recently traded Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals following a heavy defeat.