PITTSBURGH - When the Pittsburgh Penguins hit the ice for their first contest in February, they might have a few faces return to the lineup.
During the first team practice out of the bye week, the Penguins were joined by Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Archibald in a full capacity and the two were part of regular line rushes.
Kapanen joined Jeff Carter and Brock McGinn on the third line while Josh Archibald slotted in on the fourth with Teddy Blueger and Ryan Poehling.
Following the practice, head coach Mike Sullivan stated that the two have been progressing and considered them a game-time decision for the Tuesday contest against the Colorado Avalanche.
“I would anticipate them continuing to make progress to the point where they’d be a game-time decision against Colorado.”
It’s fair to assume those two will be back in the Penguins lineup, not only because a ‘game-time decision’ to Sullivan usually means they’re good to go, but he gave that notice well before a morning skate setting.
Kapanen has been out of the Penguins lineup with a lower-body injury since January 18 when the Penguins visted the Ottawa Senators.
Excactly a month before Kapanen went down, Archibald played his last game before suffering his own lower-body injury.
Archibald has been missing from the lineup since December 18 visiting the Carolina Hurricanes.
The two don’t bring much offensive threat to the lineup, but might supply good bursts of speed for a bottom six in desperate need of a push.
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