Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph could rejoin lineup against Coyotes
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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph is expected to return to his team’s lineup for Tuesday’s home game against the Arizona Coyotes at PPG Paints Arena.
An undisclosed injury has sidelined him for the past 16 games at the NHL level.
Joseph did play in two American Hockey League (AHL) games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this past weekend while on a conditioning assignment.
Currently designated to injured reserve, Joseph has been limited to five games this season and has recorded one assist while averaging 13:05 of ice time per contest.
Joseph is expected to be paired with rookie defenseman John Ludvig on the team’s third pairing for Tuesday’s game. Each player left the ice following an optional morning skate earlier than defenseman Ryan Shea.
That is usually a strong indicator of which players will play or be scratched.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan indicated Joseph is available for the lineup.
Notes:
• The Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry. In 20 games this season, Jarry has an 8-10-2 record, a 2.48 goals against average, a .916 save percentage and three shutouts.
Throughout his career, Jarry has faced the Coyotes in five games and has never lost to them, posting a 5-0-0 record, a 1.78 goals against average, a .928 save percentage and one shutout.
• Penguins forward Lars Eller, who missed Monday’s practice session in Cranberry due to an undisclosed illness, is expected to be available for Tuesday’s game.
• Penguins forward Rickard Rakell, sidelined for the past nine games due to an undisclosed injury, participated in the optional morning skate. It marked the first time he had joined either a morning skate or practice since he was injured.
Sullivan was hesitant to offer much detail on Rakell’s recovery but provided some optimism he could be available in the near future.
“He has to get to the point where we get him some team practices where he gets full participation with body contact in a game-real environment,” Sullivan said. “That’s the final stage. But certainly, the fact that he joined the team in an optional skate today I think is real encouraging because it’s very suggestive of where he’s at in potentially nearing that final step.”
Rakell is currently designated to long-term injured reserve and is not eligible to rejoin the active roster until Saturday.
• Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel will miss his 10th consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. He is currently designated to regular injured reserve.
• Those who participated in the optional morning skate included:
Forwards – Eller, Jonathan Gruden, Vinnie Hinostroza, Marc Johnstone, Evgeni Malkin, Valtteri Puustinen, Rakell, Radim Zohorna
Defensemen – Joseph, Ludvig, Ruhwedel, Shea
Goaltenders – Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic
• To make room for Joseph on the active roster, reserve defenseman Dmitri Samorukov is currently on waivers. Should he clear by 2 p.m. Tuesday, he is scheduled to be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
• Injured Penguins forward Noel Acciari skated before the morning skate with assistant coach Ty Hennes. Currently designated to regular injured reserve, Acciari has missed the past four games due to an undisclosed injury.
• Penguins assistant equipment manager Danny Kroll is scheduled to work his 1,000th career game Tuesday. A native of Castle Shannon, Kroll has been with the team since 2006 and has been a member of the franchise’s three most recent Stanley Cup championships (2009, 2016 and 2017).
• The Penguins enter this contest with a 10-game winning streak against the Coyotes, their longest active winning streak against any other franchise.
• The Penguins’ most recent loss to the Coyotes was a 4-3 overtime road loss on Feb. 11, 2017.
The last time the Coyotes won in Pittsburgh, they were still the Phoenix Coyotes.
In a 3-2 win at what was then called Consol Energy Center, goals by forward Dave Mosse, Antoine Vermette and Mikkel Boedker secured victory for the Coyotes. Forwards Jussi Jokinen and Taylor Pyatt scored for the Penguins.
• The Coyotes did not hold a morning skate after traveling overnight from Buffalo following a 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
• Coyotes rookie forward Logan Cooley, a native of West Mifflin, is slated to play his first career game against the Penguins. Cooley, 19, was the third-overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, the highest a native of Western Pennsylvania has ever been drafted in the NHL.
In 27 games this season, Cooley has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists).
• The Coyotes are scheduled to start goaltender Connor Ingram. In 17 games this season, Ingram has an 11-5-0 record, a 2.52 goals against average, a .920 save percentage and two shutouts.
Ingram, a third-year veteran, has never faced the Penguins in his career.