Penguins forwards Josh Archibald, Kasperi Kapanen nearing returns

The Pittsburgh Penguins held their first teamwide activity in seven days Sunday when they gathered for practice in Cranberry.

With the benefit of their bye week and the break for the All-Star Game events, a few of them took to the ice with tans they acquired from locales a bit more exotic than February in Western Pennsylvania.

Two players who looked different were forwards Josh Archibald and Kasperi Kapanen.

Hobbled in recent weeks because of undisclosed injuries, both were full participants Sunday and had no limitations with regard to contact.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan suggested they could return to the lineup for Tuesday’s home game against the Colorado Avalanche.

“I would anticipate them continuing to make progress to the point where they would be a game-time decision against Colorado,” Sullivan said.

Currently designated to long-term injured reserve, Archibald has missed the past 19 games. His most recent game was a 3-2 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 18.

In all reality, he was fighting his way through his injury well before that.

“There was a couple of weeks span that I was feeling it a little bit,” Archibald said recently. “It was the right decision for us to take me out and get healthy and let me get back to 100%.”

A fourth-liner and penalty killer who relies on his skating and a penchant for contact to create energy for the team, Archibald and the Penguins medical staffers felt it was best for him to return to full strength instead of continuing to battle through his injury.

“When I can’t play to my full potential — just the fact of not helping the team the way I should be — that was a huge decision,” Archibald said. “Just (was) not being able to play with my full potential with the speed and physicality.”

In 30 games this season, Archibald has six points (four goals, two assists) while averaging 10 minutes, 15 seconds of ice time, one of the lowest figures on the team. Despite that limited deployment, Archibald led the Penguins in penalties drawn (14) and hits (109) at the time he left the lineup.

While hardly the team’s MVP, he might be its most unique.

“He’s an energy guy,” said forward Ryan Poehling, who skated on the fourth line regularly with Archibald this season. “I played with him quite a bit before he ended up getting hurt. It was great. I thought we had good chemistry. We were clicking for a bit there. … I’m excited to get him back there because he’s a special player, and it’s hard to replicate that kind of energy and speed.”

During practice, Teddy Blueger centered the fourth line with Poehling on the left wing and Archibald on the right wing.

Kapanen is currently designated to regular injured reserve and has missed the past five games. In 35 games this season, Kapanen has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) while clocking an average of 11:45 of ice time per contest.

Throughout practice, Kapanen skated on the right wing of the third line with Jeff Carter at center and Brock McGinn on the opposite wing.

Before practice, goaltender Tristan Jarry and defenseman Jan Rutta skated with goaltending coach Andy Chiodo and assistant coach Ty Hennes, respectively.

Both players are considered day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

Jarry has missed the past three games due while Rutta has been absent for the past seven contests.

Currently designated to long-term injured reserve, Rutta is not eligible to return to the lineup until a road contest against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 14.