Penguins Notebook: Fleury ‘Going to Be Himself’; Rutta Game-Time Decision

With an optional Penguins morning skate Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, defenseman Kris Letang, 35, was the oldest player who opted to participate. He had a tongue-in-cheek reason for skating – to avoid a possible prank from former longtime teammate Marc-Andre Fleury, who is scheduled to start Thursday night for the Minnesota Wild.

Letang said he wanted “to make sure he doesn’t steal” any of Letang’s equipment. Can’t steal if it Letang is wearing it.

Fleury, a prankster extraordinaire, would have been down the hall in the visiting team area with the Wild while the Penguins skated.

The game is crucial for the Penguins, who need to make a big push in their final four games for a chance to make the playoffs. It’s an important game for Minnesota, too. Even though the Wild has clinched a playoff spot, the team is in quite a battle for the Central Division title.

So he will give up the beloved version of Marc-Andre Fleury — chirping and other antics — against his original team and be sober as a goalpost in such a big game, right?

No way.

“I think he’s going to be himself,” Letang said. “I think that’s how he’s so good. He stays cool in the net, and he’s having fun.”

But Fleury will represent a challenge and could throw a wrench into the Penguins’ playoff hopes.

“Of course. He’s a great goaltender — probably in the top five of all time,” Letang said.

Top three, actually, if you go by wins. With 544 career wins, Fleury, 38, sits only behind Patrick Roy (551 wins) and Martin Brodeur (691) in NHL history. Fleury won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins before moving to Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft.

This season, Fleury is 24-14-4 with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .910 goals-against average.

“Obviously, some of our players have great friendships with ‘Flower,’ and he means a lot to this city for everything that he accomplished when he was here,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He was a great teammate. And those things will never change. I think that’s one of the great things about our game.

“But when the puck drops at 7 o’clock, these guys are fierce competitors and they want to win.”

Injury updates

All four injured Penguins participated in the morning skate, and Sullivans said defenseman Jan Rutta will be a game-time decision for the Wild game.

Forward Nick Bonino (out 14 games, lacerated kidney), defenseman Marcus Pettersson (out nine games, undisclosed) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (out 12 games, lower body) wore non-contact jerseys. Rutta (out 10 games, undisclosed) wore a regular jersey.

“I think he would be a big boost for us,” Sullivan said of Rutta. “He helps us on the penalty kill. He makes us harder to play against. He makes us better in the net-front. He’s just a real good defender, a solid player, give us some size back there (on defense).”

Penguins’ Optional Heavy on D

Normally, a game day after a day off means a full-attendance morning skate for the Penguins. Not Thursday.

The team held an optional skate, heavy with defensemen. The only forwards on the ice were Drew O’Connor, Danton Heinen and Bonino.

The only defenseman not on the ice was Brian Dumoulin. Both goaltenders, Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, skated.

Sullivan said Jarry will start.

A note on Jarry. This might be something, but probably is nothing. Twice while he was warming up for the morning skate, he took a spill. He reached back to check on his skate or a strap or something in the skate area the first time. He also consulted with someone from the equipment staff, and then participated in the skate with no apparent problem.