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Penguins Practice: Guentzel & Zucker Absent, Kapanen to Crosby Line

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Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Kasperi Kapanen

Cranberry, Twp — The Pittsburgh Penguins are never boring. Wednesday’s practice included Evgeni Malkin in a non-contact jersey assisting on some drills and participating in others. Two things the practice did not include were Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker.

Both were absent from practice. Pittsburgh Hockey Now will update this story when head coach Mike Sullivan updates their status after practice at the UPMC Lemieux Complex.

UPDATE: Sullivan said Guentzel is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Get all of the Penguins injury updates, including Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin here. 

In Guentzel’s absence, winger Kasperi Kapanen ascended to the top line and skated on Sidney Crosby’s right wing. The red-hot Evan Rodrigues flipped to the LW.

Drew O’Connor filled the second line LW spot with Jeff Carter and Danton Heinen.

Sullivan kept his defensive trio together on the third line, with Zach Aston-Reese beside Teddy Blueger and Brock McGinn. The Pittsburgh Penguins fourth line became a hodge-podge with Brian Boyle in the middle, Dominik Simon on the left, and Sam Lafferty on the right.

Dominik Simon got the tap to join the top power-play unit on Wednesday. Kris Letang, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, and Evan Rodrigues completed the top unit.

PP2: John Marino, Mike Matheson  O’Connor, Heinen, and Kapanen.

Kapanen got an education on carrying the puck into the zone and being confronted by the Penguins top-ranked penalty killers. A couple of turnovers later, Kapanen wisely dumped the puck behind the net on his next trip across the blue line.

There were no changes on the blue line.

Pittsburgh Penguins lines:

Rodrigues-Crosby-Kapanen

O’Connor-Carter-Heinen

Aston-Reese–Blueger–McGinn

Simon-Boyle-Lafferty

Defense:

Letang-Dumoulin

Matheson-Marino

Pettersson-Ruhwedel