With Bryan Rust listed as day to day after suffering an upper-body injury in a hit to the head from San Jose Sharks veteran Patrick Marleau, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins forwards are prepared to step in for head coach Mike Sullivan.
With either Matt Cullen or Eric Fehr likely to take Rust's spot on Evgeni Malkin's wing, Game 1 scratches Beau Bennett and Oskar Sundqvist are the most likely options to join the fourth line in Game 2.
"If I'm slotted in there, I've got to be able to make a contribution right away," Bennett said, according to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I think I was maybe playing a little too cautious my first time around there."
Bennett's lone postseason appearance came in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he posted a minus-2 rating in just over 11 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, Sundqvist appeared in one game in each of the Penguins' first two rounds, failing to register a point or a shot in just under 19 minutes of ice time.
"I'm pretty comfortable when we don't have the puck," Sundqvist said. "I'm usually a guy that's on the right side. I think Sully knows that, too."
Regular season stats
| Player | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett | 33 | 6 | 6 | 12 | -1 | 10 |
| Sundqvist | 18 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
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