The Pittsburgh Penguins saw their four-game win streak snapped in their 4-2 loss against the New York Rangers on Friday.
And in the second game of their back-to-back on Saturday, it looks like they’ll be down a man.
Forward Philip Tomasino sustained an upper-body injury during Friday’s game and will not be in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Coach Sullivan says Philip Tomasino will be out of the lineup tonight with an upper-body injury.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 7, 2024
Tomasino, acquired on Nov. 25 from the Nashville Predators, had three goals in his first five games with the Penguins after starting the year with Nashville having only one assist. He has been a key part of the Penguins’ top-six during their recent winning stretch, flanking Evgeni Malkin from the right side.
Cody Glass – playing in his first game since Nov. 4 after sustaining a concussion – assumed Tomasino’s place near the end of Friday’s game and will assume that right wing spot again on Saturday.
“I thought he was fine,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Glass’s effort against New York. “He hasn’t played in a while, so just getting his timing back, just the intensity of an NHL game… it’s hard to simulate that in the return-to-play process. That first game’s always not the easiest, and I thought he did a good job managing the puck and keeping his shifts short. We know he’ll get better with each game he plays.”
There will be a few other lineup changes as well, as Jesse Puljujarvi comes in for Tomasino and will be on the third line with Blake Lizotte and Michael Bunting, while Anthony Beauvillier drops to the fourth.
In addition, Owen Pickering will play on the top defense pairing with Kris Letang, and Ryan Graves will make his return to the lineup in place of Ryan Shea:
Goaltender Tristan Jarry will get the nod against Toronto, and he has had a save percentage over .900 in three of his last five starts. In his career against the Leafs, Jarry is 5-3 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average.
Toronto has started off the season as one of the NHL’s top teams with a 16-8-2 record, and they are currently first in the Atlantic Division. They lost their last tilt against the Washington Capitals but are 7-3 in their last 10.
Forward Mitch Marner is leading the charge for the Leafs, as he has nine goals and 36 points in 26 games this season.
