| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Sidney Crosby  ActiveSidney Crosby said his protective shield on his jaw isn't the reason why he's struggled on faceoffs during the playoffs. "That's me," he said, smiling. "All me. I'd love to be able to say [the protective bar is an issue]. I was trying to figure out why everyone kept asking me about that. Guess I know now." Heading into Game 3 Sunday night, Crosby had won 71 of his 82 draws for a success rate of 46.4 percent. He was better on Sunday though, winning 51.16 of his faceoffs. Crosby said he was told to expect "three or four" more medical procedures once his off-season begins to fix up his jaw and mouth. May 20 |
| 2 | Evgeni Malkin ActiveEvgeni Malkin had a game-high 10 shots on goal in Pittsburgh's double overtime loss to Ottawa Sunday night. He wasn't able to register a point in the contest. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang had a busy night as well with seven shots on goal, but he didn't get onto the scoresheet either as Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson shut the door in a 2-1 victory. They'll try to get Pittsburgh's offense rolling again on Wednesday night in Game 4. May 20 |
| 3 | Jussi Jokinen ActiveJussi Jokinen is waiting for another opportunity to play and he may get back into the lineup for Game 4 Wednesday night. "It's not easy to watch in the press box," he said. "I just want to play to my strengths and help my team win." The versatile forward could help the Penguins on faceoffs and he may join Craig Adams and Tyler Kennedy on the team's fourth line. Jokinen also denied speculation that he had been dealing with an injury, so he's good to go if he gets the chance to return to the lineup. May 22 |
| 4 | Brandon Sutter ActiveBrandon Sutter started Game 4 on the fourth line. He skated there for the latter part of Game 3 on Sunday as well. Sutter scored his first goal since April 17 in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Islanders after he was reunited with Matt Cooke and Brenden Morrow on the third line. Cooke and Morrow picked up assists on Sutter's first point of the playoffs. May 8 |
| 5 | Dustin Jeffrey ActiveDustin Jeffrey notched a goal and an assist in Pittsburgh's 3-1 win over Ottawa Monday night. It was his first appearance since April 2 and he made the most of his 14:49 of ice time. "This was my opportunity," Jeffrey said. "I wanted to do something with it." Apr 23 |
| 6 | Joe Vitale  SidelinedJoe Vitale wasn't able to play Sunday because of an undisclosed injury, but coach Dan Bylsma said it is "likely" that Vitale will participate in Tuesday's practice. Prior to missing Game 3 against Ottawa, Vitale had skated in Pittsburgh's previous four contests. Depending on how Tuesday's skate goes, he might be ready to return for Game 4 on Wednesday night. May 21 |
| LW | 1 | Chris Kunitz ActiveChris Kunitz was reunited with Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis at Thursday's practice. "I'm sure [coach Dan Bylsma] is pretty comfortable with us because we've played together for so long," said Crosby. The move sent Jarome Iginla back to the right side with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. These may be the line combinations that Bylsma chooses to go with in Game 2 versus Ottawa Friday night. May 17 |
| 2 | Brenden Morrow SidelinedBrenden Morrow is believed to be dealing with an upper-body injury, but it may not prevent him from playing in Game 4 Wednesday. He left Tuesday's practice early but it's suspected that he'll try to play through it Wednesday night. Morrow has skated on Pittsburgh's third and fourth lines throughout the playoffs and his undisclosed ailment might have something to do with that. He has one goal and two assists in nine postseason contests. May 22 |
| 3 | Matt Cooke ActiveMatt Cooke got his first point of the playoffs in Sunday's 2-1 double overtime loss to Ottawa. He picked up the only assist on Tyler Kennedy's second marker of the postseason. His contributions on offense have obviously been lacking, but his overall game hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates or the coaching staff. "He's pretty unbelievable right now," Kennedy said. "Cookie's always a good player, but he's really getting it done right now. He's a great leader, too." Cooke tied Craig Adams with a team-high six hits in Game 3 and he has racked up a total of 39 in nine playoff outings. He's also played great defensively. May 21 |
| 4 | Tanner Glass ActiveTanner Glass played 9:56 of ice time in Pittsburgh's double overtime loss to Ottawa in Game 3. He suited up in four games against the Islanders in the first round, but Sunday's match was his first appearance in the semifinals. He replaced Joe Vitale in the lineup. May 20 |
| RW | 1 | James Neal ActiveJames Neal has gone five straight playoff games without a goal, but linemate Evgeni Malkin is expecting "something big, soon" from the talented winger. Neal has one goal and two assists in seven games during the 2013 postseason. "He's had about six scoring chances from the same spot that almost look identical to each other," coach Dan Bylsma said. "Being in the area, having a good look at the net — pretty much in every game, he's had those chances to do that. It's hasn't gone in for him. Those are good looks there. He just needs one of those to go in." He will be looking to cash in on his opportunities in Game 4 on Wednesday night. May 22 |
| 2 | Jarome Iginla ActiveJarome Iginla has embraced his new role with the Pittsburgh Penguins. "It's not to say I didn't enjoy it back then," he said referring to his leadership role with the Calgary Flames. "I'm just enjoying what comes. Playing. When you're captain, there's more responsibility. You're thinking 'How's this guy feeling?', 'Where's the coach at?' Most of my focus is on just playing now, on myself, on being ready. And, yeah, that is a nice change." He's still thrilled to be back in the playoffs, where he has 10 points in nine games, and said he has no plans to retire in the off-season. Iginla is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this July if an extension isn't reached with the Penguins. May 20 |
| 3 | Pascal Dupuis ActivePascal Dupuis is tied for the playoff lead with six goals entering Thursday night's action and unsurprisingly he doesn't have any on the power play. He's played one second of man advantage time for the Penguins in the playoffs, which is the lowest on the team, but that isn't anything new for him as he averaged just 48 seconds of power-play time during the regular season. He has scored 20 of his 175 career regular-season goals when his team has been up a man. Oddly enough, he nearly has as many goals when his team is on the penalty kill (15) and he scored a shorthanded marker in Game 1 against Ottawa. The bulk of his goals come while skating five-on-five though. "He's been one of the best even-strength goal-scorers in the league for quite some time now," coach Dan Bylsma said. Of course this raises the question: why doesn't he get more power-play opportunities in the first place? It seems to work for the Penguins though, so don't expect them to change it. May 16 |
| 4 | Beau Bennett ActiveBeau Bennett was a healthy scratch in Game 4 Tuesday night. He had played in Pittsburgh's previous three meetings versus the Islanders prior to sitting out Tuesday's contest. Bennett has one goal on four shots in the postseason. May 8 |
| 5 | Tyler Kennedy ActiveTyler Kennedy was the lone goal scorer for the Penguins in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Senators in Game Three of their second round playoff series Sunday. The goal was the second of the postseason for Kennedy, who has played in every game of the second round after dressing for only Games 5 and 6 of the first round after being made a healthy scratch for the first four contests. Matt Cooke picked up his first point of the playoffs with an assist on the goal. May 20 |
| 6 | Craig Adams ActiveThe Penguins know that it will be a major test for them to contain Erik Karlsson. Karlsson has a goal and five assists in five games during the playoffs. "I don't think he changes your game plan," Craig Adams said. "It just makes things more difficult when he's out there. His biggest asset is his skating. He carries the puck up the ice, but you can't always count on him playing at the point. He's just so mobile. He's got that ability to jump into the play and the speed to get back." May 14 |
| D | 1 | Kris Letang ActiveKris Letang earned a goal and an assist in Game 5 Thursday night. Both of his goals this postseason have come on the power play and he has six points in five contests versus the Islanders. Letang is tied with Ottawa's Erik Karlsson for the most points among defensemen in the NHL playoffs heading into Friday night's action. May 10 |
| 2 | Paul Martin ActivePaul Martin posted a game-high eight blocked shots in Sunday's double overtime loss to Ottawa. Martin broke his left hand blocking a shot in March, but that won't stop him from getting in front of chances for the opposition. "You don't think about getting hurt this time of year," Martin said. "You just play your game. You're in a zone. You know these games can come down to one little play. If you don't get a piece of the puck or you don't let [Tomas] Vokoun see it and you end up losing the game, you feel awful. You do everything you can to help the team win." Martin has been great for the Penguins this season and he's carried over that play into the playoffs, where he has nine points and a plus-8 rating in nine games. He is also currently third in the postseason with 26 blocks. May 22 |
| 3 | Matt Niskanen ActivePenguins Matt Niskanen recently found himself on the team's top defensive pairing alongside superstar Kris Letang. Niskanen, who plays a fairly well-rounded game, understands he must play a more defensive style when paired with the Norris Trophy finalist. "Being aware of when [Letang] is being aggressive up the ice, I've got to be more responsible to let him do what he does," Niskanen said. It's a testament to his versatility that Niskanen can be paired with such an offensive partner after spending time alongside stay-at-home blueliner Doug Murray. May 19 |
| 4 | Brooks Orpik ActiveBrooks Orpik potted the game-winning goal in the Penguins' 4-3 overtime win against the Islanders on Saturday night sending them into the second round. Yes, Orpik and his 12 career NHL goals (first in the playoffs) got the decisive goal at 7:49 of overtime on a slapshot. Sure, what counts is that Penguins won the series 4-2, but they were far from consistent in this game (and series). Now it's time to turn the page and forget about their ragged play. Paul Martin had a goal and two helpers, while Pascal Dupuis and Jarome Iginla notched the other markers. Matt Niskanen, Joe Vitale, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby had the other assists. Malkin had a rough game in every zone until he fed Martin on the 3-3, game-tying goal with 5:16 left. The Penguins will now face the Senators in Round 2. May 11 |
| 5 | Deryk Engelland ActiveIt looks like Deryk Engelland will get back into the lineup for Game 1 against Ottawa Tuesday night. His inclusion makes sense since the Senators played a physical series versus Montreal in Round 1 and he enjoys playing that kind of game. He was paired with Doug Murray in the morning skate after he skated in the team's top-six group in Monday's practice as well. With Engelland likely to play, Simon Despres will head to the press box. May 14 |
| 6 | Doug Murray ActiveDoug Murray recorded five blocked shots in Tuesday's Game 1 victory over Ottawa. He also chipped in an assist to give him three points in seven playoff games. Murray was paired with Deryk Engelland in the contest. "It was great," he said afterward. "He's very similar to myself. He plays a physical game, a simple game. We make simple plays. He's an easy guy to read off." His offensive support has been a surprising addition to his arsenal, to go with his typical contributions of 11 hits and 15 blocks, which has helped him to slightly exceed expectations. May 15 |
| 7 | Simon Despres ActiveSimon Despres was a healthy scratch Tuesday. He played in three games against the New York Islanders in Round 1, but when the semifinals began against the Ottawa Senators he was sent to the press box. Despres sat in favor of Deryk Engelland, who plays a rugged style which matches the Senators' style much more. May 15 |
| 8 | Robert Bortuzzo ActiveRobert Bortuzzo played in his first game since his recall Wednesday night. Bortuzzo, who was sent to the minors in late March for a conditioning stint, had an assist in 18:41. He has three points and a plus-three rating in 12 games this season. Apr 3 |
| G | 1 | Marc-Andre Fleury ActivePenguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury continues to await his chance to get back between the pipes in the postseason. Fleury was replaced by backup Tomas Vokoun prior to Game Six of the team's first round series win over the Islanders who has yet to concede the role, posting a perfect 4-0 record in the process. Vokoun will be in goal for Game Three of their second round series in Ottawa Sunday, but it's anybody's guess which net minder gets the nod once the Penguins actually lose a game. May 19 |
| 2 | Tomas Vokoun ActiveTomas Vokoun allowed two goals on 48 shots Sunday in a 2-1 double-overtime loss to the Senators. Despite being saddled with a loss Vokoun was excellent in this contest, a vast improvement over his play in a Game Two victory. The loss is the first blemish against his otherwise perfect record in the playoffs and it will be interesting to see whether coach Dan Bylsma tabs Vokoun for the Game Four start rather than return to Marc-Andre Fleury. May 20 |
| 3 | Eric Hartzell ActivePittsburgh GM Ray Shero said the team has "no plans" to play Eric Hartzell this season. Since he was signed after the NHL trade deadline, he isn't eligible for the Stanley Cup playoffs and he can't play for their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton either during the postseason. "He's going to be the third goalie, soak things up and be around the team," Shero said. "Having Eric here will be good for his development." Hartzell was signed by the Penguins last week after he posted a career-year with Quinnipiac University. He's projected to join the team on Wednesday. Apr 17 |