Season series: Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist, including the game-winner in overtime, in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-3 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 25. Sidney Crosby scored twice and Kris Letang had two assists. Paul Stastny and Alex Pietrangelo each had a goal and an assist for St. Louis.
Penguins team scope: Defenseman Kris Letang will be a game-time decision for Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Letang did not play Sunday in a 5-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes with an upper-body injury, sustained Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Penguins could be without defenseman David Warsofsky, who was injured Sunday in the third period after landing on his head following an inadvertent collision with referee Tim Peel. Coach Mike Sullivan said Warsofsky would be evaluated and more information would be known Monday. Crosby has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 13 games after scoring two goals on Sunday; Malkin has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in his past nine games, including two assists Sunday. The Penguins haven't lost in regulation the past four games (2-0-2) but they are 2-6-1 in the second of back-to-back games.
Blues team scope: Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester took part in an optional skate for St. Louis on Sunday and is questionable. He has missed four games with an upper-body injury sustained Jan. 8 against the Anaheim Ducks following a hit by Ryan Getzlaf. "I feel good," Bouwmeester said Sunday. "I've skated a few times now. Skating again tomorrow morning and see how she goes. I feel good, so that's good at this point. ... I'll know [Monday]. The few skates that we've had have been good, but it's not like a real practice or anything." Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who was injured on Jan. 9 and has missed three games, also skated Sunday but coach Ken Hitchcock said Gunnarsson (upper body) will not play Monday. Goalie Brian Elliott, coming off a career-high 46 saves in a 4-3 victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, will start. The Blues recalled defenseman Andre Benoit from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
After coming up just short in the final two games of a road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally broke through with Sidney Crosby providing the bulk of the scoring.
Crosby also played a significant role in Pittsburgh's win over St. Louis earlier this season, and he'll try to lead the Penguins to a season sweep of the Blues on Monday night.
Pittsburgh (21-16-7) lost back-to-back games in overtime before returning home Sunday and didn't disappoint its fans with a 5-0 rout of Carolina. Olli Maatta opened the scoring 3:54 into the game and Crosby helped put it away with a pair of goals.
"We need the points. It's nice to get two here instead of one," Crosby said. "We had a pretty good game all the way through. It was a good team effort."
Crosby also scored two goals in a 4-3 overtime victory against St. Louis on Nov. 25, and Evgeni Malkin tallied the winner.
The Blues (26-15-7) have won three of four since a season-worst five-game skid that included two overtime defeats and one in a shootout. Jori Lehtera scored in an extra period Saturday in a 4-3 victory against Montreal and Brian Elliott made a career-high 46 saves.
"You can't waste a performance like that," said forward Ty Rattie, who scored the tying goal with 5:25 left in regulation. ''Ells was on his game and he wanted it."
St. Louis denied Montreal on six of seven power plays and is 22 for 25 on the penalty kill in the past six games. That's helped make up for a 2-for-18 performance with a man advantage in the last five contests.
The Penguins are converting at 31.7 percent on the power play in their past 13. Their penalty kill is 33 for 36 in the last 12 contests and newly acquired forward Carl Hagelin helped them go 4 for 4 in Sunday's victory.
Pittsburgh got Hagelin from Anaheim on Friday for David Perron and Adam Clendening.
"I've been PK'ing for a while now in this league," Hagelin told the team's official website. "I think experience is key when it comes to the PK, and obviously we didn't let in any goals today so that's a good thing.
"You can always get better, but we got the two points and that's all that matters."
Pittsburgh hasn't earned two wins over St. Louis in one season since 1998-99.
With Marc-Andre Fleury starting Sunday, Pittsburgh might give backup netminder Jeff Zatkoff his first appearance against the Blues.
Elliott hasn't faced Pittsburgh since a 4-2 home loss Feb. 21, the Penguins' third win in their last five trips to St. Louis. Elliott was 3-0-1 with a 1.21 goals-against average in his prior four matchups.
Pittsburgh's Nick Bonino has five goals and five assists in his last nine games against St. Louis - all victories - but is out indefinitely because of a hand injury. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is a game-time decision after sitting out Sunday's victory because of an undisclosed ailment.
Letang has five goals and seven assists in his past seven games.
2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Not Ott, because he is a booger-eating dumb dumb
The Blues recalled defenseman Andre Benoit from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
Precursor to a move of a roster D-man? We've been without Slowmeester and Gunnarson for several games, not sure why we would need a callup now, as opposed to three games ago.
2012-2013 official LGB sponsor of Vladimir Sobotka
2013-2014 official LGB sponsor of Ryan Miller
2014-2015 official LGB sponsor of Alexander Steen
2015-2016 official LGB sponsor of Kyle Brodziak
2016-2017 official LGB sponsor of Alexander Steen
2017-2018 official LGB sponsor of Scotty Upshall
2018-2019 official LGB sponsor of Brayden Schenn
2012-2013 official LGB sponsor of Vladimir Sobotka
2013-2014 official LGB sponsor of Ryan Miller
2014-2015 official LGB sponsor of Alexander Steen
2015-2016 official LGB sponsor of Kyle Brodziak
2016-2017 official LGB sponsor of Alexander Steen
2017-2018 official LGB sponsor of Scotty Upshall
2018-2019 official LGB sponsor of Brayden Schenn
2012-2013 official LGB sponsor of Vladimir Sobotka
2013-2014 official LGB sponsor of Ryan Miller
2014-2015 official LGB sponsor of Alexander Steen
2015-2016 official LGB sponsor of Kyle Brodziak
2016-2017 official LGB sponsor of Alexander Steen
2017-2018 official LGB sponsor of Scotty Upshall
2018-2019 official LGB sponsor of Brayden Schenn
