The Penguins will experience a rarity Sunday when they open the preseason with a set of split-squad games against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Faceoff for the first game at PPG Paints Arena is scheduled for a little after 1 p.m., and the second contest at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena is slated for just past 7 p.m.

How infrequent are split squad preseason games in the NHL? Penguins historian Bob Grove said this will be only the third time in the Penguins’ 55-year history they have had them.

On Sept. 19, 1970, they hosted the California Golden Seals, a long-defunct NHL franchise, and the Kansas City Blues of the former Central Professional Hockey League during their training camp that was staged in Brantford, Ont. Then on Sept. 17, 1988, the Penguins faced the New York Rangers in Denver and the New Jersey Devils in Utica, N.Y.

“This is my first experience with them,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “There are some logistical challenges. We’re going to divide the coaching staff. Mike Vellucci is going to coach the game at home. Todd Reirden is going to coach the game in Columbus. We’re going to divide our (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) staff with those guys. And I’m going to try to go to both games. That’s the only way, just thinking it through, that we could make it happen.”

When asked whose idea it was to stage the split-squad contests, Sullivan offered a curt reply with a wry grin.

“That’s a good question.”

The Penguins’ lineup for the first game will include:

Forwards: Corey Andonovski, Teddy Blueger, Jamie Devane, Jonathan Gruden, Filip Hallander, Kasperi Kapanen, Drew O’Connor, Kyle Olson, Sam Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen, Rickard Rakell, Jason Zucker

Defense: Isaac Belliveau, Mark Friedman, Jon Lizotte, Marcus Pettersson, Chad Ruhwedel, Ty Smith

Goaltenders: Casey DeSmith, Filip Lindberg

Vellucci will be assisted by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach J.D. Forrest and assistant coach Kevin Porter.

Their projected lineup for the second game includes:

Forwards: Raivis Ansons, Josh Archibald, Drake Caggiula, Ty Glover, Jordan Frasca, Danton Heinen, Sam Houde, Nathan Legare, Alex Nylander, Ryan Poehling, Lukas Svejkovsky, Radim Zohorna,

Defensemen: Taylor Fedun, P.O Joseph, Ryan McCleary, Xavier Ouellet, Chris Ortiz, Mitch Reinke, Jack St. Ivany

Goaltenders: Taylor Gauthier, Dustin Tokarski

Reirden will be joined by skating and skills development coach Ty Hennes as well as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton assistant Sheldon Brookbank.

Carter injured

AP In 76 games last season, Penguins forward Jeff Carter had 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists).  

Penguins forward Jeff Carter suffered an undisclosed injury Saturday during a scrimmage in Cranberry. Sullivan did not provide an update on the 37-year-old power forward other than to indicate he was being evaluated.

In 76 games last season, Carter had 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists) and averaged 17 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time per contest.

Crosby concerned for Nova Scotia

AP Penguins forward Sidney Crosby is a native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.  

Nova Scotia and much of the Canadian Maritimes were walloped by the remnants of Hurricane Fiona on Saturday in what the Canadian Hurricane Centre described as one of the largest tropical storms to ever strike that country.

Reuters reported 360,000 homes in Nova Scotia lost power. Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, a native of the province, wasn’t entirely sure of what damage might have been inflicted on his hometown of Cole Harbour.

“(A tropical storm) usually dissipates by the time it gets to us, but this one sounds like it hit pretty hard,” Crosby said. “Hoping everyone is OK and there’s minimal damage.”

Tropical storms of this magnitude are rare for the region.

“I remember Hurricane Juan (in 2003),” Crosby said. “It was a really bad storm. I was in Rimouski (Quebec) at the time when that one hit. That was one of the worst ones that I can remember. Every year, it’s something that everyone is aware of.”

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