Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic scheduled to start against Capitals

Pittsburgh Penguins Alex Nedeljkovic is scheduled to start his team’s regular season finale, a home contest against the rival Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.

Coach Mike Sullivan announced Nedeljkovic’s status during an optional morning skate in Cranberry.

In 37 games this season, Nedeljkovic has a 13-15-5 record, a 3.16 goals against average, an .894 save percentage and one shutout.

Throughout his career, Nedeljkovic has faced the Capitals in four games and posted a 1-2-0 record, a 3.18 goals against average and an .864 save percentage.

Notes:

• Penguins forward Kevin Hayes has been labeled as a game-time decision. His undisclosed ailment has forced him to miss each of the past two days of practice and he did not participate in Thursday’s optional morning skate.

In 64 games this season, Hayes has scored 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) while averaging 12:03 of ice time per contest.

With Hayes absent, the Penguins have operated with an irregular lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen during practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday:

41 Ville Koivunen – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust

43 Danton Heinen – 71 Evgeni Malkin – 67 Rickard Rakell

19 Connor Dewar – 15 Joona Koppanen – 53 Philip Tomasino

73 P.O Joseph - 11 Ville Ponomarev – 48 Ville Puustinen

24 Matt Grzelcyk – 65 Erik Karlsson

5 Ryan Shea – 20 Conor Timmins

27 Ryan Graves – 23 Vladislav Kolyachonok/82 Filip Kral

• Joseph, a defenseman, is currently designated to injured reserve due to an ailment that has sidelined him since March 3. Sullivan ruled him out as an option for Thursday’s game.

• Kral, recalled to the NHL roster on Monday, could make his NHL debut.

• Grzelcyk and Karlsson are the only members of the team who have played in all 81 of the Penguins’ games to this point of the season.

• The Capitals are scheduled to start 26-year-old rookie goaltender Clay Stevenson in net Thursday. Stevenson, who went undrafted out of Dartmouth, is set to make his NHL debut.

In 33 appearances this season with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Hershey Bears, Stevenson is 18-8-4 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .888 save percentage. In 2023-24 with Hershey, Stevenson went 24-10-2 with a 2.06 goals against average and .922 save percentage, earning AHL All-Star honors and helping the Bears to a Calder Cup championship.

• Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary has played in 299 career games.