Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson sidelined for season opener

TAMPA, Fla. — Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson will miss his team’s season-opening game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday because of an undisclosed ailment.

Coach Mike Sullivan labeled Matheson as “day to day.”

The left-handed defenseman has been dealing with an ailment since leaving practice in Cranberry early on Friday.

Matheson participated in the team’s morning skate at Amalie Arena on Tuesday but left before it concluded.

Presumably, Marcus Pettersson will take his place on the second defensive pairing as well as the second power-play unit. Mark Friedman will likely take Matheson’s place in the lineup.

Notes:

• The Penguins’ projected lines and pairings based off the morning skate are:

43 Danton Heinen – 77 Jeff Carter – 17 Bryan Rust

16 Jason Zucker – 9 Evan Rodrigues – 42 Kasperi Kapanen

23 Brock McGinn – 53 Teddy Blueger – 49 Dominik Simon

10 Drew O’Connor – 11 Brian Boyle – 18 Sam Lafferty

8 Brian Dumoulin – 58 Kris Letang

28 Marcus Pettersson – 6 John Marino

52 Mark Friedman – 2 Chad Ruhwedel

• The first power play unit included Carter, Kapanen, Letang, Rust and Zucker. Presumably, the second unit will involve Heinen, Marino, Pettersson, Rodrigues and Simon.

• Tristan Jarry is slated to start in net for the Penguins.

• Forwards Sidney Crosby (left wrist) as well as Zach Aston-Reese and Jake Guentzel (covid-19 each) joined their teammates approximately 20 minutes into the morning skate.

• The Lightning’s projected lines and pairings are:

86 Nikita Kucherov – 21 Brayden Point – 18 Ondrej Palat

17 Alex Killorn – 71 Anthony Cirelli- 91 Steven Stamkos

7 Mathieu Joseph – 79 Ross Colton – 10 Corey Perry

14 Pat Maroon – 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – 16 Taylor Raddysh

77 Victor Hedman – 44 Jan Rutta

27 Ryan McDonagh – 81 Erik Cernak

98 Mikhail Sergachev – 24 Zach Bogosian

• Goaltender Andrei Vasilevksiy is expected to start for the Lightning.

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