Penguins lineup today: Pittsburgh's projected lineup for game against Ottawa Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back home on Sunday to host the Ottawa Senators at PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh was blown out 7-3 in Buffalo on Thursday, while Ottawa squeaked out a 3-2 home win over Columbus on Saturday.

The Penguins went winless (0-2-1) on their recent three-game road trip and are getting closer to being officially eliminated from the playoffs. They are tied for last place in the Metropolitan Division with the Philadelphia Flyers (69 points). Meanwhile, Ottawa sits comfortably as the fourth seed in the Atlantic division and is in the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with 83 points.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph (upper body) remains out of Pittsburgh's lineup and on the IR. Bokondji Imama (biceps) and Tommy Novak (lower body) are both out nursing injuries. Superstar Evgeni Malkin (upper body) has missed the last two games and is not expected to return on Sunday.

Pittsburgh Penguins projected lines

Forwards:

Line 1. LW Rutger McGroarty - C Sidney Crosby - RW Bryan Rust

Line 2. LW Connor Dewar - C Rickard Rakell - RW Ville Koivunen

Line 3. LW Noel Acciari - C Kevin Hayes - RW Phil Tomasino

Line 4. LW Danton Heinen - C Blake Lizotte - RW Emil Bemstrom

Defense:

Pair 1. LD Matt Grzelcyk - RD Kris Letang

Pair 2. LD Erik Karlsson - RD Connor Timmins

Pair 1. LD Ryan Graves - RD Vladislav Kolyachonok

Goalies:

Starter - Tristan Jarry

Backup - Alex Nedeljkovic

Power Play:

First Unit - Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Matt Grzelcyk, Ville Koivunen

Second Unit - Philip Tomasino, Kevin Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson

Penalty Kill:

First Unit - Noel Acciari, Bryan Rust, Ryan Graves, Kris Letang

Second Unit - Blake Lizotte, Danton Heinen, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Conor Timmins

Odds for Penguins vs Senators and Pittsburgh's upcoming schedule

Pittsburgh is a home underdog for Sunday's game against Ottawa.

On Odds Shark, the Penguins (29-34-11) have +110 odds at home, while the Senators (39-28-5) are -130 road favorites. A $100 bet on Pittsburgh would win $110, while a $130 bet on Ottawa would net $100.

The Penguins will have several days off following Sunday's game before heading out on another three-game road trip. They'll begin the trip on Thursday in St. Louis against the Blues. Pittsburgh will then head to Dallas for a clash with the Stars on Saturday and finish off the week on Sunday in Chicago.

About the author

Jackson Weber is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bcomm degree in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph.

Jackson has grown up as a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are his all-time favorite players. Watching the Penguins win the Stanley Cup three times is an experience that Jackson will never forget. Years later, you realize how rare it is to see your favorite team win even once, so three championships were just incredible.

When not watching, playing, or writing about sports, Jackson loves to cook and is passionate about health and nutrition.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez

Penguins lineup today: Pittsburgh's projected lineup for game against Ottawa Senators | March 30, 2025