NEWARK, N.J. -- So, what's wrong with Jamie Oleksiak that he's twice been deemed a healthy scratch this season, including a couple nights ago against the Coyotes?
The answer, apparently, is nothing.
At least that's how it sounded when Mike Sullivan was asked Tuesday morning at Prudential Center what it'll take for him to stick, as the game-day skate strongly suggested he'll be back in the lineup tonight against the Devils, while Juuso Riikola will be back out.
"I just think when Jamie is at his best, he keeps his game simple," the coach began. "He defends first. His decision-making with the puck is simple. He helps us get out of our end. He plays with an edge. He brings a physical dimension to our blue line. And when he does all of those things, I think his game is at its very best."
OK, so, from this perspective of watching Oleksiak all through training camp, the preseason, practices and 13 games, that list sure seems like one that merits a check, check, check, check and a check. The Big Rig, as his teammates call him, has four goals, four assists, a plus-4 rating, 20 shots, 15 penalty minutes and, in the advanced lane, his 50.53 Corsi For percentage ranks third, behind only Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin — both of whom have been superb.
Which might explain why Sullivan proceeded with the above answer thusly: "The reality is, when we're making decisions with our blue line right now, some of those decisions may involve who our opponent is. For example, when we played Arizona, we thought that team was a speed team. And Juuso is a very mobile guy. We're also trying to keep guys in the mix here because we know we're going to rely on all of them. So there's a lot that goes into making those types of decisions. But in particular, in Jamie's instance, that's what we think as a coaching staff."
Oleksiak, to his credit, hasn't complained. He didn't do so with the first surprising scratch, Oct. 13 in Montreal, and he didn't so Tuesday morning, his first time talking since the most recent scratch.
"It's about team results," he told me, referring to the five-game losing streak that preceded the 4-0 shutout of Arizona. "It's a business, and I know how it works. When the team isn't getting results, there will be changes."
He didn't seem down about it.
"I'm going to play my game, do the best I can."
That's part of how this will go. One other facet Sullivan didn't mention, possibly because he overlooked it, is that the coaching staff is placing a bit more of a priority on having a right-left balance on defense since the loss of Justin Schultz. That enhances Chad Ruhwedel's status.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE INJURIES
• Penguins: Derick Brassard, forward, will miss his eighth straight game with a lower-body injury. He's been skating but didn't accompany the team on this trip. Sullivan had no update on his status this morning. Justin Schultz, defenseman, is expected to miss four months after fracturing his leg Oct. 13 in Montreal.
• Devils: Brian Boyle, forward, was placed on injured reserve this morning because of an upper-body injury. He had a hat trick, of course, last Monday at PPG Paints Arena in New Jersey's 5-1 victory. Also, Nico Hischier, forward, will be out because of an upper body injury. The Devils today recalled forward Pavel Zacha from Binghamton of the AHL. He'll suit up.
THE SKATE
• Casey DeSmith will make a third consecutive start, Sullivan confirmed, as DeSmith was the first goaltender off the ice.
• Matt Murray was given heavy extra work at the far end from DeSmith, with goaltending coach Mike Buckley and assistant Mark Recchi overseeing a series of intensive in-tight shooting drills. It's not the sort of thing commonly seen at a gameday skate. Sullivan reiterated his faith in Murray: "Casey has played extremely well here in this early part of the season. There's a lot of hockey left, and we know Matt is going to be a big part of it moving forward. I don't think there's a lot more to it than that. ... When his time comes, we know he'll give us a chance to win."
• Daniel Sprong and Riikola are the likely healthy scratches. Sprong, who I'm hearing is increasingly likely to be traded, will sit for a third straight game.
• Ever superstitious, Sidney Crosby took part in a third straight optional skate, following another strong performance. Otherwise, it was the usual cast exercising the option to stay off: Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin.
• The Penguins had a mostly muted reaction to the news that the Capitals' Tom Wilson had his NHL suspension reduced from 20 games to 14 by an independent arbitrator.
THE OTHER SIDE
• The Devils went full-tilt on their skate, as one might expect following a 1-6 road trip -- their only victory was in Pittsburgh -- that was capped by a 5-2 loss Sunday in Winnipeg, a game in which they actually scored the first two goals before the Jets took over. In that one, John Hynes split up his usual top line of Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri, moving Travis Zajac into the center slot over the youngster Hischier.
"It was a long time away, but we have a chance to get going against a team that’s got Stanley Cup pedigree," Palmieri said. "It’s a good opportunity to be back here."
• Keith Kinkaid was the first goaltender off the ice, and he'll start against the Penguins again. Last week, he stopped 35 of 36 shots, though seldom seriously challenged.
• I asked Sullivan if he considers Hall, the Hart Trophy winner last season, one of those players who forces a coaching staff to make special adjustments: "Well, for sure. He's an elite player. He had a terrific season last year. He has explosive speed. He has the ability to score. Anytime you play those types, you have to be aware of when he's on the ice." Hall's still a point-a-game guy, with 15 combined, but only three of those have been goals.
THE COMBINATIONS
• Here's an educated guess on the lines and combinations, based on Monday's practice and who is likely scratched:
Simon - Crosby - Rust
Hagelin - Malkin - Hornqvist
Guentzel - Sheahan - Kessel
Aston-Reese - Cullen - Wilson
Johnson - Letang
Dumoulin - Ruhwedel
Maatta - Oleksiak
• The Devils used these lines Sunday in Winnipeg:
Hall - Zajac - Palmieri
Johansson - Hischier - Bratt
Coleman - Seney - Anderson
Wood - Boyle - Noesen
Greene - Vatanen
Yakovlev - Severson
Butcher - Lovejoy
THE SCHEDULE
Faceoff tonight is at 7:08 p.m. at Prudential Center, though there might be a delay for the pregame ceremony to honor Martin Brodeur's induction into the Hall of Fame last night. The Penguins have a practice scheduled for noon Wednesday, then face the Lightning at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.
THE COVERAGE
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MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Penguins at Devils, morning skate, Newark, NJ, Nov. 13, 2018 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS