DENVER \u2014 There were several returns Monday morning at the Pittsburgh Penguins morning skate, hours before they face the NHL\u2019s best team, the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, but Sidney Crosby will not be one of those returning.<\/p>\n
Fortunately for the team, star forward Evgeni Malkin will return after he completed his five-game suspension Saturday and will play Monday. With Malkin\u2019s inclusion, coach Dan Muse readjusted his lines to reunite Malkin with fellow Russian winger Egor Chinakhov and center Tommy Novak. <\/p>\n
Crosby, still recovering from a Grade 2 MCL sprain suffered in the Olympics, took line rushes with extra forwards Kevin Hayes and Avery Hayes<\/a>. <\/p>\n The Penguins will also be without another of their centers, as Blake Lizotte was absent from the morning skate.<\/p>\n A. Hayes appears to be out of the lineup, but fellow rookie Ville Koivunen<\/a> will remain in the lineup on the third line with center Ben Kindel and newly returning Justin Brazeau. <\/p>\n On March 10, the team announced Brazeau was out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, but took full line rushes Monday. <\/p>\n Former Colorado defenseman Sam Girard <\/a>was also present for the skate but skated as a spare defenseman. <\/p>\n And in the cavalcade of news, the Penguins also announced that they recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from his 14-day conditioning assignment with the Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton Penguins, but he was not present at the skate. In a corresponding move, the Penguins returned extra defenseman Alex Alexeyev to WBS.<\/p>\n Penguins Lines<\/p>\n Anthony Mantha-Rickard Rakell-Bryan Rust<\/p>\n Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin<\/p>\n Ville Koivunen-Ben Kindel-Justin Brazeau<\/p>\n Elmer Soderblom-Connor Dewar-Noel Acciari<\/p>\n Defense<\/p>\n Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson<\/p>\n Ryan Shea-Kris Letang<\/p>\n Ilya Solovyov-Connor Clifton<\/p>\n Goalie: Arturs Silovs<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: Evgeni Malkin<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> Sidney Crosby<\/a> <\/p>\n