Dumoulin paired on right side with Maatta taken at PPG Paints Arena (Courtesy of Point Park University)

Penguins practice Thursday. - CHRIS BRADFORD / DKPS

It's been a while since Brian Dumoulin played on the right side. So long ago, in fact, he doesn't even remember who he was paired with. It may have been at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, or maybe it was at Boston College.

"It was more here and there," he was saying.

However, Dumoulin received a crash course on playing on the right side during Thursday's 45-minute practice at PPG Paints Arena. He was partnered with Olli Maatta in a combination not seen before during their four seasons together as teammates. Should the marriage of Dumoulin and Maatta come to fruition for tomorrow night's game against the Predators, it will be one of convenience.

Though Kris Letang is "making significant progress," according to Mike Sullivan, he is expected to miss his second straight game with his latest upper-body injury. The good news for the Penguins is that Letang's injury coincides almost perfectly with Maatta's return to the lineup. Though he'll be a game-time decision, Sullivan indicated strongly that Maatta will see his first game action since suffering a separated shoulder Feb. 11 against the Flyers.

"He's a guy that, obviously, we love having in our lineup and around us," Dumoulin said. "It's really good to play with that guy and, obviously, a great teammate."

All of what Dumoulin says might be true, but the bad news is that Maatta is another left-handed shot. After the return of Justin Schultz on Feb. 16, followed by the acquisition of Erik Gudbranson on Feb. 25, the Penguins' defense pairs have featured exclusively all left-right pairings. That's an ideal situation. The Penguins have averaged 2.20 goals-against per game since the trade deadline with that setup. Prorated over the entire season, that would be tops in the league.

"We have liked the lefty-righty combinations that we've had," Sullivan said. "We think that's been beneficial for all of us as a group."

Of course, the NHL isn't a perfect world. Sullivan needs to get Maatta playing time and back up to speed. Even if that means sitting Zach Trotman, a right-handed shot, who has played well in his 15 games since being recalled.

So why will Dumoulin likely get the call to play on his right side, instead of Jack Johnson, who played there earlier this season while paired with Marcus Pettersson?

"If we choose to use him there, it's because we believe he's capable of doing the job," Sullivan said of Dumoulin. "He's a mobile guy. He's a good player. He has good puck skills. He has some familiarity with playing the right side. We explored other guys playing the right side all year long out of necessity until we got some right-handed shots. So if we do choose to use him on the right side, those are the reasons why."

Playing on one's off-wing is usually a matter of preference. Some simply do it better than others. But most players prefer to be on their strong side, particularly when they're under pressure in the defensive zone, according to Gudbranson:

"Everything's a little bit different obviously," Dumoulin said, joking that he has to "remember I'm on the right side," but added, "I'm still going to try and play my game and keep it simple."

Dumoulin, who is tied for fifth among all NHL players with a plus-30 rating, is easy to play with, according to Maatta.

"We both trust each other to do the right thing, be on the same page," Maatta said. "It comes down to communication. It helps so much."

BRADFORD'S VIEW

The pairing of Maatta and Dumoulin will last as long as a Kardashian marriage. Once Letang is back, they're splitsville.

That's when Sullivan will be faced with a much tougher predicament. Does he sit Maatta or Pettersson or Johnson? And does it matter that all three pairings have a left- and right-handed shot?

"When we have a complement of defenseman that are healthy, we'll try and make the best decisions, put the six guys in the lineup that give us the best chance to win," Sullivan said.

I believe Pettersson will be the odd-man out. It's a really tough call with no bad option, but I believe that Sullivan is going to keep the left-right pairings.

• In other injury news, Evgeni Malkin is also "making significant progress," according to Sullivan. He skated on his own Thursday. Like Letang, Zach Aston-Reese also did not skate Thursday morning but he is "trending in the right direction."

• Here were the lines and pairs used in a spirited practice:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust

McCann-Blueger-Kessel

Simon-Bjugstad-Hornqvist

A. Johnson-Cullen-Wilson

Maatta-Dumoulin

Johnson-Schultz

Pettersson-Gudbranson

(Trotman-Recchi)

• The Penguins ran an unusual drill in practice today and it gave me a nightmarish flashback:

• The only change to the power play had Maatta working in place of Trotman on the second unit.

• In addition to Matt Cullen being the team's Masterton nominee, the Penguins also announced their other end-of-season team award winners. Matt Murray won for his philanthropic work while Sidney Crosby won both the players' player award and team MVP.

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