NEW YORK -- Kris Letang will sit out the Penguins' game against the New York Rangers tonight at 7:08 at Madison Square Garden because of an unspecified injury he got during the Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory there Saturday.
Among his other duties, Letang generally works on their No. 1 power-play unit, so that role obviously will have to be filled by someone else tonight.
But Letang might not be the only familiar face absent from the top power play in this game.
The Penguins are 0-for-13 with the man-advantage during their past four games, dropping them to a 16.1 percent conversion rate for the season,
Mike Sullivan has regularly expressed displeasure with the way his team passes up shots when it has an extra man, and said Monday that he might alter the personnel mix to address that issue.
"We are considering personnel changes," he said. "We always do. We don't leave anything off the table, with respect to all the different aspects of our game, and the personnel associated with it. We're working with the group right now to try to be better."
Sullivan did not elaborate on the moves he is contemplating.
MORE FROM THE POST-MORNING SKATE AVAILABILITY
• New York's power play, which was 1-for-5 Saturday, has issues of its own. Despite featuring some extremely gifted individuals, most notably Artemi Panarin, it is scoring on just 14.7 percent of its opportunities, good for 23rd place in the league rankings. "They've got a skilled group over there," penalty-killer Brandon Tanev said.
• With Letang out, John Marino and rookie P.O Joseph are expected to form the Penguins' No. 1 defense pairing tonight. Marino, who is in his second pro season, said he does not feel compelled to give Joseph much guidance. "I don't think he needs any advice," Marino said. "He's pretty poised. It's not his first time around. It might be his first couple of games (in the NHL), but he plays a veteran's style. He just has to go out there and play his game."
• Sullivan again cited the Penguins' strong performance during the third period Saturday, when they controlled play and overcame a 4-3 deficit, as a template for how he wants them to play. "Its a great example of the identity of how we're trying to play," he said. "That's a discussion we had with the players yesterday. We showed them examples of the success we have when we play the game a certain way and everyone gets involved."
• Casey DeSmith, who got the victory Saturday, will be back in goal for the Penguins.
• The Penguins' charter flight home, scheduled for immediately after the game, seems as if it could be delayed, or even canceled, because of the snowstorm that's expected to batter New York into Tuesday, but Sullivan declined to discuss the possibility, saying that the team's focus is on the Rangers game.