Pittsburgh
Penguins

News: Vitale (undisclosed) is expected to practice with the team Tuesday, Pens Inside Scoop reports.
Impact: Vitale only recorded one assist and four PIMs in four playoff games before being injured, so even when he's able to return his fantasy impact will likely be minimal.

News: Vokoun made 46 saves on 48 shots, but he still took the Game 3 loss in double overtime against the Senators on Sunday.
Impact: Vokoun was less than a minute away from a shutout, but ended up on the losing end. However, his numbers since taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury remain strong.

News: Glass will make his first playoff appearance since Round 1 on Sunday night against the Senators.
Impact: Glass has eight hits in four playoff contests and brings a penalty-killing element Joe Vitale does not offer.

News: Vokoun is slated to start Sunday's Game 3 against the Senators, Pens' Inside Scoop reports.
Impact: Vokoun has now won his last seven starts, including all four of the Penguins' playoff contests. Marc-Andre Fleury waits in the wings though, if Vokoun falters at any point down the road.

News: Vitale (undisclosed) will not take the ice for Sunday's Game 3 in Ottawa, Arpob Basu of LNH.com reports.
Impact: Vitale has appeared in just four of eight playoff tilts for the Penguins this postseason, tallying one assist with an even plus/minus on his line. When he does play, he's unlikely to log more than 10 minutes of ice time. Pittsburgh will miss his faceoff ability. Vitale has won 23 of 41 draws. No word on whether his absence is injury related or due to a personal issue. Tanner Glass will take his spot in the lineup.

News: Crosby had his second career playoff hat trick and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Impact: Crosby beat Craig Anderson three times in the game's first 22 minutes, sending the goalie to the bench after stopping 18 of 21 shots. The Pittsburgh captain became the fifth player in franchise history to record 100 playoff points in spectacular fashion. He has six goals and six assists in this postseason.

News: Adams is in the lineup Friday for Game 2 against the Senators, the team's official website reports.
Impact: Adams was absent during Friday's morning skate, but it sounds like it was just for rest than as a result of any sort of injury. He'll likely be ticketed for his usual ice time.

News: Letang will be in the lineup Friday against the Senators.
Impact: Letang missed Friday's morning skate, but it doesn't sound as though any sort of injury is at play here. He'll be part of his usual pairing with Matt Niskanen.

News: Vokoun will start in net for Friday's Game 2 against the Senators, TSN's Brent Wallace reports.
Impact: Vokoun got the win and recorded 35 saves in Game 1 of the second round, but his performance had it's rough spots. Vokoun will be on a short leash going forward, as coach Dan Bylsma could turn to Marc-Andre Fleury at any point.

News: Malkin is tied with Boston's David Krejci for the playoff scoring race with 13 points (3 G, 10 A) after a two-point night Tuesday.
Impact: He's skating as well as he has all season long. Malkin is still battling through an injured left shoulder which may require offseason surgery, however, making his slap shot much less of a weapon. Even so, he's able to create offensive opportunities with his strong skating. Malkin skated less than 16 minutes (15:56) as Pittsburgh spent considerable time killing off five Ottawa power plays.

News: Jokinen has served as a healthy scratch in each of Pittsburgh's last three playoff games.
Impact: His skill was needed more when the team's top-six forwards were not intact. Now that everyone's healthy, Jokinen is relegated to fighting for time on the fourth line and the likes of Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale fill the energy role better than Jokinen. Until the Pens lose another game, coach Dan Bylsma will likely keep the lineup the same -- meaning Jokinen will ride the bench.

News: Despite Vokoun's 35 saves Tuesday, he displayed some shaky moments and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Pens turn to Marc-Andre Fleury again in Round 2.
Impact: Vokoun saved Pittsburgh's bacon in Round 1, earning the nod for the first game of the second round. While he has a good chance of starting Game 2 again Friday, coach Dan Bylsma won't hesitate to switch goalies when he senses that the 36-year-old needs a rest or if his play has tailed off.

News: Dupuis scored his sixth goal of the playoffs -- a short-handed effort -- in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Ottawa.
Impact: Dupuis owners faced a scary moment when the forward slid awkwardly into the end boards during the third period and skated slowly off the ice. He didn't miss any time, however, and potted a short-side wrister over goalie Craig Anderson's right shoulder soon thereafter.

News: Crosby didn't pick up a point in Tuesday's 4-1 series-opening win over the Senators. He went minus-1 and lost 11 of 19 face-offs in his 17:04 of ice time.
Impact: He'd picked up points in all five games he played against the Islanders, though he's generally struggled with face-offs and defense thus far in the playoffs.

News: Vokoun stopped 35 of 36 to take Game 1 against the Senators on Tuesday.
Impact: He's about got a stranglehold on the Pittsburgh nets now, having provided stability that Marc-Andre Fleury has not been able to match in the playoffs.

News: The Penguins are sticking with Vokoun for Game 1 in the second round against Ottawa on Tuesday.
Impact: The 36-year-old Vokoun replaced struggling starter Marc-Andre Fleury and won Games 5 and 6 of Pittsburgh's first-round playoff series with the New York Islanders last week. He stopped 66 of the 69 shots he faced against the Islanders as the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in three years.

News: Vokoun will start Tuesday's game against the Senators.
Impact: After taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 of the team's first-round series, Vokoun helped the Penguins close out the series in six contests. Right now, he has the hot hand and figures to man the Pittsburgh net as long as that remains the case.

News: Orpik scored 7:49 into overtime, and the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame three one-goal deficits in Game 6 to eliminate the New York Islanders with a 4-3 victory on Saturday night.
Impact: Orpik had never scored in 77 previous playoff games and didn't have one in the past 106 contests of any kind since he last scored against the Islanders on Nov. 21, 2011. He now has 12 career goals in the NHL.

News: Fleury rode the bench for the series-clinching Game 6 win Saturday night on Long Island.
Impact: Coach Dan Bylsma likes to stick with the hot hand, but his trust in Fleury is greater than some might think. Fleury fared well against the team's Round 2 opponent, Ottawa, in the regular season, going 2-0 with a 1.44 GAA and .951 save percentage. He could be back between the pipes sooner than anyone thinks.

News: Dupuis scored his team-leading fifth playoff goal Saturday night in a series-clinching Game 6 win over the Islanders.
Impact: Dupuis has seven points (5G, 2A) in the postseason. There's little reason to expect him to slow down, either, with Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla as linemates. Dupuis scored one goal and assisted on another in three games against the Senators in 2013.

News: Crosby tallied an assist and finished plus-1 against the Islanders on Saturday night.
Impact: He was one of the few Penguins to come out and skate strong in the early going. Crosby took a team-high five shots and went 12-13 in the faceoff circle. He heads into the second round of the playoffs with three goals and six assists, including four points (1G, 3A) on the power play.

News: Iginla, who has played on a line with Sidney Crosby in each of the last two playoff games, chipped in his second goal (and ninth point) in six postseason contests in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Impact: The plan was to put Iginla with Crosby all along, but injuries conspired to keep the two superstars separated until the team regained its overall health. For the first time in 2013, the team has no significant injuries and the chemistry between Iggy and Sid becomes more evident by the shift.

News: Vokoun justified the Pittsburgh coaching staff's confidence in him Saturday, stopping 35 shots as the Penguins beat the Islanders in overtime, 4-3, to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Impact: Marc-Andre Fleury's inconsistency has given the veteran Vokoun an opportunity to seize the reins in the playoffs. He has responded with a shutout in Game 5 and this crucial victory in Game 6 to win the first-round series. We expect him to continue to get the nod as long as he stays hot.

News: Martin scored an equalizing goal with five minutes left in the third frame of Saturday's game at New York on Saturday. He also collected an assist as the Penguins beat the Islanders to win the first round series, four games to two.
Impact: The first round was a slugfest of goals; the second is likely to be a defensive battle against Ottawa. His point-per-game pace in Round 1 (1-5-6 in six games) is unlikely to continue as the playoffs grind on.

News: Malkin logged two assists, including one on the game-winner in overtime, as the Penguins won Saturday to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Impact: He had a terrible game early on, particularly in his own end, but came up big with the game on the line. Malkin's a confident pick to be among the NHL's scoring leaders for as long as Pittsburgh remains alive.

News: Orpik scored 7:49 into overtime to give the Penguins a 4-3 win in Game 6 of Pittsburgh's first-round series against the Islanders on Saturday. The win propels the Penguins into the second round of the playoffs.
Impact: This was Orpik's first postseason tally ever -- he has only 11 goals in 631 career regular-season contests. Pittsburgh will take on Ottawa and its hot goaltender, Craig Anderson, in Round 2. The Pens beat Anderson in each of the three regular season games he started against Pittsburgh.

News: Vokoun will get the start for the second straight game when the Penguins try to close out the Islanders in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Impact: There was little doubt things were heading this way after Vokoun - replacing a struggling Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 on Thursday - posted a 31-save shutout.

News: Vokoun stopped 31 shots in his first playoff start in six years and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Islanders 4-0 on Thursday night in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
Impact: Vokoun was thrust into the lineup after Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma benched Marc-Andre Fleury, who had started 79 straight postseason games but struggled in a 6-4 loss in Game 4. The shutout was Vokoun's second in 12 career playoff appearances.

News: Crosby is one of three finals for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player most valuable to his team.
Impact: Crosby, who finished fourth in the league with 56 points despite missing 12 games, is a finalist along with Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares.

News: Letang notched a power-play goal and tallied an assist Thursday against the Islanders.
Impact: His wrister beat Evgeni Nabokov over his stick and forced the Islanders into making a goaltending change. Letang's vision set up Pittsburgh's first score. From his own end, the defender spotted Tyler Kennedy waiting at New York's blue line and sprung him on a breakaway. Letang led Pittsburgh skaters with 24:21 and has five points (1G, 4A) in five playoff games.

News: Crosby scored a highlight-reel goal and added an assist in a 4-0 Game 5 win over the Islanders on Thursday.
Impact: Crosby converted a Jarome Iginla pass for Pittsburgh's third goal, splitting two New York defensemen before beating goalie Evgeni Nabokov to the stick side. Crosby, who's already been hit in the chin with a slap shot in the series, took another slapper off his big toe Thursday and skated down the runway. Fortunately, he returned in a couple minutes. The star center now has three goals and eight points in five games while playing with a specially designed shield to protect his broken jaw.

News: Vokoun, appearing in his first playoff game since the spring of 2007, recorded a 31-save shutout against the Islanders on Thursday.
Impact: He played particularly well when New York threw 14 shots at him in the final 13 minutes of the first period. Pens coach Dan Bylsma usually likes to stick with the hot hand, meaning Vokoun would start Game 6. Fleury is the ultimate team player, so it's unlikely he'll have any problem with Vokoun starting again on Saturday.

News: Kennedy spearheaded a 4-0 win Thursday, netting the game-winning goal in his first postseason action.
Impact: He registered four shots on goal and was credited with two takeaways while playing inspired hockey. Kennedy started out on the team's fourth line, but moved up to the third unit with Matt Cooke and Brandon Sutter. There's little doubt Kennedy will be in the lineup Saturday for Game 6.

News: Crosby has been nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award which is given annually to the most outstanding NHLer as voted by his peers.
Impact: He's up against Alexander Ovechkin and Martin St. Louis. Crosby had 56 points in 36 games before he got hurt, and finished tied for third in the league in points, second in assists and first in points per game (1.56).

News: Crosby, Washington Capitals right wing Alex Ovechkin and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis have been nominated as finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award.
Impact: The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players' Association. Crosby, Ovechkin and St. Louis have all previously won the award. This year's winner will be announced during the Stanley Cup final.

News: Vokoun, who will start Thursday against the Islanders, went 3-0 with a 0.90 GAA and .970 save percentage against New York in the regular season.
Impact: Vokoun recorded a 35-save shutout against the Islanders in March, but hasn't started for the Penguins in 17 days.

News: Despres is expected to replace Mark Eaton in the Pens' lineup Thursday.
Impact: Despres got a rude introduction to the playoffs in Game 3, playing poorly in just over six minutes of ice time while registering a minus-2 rating. His vision, skating and passing ability are weapons the team looks to utilize Thursday against a youthful New York squad.

News: Kennedy is expected to crack the Pens' starting lineup Thursday for the first time in the postseason.
Impact: Pittsburgh is looking for Kennedy's simple north-south type game, someone who will shoot the puck. The winger has five goals and nine points in 13 playoff games over the last two postseasons and could prove to be a good pickup for a game.

News: Jokinen could be watching Thursday's game from the bench for the Penguins, based on the team's morning skate lines.
Impact: The Pens are looking for some speed and some changes to their lineup. In addition to Jokinen sitting, Tanner Glass and Mark Eaton are also likely out while Tyler Kennedy, Joe Vitale and Simon Despres will play.

News: Vitale expects to be in the lineup for Thursday's Game 5 against the Islanders, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Impact: Tyler Kennedy is expected to suit up Thursday as well, and if that's the case, the Penguins' healthy scratches up front would likely be Jussi Jokinen Beau Bennett, Tanner Glass and Dustin Jeffrey. Vitale brings speed and energy to the table, with coach Dan Bylsma noting that the forward tends to play well upon being reinserted into the team's lineup.

News: Fleury will open on the bench Thursday with Tomas Vokoun getting the start in goal.
Impact: Fleury shut out the Islanders in Game 1 of the first-round series, but he has been a sieve of late, giving up 14 goals over his last three games. How Fleury handles the move and plays moving forward will be a big key to how far the Penguins advance this postseason.

News: Vokoun will be the Penguins' starting goaltender in Thursday's game against the Islanders.
Impact: Regular starter Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed 14 goals over his last three games, so head coach Dan Bylsma will turn to Vokoun in Game 5. Vokoun has not started a game since Apr. 22, but he is coming off a season in which he posted a 2.45 GAA - his best mark since 2006-07 - and won 13 of the 17 games he started between the pipes.

News: Iginla picked up two assists in Tuesday's Game 4 loss to the Islanders.
Impact: Though it's all knotted up now, Iggy's been terrifically productive in the four games, tallying a goal and six assists.

News: Malkin picked up a goal, an assist and nine PIMs on Tuesday in a 6-4 series-tying loss to the Islanders.
Impact: Malkin received five for fighting due to a scrap with Travis Hamonic after the final buzzer. Malkin's been steady as you could ask for in the playoffs, notching two points in all four games against the Isles so far.

News: Fleury was blown up for six goals on 24 shots in Tuesday's Game 4 defeat at the hands of the Islanders.
Impact: After starting the playoffs with a shutout, Fleury's now given up a whopping 14 goals in the last three games, a stretch reminiscent of last season's playoff disaster against the Flyers. This could be the point where Dan Bylsma makes the change to Tomas Vokoun.

News: The Pittsburgh Penguins have two key additions to their lineup for Game 4 against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night: forward James Neal and defenseman Brooks Orpik.
Impact: Orpik had been sidelined for five games because of an undisclosed injury.

News: The Pittsburgh Penguins have two key additions to their lineup for Game 4 against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night: forward James Neal and defenseman Brooks Orpik.
Impact: Neal injured an ankle in the opening game of the first-round series.

News: Fleury will start against the Islanders on Tuesday.
Impact: Fleury has allowed four goals each of his last two turns, but the Penguins will give him a chance to tighten things up in Tuesday's Game 4 against the Isles.

News: Orpik (lower body) will play Tuesday against the Islanders.
Impact: Orpik doesn't bring a whole lot to the table on offense, but his shot-blocking and hitting ability add grit to the Penguins' blue-line mix.

News: Neal (ankle) will play Tuesday against the Islanders.
Impact: As will Brooks Orpik, as both players made it through pre-game warmups without incident.

News: Orpik (lower body) was on the ice for warmups prior to Tuesday's game against the Islanders, Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Impact: As is James Neal, with Molinari pointing out that if the duo both suit up Tuesday, the Penguins "can have their lineup of choice intact for the first time since before the NHL trade deadline."

News: Neal (ankle) was on the ice for warmups prior to Tuesday's game against the Islanders, Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Impact: As was Brooks Orpik, as the Penguins as a team are getting healthy at a very opportune time as the postseason progresses.

News: Neal (ankle) practiced for the second straight day and will likely play Tuesday night.
Impact: He saw time on the team's top power-play unit. In five regular-season contests, Neal scored three goals and six points against the Islanders. The Pens have already delivered on six out of 13 power-play opportunities in the playoffs. and adding Neal gives them yet another option.

News: Montreal's P.K. Subban, Letang and Minnesota's Ryan Suter are finalists for the Norris Trophy, given annually to the NHL's top defenseman.
Impact: Each is a Norris finalist for the first time. Letang finished second in the scoring race among defensemen despite missing more than a quarter of the season.

News: Neal (ankle) participated in the team's optional practice Monday.
Impact: This is a good sign for the Pens obviously, but it doesn't mean Neal will definitely be in the lineup Tuesday against the Islanders. If he suits up, the winger could put up some big numbers on the power play with Sidney Crosby now healthy.

News: Orpik (lower body) participated in the team's optional practice Monday.
Impact: Orpik is participating fully, but this by no means guarantees that he will suit up Tuesday against the Islanders. Even if he does play, the blueliner probably isn't worth picking up in any leagues since he only has eight points in 46 games this season.

News: Crosby had three assists, including one on Chris Kunitz's overtime goal, in a 5-4 playoff victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Impact: Crosby, playing his second game after missing a month because of a broken jaw, also drew the decisive penalty against Brian Strait, who held the Penguins captain as he drove the net 33 seconds before the winning goal. He has five points in those two games and scored two goals in a Game 2 loss.

News: Kunitz scored his second power-play goal of the game 8:34 into overtime, off a pass from Sidney Crosby, and the Pittsburgh Penguins shook off an early deficit and a late blown lead to beat the New York Islanders 5-4 on Sunday in Game 3 of the first-round series.
Impact: Kunitz also had an assist along with his two goals, and matched his postseason high for points in a game. He had seven points (three goals, four assists) in his previous 14 playoff contests.

News: Neal missed Game 3 against the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Impact: Neal left Wednesday's playoff opener with an undisclosed injury.

News: Jokinen is expected to play in Game 2 against the Islanders on Friday.
Impact: He left Game 1 Wednesday against the Islanders with 2:20 to play after taking a hit to the knee.

News: Dupuis scored twice and the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins opened the playoffs with a 5-0 romp over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
Impact: Dupuis had two goals and four assists in last year's six-game defeat to Philadelphia. He hasn't scored more than two goals in any postseason since netting four for Minnesota in 2003.

News: Fleury made 26 saves, and the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins opened the playoffs with a 5-0 romp over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
Impact: It was the sixth career postseason shutout for Fleury and first since April 13, 2011.