Penguins might get Olli Maatta back for Game 6 vs. Capitals

PITTSBURGH — Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta wouldn’t confirm whether he would play Game 6 tonight against the Washington Capitals but offered that he was “hungry to be there.”

Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan called it a game-time decision. The Penguins lead the second-round series 3-2.

Coincidentally, Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik will return to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for delivering a late head hit in Game 2 that caused Maatta’s undisclosed injury.

Maatta, 21, was paired with Trevor Daley in Monday’s practice, but he’s also played in the past with Kris Letang. He has averaged 16:07 in seven playoff games.

“He is a very smart player (in his positioning),” Sullivan said about Maatta. “He has good awareness of both sides of puck. He passes the puck well. He can join the rush. He has poise.”

Other subplots include Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov’s scoring slump, and whether Sullivan, who has the last line change, will decide to go top lines against top lines or attempt to get Sidney Crosby’s line or Evgeni Malkin’s line against a checking line.

Kuznetsov has one goal and one assist in 11 playoff games. Including the playoffs, he has two goals since March 1, and he has gone 31 games without an even-strength goal.

However, Washington coach Barry Trotz did like how Kuznetsov played in Game 5.

“If you keep doing the right things over and over you break through,”  Trotz said.

Crosby hasn’t scored a goal in this series, and Malkin only has one goal. Malkin doesn’t have a point in the last three games.

“I think both teams are pretty solid defensively. So there is not a lot of easy ice out there,”  Sullivan said. “As I said, these guys are having more of impact than they are getting credit it. They are controlling the puck. They are making good decisions with puck so they leave themselves vulnerable to a counterattack. We feel they are playing the game the right way.”