Bill Guerin has eight points in as many playoff games for the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) Pittsburgh, lacking chemistry among their forward group for much of the last three games against the Montreal Canadiens, will welcome the return of Bill Guerin to the lineup for Game 5 on Saturday night. (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET).
Guerin will be in action after missing both games played so far in Montreal. The veteran has three goals and five assists in eight games and should provide some help for captain Sidney Crosby, who has been ill-served by his linemates while being covered heavily in the last two games.
The likely candidates to sit as he returns will be Alexei Ponikarovsky or Michael Rupp.
Ponikarovsky was acquired before the trade deadline to provide a big presence in front of the net, but the transition has been far from seamless. The forward, who averaged about a goal every four games over the past five seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, has just three in 26 regular season and playoff games.
Ponikarovsky went without a point in the last three games against Montreal.
Rupp provided grit and 13 goals in the season for Pittsburgh but hasn't been a factor in the playoffs and is believed to be banged up.
There will be no major changes for the Canadiens. The fact that top defenceman Andrei Markov flew with the club to Pittsburgh perked up ears, but the Russian tore ligaments in his knee in the series opener eight days ago.
Coach Jacques Martin was coy with reporters, saying that as Montreal's medical staff is in Pittsburgh anyway, Markov could get the attention he needs while providing moral support.
Defenceman Jaroslav Spacek continues to be out with his mystery ailment.
Pittsburgh has gone just 2-3 at home in the final post-season at Mellon Arena, while Montreal is boasting a 4-2 road record. If they keep that up, the Canadiens can go ahead in a series for the first time Saturday, since the post-season opener in Washington nearly a month ago.
Game 6 will take place at Bell Centre on Monday.