Malkin returns for Game 2, Lundqvist will start with Fleury still out

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The New York Rangers will have their No. 1 goaltender in the lineup for Saturday’s playoff matinee against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Henrik Lundqvist will start Game 2 for the visiting Rangers after exiting Game 1 on Wednesday night. He was forced to leave after the opening period when he was struck near the right eye by the stick blade of teammate Marc Staal.

The 34-year-old netminder met with a specialist in Pittsburgh on Thursday and returned to practice Friday.

The Penguins, meanwhile, will get Evgeni Malkin back for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, his first game since March 11. Malkin was due to miss six to eight weeks with an upper-body injury, returning just under one week ahead of schedule for the Penguins.

He returned to his first full practice with the club on Friday.

Pittsburgh will not have No. 1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury once again. Fleury hasn’t played since March 31 because of a concussion and was listed as a game-time decision by Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.

Jeff Zatkoff will make his second straight start. The untested third-stringer was brilliant with 35 saves in the Penguins’ 5-2 victory in Game 1.

In addition to Malkin, the Penguins will also get winger Bryan Rust back from a lower-body injury. He’ll play alongside Malkin and Conor Sheary against the Rangers.

Defenceman Justin Schultz and forward Oskar Sundqvist will exit the lineup with Rust and Malkin back in.