With the NHL’s trade deadline approaching at 3 p.m. Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins don’t necessarily need to add a center for a prolonged playoff run.

But they probably need a center for … well … now.

Their depleted depth at the position was on display Tuesday during a 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.

With Sidney Crosby on injured reserve because of a suspected right leg ailment he suffered last month while skating for Canada in the Olympics, the Penguins were missing the services of another center Tuesday as sturdy fourth-liner Blake Lizotte was scratched with an undisclosed ailment.

That led to 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel being promoted from the third line to the second line at the opening of the contest. He replaced Rickard Rakell, who moved back to the left wing after looking overwhelmed by center duties in three games as a replacement for Crosby.

Filling in for Kindel on the third line was veteran Kevin Hayes, a spectator for 14 of the previous 15 games as a healthy scratch. Meanwhile, Connor Dewar, typically deployed on the left wing, skated at center in place of Lizotte.

And beyond the confines of the NHL roster, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins center Tristan Broz, one of the organization’s more prominent prospects, was hobbled by an undisclosed injury during a 2-1 overtime loss to the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday.

“You don’t replace (Crosby),” Penguins coach Dan Muse said in Cranberry on Feb. 25. “It’s an opportunity for a lot of guys to continue what guys have been doing all year. And when there is an opportunity, take advantage of it. It gets spread out across the entire group.”

On Tuesday, the Penguins were trounced in the faceoff circle, 31-16.

“We’re missing Sid and (Lizotte) today,” Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson said to reporters in Boston via audio provided by the team’s media relations staff. “It’s hurting us a little bit.”

Karlsson opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season with the Penguins’ first shot only 42 seconds into regulation.

After Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy fumbled a puck near his own cage, Penguins forward Bryan Rust claimed possession along the end boards and banked a backhand pass off the right-wing boards. Karlsson settled the puck at the near point, surveyed the scene and fired a wrister through traffic and past goaltender Jeremy Swayman’s blocker on the far side. Rakell and Kindel provided screens on the sequence. Rust had the only assists.

The Bruins issued a coach’s challenge, alleging goaltender interference, but officials found no evidence of malfeasance and the Bruins were assessed a delay of game penalty.

Bruins forward Marat Khusnutdinov tied the score with his 13th goal at 5:10 of the first period.

Off some furious work to maintain possession in the Penguins’ right corner by Bruins forwards Michael Eyssimont and Fraser Minten, Khusnutdinov wound up with the puck in the near circle and lasered a wrister to the far side past goaltender Stuart Skinner’s blocker. Minten, a rookie, and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang wound up screening Skinner on the sequence. The lone assist went to Eyssimont.

The hosts took a lead for good only 50 seconds later via forward Casey Mittelstadt’s 13th goal.

Bruins forward Pavel Zacha muscled Penguins forward Egor Chinakhov off a puck in the Penguins’ right corner, allowing Mittelstadt to claim possession and feed a pass to the high slot. Accepting the offering, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov gripped and ripped a wrister, which Skinner fought off. The rebound trickled free to the right of the crease, where a fortuitously positioned Mittelstadt swept in a forehand shot on a mostly vacant cage. Zadorov and Zacha zeroed in on assists.

Following that jackrabbit-quick sequence of goals, the Penguins called a timeout to get collected.

Skinner finished with 26 saves on 28 shots as his record fell to 19-13-6.

Swayman stopped the final 34 shots he faced, boosting his record to 23-13-3.

“We had our looks to score more goals,” Rakell said. “It was there for us.”

Notes:

• The Penguins were 0 for 4 on the power play and 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.

• Penguins defensemen Ryan Graves and Ilya Solovyov were healthy scratches.

• The Bruins have won 11 consecutive home games. That streak includes a 1-0 home win against the Penguins on Jan. 11.

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