Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic scheduled to face Red Wings

The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic for Thursday’s home game against the Arizona Coyotes at PPG Paints Arena.

Coach Mike Sullivan announced Nedeljkovic’s status following an optional morning skate.

This will mark Nedeljkovic’s 10th consecutive start. The Penguins have gone 6-0-3 since he became the team’s undeclared starter March 24.

In 34 games this season, Nedeljkovic has a 16-6-7 record, a 2.82 goals against average, a .907 save percentage and one shutout.

A member of the Red Wings during the previous two seasons, Nedeljkovic has faced the Red Wings in three games throughout his career, posting a 3-0-0 record, a 2.02 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.

Notes:

• Forward Lars Eller was labeled as being available for Thursday’s game by Sullivan. Typically deployed as the team’s third-line center, Eller did not practice Wednesday due to an unspecified illness.

Eller is one of six players who have appeared in all 78 of the Penguins’ games this season. The others are defensemen Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson as well as forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

• Those who participated in the optional morning skate included:

Forwards – Emil Bemstrom, Jesse Puljujarvi, Valtteri Puustinen, Radim Zohorna

Defensemen – John Ludvig, Ryan Shea, Jack St. Ivany

Goaltenders – Tristan Jarry, Nedeljkovic

• According to the NHL’s media Web site, Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves is now listed as being on injured reserve. No distinction between regular or long-term injured reserve was indicated.

Graves has missed the past six games due to a concussion.

• The Red Wings are slated to start goaltender Alex Lyon. In 42 games this season, Lyon has posted a 20-18-4 record, a 2.96 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and two shutouts.

Throughout his career, Lyon has faced the Penguins in four games and has a 1-1-1 record, a 5.02 goals against average and an .873 save percentage.

• On Wednesday, the Red Wings recalled former Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League (AHL) under emergency conditions as a result of forwards Andrew Copp (broken cheekbone) and Michael Rasmussen (undisclosed) being sidelined due to injuries.

Having played in only one NHL game this season (with no points), Aston-Reese has spent the vast majority of the season with Grand Rapids. In 59 AHL games, he has 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists).

• Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin has 499 career points.