NHL Penguins to have new look for road trip

Pittsburgh has lost four straight and now goes on the road for five straight games.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Penguins will have a different look for a five-game road trip -- one of the season's longest -- that begins tonight in Toronto.
They'll be looking for some different results, too. The Penguins have lost four consecutive games and have dropped to eighth place in the Eastern Conference in a four-way tie with Toronto, Montreal and Florida.
The Penguins go west after tonight, meeting San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday, Anaheim on Sunday and Phoenix on Dec. 17.
The last time they won a game in any of those cities was 1999 at Los Angeles.
"This is important for us," Mario Lemieux said. "We can't afford to lose six, seven in a row and expect to make the playoffs at the end of the year."
Recall Lupaschuk and Orpik
Penguins general manager Craig Patrick recalled defenseman Ross Lupaschuk and Brooks Orpik from the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre on Monday. Both players will make their NHL debuts tonight.
Orpik was the Penguins' first-round draft pick out of Boston College in 2000. Lupaschuk was one of three players acquired from the Washington Capitals two summers ago in exchange for Jaromir Jagr.
For the first time since that trade, all three players -- Lupaschuk and forwards Kris Beech and Michal Sivek -- are in the NHL. Lupaschuk will play the left point on the power play. He ranked second among AHL defensemen this season with nine goals. His six power-play goals led the team. The Penguins' NHL-leading power play has struggled without injured defenseman Dick Tarnstrom.
Lupaschuk will play in Tarnstrom's old spot.
Four players out
The Penguins will be without Tarnstrom and defenseman Michal Rozsival (separated shoulder) for at least this road trip. Defenseman Josef Milichar (dislocated shoulder) had possible season-ending surgery last week, and veteran Janne Laukkanen has been one of several ineffective defensemen lately.
Orpik is expected to bring a physical dimension to the defense. His 50 penalty minutes were second on the team at Wilkes-Barre.
"I don't think they're expecting me to do anything special," he said. "Just play the way you always play. They know how you play, and that's why they want you here."
Several players -- including Laukkanen and wingers Dan LaCouture, Martin Straka, Alexei Kovalev and Aleksey Morozov -- skipped practice Monday to rest. Kehoe said all but LaCouture, who has a possible concussion, are expected to play at Toronto.