Penguins Recall Sestito and Oleksy

The Penguins recalled left wing Tom Sestito and defenseman Steve Oleksy from their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm club yesterday.

Conventional wisdom suggests that Pens coach Mike Sullivan will replace Kris Letang (suspension) and Bryan Rust (lower-body injury) in tonight’s Game 4 with Justin Schultz and Oskar Sundqvist. Each has been a healthy scratch since suiting up for the series opener against the Rangers on April 13.

However, Sestito and Oleksy—arguably the two toughest players in the Penguins’ organization—provide Sullivan with a physical option should he opt to fight fire with fire. The Capitals have outhit the Pens, 132-75, through the first three games of what’s evolved into a chippy series.

Sestito, a 6’5” 228-pound heavyweight, played in four games for the black and gold this season. He tallied an assist against the Capitals on April 7. In 41 games with the Baby Pens, the hulking 28 year old had five goals and 14 points to go with 104 minutes in penalties.

For his career, the Rome, New York native has 141 regular-season games on his NHL resume and one playoff game.

The 30-year-old Oleksy skated in 63 games with Wilkes-Barre this season, collecting two goals, 19 points and a team-high 123 PIM. The right-handed shooting defenseman appeared in 62 NHL games with Washington over a three-season span.

Oleksy played in seven playoff games for the Caps in 2013.

Forgotten Man

Forward Beau Bennett remains with the team, but has not been cleared to play by the medical staff. The former first-round pick has struggled to overcome a recurring shoulder injury sustained back on December 14, courtesy of a hit by Washington’s T.J. Oshie.

In 33 regular-season games, the 24-year-old Bennett scored six goals and 12 points. The 6’2” 195-pounder hasn’t played since aggravating the shoulder injury against Ottawa on April 5.