Sunrise, FL (My Sportsbook) - The Pittsburgh Penguins seek their fifth consecutive win tonight when they visit the Florida Panthers at the Office Depot Center.

Pittsburgh, which stands second in the Atlantic Division with 16 points, will receive an added boost as it tries to keep its run alive. Forward Martin Straka is expected to return to the lineup after missing the first 11 games of the season due to a back injury suffered this past summer.

Straka sustained the ailment while weightlifting in July, but that doesn't tell the half of the Czech's injury problems in recent years. Last season he was limited to a mere 13 games while fighting through a broken right leg, broken orbital and injured ankle. The first injury, the broken leg, was suffered against the Panthers club he'll face tonight.

When healthy in 2000-01, Straka contributed 27 goals and 68 assists for a career-high 95 points. Primarily skating on the second line with Alexei Kovalev and the now departed Robert Lang, he helped the Pens to a conference final berth.

Without Straka, Pittsburgh has posted consecutive victories over Buffalo, Washington, Ottawa and Tampa Bay, including Saturday's 5-3 triumph over the Lightning at the Igloo. Kovalev led the charge with two goals and an assist, and Mario Lemieux added a score (empty net) and assisted on three power-play markers.

The duo has simply been torrid since the Pens' 6-0 loss to Toronto on opening night, and both players have contributed at least a point in each game since. Lemieux paces the NHL with 27 points, (7g, 20a), while Kovalev has notched 10 goals and eight assists. The latter player is tied with Minnesota's Marian Gaborik for the league's goal-scoring lead.

Pittsburgh went 3-for-5 on the power play Saturday night, and has fired at an NHL-best 20-for-66 clip (30.3 percent) this season.

Goaltender Johan Hedberg, who made 26 saves versus the Lightning, has a career-best eight-game unbeaten streak intact (6-0-2) entering this evening's action.

The Penguins, 2-1-1 away from home, begin a four-game road trip tonight. The swing continues Friday in Tampa, and also includes stops in Carolina and Minnesota.

Florida, meanwhile, has won only once in its last five tries (1-3-1), and is coming off Saturday's 3-1 home loss to previously winless Atlanta. Valeri Bure tied things with a power-play goal 12:56 into the second period, but the Thrashers posted two markers in the first 6:06 of the third to take hold of the match.

Roberto Luongo made 29 saves for Florida, which is 0-2-1 in its last three home games.

The Panthers went 2-1-1 against Pittsburgh a season ago, but the Pens are 5-3-2 in the last 10 meetings overall. The Penguins are 4-7-1 in their last 12 trips to South Florida.