Right winger Ziggy Palffy, one of the Penguins' most consistent offensive contributors, plans to be in the lineup when they face Calgary at 7:15 p.m. today at Mellon Arena.

Palffy missed most of the second period and all of the third in the Penguins' 2-1 loss Thursday in New York because of a groin injury, but skated by himself before their practice at the Island Sports Center yesterday and pronounced himself ready to return.

"It feels pretty good," he said. "So I have no problem playing [tonight]."

Palffy has 10 goals and 18 assists in 26 games to tie frequent linemate Sidney Crosby, who has 12 goals and 16 assists, for first place in the team scoring race.

"He's important, especially on the power play, for us," Mario Lemieux said. "And five-on-five, he's one of our best."

Palffy said he has no history of groin problems, and offered this sketchy recollection of the sequence on which he was injured: "I stopped on the blue line and I started. That's when I hurt it."