Peter Diana, Post-Gazette It seems like only yesterday that Michel Ouellet was trying to get a puck past Martin Brodeur. The Penguins and Devils meet at Mellon Arena for the second time in less than a week. Click photo for larger image. Scouting Report Matchup: New Jersey Devils at Penguins, 7:08 p.m. today, Mellon Arena. TV, radio: Versus, WXDX-FM (105.9). Probable goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Martin Brodeur for Devils. Penguins: Have won four of first seven games for first time since 2000-01. ... C Dominic Moore does not have goal in 21 games. ... Are 4-0 when scoring first goal, 0-3 when allowing it. Devils: Are 2-3 on road, including 2-1 victory Wednesday at Mellon Arena. ... RW Brian Gionta has seven goals, more than any two teammates combined. ... Power play is 2 for 28 in away games. Hidden stat: Penguins have chance to win three games in a row for first time since March 19-23, 2004.

The Penguins didn't tell rookie defenseman Kristopher Letang that he'd be going back to his junior hockey team after they summoned Noah Welch from their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre yesterday.

But they didn't tell him to start house-hunting, either.

With Welch added to the roster and injured defensemen Eric Cairns and Brooks Orpik expected back in the reasonably near future, the Penguins' blue line could get awfully crowded. Enough that there might not be room on it for Letang, although management has not informed him of its plans.

"No," Letang said yesterday. "Nothing. I don't know."

Letang is expected to surrender his place in the lineup to Welch when the Penguins face New Jersey at 7:08 tonight at Mellon Arena, and figures to watch a few more games before getting back in uniform.

"I'm not playing for a few games, I think," he said.

Letang, 19, is allowed to play nine games in the NHL before the first year of his entry-level contract is activated, and they do not have to be the first nine games of the season.

His ice time has dropped significantly in recent games, and he has been reduced to something of a power-play specialist.

"It's tough," said Letang, who has two goals in seven games. "I just play a few minutes, five-on-five."

Welch was a healthy scratch for the Baby Penguins' third game of the season, but bounced back well enough to earn his promotion little more than a week later.

"When I got sent down [at the end of training camp], I had a feeling that if I worked hard and played well at Wilkes-Barre, I'd be one of the first guys called up," Welch said.

Staal in the record books

Rookie center Jordan Staal, whose first three NHL goals have been scored while the Penguins were short-handed, will make history if they are down a man when he gets his next one; no NHL player has kicked off his career with four consecutive short-handed goals.

Also, research by the Elias Sports Bureau shows that Staal, who scored two short-handed goals in the Penguins' 5-3 victory against Columbus Saturday, is the youngest player in league history to get two in the same game.

Staal was 18 years, 41 days old on Saturday. Radek Dvorak, then of Florida, had set the record when he was 20 years, 278 days.

Staal also is the youngest NHL player to score on a penalty shot -- Panthers forward Nathan Horton had held the record of 18 years, 224 days -- and the youngest to get two goals in a game in nearly 43 years. Boston's Bep Guidolin was 29 days younger when he did it during an 8-5 victory against Toronto on Dec. 21, 1943.

Devils try to rebound

It has only been six days since New Jersey beat the Penguins, 2-1, at Mellon Arena, but there's not much chance of the Devils being overconfident going into tonight's game.

Not when they're coming off an 8-1 loss in Ottawa Saturday.

It was the first time they lost by seven goals since a 9-2 defeat at Washington Jan. 1, 1993, and the first time New Jersey gave up eight goals since an 8-3 loss to the New York Rangers Dec. 26, 1993.

Slap shots

Orpik, who is recovering from wrist surgery, hopes to resume practicing with his teammates tomorrow and has targeted the Penguins' upcoming West Coast swing for his return to the lineup. ... Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will make his eighth consecutive start tonight and Therrien said, "He's going to keep playing as long as he plays well." ... The Penguins' power play has scored three or more goals in three of the past five games.