Although it looks as if winger Matt Cooke will be ready to return tonight when the Penguins play in New York against the Rangers, defenseman Hal Gill's status remains in question.

Cooke has missed the past four games because of a muscle strain in the abdominal area but has been practicing regularly the past few days.

"The final decision will be made [today], but it looks like he will be there," coach Michel Therrien said yesterday.

Gill, who has missed one game because of an undisclosed injury, did not practice. Therrien earlier in the week was hopeful he would get both players back tonight but is still calling the big defenseman "day to day."

The Rangers game is the start of a four-game road trip. With Gill out, the Penguins have the minimum six healthy defensemen, but Therrien doesn't expect the team to add one for insurance, even though the Penguins will be traveling to San Jose, Phoenix and St. Louis.

"We're not going to bring anyone," Therrien said. "We've got time between games if we need a defenseman. Even when we go out West, we've got time to call [up] players."

The Penguins made a different move, sending forward and Fox Chapel native Bill Thomas to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Thomas, 25, who was signed over the summer, had no points in two games.

Therrien laughed when asked if there was anything surprising about Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin leading the NHL with 13 points and center Sidney Crosby in a four-way tie for second with 11 points, going into last night's schedule.

"They're quality players," Therrien said. "They're special players. They're certainly some of the top players in the NHL."

Perhaps the bigger question is, where is Alex Ovechkin? The Washington winger, the reigning NHL scoring champion and MVP, has two goals and four points.

Malkin, 22, who was second to Ovechkin last season in the scoring race, has three goals, 10 assists. Through eight games, he has three multipoint games and a point in seven games. Ten of his points have come over the past four games.

Crosby, 21, the 2006-07 scoring titlist and MVP, had a slow start but now has nine points over the past four games.

Penguins forward Jordan Staal played against his older brother, Carolina center Eric Staal, Thursday night and tonight will face younger brother Marc Staal, a defenseman with the Rangers.

The three can pretty much count on seeing each other when their teams meet.

Jordan Staal has played in 170 of a possible 171 games since joining the Penguins, Eric in 333 of a possible 334 with the Hurricanes and, going into last night's game at Columbus, Marc all 89 games since sticking with the Rangers as a rookie last season.

Jordan and Eric each missed their lone NHL game as rookies.

The Penguins-Rangers game is one of 15 in the NHL today, just the second time in league history that every team is playing.

The previous time was Oct. 5, 2005, the opening night of the 2005-06 season coming off the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

All teams will be off tomorrow, the first idle day in the NHL since Nov. 21, 2001, except for preset breaks such as Christmas, the All-Star break, the Olympics or days after teams open in Europe.