Goaltender Jared Coreau gets that chance tonight as he will make his first regular-season NHL start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

PITTSBURGH - All competitive athletes want to test themselves against the best.

"I'm really excited," Coreau said after the morning skate. "It's a combination of readiness, nervousness, excitement and anxiousness. So yeah, I'm ready to go."

The Wings are playing back-to-back games in Pittsburgh and then in Brooklyn, New York, Sunday against the New York Islanders.

Wings coach Jeff Blashill said no matter which team Coreau faced his first time, it would be a tough challenge.

"I watched these guys play the Islanders, I think at the time the Islanders might have the worst record in the league, they're a really good hockey team," Blashill said. "So either way, Jared was going to have to face good opponents. He was in here in the preseason and I think felt comfortable in this building so we said, let's give him a shot. He's worked extremely hard to put his skill set into position to be successful, now he needs to go execute."

Coreau said having a little bit of familiarity with PPG Paints Arena is helpful.

"That was big," Coreau said. "I think playing in this building especially was good, so I got to see it and have a little bit of a feel for the atmosphere. It'll be different tonight in regular season. I got to see some of their big guns. It's another hockey game. I can't overthink it. I've got to go in there and play and have some fun."

Coreau will have some fans in the building.

His parents came in from Perth, Ontario, a friend from Michigan and her father made the trip and his agent will also be there.

Coreau was recalled from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins after Jimmy Howard suffered a groin injury in the first period of the game in New Jersey Nov. 25.

Since then, he's watched Petr Mrazek start against the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers.

Coreau said in training camp how much he admired Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and he got a great seat to watch him Nov. 26.

"That was honestly a very beneficial thing for me," Coreau said. "I watched him very closely, especially in the second period because I had a better view. With the Detroit bench it's hard to get a close view of the other net. I watched him, I watched the little tendencies he does and I'm going to try and incorporate them into my game over the course of the season. Obviously not right away because you don't want to change too much for my first NHL game but watching him was huge. He gave me a little tap on the pads in warm-up, which I thought was first class. It shows the kind of guy he is, too."

Blashill said Coreau was impressive during training camp and the preseason.

"I thought Jared was excellent in training camp," Blashill said. "He's had two really good years in the American League. Now you got to come and get it done. One game doesn't make a career by any stretch of the imagination. If he comes and plays great, it doesn't mean that he's going to have an unreal career and if he comes and doesn't play great, it doesn't mean he's not going to have an unreal career. But in terms of tonight's game, he just needs to focus, have that narrow focus of trying to win a hockey game tonight."

NOSEK, LASHOFF JOIN THE FRAY: With Justin Abdelkader's knee injury against Florida, the Wings needed to call up some players from Grand Rapids.

Saturday morning they called up forward Tomas Nosek and defenseman Brian Lashoff.

"We got a lot of good players down there," Blashill said. "Lash is somebody who had a real good training camp. Actually, I thought he had a great training camp. He blocks shots on the penalty kill, so the way we kill penalties that's critical, our D blocks shots and he does a real good job of that, so if he has to go in I've got lots of confidence that he can go in and do a real good job. He's played lots of games in the NHL. He's a good defensemen. Nosek, again, last year when he got called up I thought he did a very good job. He's sound defensively, he knows the way we want to play hockey and if he needs to go in I think he'll do a real good job. I got lots of confidence in both guys."

Both skated with the Wings Saturday morning but neither is expected to play against the Penguins.

Niklas Kronwall did not participate in the morning skate as part of the maintenance plan for his knee, but Blashill expects him to play.

JURCO MOVES UP: Abdelkader had been playing on a line with Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening.

After he went out, both Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco took turns on that line.

Jurco skated there Saturday morning.

"Riley Sheahan may take some time up there as well," Blashill said. "I kind of split both of those guys. But I keep Sheahan at the center position a little bit to start the game and it gives Jurco some opportunity. Jurcs, in his first game I thought he was excellent. I thought he was good the last game. I think he's somebody that can provide skill but also a hard forecheck and get to the net."

This will be Jurco's third game since his return from offseason back surgery.

"Unfortunately Abby got hurt so I can't really say I'm happy about it but anywhere I play I'm going to try to do my best and be the best player that I can be," Jurco said. "I think I'm starting on the second line tonight so that's what I'm going to do, try to be the best player on the second line."

Jurco is still learning about Nielsen.

"I learned he's a good both-way forward and he can play in defensive zone and he can be really good in offensive zone," Nielsen said. "He's a good player and I hope it's going to help me."

MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS ON PENGUINS: There are quite a few Penguins with Michigan connections.

Bryan Rust (Pontiac), Ian Cole (Ann Arbor) and Steve Oleksy (Chesterfield) were all born in Michigan.

Phil Kessel spent time with the U.S. National Team Development Program when it was based in Ann Arbor.

Carl Hagelin went to Michigan.

One of Hagelin's fondest memories is of the Big Chill outdoor game at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 11, 2010.

"That's the most fun I ever had playing in an outdoor game," Hagelin said. "I went to Michigan but it was the fact that it was 110,000 people (officially 104,173) there and I had 20 people from Sweden come in to watch me play. We played Michigan State and we beat them 5-0. It was one of those games where everything was clicking, we really dominated the game and the weather was perfect. It was the last game before I flew home for Christmas break as well. It was my senior year, I was captain of the team so a lot of different aspects of that game that I remember and it meant a lot to me."

Hagelin, 28, says he still keeps in touch with the Wolverines.

"If I'm back playing in Detroit, I try to go to a game, if possible, and stop by and say hi," Hagelin said. "I text here and there with Wiseman (Brian, assistant coach) throughout the years. I always keep myself updated on how it's going for the team."

It went really well for Hagelin last year once he joined the Penguins.

"It was an unbelievable feeling," Hagelin said. "I got traded from Anaheim to Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh, they were struggling a little bit at the time and so was I. It came at the perfect time. Things were starting to go in a positive direction, it felt good to be a part of that, a lot of great players in here, great guys. I just felt like it worked out right away. Once we were in the playoffs, we had a lot of confidence and just to win the Cup, that's what you dream about your whole life."

Hagelin took the Stanley Cup home to Sodertalje, Sweden, over the summer.