Another chance for DiPenta

OTTAWA —  When Chris Pronger returned from a one-game suspension against Detroit in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, Joe DiPenta ended up being the odd man out after Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle opted instead to keep Ric Jackman in the lineup.

But DiPenta is expected to be back on the ice tonight for Game 4 now that Pronger has to serve another suspension.

“It’s exciting to get an opportunity to play in the Stanley Cup finals,” said DiPenta, who was a regular for the Ducks over the first two rounds of the playoffs.

DiPenta said he understood when Carlyle took him out of the lineup.

“In hockey, it’s the nature of the sport where you go with chemistry and stick with what’s working,” DiPenta said. “That’s just the way it goes. Sometimes, you’re in the lineup and sometimes you’re not.... The team was playing really well and that’s the most important thing. I know my role on the team.”

After watching the Senators hammer the Ducks’ defense with a relentless forecheck on Saturday, DiPenta isn’t worried.

“You just want to keep it simple,” he said. “Having some experience always helps but it’s still going to be a situation where I haven’t played in a while.”

Jackman said the Ducks are ready. “It’s unfortunate that Chris was suspended for a game,” he said. “But Joe is a very capable guy who has played a lot of games for the team this season.”

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Near the end of practice Sunday, forward Dustin Penner joined a couple of teammates, including center Andy McDonald, in a game of target practice on the sideboards of Scotiabank Place. But the game ended when Penner misfired and shattered the side glass of the rink.

“I guess they don’t make glass like they used to,” said Penner, who had arena workers scrambling after the practice ended.

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NBC got only a 1.5 national overnight rating for Game 3. That’s down 12% from the 1.7 NBC got for Game 3 of last year’s Stanley Cup finals between Carolina and Edmonton.

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The Ducks’ Chris Kunitz said he expects to play tonight after suffering a bruised stomach muscle in Saturday’s game.

He made it back into the lineup in only three weeks after breaking his right hand in Game 1 of the conference finals. On Saturday he played just over four minutes on the top line with Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne before getting hurt again.

“It must have been in the way I twisted and hit somebody,” said Kunitz. “It had a bit of a spasm thing going on. But it’s calmed down quite a bit.”

Times staff writer Larry Stewart contributed to this report.

lonnie.white@latimes.com