The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up a 1-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, however it came at a cost as three more of the team’s players will now be unavailable.
Following the win, head coach Mike Johnston stated that Chris Kunitz, who did not play Tuesday, suffered a fractured foot last week and will be out for at least a couple of weeks. The 35-year-old Kunitz has 9 goals and and 11 assists for 20 points in 23 games this season.
The move creates further issues for the Penguins in their top 6, as the team is already without winger Pascal Dupuis.
However its not just the forwards who are missing some key pieces, as the defence has also been hit hard.
In addition, Johnston announced that the Penguins placed star offensive defenceman, Kris Letang on injured reserve with a groin injury. Letang has 4 goals and and 14 assists for 18 points in 22 games this season.
In addition, Robert Bortuzzo committed an illegal check to New Jersey star winger Jaromir Jagr, and had a phone hearing with the NHL department of player safety today. Recently the league has announced that he has been suspended for two games for a late hit. The 25-year-old Bortuzzo has 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in 9 games this season.
Despite all the missing players, the Penguins just keep on winning. They currently sit in first place in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division with 36 points on a 17-5-2 record, just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the NHL.
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