Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang left Friday’s game against the Boston Bruins late in the third period with an apparent lower-body injury. He is considered day-to-day. Letang did not appear in Saturday’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings.
Coach Sullivan on the status of Kris Letang: “He is not going to play tonight. He is day-to-day with a lower-body injury… It could have been a lot worse. We’re going to take it each day as it comes. We have other capable guys that can fill in. We have to help each other.” pic.twitter.com/gNAidJprRP
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 15, 2018
Penguins Kris Letang Injured
Letang limped off the ice with five minutes left in the third period Friday night after colliding with Boston’s Joakim Nordstrom. After sending a pass to Bryan Rust, Letang fell awkwardly over the back of Nordstrom. Nordstrom was down on one knee when the collision occurred. Letangs knee slammed into Nordstrom’s body with full force. He remained on the ice briefly before struggling to the bench and down the tunnel. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan had no immediate update on Letang’s condition after the game.
Letang is in the midst of a comeback year, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time a night. Earlier this season, he became the teams all-time leading scorer among defensemen when he surpassed Paul Coffey. The star defenseman has already netted seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points this season in just 30 games. Over his 13-year NHL career with Pittsburgh, Letang owns 103 goals and 359 assists for 462 points through 712 games.
What this means for the future
Letang was the only right-handed defenseman in the lineup since the loss of Justin Schultz to a leg fracture earlier this season. Coach Sullivan remains optimistic that the team can fill the gap left during Letang’s absence internally. With the veteran defenseman out, the gap to fill is considerable. Letang usually averages the most ice time and is a critical piece to the power play unit. Chad Ruhwedel and Juuso Riikola were both healthy scratches for the Pens since the acquisition of Marcus Pettersson. Both defensemen are capable of stepping up if Letang’s absence becomes more significant. On Saturday, Riikola played against the Kings.
