NEW YORK -- The Penguins' 2019-20 season is beginning to feel like a bad romance novel: The hurt never seems to stop hurting.
Justin Schultz will be out of the lineup "longer-term," Mike Sullivan told reporters here at Barclays Center two hours before faceoff with the Islanders, with what he called "a lower-body injury." Sullivan's use of "longer-term" usually denotes that a player will miss weeks rather than days. Schultz made an early exit from practice Wednesday, but Sullivan balked when I asked if the injury occurred there or had been lingering.
"It's always hard to know," he replied.
Additionally, Nick Bjugstad had core muscle surgery Thursday, Sullivan disclosed. Bjugstad, out since Nov. 15, will miss an additional "minimum of eight weeks," per Sullivan. He had one assist through 10 games.
On the bright side -- and yeah, that still surfaces occasionally -- Patric Hornqvist will, as expected, make his return tonight after missing seven games to a lower-body injury, Sullivan confirmed.
But still, that's four total players out now: Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Schultz and Bjugstad.
For tonight's road game against the Islanders, I asked Sullivan if his team could somehow channel that same energy it found earlier this season under similar circumstances on the trip through St. Paul and Winnipeg:
Expect the defense tonight to have a markedly different look. Chad Ruhwedel, a healthy scratch all season, will finally play. And Zach Trotman, recalled earlier in the day from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL also is expected to suit up, a source tells DKPittsburghSports.com. That would leave Juuso Riikola, who struggled immensely Tuesday night in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders, as the odd man out.
Matt Murray will get the start in goal, making it likely Tristan Jarry starts tomorrow against the Devils at PPG Paints Arena.
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