CRANBERRY, Pa. — Only the most optimistic would have thought that Kris Letang or Brian Dumoulin would have been back on the ice Monday.
However, reality is starting to set in.
The Penguins were without their top defense pair as the team returned to practice at the Lemieux Sports Complex two days after Dumoulin and Letang were injured late in the first period of Saturday night’s Stadium Series game in Philadelphia. Dumoulin sustained a concussion after absorbing a big hit from Wayne Simmonds, while Letang was tackled hard to the ice in the ensuing scrum. Letang suffered what Mike Sullivan called an “upper body injury.”
Sullivan said that neither player would be making the trip to Columbus and that Letang would be evaluated on a day to day basis. All things considered, that’s a best case scenario for Letang, who was later seen walking outside the team’s dressing room.
How long each player will be out remains to be seen but this weekend’s back-to-back road games at Buffalo and Montreal would seem a possibility.
In the meantime, that means that Juuso Riikola will almost certainly get back in the lineup while Erik Gudbranson, acquired on Monday’s NHL trade deadline, clears immigration. Riikola’s been out since Feb. 13.
“Juuso brings a dimension to our team when he’s in the lineup,” Sullivan said when I’d asked about the 24-year-old rookie. “He’s a very good puck-mover, good on the offensive blue line. Has a good shot. We can use him on the power play. He defends pretty well with his mobility and his stick. Really, that’s the player he is for us. And when he’s defending hard and getting back to pucks and using his mobility and hockey sense that how he helps us.”
• Also not taking the ice was Teddy Blueger. He was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre despite scoring three goals in nine games since being recalled. Blueger had been a healthy scratch the past three games. Sullivan praised Blueger’s performance and confirmed that the move was not a paper transaction. “He’s a a phone call from being right back here,” Sullivan said.
• Evgeni Malkin, who took the ice a few minutes late, took a hard fall in the corner after being defended by Riikola. They nearly took out Sullivan, who was standing in one corner. Sullivan managed to smile later.
• The trade deadline is nothing new to Matt Murray. But this year’s was a little different as he’s been struggling of late. While it’s doubtful that the Penguins considered moving him, Jim Rutherford said he needs to see more consistency from his goalie. Murray wouldn’t disagree.
• Here were the lines and pairs:
Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Aston-Reese-Malkin-Kessel
McCann-Bjugstad-Rust
Pearson-Cullen-Simon (Wilson)
Schultz-Johnson
Pettersson-Ruhwedel
Riikola-(Recchi)
• Not only are Dumoulin and Letang, the top defense pair, they were to be on the first power play unit on Saturday. However things changed. Accordingly, Sullivan mixed up his power play a little bit at practice on Monday. The first unit had Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Patric Hornqvist and Justin Schultz. The second had Phil Kessel, Tanner Pearson, Nick Bjugstad, Marcus Pettersson and Juuso Riikola.
