PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without their best defenceman for Game 4 of their second round series with the Washington Capitals.
Kris Letang was scheduled to have hearing on Tuesday with the NHL's department of player safety for his elbow to the head area of Capitals winger Marcus Johansson on Monday night.
His absence would be a huge blow to the Penguins defence, which played Game 3 without emerging 21-year-old defenceman Olli Maatta.
Maatta suffered an upper body injury in Game 2 following a devastating check from Capitals defenceman Brooks Orpik in Game 2. Orpik drew a three-game suspension for the incident, serving the first game of that suspension on Monday.
Rookie Derrick Pouliot stepped into the lineup for Maatta for Game 3, playing his first ever NHL playoff game. If Maatta is not available to return and Letang is suspended, the Penguins may have to turn to 25-year-old trade deadline acquisition Justin Schultz, who hasn't played since Game 1 of the team's first-round series with New York.
Whatever they do, Letang's absence will be felt. He's averaging more than 29 minutes in the playoffs, has seven points in eight games, and is tasked with matching up against the Capitals top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie.
The Penguins lead the best of seven series 2-1.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.