The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to crawl out of their slump without the help of their best defenceman.
Kris Letang was placed on injured reserve Monday after suffering a lower-body injury during Saturday’s 6-3 loss in Detroit, the Stanley Cup champions’ third consecutive defeat. He is listed as week to week.
Letang got tangled up with Thomas Vanek during a puck battle in the first period (watch above), fell awkwardly and left the game.
As the engine that drives the Penguins’ blue line, Letang has 23 points in 30 games played this season. Frequently injured, he has only reached the 70-game plateau once in the past six seasons.
Pittsburgh recalled forward Jake Guentzel and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Guentzel, 22, leads the AHL with 21 goals and ranks second overall with 42 points in 33 games.
Ruhwedel, 26, has skated in five NHL games with Pittsburgh this year, registering two points and a plus-3 rating.