Penguins forward Jeff Carter sidelined due to undisclosed injury
In addition to suffering their fourth consecutive defeat on Saturday in a 3-1 road loss to the Seattle Kraken, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost something else in the Emerald City.
Their third-line center.
Jeff Carter has been labeled as “day to day” due to an undisclosed injury according to coach Mike Sullivan.
There is little to indicate his day of return will be Tuesday for a home contest against the Boston Bruins. The right-handed Carter did not participate in a practice session at the team’s facility in Cranberry on Monday.
In nine games this season, Carter has six points (two goals, four assists) and has averaged 15:09 of ice time per contest.
His absence prompted the team to recall forward Drew O’Connor from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday morning. The 24-year-old O’Connor served as the team’s third-line center in place of Carter during Monday’s practice.
In eight American Hockey League (AHL) games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, O’Connor had six points (two goals, four assists) while largely serving as that team’s top center.
Beyond filling the considerable void at the center position created by Carter’s injury, O’Connor earned a recall through his play.
“His last three games, he’s been one of (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s) best players, if not their best,” Sullivan said. “He’s played very well. Obviously, with (Carter), being out right now, we needed another center iceman. Specifically, we need a center iceman that can kill penalties. That’s an area he fills for us, especially in the faceoff circle.
“If you look at the circumstance we had the other night, when (Carter) went out, we had Ryan Poehling taking faceoffs on the penalty kill and after that, you’re looking at players like (Sidney Crosby) and sometimes I’m trying to take those guys out of those situations.”
After being assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the late stages of training camp on Oct. 2, O’Connor is happy to be involved in any situation with the NHL club.
After being limited to two assists in his first five AHL games of the season, O’Connor’s production saw an upswing with four points (two goals, two assists) in his three most recent contests.
“I wasn’t my best early on,” said O’Connor, who drove across the state early Monday morning in order to practice. “I could have been a little bit better in camp and those first few games. But I think I’ve gotten back to what I do best the last few games and playing well. I’ve been feeling good.
“I wasn’t hunting pucks as much as I can, getting in on the forecheck, making the plays that I know that I can make. For me, it was just kind of dialing it in a little bit harder. Once I did that, I kind of started going better a little bit more.”
During Monday’s practice, the left-handed O’Connor skated with Danton Heinen on his left wing while Kasperi Kapanen manned the right wing.
To make room for O’Connor on the roster, winger Drake Caggiula was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Caggiula, 28, was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 23. In three NHL games this season, he has no points and has averaged 7:28 of ice time per contest.
With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season, Caggiula, a left-handed shot, has played in four games and has recorded one assist.
Also absent from practice was defenseman Kris Letang. Per Sullivan, Letang was dealing with an undisclosed illness but no other details were provided.
That led to the team rotating defensemen in practice. Included in that mix was injured forward Teddy Blueger who participated in practice with contact.
Blueger has yet to play a game this season due to an undisclosed injury he suffered during a training camp practice on Sept. 28. He is currently designated to long-term injured reserve. That designation does not allow Blueger to play in any games before a home contest against the Kraken on Nov. 5.
The team’s lines during Monday’s practice were:
59 Jake Guentzel - 87 Sidney Crosby - 17 Bryan Rust
16 Jason Zucker - 71 Evgeni Malkin - 67 Rickard Rakell
43 Danton Heinen - 10 Drew O’Connor - 42 Kasperi Kapanen
23 Brock McGinn - 25 Ryan Poehling - 45 Josh Archibald
The defensemen, as well as Blueger, largely rotated on the blue line.
The top power-play unit included Crosby, Guentzel, Malkin, Petry and Rust. Petry replaced Letang in that quintet.
As for the second power-play unit, it involved rookie Sam Poulin, Heinen, Joseph, Rakell and Zucker.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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