The Pittsburgh Penguins lost two defensemen in a six-hour span Monday. Luckily for them, the loss of one was temporary.
Jack Johnson practiced fully at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Tuesday after he left Monday night’s game during third period because of an unspecified injury.
“I feel OK,” Johnson said after practice. “I’ll be fine (Wednesday) night.”
The Penguins host the team with the league’s best record, the Tampa Bay Lightning, on Wednesday.
“He’s a tough kid, he plays through a lot, and so from that standpoint it doesn’t surprise me that Jack practiced today,” coach Mike Sullivan said Tuesday. “He responded pretty well, so that is certainly encouraging.”
Before Monday’s game, the Penguins traded Jamie Oleksiak to the Dallas Stars for a fourth-round pick, clearing space on a blue line that had eight healthy NHL defenseman and a ninth, Justin Schultz, nearing a return from a broken leg suffered in October.
All players on the active roster took part in Tuesday’s practice; injured-reserve players Schultz and forward Zach Aston-Reese skated on their own before the workout.
Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.
Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.
