Marc-Andre Fleury possibly concussed, Beau Bennett out 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury
Last night the Penguins failed to pick up the first win under new head coach Mike Sullivan and will now be without Marc-Andre Fleury and Beau Bennett.
Even worse than the 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins will face added difficulty these coming weeks due to a major injury to Beau Bennett and a possible injury to star goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Bennett is expected to be out four to six weeks following a hit into the boards by Washington’s T.J. Oshie that caused a shoulder injury according to Will Greaves of the Associated Press (per. CBSSports.com). Bennett was unfortunately just starting to break out as a star player for the Penguins this year, and even got some playing time in the first line as of recent.
In 24 games so far this season, Bennett hoisted five goals and five assists. His shot percentage has also climbed up to 12.2 percent, a career high. Bennett has proved that he’s one of the only improvements so far this season for the Pens, and the loss now limits Sullivan’s offense even more.
What could turn out to be even worse news is the loss of Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury is currently being tested for a concussion.
“He came to us last night and said he wasn’t feeling right.” said coach Sullivan via the Penguins twitter account. “He’s being tested but there’s a possibility it’s a concussion.”
Fleury’s ability to stay injury free has helped the Penguins time and time again. He hasn’t had any major injuries since 2007, and the consistency of him in the lineup certainly will be missed.
Best of luck to Mike Sullivan, who now moves forward with even more obstacles to overcome and try and get a wild card spot.
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To help fill Fleury’s spot, the Penguins have recalled 21-year-old goaltender Matt Murray, who could prove his worth to the team and maybe get some future starts if given the chance to play. Murray was first in the AHL last season in goals-against average with 1.58, and also in save percentage with .941.
Also recalled today were forwards Conor Sheary and Kevin Porter. It will be interesting to see how much Sullivan works them into the offense, seeing as the former Wilkes-Barre Scranton coach has a little more experience working with them than he does with the rest of the current Pens roster.
Sheary could be the player that can help make a huge difference, as he currently has 19 assists in 24 games. Porter has had some experience with the Pens, but hasn’t been the best when in Pittsburgh. Porter has only one assist in the eight games played for the Pens this season.
Next: Sean Rodriguez inks 1-year deal with the Pirates
Mike Sullivan will need all the luck he can get as the Pens will travel to Boston tomorrow against an always-tough Bruins team. The puck drops at 8:00 PM ET on NBCSN.