Penguins Hold Breath on Marcus Pettersson Injury

KANATA, Ontario — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson was injured and left the game late in the first period. The Penguins soldiered onward with just five defensemen in their 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Pettersson hobbled down the tunnel with trainers and did not return. The exact nature of his lower-body injury or the cause was unknown, but Pettersson had a pronounced limp.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t have a specific update following the game.

“I don’t have a status update. He’s out with a lower-body injury. I can’t tell you any status other than that,” Sullivan said.

Pettersson, 28, has been the defensive rock of the Penguins’ blue line. This season, he’s mostly played beside Erik Karlsson, steadying the offensive defenseman’s game. Pettersson has 13 points (2-11-13) in 32 games, including Saturday. He is a pending free agent after the season, and his name has often been floated in NHL trade rumors and speculation.

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As a result of playing with just five defensemen, both Kris Letang and Karlsson played more than 26 minutes.

The Penguins are off Sunday, so the earliest update will be Monday following the Penguins practice.