Flyers Voracek Knees Penguins Chad Ruhwedel

The injury bug doesn’t need help chewing on the Pittsburgh Penguins. It has done just fine as the Penguins already have over 200 man-games lost due to injury and the Philadelphia Flyers nearly added to it with Jakub Voracek’s hit on defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.

Actually, it was a visibly intentional knee-on-knee hit late in the first period, which sent Ruhwedel tumbling to the ice. Ruhwedel was felled and glided to the bench on one leg.

Voracek was given a two-minute minor penalty for tripping, though additional discipline may be served when league offices get a good look at Voracek’s leg extension.

Ruhwedel has been the Penguins third-pairing defenseman with Juuso Riikola since Brian Dumoulin was injured on Nov. 30 against St. Louis. The Penguins spare defenseman behind Ruhwedel is currently AHL veteran Kevin Czuczman. However, after Tuesday, the Penguins do not play again until Jan. 31, when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena.