PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins dealing with injuries is a tale as old as time, and it’s a story continuing to be told late in the 2022-23 regular season.
Ahead of their battle with the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins announced that Marcus Pettersson was placed on long-term injured reserve with Taylor Fedun being recalled on an emergency basis.
Pettersson joins other defensemen on the shelf like Jeff Petry, Dmitry Kulikov, and Jan Rutta on the shelf.
With a depleted blue line, the Penguins are hoping to continue their ‘next man up’ mentality.
“I think we can rally around this,” Mike Sullivan said. “It’s great opportunity for some guys to step up and play more significant roles.”
Some players expected to play in bigger roles include Fedun who hasn’t played a game in the NHL since the 2020 postseason.
After spending two seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Fedun is excited for his opportunity at NHL ice.
“It’s crazy how quickly things can change,” Fedun said. “Few weeks ago I was probably the furthest thing from anyone’s mind, but here we are. Try and make the most of it.”
At the age of 34, Fedun has spent the majority of his professional hockey career in the AHL with numerous teams.
Despite not getting many chances at the big leagues, Fedun says he still has a passion for the game, no matter the level.
“I just love it,” Fedun said. “After a day off I’m excited to go to the rink the next day.”
The defense might be where most of the injuries have popped up, but it’s going to be a full-team effort to battle through.
Especially with how few games are left in the season, it’s more important than ever that everyone takes their game to another level in a smart way.
“I think you have to be a little more desperate,” Sidney Crosby said. “Simplifying things becomes more important. Guys will be playing different roles; we want to make sure we’re helping each other.”
It’s not going to be an easy task for the Penguins, and it’s going to be uneasy trying to watch the state of this blue line, but the team knows what it takes to win.
It’ll be a collective effort and as the importance of each game increases, they’ll need to maintain their focus at what’s in front of them.
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