DETROIT – Already playing without Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be missing another key performer, defenseman Brian Dumoulin, when they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Dumoulin is day to day with a lower-body injury, coach Mike Sullivan said after morning skate.
Dumoulin did not suffer an obvious injury during Sunday’s game with Carolina, carrying a regular workload of almost 23 minutes of ice time. He missed three games after suffering a concussion Feb. 23 in Philadelphia. The Penguins went 2-0-1 in the absence of Dumoulin and Letang, giving up a total of seven goals.
With Dumoulin out, Olli Maatta figures to play a more prominent role. He’ll be in his third game back after missing 21 games with an upper-body injury suffered Feb. 21.
Matt Murray is expected to start in net for the Penguins, who can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a Montreal loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
The Penguins can move into a second-place tie with the New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division with a win. They’re three points ahead of fourth-place Columbus.
Malkin and Letang skated Tuesday morning in Pittsburgh, Sullivan said. The team’s other injured players, Zach Aston-Reese and Chad Ruhwedel, had a scheduled day off.
