A day after leaving a game during the third period because of an undisclosed injury, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Marino did not practice Wednesday. Coach Mike Sullivan termed it “a maintenance day” and said Marino did not skate.
Marino suffered his injury at 8:24 of the third period of Tuesday’s 8-4 loss to the New York Rangers when he fell on his face as the result of a trip by Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich.
Forward Teddy Blueger, however, was on the ice at Madison Square Garden for practice the day between games against the Rangers. Blueger seemingly has been close to a return to action for several days now — Wednesday was his third consecutive full practice — but he has missed the past 11 games because of an upper-body injury.
“Teddy was at full capacity and full contact,” Sullivan said via video conference call with media, “(but) his status hasn’t changed. He has not been cleared yet to play. But certainly his participation in full capacity is encouraging.”
Two injured players Sullivan referenced Wednesday whose statuses have not changed are forwards Brandon Tanev (upper-body injury) and Kasperi Kapanen (lower-body). Neither skated Wednesday, and Sullivan has termed them “week-to-week.”
If Marino cannot play Thursday in New York, Chad Ruhwedel likely would be called upon to dress for a game for the first time since March 16.
