The Pittsburgh Penguins may hold a 2-1 series lead over the rival Washington Capitals, but they will be without defenseman Kris Letang for a pivotal Game 4 on Wednesday.
Perhaps for the Capitals, the absence of Letang -- suspended one game for a high, late hit on Marcus Johansson in Game 3 -- on the Penguins blue line can provide an opportunity to help swing the series back in their favor heading to Washington and home ice in Game 5.
“He’s the backbone of their defense,” Capitals blue liner Karl Alzner told CSN Mid-Atlantic.
“He goes back for pucks and gets them out of his zone with a pass or a flip. He transitions the puck and logs key minutes on their PP.”
In addition to seven points in eight games this post-season, which puts him into a tie for third among defensemen in the playoffs, Letang is also among the leaders in ice time, averaging 29:13 per game.
So yes, that’s a significant loss at this juncture of the series, even if for one game.
The Penguins were already without Olli Maatta for Game 3. He was injured on that late, high hit from Brooks Orpik. That forced Derrick Pouliot into the lineup for Pittsburgh. The 25-year-old Justin Schultz, who the Penguins acquired from Edmonton earlier this season, figures to be next in line for Pittsburgh with Letang out.
Schultz entered the league with plenty of hype surrounding him, billed as a dynamic offensive defenseman. But nothing seemed to pan out for him in Edmonton, there were growing concerns about his play in his own end, and his time there ended with a trade prior to the deadline.
This could mean added minutes, too, for Trevor Daley, who played 22:20 in Game 3.
Between Pouliot and Schultz, they have a combined two games worth of Stanley Cup playoff experience.
Justin Schultz on potential of playing Game 4: "You want to step in and have an impact...prove a lot of people wrong."
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) May 3, 2016