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Letang injured versus Red Wings, as Penguins suffer third straight loss

Toronto Maple Leafs v Pittsburgh Penguins

Kris Letang

Getty Images

Difficult few days here for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The defending champs suffered their third consecutive loss -- the third loss in the last four days -- as they fell 6-3 to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. Worse yet, for the Penguins, was that their best defenseman Kris Letang left the game in the first period with an apparent injury.

Letang, who opened the scoring just 27 seconds in, was hurt less than four minutes into the game after he got tangled up with Thomas Vanek in the defensive zone.

The Penguins blue liner left the game and then briefly returned before leaving for good later in the first period. He played just 2:06. There was no update on Letang after the game.

The Penguins eventually gave up four straight goals to Detroit in the final 21 minutes. The highlight of this game: Andreas Athanasiou going on an end-to-end rush and then going top shelf on Marc-Andre Fleury to give Detroit its first lead.

That goal counts as the winner.

The Penguins thought they had tied it up in the third period, but the goal was overturned due to goalie interference.

From the NHL:

After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations staff, the Referee determined that Malkin’s actions caused Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader to contact Coreau before the puck crossed the goal line, preventing him from doing his job in the crease. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 78.7 which states in part: “The standard for overturning the call in the event of a ‘GOAL’ call on the ice is that the Referee ... determines that the goal should have been disallowed due to ‘Interference on the Goalkeeper,’ as described in Rules 69.1, 69.3 and 69.4.”

Therefore the original call is overturned - no goal Pittsburgh Penguins.

Up next for the Penguins: A home game Monday against the Washington Capitals, now winners of eight in a row.