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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman undergoes surgery as pressure builds before the trade deadline
Photo credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Jack St. Ivany's left-hand surgery is a gut punch for the Pittsburgh Penguins blue line, because depth defense and penalty-kill minutes just got a lot scarier.
The team says the recovery timeline is up to eight weeks.
That's basically a full chunk of the schedule before you even blink.
St. Ivany went down in Sunday's 3-2 win over Vancouver, and the timing stings because Pittsburgh is rolling.
The Penguins are 26-14-11, and every point matters in the Metro grind.
On paper he's a bottom-pair guy, but he's been a "settle the game down" guy.
In 16 games, Jack St. Ivany has 0-7-7 with a +7 and he's averaging 16:27 a night.
He also brings the unglamorous stuff, 40 hits and 22 blocks in that small sample.
Jack St. Ivany forces Pittsburgh Penguins to scramble
If you're a Penguins fan, you can already feel the "please don't get hurt again" nerves creeping in.
St. Ivany was drafted in 2018, Round 4, by the Philadelphia Flyers, and he's 26, which tells you how much work he's done to stick.
His absence pushes somebody up the lineup, and that's where mistakes turn into goals against.
It also changes the penalty kill rotation, because coaches trust guys who block shots on instinct.
More load lands on the top four, and tired legs on the back end usually means more icings, longer shifts, and fewer clean exits.
Pittsburgh's next test is Thursday vs Chicago, and the matchups get harder from there.
Eight weeks is survivable, but only if the Penguins defend like a team, not like a patchwork.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 27|169 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman undergoes surgery as pressure builds before the trade deadline Should the Penguins add a defenseman because of Jack St. Ivany's injury? | ||
| Yes | 125 | 74 % |
| No | 44 | 26 % |
| List of polls | ||