The Pittsburgh Penguins notched a shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday but endured a frustrating loss in the process.
Pittsburgh general manager Ron Hextall announced Monday that forward Teddy Blueger has undergone successful surgery to repair a fractured jaw and will miss six to eight weeks of action. Blueger suffered the injury during the opening period of Sunday's win:
Here's the hit by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon that injured Penguins forward Teddy Blueger.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) January 23, 2022
There was no penalty. pic.twitter.com/4ngwjDRdIK
Per ESPN stats, Blueger had tallied eight goals and nine assists across 40 games before this setback. As Mike DeFabo wrote for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Winnipeg’s Brenden Dillon has not yet been punished by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for the questionable blow.
"I think it’s a hit to the head," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan remarked while speaking with the media after Sunday's result, Pittsburgh's fifth consecutive victory. It's unknown if Dillon will hear from the league about the incident.
The Penguins will begin Monday evening second in the Metropolitan Division standings on 57 points, one point behind the first-place New York Rangers. Pittsburgh next hosts the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night.
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