Just when it looked like the Penguins could make it a game without an injury, Jay McKee wasn't at practice this morning and coach Dan Bylsma has to announce the news that he's had to do so many times. McKee will be out the next 2-4 weeks with what's described as a "finger infection".
McKee's had issue with broken fingers before, and hey it's pretty hard to play hockey if you can't wrap your fingers around a stick. McKee appeared to be stung and in pain on the bench after blocking one of his five shots on the night.
However the news wasn't all bad, as defensemen Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik were back in practice. Letang was sporting the fimiliar red jersey (meaning no contact), but Orpik had on the regular black jersey. Sergei Gonchar has been wearing the black jersey and practicing regularly for a couple days now as well.
Mark Eaton is now the only Penguins defensemen still in the lineup from opening night. That's not entirely rare in the NHL, but the fact that it's only mid November, and that there's five injuries at the same time is.
No word if the Penguins will have to re-call yet another player from Wilkes-Barre, or if an injured defenseman --likely Gonchar or Orpik, given their practice statuses -- will be able to be in the lineup tomorrow night in Ottawa.