So much for that healthy defense: Schultz, Maatta go down

All through the recent run of injuries to the Penguins' forwards, they could at least cling to having all six defensemen healthy.

And then, in a six-minute span of the second period Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, two of the Jets' most rugged players took down Justin Schultz, then Olli Maatta, both via questionable hits, both resulting in the victims missing the rest of their team's 4-3 overtime victory. Schultz clearly hurt his head, and Maatta, just as clearly, hurt his left hand, though their statuses were never officially described.

Mike Sullivan offered nothing afterward about either player other than, "I don’t have na update right now on those guys. I’ll have more information in the morning."



The Penguins, who somehow stuck out the win despite being limited to four defensemen, almost certainly need to make a roster move or two before their game Friday night in Columbus. Chad Ruhwedel has been the spare defenseman, so he'll almost surely be activated. One of Steve Oleksy, Cameron Gaunce or Derrick Pouliot could be promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. Oleksy and Pouliot have made up that team's top pairing of late.

The Penguins were plenty displeased with the Jets' rough play that began, for the most part, after Winnipeg had fallen behind early, 2-0. No one spoke about it for attribution, but there was much unkindness expressed in other forms.

Schultz was hit by Dustin Byfuglien, one of the NHL's strongest players by any measure, and he was unquestionably hit from behind, given that the league's stated standard is that a checker should back off once he sees the opponent's number:



The Department of Player Safety, based on precedent, will cut Byfuglien at least some leniency on three counts:

1.  He has to change direction on his skates at the last second, so there's no charge.

2. Because of that, his momentum actually ends up becoming minimal, which is why it appears mostly harmless at regular speed.

3. Byfuglien drives Schultz from the back rather than directly to the head.

That's not to suggest the check shouldn't be considered for a suspension or fine, and it's certainly not to suggest that referees Marc Joannette and Jean Hebert were justified in not calling a penalty of any kind. But it is to suggest that a suspension is unlikely.

Regardless, Schultz was felled for nearly a minute, staying face down on the ice in the process. He needed assistance going to the locker room and, without a doubt, was put into the NHL's concussion protocol, though the team didn't confirm that.

The only repercussion for Byfuglien was getting booed with each touch of the puck the rest of the night, including when he took a holding penalty in the third that allowed Phil Kessel to tie at 3-3.

The check on Maatta was questionable in the literal sense of the term. It can be questioned, but that answer probably won't offend the Jets.



Maatta carried the puck through the Pittsburgh zone on a breakout and waited an extra split-second to slip it ahead to Sidney Crosby. That proved costly, as the Jets' Adam Lowry had him lined up laterally and finished a bodycheck with enough authority to send Maatta momentarily airborne.

If the sequence is seen in isolation, it could look like interference, as Maatta no longer has the puck. But the above view illustrates that Lowry made contact within the league's guidelines for the time after possession is given up. That's been expressed by DOPS officials as 0.6 seconds, though it's not part of any rule book or other official directive.

Coincidence or not, the Penguins responded with several hard hits of their own, including Evgeni Malkin's shoulder-to-head check on the Jets' Blake Wheeler in the third period that's certain to draw more league scrutiny than either of the above.

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