A few adjustments had to be made at Pittsburgh Penguins practice ahead of their match in Columbus.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are riding a four-game winning streak and are continuing to sharpen their game ahead of a quick trip to Columbus.
In preparation for their matchup against the Blue Jackets, the Penguins held a practice with some noticeable absences and the return of an injured defenseman.
Reilly Smith was not at the skate, but he was busy with his former Vegas Golden Knights teammates at the White House.
Smith and his former teammates visited the White House as part of their Stanley Cup celebration.
Also absent from practice, however was veteran forward Jeff Carter, who was scratched ahead of the Penguins win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Carter was present for morning skate before the Sabre’s matchup, but Vinnie Hinostroza was recalled and put into the lineup over Carter.
It’s not yet clear why Carter has been absent.
Injured defenseman John Ludvig also returned to skating with his Penguins teammates, albeit in a white, non-contact jersey.
Ludvig suffered a concussion in his NHL debut and has been out of the lineup ever since.
Prior to the previous couple of practices, Ludvig had been skating with injured goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.
This is the first time Ludvig has skated with the team since his injury.
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