The Pittsburgh Penguins are missing a key piece of their penalty kill moving forward.

The Pittsburgh Penguins kicked off the second half of the season with a victory over the Winnipeg Jets. They took advantage of a five-minute power play during the second period, extending their lead from 1-0 to 3-0 within minutes.

The positive impact for the Penguins in that matchup, however, could be outweighed by the absence of Noel Acciari moving forward. Acciari was hit high by Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon, crashing to the ice face-first.

A bloodied Acciari was helped off the ice by teammates and did not return.

Acciari's absence would loom large for the Penguins, who are in a dogfight for playoff positioning. While he provides minimal offense, the gritty center leads the team in hits (81) and leads Penguins forwards in blocked shots (59). He also plays a pivotal role in the Penguins penalty kill.

Moving forward, the Penguins will likely turn to Colin White to replace Acciari.

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