Penguins coach Mike Johnston said the hit that sent defenseman Olli Maatta to the hospital Tuesday night was not a good one. But, upon further review, he viewed the play as an unfortunate culmination of circumstances and not a scenario with any malicious intent.
Maatta was off-balance when the Minnesota Wild’s Nino Niederreiter shoved him from behind in front of the Wild’s bench at 10:04 of the second period. The play worsened quickly when the backup goalie opened the door to the bench the exact moment Maatta went crashing in.
The Penguins originally feared damage to his internal organs, but were relieved to learn he will miss just 3-4 weeks.