The hits just keep on comin.’ Reports this morning revealed that Penguins defenseman John Marino suffered three broken bones in his left cheek when he was struck by a deflected shot off the stick of teammate Zach Aston-Reese in the waning minutes of Thursday’s 4-2 loss at Tampa Bay.
Shades of 2013, when Sidney Crosby suffered a broken jaw on a shot that deflected off the stick of Brooks Orpik, sidelining him for several weeks and costing him a scoring title.
The unwelcome news contradicts earlier reports from coach Mike Sullivan and the medical staff that “Marino would be fine.