Penguins' Jake Guentzel to miss 4-6 months after crashing headfirst into boards

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators on Monday night, but didn’t escape the victory at full health.

Jake Guentzel scored — tallying his 200th NHL point in the process — but the aftermath left Penguins fans with a pit in their stomach. Guentzel finished a nifty pass across the crease from Evgeni Malkin, but got caught up in the stick of Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot with a head of speed and crashed into the end boards.

The second camera angle shows his neck and shoulder area taking the majority of the impact. Thankfully, Guentzel skated off the ice under his own will, but did not return to the game.

The Penguins defeated the Senators 5-2, a game in which Guentzel had a goal and two assists. The 25-year-old was also named the second star of the match.

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford announced on Tuesday that Guentzel underwent successful shoulder surgery following the incident. He is expected to miss four to six months.

Earlier on Monday, Guentzel was named to his first NHL All-Star Game due to his breakthrough season. His 20 goals and 43 points through 39 games leads the Penguins.

In a season where Pittsburgh has been plagued by injuries to key players like Sidney Crosby, Malkin, Bryan Rust, and more, Guentzel has been the constant hero for a team that is sitting second in the Metropolitan Division.

With their win on Monday night, the Penguins capped off an impressive December with wins in 10 of the last 12 games, and Guentzel proved to be instrumental to their team success.

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