Fansided

Two More Pittsburgh Penguins Diagnosed With Mumps

By Patrick Schmidt

Dec 15, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Steve Downie (23) checks Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mark Barberio (8) behind the net during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 15, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Steve Downie (23) checks Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mark Barberio (8) behind the net during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Pittsburgh Penguins have already been hit hard with the mumps but the hits keep on coming for one of the top teams in the NHL with Steve Downie and Thomas Greiss diagnosed with the preventable illness on Friday.

More from NHL

Steve Downie and Thomas Greiss are the fourth and fifth members from the Penguins to be afflicted with the mumps after the team announced the two will remain in isolation and out of the lineup, according to Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford. The duo missed the two previous games prior to the three-day Christmas break in the schedule.

Downie is one of the best fourth-line players in the NHL and leads the league in PIM by a wide margin and is one of the best enforcers and agitators in the game today. He has 17 points in 32 games and is a plus-8 with 135 penalty minutes.

Greiss is 3-2-2 in relief duty of Marc-Andre Fleury who is having an All-Star caliber season and sports a 2.52 GAA and .919 save percentage.

The Penguins have already seen Olli Maatta and Beau Bennett sidelined with the mumps and remain on injured reserve and lost Sidney Crosby for three games to the mumps earlier this month, but he has since returned to the lineup for the top team in the Metropolitan Division and owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference.

If there is a bright side to today’s news it is that Brandon Sutter was tested and his results came back negative and he has returned to the team.

The Penguins host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Saturday.

For more NHL coverage this season stay on FanSided.com to stay on top of the latest updates around the hockey world, including the latest scores, news, injury updates, videos and gif’s.

Next: NHL Power Rankings: Week 12

More from FanSided

Home/NHL