ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Jason Zucker was back in the Penguins' lineup Thursday night after sitting out the previous 30 games, and 37 of the previous 38, because of a core-muscle problem that required surgery.
He just wasn't there for very long.
A few seconds before Rickard Rakell scored the Penguins' second goal in what became a 4-3 overtime victory against the Wild at Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota forward Kevin Fiala cross-checked Zucker from behind, sending him awkwardly into the right-wing boards in the Penguins' end.
Zucker was on the ice for several minutes, then was helped to the bench by Sidney Crosby and Mike Matheson.
"That was awful," Casey DeSmith said. "Obviously, you hate to see it."
Zucker did not put weight on his right leg while leaving the ice, and subsequently was helped to the locker room by staffers who supported him on either side the way his teammates had.
Mike Sullivan said after the game that he did not have any information on the nature or severity of Zucker's injury, but the Penguins released a video clip shot in the locker room that showed Evgeni Malkin presenting Zucker with the Viking helmet that goes to their player of the game.
Zucker, who was standing when he took it from Malkin, smiled broadly and said, "Good win, boys. Glad to be back ... for a period."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 1, 2022
Although he logged only five minutes, 33 seconds of ice time before being injured, Zucker clearly had an impact while he was involved. He assisted on Rakell's goal 66 seconds into the game, was credited with a shot and a hit, and was a positive force on just about all eight of his shifts on the No. 2 line with Malkin and Rakell.
"Just having him back was a spark for us," John Marino said.
His teammates and Sullivan were understandably distressed that he was injured again after such a lengthy absence. Especially when it was his first game back in Minnesota, where he played before the Penguins acquired him.
"To have that happen to him in his first game back was pretty heartbreaking," DeSmith said.
In a way, though, Zucker might have contributed to the Penguins' victory even after he left the game, because teammates suggested his departure gave them some additional motivation to pick up a couple of points.
"You just want to do everything you can to try to get a win for him," Jake Guentzel said. "You never want to see a guy go down like that."
