Penguins' Kulikov week-to-week with lower-body injury

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.

Kulikov labored to the bench after blocking a shot from Patrick Kane in the second period of Pittsburgh's 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday and didn't play in the final frame.

The 32-year-old rearguard saw just 8:13 of ice time during the contest, logging one block and two takeaways.

The Penguins acquired Kulikov from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline in exchange for forward Brock McGinn and a 2024 third-round pick.

Kulikov has one assist in four games as a Penguin while averaging just under 13 minutes of playing time. He has three goals and 13 helpers in 65 games this campaign, split between Pittsburgh and Anaheim.

The Penguins are Kulikov's eighth NHL team. He's also spent time with the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, and Minnesota Wild. Selected by the Panthers with the 14th overall pick in 2009, Kulikov has 214 points in 870 career NHL games.

It's been a rough go for Pittsburgh's trade deadline acquisitions. Forward Nick Bonino is also considered week-to-week with a lacerated kidney.

Head coach Mike Sullivan offered a diplomatic response to the Penguins' recent injury woes.

"I just don't think we have the luxury of frustration," he said, according to NHL.com's Wes Crosby. "We're trying to put a lineup on the ice every night that's going to give us a chance to win. The reality is that injuries are part of the sport. Every team has them."

The Penguins currently hold the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 34-22-10 record.

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