Penguins-Devils Game Postponed Due To COVID-19
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) - The Pittsburgh Penguins' game against the New Jersey Devils has been postponed due to COVID-19, the NHL announced Monday.
The Devils, who the Penguins just played Sunday, are dealing with "COVID-related issues," the league said.
Tuesday's game at PPG Paints Arena was supposed to have been the second game of a home-and-home series between the teams. The Penguins won at New Jersey, 3-2, for their seventh straight victory Sunday.
No makeup date has been set yet.
The Devils were scheduled to host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday in their final game before the NHL's annual holiday break, but that game was previously postponed due to the league's pause on cross-border travel in light of COVID-19 outbreaks.
More than a quarter of NHL teams have been shut down through at least the weekend because of COVID-19. Roughly 10% of the league's players are in virus protocol, and the spread of Delta and Omicron variants across North America has made Olympic participation unlikely.
The league and NHL Players' Association said Sunday the plan was to avoid a full league shutdown, pausing team activities on a case-by-case basis and postponing all cross-border games through Thursday. The Christmas break begins Friday and runs through Sunday, with games scheduled to resume next Monday.
"We will continue to play the 2021-22 regular season schedule," the NHL and NHLPA said Sunday in a joint statement. "Although there has been a recent increase in positive COVID test results among players, coaches and hockey staff, there have been a low number of positive cases that have resulted in concerning symptoms or serious illness."
The Penguins are still scheduled to face off against the rival Flyers on Thursday.
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