Penguins D Letang to have neck surgery, out for playoffs

FILE- In this Feb. 3, 2017, file photo, Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang makes a pass during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Pittsburgh. The Penguins will head into the Stanley Cup playoffs without Letang, who is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck and will be out four to six months. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) FILE- In this Feb. 3, 2017, file photo, Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang makes a pass during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Pittsburgh. The Penguins will head into the Stanley Cup playoffs without Letang, who is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck and will be out four to six months. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

By Associated Press April 5, 2017 3 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Kris Letang’s goal in Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final clinched a fourth championship for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The talented but star-crossed defenseman will have a far different view as the Penguins try to defend their title when the playoffs start next week.

The three-time All-Star will undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck and is out 4 to 6 months, rendering him a spectator as Pittsburgh tries to become the first team in nearly 20 years to win back-to-back Cups.

“Right now it’s pretty hard to swallow,” Letang said Wednesday.

Letang last played on Feb. 21, but was working his way toward a return before the postseason begins before symptoms returned last week. He underwent a second MRI, with team doctors recommending he have surgery to repair the problem.