Oct 29, 2005 1 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins defensman Dick Tarnstrom, who led the team in scoring during the 2003-04 season, will be out indefinitely because of a torn knee ligament. Tarnstrom tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Thursday night, during the Penguins’ first win of the season, and was placed on the injured list Friday. He was injured in the first period of a 7-5 victory over Atlanta when his skate stuck in the ice while he was being hit from the side.

His loss creates a void for a team that is struggling to shut down opponents. The Penguins allowed 47 goals through their first 10 games, easily the most yielded in the NHL.

Pittsburgh played the rest of Thursday’s game with five defensemen, though their 11 power-play opportunities helped reduce the work load for them. Tarnstrom, who won a $1.6 million salary in arbitration last summer, has a goal and three assists and is a minus-3 through 10 games.

Tarnstrom had 16 goals and 36 assists during the 2003-04 season, giving him a team-high 52 points.