Pittsburgh Penguin center Mario Lemieux will be...

Pittsburgh Penguin center Mario Lemieux will be out for three weeks because of a sprained right knee he suffered in an NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend, a team spokesman said.

Lemieux, who entered Saturday night’s game as the league’s third-leading scorer, was helped from the ice early in the third period after he was checked into the boards by Ron Sutter. Lemieux did not return to the game, which the Flyers won, 6-4.

Lemieux was examined by team physicians Sunday, according to team spokesman Harry Sanders.

To fill Lemieux’s spot on the roster, the Penguins recalled Dwight Mathiasen from Baltimore of the American Hockey League, Sanders said. Mathiasen was expected to join the team in Montreal on Monday.