Pens Points has all the news from Wednesday as the Penguins prepare to head back out on the road.
International hockey is less than a week away, but first, the Pittsburgh Penguins will travel to New York and Philadelphia for a Friday-Saturday back-to-back set against the Rangers and Flyers before heading into the 4 Nations break.
Pens Points…
No Sidney Crosby at practice on Wednesday after briefly leaving the game Tuesday night following an on-ice collision. There didn’t appear to be much concern from Crosby or the team but we will wait to find out more. [Pensburgh]
After practice, in typical tight lipped fashion, head coach Mike Sullivan old reporters that Crosby was being evaluated for an upper-body injury. [Trib Live]
Shootouts have been a serious Achilles heel for the Penguins this season, a trend that has carried over from recent seasons. Tuesday night’s result also continued another trend of the Penguins struggling mightily against Metro opponents. [The Hockey News]
It took longer than it should have based on the season he is having, but Rickard Rakell got the call from Sweden just in time for the 4 Nations. It’s a call he earned with his play and more than deserved as the Penguins leading goal scorer. [Penguins]
Jesse Puljujarvi is headed back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after being reassigned to the AHL on Wednesday by the team. He played just one game since being recalled in January. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
As always, Canada will be loaded with star power when they hit the ice for the 4 Nations tournament starting next week. A top line of Crosby, McDavid, and MacKinnon is just the tip of the iceberg for the Canadians. [NHL]
A new player pool from The Athletic pulled back the curtain on how NHL players feel about various aspects of the league. Some highlights: No one wants to go to Winnipeg, players love Jon Cooper, and it’s time for Gary Bettman to hang up the skates. [The Athletic $$]