Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Penguins and New Jersey Devils battled inside PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday night. New Jersey took the two points in a shootout after Pittsburgh fought back from a 2-0 deficit. [Recap]
Between a 14-day, seven-game road trip against the Western Conference and a two-week break due to the upcoming 4 Nations Faceoff, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have played just two games at PPG Paints Arena over 38 days from Jan. 15-Feb 21. However, playing away from home and dealing with a crazy schedule may not be the worst thing for this team. [Trib Live]
In 2023-24, forward Rickard Rakell only scored 15 goals in 70 games. Now, after recording 23 goals this season, good for currently 16th-highest in the NHL at the time of writing, Rakell’s redemption and rehabilitation have earned him a spot on Sweden’s roster for the 4 Nations Faceoff. [PensBurgh]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman has been suspended for 10 games for roughing Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle during the Senators-Wild game on Feb. 1. The suspension is the longest the NHL has given a player since 2018. [NHL]
Colorado Avalanche fans, rejoice. After a six-year blackout, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and Comcast announced that Altitude Sports has returned to Xfinity TV customers. [9 News]
The NHL’s salary cap is set to explode over the next three seasons if recent cap projections provided by the NHL and the NHLPA hold steady. With more players in line for potentially heftier paydays, what does the increase in spending money mean for superstar players and their contracts? [Sportsnet]