Penguins forward Rickard Rakell rejoins teammates for morning skate
Penguins forward Rickard Rakell rejoined his teammates for Monday’s morning skate at PPG Paints Arena.
It marked the first time Rakell had participated in a morning skate or practice since he suffered a presumed head injury in Game 1 of his team’s first-round playoff series with the New York Rangers on May 3.
Rakell skated in a white non-contact jersey and did not participate in line rushes. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan formally ruled Rakell out for Monday’s Game 4.
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline March 21, Rakell has primarily been deployed on the Penguins’ top-two lines. In 19 regular-season games with the Penguins, Rakell had 13 points (four goals, nine assists).
Notes:
• Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry worked out on the ice prior to the morning skate with goaltending coach Andy Chiodo. A right foot injury has sidelined Jarry since April 14. Sullivan described Jarry as “continuing to make progress.”
• Defenseman Brian Dumoulin did not participate in the morning skate. He has missed the past two games after suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 1.
Sullivan indicated Dumoulin has yet to resume skating since being hobbled and that he remains “day to day.”
• The Penguins’ lines and pairings in the morning skate were:
59 Jake Guentzel – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust
43 Danton Heinen – 71 Evgeni Malkin – 42 Kasperi Kapanen
16 Jason Zucker – 77 Jeff Carter – 23 Brock McGinn
11 Brian Boyle – 53 Teddy Blueger – 9 Evan Rodrigues
5 Mike Matheson – 58 Kris Letang
28 Marcus Pettersson – 6 John Marino
52 Mark Friedman – 2 Chad Ruhwedel
• The top power-play unit involved Crosby, Guentzel, Letang, Malkin and Rust. The second power-play unit included Carter, Heinen, Kapanen, Matheson and Rodrigues.
• Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren has been labeled as a “game-time” decision by coach Gerard Gallant after participating in his team’s morning skate.
Typically deployed on the Rangers’ top pairing, Lindgren has missed the past two games after suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 1.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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