CALIFORNIA OR BUST FOR PENGUINS

The Penguins are on the West Coast for the start of a three-game road trip. They will play the Ducks tonight in Anaheim, the Kings tomorrow night in LA, and the Sharks on Tuesday in San Jose.

Injured goaltender Tristan Jarry and defenseman Jan Rutta joined their teammates for practice yesterday. Coach Mike Sullivan said the playing status for both is unchanged. It’s unlikely Jarry will suit up tonight or tomorrow, and Rutta is not eligible to come of the long-term injured reserve list until Tuesday.

Sullivan says the Penguins, who rebounded from a sluggish start to beat Colorado in their return from the All-Star break on Tuesday, have to find a way to play consistent sixty-minute hockey.

The Penguins are slowly returning to full health, including Kris Letang, who this season has suffered through a stroke, the death of his father, and an undisclosed injury. Sullivan says Letang is getting stronger every day and he can see it in the veteran defenseman’s play.

The Penguins are tied with the New York Islanders for fifth place in the Metro Division, a point behind the Washington Capitals. Sullivan says the division is a fight every single night.

The Metro Division got a little tougher for the Pens yesterday when the New York Rangers acquired superstar forward Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues. They also got defenseman Niko Mikkola from the Blues in exchange for forward Sammy Blais, defenseman Hunter Skinner, a conditional first round pick in the upcoming draft and a conditional fourth rounder in next year’s draft.

The game tonight features the return of Rickard Rakell to Anaheim, where he played for ten seasons before being acquired last year by the Penguins. Rakell could have signed with anyone in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, but he chose to return to Pittsburgh, and he says it was the right decision.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry was happy to be able to suit up for practice with the team for the first time since suffering an undisclosed injury before the All-Star break. He says it’s been frustrating to sit and watch the Pens play.