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ANAHEIM, Calif — The Pittsburgh Penguins and perhaps Rickard Rakell got some good news since Sunday.
Rakell left the team sometime after the loss on Saturday to the Washington Capitals to return to Pittsburgh and tend to a family matter. Rakell was not with the team on Monday when they beat the LA Kings 5-1 at Crypto.com Arena. However, he was at practice Wednesday at the Honda Center as the Penguins got an hour-long, albeit delayed, workout before facing the Anaheim Ducks Thursday.
Rakell is on pace for his first 40-goal season. He has 23 goals and 17 assists in 48 games. He assumed his regular spot beside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust on the top line.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now respects players’ privacy and did not seek further clarification.
The Penguins had a full complement of players on the ice. Coach Mike Sullivan further reinforced his message of holding onto pucks and playing in the low zone, at one point barking at Anthony Beauvillier, “For gosh sakes, hold onto the puck!”
Well, perhaps we cleaned up that quote a little bit.
The team worked on a couple of plays to involve the defensemen while playing with the puck deep in the offensive zone, which they’ve done very well over the last few games, especially against the LA Kings.
The lines were similar to those before Rakell’s absence, but Sullivan has dropped Drew O’Connor down a slot, and it seems Matt Nieto will return to being a healthy scratch.
Penguins Lines
Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin-Cody Glass
Anthony Beauvillier-Kevin Hayes-Philip Tomasino
Drew O’Connor-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari
Defense
Marcus Pettersson-Kris Letang
Matt Grzelcyk-Erik Karlsson
Owen Pickering-P.O Joseph
Frank Vatrano
Perhaps it was the warm California sunshine, but Pittsburgh Hockey Now was in a good mood Wednesday. Even after the Ducks delayed their practice, thus pushing the Penguins to practice back to after 1 p.m. PST, we couldn’t resist having a little fun with a notorious Penguins killer, Frank Vatrano.
No matter the team he plays for, Vatrano seems to always light the lamp against the Penguins. In 21 career games, he has 10 goals and four assists.
He has 11 goals in 29 career games against the Tampa Bay Lightning but has played eight more games against Tampa Bay. But come on, how has he continued to light up the Penguins?
“I just love that building,” an amused Vatrano said.
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Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
Emma Jacob Went Missing in Platteville, Wisconsin. Here's What's Known
Emma Jacob was a 22-year-old woman who went missing in Platteville, WI. Details are scant about her disappearance, but tragic news was delivered by a woman on Facebook, who says she is Jacob's sister. And Lafayette County sheriff's officials confirmed to Men's Journal that Jacob is deceased. On July 22, Sydney Wiltsie wrote on Facebook, "My little sister Emma Jacob has been missing since around 9:30 this morning. Her last pinged location was near the mound, or the 'big M' in Platteville, WI. Her car, phone, keys, and purse were all found there. Police are involved and we ask that everyone in the Platteville area keeps an eye out for her and that she is found safe. Please keep her and our family in your prayers. 22 y.o. Female, roughly 5’6”, 120lbs, dark brown curly hair." Then, in an update, she wrote, "Update: She has been found. At this time we ask you please respect our families privacy as we grieve the loss of our daughter, sister, and auntie. Thank you." "My beautiful baby sister and my best friend in the whole world. I love you so much," she wrote on July 23, sharing another photo. That comment thread filled up with people offering their condolences. That hasn't stopped people online from speculating, without evidence, that Jacob's case could be linked to the disappearance of Viterbo college student Eliotte Heinz, who vanished on July 20 after a night in a bar in downtown La Crosse, WI. To be clear, there is no information to tie them together, and they're not even located in the same city. There is no evidence at this point that foul play was even involved in Jacob's death, and searchers are hoping to find Heinz alive. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Department confirmed to Men's Journal that Jacob died, but could not provide additional details on any cause of death, other than saying she was found in "rural Platteville" and that investigators "don't think it's related" to the disappearance of Heinz. Wiltsie limited comments on her post. "I understand everyone wanting to relate this to the other missing girls in Wisconsin but it’s very insensitive to Sydney and her family so maybe take those conversations private and keep this post strictly for information you may have directly related to Emma or prayers for a safe return. I am sure the police are aware of the other cases and working to connect any pieces," one woman wrote on the comment thread. La Crosse and Platteville are more than 100 miles apart, and there is no known link between the two women, with the exception that they are both 22 and from college towns in the Universities of Wisconsin system. Men's Journal contacted Platteville police on July 23 and asked about the Jacob case. Police said that case is being handled by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Police Department. However, that police department told Men's Journal to contact the UW-Platteville public relations spokeswoman, who has not yet responded to a request for comment.
MLB Insider Makes Brutal Yankees Prediction
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WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture
WNBA players sent a message to the league with T-shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday night, but the ratings for the game did not exactly strengthen their stance. Prior to the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark and other players warmed up in shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us” across the front. The message had to do with the current state of collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and WNBA Player’s Association. Unfortunately for the players, the television ratings for the game were not very good. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that the WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, which was down roughly 36% from a year ago. Last year’s game featured the WNBA All-Stars against the Team USA squad that was preparing to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. The dip in ratings is likely another example of the type of impact Clark has had on the WNBA. Although she was a team captain for this year’s All-Star Game, Clark did not play due to a groin injury. Clark played in last year’s game for the All-Star side, as she did not make the Team USA Olympic roster. Many fans were outraged that she was snubbed from the Olympic team, which added an element of intrigue to the All-Star Game. There is no way of knowing for certain whether more fans would have watched the All-Star Game on Saturday night had Clark played. It is a safe guess, however, especially when you look at some recent trends for the league.
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