Rakell Out vs. Kings; Penguins Honor LA Firefighters

LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Penguins players and coaches honored the LA firefighters Monday.

The coaches donned the hats on the ice while the players wore the LAFD hats in the locker room Monday after the team’s morning skate. They face the LA Kings at the Crypto.com Arena Monday night, and it will be the first home game since the devastating fires swept through the LA area, wiping out neighborhoods, including the Palisades.

In a pure hockey sense, coach Mike Sullivan understands the Kings will be energetic.

“That’s something we’ll talk to our players about. I think there’ll be a lot of emotion in the building for obvious reasons,” Sullivan said. “And we’re going to have to be prepared for the drop of the puck, the start of the game, and making sure that that we bring a certain level of controlled emotion, urgency to our game.”

Rickard Rakell

Rickard Rakell, who left practice early last week but played in both games Friday and Saturday, was not at the morning skate. Anthony Beauvillier took his spot on the left wing of the Penguins top line.

Sullivan said Rakell returned to Pittsburgh to deal with a personal issue. He did not provide further details or a timeline for a return. This season, Rakell is on pace for 40 goals. He has 23 goals and 40 points in 48 games.