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.

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Rickard Rakell (personal) did not travel with the team to the West Coast due to a family issue. He was not in the lineup on Monday evening during their victory over the Kings and could be in danger of missing other games during

Pittsburgh will be without their top goal-scoring forward when they take on Los Angeles, who will play their first home game since the onset of the wildfires

Kevin Hayes, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Cody Glass and Anthony Beauvillier scored for the Penguins. Alex Nedeljkovic, fresh off making history by becoming the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and record an assist in the same game on Friday in Buffalo, stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the victory.

Rickard Rakell, who left practice early last week ... Sullivan said Rakell returned to Pittsburgh to deal with a personal issue. He did not provide further details or a timeline for a return.

Facing the NHL’s second-stingiest defensive team without their leading scorer seemed like it would be a recipe for disaster for the Penguins.

As the Pittsburgh Penguins navigate a challenging ... Josh Yohe of The Athletic clarified on Wednesday that Rickard Rakell is unlikely to be traded before the March 7 trade deadline.

Alex Nedeljkovic became the first goalie in NHL history to have a goal and an assist, and made 40 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.

Game time is 10:30 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles and you can watch it on ESPN+ (packages start at $11.99/month). Pittsburgh Penguins (19-21-8, in the Metropolitan Division) last played on Saturday night and fell to the NHL-leading Washington Capitols by a 4-1 score.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, including Rickard Rakell, will be in action Friday versus the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center, beginning at 7:00 PM ET. If you’re considering a wager on Rakell against the Sabres,

Jake Guentzel, who won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2017, had two assists to become the second player in Lightning history with at least 20 goals and 40 points in his first 40 games with the franchise. Guentzel signed a seven-year deal with the Lightning in the offseason.

Anaheim Ducks (18-23-6, 42 points, 7th place Pacific Division) When: 10:00 p.m. ET How to Watch: Broadcasting on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and KCOP-13 and in the local markets, streaming nationally on ESPN+ Pens’ Path Ahead: The Pens start a rhythm today of playing every other day through the end of their road trip.