Ad
Pittsburgh Penguins News
Bryan Rust (lower body) practiced Friday but will not be in the Sabres' lineup Friday vs. Pittsburgh.

Rust's return to the lineup appears to be on the horizon as he participated in practice on Friday but unfortunately is not quite ready to return to game action. After a down 2022-23 campaign, Rust was in the process of having a terrific rebound season, tallying 16 points (9G / 7A) in 17 games thus far.

Bryan Rust
Alex Nedeljkovic will start Friday in Buffalo.

Nedeljkovic was heroic in his last contest on Sunday, posting a 38-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Sunday's contest marked Nedeljkovic's first game in over three weeks while he was on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury. If Nedeljkovic can put together some consistent performances, he could see more action between the pipes, as Tristan Jarry has been a workhorse thus far for the Penguins. Nedelkjovic and the Penguins are -114 road favourites against a Buffalo Sabres team that was shut out 4-0 by the Penguins on November 11th.

Alex Nedeljkovic
John Ludvig (concussion) has been activated from the injured reserve and is expected to play Wednesday.

Ludvig has not played since his NHL debut on October 24th when he suffered a concussion that has forced him to miss the last 11 games for the Penguins. Last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, Ludvig had 17 points (3G / 14A) in 54 games.

John Ludvig
John Ludvig (concussion) was activated from the injured reserve and will be a game-time decision on Wednesday vs. the New York Rangers.

Ludvig has not played since his NHL debut on October 24th when he suffered a concussion that has forced him to miss the last 11 games for the Penguins. Last season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, Ludvig had 17 points (3G / 14A) in 54 games.

John Ludvig
Tristan Jarry will start Wednesday vs. the New York Rangers.

After winning four straight starts, Jarry has dropped his last two but will look to return to the win column as the Penguins' starter on Wednesday. Jarry has been solid this season, posting a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV% through 13 games (6-7-0), but has had very little room for failure as all but one of his victories have required him to register a save percentage of .923 or better. The Penguins are slight -103 home underdogs on Wednesday against a New York Rangers team coming off their first regulation loss in 12 games (10-1-1).

Tristan Jarry
Bryan Rust (lower body) is considered day-to-day and will miss Wednesday vs. the New York Rangers.

Rust will miss Wednesday vs. the New York Rangers after it was announced he was day-to-day with a lower-body injury. If he is forced to miss an extedned chunk of time it would be a shame as the 31-year-old winger is on pace for career highs in almost all categories as he has nine goals, seven assists, 55 SOG, and a +10 plus/minus through 17 games played.

Bryan Rust
Tristan Jarry was the first goalie off the ice at the Penguins' morning skate.

After winning four straight starts, Jarry has dropped his last two but will look to return to the win column as the Penguins' likely starter on Wednesday. Jarry has been solid this season, posting a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV% through 13 games (6-7-0), but has had very little room for failure as all but one of his victories have required him to register a save percentage of .923 or better. The Penguins are slight -103 home underdogs on Wednesday against a New York Rangers team coming off their first regulation loss in 12 games (10-1-1).

Tristan Jarry
Cody Glass (upper body) is week-to-week and has been placed on the injured reserve.

Glass picked up his first assist, of the season and played 13:07 TOI Monday vs. Colorado but was announced week-to-week with a lower-body injury and has been placed on the injured reserve. The 24-year-old has struggled mightily out of the gate in 2023-24, with one assist, 17 SOG, two PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus in nine games after putting up 14 goals and 35 points in 2022-23.

Cody Glass
Bryan Rust (lower body) is being evaluated and is expecting an update in the upcoming days.

Rust is being evaluated by the Penguins' training staff Tuesday for a lower-body injury and is considered out until there are more updates. If he is forced to miss a chunk of time it would be a shame as the 31-year-old winger is on pace for career highs in almost all categories as he has nine goals, seven assists, 55 SOG, and a +10 plus/minus through 17 games played.

Bryan Rust
Rickard Rakell (upper body) was placed on the long-term injured reserve and will be out week-to-week.

Rakell has struggled so far in 2023-24 with no goals and only four assists, 44 SOG, two PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus in 17 games but will now be forced out long-term with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old right winger joins Bryan Rust, and Chad Ruhwedel on Pittsburgh's growing injury report Tuesday.

Rickard Rakell
Blake Lizotte will be out Monday vs. Arizona and is expected to miss 7-10 days with an undisclosed injury.

Lizotte will not play on Monday due to an undisclosed injury that will force him to miss approximately a little more than a week. Lizotte has been a regular in the Kings lineup, tallying seven points (4G / 3A) in 16 games, playing predominantly alongside Trevor Lewis and Carl Grundstrom. Jaret Anderson-Dolan will draw back into the Kings' lineup during Lizotte's absence.

Blake Lizotte
Tristan Jarry will start Saturday at Carolina.

Jarry will take the Penguins' crease for the eighth time in nine games after snapping a four-game winning streak with a loss in his previous start after allowing five goals on 31 shots (.839 SV%). The 28-year-old workhorse netminder leads the NHL in shutouts (3) and has an impressive 6-6-0 record, 2.56 GAA and .910 SV%. He takes on the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, who have won three of their last five games and are third in the NHL in shots per game (34.0).

Tristan Jarry
Tristan Jarry was the first goalie off the ice at Pittsburgh's morning skate.

Jarry will take the Penguins' crease for the eighth time in nine games after snapping a four-game winning streak with a loss in his previous start after allowing five goals on 31 shots (.839 SV%). The 28-year-old workhorse netminder leads the NHL in shutouts (3) and has an impressive 6-6-0 record, 2.56 GAA and .910 SV%. He takes on the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, who have won three of their last five games and are third in the NHL in shots per game (34.0).

Tristan Jarry
Alex Nedeljkovic (lower body) has been reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) on a conditioning stint.

Nedeljkovic has not played since October 24th, a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, where he allowed four goals on 34 shots (.882 SV%). Nedeljkovic has been on the injured reserve since then with a lower-body injury and, as he approaches his return, will join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL for a conditioning stint. When Nedeljkovic is deemed ready to return, Magnus Hellberg will likely be sent back down to the AHL.

Alex Nedeljkovic
Evgeni Malkin (illness) will be available Thursday vs. New Jersey after missing practice.

Malkin did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness but will be available for the Penguins on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. The 37-year-old has yet to lose a step, tallying 17 points (8G / 9A) while playing an average of 17:56 through 14 games this season, predominantly alongside Rickard Rakell and Reilly Smith.

Evgeni Malkin
Tristan Jarry will start Thursday vs. New Jersey.

Jarry will start for the Penguins on Thursday as the team looks to extend their season-best five-game winning streak. After a poor five-game stretch (1-4-0), allowing 15 goals on 115 shots (.870 SV%), Jarry has been nearly impenetrable, saving 106 of 111 shots (.955 SV%) in four games since (4-0-0). The Penguins are -132 home favourites against a New Jersey Devils team that has struggled with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out of the lineup, losing four of five (1-4-0), averaging only 2.60 goals per game.

Tristan Jarry