Pens Points: Blue Jacket Beatdown

Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning...

It was a game the Penguins needed to win. Points are at their most important in this final stretch of games. And the Pens came out, with a depleted defense and subsequent injuries to Chad Ruhwedel and Bryan Rust, to win the contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. [Recap]

Newly-acquired defenseman Erik Gudbranson is stuck in customs and has yet to arrive in Pittsburgh. While we wait for him, get the lowdown on his play with a scouting report thanks to the help of our friends at Nucks Misconduct. [Pensburgh]

Our own Mike Darnay was sent to the Stadium Series game between the Penguins and Flyers to capture the fight in photographic form. He put together a wonderful story detailing what he saw from behind the lens. [Pensburgh]

Defenseman Zach Trotman was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to serve as a substitute while Erik Gudbranson travels to Pittsburgh and the team recovers from losing Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin. Now that he’s with the big club, he has a chance to show that he belongs. [Trib Live]

The Gudbranson trade hasn’t been well-received by some members of the media and fanbase, but one ex-teammate has given his seal of approval for the big-bodied d-man. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Only a select few can successfully play defense as a rookie in the NHL. [The Hockey News]

Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara got into quite the fight with San Jose’s Evander Kane. [CBS Sports]

Here’s a list of the league’s five most improved players from last season. [The Comeback]

How does every NHL prospect traded at deadline fit with their new organization? [Sporting News]