Pens Points: Another One

Trailing 2-0 after two periods of play proved to be just enough to send the Penguins to a fourth straight loss, falling to the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 2-1 on Wednesday night. Bryan Rust scored his team leading 24th goal of the season in the third period to pull the Pens back into the game, but they could not solve Kings goaltender Cal Petersen a second time for an equalizer.

Thursday will be another off day that will keep the Penguins in Southern California before facing the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Shake off the late night blues with a new Pens Points...

After being acquired on Monday, Conor Sheary returned to the Penguins lineup this evening and was skating in a familiar position alongside Sidney Crosby. Given Sheary’s history with Crosby, he should fit right back in perfectly. [Pensburgh]

In addition to Sheary, both Evan Rodrigues and Patrick Marleau made their respective Penguins debuts against the Kings. Three players making a debut sets a new high for deadline acquisitions under Rutherford. [Trib Live]

Of the three players Rutherford acquired on Monday, by far the biggest name of the trio is future Hall of Famer Patrick Marleau. Now at 40 years old, Marleau may no longer be the point getter he was in his prime, but he still brings valuable depth to the lineup. [Trib Live]

Less than a year after setting career bests while playing for the Sabres, Evan Rodrigues became the odd man out under a new regime in Buffalo. Now in Pittsburgh, Rodrigues is ready to leave it all on the line for the Penguins. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

While enjoying a day off in Los Angeles, some of the Penguins headed down to Staples Center a day early to take in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans. Some even headed onto the court for a photo op. [KDKA]

The Penguins annual charity game will be hosted on March 7th against the Capitals, the team announced Wednesday. Charity bags will once again be put up for sale online and at the arena starting about an hour before puck drop. [Penguins]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Unless you have been hiding under a rock since the beginning of the new year, you are probably familiar with the coronavirus that has origins in China. Due to the recent outbreak, the NHL’s plans for preseason games in China may be put on hold. [Yahoo! Sports]

After suffering a cardiac episode on the bench on February 11th, the St. Louis Blues have ruled defenseman Jay Bouwmeester out for the rest of the season. No long term decisions on Bouwmeester’s future have been decided at this point. [NHL]