It was a tough night for the Penguins on Thursday in Anaheim. Not only were they unable to carry over the momentum from Monday’s win over Los Angeles – they lost winger Bryan Rust late in the second period.

The Pittsburgh Penguins this week headed out for the West Coast portion of their season-long road trip with, at least at first, mixed results. A win that could serve as a template for how to play. Then a loss that left the Penguins perhaps wanting to throw away the game tape.

The Pittsburgh Penguins may be without a key forward. Head coach Mike Sullivan said Bryan Rust is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, team play-by-play announcer Jeff Getzoff reported Friday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins might hold their breath a little while longer regarding the status of winger Bryan Rust. Rust left the Penguins’ 5-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks later in the second period after defenseman Radko Gudas delivered a heavy check along the boards.

BOTTOM LINE: The San Jose Sharks will try to stop their six-game skid when they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. San Jose is 14-32-6 overall and 8-16-1 in home games. The Sharks have allowed 191 goals while scoring 137 for a -54 scoring differential.

Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Matt Nieto each suffered injuries during a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Beyond a posting on one of the team’s social media accounts acknowledging Malkin’s ailment,

BOTTOM LINE: The Seattle Kraken and the Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice in a non-conference matchup. Seattle is 21-25-3 overall and 11-11-3 at home. The Kraken have a -13 scoring differential, with 142 total goals scored and 155 allowed.

Mike Sullivan said Joel Blomqvist starts in goal today versus Seattle. He added that Pittsburgh recalled Boko Imama to make sure the Penguins had enough guys to field a lineup, as Bryan Rust is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will not play.

In the teams' first meeting of the season, the Penguins won 4-3 in a shootout on Nov. 16 in Pittsburgh. The Penguins are 6-1-0 in their last seven games against the Sharks, including wins in their last three visits to San Jose.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are. The team is simply the exact sum of its components, uniquely assembled by general manager Kyle Dubas and directed by coach Mike Sullivan.

The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the Christmas break as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Riding a 9-3-1 stretch, the Penguins were briefly holding down a spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and seemed ready for a return to the postseason.