The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rickard Rakell has notched his 200th career goal in the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was Rakell’s 14th goal and third in his last six games. Evgeni Malkin picked up the only assist for his 38th of the season and 8th point in the past six games.
The two-time 30+ goal scorer has never quite found his footing after coming to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Anaheim Ducks. He has scored 46 goals in 167 games in the City of Steel. After a strong showing last season (28 goals, 32 assists), he has slowed down significantly this season with only 33 points in 66 games. But he looks to be heating up at the right time.
The Penguins are fighting to leapfrog the Detroit Red Wings into the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Maple Leafs tonight. A win would not only look good alongside Rakell’s personal accomplishment but also carry more weight for Penguins’ President and General Manager Kyle Dubas, who left Toronto last summer for Pittsburgh.