Rutger McGroarty left the Penguins' game Tuesday against the Blackhawks after blocking a Teuvo Teravainen shot with the inside of his left foot in the second period:
McGroarty did not return to the game, and was wearing a boot on his left foot afterward in the locker room.
McGroarty had one shot on goal, one missed attempt, one hit, one giveaway and two blocks in 11:45 before exiting the game. McGroarty started the game on the top line, with Ville Koivunen on the second, but Mike Sullivan flipped the two rookies in the second period.
If McGroarty isn’t able to return soon, it goes without saying that it’s a massive, massive loss for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s hopes of making a deep playoff run.
The Penguins did not have any healthy forwards on the roster coming into this game, with Tommy Novak still working through a lower-body injury, Boko Imama done for the year after having bicep surgery, Phil Tomasino concussed and Blake Lizotte day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Assuming a recall is needed, Sam Poulin is among the frontrunners for the job — he did miss Wilkes-Barre’s last game, but it was due to illness. Tristan Broz,Vasily Ponomarev and Emil Bemstrom remain options as well. Avery Hayes is not an option, his entry-level deal doesn’t start until next season.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• David Quinn met with the media for the first time since he was hired, since assistant coaches don't generally speak with the media. He was filling in for Mike Sullivan, who was in a meeting after the game.
• Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots for his second shutout of the season.
• Erik Karlsson scored his 200th goal to put the Penguins up 2-0. I asked him what the milestone meant to him, and he said, "It's a nice one, I don't know if it is actually a milestone though. I'll take it. I've been fortunate to play for a long time and score goals over the years, and hopefully I've got another 100 in me."
• Sidney Crosby's power-play goal was his 183rd, tying Evgeni Malkin for the second-most in franchise history. Mario Lemieux ranks first with 236.
• Another night of Joona Koppanen leading in hits. He had four.
• Boko Imama was around in the press box with his right arm still in a sling after undergoing bicep surgery. He said he's doing well and has no pain, and is just getting used to only having one usable arm for now.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
1:05 am - 04.09.2025UptownLoose Pucks: McGroarty injured
Rutger McGroarty left the Penguins' game Tuesday against the Blackhawks after blocking a Teuvo Teravainen shot with the inside of his left foot in the second period:
McGroarty did not return to the game, and was wearing a boot on his left foot afterward in the locker room.
McGroarty had one shot on goal, one missed attempt, one hit, one giveaway and two blocks in 11:45 before exiting the game. McGroarty started the game on the top line, with Ville Koivunen on the second, but Mike Sullivan flipped the two rookies in the second period.
If McGroarty isn’t able to return soon, it goes without saying that it’s a massive, massive loss for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s hopes of making a deep playoff run.
The Penguins did not have any healthy forwards on the roster coming into this game, with Tommy Novak still working through a lower-body injury, Boko Imama done for the year after having bicep surgery, Phil Tomasino concussed and Blake Lizotte day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Assuming a recall is needed, Sam Poulin is among the frontrunners for the job — he did miss Wilkes-Barre’s last game, but it was due to illness. Tristan Broz, Vasily Ponomarev and Emil Bemstrom remain options as well. Avery Hayes is not an option, his entry-level deal doesn’t start until next season.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• David Quinn met with the media for the first time since he was hired, since assistant coaches don't generally speak with the media. He was filling in for Mike Sullivan, who was in a meeting after the game.
• Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots for his second shutout of the season.
• Erik Karlsson scored his 200th goal to put the Penguins up 2-0. I asked him what the milestone meant to him, and he said, "It's a nice one, I don't know if it is actually a milestone though. I'll take it. I've been fortunate to play for a long time and score goals over the years, and hopefully I've got another 100 in me."
• Sidney Crosby's power-play goal was his 183rd, tying Evgeni Malkin for the second-most in franchise history. Mario Lemieux ranks first with 236.
• Another night of Joona Koppanen leading in hits. He had four.
• Boko Imama was around in the press box with his right arm still in a sling after undergoing bicep surgery. He said he's doing well and has no pain, and is just getting used to only having one usable arm for now.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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