Rakell's 16th goal was his fifth game-winner of the season. The Ducks have won seven in a row to move within two points of division-leading Los Angeles.
So says his agent, Mike Liut, who told Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that his client - who's been a healthy scratch for 19 straight games - is hoping the Penguins can trade him prior to Monday's deadline.
"Sergei wants to play in the NHL, as evidenced by the amount of money he paid to be excused from the last year of his KHL contact," Liut stated Friday. "He understands that this will not happen in Pittsburgh and the Penguins have been attempting to trade Sergei, albeit a difficult task when a player is a healthy scratch for two months.
"If a trade is not available, he will have no choice but to return to Russia."
This comes on the same day Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said Plotnikov had fallen out of favor for suggesting he did indeed want to return to Russia.
The 25-year-old signed a one-year, $925,000 deal with the Penguins last summer that includes $2.85 million in potential performance bonuses.
He recorded two assists in 32 games before being benched.
"All of the player scouting is pretty much done," Yzerman said. "We're going to meet as a group with all of our staff and reorganize for the weekend. Got work to do."
At or near the top of his to-do list is dealing with Jonathan Drouin, who has publicly asked to be traded. Yzerman said earlier in the week he'd like to do something "sooner than later," but reiterated he won't make a trade unless it helps his club's chances this year and in the future.
"My focus is the Tampa Bay Lightning, and obviously that's what we may be able to do with (Drouin)," he said. "We'll see."
The trade deadline is set for 3 p.m. ET on Monday.
Be warned, for what you're about to see is hockey stimulus overload.
This Minnesota high school athlete scored with one of the best individual efforts that you'll ever see, and then proceeded to celebrate inside the team's fan section.
The goal-scorer's name is Noah Cates, and the highly excitable, downright disorderly fanbase belongs to Stillwater - Minnesota 4AA section champs.
The Colorado Avalanche head coach and winning goalie in the NHL Stadium Series alumni game versus the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night unleashed a flawless trolling, and also self-deprecating, quip in his postgame scrum.
His Avalanche, ranked dead last in Corsi For percentage this season, are once again defying, or at least combating, what possession metrics reveal about performance.
They hold the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
UTICA, N.Y. - Richard Bachman made 28 saves, losing his shutout bid with less than four minutes left in regulation, as the Utica Comets downed the St. John's IceCaps 4-1 on Friday in American Hockey League action.
Mike Zalewski, Chris Higgins...
TORONTO - Veteran Dan Ellis made 37 saves and Dustin Gazly had a pair of goals as the Hershey Bears downed Toronto Marlies 5-2 on Friday in American Hockey League action.
AHL leading scorer Chris Bourque and Jakub Vrana had a goal and an assi...
It was quite the spectacle Friday, as some of the most legendary figures in the game strapped on skates, shin pads, shoulder pads, and helmets to revisit the Detroit Red Wings-Colorado Avalanche rivalry - perhaps the fiercest in NHL history - at the 2015 Stadium Series Alumni Game at Coors Field.
The Avalanche defended home ice, or field, with a 5-2 win in the reunion clash, which was markedly well-behaved compared to the standard set throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Here are some of the best photos from the event:
There was never any pressure, Henrik Zetterberg.
Burnaby's own.
The always colorful Darren McCarty.
Mike Ricci's hair remains glorious. Chris Simon's now non-existent.
Pondering multiple offers for Jonathan Drouin, probably
Pondering the Avalanche's offer for Jonathan Drouin, probably.
An all-time faceoff.
The very-tanned Chris Chelios found one friend inside Coors Field. The rest, not so much.
WASHINGTON - Dmitry Orlov scored with 5:04 remaining after Alex Ovechkin got a tying goal earlier in the period to help the Washington Capitals rally for a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night.
Ovechkin got his league-leading 40th ...
NEWARK, N.J. - Steven Stamkos extended his goal-scoring streak to a season-high five games and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the fading New Jersey Devils 4-0 on Friday night for their fifth straight win.
Ben Bishop made 21 saves for his third ...
