For the first time since the 2016-17 season, NHL players will get the chance to represent their countries as the league is hosting a best-on-best 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. It gives fans the chance to see the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, and other big-name stars work their magic together. One problem with having so many talented players is not having enough roster spots for every player. This makes it a difficult decision for the teams’ coaches and management to choose who they want on the roster.
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On Dec. 3, the league released the full rosters for the tournament which will be replacing the NHL All-Star Game. When the rosters were released, many players were left disappointed to not be representing their country like they dream of one day doing. Two Pittsburgh Penguins players who were left disappointed were Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. However, it seems to have motivated them as well.
A Motivated Rakell Found His Game
On the national stage, Rakell has represented Sweden a number of times. He first saw time with the Swedish National Team during the 2008-09 season at the U16 level. After that, he continued to represent Sweden at the U17, U18, U20, and senior levels during the World Junior Championships and World Championship. He won gold and silver at the 2012 and 2013 U20 WJCs respectively, as well as a Gold medal at the 2017 World Championship. With his experience at this kind of a tournament, he surely would be chosen, right? Well, he was not.
In his prior 26 games before the roster announcement, Rakell managed to accumulate just 15 points, which included a stretch of six-straight gams without a point. Looking to get him back on track and to another level, head coach Mike Sullivan moved him up and down in the lineup in an attempt to light a spark in him. Nothing worked, expect for that one announcement.
Since Dec. 3 and being left off the national team, Rakell has been one of the more consistent players on the Penguins’ roster in terms of point production. Over his last 16 games, despite being held pointless in five games, he has doubled his total for the season with 16 points in 12 games. This has included four games with two points, one game with three points, and one game with four points.
Rust Found Another Gear
To begin the season, Rust had some unfortunate luck go his way. On Oct. 4, the team announced he would be out with a lower body injury. In the lineup for just eight games, he was placed on the injured reserve on Oct. 29 due to another injury suffered against the Vancouver Canucks.
Unable to consistently be in the lineup due to the injuries, Rust was having a stretch of off games. Though not terrible, through the first 19 games he played, he managed 12 points and was not entirely the same player Penguins’ fans know he can be. Now, he is back to the Rust everyone can count o and seems to have found another gear. Through his last 12 games, Rust is averaging over a point-per-game with 15 points, including two games with four points. With those numbers, Rust sits in fifth on the team for points-per-60 at 2.62. Much like it did with Rakell, being left off the Team USA National Team has been a big motivating factor for the 32-year-old.
Along with him boosting his point production in the last stretch of games, his all-around offensive play has been much better. According to NHL Edge, the puck is in the opponent’s zone 41.5% of the time at even strength, which is in the 56th percentile of NHL players.
For coaches and managers, it is never fun to leave guys off their rosters, nor is it fun for the players themselves to be left off them. The best thing players can do is find that next level in their play, or get back on track, and that is exactly what Rakell and Rust have done. These two have been two reliable performers and certainly big reasons for the Penguins being back in a playoff race after a horrendous start.
