The Pittsburgh Penguins will be back in action on Monday night against the Philadelphia Flyers, and they will be anxious to get back in the win column after suffering an ugly 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Ahead of this game, head coach Dan Muse shared a big announcement regarding the makeup of the team’s roster.
There’s been some good and some bad for the Penguins so far this year, as their 12-7-5 record indicates. The team has had to rely on a slew of rookies to help them in the early going, and that is going to continue on Monday night. Not only is Boko Imama set to make his season debut, but Rutger McGroarty will also be joining him, making him the 10th rookie to play for Pittsburgh this year.
“Coach Muse confirmed this morning that Boko Imama and Rutger McGroarty will both make their season debuts tonight in Philadelphia,” the Penguins’ official PR account shared in a post on X. “McGroarty will be the 10th rookie to appear in a game for the Penguins this year, which leads the NHL.”
Imama is in his second season with Pittsburgh, as he played in 16 games last season, scoring one goal during his limited time on the ice. McGroarty technically broke into the NHL last season, as he racked up a goal and two assists with the Penguins in eight games, but he has not accrued enough playing time to get rid of the rookie label.
Pittsburgh had won two straight games prior to getting blown out by Toronto, so they will be looking to get back on track against Philadelphia, although that may be easier said than done, as it has won its last three games. Puck drop for this contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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Featured image via James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images