DENVER — Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford had every intention of attending this week’s NHL Board of Governors meetings in Pebble Beach, Calif.
He abruptly changed his mind Monday morning.
“I was planning on it, made plans to be picked up early [Monday] but decided I’m going to Denver,” Rutherford said. “This is a time I need to be close to the team.”
The roots of his urgency are obvious. With two losses in as many days, the Penguins sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, with a 14-10-2 record, one point behind the New Jersey Devils.