Recent Posts

Will Bemstrom Be the One to Give Penguins an Offensive Boost?

CRANBERRY — Mike Sullivan’s assessment Saturday of how newly acquired winger Emil Bemstrom could be able to help the Pittsburgh Penguins’ offense might sound familiar. It certainly should. It was, after all, a lot like what Sullivan said a week earlier about Phillips, who had just been claimed off waivers from Washington then. When asked […]

Devils Fire Ruff; Travis Green Interim Coach

The New Jersey Devils made a major move as the NHL trade deadline approached, but the Devils didn’t add — or trade — a player. Instead, they have fired coach Lindy Ruff and replaced him, on an interim basis, with associate coach Green. The move was announced by New Jersey’s president/GM Tom Fitzgerald, who broke […]

Dan’s Daily: Zucker on Trade Block; Suggested Penguins Changes

That was definitely one of the most entertaining games of the season to watch, and all’s well that ends well, as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-6 at PPG Paints Arena. For those of you not old enough to remember the wild, unhinged salad days of the 1980s hockey, that was pretty close. […]

Dan’s Daily: TSN Debates Penguins Sell-Off; Jagr Speaks Wisdom

The Pittsburgh Penguins again won a 54-minute game but lost the 60-minute version, the latest in a series of hard-knuckled blows to their playoff hopes as they dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to the LA Kings on Jaromir Jagr day. For his part, Jagr dropped a little F-bomb on TV, captivated everyone with his speech, and […]

How Penguins Survive without Guentzel; Kids ‘Drag (Malkin) Into Fight’ (+)

SEATTLE — The Pittsburgh Penguins are 4-1-1 since Jake Guentzel was placed on long-term injured reserve. Guentzel has another 10 days of his mandated 24-day LTIR absence and now has company because Bryan Rust is also out week-to-week, also with that most mysterious of hockey terms, an upper-body injury. Because of injuries somewhere between the […]

Former NHLer Kypreos Rips Dubas’ Work as GM in Toronto

Dubas, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations and general manager, earned mixed reviews for his work as GM in Toronto. It’s not hard to figure the camp in which Nick Kypreos, a former NHL player and “contributing columnist” for the Toronto Star, resides. Kypreos offered a assessment of Dubas’ performance in Thursday’s editions of […]

UPDATED: Bryan Rust Not on Road Trip With Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in Vancouver to begin a four-game western trip, practiced Monday without top-line right winger Bryan Rust, and coach Mike Sullivan told reporters afterward that the team is still awaiting word on the extent of Rust’s injury. “(Rust) is at home right now; he did not make the trip with us,” […]

Penguins Game 60 vs. Blue Jackets: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

It’s probably fair to wonder where the Pittsburgh Penguins’ heads will be Tuesday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins (27-24-8) are coming off a soul-crushing western road trip riding a three-game losing streak and now staring hard at possible impactful changes leading into Friday’s trade deadline. The Blue Jackets (20-30-10) sit last […]

Penguins Trade Analysis: Dubas Gambles; Bemstrom Scouting Report (+)

As the Pittsburgh Penguins eeked and creaked their way to a 1-1 first period against the Montreal Canadiens, president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas pulled a small Penguins trade that could be a steal, or it could be quite costly. Dubas rolled the dice on a conditional draft pick that might further deplete the draft […]

Former Penguins Winger Alex Nylander Nets Hat Trick; On Fire in Columbus

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Emil Bemstrom last week from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional sixth-round pick and faded prospect Alex Nylander. Ironically, the conditional sixth-rounder becomes a third-rounder if Bemstrom scores six goals. There is no condition regarding Nylander’s performance, but Columbus should be pleased so far. Monday night, Nylander netted his first […]

Capitals Punishment: Washington Embarrasses Penguins, 6-0

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t hold any players out of their game against Washington Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena for “trade-related reasons,” as a number of clubs have done lately. That doesn’t mean that everyone in their lineup actually was involved in the game, though. Truth be told, there have been cruise ships with fewer […]

Penguins’ Last Chance Saloon; 3 Quick Thoughts From Edmonton

EDMONTON, Alberta — This is it for the Pittsburgh Penguins. No matter how proclaimed the end, waving the white flag before the results were in, we’re just a few days ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. There are no more lifelines, audience polls, or phone-a-friend. It’s time for president of hockey operations/GM Dubas’s final answer. […]

Penguins Need Malkin to Change; Is He Thinking About the End?

“Please, no,” was Evgeni Malkin’s playful response when someone asked if he could play until he’s 50 years old. The Pittsburgh Penguins honored Jaromir Jagr for several days last week leading to Sunday’s jersey retirement, and if there was a player who most resembled Jagr’s ferocity and strength with the puck, it was Malkin. Malkin’s […]

Oilers’ Offense Much Too Slick for Penguins, 6-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been utterly unpredictable for most of this season. Although they are the oldest team in the NHL, they won the second game when playing on consecutive days the first six times they were in one. But the ample experience that comes from being the league’s oldest club has been of little […]

Penguins Trade Talk: Does Vegas Need Reilly Smith? Is a Goalie Available?

The NHL trade chatter has finally picked up after a couple of months of stagnation when the focus was solely on the Calgary Flames. We can finally move past Calgary and look to the deadline. Injuries and playoff contention are creating openings and opportunities, including for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle […]

Penguins Metro Foe Fires GM Before Trade Deadline

The Columbus Blue Jackets, the only team below the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division standings, on Thursday fired long-time general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. The firing comes nearly 11 years to the day after Kekalainen was hired in by Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson, who will step in now as GM during […]