Recent Posts

Penguins Recall Joona Koppanen from Wilkes-Barre

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a personnel move a few hours before their game against Columbus Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena, but it wasn’t one of the franchise-altering deals people have expecting since the Penguins dropped to the fringe of the Eastern Conference playoff race. They have recalled winger Koppanen from their farm team in […]

Reilly Smith Fires Back on Rumors, ‘Totally Baseless’

CALGARY, Alberta — The rumors have grown so loud and so widely accepted as to become common knowledge, if not fact. You’ve heard the chatter that has been widespread for a couple of months: Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith is unhappy in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the only person who hasn’t heard that talk is the player […]

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. […]

Dan’s Daily: Markstrom, Pettersson Bombshells; Penguins Get Calls

CALGARY — The phone is ringing for Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operation/GM Kyle Dubas. More reports are emerging that Reilly Smith is drawing broad interest on the NHL trade market ahead of the March 8 deadline. PHN talked to Smith about those rumors. Smith also had a definitive response to the pervasive talk that […]

Penguins Six-Pack: Graves Gains Ground; Scenario for Guentzel Return

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a lot of things. In denial is not one of them. They are all too aware of where they sit in the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division standings. Of how remote their chances of getting into the Stanley Cup playoffs are. Of how very different their roster might look after the […]

Dan’s Daily: TSN Sticks Up for Crosby; NHL Trade Deadline Chatter

PITTSBURGH (I think) — We’ve got a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins ground to cover, but first, a post-mortem on what went wrong and why it went wrong. Geno Reda of TSN came loaded for bear, vigorously sticking up for Sidney Crosby, accusing the Penguins management of abandoning him by not adding help. It was a […]

Penguins Should Ride This Guy to Get Answers. Maybe Some Points, Too (+)

Tristan Jarry isn’t the only reason the Pittsburgh Penguins earned a 4-3 overtime victory in Vancouver Tuesday night, but he probably was the biggest one. He also isn’t the only reason they gave up a half-dozen goals to Philadelphia in a 7-6 victory Sunday, but he was pretty high on that list, too. And so […]

Dan’s Daily: Oilers Won’t Include Prospect; Penguins Get Big Surprise

Sometimes, this job is just the best. I have covered Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby and seen them make routine that which other humans just cannot do. Saturday was one of those crazy days everyone will remember as 52-year-old Jaromir Jagr suited up for Penguins practice, one day before his iconic No. 68 is retired. […]

Penguins Trade Grade: 2nd-Tier Hurricanes, Pens’ Loss Deeper than Guentzel

The Pittsburgh Penguins did not get the top prospects, nor a top-six NHL player from the Carolina Hurricanes as Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas zipped Sidney Crosby’s longtime sidecar Jake Guentzel to Carolina for three prospects, a conditional second-rounder that could become a first, and Dubas-acquainted winger Michael Bunting. Bunting will plug a […]

PHN Daily: Guentzel Trade News & Reaction; Deadline Dominoes Fall

Jake Guentzel finally is off the NHL trade market. The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent him to Carolina for a handful of assets, one of them being winger Michael Bunting, in a deal was announced late Thursday evening. It’s not known if Guentzel was at PPG Paints Arena a few hours earlier, but most of his […]

Penguins Practice: Bemstrom Skates on Third Line

CRANBERRY — Forward Emil Bemstrom, acquired in a trade with Columbus Thursday, worked at right wing on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ third line during practice Saturday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. It was his first session with the Penguins, since they had a scheduled day off Friday. His linemates were Lars Eller and Smith. Bemstrom also […]

Penguins’ Offensive Numbers Adding Up to Sour Season

When the Pittsburgh Penguins raised a banner emblazoned with Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 Sunday, it joined a number of others already in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena. There were, for example, the ones commemorating the franchise’s five Stanley Cups, as well as those celebrating the other players who have had their numbers retired, Mario […]

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 Six-Pack: Rust’s Pointed Observation; Another Power Failure

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 loss to Los Angeles Sunday at PPG Paints Arena was their fourth defeat in five games, as well as the latest in a series of setbacks during which they were unable to protect a lead — or a tie — in the third period. Consequently, despite persistent statements that they believe […]

Jaromir Jagr Joins Penguins Practice … in Full Gear!

CRANBERRY — The security line to enter the Pittsburgh Penguins practice was to the front door and growing. On Jaromir Jagr weekend, the great 68 himself made an unscheduled visit to the Penguins practice facility and word spread. And spread. But that was only a prelude to what will probably be the most fun story […]

LIVE NHL Trade Deadline Blog: Late VGK Blockbuster; Penguins Quiet

BOSTON — The Pittsburgh Penguins kicked over the first big domino of the NHL trade deadline when they traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes late Thursday night. Reliable sources tell Pittsburgh Hockey Now that the Penguins have received interest in more players, who could have new addresses by the deadline at 3 p.m. Lars […]