Recent Posts

LeBrun Says Teams Interested in Reilly Smith; Penguins Listening on Many

The March 8th NHL trade deadline is just over two weeks away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have not improved their position in the standings. Several new players have not integrated well into the Penguins lineup, wins have become scarce, and things are not looking rosy for the Penguins to make a playoff push. Tuesday evening, […]

Dan’s Daily: National Media Debates Penguins Sell-Off; What Pens Need Now

The Pittsburgh Penguins had the world in the palm of their hand. A four-game road trip became a three-game nightmare. It started well with an eye-opening win over the Vancouver Canucks, followed by three “cover your eyes” losses. Now, the Penguins are out of time, and the NHL trade deadline looms. Dave Molinari put forth […]

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 Players Feel the Heat; Sullivan Unhappy and Blunt

CRANBERRY — The mulligans are spent. All of the leeway used up. And in a recent analogy used often around the Pittsburgh Penguins room, the runway is getting short. In fact, the Penguins are out of runway. With 30 games to go and the playoff chase slipping away at an alarming speed, it’s time for […]

Penguins Postgame: This Can’t Continue

In one of the great cheesy late 1990s movies, Bruce Willis and his band of misfits who rocketed to space on a top-secret space shuttle to save the planet from an asteroid must radio to NASA that their mission has failed. Armageddon has a happy ending as the crew saves the day but the Pittsburgh […]

Flames’ Late-Game Comeback Torches Penguins, 4-3

The Pittsburgh Penguins just might have made Kyle Dubas’ mind up for him Saturday night in Calgary. They had a 3-1 lead over the Flames midway through the third period, but gave up three unanswered goals to absorb a 4-3 defeat that might be their most devastating loss in a season that’s been full of […]

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 […]

Penguins Grades: New Sad Reality on Display vs. Bruins

BOSTON — It was kind of sad, really. After some pathetic performances over the past week, which we now know was aided by the inside knowledge that Jake Guentzel was being traded and the team felt the gnawing disappointment of their GM waiving the white flag (which he wisely did), the Pittsburgh Penguins put forth […]

Dan’s Daily: Maple Leafs Swing Trade; Penguins Slip in Seattle

SEATTLE– Greetings from somewhere between Seattle, Vancouver, and Calgary as we brave Scare Canada covering this pivotal Pittsburgh Penguins roadie. The Penguins were shooting blanks Thursday against the Seattle Kraken and were shut out 2-0. We’ve got full coverage from the locker room, including Ryan Graves disagreeing with the critical calls against him and a […]

Penguins’ Malkin Gets Honest: I Know I’m Not Flying Like Before

Perhaps Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin isn’t as stubborn or as blind to his level of play as some critics believe. And there are many critics – just take a stroll through social media. Malkin, affectionately known as “Geno” throughout a stellar NHL career that is in its 18th season, is well aware that he […]

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 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 […]

Jagr Gets Real; Retirement, Regrets, & ‘If You’re Satisfied, You’re Done’

PITTSBURGH — Sunday afternoon, Jaromir Jagr will watch his No. 68 raised to the rafters at PPG Paints Arena, just the third number retired in the 56-year history of the Pittsburgh Penguins. His jersey will hang beside idol and teammate Mario Lemieux as the Penguins and Jagr bring a long relationship that has been all […]

Kingerski: Now We’ll Find Out if this Penguins Team Worth Saving

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ heart worth saving? Their march toward a playoff berth has more often resembled the legs of a staggered boxer. All season, it has been less of a march forward and more like two steps forward, a couple sideways, and a couple back. losses have come at key […]

Kingerski: Penguins’ Inaction Was the Problem; What Exactly Was the Plan?

The Pittsburgh Penguins this season have been a flawed team from the beginning. Since November, they’ve been figuratively crying out for help, but none was forthcoming. The team’s flaws have been exposed. They lack enough emotional leaders. The third pairing has been a problem child all season. With respect to Chad Ruhwedel, his place in […]

Second-Period Flameout Dooms Penguins Against Florida, 5-2

Mike Sullivan generally is pleased when the Pittsburgh Penguins play low-event hockey, so he probably didn’t mind the way the first period of their game against Florida at PPG Paints Arena played out Wednesday night. There’s absolutely no doubt that he liked it a lot more than the one that followed. The Penguins. who had […]