Recent Posts

(UPDATED) Penguins Practice: Harkins Concussed; Letang ‘Nicked Up’

CRANBERRY — Blue-collar winger Jansen Harkins has been diagnosed with a concussion, the apparent result of a hit from Winnipeg center Adam Lowry during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 loss to the Jets Saturday. Harkins did not participate in practice Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and has been placed on injured reserve. Center Evgeni Malkin […]

Penguins Postgame: Another Sad Microcosm of Pens’ Season

It was a storybook weekend. It was the return of the prodigal son Jaromir Jagr, whose jersey was retired in a moving and joyous celebration before the game. Former owner Mario Lemieux and a cast of former Penguins, including Ron Francis and Kevin Stevens, were part of the celebration. The Pittsburgh Penguins led the LA […]

Blackhawks Down: Penguins Pull Out of Nosedive, 4-1

Maybe it’s all Jake Guentzel’s fault that the Pittsburgh Penguins’ playoff hopes have been fading, after all. Perhaps the guy who was tied for the team scoring lead and was on pace to get more than 30 goals again was the culprit behind their struggles of late. OK, probably not. Nonetheless, the Penguins made it […]

Penguins Game 51 vs. Blackhawks: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Whew boy. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dug a deep hole as they head into a road game Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Penguins (23-20-7) have a quick turnaround following a 5-2 loss Wednesday at home against the Florida Panthers that had fans booing at times. It was their third straight loss. The Blackhawks (14-36-3) […]

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 […]

Penguins Postgame: Small Details Reveal Big Things

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t necessarily disagree with the notion that their effort during a 5-1 loss to Boston Saturday at TD Garden was better than the ones they had put forth in some recent games, but they were adamant that that was missing the point. The real story of the game, they contended, was the […]

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 […]

Karlsson’s OT Goal Gives Penguins 4-3 Win Over Canucks

The Pittsburgh Penguins did not play a perfect game in Vancouver Tuesday night. They made some mental mistakes. Some physical ones, too. Heck, they gave up a shorthanded goal for the third time in the past five games. But they also played with resolve and commitment and focus, and an obvious appreciation of what was […]

Penguins: We’re Looking for Points, Not Scapegoats

CRANBERRY — There are numerous reasons the Pittsburgh Penguins are having such a disappointing season. Their power play has produced more punch lines than goals. Some key veterans — guys like Evgeni Malkin and Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Ryan Graves — have not performed at the level the Penguins expected. And need. Most of their […]

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 […]

Penguins Players React to Losing and the NHL Trade Deadline

Not since Sidney Crosby was a rookie, Mario Lemieux was forced to retire with a heart ailment, and a string of big-name free agents flopped spectacularly have the Pittsburgh Penguins been this far out of a playoff position this early in the season with the NHL trade deadline the increasingly spoken elephant in the room. […]

Penguins Grades: Young Legs & Goaltending Shine, Pens Capable of ‘Better’

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored a power-play goal as the front end of two goals in 21 seconds. The outburst erased an otherwise ordinary, bordering on lackluster Penguins performance as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins also got some playoff help as the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey […]

Jake Guentzel to Make Road Trip; Penguins Mum on Status

CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins will take winger Jake Guetnzel on their coming west coast road trip, which begins Tuesday in Vancouver and ends on March 4 in Edmonton, but that’s as much as coach Mike Sullivan was willing to divulge Saturday following the Penguins’ practice at the UPMC Lemieux Complex. Guentzel is currently on […]

Better Effort, Same Result for Penguins in 5-1 Loss to Bruins

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ season was threatening to morph from a major disappointment into a flat-out dumpster fire. They had lost four of the previous five games and had usually looked pretty bad in the process. Like the 60-minute self-immolation that was their 6-0 loss to Washington at PPG Paints Arena Thursday. Well, the good news […]

WPXI Final Word: What Can Penguins Do Before Deadline?

The question was simple. What can the Pittsburgh Penguins do before the NHL trade deadline? The answer from our Dan Kingerski on WPXI’s Final Word was simple, too. We won’t give away all of the fun, but the Final Word panel, also including Adam Crowley and Paul Zeise of 93-7 the Fan, took reasonable and […]

Penguins Wrap: Jagr’s No. 68 Goes Up; Playoff Hopes Go Down

The Pittsburgh Penguins added a chapter to their history last Sunday by retiring Jaromir Jagr’s number, making him the third player in franchise history to be so honored. A few hours later, they put another hurdle in their path to a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs by failing to protect a lead late in […]