Recent Posts

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

Foreshadowing Trades? Penguins Move O’Connor to Center, Suffers Concussion

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan made several changes to his lines Tuesday, in what could have been foreshadowing the Penguins’ lineup following the NHL trade deadline on Friday. After three straight bruising losses on the recent four-game road trip and deflated spirits, Sullivan made a couple of surprising moves, including moving Drew O’Connor to third-line […]

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 […]

Could Guentzel’s No-Trade Clause Be Holding Up a Deal?

The NHL trade deadline, set for 3 p.m. Friday, is coming up on the horizon, and Jake Guentzel still is on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ payroll. Now, it’s possible — though rather unlikely — that the Penguins have reversed field and decided to try to re-sign Guentzel, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this […]

Watch: Penguins Analysis, Examining Mike Sullivan by 3 Criteria

As the Pittsburgh Penguins sink further into the abyss of mediocrity and the playoff trail grows cold with mounting losses, many by their own doing, there is a growing segment of Penguins fans pointing fingers directly at coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan is in his ninth season as the Penguins bench boss and the second longest-tenured […]

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 […]

Penguins Grades: Letang Meltdown, Late Collapse Rocks Team

CALGARY, Alberta — The Pittsburgh Penguins got a pair of bottom-six goals. They scored a power-play goal in the second period and led 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining. Yet the Penguins remain the most self-destructive team in the NHL. Calgary scored two goals 32 seconds apart in the middle of the third period and another […]

Trade Deadline Report: Teams Have Called About Jarry, Blomqvist

On Saturday night, Hockey Night in Canada panelist Elliotte Friedman reported that other teams believed the Pittsburgh Penguins could deal a goalie before the March 8 NHL trade deadline. The natural assumption was the potentially available goalie was pending unrestricted free agent Nedeljkovic. However, on his Monday edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman expounded […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Fleury Squashes Trade Talk; Penguins Down 2 Wingers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Pittsburgh Penguins will be down two wingers on this four-game road trip that will likely determine their position for the NHL trade deadline and, by indirect extension, their fate this season. Bryan Rust left Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period, did not make the trip, and […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: High Trade Cost for Chychrun; The Penguins Had Enough

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan had enough. Significant changes swept the Penguins lineup Monday at practice as the coach shuffled lines, dropping high-paid players either down in the lineup or out entirely. He didn’t mince words after practice, either. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Ottawa Senators are chumming the NHL trade waters but keeping a […]

Jake Guentzel Travels West With Penguins, Skates

Injured top-line left winger Jake Guentzel traveled with the Pittsburgh Penguins on their western trip and skated separately from the club Monday in Vancouver. “It’s great. It’s a big step when (injured players) get on the ice,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “It just means they’re that much closer, so it’s great to see him […]