Recent Posts
Penguins Grades: Mistakes, Chaos, Survival and Playoff Hope
Perhaps it was the pressure or intensity of having their backs to the wall, but the Pittsburgh Penguins played the type of game they’ve needed to play all season. And they also made just as many maddening, pull-your-hair-out-by-the-roots mistakes as they’ve made all season. They scored a power-play goal, and they allowed a brutal shorthanded […]
Penguins Practice: Malkin, Letang Return
The Penguins had all expected players on the ice for practice Tuesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, including two players who were absent or limited on Monday. Defenseman Kris Letang was back. He left Monday’s practice early and is “nicked up,” according to coach Mike Sullivan. Center Evgeni Malkin, who sat out Monday’s practice […]
Penguins Grades: Team Battles Heartbreak and Distraction
The Pittsburgh Penguins were energetic and aggressive in the first period. They were utterly terrible in the second period. They got by later in the third period when they finally buckled down for a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. With the NHL trade rumors swirling around Penguins winger Guentzel […]
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 […]
(UPDATED) Penguins, Hurricanes Close to Guentzel Trade; Bunting Scouting Report
Buckle up. The NHL trade rumors should get thick tonight. The Carolina Hurricanes, thought to be part of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jake Guentzel trade sweepstakes, make a curious lineup choice Thursday night. The Hurricanes announced overachieving winger Michael Bunting was scratched for “trade releated” reasons. Sportsnet Elliotte Friedman went further on X, confirming that Bunting […]
Penguins Wrap: Guentzel Moves On; Playoffs Grow More Distant
The Pittsburgh Penguins gave away copies of their 2023-24 yearbook as a promotion at their game against Philadelphia Feb. 25. Speculation in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline suggested that they might want to consider offering an updated version of it because, in the wake of all their personnel moves they were […]
How Can Penguins Get Into Playoffs? Here’s One Surefire Way
The challenge for the Pittsburgh Penguins is pretty simple: Win their final 27 games, and they’ll be in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring. Of course, the NHL record for consecutive victories is 17, set by the 1992-93 Penguins, so it’s unlikely that they’ll finish the season with a 29-game winning streak. (They already have […]
Deadline Fallout: Penguins Internal Anger; Trades Not Made
BOSTON — The NHL trade deadline provided one of the more surprising twists after Pittsburgh Penguins president Kyle Dubas traded away Jake Guentzel later Thursday evening to the Carolina Hurricanes for three lower-ranked prospects and Michael Bunting. While Dubas made a strong case for the trio of prospects at his press conference Friday after the […]
Kingerski: Guess What, There is Hope for These Penguins
SEATTLE — Months, if not a few years, of nattering negativity and obstinate “I told you so’s” with each shortcoming that befalls the aging Pittsburgh Penguins have grown to a cacophony of cheers with each loss and begrudging credit for wins. In a sense, it’s entirely understandable. The Penguins’ core and fans have endured the […]
Penguins Grades: Bad Luck, Bad Power Play, Sullivan Makes More Changes
SEATTLE — In a city known for grunge, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a little too glam and stayed around the outside. Despite vastly outshooting the Seattle Kraken through 40 minutes 29-16. It was a culmination of bad luck, a continually bad power play, and an inability to crack the Kraken’s interior defense in a 2-0 […]
Penguins Six-Pack: Letang’s Redemption; Roughing it With Pettersson
When they are at their best, the Pittsburgh Penguins can beat any team in the NHL. And when they are not, they still seem to be able to defeat Montreal. This season, anyway. Despite a rather uneven performance, the Penguins completed a sweep of the season series with the Canadiens with a 4-1 victory at […]
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 […]
Bunting Never Saw Trade to Penguins Coming, But Seems Glad it Did
CRANBERRY — No one, especially Jake Guentzel, should have been surprised when the Pittsburgh Penguins moved him as the NHL trade deadline approached. When Guentzel didn’t re-sign with the Penguins and seemed to be intent on testing the free-agent market this summer, they had little reason to keep him once their playoff hopes became a […]
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 […]
Dubas Presser: Guentzel’s Future, Shakeup Trade, and the Rebuild Plans
CRANBERRY — Pittsburgh Penguins president Kyle Dubas had the same thought as many of us. The team needed a shakeup and needed a trade. Dubas addressed that possibility as well as Jake Guentzel’s future, Mike Sullivan’s requests, and why you should not expect to see a tear it down, burn it down, rebuild. Guentzel’s future […]
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 […]