Recent Posts

My Mourning Jackets: Penguins Hold Off Columbus, 5-3

The Pittsburgh Penguins have whittled their magic number to 29. Not to clinch, say, a division championship or home-ice advantage for the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but to avoid finishing last in the Metropolitan Division. OK, so that’s not much of a feat for a franchise with five Stanley Cup banners hanging […]

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 […]

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 […]

Penguins Trade: Chad Ruhwedel to Rangers

The Pittsburgh Penguins steady-eddy, always reliable if unspectacular, right-side defenseman Chad Ruhwedel will compete for the 2024 Stanley Cup as the Penguins dealt the d-man to the New York Rangers. The trade return was a 2027 fourth-round pick. Ruhwedel, 33, has been a mainstay on the ’ NHL roster for a few years. He is […]

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 […]

Rivalry Renewed; Penguins Game 61 vs. Capitals: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ game Thursday against the visiting Washington Capitals won’t lack for drama. There’ s the usual matchup between future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin when these longtime rivals meet. There’s also the tension surrounding both teams heading into Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Perhaps at the top of the list, though, […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Penguins Situation Gets Worse; Goalie Trade Market

Is Erik Karlsson ready to be the puck-dominating, lightning-fast player who won the 2023 Norris Trophy? There are signs that Karlsson is ready to go, and coach Mike Sullivan shed some light on the internal discussions with Karlsson. However, the Penguins’ playoff chase took a hit Monday when all three Metro Division teams in action […]

Penguins Top Flyers, 7-6; Playoff Fate Back in Their Hands

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t just win a wild hockey game Sunday. In addition to defeating Philadelphia, 7-6, at PPG Paints Arena, they regained control of their playoff fate. The victory, which allowed the Penguins to complete their homestand 2-1-1, means they have the possibility — mathematically, at least — to overtake the four teams separating […]

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 […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Squashing Trade Rumors; Penguins Path Forward

SEATTLE — The Pittsburgh Penguins path forward will require a lot more of the intensity they brought to the fight against the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. There is also one guy, who colleague Dave Molinari circled that could pile up the points for the Penguins, who have reasons for optimism. Elsewhere in the Daily, multiple players […]

Go West; Penguins Game 56 vs. Canucks: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

It’s go big or go home for the Pittsburgh Penguins – except they won’t be going home – as they kick off their trip out west with a game Tuesday against the Canucks in Vancouver. The Penguins (26-21-8) need to win at a furious pace the rest of the season to get into the playoffs, […]

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 […]

Penguins Wrap: Malkin’s Big Admission; Honoring Jagr’s Greatness

The Pittsburgh Penguins are celebrating their past this weekend, honoring Jaromir Jagr for his many achievements during 11 seasons with the franchise. Good idea, because there’s not much to celebrate about their present. They snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory in Chicago Thursday, but remain well behind the Eastern Conference playoff field […]

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. […]