Recent Posts
Capitals Waive Kuznetsov; Dirty Bird Done in D.C.
Evgeny Kuznetsov has long been a staple of the revived Washington Capitals, including their 2018 Stanley Cup championship. The supremely talented player has also dealt with personal demons and has been on the outs with the organization for several years. Saturday, Kuznetsov’s tenure with the seemingly came to an end when the Capitals put him […]
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 […]
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 […]
Penguins Trade Analysis: Dubas Gambles; Bemstrom Scouting Report (+)
As the Pittsburgh Penguins eeked and creaked their way to a 1-1 first period against the Montreal Canadiens, president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas pulled a small Penguins trade that could be a steal, or it could be quite costly. Dubas rolled the dice on a conditional draft pick that might further deplete the draft […]
Former Penguins Winger Alex Nylander Nets Hat Trick; On Fire in Columbus
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Emil Bemstrom last week from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional sixth-round pick and faded prospect Alex Nylander. Ironically, the conditional sixth-rounder becomes a third-rounder if Bemstrom scores six goals. There is no condition regarding Nylander’s performance, but Columbus should be pleased so far. Monday night, Nylander netted his first […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
Eastern Conference Power Rankings; Playoff Race & Penguins X-Factor
The top of the Eastern Conference is a battle in the Atlantic Divison. The bottom of the playoff race is a battle in the Metro Division. Both races are jumbled and could greatly affect the eventual Wales Trophy winner, and the X-factor in the conference is none other than the Pittsburgh Penguins. Are they a […]
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 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 […]
Silent Penguins Room: Players Devastated, Reality Setting In (+)
CALGARY, Alberta — This one hurt badly. Not just because the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a win to keep pace with their playoff rivals but because they had it firmly within their grasp. They led 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining but were tied 3-3 with nine minutes left. And they lost 4-3 in regulation to the […]
Report: More Teams Interested in Acquiring Reilly Smith?
While the big name drawing interest and plenty of speculation on the NHL trade market is Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel, another Penguins winger may be drawing more interest. According to Daily FaceOff’s Frank Seravalli, formerly of TSN, Reilly Smith is drawing broader interest than Guentzel. This season, Smith has struggled with the Penguins amid […]
Dan’s Daily: TSN Debates Penguins Sell-Off; Jagr Speaks Wisdom
The Pittsburgh Penguins again won a 54-minute game but lost the 60-minute version, the latest in a series of hard-knuckled blows to their playoff hopes as they dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to the LA Kings on Jaromir Jagr day. For his part, Jagr dropped a little F-bomb on TV, captivated everyone with his speech, and […]