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 Claim Matthew Phillips off Waivers from Capitals
The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed forward Phillips off waivers from Washington. He is undersized — 5-foot-8, 160 pounds — but fast and fearless, and can play center or wing. Phillips, 25, has one goal and four assists in 27 games with the Capitals this season. His contract, which expires after this season, carries a salary-cap […]
Penguins Grades: Toxic Power Play, Inexplicable Mistakes Crushing Season
Like peanut butter and jelly, Sidney Crosby and backhand goals, and Jaromir Jagr and a mullet, the Pittsburgh Penguins and self-inflicted losses with a sabotaging power play have become synonymous. Unlike the former examples, the latter is suffocating what was supposed to be a promising season. Nevermore was a greater microcosm of the Penguins’ season […]
Dan’s Daily: TSN Sticks Up for Crosby; NHL Trade Deadline Chatter
PITTSBURGH (I think) — We’ve got a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins ground to cover, but first, a post-mortem on what went wrong and why it went wrong. Geno Reda of TSN came loaded for bear, vigorously sticking up for Sidney Crosby, accusing the Penguins management of abandoning him by not adding help. It was a […]
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 […]
Penguins’ Dubas Will Get Lots of Calls, But How Many Matter?
There will be innumerable breathless reports across North America between now and the NHL trade deadline next Friday at 3 p.m. about general managers, including Kyle Dubas of the Pittsburgh Penguins, fielding calls inquiring about particular players, and which scouts have requested a press-box seat at which games. Many, if not all, of those reports […]
Dan’s Daily: Markstrom, Pettersson Bombshells; Penguins Get Calls
CALGARY — The phone is ringing for Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operation/GM Kyle Dubas. More reports are emerging that Reilly Smith is drawing broad interest on the NHL trade market ahead of the March 8 deadline. PHN talked to Smith about those rumors. Smith also had a definitive response to the pervasive talk that […]
Penguins Game 62 vs. Bruins: Lines, Notes & How to Watch
Another day, another emotionally charged game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are at the point of trying to make something – anything – out of the stretch run of the season. Saturday, it’s a national TV matinee for the Penguins (28-25-8) on the road against the Boston Bruins (37-13-15). And if that isn’t enough of […]
Dan’s Daily: Kessel Gets NHL Workout; Malkin Makes Big Admission
Evgeni Malkin admitted he’s not the player he once was for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a startling day at Penguins practice, and Pittsburgh Hockey Now has full coverage. Phil Kessel is getting an NHL workout with old friends. The NHL trade rumors surrounding Chris Tanev and Vladimir Tarasenko are going in different directions, and […]
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 […]
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 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 Activate Harkins, Send Hinostroza, Gruden to Wilkes-Barre
The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned forwards Vinnie Hinostroza and Gruden to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre. The also activated bottom-six winger Harkins, who has been recovering from a concussion. He has no goals and four assists in 34 games, and will be available for their game against Los Angeles today at 6:08 p.m. at PPG […]
Penguins Room: Sullen Sullivan Explains Changes; Graves Argues Calls
SEATTLE — It is not the first time this season that the Pittsburgh Penguins felt they outplayed their opponent but failed to score enough goals. The Seattle Kraken beat the Penguins 2-0 Thursday at the Climate Pledge Arena. The Penguins were outshooting Seattle 29-16 after two periods, but trailed 1-0. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Penguins […]
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 Hoping Phillips Comes Up Big for Their Offense
Shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, Matthew Phillips was a spare part with the Washington Capitals, with only the formality of clearing waivers appearing to separate him from a trip to the American Hockey League. Minutes later, his itinerary — and his life — changed. By 11 p.m., he was in a new town, working for […]