Recent Posts

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 […]

Penguins Postgame: Backstory to Loss; Now the Trade Deadline (+)

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Pittsburgh Penguins were no match for themselves or the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night. Edmonton steamrolled the Penguins 6-1 at Rogers Place, marking both the beginning and end of multiple Penguins storylines. The Penguins locker room must continue to believe they are in the playoff chase. President of hockey operations/GM Dubas is […]

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 […]

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 […]

Jake Guentzel Still Around, Participates in Penguins Skate

The NHL trade deadline hasn’t changed, and the reports about possible trades involving Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel haven’t died down, but that didn’t stop Guentzel from participating in the team’s  morning skate Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. Guentzel, who is on LTIR because of an upper-body injury and not eligible to be activated until […]

Penguins Flip the Script, But Lose to Islanders, 5-4, in Overtime

The Pittsburgh Penguins know all about late-game comebacks, because they’ve seen lots of them this season. Usually by the other team. But Tuesday night, it was the Penguins, not their opponents, who rallied late in the third period to force overtime. The extra period lasted just 57 seconds, though, before New York defenseman Adam Pelech […]

Here’s One Place Where There’s No Penguins Trade Talk (+)

CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been sellers at the NHL trade deadline since 2006. Then again, it’s also been a long time since they were in as perilous of a position in the standings as they are now. In the wake of their 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday night at […]

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 […]

Penguins’ Bryan Rust Postgame Injury Update

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust tangled with Philadelphia Flyers defenders at the offensive blue line five minutes into the third period of the Penguins’ wild 7-6 win at PPG Paints Arena. Rust hunched over, shaking his left hand, and left the ice. He did not return. Coach Mike Sullivan updated Rust’s condition following the game, […]

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, […]

Rematch; Penguins Game 63 vs. Oilers: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

It’s never guaranteed that things will get easier. Case in point is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who on Sunday have a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers. The Penguins (28-26-8) return home from Saturday’s 5-1 loss at Boston to face the Oilers (38-21-3), the team that spanked them 6-1 one week earlier at the end of a […]

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 […]

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 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: 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 Grades: Young Legs & Goaltending Shine, Pens Capable of ‘Better’

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored a power-play goal as the front end of two goals in 21 seconds. The outburst erased an otherwise ordinary, bordering on lackluster Penguins performance as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins also got some playoff help as the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey […]