Recent Posts

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 […]

Penguins Need Malkin to Change; Is He Thinking About the End?

“Please, no,” was Evgeni Malkin’s playful response when someone asked if he could play until he’s 50 years old. The Pittsburgh Penguins honored Jaromir Jagr for several days last week leading to Sunday’s jersey retirement, and if there was a player who most resembled Jagr’s ferocity and strength with the puck, it was Malkin. Malkin’s […]

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’ Free Fall Continues With 4-0 Loss to Edmonton

The Pittsburgh Penguins have grown accustomed to playing high-stakes hockey at this time of year. Whether they were competing for a division championship, a good seed in the playoffs or something as modest as a berth in the postseason, every result during the stretch drive has mattered. Not this season. The Penguins are wading through… […]

Penguins Pull Out of Slide With 4-1 Win Over Montreal

This was not the Pittsburgh Penguins’ best performance of the season. Not even close, really. But the Penguins weren’t looking for perfection when they faced Montreal Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. They were focused on getting points, and picked up a couple with a 4-1 victory over the Canadiens. After going 1-4-1 in their […]

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 […]

Penguins Game 57 vs. Kraken: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

It’s Leap Day, and while the Pittsburgh Penguins will need more than one win to jump ahead of some of the teams ahead of them, they will get a chance Thursday to continue an important road trip on a positive note when they meet the Kraken in Seattle. The Penguins (27-21-8) play the second of […]

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 […]

Reilly Smith Fires Back on Rumors, ‘Totally Baseless’

CALGARY, Alberta — The rumors have grown so loud and so widely accepted as to become common knowledge, if not fact. You’ve heard the chatter that has been widespread for a couple of months: Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith is unhappy in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the only person who hasn’t heard that talk is the player […]

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 […]

Penguins Mock Trades: Finding Good Fits For Jake Guentzel

The strong possibility, if not stark reality, that the Pittsburgh Penguins will indeed strip away assets in order to rebuild or retool at the NHL trade deadline became inescapable this week. Sure, some have clamored for it, but the team was pushing hard for a playoff spot, and future-leaning Penguins trades were not happening during […]

Dan’s Daily: Insider Trade Chatter; Penguins Get Some Help

A Pittsburgh Penguins trade went down during the first period of their 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It won’t send shockwaves around the league, but it might help. The team got some help in their playoff race as New Jersey and the Islanders lost. The Penguins were sort of good on Thursday night, but […]

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 […]

Penguins Have Another Late-Game Letdown in 2-1 Loss to Kings

Some of the most venerated figures in Pittsburgh Penguins history were at PPG Paints Arena Sunday to celebrate one of their own. They came, of course, to honor Jaromir Jagr, who joined Mario Lemieux and Briere as the only players in franchise history to have their numbers retired. And most, if not all, stuck around […]

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance for Penguins …

It’s clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins are in seller mode as the NHL trade deadline closes in. And while Jake Guentzel has gotten most of the attention — understandably so, since 40-goal guys don’t go on the market very often — Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Dubas is expected to pare a number of other […]

Penguins’ Last Chance Saloon; 3 Quick Thoughts From Edmonton

EDMONTON, Alberta — This is it for the Pittsburgh Penguins. No matter how proclaimed the end, waving the white flag before the results were in, we’re just a few days ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. There are no more lifelines, audience polls, or phone-a-friend. It’s time for president of hockey operations/GM Dubas’s final answer. […]