Recent Posts

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 […]

WPXI Final Word: What Can Penguins Do Before Deadline?

The question was simple. What can the Pittsburgh Penguins do before the NHL trade deadline? The answer from our Dan Kingerski on WPXI’s Final Word was simple, too. We won’t give away all of the fun, but the Final Word panel, also including Adam Crowley and Paul Zeise of 93-7 the Fan, took reasonable and […]

UPDATED: Bryan Rust Not on Road Trip With Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in Vancouver to begin a four-game western trip, practiced Monday without top-line right winger Bryan Rust, and coach Mike Sullivan told reporters afterward that the team is still awaiting word on the extent of Rust’s injury. “(Rust) is at home right now; he did not make the trip with us,” […]

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 […]

Now or Never, Penguins Game 54 vs. Canadiens: Lines, Notes, & How to Watch

It might be a contest of which team can muster more desperation Thursday when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens. If the Penguins (24-21-8) are in a bad way trying to climb into a playoff spot, then the Canadiens (22-25-8) are hanging on by a fingernail at best. The Penguins are coming off a […]

Penguins: We’re Looking for Points, Not Scapegoats

CRANBERRY — There are numerous reasons the Pittsburgh Penguins are having such a disappointing season. Their power play has produced more punch lines than goals. Some key veterans — guys like Evgeni Malkin and Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Ryan Graves — have not performed at the level the Penguins expected. And need. Most of their […]

Last Chance? Penguins Game 53 vs. Islanders: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Blowing up their personnel combinations could be the next step in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ seemingly endless quest to right the ship and make a desperate push to get into a playoff spot. The changes could be in play Tuesday when the New York Islanders visit for a Metropolitan Division clash. The Penguins (24-21-7) sit three […]

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 […]

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 […]

Penguins Trade Talk: Does Vegas Need Reilly Smith? Is a Goalie Available?

The NHL trade chatter has finally picked up after a couple of months of stagnation when the focus was solely on the Calgary Flames. We can finally move past Calgary and look to the deadline. Injuries and playoff contention are creating openings and opportunities, including for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle […]

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 […]

(Updated) Hellberg Called Up, Nedeljkovic to Start vs. Islanders

Magnus Hellberg was called up Sunday a few hours before the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the LA Kings, 2-1, at PPG Paints Arena, but that’s not the end of the story. Mike Sullivan said Hellberg was recalled because one of the goalies was feeling under the weather, and the Penguins wanted to make sure they […]

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 […]

Penguins Game 52 vs. Kings: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a special night planned Sunday as they retire the No. 68 jersey of Jaromir Jagr. There’s a hockey game, too, as the Los Angeles Kings visit PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins have celebrated all weekend with Jagr, who played his first 11 seasons with the Penguins and is ranked second all-time […]

Penguins Place Rust on IR, Make Roster Call-Up

SEATTLE — The Pittsburgh Penguins made the unsurprising move of placing right-winger Bryan Rust on injured reserve. The team also recalled forward Jonathan Gruden from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Gurden, 23, has played five NHL games this season and eight in his career. He has yet to register his first point. In 41 AHL games this […]

Penguins Report Card: Malkin Rises, but Pens’ Ship is Sinking Fast

A power play terrified to shoot and gives up a breakaway goal at its conclusion. A team that can’t muster the fear or urgency to win games on home ice with their season on the line. Last season, it took until Game 81 for the Pittsburgh Penguins to be eliminated from playoff contention. The impatient […]