Recent Posts

Dubas: Major Makeover for Penguins Likely Coming This Summer

CRANBERRY — It’s not that the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t have assets to move as the NHL trade deadline approached. After all, they entered final day leading up to the deadline Friday with no fewer than five players with expiring contracts on their major-league roster. And that’s not counting guys with time left on their deals […]

Penguins Struggles, It’s Time to Take Away Jobs

A season in the balance. A hated and hateful rival ahead in the standings coming for an afternoon war in which a loss would kick loose the last bit of belief that the Pittsburgh Penguins could make the playoffs. Karlsson said it’s felt like the Penguins have been in “now or never” mode for six […]

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 […]

Devils Fire Ruff; Travis Green Interim Coach

The New Jersey Devils made a major move as the NHL trade deadline approached, but the Devils didn’t add — or trade — a player. Instead, they have fired coach Lindy Ruff and replaced him, on an interim basis, with associate coach Green. The move was announced by New Jersey’s president/GM Tom Fitzgerald, who broke […]

Pointless in Seattle: No Comeback for Penguins in 2-0 Loss

The Pittsburgh Penguins had been forced to play from behind in three consecutive games before they visited Seattle Thursday night. Each time, they’d found a way to rally and grab a victory. So when the Kraken got the first goal at Climate Pledge Arena, the Penguins probably weren’t overly concerned. Especially not when they had […]

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 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 […]

Penguins Trade: Chad Ruhwedel to Rangers

The Pittsburgh Penguins steady-eddy, always reliable if unspectacular, right-side defenseman Chad Ruhwedel will compete for the 2024 Stanley Cup as the Penguins dealt the d-man to the New York Rangers. The trade return was a 2027 fourth-round pick. Ruhwedel, 33, has been a mainstay on the ’ NHL roster for a few years. He is […]

Penguins Return Gruden to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Gruden’s latest stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t last very long. In fact, his travel time to get to and from the team in Seattle might have involved more time than his stay did. Gruden’s recall from the Penguins’ farm team in Wilkes-Barre was announced Thursday morning. Shortly before the Penguins’ game against the Kraken […]

Flames’ Late-Game Comeback Torches Penguins, 4-3

The Pittsburgh Penguins just might have made Kyle Dubas’ mind up for him Saturday night in Calgary. They had a 3-1 lead over the Flames midway through the third period, but gave up three unanswered goals to absorb a 4-3 defeat that might be their most devastating loss in a season that’s been full of […]

Sad Penguins Room: ‘Bond Hard to Put Into Words,’ Crosby, Sullivan Talk Guentzel

The NHL trade rumors became a reality not long before the opening puck drop. The game was a forgone conclusion for most of the 60 minutes. The Washington Capitals played well, the Pittsburgh Penguins did not, and the result was a 6-0 beatdown of not only the Penguins on Thursday night but an unceremonious extinguishment […]

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 […]

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 Practice: Sullivan Overhauls Lines, Defense Pairings

CRANBERRY — Mike Sullivan made some significant personnel changes during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex Monday. The top line, with Sidney Crosby between Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, remained intact, but most of the other lines and defense pairings were scrambled. Here are the the lines and pairings from the workout: […]

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 […]

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 […]