Recent Posts
Guentzel Out 3-4 Weeks; Penguins Recall Three from Wilkes-Barre
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ longshot playoff prospects have taken a major hit, as left winger Jark Guentzel is expected to be sidelined for 3-4 weeks because of an unspecified upper-body injury. He apparently was hurt during the third period of the Penguins’ 5-2 loss to Florida at PPG Paints Arena Wednesday night and has been placed […]
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 Six-Pack: Harkins Checks In; Rakell’s Touch Returns
This is not the first time Sidney Crosby has played in a game with violent momentum swings since he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. But there have not, he acknowledged, been very many quite like the Penguins’ 7-6 victory against Philadelphia Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. “I remember one against Washington here years ago,” […]
Predicting Penguins Trade Deadline; Devils Could Jump Pens
CALGARY, Alberta — The NHL trade deadline is just one week away, and perhaps it’s fitting the Pittsburgh Penguins are in Calgary because this is the city that could flip the balance of power in the Metro Division and the Eastern Conference wild-card race. The Flames traded sandpaper defenseman Chris Tanev to Dallas, keeping him […]
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 […]
LeBrun Says Teams Interested in Reilly Smith; Penguins Listening on Many
The March 8th NHL trade deadline is just over two weeks away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have not improved their position in the standings. Several new players have not integrated well into the Penguins lineup, wins have become scarce, and things are not looking rosy for the Penguins to make a playoff push. Tuesday evening, […]
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. […]
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 […]
(UPDATED) Penguins, Hurricanes Close to Guentzel Trade; Bunting Scouting Report
Buckle up. The NHL trade rumors should get thick tonight. The Carolina Hurricanes, thought to be part of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Jake Guentzel trade sweepstakes, make a curious lineup choice Thursday night. The Hurricanes announced overachieving winger Michael Bunting was scratched for “trade releated” reasons. Sportsnet Elliotte Friedman went further on X, confirming that Bunting […]
Penguins Grades: Time’s Up. Another Bad Pens Loss Likely Seals Fate
EDMONTON, Alberta — Time is up for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Because of a pair of embarrassing losses this weekend, you may not see winger Jake Guentzel and several others in a Penguins sweater again. With everything at stake on a four-game road trip, the Penguins followed a hard-fought overtime win over the NHL-leading Vancouver Canucks […]
One Honor During Jaromir Jagr’s Visit Has a Nice Ring to it
Perhaps the afterglow of Jaromir Jagr’s visit to Pittsburgh and the related celebrations and activities has diminished a little, but there is something other than the No. 68 banner in the PPG Paints Arena rafters that remains as a reminder. And, while the timing certainly worked, truth be told there is reason to believe it […]
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 […]
P.O Joseph’s Big Chance to Reclaim Season, Spur Penguins
It has been a rough sophomore season for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph. In his second full NHL season, Joseph has been in and out of the press box, failing to claim a regular spot in the lineup. He’s had a few chances but has not yet seized the opportunity. He started the season on […]
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 Game 60 vs. Blue Jackets: Lines, Notes & How to Watch
It’s probably fair to wonder where the Pittsburgh Penguins’ heads will be Tuesday when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins (27-24-8) are coming off a soul-crushing western road trip riding a three-game losing streak and now staring hard at possible impactful changes leading into Friday’s trade deadline. The Blue Jackets (20-30-10) sit last […]
Penguins Room: Players in Awe, Jagr ‘Inspiration’ Changes Dynamic (+)
The Pittsburgh Penguins practiced Saturday. They’ve lost three of four games and slipped perilously behind others in the playoff chase. Still, none of that was the news that gripped a couple of thousand fans who packed into the UPMC Lemieux Complex to watch practice or the fans in absentia who were glued to social media. […]