Recent Posts

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 […]

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 Room: Eller’s Long Silence, Nedeljkovic ‘I (Soiled) the Bed’

It was a stinging loss that will hasten decisions and the finality of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins earned a point in a 5-4 overtime loss to their rival New York Islanders but lost even more ground in the playoff race. They have less than 30 games to go, only a couple of weeks before […]

Penguins Grades: Letang Meltdown, Late Collapse Rocks Team

CALGARY, Alberta — The Pittsburgh Penguins got a pair of bottom-six goals. They scored a power-play goal in the second period and led 3-1 with 10 minutes remaining. Yet the Penguins remain the most self-destructive team in the NHL. Calgary scored two goals 32 seconds apart in the middle of the third period and another […]

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’ Offensive Numbers Adding Up to Sour Season

When the Pittsburgh Penguins raised a banner emblazoned with Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 Sunday, it joined a number of others already in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena. There were, for example, the ones commemorating the franchise’s five Stanley Cups, as well as those celebrating the other players who have had their numbers retired, Mario […]

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 […]

(UPDATED) Penguins Practice: Harkins Concussed; Letang ‘Nicked Up’

CRANBERRY — Blue-collar winger Jansen Harkins has been diagnosed with a concussion, the apparent result of a hit from Winnipeg center Adam Lowry during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 loss to the Jets Saturday. Harkins did not participate in practice Monday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and has been placed on injured reserve. Center Evgeni Malkin […]

Capitals Reclaim Matthew Phillips from Penguins

Forward Phillips, who was put on waivers Monday by the Pittsburgh Penguins, was claimed on Tuesday by the Washington Capitals. Or, he was reclaimed. The Penguins claimed Phillips, 25, on Feb. 16 after Washington put him on waivers. He had no real impact, however, getting no points in three games before he became a regular […]

Penguins Pushing Erik Karlsson, Time for ‘Difference-Maker’ to Let Loose

CRANBERRY — Erik Karlsson was the prized get on the NHL trade market last summer. One by one, teams that had visions of adding the Norris Trophy winner who can skate with the elegance of the Russians and the speed of the wind dropped out until two remained. And then one, as the Pittsburgh Penguins […]

Penguins Grades: Bad Luck, Bad Power Play, Sullivan Makes More Changes

SEATTLE — In a city known for grunge, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a little too glam and stayed around the outside. Despite vastly outshooting the Seattle Kraken through 40 minutes 29-16. It was a culmination of bad luck, a continually bad power play, and an inability to crack the Kraken’s interior defense in a 2-0 […]

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 […]

Penguins Six-Pack: Letang’s Redemption; Roughing it With Pettersson

When they are at their best, the Pittsburgh Penguins can beat any team in the NHL. And when they are not, they still seem to be able to defeat Montreal. This season, anyway. Despite a rather uneven performance, the Penguins completed a sweep of the season series with the Canadiens with a 4-1 victory at […]

Penguins’ Bryan Rust Update, Week-to-Week

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust will be out of the Penguins lineup for a bit more than a couple of games. Following the morning skate, coach Mike Sullivan updated Rust’s status. “So, Rusty is going to be week to week with an upper-body injury,” Sullivan said. Rust was injured in the […]

How’d Jaromir Jagr End Up With Penguins? It Wasn’t Just Luck (+)

Former Penguins GM Craig Patrick tells Dave Molinari about Jaromir Jagr’s scheme to get drafted by the Penguins and taking care of him afterward This content is for PHN+ subscribers only. Join us and get access to our entire network for only $4.49 per month, or get a yearly subscription for just $39.99! us! –OR– […]

No Time to Wallow; Penguins Game 59 vs. Oilers: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Pittsburgh Penguins might have had to make a quick sweep Saturday night to collect all the pieces of their souls scattered around the visiting locker room in Calgary. There is little time to recover from an absolutely crushing loss, as the Penguins (27-23-8) had to travel to Edmonton to take on Connor McDavid and […]