Recent Posts

Kingerski: Now We’ll Find Out if this Penguins Team Worth Saving

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ heart worth saving? Their march toward a playoff berth has more often resembled the legs of a staggered boxer. All season, it has been less of a march forward and more like two steps forward, a couple sideways, and a couple back. losses have come at key […]

Friedman Names Teams Interested in Jake Guentzel; Penguins Goalies, Too

It might be more of a confirmation of common sense. During the Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet and HNIC reporter Elliotte Friedman rattled off a handful of teams interested in Penguins winger Jake Guentzel. He also confirmed that teams believe a Penguins’ goalie will be available on the NHL trade block, too. […]

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 […]

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’ Guentzel Trade Chatter: What Hurricanes Can Offer

In the latest and perhaps last chapter of the Jake Guentzel trade saga, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ division rivals are now mentioned as potential suitors. Lost in the shuffle of NHL trade chatter focusing on Western Conference teams such as the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks, Metro Division foes New York Rangers, and the Carolina […]

Dan’s Daily: Fleury Squashes Trade Talk; Penguins Down 2 Wingers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Pittsburgh Penguins will be down two wingers on this four-game road trip that will likely determine their position for the NHL trade deadline and, by indirect extension, their fate this season. Bryan Rust left Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period, did not make the trip, and […]

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,” […]

Penguins Six-Pack: Losing Mind Games; Cool Moment for Ludvig

There are times when the Pittsburgh Penguins seem fragile, like a team that fully expects something bad to happen. Perhaps because it so often does. Witness their 5-2 loss to Florida Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena, when the Penguins appeared to take a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by Rickard Rakell at 2:32 […]

Penguins Six-Pack: Nedeljkovic’s Mess; Power-Play Positives?

Give the Pittsburgh Penguins this: They didn’t quit. Of course, they didn’t win, either. They did, however, manage to score twice in a 56-second span with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation to take the New York Islanders to overtime at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday night. That was enough to earn them one point […]

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 Grades: Team Battles Heartbreak and Distraction

The Pittsburgh Penguins were energetic and aggressive in the first period. They were utterly terrible in the second period. They got by later in the third period when they finally buckled down for a 5-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. With the NHL trade rumors swirling around Penguins winger Guentzel […]

Penguins Game 62 vs. Bruins: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Another day, another emotionally charged game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are at the point of trying to make something – anything – out of the stretch run of the season. Saturday, it’s a national TV matinee for the Penguins (28-25-8) on the road against the Boston Bruins (37-13-15). And if that isn’t enough of […]

Penguins Want Prospects Not Picks for Guentzel; Rust Won’t Be Traded

Multiple teams have told Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman that Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas wants prospects, not picks if the Penguins trade Jake Guentzel. Friedman made the report during the Headlines Segment of Hockey Night in Canada. Earlier last week, ESPN’s Kaplan reported at least one rival GM scoffed at the Penguins’ […]

Penguins Put Matthew Phillips on Waivers

Well, that didn’t take very long. The Penguins have placed winger Phillips, who they claimed off waivers from Washington on Feb. 16, on waivers. If he is unclaimed by 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Penguins will be able to assign him to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre, although they would not compelled to do so. Phillips […]

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 […]

Oilers’ Offense Much Too Slick for Penguins, 6-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been utterly unpredictable for most of this season. Although they are the oldest team in the NHL, they won the second game when playing on consecutive days the first six times they were in one. But the ample experience that comes from being the league’s oldest club has been of little […]