Recent Posts
Dan’s Daily: What the Flames Want for Big Pieces; Penguins Teetering
If you think you had a bad weekend, compare it to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who largely beat themselves in a pair of very asymmetrical games, shoving their season and future to the edge of failure and uncertainty. The NHL trade deadline is less than four weeks away, and one Penguins rival is ready to begin […]
Penguins Wrap: Jagr’s No. 68 Goes Up; Playoff Hopes Go Down
The Pittsburgh Penguins added a chapter to their history last Sunday by retiring Jaromir Jagr’s number, making him the third player in franchise history to be so honored. A few hours later, they put another hurdle in their path to a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs by failing to protect a lead late in […]
Molinari: Penguins’ Return for Guentzel is Awful … Unless it Isn’t (+)
The trade that sent Jake Guentzel to Carolina Thursday night just might be the worst in Pittsburgh Penguins history. OK, there’s actually no chance that it will outdo, say, sending Markus Naslund to Vancouver for Stojanov, but you get the idea. The Penguins parted with a proven 40-goal scorer in exchange for a package that […]
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 […]
Second-Period Flameout Dooms Penguins Against Florida, 5-2
Mike Sullivan generally is pleased when the Pittsburgh Penguins play low-event hockey, so he probably didn’t mind the way the first period of their game against Florida at PPG Paints Arena played out Wednesday night. There’s absolutely no doubt that he liked it a lot more than the one that followed. The Penguins. who had […]
Penguins Trade Analysis: Dubas Gambles; Bemstrom Scouting Report (+)
As the Pittsburgh Penguins eeked and creaked their way to a 1-1 first period against the Montreal Canadiens, president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas pulled a small Penguins trade that could be a steal, or it could be quite costly. Dubas rolled the dice on a conditional draft pick that might further deplete the draft […]
Former Penguins Winger Alex Nylander Nets Hat Trick; On Fire in Columbus
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Emil Bemstrom last week from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional sixth-round pick and faded prospect Alex Nylander. Ironically, the conditional sixth-rounder becomes a third-rounder if Bemstrom scores six goals. There is no condition regarding Nylander’s performance, but Columbus should be pleased so far. Monday night, Nylander netted his first […]
Blackhawks Down: Penguins Pull Out of Nosedive, 4-1
Maybe it’s all Jake Guentzel’s fault that the Pittsburgh Penguins’ playoff hopes have been fading, after all. Perhaps the guy who was tied for the team scoring lead and was on pace to get more than 30 goals again was the culprit behind their struggles of late. OK, probably not. Nonetheless, the Penguins made it […]
(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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Kingerski: Penguins Sending Message, They’re Done.
Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas said the All-Star Break was a soft deadline, and his team would tell him which direction they were going. The answer has been submitted. A late second-period burst of desperation and fear was not nearly enough. The Panthers dismantled the Penguins, or perhaps the Penguins allowed themselves […]
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’ Bryan Rust Postgame Injury Update
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust tangled with Philadelphia Flyers defenders at the offensive blue line five minutes into the third period of the Penguins’ wild 7-6 win at PPG Paints Arena. Rust hunched over, shaking his left hand, and left the ice. He did not return. Coach Mike Sullivan updated Rust’s condition following the game, […]
Jake Shake(up): Penguins Trade Guentzel to Carolina
The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded left winger Jake Guentzel to Carolina. The Hurricanes gave them a package that includes a conditional 2024 first-round draft choice and left winger Bunting to secure Guentzel, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and defenseman Ty Smith. The Penguins retained 25 percent of Guentzel’s $6 […]
How Penguins Survive without Guentzel; Kids ‘Drag (Malkin) Into Fight’ (+)
SEATTLE — The Pittsburgh Penguins are 4-1-1 since Jake Guentzel was placed on long-term injured reserve. Guentzel has another 10 days of his mandated 24-day LTIR absence and now has company because Bryan Rust is also out week-to-week, also with that most mysterious of hockey terms, an upper-body injury. Because of injuries somewhere between the […]