Recent Posts

UPDATED Penguins Practice: Bunting Arrives, Rust Full Go, Harkins Out

Injured Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rust joined his teammates for practice Friday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. So did newly acquired forward Bunting. Rust, who switched from a white jersey to a black one just as practice was starting, was full contact, according to Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. Rust is on IR because of an […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Kessel Gets NHL Workout; Malkin Makes Big Admission

Evgeni Malkin admitted he’s not the player he once was for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a startling day at Penguins practice, and Pittsburgh Hockey Now has full coverage. Phil Kessel is getting an NHL workout with old friends. The NHL trade rumors surrounding Chris Tanev and Vladimir Tarasenko are going in different directions, and […]

PHN Postgame Q&A: So Many Mistakes; Move Malkin to Wing?

Try as they might Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins could not overcome themselves or the New York Islanders, losing in overtime 5-4 at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins’ second and third lines with Malkin and Lars Eller, respectively, were especially good. However, the mistakes on defense were too much. The power play was 0-for-3 and yielded […]

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 […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Trade Deadline Matches; Penguins Falling Fast

Freefall out into nothing. The Pittsburgh Penguins lost their third regulation game in a row with their third disappointing effort in a row and are poised to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row. Penguins love became a funeral pyre Wednesday. Sidney Crosby pushed back, but coach Mike Sullivan was admittedly at […]

Penguins Metro Foe Fires GM Before Trade Deadline

The Columbus Blue Jackets, the only team below the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division standings, on Thursday fired long-time general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. The firing comes nearly 11 years to the day after Kekalainen was hired in by Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson, who will step in now as GM during […]

Better Effort, Same Result for Penguins in 5-1 Loss to Bruins

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ season was threatening to morph from a major disappointment into a flat-out dumpster fire. They had lost four of the previous five games and had usually looked pretty bad in the process. Like the 60-minute self-immolation that was their 6-0 loss to Washington at PPG Paints Arena Thursday. Well, the good news […]

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 […]

(Updated) Hellberg Called Up, Nedeljkovic to Start vs. Islanders

Magnus Hellberg was called up Sunday a few hours before the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the LA Kings, 2-1, at PPG Paints Arena, but that’s not the end of the story. Mike Sullivan said Hellberg was recalled because one of the goalies was feeling under the weather, and the Penguins wanted to make sure they […]

Penguins Players React to Losing and the NHL Trade Deadline

Not since Sidney Crosby was a rookie, Mario Lemieux was forced to retire with a heart ailment, and a string of big-name free agents flopped spectacularly have the Pittsburgh Penguins been this far out of a playoff position this early in the season with the NHL trade deadline the increasingly spoken elephant in the room. […]

Penguins Claim Matthew Phillips off Waivers from Capitals

The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed forward Phillips off waivers from Washington. He is undersized — 5-foot-8, 160 pounds — but fast and fearless, and can play center or wing. Phillips, 25, has one goal and four assists in 27 games with the Capitals this season. His contract, which expires after this season, carries a salary-cap […]

How Can Penguins Get Into Playoffs? Here’s One Surefire Way

The challenge for the Pittsburgh Penguins is pretty simple: Win their final 27 games, and they’ll be in the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring. Of course, the NHL record for consecutive victories is 17, set by the 1992-93 Penguins, so it’s unlikely that they’ll finish the season with a 29-game winning streak. (They already have […]

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 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 […]