Recent Posts

Do Lots of No-Trade Clauses = Few Trades Coming for Penguins?

CRANBERRY — Kyle Dubas remained noncommittal Wednesday about whether the Pittsburgh Penguins will be buyers or sellers — or neither — between now and the March 8 NHL trade deadline. That decision, he suggested, will be determined by how the Penguins perform — and where they stand in the Eastern Conference playoff race — as […]

Penguins Top Flyers, 7-6; Playoff Fate Back in Their Hands

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t just win a wild hockey game Sunday. In addition to defeating Philadelphia, 7-6, at PPG Paints Arena, they regained control of their playoff fate. The victory, which allowed the Penguins to complete their homestand 2-1-1, means they have the possibility — mathematically, at least — to overtake the four teams separating […]

Capitals Waive Kuznetsov; Dirty Bird Done in D.C.

Evgeny Kuznetsov has long been a staple of the revived Washington Capitals, including their 2018 Stanley Cup championship. The supremely talented player has also dealt with personal demons and has been on the outs with the organization for several years. Saturday, Kuznetsov’s tenure with the seemingly came to an end when the Capitals put him […]

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 Grades: Crosby Carries Team; Pens Have Rough 24 Hours

CHICAGO — There are low event games, and then there are D’oh event games. The Pittsburgh Penguins have endured a bruising 24 hours, from losing at home to the Florida Panthers in a game that felt like a curtain closer, and in the process, lost primary scoring winger Jake Guentzel for at least the next […]

Penguins Wrap: Lose Key Game, Top Winger & Maybe Some Hope

The Pittsburgh Penguins were surging toward serious contention for a playoff berth as the final days of February ticked off. Things changed, at least temporarily, when the calendar did. Early in the morning of March 1 — in the East, anyway — their three-game winning streak was snapped by a 2-0 defeat in Seattle, as […]

Penguins’ Dubas Will Get Lots of Calls, But How Many Matter?

There will be innumerable breathless reports across North America between now and the NHL trade deadline next Friday at 3 p.m. about general managers, including Kyle Dubas of the Pittsburgh Penguins, fielding calls inquiring about particular players, and which scouts have requested a press-box seat at which games. Many, if not all, of those reports […]

Here’s One Place Where There’s No Penguins Trade Talk (+)

CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been sellers at the NHL trade deadline since 2006. Then again, it’s also been a long time since they were in as perilous of a position in the standings as they are now. In the wake of their 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday night at […]

Now or Never, Penguins Game 54 vs. Canadiens: Lines, Notes, & How to Watch

It might be a contest of which team can muster more desperation Thursday when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens. If the Penguins (24-21-8) are in a bad way trying to climb into a playoff spot, then the Canadiens (22-25-8) are hanging on by a fingernail at best. The Penguins are coming off a […]

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 […]

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Zucker on Trade Block; Suggested Penguins Changes

That was definitely one of the most entertaining games of the season to watch, and all’s well that ends well, as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-6 at PPG Paints Arena. For those of you not old enough to remember the wild, unhinged salad days of the 1980s hockey, that was pretty close. […]

Karlsson’s OT Goal Gives Penguins 4-3 Win Over Canucks

The Pittsburgh Penguins did not play a perfect game in Vancouver Tuesday night. They made some mental mistakes. Some physical ones, too. Heck, they gave up a shorthanded goal for the third time in the past five games. But they also played with resolve and commitment and focus, and an obvious appreciation of what was […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]