Recent Posts

Will Bemstrom Be the One to Give Penguins an Offensive Boost?

CRANBERRY — Mike Sullivan’s assessment Saturday of how newly acquired winger Emil Bemstrom could be able to help the Pittsburgh Penguins’ offense might sound familiar. It certainly should. It was, after all, a lot like what Sullivan said a week earlier about Phillips, who had just been claimed off waivers from Washington then. When asked […]

Fasten Your Seatbelts, Penguins Game 55 vs. Flyers: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Pick your reason that the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers is a huge one. It’s the latest in the long, snarly rivalry between the cross-state teams. It’s a Metropolitan Division showdown. It’s on national TV. Oh, and it’s the latest must-win for the Penguins as they face an uphill challenge to try […]

Reilly Smith Fires Back on Rumors, ‘Totally Baseless’

CALGARY, Alberta — The rumors have grown so loud and so widely accepted as to become common knowledge, if not fact. You’ve heard the chatter that has been widespread for a couple of months: Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith is unhappy in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the only person who hasn’t heard that talk is the player […]

Evgeni Malkin Has Heartfelt Message for Penguins Fans

With the losses piling up, the playoffs fading into obscurity, and the trade deadline leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins dragging emotionally, Pittsburgh Penguins star center Evgeni Malkin had a message to the team’s fans Friday after practice. “(Thursday) night, it’s not a great night for us,” the future Hall of Famer said of 6-0 loss at […]

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 Players Feel the Heat; Sullivan Unhappy and Blunt

CRANBERRY — The mulligans are spent. All of the leeway used up. And in a recent analogy used often around the Pittsburgh Penguins room, the runway is getting short. In fact, the Penguins are out of runway. With 30 games to go and the playoff chase slipping away at an alarming speed, it’s time for […]

(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 […]

Could Guentzel’s No-Trade Clause Be Holding Up a Deal?

The NHL trade deadline, set for 3 p.m. Friday, is coming up on the horizon, and Jake Guentzel still is on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ payroll. Now, it’s possible — though rather unlikely — that the Penguins have reversed field and decided to try to re-sign Guentzel, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this […]

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 […]

Penguins Postgame: Backstory to Loss; Now the Trade Deadline (+)

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Pittsburgh Penguins were no match for themselves or the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night. Edmonton steamrolled the Penguins 6-1 at Rogers Place, marking both the beginning and end of multiple Penguins storylines. The Penguins locker room must continue to believe they are in the playoff chase. President of hockey operations/GM Dubas is […]

Penguins Activate Harkins, Send Hinostroza, Gruden to Wilkes-Barre

The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned forwards Vinnie Hinostroza and Gruden to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre. The also activated bottom-six winger Harkins, who has been recovering from a concussion. He has no goals and four assists in 34 games, and will be available for their game against Los Angeles today at 6:08 p.m. at PPG […]

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 […]

Happy Penguins Room: Smiling Players, Proud Coach After OT Win

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Pittsburgh Penguins locker room had more than a few smiles and relieved faces. The Penguins fought back from 2-0 in the second period and 3-2 in the third to become just the fifth team to erase a third-period deficit against the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-3 overtime win. Sidney Crosby […]

Dan’s Daily: Squashing Trade Rumors; Penguins Path Forward

SEATTLE — The Pittsburgh Penguins path forward will require a lot more of the intensity they brought to the fight against the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. There is also one guy, who colleague Dave Molinari circled that could pile up the points for the Penguins, who have reasons for optimism. Elsewhere in the Daily, multiple players […]

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 Grades: Young Legs & Goaltending Shine, Pens Capable of ‘Better’

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored a power-play goal as the front end of two goals in 21 seconds. The outburst erased an otherwise ordinary, bordering on lackluster Penguins performance as they beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins also got some playoff help as the New York Rangers beat the New Jersey […]