Recent Posts

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 […]

Dan’s Daily: Penguins Trade Buzz; Fleury Calling the Shots

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a hot commodity in the NHL trade rumors. Elliotte Friedman revealed a handful of teams that have called about Jake Guentzel. And today is just about the most important game facing the Penguins as they host the Philadelphia Flyers. This writer opines the Penguins are out of time to make things […]

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’ Offensive Numbers Adding Up to Sour Season

When the Pittsburgh Penguins raised a banner emblazoned with Jaromir Jagr’s No. 68 Sunday, it joined a number of others already in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena. There were, for example, the ones commemorating the franchise’s five Stanley Cups, as well as those celebrating the other players who have had their numbers retired, Mario […]

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 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 Struggles, It’s Time to Take Away Jobs

A season in the balance. A hated and hateful rival ahead in the standings coming for an afternoon war in which a loss would kick loose the last bit of belief that the Pittsburgh Penguins could make the playoffs. Karlsson said it’s felt like the Penguins have been in “now or never” mode for six […]

Dan’s Daily: Markstrom, Pettersson Bombshells; Penguins Get Calls

CALGARY — The phone is ringing for Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operation/GM Kyle Dubas. More reports are emerging that Reilly Smith is drawing broad interest on the NHL trade market ahead of the March 8 deadline. PHN talked to Smith about those rumors. Smith also had a definitive response to the pervasive talk that […]

Dan’s Daily: TSN Sticks Up for Crosby; NHL Trade Deadline Chatter

PITTSBURGH (I think) — We’ve got a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins ground to cover, but first, a post-mortem on what went wrong and why it went wrong. Geno Reda of TSN came loaded for bear, vigorously sticking up for Sidney Crosby, accusing the Penguins management of abandoning him by not adding help. It was a […]

Dan’s Daily: Penguins Situation Gets Worse; Goalie Trade Market

Is Erik Karlsson ready to be the puck-dominating, lightning-fast player who won the 2023 Norris Trophy? There are signs that Karlsson is ready to go, and coach Mike Sullivan shed some light on the internal discussions with Karlsson. However, the Penguins’ playoff chase took a hit Monday when all three Metro Division teams in action […]

(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 […]

Watch: Penguins Analysis, Examining Mike Sullivan by 3 Criteria

As the Pittsburgh Penguins sink further into the abyss of mediocrity and the playoff trail grows cold with mounting losses, many by their own doing, there is a growing segment of Penguins fans pointing fingers directly at coach Mike Sullivan. Sullivan is in his ninth season as the Penguins bench boss and the second longest-tenured […]

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 […]

Penguins Place Rust on IR, Make Roster Call-Up

SEATTLE — The Pittsburgh Penguins made the unsurprising move of placing right-winger Bryan Rust on injured reserve. The team also recalled forward Jonathan Gruden from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Gurden, 23, has played five NHL games this season and eight in his career. He has yet to register his first point. In 41 AHL games this […]

Penguins: We’re Looking for Points, Not Scapegoats

CRANBERRY — There are numerous reasons the Pittsburgh Penguins are having such a disappointing season. Their power play has produced more punch lines than goals. Some key veterans — guys like Evgeni Malkin and Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Ryan Graves — have not performed at the level the Penguins expected. And need. Most of their […]

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 […]