Chris Adamski stories, Page 88
5 Things from Penguins’ Game 1: Sidney Crosby line absolutely dominant
Five analytics-based observations about the Pittsburgh Penguins after a postseason-opening 4-3 triple-overtime victory against the New York Rangers in Tuesday’s Game 1 at Madison Square Garden: 1. First(-class) line The Penguins’ top line of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust accounted for all three of the team’s regulation goals...
Penguins’ Jeff Carter earns respect of teammates, enjoying complementary roleVideo
Jeff Carter’s career resume is sterling enough that he might be the face of some playoff franchises: 17 seasons, 1,100-plus games, 800-plus points and two Stanley Cups. But for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as Carter put it on the eve of this postseason, he is “just another piece” of the leadership...
Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith suffers lower-body injury in 2nd OT of Game 1 vs. Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins were forced to turn to their third-string goalie at a most inopportune time. Louis Domingue came on with 10 minutes, 42 seconds left in the second overtime period of what ended up a 4-3 triple-overtime win in Tuesday’s Game 1 first-round playoff series at the New York...
Penguins’ Rickard Rakell leaves Game 1 after high, hard hit by Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rickard Rakell left Monday’s playoff opener against the New York Rangers after absorbing a hit to his head area late of the first period of Game 1 of the first-round series at Madison Square Garden. The Penguins’ second-line right wing, Rakell was subjected to a penalized check...
Penguins notes: Jason Zucker skates, ‘a big step’ on road to being cleared to play
Forward Jason Zucker skated prior to Pittsburgh Penguins practice in Cranberry on Monday morning, coach Mike Sullivan confirmed. Speaking after practice, Sullivan gave an upbeat assessment of what that development meant in regards to Zucker’s status for the Penguins’ first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers that begins Tuesday....
Penguins sign 2020 5th-round pick Raivis Ansons to entry-level pro contract
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed 2020 fifth-round pick Raivis Ansons to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Monday. The 20-year-old Ansons this week will embark on the QMJHL playoffs for the major-junior Saint John Sea Dogs. Ansons, a leftty-shooting forward, had career-highs in goals (18), assists (42), points (60) and...
2022 draft completes near-total makeover of Steelers offense
It was 16 months ago that the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended. It probably seems like a lot longer ago than that,and not just because of the stunningly disappointing result, a 48-37 wild-card playoff loss to the rival Cleveland Browns. The offensive lineup for the Steelers that Jan. 10, 2021,...
National analysts: Steelers aced Day 2, questionable Day 3, split on Kenny Pickett in Day 1
Just as seemingly everyone covering the NFL has a mock draft, those same analysts also seem to want to grade out each team’s draft within hours of its completion. None of the players taken have stepped onto a practice field for the new teams, but that doesn’t stop those from...
With legacy secure, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan’s next task is rediscovering playoff magic
Mike Rupp played under 10 head coaches and dozens of assistants over 11 NHL seasons spent with six teams. Three of those head coaches won the Stanley Cup before or during Rupp’s time with them. Several of the assistants did, too. Rupp quickly identified one of those myriad assistants with...
Little clarity on Steelers decisions related to Devin Bush’s option, Stephon Tuitt’s status
The questions needed to be asked of Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin, even if an on-the-record answer wasn’t likely to be provided. As if on cue, the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager and coach dutifully dodged shedding all that much light on two significant personnel decisions the franchise is dealing with....
Beaver Falls’ Donovan Jeter, Duquesne’s Jake Dixon among 10 Steelers UDFAs
Donovan Jeter and Jake Dixon are players with local ties among the 10 undrafted free agents the Pittsburgh Steelers added to their rookie class in the hours after the draft ended Saturday. Two each outside linebackers, running backs, offensive linemen and cornberbacks also were signed, allowing the Steelers to shore...
Steelers complete draft with 7th-round choices QB Chris Oladokun and LB Mark Robinson
The Pittsburgh Steelers completed their 2022 draft by taking two players who competed for three different college programs each. Linebacker Mark Robinson and quarterback Chris Oladokun were selected at Nos. 225 and 241 overall during the seventh and final round Saturday. Robinson played in 2021 at Ole Miss and Oladokun...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Ole Miss LB Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson Seventh-round pick, No. 225 overall Linebacker, Ole Miss 5-foot-11, 235 pounds Stats: Had 92 tackles during his only season at Ole Miss, including 79 over the final nine regular-season games. Added 8 ½ tackles for loss and three sacks. Hometown: Lessburg, Ga. Tidbits: Ranked 11th in the SEC...
Steelers draft Cameron Heyward’s brother, Connor, a Michigan State tight end
Call the Pittsburgh Steelers the team of brotherly love. With their sixth-round pick, the Steelers made it four sets of brothers on their roster by taking Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward with the 208th overall pick. Heyward is the younger brother of Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. At...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Calvin Austin III
Calvin Austin III Fourth-round pick, No. 138 overall Wide receiver, Memphis 5-foot-8, 170 pounds Stats: Aggregate 2020-21, Austin had 137 catches for 2,202 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns in 23 games. Adding in a rushing touchdown and two more on punt returns, he had 22 touchdowns over his final...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: DeMarvin Leal
DeMarvin Leal Third-round pick, No. 84 overall Defensive linemen, Texas A&M 6-foot-4, 283 pounds Stats: As a junior this past season had 58 tackles, 12 1/2 for loss with 8 1/2 sacks, and two pass breakups in 12 starts. Was second on Texas A&M in QB hurries during both his...
Steelers take Georgia WR George Pickens with 2nd-round pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers have developed a pattern for building their wide receiver corps. They stuck to that script Friday. The Steelers chose Georgia’s George Pickens with their second-round pick, marking the fifth time over the past six drafts the Steelers took a wide receiver between the Nos. 49-66 selections. One...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Kenny Pickett
Kenny Pickett First-round pick, No. 20 overall Quarterback, Pitt 6-foot-3, 217 pounds Stats: Broke Pitt’s career passing records for yardage (12,303), completions (1,045), passing touchdowns (81), overall touchdowns (102) and QB wins (32). Last season alone, Pickett completed 67% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and seven interceptions....
Chris Adamski: Steelers can’t resist taking their swing at nabbing a franchise QB
Will they or won’t they? All of the oxygen for the immediate reaction of the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers draft will be spent on whether they spent their first — or, perhaps, second — pick on a quarterback. For the first time in almost two decades, that’s a possibility for a...
Betting odds suggest confidence Steelers will pick QB in 1st round
The Pittsburgh Steelers taking a quarterback in the first round of the draft. Wanna bet? If so, at least according to one bookmaking website, odds are you’ll be correct. Bookies.com released its odds for the player the Steelers will select at No. 20 overall in the draft that begins Thursday...
Penguins mindful of — but not fixated on — Eastern Conference standings
The Eastern Conference playoff field is set. How it all shakes out, though, is yet to be determined. Barring a miracle, the Pittsburgh Penguins are locked into one of three postseason seeding spots: third place in the Metropolitan Division, the first wild card or the second (final) wild card. The...
Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry’s right foot in boot
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry remains out, and his status remains termed as “week to week” with “a lower-body injury” by coach Mike Sullivan. The annual team photo Wednesday perhaps provided some hints to further provide clarity on Jarry’s ailment. Jarry’s right foot was in what appeared to be a...
Penguins add Phil Kessel’s sister, Amanda Kessel to front office
Just in time for the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins added Kessel. Probably not the one you’re thinking, though. The organization announced Wednesday that Olympic gold medalist Amanda Kessel will be the inaugural participant in what the Penguins are calling their new executive management program. A three-time Olympic medalist for Team...
Steelers claim veteran WR Miles Boykin off waivers from Ravens
Adding to their wide receivers room nine days prior to the draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed veteran Miles Boykin off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday. The NFL Network reported the move via a message posted to the verified Twitter account of reporter Mike Garafolo. Boykin was a third-round...
Recent goal streak puts spotlight on Danton Heinen’s productive debut season with Penguins
When Danton Heinen left PPG Paints Arena early in the evening April 9, he didn’t have much professional reason to celebrate. Heinen just endured a fourth consecutive loss with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had scored in just one of his previous 13 games. Later that night, though, Heinen was celebrating...

