Jonathan Bombulie stories, Page 22
Jack Johnson in for Olli Maatta, Jared McCann out with injury in Game 2 for Penguins
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Pittsburgh Penguins made a couple of significant lineup changes for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series with the New York Islanders. Jack Johnson was in for Olli Maatta on defense, and Jared McCann missed the game due to an upper-body injury. McCann, who took a...
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan opts for physicality on 4th line
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — When Zach Aston-Reese was cleared to return from a lower-body injury before the start of a first-round series with the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan had to decide what kind of identity he wanted his fourth line to take. He opted for physicality. For...
Overtime woes grow into troubling trend for Penguins
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – When the Pittsburgh Penguins went 5-9 in overtime in the regular season, it was easy to chalk up the poor record to the peculiarities of the tiebreaking format. From the difficulty of making sensible line changes to the outsized impact a turnover can have, three-on-three hockey provides...
Penguins’ Erik Gudbranson breathes sigh of relief after ugly Game 1 injury
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – When he went crashing into the boards in the third period of Game 1 against the New York Islanders on Wednesday night, his availability for Game 2 wasn’t the first thing on the mind of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Gudbranson. He was more concerned with making sure...
Penguins forced to thrive in Long Island hornet’s nest
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – In the first round of last year’s playoffs, Philadelphia Flyers fans yelled profanities so profane that they would make a Teamster blush. In the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, Nashville Predators fans were chucking catfish in their general direction. For most of the Pittsburgh Penguins roster, a playoff...
3 not-so-obvious keys for Penguins in Game 2 vs. Islanders
Teams that play successful playoff hockey often talk about doing enough little things right that they become big things. Here are three not-so-obvious things the Pittsburgh Penguins could do in Game 2 on Friday night to even their first-round playoff series with the New York Islanders. Tips, not screens Justin...
Penguins notebook: History indicates Matt Murray primed for bounceback
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray has a mantra about the mental side of the game that he repeats all season long. His focus is on stopping the next shot and nothing else. Ask him about his mindset during any stretch of a game — from the moment...
Penguins seek improvement from blue line in Game 2 vs. Islanders
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — With coach Mike Sullivan facing a significant roster decision and the New York Islanders trying to stab at their softest spots, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defense corps has opened the postseason under siege. How they handle the adversity very well could determine if this playoff run is a...
Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson grapples with sitting out playoff opener
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Jack Johnson has been a healthy scratch before in his career. As recently as last season, he sat on the sidelines while his Columbus Blue Jackets teammates faced the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. Did that experience make it easier to deal with...
Islanders keep Sidney Crosby in check in series opener vs. Penguins
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – For large chunks of this season, Sidney Crosby’s line did the heavy lifting for the Pittsburgh Penguins while Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel were mired in long slumps. In the playoff opener Wednesday night on Long Island, the opposite was true. Malkin and Kessel scored goals and...
Islanders capitalize on Penguins missteps for Game 1 overtime winVideo
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Facing the league’s best defensive team, the Pittsburgh Penguins came into Wednesday night’s playoff opener against the New York Islanders knowing they’d have to be patient. They talked about it all week in practice. They couldn’t force things in the offensive zone. They needed to made prudent...
Brian Dumoulin in, Jack Johnson out for Penguins’ playoff opener
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Brian Dumoulin was in the lineup and Jack Johnson was out as the Pittsburgh Penguins opened the playoffs against the New York Islanders on Wednesday night. Dumoulin, who missed the last three games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, was set to open Game 1...
To see Penguins playoff intensity on display, watch these areas of the ice
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The idea that the intensity of the game increases exponentially once the regular season ends and the Stanley Cup playoffs begin is an accepted fact around the NHL. Players treat it like an article of faith. Fans, huddled around their televisions, swear by it. Entire ad campaigns...
Penguins’ Mike Sullivan, Islanders’ Barry Trotz set for cat-and-mouse game
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – While the increased intensity among players is plain to see for anyone watching even one shift of playoff hockey, this is also the most intense time of the year for coaches. One coach comes out with a wrinkle in his forecheck or breakout for Game 1. His...
Brian Dumoulin’s status remains uncertain as Penguins prepare for playoff opener
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The status of defenseman Brian Dumoulin remained up in the air as the Pittsburgh Penguins prepared for Wednesday night’s playoff opener against the New York Islanders. Dumoulin did not participate in an optional morning skate Wednesday and coach Mike Sullivan said his status would be a game-time...
How do these Penguins stack up to recent franchise Cup champions?
In 16 practice rinks across North America, players gathered Tuesday morning to make final preparations for the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs. As they pulled on their shoulder pads and laced up their skates, they peered around the locker room and wondered if they and the teammates looking back...
Penguins matchup: Bryan Rust vs. Tom Kuhnhackl
A look at a key matchup in the first-round playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. Before almost every game of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup run, home or road, a ruckus would break out in the vicinity of the team’s locker room. It was Bryan...
Penguins work on power play during final practice before playoff opener
The Pittsburgh Penguins spent a good portion of their final practice before the start of the playoffs working on the power play. The team does power-play drills at the end of most practices, but usually, they are limited to offensive-zone play. On this occasion, the Penguins also worked on bringing...
Respect between Penguins’ Mike Sullivan, Islanders’ Barry Trotz to be tested
A look at a key matchup in the first-round playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. Even as they’ve squared off in each of the past four postseasons, coaches Mike Sullivan and Barry Trotz have routinely professed respect for each other. We’ll see how well that holds...
When playoffs begin, Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson ups his game
When the Pittsburgh Penguins began preparations for a first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders with a practice Monday morning in Cranberry, Jack Johnson was alongside Kris Letang on the team’s top defense pair. Why did coach Mike Sullivan put Johnson in such a prominent spot? A conservative explanation...
Seeking balance, Penguins split Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel in practice
The greatest playoff success the Pittsburgh Penguins have enjoyed during their recent championship era came with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel anchoring their own lines. Coach Mike Sullivan hasn’t forgotten. As the Penguins began preparations for a first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders with a Monday...
Buckle up, baby! Big screen returns for Penguins playoff run
Fans will be able to watch Pittsburgh Penguins playoff home games from outside PPG Paints Arena again this season, albeit at a new location. A large video screen will be set up in a parking lot at the corner of Centre Avenue and Logan Street. The big screen is back...
With playoffs looming, have Penguins met expectations so far?
Ultimately, the success of the 2018-19 Pittsburgh Penguins will be determined by how they fare in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That’s life for a team with championship aspirations. But as the Penguins prepare for a first-round series with the New York Islanders that starts Wednesday, one interesting question regarding the...
Key matchup: Penguins’ Sidney Crosby vs. Islanders’ Mathew Barzal
A look at a key matchup in the first-round playoff series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. When Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang arrived as the Penguins’ representatives at the NHL All-Star Game in San Jose in January, they were in search of a linemate for the three-on-three...
Penguins must choose wisely to survive 1st-round series with Islanders
Evgeni Malkin takes a short pass from a defenseman and begins to gallop through the neutral zone with trusty linemate Phil Kessel on his right hip. As he crosses the red line, he’s met by a wall of three defenders spaced evenly across the blue line. Malkin has choices. He...
