Penguins place Erik Karlsson on injured reserve; Tristan Broz, Ryan Graves recalled from AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins made a series of roster transactions Tuesday morning, including placing defenseman Erik Karlsson on injured reserve. The team recalled forward Tristan Broz and defenseman Ryan Graves from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, and forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard was reassigned to the AHL. The Penguins host the Tampa...
Texans defense dominates Steelers in wild-card rout
The wait continues for the Pittsburgh Steelers. So does the weight. The drought without a playoff victory is nine years and counting for the Steelers after they were beaten by the Houston Texans, 30-6, Monday night in an AFC wild-card round game at Acrisure Stadium. The Texans, winners of 10...
Tommy Novak proves adept at frequently shifting around Penguins’ lineup
To a large degree, Tommy Novak is the architect of his own frequent movement throughout the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup. One of nine remaining players who have suited up for all of the club’s 44 games, Novak has seen action at center (his natural position) plus left and right wing while...
Mark Madden: Penguins are headed for the worst possible destination
The Penguins stopped scoring. Lost 2-1 to visiting Calgary on Saturday, 1-0 at Boston on Sunday. Thus ends a six-game win streak. They got beat by two backup goaltenders. The two defeats leave the Penguins one point out of a wild card in the Eastern Conference. What should be their...
Penguins sign forward Blake Lizotte to 3-year contract extension
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Blake Lizotte to a three-year extension with a salary cap hit of $2.25 million on Monday. This contract will begin with the 2026-27 season. Lizotte, 28, joined the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent during the 2024 offseason, signing a two-year contract with a salary...
Steelers notes: Chuck Clark gets start at strong safety over Kyle Dugger
For the first time since he joined the team, Kyle Dugger did not start a game he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chuck Clark instead was at strong safety for the Steelers’ most of Monday night’s home wild-card playoff game against the Houston Texans. A safety acquired via an Oct....
Madden Monday: ‘Not that optimistic’ about Steelers’ chances to upset Houston
I think the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of reason for hope when it comes to beating the Houston Texans in their first-round playoff game Monday night. Houston is a three-point favorite. I’m picking the Texans to win 23-20 in overtime. But I’m not going to be stunned if the Steelers...
First Call: Talk of Aaron Rodgers staying in Pittsburgh next year; George Pickens is not happy about the All-Pro vote
In Monday’s “First Call,” we examine the prospect of an Aaron Rodgers reboot in Pittsburgh in 2026-27. We look at the odds for next week’s games in the NFL Divisional Round. George Pickens feels like he got snubbed in All-Pro voting. And the Patriots left the Chargers baffled Sunday night....
Falcons interview former Ravens coach John Harbaugh as they continue search to replace Raheem Morris
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons, who made immediate public disclosure of their interest in including John Harbaugh in their coach search, said Monday they have interviewed the former Baltimore coach. Harbaugh is considered by many to be the top candidate for multiple teams following his 18-year tenure leading the Ravens....
Dave Giusti, star closer for Pirates’ 1971 World Series champions, dies at age 86
When Dave Giusti was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, his intention was to pitch in the starting rotation. Instead, he became one of baseball’s most valuable closers and a key component of a World Series champion. Giusti led all major-league pitchers in saves (127) from 1970-75, when he earned an...
NASCAR’s ‘Chase’ returns: What fans need to know about the 2026 format
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s nearly two-year study into an overhaul of its championship-deciding format concluded Monday with the reveal that, in 2026, the stock car series will return to a 10-race version closely resembling the first iteration introduced 22 years ago. The system will return to a 10-race format consisting...
Red Wings retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 jersey and he says leaving Detroit was a huge mistake
DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings retired Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 jersey, honoring the Russian great more than a decade after he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. “Detroit is home, always been — no matter where I was,” he said Monday night. Fedorov left the city in...
Indiana, Miami should be near full strength for title gameVideo
No. 10 Miami needs everything at its disposal to slow down top-seeded Indiana’s high-scoring offense in next week’s College Football Playoff championship. The good news is the Hurricanes’ defense should be at, or near, full strength. Coach Mario Cristobal told reporters Monday he expects defensive linemen Ahkeem Mesidor and Ahmad...
Steelers elevate CBs Tre Flowers, D’Shawn Jamison from practice squad for playoff gameVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers added a pair of cornerbacks to their game day roster for Monday’s playoff meeting with the Houston Texans. Tre Flowers and D’Shawn Jamison were designated to be in uniform for the wild-card round game. Each is expected to be limited to a special-teams role and only play...
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers relies on experience, belief in game’s biggest moments
As a former Northern California kid, Aaron Rodgers knows the Super Bowl story of quarterback Joe Montana pointing out actor John Candy in the Joe Robbie Stadium crowd while leading the San Francisco 49ers on a winning drive in 1989. Rodgers, while preparing for Monday night’s playoff opener, mentioned that...
After not traveling with team, Texans backup QB Davis Mills available vs. Steelers
Despite not traveling with the team to Pittsburgh, Davis Mills arrived at Acrisure Stadium and was available to serve as the Houston Texans’ backup quarterback for Monday night’s wild-card round playoff game. Though Mills is clearly No. 2 on the Houston QB depth chart, he has 29 career NFL starts...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ defense must meet standard set by Texans
Comparing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive and defensive units against those of the Houston Texans, there’s no doubt which bunch has had the best season. It’s Houston’s defense. That group allowed the fewest yards (4,713) in the NFL during the regular season, as well as the second fewest points (17.4). It...
Mike Sielski: The 2025 Eagles played not to lose. In the end, that’s why they did
PHILADELPHIA — The play that encapsulated everything the Philadelphia Eagles offense wasn’t this season was a play that they themselves didn’t even run. First snap of the fourth quarter Sunday night for the San Francisco 49ers, first-and-10 from the Eagles’ 29-yard line, and there was Kyle Shanahan, calling a double-wing...
Jalen Hurts avoids endorsing Eagles OC Kevin Patullo
PHILADELPHIA — His season over after a failed Super Bowl repeat bid, Jalen Hurts sounded like a quarterback who’s ready for a fifth Eagles offensive coordinator in five seasons. An endorsement of the beleaguered Kevin Patullo — whose house was egged earlier this season as he became the top target...
Mike Vrabel, Patriots bring confidence into divisional round
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel left his team’s 16-3 wild-card playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers with his face literally bloodied, but an unshaken confidence in his team. He’s optimistic because although there were some shortcomings by an offense that has sustained his team this season, he...
Penguins assign defenseman Caleb Jones to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for conditioning
The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned defenseman Caleb Jones to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) for conditioning purposes on Monday. Jones is currently designated to injured reserve due to a suspected left foot injury that has sidelined him since Oct. 23. Following a practice session in Cranberry on Friday, Jones...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Penn-Trafford product Enick transferring to IUP
A mean pass-rusher coming out of Penn-Trafford and the WPIAL’s top two-way lineman as a senior, Joe Enick is set to join his third college football program. He began his college career at Central Michigan, but the 6-foot-2, 288-pounder became antsy after one season and transferred to Saint Francis. He...
Penguins sign Lizotte to contract extension, heading off pending unrestricted free agency
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Blake Lizotte to a three-year extension with a salary cap hit of $2.25 million Monday. This contract will begin with the 2026-27 season. Lizotte, 28, joined the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent during the 2024 offseason, signing a two-year contract with a salary cap...
Brooks Koepka returns to PGA Tour under stiff financial penalty just 5 weeks after leaving LIVVideo
HONOLULU — Brooks Koepka is returning to the PGA Tour just five weeks after bolting from LIV Golf, agreeing to a one-time program for elite players that comes with a financial penalty that could rank among the largest in sports. Koepka plans to resume his PGA Tour career in the...
If Steelers win Monday, they head to New England next Sunday
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans on Monday night will close out the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs. The winner gets the chance to play in New England next weekend. The results of Sunday’s wild-card round games set up the matchups for the divisional round. No matter who wins...
