Pittsburgh Penguins / NHL category
Penguins get rare shootout win to beat Jets
In a game full of challenges — two literal ones, to be precise — the Pittsburgh Penguins conquered their most vexing challenge this season – the shootout - and defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 5-4, Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. Shootout goals by forwards Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell were the...
Penguins scheduled to start goaltender Arturs Silovs
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie goaltender Arturs Silovs is scheduled to start Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena. Coach Dan Muse announced Silovs’ status approximately two hours before the opening faceoff. In 32 games this season, Silovs has a 15-9-8 record, a 2.90 goals-against average, an .894 save...
Penguins sign goaltending prospect Gabriel D’Aigle to entry-level contract
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltending prospect Gabriel D’Aigle to a three-year entry-level contract Saturday. This contract is slated to begin with the 2026-27 season. According to Puckpedia, the deal will carry a salary cap hit of $995,000. D’Aigle, 19, was a third-round draft pick (No. 84 overall) in 2025. This...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Golden Goal puck should be displayed where Americans can enjoy it
Jack Hughes — he of the Golden Goal — briefly wrangled with the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto over ownership of said puck. The Hockey Hall of Fame won that war because possession is nine-tenths of the law. The dolt with the white gloves and dorky haircut who babysits...
Minor league report: Penguins clinch playoff berthVideo
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins clinched a playoff berth in the Calder Cup playoffs on Friday through a 2-1 shootout win against the Belleville Senators at the CAA Center in Belleville, Ont. Entering the day, the Penguins needed to secure a point to qualify for the postseason and accomplished that by getting...
How important is it that the Penguins give up so many short-handed goals?
Rickard Rakell paused to ponder for a few seconds when the query was broached. A reporter asked why the Pittsburgh Penguins have given up so many short-handed goals this season. “I don’t know,” was his opening retort. Then, the skilled winger offered a sound axiom. “But, obviously, 10 goals is...
Penguins defenseman Sam Girard appears close to rejoining the lineup
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sam Girard appears to be a likely candidate to rejoin his team’s lineup for Saturday’s home game against the Winnipeg Jets after being scratched for the previous five contests because of an undisclosed injury. During practice Friday in Cranberry, Girard was a full participant and inhabited the...
Penguins recall defenseman Ryan Graves from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled defenseman Ryan Graves from a conditioning assignment with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Thursday afternoon. Per the NHL’s media website, Graves remains designated to injured reserve with an undisclosed ailment. After being assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on March 12, Graves appeared in two games for...
Beyond the Bylines: Pens push for the playoffs; Pirates win totals; missing Pitt in March MadnessVideo
“Beyond the Bylines” is back after a week off. Joe Starkey and Tim Benz dive into March Madness. They discuss the state of the Penguins’ playoff chase, their upcoming schedule, Evgeni Malkin’s history and contract status, and the goaltending. The guys also look at the Pirates’ projected win total, Konnor...
Former Penguins forward Billy Tibbetts arrested once again
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Billy Tibbetts, a member of the organization in the early 2000s, has been arrested once again. Per the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre, Tibbetts, 52, was arrested Tuesday by U.S. Marshals and Plains Township police at a hotel in Luzerne County on a warrant in his native...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ version of March Madness doesn’t stop with the end of their grueling road trip
March Madness is a phrase normally associated with college basketball. The NCAA Tournament got going this week with the First Four games in Dayton, and it hits full stride Thursday and Friday across the country with the Round of 64. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been in their own version...
Cup of Joe: This version of Penguins’ Erik Karlsson is downright frightening
CUP OF JOE: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less When asked recently on live television what goes through his head when he sees Nathan MacKinnon coming at him, Erik Karlsson did not hesitate. “Oh (crap), here we go,” he said. Now imagine what opposing players must say when...
Penguins assign forward Avery Hayes to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned rookie forward Avery Hayes to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Thursday morning. A healthy scratch for the past two games, Hayes has appeared in 11 NHL contests this season and scored two goals while averaging 10:37 of ice time per contest. Despite not...
A year after arriving via trade, Tommy Novak filling important role for PenguinsVideo
For a variety of reasons, things are better for Tommy Novak today than they were one year ago. Like being ambulatory. After the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Novak from the Nashville Predators on March 5, 2025, he didn’t even last two whole games before suffering a stress fracture in his...
Penguins lose to Hurricanes in overtime as Sidney Crosby rejoins lineup
When it was revealed Feb. 25 that he would be sidelined for several weeks due to a presumed right leg injury he suffered while skating for Canada in the Olympics, Sidney Crosby was bullish on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ hopes. And his teammates largely validated his optimism by going 5-3-3 in...
Mark Madden: ‘Evgeni Malkin hat trick’ reignites debate of his future with Penguins
When a hockey player gets a goal, assist and fighting major in the same game, that’s a Gordie Howe hat trick. On Monday at Denver, we saw the birth of the Evgeni Malkin hat trick: A goal, assist and dumb offensive-zone penalty in the same game. (Though it’s hardly the...
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby set to return from injury after 11-game absenceVideo
Sidney Crosby will re-enter the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup Wednesday evening against the Carolina Hurricanes after missing 11 games because of injury. Crosby partook in the Penguins’ morning skate at the Lenovo Center ahead of their game at Carolina and, following the session, Crosby indicated he will return to action. Coach...
Minor league report: Penguins still seeking playoff berth after losing to RocketVideo
Forward Gabe Klassen scored the only goal for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-1 loss to the Laval Rocket at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec, on Wednesday. Goaltender Sergei Murashov made 24 saves on 28 shots as his record fell to 21-8-3. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (37-16-5-2, 82 points) remains one point short...
Cup of Joe: In defense of Evgeni Malkin, top 25 all-time player and 3rd-best in Penguins history
Cup of Joe: Starkey on Sports in 400 words or less (or significantly more, in this case) People are often quicker to rip Evgeni Malkin than give him the benefit of the doubt. And that continues to amaze me. Has this man not earned the benefit of the doubt by...
First Call: Ex-Steeler Beanie Bishop suspended by NFL; AFC North rival TE may be on the move within the division
A former Steeler is in trouble with the NFL. An AFC North rival of the club could be on the move within the division. The Penguins got no help Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference. And there are some Pittsburgh ties to the first result of this year’s NCAA Tournament....
Penguins forward Blake Lizotte sidelined indefinitely with injury
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Blake Lizotte will be sidelined indefinitely because of an undisclosed injury. The team announced his status via social media Tuesday afternoon, stating he will be evaluated in four weeks. Typically deployed as the center of the fourth line, Lizotte was scratched Monday during a 7-2 road win...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Are the Penguins primed for a playoff run?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … Zach Hanczar, @zach_hanczar27: Will the Pens reach the conference final? Starkey: Why not,...
Mark Madden: Does international sports hype live up to the substance?
We’re locked in a feeding frenzy of international sports. The U.S. swept Canada in men’s, women’s and sled hockey. The World Baseball Classic provided Paul Skenes a chance to pitch for a team that could win. We’ve long since quit waving Old Glory in the name of decency and humanity,...
Cup of Joe: It was Fenway Sports Group that made this magical Penguins season possible
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (or in this case more) They established themselves as a cold and distant corporate entity from the moment they arrived — and it kind of still feels like they never did arrive. They never really connected to the fan...
First Call: Steelers ‘linked’ to Miami QB Carson Beck; Sidney Crosby ‘flying’ at Penguins practicesVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers are being “linked” to Miami quarterback Carson Beck. New Steelers running back Rico Dowdle apparently wasn’t thrilled with his usage by the Carolina Panthers late in 2025. And reports are strong about Sidney Crosby’s rehab with the Penguins. Meanwhile, there was a lot going on in the...
