Penguins/NHL category, Page 115
Penguins fire general manager Ron Hextall and president Brian Burke
At the beginning, it was almost absurd. Comical, even. One of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ greatest villains became their general manager. In the end, he became vilified for completely different reasons few could laugh at (outside Philadelphia). On Friday, Ron Hextall’s tenure as the 11th general manager in the history of...
Tim Benz: Penguins find comically fitting way in Columbus to end ‘failure of a season’
There was a macabre fascination to the way the Pittsburgh Penguins regular season finale played out in Columbus. The Pens lost to the awful Blue Jackets 3-2. In overtime. After blowing a third period lead. To a significantly inferior foe. While outshooting the opponent and making a journeyman goalie in...
Analysis: A stunning lack of support for veteran stars torpedoed Penguins’ season
Ron Hextall was almost indignant over the question. On July 13, less than a day after he had re-signed superstar center Evgeni Malkin — to say nothing of his successful efforts in re-signing franchise defenseman Kris Letang seven days earlier — Hextall was asked what gave him faith that retaining...
3 takeaways: Penguins put a bow on season with a last blown 3rd-period lead
Three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season-ending 3-2 overtime loss at Columbus: One final blown lead The Penguins’ inability to protect third-period leads is a frustrating component within their overall performance this season that hardly needs elaborated upon. Entering Thursday night, their nine total losses in such situations led the...
Penguins enter offseason after overtime loss to Blue Jackets
Sidney Crosby did something he hasn’t accomplished with much frequency throughout his nonpareil career. Play every game of a regular season. With Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in nearby Columbus, Ohio, Crosby suited up for this 82nd contest of the 2022-23 campaign. It marked...
Penguins assign defenseman Mark Friedman to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) after clearing waivers Thursday afternoon. Having bounced between the NHL and AHL rosters much of the season, Friedman, a right-handed shot, has appeared in 23 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored three points (one...
Tim Benz: Plenty of worthy goats, sacrificial lambs after Penguins’ elimination — but no room for sacred cows
When we first heard the “Fi-re Hex-tall” chants from Pittsburgh Penguins fans at PPG Paints Arena during a 7-2 beatdown from the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 24, they really resonated. As general manager of the Penguins, Ron Hextall assumed a job that can’t escape criticism. His predecessors — Craig Patrick,...
U mad, bro?: Penguins have been eliminated from playoff contention. And fans are every bit as angry as they should be
Now that the Pittsburgh Penguins will officially miss the playoffs for the first time since 2006, the angst from the fan base is thick. Wow! “U mad, bro?” is going to be stocked for weeks. It doesn’t even matter that no one cares about the Pirates anymore. And I don’t...
Minor league report: Nailers’ win streak reaches 3
Two goals by forward Keltie Jeri-Leon led the Wheeling Nailers to a 5-2 road win against the Iowa Heartlanders at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa on Wednesday. Forward Ross Krieger had a goal and an assist for Wheeling (28-36-5-0) while defenseman Chris Ortiz contributed two assists. Goaltender Brad Barone made...
Penguins’ postseason hopes finally extinguished
Perhaps the only thing sharper than Sidney Crosby’s dagger of a backhander is his comprehensive memory. Ask him about any random game in November 2008 or some mundane goal a long-departed teammate scored during the late winter of 2014, he can recall seemingly any nugatory detail such as what kind...
Penguins’ loss to Chicago joins long list of confounding, season-altering defeats
It has taken little time for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Tuesday night loss against Chicago to be assessed by fans and pundits as their worst defeat this season, one to be remembered for many years. The full impact of the loss was clear Wednesday night, after the Islanders beat the Canadiens,...
Report: Penguins place defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers
The Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers Wednesday afternoon, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The 27-year-old played 23 games with the Penguins this season, scoring a goal and two assists in a campaign spent between Pittsburgh and the club’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Friedman (PIT)...
Penguins notebook: Marcus Pettersson hopes to be done with frustrating late-season injuryVideo
Of all the injuries absorbed by the Pittsburgh Penguins throughout the course of the season, perhaps none hurt as much as losing defenseman Marcus Pettersson toward the end of March. The 26-year-old blueliner was among the team’s most dependable skaters before being placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on March...
Injured Penguins Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor expected to be ‘game-time’ decisions vs. Blue Jackets
Injured Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor are expected to be “game-time” decisions for the team’s regular season finale, a road contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. Coach Mike Sullivan provided their statuses following a practice in Cranberry on Wednesday. Pettersson became eligible to be activated from...
Ex-Penguins defenseman Philip Samuelsson signs with Straubing Tigers in Germany
Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Philip Samuelsson has signed with the Straubing Tigers of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The Tigers announced the transaction via release. Samuelsson, 31, was a second-round pick (No. 61 overall) of the Penguins in the 2009 NHL Draft and appeared in five NHL games (with no points)...
Mark Madden: Penguins’ loss to Blackhawks in must-win game was one of worst in franchise history
The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t good. Listing their blown leads and losses to rotten teams would take too long, and it adds up to a simple description: horse manure. Tuesday’s 5-2 home defeat to Chicago was one of the worst losses in franchise history, given what was at stake and the...
3 takeaways: After crippling loss, playoff math not on Penguins’ sideVideo
Three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-2 loss to Chicago Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena: Playoff pendulum swings According to moneypuck.com, an analytical website that provides comprehensive NHL playoffs odds, the Penguins (40-31-10, 90 points) entered Tuesday with a 60.7% chance to make the postseason. That number would have...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ season-long inability to finish may have just finished the season — and the playoff streak
Before Tuesday night’s regular season home finale, the Pittsburgh Penguins gave away floppy bucket hats to the fans. Perfect for the beach. Hopefully the Penguins promotional staff saved some of those for the players because it looks like some early vacations are on the way. After suffering an utterly inexcusable...
Penguins’ playoff hopes dim following ugly loss to Blackhawks
On Feb. 20, Evgeni Malkin tried to rally the Pittsburgh Penguins and everyone with a rooting interest in his scuttling group. “We have a great team here,” the superstar center implored. “I believe (in) everyone. If we play the same, we’ll be in the playoffs for sure.” A mere 50...
Penguins forward Alex Nylander driving to stay in lineup
Alex Nylander has gotten a pretty good view of the bucolic scenes Pennsylvania can offer in the spring. After all, he has driven across the Keystone State plenty of times over the past month and change. “It’s beautiful,” Nylander said. “I don’t need the GPS anymore.” On Tuesday, the skilled...
Penguins defenseman Dmitry Kulikov expected to rejoin to lineup
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to return to the team’s lineup for its regular season home finale against the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday. Activated from long-term injured reserve on Tuesday afternoon, Kulikov has been sidelined for the past 14 games due to a suspected left...
Penguins once again recall forward Alex Nylander from Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonVideo
For the fifth time in 36 days, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Alex Nylander from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Tuesday’s transaction marks the third time Nylander has been summoned from Northeast Pennsylvania the past week alone. Emergency recalls are permitted when a regular lineup of 12 forwards,...
Tim Benz: Time for Penguins to become worthy of the gifts they’ve been givenVideo
When the Pittsburgh Pirates lost rising star Oneil Cruz for four months because of a broken ankle Sunday, you couldn’t blame anyone associated with the franchise for wondering out loud, “What did we do to deserve this?” On Monday night, you couldn’t blame anyone associated with the Penguins for uttering...
Minor league report: Penguins shut out by RocketVideo
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 33 saves on 36 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-0 road loss to the Laval Rocket at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec on Monday. It marked the second time Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (26-31-7-6) had been shut out this season. The Penguins have lost seven of their...
Penguins pledge to be at their best after getting some help
The Pittsburgh Penguins looked their best Monday. And they had to. It was team picture day. Before the start of practice at PPG Paints Arena, players wore their white road jerseys and, along with coaches, front office managers, equipment and medical staffers as well as other employees, they assembled at...
