Penguins/NHL category, Page 118
U mad, bro?: Penguins fans seeing red, Steelers fans in a funk, Pirates fans ticked even before 1st pitch
Pittsburgh Penguins fans have reached peak angst. Steelers fans are languishing. And Pirates fans are already ticked off — even though the season hasn’t even started yet. Here’s something else to get mad about. There will be no “U mad, bro?” next week as “Breakfast With Benz” is on vacation....
First Call: Another cornerback Steelers may consider in draft; bad night for Penguins in playoff race; Pirates bets
With the draft about a month away, we keep surfing through potential cornerback picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Penguins had a tough night when it came to their playoff chances. A former Pitt basketball rival now seems to have interest in transferring to the Panthers. And we look at...
Minor league report: Ty Smith returns in Penguins lossVideo
Forward Valtteri Puustinen scored two regulation goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-3 home shootout loss to the Providence Bruins at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Defenseman Ty Smith returned to the lineup after being sidelined since Feb. 18 due to facial bone fractures and recorded two...
Defenseman Jeff Petry’s 1st season with the Penguins has been ‘frustrating’ at timesVideo
Games in Detroit are always profound for Jeff Petry. A son of Michigan (and the son of Detroit Tigers All-Star pitcher Dan Petry), he went to Red Wings games at Joe Louis Arena as a fan (then played there on occasion while suiting up for Michigan State). And even if...
Mark Madden: GM Ron Hextall deserves blame for Penguins’ goaltending disaster
It gets boring to continuously crucify GM Ron Hextall and president of hockey ops Brian Burke for their part in mangling the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’re not on the ice. But it’s also hard to ditch such criticism, not least after Tuesday’s damaging 7-4 loss at Detroit. Goaltending lost that game....
3 takeaways: Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry takes some lumps in return to lineup
Three takeaways from the Penguins’ 7-4 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night: Petry returns After missing five games due to a suspected head injury, defenseman Jeff Petry returned to the Penguins lineup. Primarily playing on the second pairing the second power-play unit, Petry logged 24:26 of...
Tim Benz: After Penguins’ costly loss in Detroit, Casey DeSmith’s comment resonates
What Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith said about Tuesday night’s 7-4 loss in Detroit was 100% true. “We didn’t miss the playoffs because we lost tonight,” DeSmith said after the defeat. Indeed. Technically, Casey, that’s accurate. In fact, the Penguins (82 points) still hold the Eastern Conference’s second of two...
Penguins’ defense diced up in loss to Red Wings
For a few weeks now, the Pittsburgh Penguins have viewed the final stages of the regular season as their playoffs just to qualify for the actual playoffs while they battle with other teams for the only two wild-card positions in the Eastern Conference. “If you’re in the situation that a...
Penguins assign defenseman Taylor Fedun to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned defenseman Taylor Fedun to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) Tuesday. This transaction comes as defenseman Jeff Petry is set to return to the lineup after missing five games due to a suspected head injury. Recalled under emergency conditions on March 20, Fedun has appeared...
First Call: Mike Tomlin discusses safety plans; Steelers work out tackle; a team admits interest in Lamar JacksonVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” features Mike Tomlin’s plans for the safety position. At least one team is letting it be known that it will consider acquiring Lamar Jackson, while another franchise says it’s out of the mix. The Pittsburgh Steelers worked out a massive offensive tackle. And the Penguins had a...
Tim Benz: Penguins should take advantage of upcoming schedule, fans should be nervous
The Pittsburgh Penguins, for a moment, have given themselves at least some space to breathe. The teams chasing them for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot are helping out as well. By virtue of the Pens’ electrifying yet excruciating 4-3 regulation win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday, the club...
Penguins forward Ryan Poehling adapting to 3rd-line center duties
Ryan Poehling had to think for a moment. Which did he have more pride in? A steal or the subsequent goal? “Ummm,” Poehling pondered. “Probably the steal. 100%.” And for a third-line center, defense should come first, right? That was the case Saturday when Poehling generated the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first...
Penguins forward Nick Bonino resumes skating
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino skated briefly Monday at the team’s facility in Cranberry for the first time since he suffered a lacerated kidney earlier this month. Stepping onto the rink prior to the team’s practice session, Bonino eventually watched his teammates from the bench. That marked a step forward...
Mark Madden: Casey DeSmith provides Penguins adrenaline, deserves run in net
Tristan Jarry has had an injury-prone corpse of a season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dealing with the “can he or can’t he?” is exhausting. Casey DeSmith isn’t as talented or even very talented. But he battles like a bulldog. It’s time to go with the bulldog. Enough is enough with...
Madden Monday: On Penguins’ win over Capitals, ‘Losing that game ends the season’
Of all the roller coaster rides the Pittsburgh Penguins have put their fans through this year, Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena was like Kennywood, plus Six Flags, multiplied by Universal Studios. A 3-0 third period lead became a 3-3 tie, only to see Evgeni...
Minor league report: Penguins lose againVideo
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 22 saves on 26 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-1 home loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Forward Jonathan Gruden scored the only goal for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (25-27-6-5) which has lost six of its past eight games....
Mikael Granlund’s greatest value to Penguins might be his versatilityVideo
Mikael Granlund usually gets called one of two things. Either, “mih-KIGH-ehl”, the proper pronunciation of his first name, or “MIGH-kuhl,” the more Anglo-friendly version. For the record, it seems like most of his current teammates on the Pittsburgh Penguins are content with his nickname, “Granny.” Either way, the Finnish-born Granlund...
3 takeaways: Penguins receive offensive boost from Ryan Poehling, Chad RuhwedelVideo
Three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-3 win over Washington Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena: Unlikely offensive contributors Evgeni Malkin undoubtedly saved the Penguins’ bacon with his breakaway goal late in the third period that handed the team a 4-3 win and two much-needed points. But earlier in the...
Minor league report: Penguins fall to Phantoms in overtimeVideo
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 21 saves on 24 saves in a 3-2 home overtime loss to the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Forward Drake Caggiula and defenseman Josh Maniscalco each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (25-26-6-5). Highlights: The Penguins’ next game is a home...
Evgeni Malkin scores late to give Penguins stunning win against Capitals
Evgeni Malkin has seen enough. He would like it to stop. And he did just everything he could to prevent it from happening again (even if he had a role in allowing it to actually happen again) on Saturday. Far too often this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have had wins...
Penguins reassign goalie Dustin Tokarski to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Minutes before puck drop Saturday against Washington, the Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned goaltender Dustin Tokarski to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Tokarski had scrambled to join the team earlier this week in Dallas, when Tristan Jarry was unexpectedly sidelined for the Penguins’ Thursday evening game against the Stars. Jarry, who...
Former Penguins forward Conor Sheary got his career back on track with the CapitalsVideo
At one time, it might have been a bizarre sight. Conor Sheary and Tom Wilson, locked arm in arm. The two Washington Capitals forwards sat next to one another in the visiting dressing room at PPG Paints Arena after Saturday’s morning skate and, in jest, pretended to pose with their...
Capitals coach Peter Laviolette still treasures his time with the Wheeling Nailers
There was a familiar name in Wheeling, W.Va. on Friday. Peter Laviolette. Then again, Peter Laviolette III has been in the Wheeling Nailers’ lineup for 30 games this season. A first-year professional, Laviolette III, who was born in Wheeling, joined the Pittsburgh Penguins’ ECHL affiliate as a free agent out...
With Tristan Jarry’s status uncertain, Penguins to start Casey DeSmith in net vs. Capitals
Tristan Jarry’s seemingly inescapable injury woes could sideline him for at least one more game. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ No. 1 netminder conducted some individual workouts with goaltending coach Andy Chiodo for about 40 minutes prior to Saturday’s morning skate, he did not participate in full team drills and won’t...
Minor league report: Nailers clipped by WingsVideo
Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 27 saves on 29 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 2-1 home loss to the Kalamazoo Wings at Wesbanco in Wheeling, W.Va. on Friday. Defensemen Chris Ortiz scored the only goal for Wheeling (25-32-5-0). Highlights: Before the game, the Nailers inducted former coach Peter Laviolette...
