Penguins/NHL category, Page 120
Former Pitt star, Steelers player, sports exec Paul Martha dies at 80
One of the most multi-faceted athletes in Pittsburgh sports history — on and off the field — died this month. John “Paul” Martha, a former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick and executive with several pro sports franchises, died Feb. 4 at 80, his family announced. Martha had been residing at...
Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith rebounds after a somewhat dry January
Casey DeSmith didn’t do anything too elaborate during his team’s recent bye week. By his description, he just drove south until it got warm. Or, at least warm enough to play some disc golf. In his case, he found sufficient calefaction outside of Charlotte, N.C. He was probably due a...
U mad, bro?: Readers send Valentines on Steelers predictions, Mike Tomlin’s recent record, Ron Hextall’s roster
This is our final “U mad, bro?” before Valentine’s Day. Obviously, Pittsburgh sports fans are feeling the love. Some of you are fawning over Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Others are swooning over Penguins general manager Ron Hextall. And then there are all of you who just can’t get enough of...
Minor league report: Nailers lose 4th consecutive gameVideo
Forward Brooklyn Kalmikov had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 4-3 home loss to the Toledo Walleye at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Wednesday. Goaltender Bailey Brkin made 24 saves on 28 shots for Wheeling (19-21-4-0), which has lost four consecutive games. Highlights: The...
Tim Benz: If anyone is happy about ‘hitting the reset button’ for Penguins, it should be Kris Letang
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was clear in his directive for his struggling players upon their return from the All-Star break. The Penguins limped into their week off by dropping two games in a row and four of six. So Sullivan told his squad to “hit the reset button” before...
3 takeaways: Colorado Avalanche take exception to hit on Cale Makar by Penguins’ Jeff CarterVideo
Three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 overtime win over Colorado on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena: Avs react to Carter hit A scary moment occurred during the third period when Jeff Carter had a nasty collision with Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. Carter, breaking in the direction of Colorado’s...
Penguins rally for improbable overtime win against Avalanche
For a variety of reasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ home game at PPG Paints Arena against the Colorado Avalanche was a big one. First, the Avalanche are the defending Stanley Cup champions. Any encounter with the most recent claimant of that chalice is profound. Second, the Penguins were emerging from their...
Former Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues filling familiar role with Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche had two buses that transported players, coaches and staffers from their downtown hotel to PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday morning. An early and a late bus, to be specific. Forward Evan Rodrigues changed up his routine — he labeled himself as a “late-bus guy” — and caught...
Josh Archibald, Kasperi Kapanen set to return to Penguins lineup against Avalanche
Penguins forwards Josh Archibald and Kasperi Kapanen are each expected to return to the lineup in Tuesday’s home game against the Colorado Avalanche at PPG Paints Arena after being sidelined due to undisclosed injuries. Coach Mike Sullivan indicated both players will be available after the team’s optional morning skate. Kapanen...
First Call: Former Steelers coach goes to Patriots; Tom Brady’s future open-ended; big hits, fights between Rangers-Flames
Tuesday’s “First Call” sees a former Pittsburgh Steelers coach return to the NFL after a short stint in college. Tom Brady seems to want to keep all of us guessing. There was madness at the Garden as hockey resumed after the All-Star break. Pitt should be in a good position...
A trade scenario Ron Hextall is looking to avoid and some Penguins history he may want to replicate
While meeting with the media Sunday, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall had to deal with a lot of hypothetical questions. About how the team may create salary-cap room. About how it may approach various methods to make his roster better. About what he is going to do with the...
The Penguins look to limit their ‘volatility’ as they resume the season
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice in Cranberry on Monday was different. It lasted more than an hour and had two portions to it. There was even an “intermission” when a couple of Zamboni ice resurfacers cleaned the rink after the team primarily worked on individual skills in the first portion. The...
Penguins reserve goaltender Dustin Tokarski embraces the inconvenience of his role
Dustin Tokarski’s break for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ bye week and the All-Star Game event ended pretty much the way it began. In transit across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. After serving as the backup goaltender in a 6-4 home loss to the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 28, Tokarski was assigned...
Mark Madden: Changing NHL playoff format would keep things fresh, but Maple Leafs still wouldn’t win
Sidney Crosby says he’d like to see the NHL playoff format switched to seeding the teams in each conference from 1 through 8. That’s instead of playing within divisions (allowing for the possible crossover of a wild card) for the first two rounds. This met with manic approval from Toronto...
Former Penguins star Jaromír Jágr scores his record 1,099th goal at almost 51
PRAGUE — Jaromír Jágr celebrated his 51st birthday about a week early by scoring his 1,099th goal to overtake Wayne Gretzky at the top of the chart. Jágr, who will turn 51 on Feb. 15, scored for the Kladno Knights on Sunday in a 5-4 loss at Trinec in the...
Madden Monday: Why Ron Hextall ‘shouldn’t trade a 1st-round draft pick under any circumstances’
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall met with the media Sunday, and he was asked about a wide range of topics. He didn’t necessarily answer all of the questions that were asked. At least not directly. But when it came to the idea of trading a first-round pick as a...
Tim Benz: We keep hearing about ‘volatility’ within Penguins’ performance — now it’s time to fix it
Before the Pittsburgh Penguins left town for the All-Star break, head coach Mike Sullivan did his best to summarize the way his team has been playing. “There’s been volatility in our game. We’ve got to bring a consistent game every night. We’ve got to put a game on the ice...
Minor league report: Nailers’ losing streak reaches 3Video
Goaltender Brad Barone made 21 saves on 24 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 4-0 road loss to the Toledo Walleye at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, on Sunday. Wheeling (19-20-4-0) was shut out for the third time this season. Highlights: The Nailers’ next game is a home...
Penguins forwards Josh Archibald, Kasperi Kapanen nearing returns
The Pittsburgh Penguins held their first teamwide activity in seven days Sunday when they gathered for practice in Cranberry. With the benefit of their bye week and the break for the All-Star Game events, a few of them took to the ice with tans they acquired from locales a bit...
Penguins general manager Ron Hextall looks to improve but with limited salary cap space
Leading up to his first two trade deadlines as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ron Hextall had a pretty consistent message: He was happy with the roster he had at his disposal. “I like our team,” Hextall said on April 7, 2021. “I like our depth. … I like...
Minor league report: Penguins fall into last placeVideo
Goaltender Filip Lindberg made 13 saves on 19 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in an 8-2 road loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. on Saturday. After allowing six goals, Lindberg was replaced at 4:38 of the second period by goaltender Taylor Gauthier who...
Penguins recall goaltender Dustin Tokarski from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled reserve goaltender Dustin Tokarski from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions Saturday. This marks the third time Tokarski has been summoned to the NHL roster this season. Appearing in two NHL games this season, Tokarski has a 1-1-0 record, a 2.67 goals against...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Hockey just doesn’t know how to be cool
Hockey is my favorite sport. Because that’s true, I feel qualified to analyze why the NHL’s national TV ratings are down 22% from last year. There are regional blackouts. Start times aren’t staggered; games hit intermission at the same time. Cord-cutting takes ESPN and TNT off the radar of too...
Following All-Star Weekend, Penguins look to embrace sense of urgency, improve quickly
From the outside looking in, there appears to be plenty of evidence in favor of panicking about the Pittsburgh Penguins and playoff prospects. After beginning the season 4-0-1, the Penguins lost seven straight games from Oct. 24 to Nov. 5 — tying the franchise’s worst losing streak since Sidney Crosby’s...
Minor league report: Penguins, Nailers each loseVideo
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 37 saves on 40 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-2 road loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds at MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. on Friday. Forward Alex Nylander and defenseman Colin Swoyer each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (20-18-2-3). Highlights: The Penguins’ next game is a...
