Penguins/NHL category, Page 156
Even with recent miscues, the Penguins still have full faith in Brian Dumoulin
On the night his team honored former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with a pregame ceremony, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin mimicked another Steelers signal-caller who, like Dumoulin, wore No. 8. Tommy Maddox. And not in a good way. During a 3-2 home loss to the New York Rangers on...
Penguins recall forward Filip Hallander from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
With three forwards potentially sidelined because of illness, the Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Filip Hallander from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions. Hallander, 21, has appeared in 52 AHL games this season and has 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists). This is Hallander’s first true recall to...
Penguins forward Jason Zucker remains sidelined, status uncertain
Injured Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker was absent from practice Monday in Cranberry. He has been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury during Thursday’s 4-3 overtime road win against the Minnesota Wild. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan indicated Zucker still is being evaluated, and a more complete update might be available...
Mark Madden: Penguins allowing too many soul-crushing goals at inopportune times
The Penguins are difficult to figure. They are on pace for 108 points, have the seventh-best record in the NHL and have allowed the sixth-fewest goals in the league. (That last factoid is so un-Penguins. It looks like a typo.) But Saturday’s 3-2 loss at Colorado was a microcosm of...
First Call: Phil Kessel grabs active consecutive games streak lead; Pirates face nemesis on Opening Day
Monday’s “First Call” shows us how former Pittsburgh Penguin Phil Kessel took over the NHL’s consecutive games streak. A pair of Metropolitan Division teams suffered home losses. The Eastern Conference has its first team locked into the playoffs. And the Pirates will be facing a familiar opponent on Opening Day...
Minor league report: Nailers snap 4-game losing streakVideo
Forward Cedric Desruisseaux and defenseman Chris Ortiz each had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-1 home win against the Fort Wayne Komets at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Sunday. Goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon made 30 saves on 31 shots for Wheeling (33-28-4-0) which snapped...
How can Penguins replace Jason Zucker (again)?
Even after a hard-fought 4-3 overtime road win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, things were a bit somber for the Penguins. One of the most respected players on the roster, forward Jason Zucker, had his return from a long-term injury be disrupted almost as soon as it began. In...
Minor league report: Penguins tie franchise record with 9-2 rout of IslandersVideo
Forwards Drew O’Connor and Sam Poulin each scored two goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 9-2 home win against the Bridgeport Islanders at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Defenseman Juuso Riikola recorded three assists for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (30-27-4-4) while forward Alex Nylander contributed a goal and an assist....
Penguins confident after losing to NHL-leading Avalanche
Tangibly, the Penguins gained nothing from their 3-2 regulation road loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday. Intangibly, the Penguins professed they gained a boost of confidence with the result. Coupled with their 4-3 overtime road win against Minnesota Wild two days earlier, the Penguins...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Mario Lemieux’s fantasy camp the best of its genre
Mario Lemieux made a pass, then broke free to take an easy return feed. But the puck never got there. The rec-league player who took Lemieux’s dish tried to instead beat a defender one-on-one. That’s the beauty of the Mario Lemieux Fantasy Hockey Camp: Everybody is equal. (The puck hog...
Minor league report: Penguins fall to PhantomsVideo
Forwards Michael Chaput and Kyle Olson each scored goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-2 road loss to the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown on Friday. Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 26 saves on 29 shots for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (29-27-4-4). Highlights: The Penguins’ next game is...
Mike Eruzione on his friendship with Mario Lemieux; legacy of the ‘Miracle on Ice;’ Pittsburgh’s special ties to 1980 team
Mike Eruzione’s friendship with Penguins legend Mario Lemieux started decades ago. Back to when he got to know the Hall of Famer through golf tournaments Lemieux set up with one of Eruzione’s Massachusetts hockey pals, former Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso. It’s no surprise the two men remained close over the...
Penguins win in overtime but lose forward Jason Zucker once again
The Penguins were eager to get Jason Zucker back in their lineup. And sure enough, the forward who had missed 37 of the previous 38 games due to a core muscle injury contributed almost immediately during their 4-3 overtime road win against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center in...
Jason Zucker returns to Penguins’ lineup (and Minnesota) but leaves game early
Jason Zucker was back in a familiar place Thursday. The lineup. Having missed 37 of the past 38 games because of a core muscle injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins forward returned to the ice in a game of consequence with roughly a month left in the regular season. However, any ambitions...
Is using Penguins forward Bryan Rust as a penalty killer worth the risk?
Once upon a time, Bryan Rust wasn’t a top-six winger or a vital member of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top power-play unit. Heck, he wasn’t even a 20-goal threat. He was simply a bottom-six winger who could flip to either side of his line. And he killed penalties. Willing to pester...
Tim Benz: Penguins getting Wild at their hottest
Tuesday night’s loss against the New York Rangers began a seven-game stretch for the Penguins exclusively against opponents that are currently in playoff slots. The next such challenge comes against the Minnesota Wild Thursday. And they are the hottest team of the bunch. Under the eye of former Penguin Bill...
Minor league report: Michael Chaput, Sam Poulin lead Penguins past Wolf PackVideo
Forwards Michael Chaput and Sam Poulin each had a goal and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-1 home win against the Hartford Wolf Pack at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Goaltender Louis Domingue made 24 saves on 25 shots for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (29-26-4-4) which has won...
Even in switching wing sides, Rickard Rakell fitting in well in Pittsburgh, with Penguins
Maybe Rickard Rakell was destined to play in Pittsburgh. How about the name of the 1-year-old dog the Penguins’ newest wing adopted while in California? Heinz. As in, yes, dubbed so in honor of the home of the Steelers. “His name was already ‘Heinz,’ ” Rakell explained Wednesday, “so I...
Penguins notes: LW Jason Zucker practices fully, on track to return to lineup vs. Wild
Jason Zucker was a full participant and taking rushes on the second line during Wednesday’s Pittsburgh Penguins practice, an indication the left wing is set to return to the lineup after missing 37 of the past 38 games because of a core muscle injury. Zucker, who underwent surgery Jan. 25,...
Flowers for ‘Flower?’ Wild fans serenading ex-Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury with bouquets
Minnesota’s welcome for Flower has been, well, flower-y. Longtime popular Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury — known by the nickname “Flower” — joined the Minnesota Wild early last week via a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. So far, it’s been two starts, two wins for the 37-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup...
Mark Madden: Changes are needed for Penguins to beat the Rangers
There were disturbing takeaways from the Penguins’ 3-2 home loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. • The Penguins are built on speed, but the Rangers are clearly faster. That was evident Tuesday and in each of the Penguins’ three games vs. the Rangers. The Rangers’ forecheck overwhelmed. The...
Specific matchup issues emerging for Penguins in potential playoff series against the Rangers
Even though Tuesday was “Ben Roethlisberger Night” at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins couldn’t finish off a late comeback. The Penguins were beaten by the New York Rangers 3-2 despite a heart-stopping onslaught of 6-on-5 shots against New York goalie Igor Shesterkin. All the while, the Rangers were narrowly missing...
First Call: Steelers scouting under-the-radar QB prospect; Browns holding on Baker Mayfield; Ravens extend coach, not QB
Wednesday’s “First Call” introduces us to an off-the-radar quarterback that may be of interest to the Steelers. We’ve got updates from Baltimore and Cleveland on their QB situations. Eastern Conference chaos wasn’t restricted to the Penguins and Rangers Tuesday. And a familiar football name is coming back to Pittsburgh to...
Penguins fall to Rangers, slip to 3rd place
The Penguins were bound to have trouble scoring goals Tuesday. After all, they were facing the New York Rangers, who have one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders in Igor Shesterkin. And not the Detroit Red Wings. Sure enough, the 3-2 win by the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena was a...
Ex-Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger drops puck for ceremonial faceoff before Penguins-Rangers game
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff before Tuesday’s game between the Penguins and New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby “won” the faceoff against Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow. During warmups, all the Penguins wore No. 7 jerseys in recognition...
