Penguins/NHL category, Page 159
First Call: Eagles may be out on Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster; Browns may be out on Baker Mayfield; tough night in the Metro
In “First Call” for Wednesday, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is still looking for work. And he may not find it anywhere else in the state of Pennsylvania. Baker Mayfield is acting like a quarterback who knows he may be traded, even if the Cleveland Browns don’t get Deshaun Watson....
Line changes spark little offense for Penguins in loss to Predators
The trio of Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust might be the NHL’s top line, let alone the Pittsburgh Penguins’ best. Their success largely has carried the Penguins’ five-on-five play for the bulk of the 2021-22 season. At the same time, the Penguins have become a somewhat top-heavy squad...
Penguins to honor retired Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger before March 29 game
The first local professional sports franchise to formally honor the retired Ben Roethlisberger with a pregame ceremony won’t be the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, it will involve a puck. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Tuesday that Roethlisberger will take part in a ceremonial puck drop and be the subject of recognition prior...
Obstacles for Penguins continue as opponents remain challenging out west
The Penguins managed to get four of a possible six points during their tough three-game homestand that featured games against the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers, the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes, and the currently playoff bound Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Pens beat Vegas 5-2 and the Hurricanes 4-2, after losing...
What prompted the Penguins to swap Radim Zohorna for Valtteri Puustinen in the lineup?
Mike Sullivan was beaming Friday. Sure, the Pittsburgh Penguins coach was happy his team defeated the Vegas Golden Knights at home, 5-2, that evening. But what really invigorated Sullivan was the NHL debut of rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen. Primarily deployed on the third line, the diminutive Puustinen (5-foot-9, 183 pounds)...
Penguins forward Drew O’Connor’s future remains brightVideo
It was a productive weekend for Drew O’Connor. In two games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Pittsburgh Penguins power forward prospect collected a goal and two assists. He also earned a little bit of job security. On Saturday, shortly before he recorded a primary assist in a 6-2 home win against the...
Mark Madden: From Friedman to Kapanen, lots to discuss about Penguins’ recent lineup changes
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-2 home victory over powerful Carolina on Sunday featured several lineup changes that beg further discussion. Winger Kasperi Kapanen was a healthy scratch in Friday’s 5-2 win over Vegas, also at PPG Paints Arena. Kapanen nonetheless went right back in the lineup Sunday. Gee, I hope Kapanen...
Tim Benz: Penguins-Hurricanes regular season battles did little to reveal clues for a potential playoff showdown
Often after Penguins games, head coach Mike Sullivan seems to draw a pretty thick line between the process and the result. The Penguins may win a game but not necessarily play well en route to victory. Under those circumstances, Sullivan has a hard time hiding his agitation. After other games,...
Minor league report: Alex Nylander, Drew O’Connor carry Penguins to winVideo
Forwards Alex Nylander and Drew O’Connor each had a goal and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-1 home win against the Hartford Wolf Pack at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Defenseman Juuso Riikola recorded two assists for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (25-23-4-4) while forwards Jonathan Gruden and Filip...
Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson a rare healthy scratch
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson experienced a first in his Penguins career on Sunday. A healthy scratch. The veteran defenseman did not play in the Penguins’ 4-2 home win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. He was replaced on the left side of the second pairing by Brian Dumoulin. In the context...
Penguins get 1st win against Hurricanes this season
Like everyone, the Penguins lost an hour of sleep Sunday. But for the first time in 2021-22, they didn’t lose to the Carolina Hurricanes. Sunday’s 4-2 home win at PPG Paints Arena was the Penguins’ first triumph against the Hurricanes in the third and final meeting between the two Metropolitan...
Penguins to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against Hurricanes
The Penguins are slated to start goaltender Tristan Jarry in Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG Paints Arena. In 46 games this season, Jarry has a 28-12-6 record, a 2.33 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and four shutouts. Jarry has played the Hurricanes in one...
Minor league report: Sam Poulin’s hat trick leads Penguins past RocketVideo
A hat trick by forward Sam Poulin led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 6-2 home win against the Laval Rocket at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Forward Felix Robert had a goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (24-23-4-4) which snapped a four-game losing streak while forward Anthony Angello...
How will the Penguins replace injured forward Brock McGinn?
It remains to be seen who the Penguins will use to replace energetic bottom-six winger Brock McGinn, lost for several weeks because of a suspected right hand or arm injury. One thing is certain. It won’t be rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen — at least not in Sunday’s home game against...
Penguins defensemen Mike Matheson and Kris Letang find chemistry
Defenseman Mike Matheson didn’t just return to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup Friday after a five-game respite for an undisclosed injury. He also got a promotion. For most of Friday’s 5-2 home win against the Vegas Golden Knights, Matheson was teamed with Kris Letang on the Penguins’ top pairing. According to...
Penguins sign forward Drew O’Connor to contract extension
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed rookie forward Drew O’Connor to a one-year contract extension worth $750,000. Currently assigned to Wilkes/Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, the 23-year-old O’Connor was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this upcoming offseason. Capable of playing either center or wing, O’Connor is in the midst...
Penguins recall forward Radim Zohorna from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled forward Radim Zohorna from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. This marks the fourth occasion this season Zohorna has been summoned to the NHL roster. In eight NHL games this season, Zohorna has two points (one goal, one assists) while averaging 11 minutes, 57 seconds of...
Minor league report: Nailers beaten by CyclonesVideo
Forward Sam Houde had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in an 8-5 road loss to the Cincinnati Cyclones at the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati on Friday. Goaltender Brody Claeys made 15 saves on 21 shots in the defeat for Wheeling (30-22-1-0) while forwards Bobby Hampton,...
Penguins forward Brock McGinn sidelined ‘week-to-week’ with injury
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brock McGinn will be sidelined on a “week-to-week” basis due to an undisclosed injury. McGinn appeared to injure his right hand or arm during the second period of Friday’s 5-2 home win against the Vegas Golden Knights at PPG Paints Arena. He did not record a shift...
Penguins find ample secondary scoring in win against Golden Knights
Jeff Carter has 413 career goals. That’s a figure worthy of a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame. So he knows how to score. He is also intimately familiar with how difficult it can be to score. He, like a lot of his teammates who are expected to provide...
Penguins activate defenseman Mike Matheson from injured reserve
The Penguins activated defenseman Mike Matheson from injured reserve. An undisclosed injury has sidelined him for the past five games. In 50 games this season, Matheson has 21 points, including seven goals, most among the team’s defensemen. Surprisingly, Matheson replaced defenseman Brian Dumoulin in the lineup for Friday’s home game...
Once again, Penguins general manager Ron Hextall likes his team
On April 7, 2021, Ron Hextall held a conference call with local media and addressed the upcoming trade deadline that was five days away. Hextall professed satisfaction with his roster as it was constructed at that time. “I like our team,” Hextall proclaimed. “I like our depth. … I like...
Penguins ready to host USA-Canada women’s game at PPG Paints Arena
Mike Matheson has appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs and played in the World Championships. Nothing compares, though, to the butterflies he has when watching his wife. “I think the most nervous I have ever been in my life was when she was in the gold medal game in (PyeongChang,...
Mark Madden: Penguins can’t continue to be a 1-line team
Enough already with Kasperi Kapanen. He’s got one goal in 17 games. Enough already with every other winger that’s been centered recently by Evgeni Malkin: Danton Heinen has one goal in 11 games. Evan Rodrigues has one goal in 25 games. Jeff Carter has one goal in 17 games, none...
Tim Benz: Should we buy Brian Burke’s hard sell about the idea of a quiet trade deadline for the Penguins?
Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke is doing a really hard sell on not buying at the trade deadline. So much, in fact, that every time he addresses the topic, I now find myself more convinced that the Pens are going 180 degrees the other way toward being the...
