Penguins/NHL category, Page 286
Penguins romped over by Jets; Patric Hornqvist leaves injuredVideo
The Penguins celebrated a significant figure in the history of Pittsburgh hockey when they honored Mike Lange and his 45 years as an iconic broadcaster prior to Tuesday’s game with the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena. And they also got a promising glimpse at the future of the sport...
Hollidaysburg’s Sam Lafferty could make his Penguins debutVideo
The Galactic Ice rink in Altoona won’t be terribly crowded Tuesday night. Sure, the Mustangs, a 12-and-under team, have a practice at 7 p.m. and then there’s an adult rec league contest between the Outlaws and the hated Hellcats at 8 p.m. But beyond that, any Blair County citizens with...
From Wheeling to Winnipeg, former Penguins forward Mark Letestu endures
After more than a decade in the NHL, journeyman Mark Letestu finally made headlines. During a preseason home game against the Edmonton Oilers on Sept. 26, the Jets forward was sitting on the bench and needed a pick-me-up. So he utilized to a curious performance-enhancement substance the World Anti-Doping Agency...
Tim Benz, Brian Metzer discuss how Penguins can get around injury issues
Times aren’t good for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now. We all know that. But it’s a struggle for the Penguins, too. They have to find a way around injuries to Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust. And they are only two games into their 82-game season. Game 3 is...
Tim Benz: Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad injuries have ripple effect beyond their absencesVideo
I’ll reiterate a sentiment I expressed last month. Someone please give me a giant sleeping pill so I can pass out until January 2020. It’s time to be done with 2019. This weekend the tone surrounding Pittsburgh’s pro franchises went from bad to worse to “I think need a new...
Jets appreciate value of Penguins’ Brandon Tanev
As Brandon Tanev left the ice after practice Monday in Cranberry, he had a captive audience that offered something he hasn’t received much since he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boos. The Winnipeg Jets, who had just arrived at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for their own practice, jeered Tanev as he...
Penguins call up Hollidaysburg’s Sam Lafferty, Andrew Agozzino
Injuries to centers Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad have opened the door for a Western Pennsylvania native to make his Pittsburgh Penguins debut. Hollidaysburg’s Sam Lafferty was one of the players the Penguins called up to fill in for Malkin and Bjugstad, who will be out “longer term” with lower-body...
Mark Madden: Amid injuries, Penguins need to adopt more rigid, defensive structure
In 2015-16 and 2016-17, the Penguins could have survived losing Evgeni Malkin for a month or so at season’s start. But now, they probably can’t. The news of Malkin’s long-term injury hits the Penguins like a sucker punch. A solid playoff bet prior, that status is now extremely tenuous. The...
Evgeni Malkin left an enduring impression on Winnipeg’s Paul Maurice
The Winnipeg Jets are off to a disjointed start to the 2019-20 season with a 1-2-0 record that has been punctuated by a dearth of defensemen. Dustin Byfuglien did not report to training camp and remains absent in order attend to personal matters, including his own future in the sport....
Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad out ‘longer term’ with injuries
The Penguins have boasted about the depth and versatility their roster — specifically their cache of forwards — possessed entering the 2019-20 campaign. Each of those traits will be put to the test during the ensuing weeks (or possibly months). Penguins centers Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad are expected to...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden break down Steelers’ loss to Ravens, Penguins’ start, Pitt’s big win
We have so much on the plate in this week’s “Madden Monday.” Most of it has to do the Pittsburgh Steelers’ latest loss, this time to the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore won at Heinz Field Sunday by a final score of 26-23 in overtime, thanks to a game-winning field goal by...
The Penguins are still trying to sort out their right wingers
When it comes to the Penguins’ right wingers, there really is only one absolute. Bryan Rust is injured. The versatile forechecker, who has been pliable throughout his career to just about any line coaches have placed him on, began the season on long-term injured reserve because of a suspected left...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 7, Blue Jackets 2
Observations from the Penguins’ 7-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. First things first, there was no update on forwards Evgeni Malkin or Nick Bjugstad. Malkin left the game at 8:04 of the second period after an awkward, but hardly violent, collision with Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov along the...
Penguins rout Blue Jackets but lose Evgeni Malkin, Nick BjugstadVideo
Evgeni Malkin didn’t complete the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. An awkward collision with Columbus defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov into the boards midway through the second period ended the franchise center’s night prematurely. But Malkin’s influence on this contest was unmistakable....
Penguins’ Dominik Simon relishes chance to play on Sidney Crosby’s line
Over the years, Sidney Crosby has looked to his right and viewed a rotating crew ranging from sublime talents such as Marian Hossa to sage veterans like Bill Guerin to sturdy contributors such as Pascal Dupuis to subpar entities akin to Steve Downie. Then there is Dominik Simon. One of...
Teddy Blueger finds place on Penguins’ fourth line
Thursday’s season opener between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres involved some of the most voracious television markets for hockey in the United States. Countless television set between Leetsdale and Lackawanna, N.Y., and several other towns, villages and hamlets along the corridors of Interstates 79 and 90, were tuned into...
Penguins make changes after season-opening loss to Sabres
A day after an insipid season-opening 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins made several changes to their lines, defensive pairs and power-play units during practice at Cranberry on Friday. The team’s lines and pairs were: 59 Jake Guentzel – 87 Sidney Crosby –...
Tim Benz: Sabres’ Conor Sheary proves to Penguins that he ‘can still play’
By the middle of the third period, Pittsburgh Penguins fans were booing like they didn’t want to be at PPG Paints Arena anymore. Meanwhile, Conor Sheary was playing like a guy who wanted to be traded back. He scored twice en route to a 3-1 Buffalo Sabres win Thursday night...
Empty Thoughts: Sabres 3, Penguins 1
Observations from the Penguins’ season-opening 3-1 loss to the Sabres. The Penguins were supposed to be faster, hungrier and more attentive than the squad which meekly lost to the Islanders in a four-game sweep during the first round of the 2019 postseason. Instead, on the opening night of the 2019-20...
Kevin Gorman: Sleepwalking Penguins need to hear Evgeni Malkin’s wakeup callVideo
The exclamations of exasperation from Evgeni Malkin tend to come when the Pittsburgh Penguins need to hear it the most — during a midseason slump or on the brink of postseason elimination. That Malkin was miffed after the season opener should have the Penguins worried. Actually, the way they played...
Penguins lose lackluster season opener at home to SabresVideo
The Penguins entered the season with the potential of returning to the days when they were the faster, more dynamic team on the ice. And Thursday, they saw one of the key players from their two most recent Stanley Cup championship teams generate ample offense as he dashed and darted...
Penguins change their goal song … and fans are not amusedVideo
Change is sometimes difficult, and for some Pittsburgh Penguins fans, it’s inadmissible. Case in point: the goal song. Once Evgeni Malkin scored in the second period in the season opener against the Buffalo Sabres, Penguins nation was expecting to hear “Party Hard” by Andrew W.K. You know: But when Evgeni...
Penguins by Period: Evgeni Malkin scores on power play but Sabres, Sheary answerVideo
THIRD PERIOD The Sabres’ last-minute goal in the second period put the Penguins in a two-goal deficit that appeared to take its toll. The Penguins looked listless in the third period. First, they gave up another breakaway, only to see Kyle Okposo shoot high and wide right. And the fans...
Penguins’ Jack Johnson shuts out trade talk to focus on improving
Jack Johnson was where he thought he’d be Thursday morning. Not Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Not the Pepsi Center in Denver. Not any of the NHL’s other 30 corporate-monikered confines. And definitely not Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre. (Or a surplus Saturn-V rocket aimed at the sun...
Penguins turn to Jake Guentzel, Patric Hornqvist in power play
Phil Kessel wasn’t at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ morning skate on Thursday. That’s nothing out of the ordinary. After all, coach Mike Sullivan usually makes the morning skates optional, and Kessel vigorously took the option over the past four years. Also, there is the matter of Kessel having been traded to...
