Penguins/NHL category, Page 286
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Magic wore off between Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION Will Evgeni...
Who has been Sidney Crosby’s top Penguins linemate? Chris Kunitz by a landslide
When Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby retires, discussions will be held about which winger he forged the best connection with during his illustrious career. Unless something changes over the next six or eight or 10 years, these discussions should be very short. As of now, the answer is Chris Kunitz,...
Tim Benz: A stick tap to Chris Kunitz and his underrated Penguins career
Here lies Chris Kunitz’s NHL career. Began: January 17, 2004 (Anaheim) Ended: April 6, 2019 (Chicago) Epitaph: You can’t win a Stanley Cup without a guy like Chris Kunitz. At least one. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more. I know this much. Four teams won Stanley Cup...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Carl Hagelin’s exit came earlier than expected
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION Carl Hagelin...
Former Penguins winger Chris Kunitz, ‘the ultimate teammate,’ announces retirement
Chris Kunitz, a key component of three Stanley Cup teams for the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced his retirement Tuesday at age 39. Kunitz, who played for the Chicago Blackhawks last season, will stay with that organization as a player development adviser, working with young players on the NHL roster and on...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Age finally caught up with Matt Cullen in one respect
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION How many...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Kris Letang piled up pluses during bounce-back season
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION Will Kris...
Penguins pick up defense prospect John Marino in trade with Edmonton
The Pittsburgh Penguins took a stab at acquiring a prospect on defense Friday, trading a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft to the Edmonton Oilers for John Marino. The Oilers will acquire the pick if Marino, a rising senior at Harvard, signs with the Penguins before the 2021 draft....
First Call: Phil Kessel’s ‘leadership’ role with Coyotes; another team in on Felipe Vazquez
In “First Call” Friday, Phil Kessel is taking on some added responsibility in Arizona. Another team in the mix for Felipe Vazquez. The worst Pirates trade of all time. Role change for Phil Phil Kessel: Leader! Yeah, I couldn’t type it with a straight face either. But that’s the picture...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Jake Guentzel’s contract looks like bargain after 40-goal season
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION Jake Guentzel...
Ex-Penguin Max Talbot answers burning question about famous 2009 fight
Most Pittsburgh Penguins fans remember Max Talbot’s fight with Daniel Carcillo and subsequent shushing of the Philadelphia crowd as a pivotal moment in the team’s run to the 2009 Stanley Cup. In a recent appearance on Spittin’ Chiclets, a podcast hosted by ex-Penguins players Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, Talbot...
Tim Benz: Will addition by subtraction actually work for Steelers, Penguins?
We sure are big on the concept of addition by subtraction around these parts, aren’t we? The Steelers will be better because Antonio Brown is gone. Ben Roethlisberger won’t force the ball to a single receiver anymore. Brown’s ridiculous social media behavior will be happily absent. The game-planning to help...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Derick Brassard spent some time on wing before departure
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION How much...
Former Penguins forward Billy Tibbetts back in jail
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Billy Tibbetts is back behind bars. According to a report in the Patriot-Ledger in Quincy, Mass., Tibbetts was taken into custody after a courtroom outburst Tuesday and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. The earliest he could be released is Oct. 23. Tibbetts was...
Maple Leafs sign former Penguins winger Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson, who played 50 games as a fourth-line winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, has signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 28-year-old Wilson started last season as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s captain in the AHL before working his way into the NHL lineup and recording two goals,...
Podcast: View from Seattle on challenges Penguins legend Ron Francis will face as GM
Seattle is getting an expansion NHL franchise. And they are getting a Penguins legend to run it. Hall of Famer Ron Francis is getting a second crack at being a general manager. This time it’ll be in the Pacific Northwest for the yet-to-be-named expansion team. Francis went 0 for 4...
Ex-Penguin Phil Kessel puts Pittsburgh-area house on market for $2.1 million
Phil Kessel became a popular player with Pittsburgh Penguins fans over the past four years in large part because of his everyman appeal. Not just anyone could afford his house. Now that he’s been traded to the Arizona Coyotes, Kessel has put his Marshall Township home up for sale with...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Jamie Oleksiak’s fight card had fewer bouts than expected
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION How many...
Massive junior hockey showcase returning to Cranberry in September
For the fourth straight year, UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry will host a showcase of the top junior hockey players in the country. The USHL Fall Classic will be held at the facility Sept. 26-29. All 16 teams in the league will play two regular-season games as part of...
Penguins aren’t the only NHL team worried about salary cap
By waiting until the absolute last minute before an arbitration hearing to sign winger Zach Aston-Reese to a new two-year contract Monday morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins sent a message. At this point, every dollar matters. Given their lack of wiggle room under the salary cap, there was a meaningful difference...
Vegas odds have Penguins’ 100-point streak ending this season
It’s a good bet that the Pittsburgh Penguins are about to see their streak of four consecutive 100-point seasons come to an end, if Vegas odds are to be believed. The Penguins are projected for 94.5 points in BetOnline.AG’s season point totals, which were released Tuesday. That puts the Penguins...
Penguins Prediction Rewind: Matt Murray returned to upper echelon of NHL goalies
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION Will Matt...
Penguins sign Zach Aston-Reese to 2-year deal, avoiding arbitration
Zach Aston-Reese’s original plans for Monday morning included sitting in a meeting room in Toronto and listening to his employer talk about all the things he isn’t good at. He is awfully glad plans changed. Aston-Reese agreed to a new two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, minutes before...
Penguins prediction rewind: Garrett Wilson came out of nowhere to secure spot on fourth line
Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course. THE QUESTION Which Wilkes-Barre/Scranton...
After roster changes, Penguins’ oldest player suddenly isn’t that old
When coach Mike Sullivan describes the plan the Pittsburgh Penguins had to retool their roster this summer, he cites three areas where the team wanted to improve. “We tried to get a little bit younger, we certainly tried to get faster, and we wanted to become a team that’s more...
