Mark Madden: Penguins-Flyers will be fast, physical, unforgiving and more series thoughts
As you prepare for the Pennsylvania derby, gird your loins via refreshing Penguins notes and keep your head on a swivel. It’s going to be that kind of series. • Philadelphia coach Rick Tocchet said his Flyers will “go after” Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Some interpret that...
Mark Madden: Penguins vs. Flyers in the Stanley Cup playoffs just means more
The old enemy. Playing Philadelphia in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs seems scripted. Miss the postseason for three years, then get re-introduced via the Battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers hadn’t made the playoffs since 2020. It will be intense. But the problem with this script is that...
Mark Madden: Penguins made the right call to sit stars, despite fan backlash
Social media gives a voice to the voiceless. It’s a shame it doesn’t give a brain to the brainless. Being mad is our new national sport, and was indulged in the wake of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup decisions for the weekend’s home-and-home with the Washington Capitals. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Penguins should stick with Egor Chinakhov on top line
When it comes to line combinations, Penguins coach Dan Muse finds himself with a multitude of choices. The Penguins can legitimately roll four lines and be better for it. There’s scoring depth: 11 forwards with 10 goals or more. The stars are spared too many minutes and the accompanying wear...
Mark Madden: Time is running out on hockey’s greatest individual rivalry
Saturday’s and Sunday’s home-and-home between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals could be the last chapters in the NHL’s greatest individual rivalry ever. I hope not. Alex Ovechkin has 31 goals this season. He’s surely more than a bit dinged up given his career-long breakneck method, but Ovechkin can still play....
Mark Madden: After 21 seasons, Sidney Crosby’s consistency remains unmatched
Sidney Crosby has done much that will be remembered, not least three Stanley Cups and six international gold medals. That’s all Crosby cares about. More than perhaps any superstar athlete, he’s untroubled by statistics. They’re a side dish that comes with the steak, but Crosby is pure carnivore. He wants...
Mark Madden: After unexpected success this season, can the Penguins win a playoff series?
As the Pittsburgh Penguins lurch toward a playoff spot in the slightly more good than bad fashion that’s marked their season, it’s time for perspective. When hostilities commenced in October, the Penguins were thought to be a bottom-five team, the goal being to get a top-five draft pick and select what...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Bucco Fever is boiling again, and it’s an odd disease
It was a great day at the ballpark for the Pirates’ home opener Friday. I didn’t go. I’m getting prepared for that area being under martial law — worse yet, Roger Goodell’s iron fist — when the NFL Draft comes April 23-25. I can’t wait to stay away. Or till...
Mark Madden: The Pirates made a bold move with Konnor Griffin, but it can’t stop there
I never thought the Pittsburgh Pirates would sign Konnor Griffin long-term. I never thought the overlap of having both Griffin and Paul Skenes would be as lengthy as it now could be. Might be three years beyond this one. I never thought the Pirates would suddenly show legit ambition concerning anything...
Mark Madden: These Penguins might be flawed, but they have heart and guts
Refreshing Pittsburgh Penguins notes: Love is in the air, and so is playoff hockey! Don’t you just love spring? • Ditch the disclaimer: Erik Karlsson is the Penguins’ MVP, and that includes Sidney Crosby. Karlsson put the team on his back in March, shepherding the Penguins to an 8-6-3 record...
Mark Madden: Tiger Woods’ latest crash exposes America’s double standard
The current Tiger Woods situation has turned America into a sociological experiment. Woods got popped for his second DUI. Rolled his car. Could have killed somebody. It’s his fourth major car accident. Yet a vast fraction of the population passionately leaps to his defense. “He has a problem.” “Show some...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Shortstop, 1st base, 3rd base, DH? How can the Pirates fix Oneil Cruz?
This space previously mooted the possibility of trading Oneil Cruz after his “Yakety Sax”-style meltdown when the Pittsburgh Pirates opened their season Thursday at New York. But the Pirates seem unlikely to do that. His raw talent is undeniable. Cruz is affordable at $3.3 million and, if he keeps disappointing,...
Mark Madden: All the tools, but no toolbox; Pirates’ biggest problem might be Oneil Cruz
The Pirates should trade Oneil Cruz. There must be some MLB team still impressed by his amazing athleticism and willing to ignore that he’s 27 and hasn’t yet learned how to play baseball. Beyond occasional flashes, Cruz is useless. Cruz is a .233 lifetime hitter, a tragic .172 against left-handed...
Mark Madden: Is it still hating if it happens? Expect 77 wins for these Pirates
I’m often accused of hating the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not true. I’m just a beacon of harsh truth. The Pirates were my first big sports love. I have 41 sets of ticket stubs from the 1971 world championship season to prove it. That includes Game 4 of the World Series at...
Mark Madden: Playing it safe with top prospects could be costly for Pirates, Penguins
The Pirates sent 19-year-old phenom shortstop Konnor Griffin to Triple-A. The Penguins continue to keep 21-year-old phenom goaltender Sergei Murashov at their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm team. I don’t agree with either decision. But I understand. Griffin has never had an at-bat in Triple-A and has just 83 at the Double-A level....
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Golden Goal puck should be displayed where Americans can enjoy it
Jack Hughes — he of the Golden Goal — briefly wrangled with the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto over ownership of said puck. The Hockey Hall of Fame won that war because possession is nine-tenths of the law. The dolt with the white gloves and dorky haircut who babysits...
