Seth Rorabaugh stories, Page 52
Minor league report: Nailers tie record with 12th consecutive winVideo
The Wheeling Nailers claimed their 12th consecutive win on Saturday with a 3-0 shutout of the Reading Royals at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. With the victory, the Nailers tied a franchise record — since moving to Wheeling in 1992 — for longest winning streak. The 2003-04 Nailers initially set...
‘Careless’ 1st period dooms Penguins in Winnipeg
Despite 29 saves on 31 shots by goaltender Tristan Jarry, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the host Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, on Saturday at Canada Life Centre. Saturday’s result came less than 24 hours after a 3-2 road loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday. “We didn’t establish the game we...
Minor league report: Penguins fall in shootout, Nailers’ winning streak reaches 11Video
Forward Vinnie Hinostroza had a goal in regulation and two assists for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown on Friday. Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 27 saves on 31 shots in regulation and overtime as his record slipped...
Penguins’ power play falters again in loss to Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild
Before Friday’s game at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., the Pittsburgh Penguins participated in a ceremony celebrating their old goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, who recently played his 1,000th career game with his current employer, the Minnesota Wild. After the game, they were presumably cranky over a problem that has...
Evolution has been key for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan’s career
Rick Bowness had a feeling Mike Sullivan could be a coach. Maybe even before Sullivan did. The last four seasons of Sullivan’s playing career as a bottom-six checking center came in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the Phoenix Coyotes. Bowness was an assistant coach for three of those...
Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi is happy to be back in the ‘big league’Video
With forward Evgeni Malkin absent from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ practice session Thursday in Cranberry for what was termed as a “maintenance day,” forward Jesse Puljujarvi filled in on the second power-play unit. Considering he didn’t formally join the NHL roster until Sunday after signing a two-year contract, Puljujarvi still is...
Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon suspended 3 games for hit on Penguins forward Noel AcciariVideo
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon was suspended three games by the NHL as a result of a hit he delivered to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Noel Acciari. The league announced the suspension Wednesday evening. During the Penguins’ 3-0 win at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday, Dillon’s left shoulder...
Penguins’ retooled power play leads to win against Jets after Noel Acciari’s injury
The Pittsburgh Penguins have altered, amended and augmented their woefully underwhelming power play in a multitude of ways this season. On Tuesday, their latest revision appeared to aid that endeavor greatly during a 3-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena Another thing that helped? Getting five minutes...
Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph eager to ‘give back what someone gave me before’
Perhaps there just isn’t a word-for-word way to translate the idea of fear from French to English. Or maybe it’s just his own personal way of explaining the idea of fright. But P.O Joseph, a native of Quebec, has a unique way of describing it. He calls it “the scaries.”...
Minor league report: Nailers win 10th consecutive gameVideo
Two goals by forward Jordan Martel led the Wheeling Nailers to a 3-1 road win against the Reading Royals at Santander Arena in Reading on Tuesday. The victory extended a winning streak to 10 games. Defenseman David Drake recorded two assists for Wheeling (26-16-1-1) while forward Dillon Hamaliuk contributed a...
Penguins scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against Jets
The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry for Tuesday’s home game against the Winnipeg Jets. Coach Mike Sullivan announced Jarry’s status following an optional morning skate. In 32 games this season, Jarry has a 13-14-4 record, a 2.53 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and five...
Penguins maintain faith they are still a playoff-caliber team
Even within the controlled context of practice, it looked spectacular. A pass by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson. During a five-on-five drill Monday in Cranberry, Karlsson recovered a loose puck in his own zone that was deflected by opposing forward Noel Acciari. Claiming the puck, Karlsson strode through the neutral...
Penguins forward Reilly Smith, defenseman John Ludvig close to returning
With the NHL’s trade deadline looming March 8, the Pittsburgh Penguins seem poised to add some players to their lineup as soon as Tuesday for a home game against the Winnipeg Jets. Like top-six forward Reilly Smith and third-pairing defenseman John Ludvig. OK, maybe not add them to the lineup....
Minor league report: Nailers win 9th consecutive gameVideo
A goal at 1:46 of overtime by forward Tanner Laderoute gave the Wheeling Nailers a 4-3 home win against the Orlando Solar Bears at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Sunday. It was the Nailers’ ninth consecutive victory. Laderoute had two goals in the win while forward Matthew Quercia contributed...
Penguins sign ‘pain-free’ forward Jesse PuljujarviVideo
Jesse Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch Saturday for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ 3-1 road win against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s coaches had their motivations. More accurately, they had their orders from Pittsburgh Penguins management. Puljujarvi was making his return to the NHL. On Sunday, the 25-year-old Puljujarvi was formally...
Minor league report: Penguins beat Phantoms; Nailers’ winning streak reaches 8Video
A short-handed goal and an assist by forward Joona Koppanen led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 3-1 road win against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center in Allentown on Saturday. Forward Jonathan Gruden and defenseman Ty Smith also scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (24-16-6-0) which snapped a three-game...
Penguins forward Bryan Rust speaks up for those who stutterVideo
Bryan Rust sat there, waiting. As the stampede of reporters, cameramen and interns poured into the home dressing room at PPG Paints Arena to interview members of the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 27, Rust was calmly stationed at his stall, largely...
Minor league report: Penguins lose in overtime, Nailers’ winning streak reaches 7Video
Forward Vinnie Hinostroza scored two goals for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. on Friday. Goaltender Magnus Hellberg made 24 saves on 29 shots as his record fell to 8-6-2. Forwards Peter Abbadonato and Joona Koppanen...
Minor league report: Penguins lose to Marlies, Nailers’ winning streak reaches 6Video
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 18 saves on 20 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Marlies at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. The result dropped Blomqvist’s record to 13-7-3. Forward Jonathan Gruden returned to the lineup after missing five games due to an...
Former Penguins forward Matt Cooke finds his way in Newfoundland
Matt Cooke wears a lot of hats these days. He’s something of a navigator, a nutritionist and even dabbles in human resources. Such is life as a coach in the ECHL. “As the head coach, I’m doing travel, I’m doing meals, I’m doing trades and lineup and roster and all...
Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic finds the right temperature
On Wednesday at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ facility, the mood was serious. After all, the team had just returned from the American Southwest with nothing but a pair of unappetizing road losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes. When a reporter asked several of the team’s prominent players about...
Penguins forward Lars Eller at 1,000 games: ‘He’s a pro’s pro’
Lars Eller wasn’t comfortable Saturday. A lot of what happened that night went against his constitution as a hockey player. Before a 3-2 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena, Eller was recognized for appearing in his 1,000th career game in a ceremony that included his family,...
Penguins assign Valtteri Puustinen, Ryan Shea, John Ludvig to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned rookie forward Valtteri Puustinen and defenseman Ryan Shea to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Sunday. Additionally, rookie defenseman John Ludvig was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning assignment. These transactions come on the first day of the Penguins’ seven-day break from team activities...
Minor league report: Penguins lose to Bears, Nailers extend winning streakVideo
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 25 saves on 28 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-2 home loss to the rival Hershey Bears at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. The result dropped Blomqvist’s record to 13-6-3 while forwards Vinnie Hinostroza and Radim Zohorna each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton...
Lars Eller scores in 1,000th NHL game, helps Penguins to OT win over Canadiens
Saturday opened with a celebration for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And ended with a badly needed boost of hope. In lavish fashion, they recognized hale and hearty third-line center Lars Eller for appearing in the 1,000th NHL game of his career before a contest against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints...
