Penguins/NHL category, Page 298
Jacques Martin expected to stay with Penguins after bid for head-coaching gig fails
Having struck out in his bid to win the head coaching job in Ottawa and Buffalo, assistant coach Jacques Martin is expected to remain with the Pittsburgh Penguins next season. Martin, who has one year left on his contract, will return for his fifth straight season behind the Penguins bench,...
First Call: Possible Phil Kessel landing spot; Pirates scout outfielder; loving Le’Veon Bell
It’s a trade-heavy “First Call” for Friday. The Penguins may be engaged in a potential trade for Phil Kessel. Jets coach Adam Gase is denying ideas he wants to trade Le’Veon Bell. And the Pirates may be interested in acquiring a New York Yankee. Pharewell Phil? Tribune-Review Penguins writer Jonathan...
Penguins actively shopping popular winger Phil Kessel
After the Pittsburgh Penguins bowed out of the playoffs in a first-round sweep at the hands of the New York Islanders last month, it quickly became clear changes to the team’s roster were afoot. That wave of change appears likely to sweep up winger Phil Kessel. The Penguins actively are...
Penguins re-sign defenseman Chad Ruhwedel for 2 years
Which defensemen will fill the top six spots on the blue line next season remains an open question for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The picture at the bottom end of the depth chart, however, cleared up significantly on Thursday. Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel agreed to a new two-year deal with an average...
Canada scores buzzer-beating goal to advance to World Championship semifinals
Canada advanced to the semifinals of the IIHF World Championships on Thursday on a buzzer-beating goal by New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson. Trailing 2-1 to Switzerland with Penguins goalie Matt Murray pulled, Severson scored on a deflected point shot that slid over the goal line with 0.4 seconds left...
Accelerated development from Teddy Blueger could be good news for Penguins
Before he made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins at the end of January, the story of Teddy Blueger’s career was slow and steady improvement. His two-way game was always a point of strength, but his offensive game took some time to come around. As a freshman at Minnesota-Mankato,...
Former NHL heavyweight John Scott holds no grudge against Phil Kessel
The only suspension of Phil Kessel’s 13-year NHL career came when he delivered a series of two-handed chops to former Buffalo Sabres heavyweight John Scott in a 2013 preseason game. In an appearance on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast this week, Scott said he has no hard feelings. Thinking one of...
Penguins’ Matt Murray saves his best for rivalry matchup with U.S. at World Championships
Matt Murray had his finest showing of the IIHF World Championships in a game against his home country’s biggest rival. Murray recorded a 28-save shutout to lead Canada to a 3-0 victory over the United States on Tuesday in Slovakia. Penguins forward Jared McCann scored a goal. That's a 28-save...
First Call: New pressure for Le’Veon Bell; Penguins scoring in bunches at Worlds
In “First Call” Tuesday, something to watch for Le’Veon Bell in New York. Penguins players keep pumping in goals at the World Championships. The Warriors make history. And the next opponent for the Pirates just can’t buy good luck. Something to watch Many people are wondering how Le’Veon Bell will...
At World Championships, Penguins’ Dominik Simon giving teasing glimpse of talent
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be pleased with what winger Dominik Simon is accomplishing this month at the World Championships in Slovakia. Simon has recorded three goals and five assists in his first six games with the Czech Republic, ranking on the fringes of the top 10 among the tournament’s leading...
Marcus Pettersson, Zach Aston-Reese among Penguins due pay raises
The Pittsburgh Penguins don’t have much work to do this summer when it comes to re-signing their own restricted free agents. When they do get around to the task, defenseman Marcus Pettersson and winger Zach Aston-Reese will be due the biggest raises, according to hockey-graphs.com’s annual free-agent contract projections. Among...
Quietly subpar season from Justin Schultz didn’t help Penguins’ cause
Most of the players who had a bad year for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season did so at a high volume. The struggles of Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist, for instance, were loud. Justin Schultz, on the other hand, had a bad year quietly. Perhaps it’s because he...
First Call: Dominik Simon finally scores; Bruins keep Eastern sweeps alive
In Friday’s “First Call,” we finally see Dominik Simon score a goal. Not for the Penguins, of course. John Daly’s pants are better than his game. And the Bruins keep the sweep trend rolling in the Eastern Conference. Deadly Dominik So when is Dominik Simon going to score? Oh. Now?...
Recommendation from Penguins GM Jim Rutherford helped Sabres choose new coach
A referral from Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford helped the Buffalo Sabres choose their new coach. According to a story in the Buffalo News, Rutherford has held new Sabres coach Ralph Krueger in high esteem since hiring him as a European scout for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005. Rutherford...
Penguins need less boom-or-bust from Bryan Rust
It’s not hard to figure out why Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan thinks his team made a hasty, inglorious exit from the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. “To win in the playoffs, you can’t be a high-risk team,” Sullivan said at his season-ending press conference. “You’ve got to have a certain...
First call: Big Ben’s big bash, NHL officials under fire again, Shaq’s awful attire
In “First Call” Thursday, Ben Roethlisberger does some image repair. Kasper Björkqvist already has PPG Paints Arena experience. Shaq’s wardrobe needs help. So do NHL officials. Bad leader Ben? Remember when Antonio Brown trashed Ben Roethlisberger as a leader, in part, because “he has an owner’s mentality” and never invited...
Top prospect Kasper Bjorkqvist leaves Providence, signs with Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed their top prospect Wednesday, agreeing with winger Kasper Bjorkqvist on a two-year, entry-level contract. Bjorkqvist, a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, had 17 goals and 30 points in 42 games as a junior this season for Providence, helping the team advance to the NCAA Frozen...
Sidney Crosby’s OT winner in Edmonton up for NHL goal of the year
A stunning individual effort by Sidney Crosby that gave the Pittsburgh Penguins an overtime victory in Edmonton in October is a nominee for NHL goal of the year. Goal of the Year is one of 20 categories on the ballot in the NHL’s Fan Choice Awards, which hand out offbeat...
First call: Terry Bradshaw’s apology; ex-Penguins shine for Blues
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” a Terry Bradshaw apology, a potential tight end for the Steelers and some former Penguins stand out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bradshaw apologizes Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw is backtracking on some comments he made during Fox’s “upfront” presentation Monday. The network NFL host was...
For Penguins, a potential Phil Kessel trade must be more than addition by subtraction
In the days immediately following his team’s first-round ouster from the playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said he needed to take some time to make sure the emotion had faded from the decision-making process before plotting out his offseason plans. It’s a particularly good idea when deciding whether...
Penguins’ Patric Hornqvist has hot hand at World Championships
The scoring slump that plagued Pittsburgh Penguins winger Patric Hornqvist throughout much of the second half of the NHL season apparently hasn’t accompanied him to Slovakia for the IIHF World Championships. With two goals in a 9-1 victory over Norway on Monday, Hornqvist has scored in each of Sweden’s first...
Penguins castoff Greg McKegg finds scoring touch in Carolina
Pittsburgh Penguins castoff Greg McKegg has found a home on the fourth line of the Carolina Hurricanes. McKegg, who scored two goals in 26 games with the Penguins in 2017-18, has scored in each of Carolina’s last two playoff games coming into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against...
Olli Maatta puzzle frames difficult summer decisions Penguins must make
There are plenty of questions facing the Pittsburgh Penguins as they consider how to retool their roster after a disappointing 2018-19 season. Here’s a big one: Did the Penguins struggle in transition because their defense corps lacked the speed and skill to get the puck to the forwards effectively or...
Evgeni Malkin leads Russia past Norway in World Championships opener
Evgeni Malkin had a better time than Matt Murray as the IIHL World Championships began Friday in Slovakia. Malkin had a pair of assists as his Russian team cruised to a 5-2 victory over Norway. Murray stopped 24 of 26 shots as Canada dropped a 3-1 decision to Finland. Malkin...
Evgeni Malkin, Patric Hornqvist lead Penguins contingent at World Championships
When everything goes right, it’s a tournament Pittsburgh Penguins fans pay little mind. Everything didn’t go right for the Penguins this season, of course, so some of their players will be in the field when the IIHF World Championships begin Friday in Slovakia. Patric Hornqvist and Marcus Pettersson will try...
