Penguins/NHL category, Page 308
Penguins’ Kris Letang out again with upper-body injury
NEW YORK – After missing 11 games in the past month, defenseman Kris Letang is out again for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Letang will not play against the New York Rangers on Monday night due to an upper-body injury and his status is considered day to day, coach Mike Sullivan said...
First call: Previewing Penguins-Rangers; support for Tom Izzo
In Monday’s “First Call,” we give you a preview of Monday’s Penguins-Rangers game, a look at the weekend’s impact on the NHL’s Eastern Conference standings, some support for Tom Izzo and some height perspective on UCF’s Tacko Fall. Wrecked Rangers The Penguins get back into action Monday night against the...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss Penguins, start of Pirates season, Tom Izzo ‘controversy’
There is a lot to get into for “Madden Monday” this week with Mark Madden of 105.9 the X. We start with the Penguins and the impact of recently acquired forward Denis Sav … uh, I mean … Jared McCann. How about that spin-o-rama goal he scored Saturday night in...
Penguins in midst of remarkable defensive turnaround
It’s not all that surprising the Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the best records in hockey since the NHL trade deadline. They’re a talented, veteran group that has been through the wringer of an 82-game schedule before. They know when it’s time to buckle down. What’s shocking is exactly how...
Penguins’ Matt Murray puts late-game woes behind him with strong showing in Dallas
DALLAS – While he was stuck in a stretch where he gave up the tying goal in the final five minutes of regulation four times in 13 games, it seemed tone deaf to point out how well Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray was playing. Yeah, his save percentage is great...
Jared McCann’s short-handed goal gives Penguins win over Stars
DALLAS — The way they got the lead was so pretty, the Pittsburgh Penguins just couldn’t bear to give this one away. Jared McCann scored a short-handed goal on a spinning backhander to break a third-period tie and lead the Penguins to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on...
Former Penguins defenseman Jamie Oleksiak gets right back to where he started from
DALLAS – There are very few players in the history of hockey who can relate to what defenseman Jamie Oleksiak has gone through in the past two seasons. In December of 2017, the Dallas Stars shipped him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a fourth-round draft pick. In January, the Penguins...
Penguins’ Jared McCann sees no need to apologize for racking up empty-net goals
DALLAS – Since he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Feb. 1 trade, four of the nine goals Jared McCann has scored were shot into an empty net. That’s the kind of development that will earn McCann some good-natured razzing from teammates who will chide him for picking low-hanging fruit,...
Hot goalies keeping lid on Penguins offense
DALLAS — The Pittsburgh Penguins caught a break when the Dallas Stars decided starting goalie Ben Bishop, who leads the league with a .932 save percentage this season, would get Saturday night off. Yeah, some break. Instead, they were to face backup Anton Khudobin, who is eighth in the league...
Goals are only thing missing for promising Penguins 3rd line
The recent postseason history of the Pittsburgh Penguins is littered with third lines that made a championship difference. In 2009, Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy were known as the best third line in hockey. In 2016, the HBK Line featuring Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel set...
Bryan Rust’s goal helps Penguins avoid potentially frustrating loss
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the first period of Thursday night’s game against the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust had a handful of scoring chances, including one shot that rang off the post behind goalie Pekka Riine. Was he starting to grow frustrated? “I was about to break my...
Penguins give up late lead again, prevail in shootout vs. PredatorsVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the fifth time in their past 14 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins blew a one-goal lead late in the third period and went to overtime. This time, they lived to tell the tale. Sidney Crosby converted on his attempt in the shootout, Matt Murray stopped all three...
Sidney Crosby says Penguins better served going for empty-netters than sitting back in late-game situations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Playing the position runs in Sidney Crosby’s family, and he’s been known to goof around between the pipes in pick-up games and other informal settings from time to time, but make no mistake: He’s not a goaltender. As such, the idea of sitting back and letting opposing...
Penguins growing weary of trying to make playoffs one point at a time
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Coming into a matchup with the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost two in a row. Both losses, however, came past regulation, in overtime against Philadelphia last Sunday and in a shootout Tuesday in Carolina. All told, the Penguins have picked up a...
Penguins call-up Adam Johnson to rely on speed in NHL debut in Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – When most call-ups are set to make their NHL debuts, they have to prove they can keep up with the speed of the NHL game. That shouldn’t be a problem for Pittsburgh Penguins winger Adam Johnson. As he prepares to face the Nashville Predators on Thursday night,...
Penguins’ Olli Maatta cleared for contact as competition for lineup spots on D heats up
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Olli Maatta took a few minutes to fill out an NCAA tournament bracket Thursday morning, taking Duke to win it all and, perhaps because he was influenced by the talk from the locals at Bridgestone Arena, Tennessee to make the Final Four. What Maatta’s really excited about,...
Many Penguins issues to discuss heading into matchup vs. Predators
Our Penguins beat writer, Jonathan Bombulie, joins me to talk about the Penguins’ game Thursday in Nashville. He is in Tennessee. There’s plenty to discuss. • What is the biggest problem surrounding the Penguins’ three-game losing streak? • We need to figure out why the goal-scoring has gone dry. •...
Penguins call up forward prospect Adam Johnson
The Pittsburgh Penguins added some youth and speed to their lineup Wednesday, calling up winger Adam Johnson from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. Winger Joseph Blandisi and defenseman Juuso Riikola were sent down. Johnson, 24, is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top-scoring forward this season, recording 18 goals and 40 points in 63 games. He’s...
Hits just keep on coming for Penguins defensemen
The Pittsburgh Penguins defense corps has taken a lot of hits lately. Figuratively, there’s probably no greater body blow a defense can absorb than surrendering a lead late in regulation and losing in overtime or a shootout, and the Penguins have done that four times in their past 13 games....
First call: Le’Veon Bell explains absence from Steelers; Hurricanes ‘Duck Hunt’ Penguins
Wednesday’s “First Call” features Le’Veon Bell’s wandering explanation about his absence from the Steelers, the Hurricanes’ latest postgame celebration, a recap of the Metropolitan Division results impacting the playoff picture. What’s he trying to say? Former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell did an interview with Sports Illustrated. He tried —...
Penguins podcast: Blown leads, mental mistakes, giving away points
We waited until Wednesday to get Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer on the Sided.co podcast for his weekly hockey segment. For good reason. We wanted to wrap up the Penguins’ big game in Raleigh Tuesday night. And they lost. Again. Carolina won 3-2 in a shootout. It was a...
U mad, bro? Penguins fans losing it, Steelers fans … still losing it
A lot is going on in this week’s “U mad, bro?” Penguins fans are mad at blown leads. Steelers fans are mad at Josh Harris. Rage continues about Antonio Brown. And at least one reader is angry about my pessimistic Steelers forecast. ••• “Manofmyster1” leaves no mystery to this tweet....
Penguins’ Kris Letang has up-and-down night in return from injury
RALEIGH, N.C. — Kris Letang nearly finished off his first game back after an 11-game absence due to an upper-body injury as a returning hero Tuesday night. Instead, he ended it sitting in the locker room while his team lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Carolina Hurricanes. The heroics...
Penguins blow another late lead in shootout loss to HurricanesVideo
RALEIGH, N.C. — If the Pittsburgh Penguins fail to make the playoffs or limp in with an unenviable seed, they won’t have to think hard to figure out why. They’ve done a miserable job of holding leads late in the season. Justin Williams tied the score in the final two...
Penguins’ Phil Kessel sets team record for consecutive games played
RALEIGH, N.C. — Matt Cullen recently played his 1,500th NHL game, and Sidney Crosby recently recorded his 1,200th point in the league. They know a thing or two about longevity. As such, they’re impressed with the record teammate Phil Kessel set when he stepped on the ice Tuesday night against...
