Chris Adamski stories, Page 106
Barry Trotz: Sidney Crosby ‘the gold standard’ among NHL players
No NHL coach is more familiar with facing Sidney Crosby than Barry Trotz. Be it as the leader of the Washington Capitals or New York Islanders, Trotz has coached against Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins in a postseason series five times. No other coach has matched up against Crosby in more than...
Sidney Crosby’s Penguins, Barry Trotz’s Islanders no strangers to pressure of series tied at 2
Of the more than 320 players who are taking part in this NHL postseason, only two have appeared in more postseason games than Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. Only two defensemen still playing for the 2021 Stanley Cup have played in more than Kris Letang. Not many active in the...
Even in sparse ice time in return from injury, Evgeni Malkin makes impact on Penguins’ win
Among the 1,107 NHL regular-season and playoff games Evgeni Malkin has appeared in over his career, in only five did Malkin amass less ice time than he did during Thursday’s postseason contest on Long Island. Malkin didn’t need an abundance of time to make an impact. In his return to...
Islanders creating more chances than Penguins on the power playVideo
It’s a laughably small sample size, to be sure. But through the first four days of the Stanley Cup playoffs, no team has had a worse power play than the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins are 0 for 5 with an extra man through two games of their first-round series against...
Blueger, Aston-Reese, Tanev have been better than a mere ‘4th line’ for PenguinsVideo
To open his video conference call with media Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was asked about the effectiveness of his “fourth line” during the team’s first-round playoff series. “You’re talking about Teddy Blueger’s line?” Sullivan asked. Purportedly, Sullivan politely was asking for clarification. But it’s also possible Sullivan was...
Evgeni Malkin to travel with Penguins to New York; Casey DeSmith will not
It’s the NHL. It’s the playoffs, and it’s Mike Sullivan. So any injury update provided Wednesday between Games 2 and 3 of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round series against the New York Islanders figured to be less than expansive. And while that was true, there was a morsel of good news...
For Penguins’ Tristan Jarry, it was ‘easy’ to be better in Game 2
NHL locker rooms remain closed to media, and Tristan Jarry was not made available to speak to media after Game 1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round series against the New York Islanders. But while he never publicly gave a self-assessment of his play during Sunday’s loss, what he said after...
‘Freddy Hockey’ again scores in Penguins playoff game — this time, for the Penguins
The last time Frederick Gaudreau played in the Stanley Cup playoffs, it involved the Pittsburgh Penguins. It involved some Gaudreau goals, too. Sunday, though, Gaudreau’s scoring benefited the Penguins. In his Penguins playoff debut and ninth playoff game of his career, Gaudreau scored his fourth postseason goal. That almost matches...
Penguins notes: Isles’ Semyon Varlamov does not play, Pens’ Evan Rodriguez does
To open their postseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins could not take advantage of facing a rookie goalie making his NHL playoff debut in net. Ilya Sorokin, a 2014 third-round pick, started for the New York Islanders because Semyon Varlamov was unavailable because of an undisclosed injury. Sorokin might have just 22...
Playoff history with Islanders evokes heartbreak, humiliation for Penguins fansVideo
They’ve combined to win nine of the past 40 Stanley Cups, and they’ve been division rivals for the majority of their respective histories. But the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders have met for a playoff series just five times over the 49 years since the latter was born. Postseason...
Kendrick Green eager to take Maurkice Pouncey’s ‘53’ as he strives to replace him for SteelersVideo
Kendrick Green knows the task is tough. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie seems to understand the comparisons inevitably will come. He isn’t backing down from them. The Steelers’ third-round pick, Green requested and was granted the same number he wore as an all-Big Ten interior offensive lineman at Illinois: No. 53....
Don’t call him ‘Baby Gronk’ – Steelers rookie TE Pat Freiermuth ‘hates it’Video
Would “Baby Heath” work for Pat Freiermuth? Because the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end isn’t a fan of being called “Baby Gronk.” “I hate it,” said Pat Freiermuth of the “Baby Gronk” moniker so many called him while he was an All-Big Ten performer at Penn State. “I think it’s...
After uneven start to season, Kasperi Kapanen fits in on, off ice with Penguins
In the aftermath of a meek, unique playoff flameout — bowing out in four games against the No. 24 overall seed in the 2020 Toronto “bubble” — there was a school of thought that there could be major changes for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But with the franchise set to open...
2019 series sweep not on mind of Penguins as they prepare for Islanders
It has been 43 days since the Pittsburgh Penguins faced the New York Islanders and 102 days since the teams completed a stretch of six meetings over a span of about three weeks. Then again, it has been 756 days since the longtime division rivals met in the postseason. For...
Penguins to increase capacity for playoff games to 50% at PPG Paints Arena
It has been more than 14 years since the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t sell every ticket available for a game. To keep their sellout streak of more than 600 games alive, they will have a few extra tickets to sell beginning next week. Gov. Tom Wolf announced the state is easing...
Will Penguins have full, injury-free lineup for the playoffs? Indications at practice say so
The Pittsburgh Penguins needed 35 players to make it through their 56-game regular season. At one point, they were down to their 12th defenseman. Other times, four of their top nine forwards were out. But with the postseason about to begin, indications are the Penguins could have the luxury of...
Evgeni Malkin, Tristan Jarry, Mike Matheson among banged-up Penguins who skate Monday
With the start of the postseason looming for the Pittsburgh Penguins, six regular members of the lineup have questions about their injury status. All six hit the ice Monday in Cranberry. Forwards Evgeni Malkin, Brandon Tanev and Evan Rodrigues and defenseman Mike Matheson all took part in an optional skate...
Another strong outing for Wil Crowe, but Pirates’ bats stay cool in loss to Cubs
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost another game, but are they gaining themselves another viable starting pitcher? Wil Crowe turned in a third consecutive encouraging start since being put into the rotation, but the offense struggled again in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Crowe allowed six baserunners —...
Pirates notebook: Colin Moran leaves game with groin injury
Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Colin Moran left Saturday’s game during the bottom of the first inning because of an injury to his left groin. Moran caught a line drive off the bat of the Chicago Cubs’ Jason Heyward and lunged to attempt a tag on Willson Contreras to double him...
Brandon Tanev practices with Penguins, inches toward return for playoffs
The playing style and on-ice demeanor of Brandon Tanev suggest the appearance of a player who’s difficult to hold back from taking the ice for each shift. Now, imagine keeping Tanev out of games for more than a month. But Tanev’s measured, patient manner — in speaking with media of...
Penguins’ top 2 goalies injured: Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith won’t play in finale
The playoffs are about to begin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are experiencing a dearth of healthy, experienced goalies. There is no apparent worry, though, that the relative crisis will carry over into the actual postseason. “Tristan Jarry did not practice today, nor did Casey DeSmith,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said...
Carnegie Mellon seminar to tackle the sweet science of sports analytics
About two decades ago, even the most hardcore baseball fans never had heard of OPS. At that point in time, the concept of an NBA team scoring more points on field goals behind the 3-point line than in front of it? Folly. Back in the olden days of the early...
Jeff Carter has been one of Penguins’ most versatile, effective forwards since his arrival
There were two obvious rationales the Pittsburgh Penguins employed to add Jeff Carter at the trade deadline last month. Each appears to be playing out at or above any organizational expectations. “He’s really fit in nicely,” coach Mike Sullivan said, “ … both in the locker room and on the...
Alejandro Villanueva embraces joining Ravens, takes veiled shot at JuJu Smith-Schuster
As is customary for most NFL teams when their signings in free agency become official, Alejandro Villanueva was made available to the media Wednesday. The veteran left tackle’s comments might raise some eyebrows with the fans and players of his former team. Villanueva joined the Baltimore Ravens for a reported...
NHL suspends Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere for 2 games for late hit on Penguins’ Mark Friedman
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday it was issuing a two-game suspension to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for his hit on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mark Friedman during the previous evening’s game. Gostisbehere was assessed a two-minute penalty for cross-checking after he shoved Friedman moments after Friedman added...
