Penguins/NHL category, Page 72
Major offseason deep dive into power play’s deficiencies sure to be in store for Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell probably spoke for many of his teammates when asked earlier this season why the power play could not seem to gain any traction. “I wish I had an answer,” Rakell said in March. “I would be the first guy to change something.” The Penguins’ power...
After seamless transition to Penguins, Michael Bunting looks to be key piece in futureVideo
In back-to-back games at the end of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season, winger Michael Bunting scored his 20th goal of the campaign, only for both scores to be taken away. He was credited with a goal in the third period April 14 against Boston, his second of the game, but a...
How did Penguins’ Big 3 perform after playing in all 82 games in 2023-24?
Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as well as defenseman Kris Letang — commonly referred to as the franchise’s Big 3 — played in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season. “It doesn’t surprise me,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said following the team’s season finale, a 5-4 road...
U mad, bro?: Pens fans fed up with Mike Sullivan; Pirates fans peeved over pitch counts; loud Kenny Pickett loyalists
At the time of this post, the Steelers haven’t made their first-round pick in the NFL Draft. So no one in Pittsburgh can be angry about that. Yet. Check back here next week. However, we do have Pitt fans prickly about Kenny Pickett, Penguins fans piping up about missing the...
Minor league report: Ville Koivunen scores in debut as Penguins drop Game 1Video
Forward Ville Koivunen scored the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ lone goal in a 2-1 home loss to the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Game 1 of a first-round series at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. Acquired via a trade on March 7 that sent All-Star forward Jake Guentzel to the...
Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson joins Sweden for IIHF World Championship
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson has been added to Sweden’s roster for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament in May. The addition of Pettersson and Seattle Kraken forward Andre Burakovsky was announced via a release by the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation on Tuesday. The IIHF World...
From even-strength aptitude to power-play incompetence, a situational look at the Penguins’ seasonVideo
Like most teams across the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins had some facets of their game that were strong and others that were weaker. But perhaps more so than a majority of clubs, the contrast between areas was quite pronounced. In a nutshell, the Penguins were at their best in traditional...
Penguins forward Rickard Rakell aims to ‘come back a lot better next year’Video
Late in training camp in the first week of October, Rickard Rakell looked across the dressing room of the Pittsburgh Penguins facility in Cranberry and saw defenseman Erik Karlsson. It had been almost two months since Karlsson had joined the Penguins via a blockbuster trade, so his presence wasn’t anything...
On Sports: Steelers won’t pick up 5th-year option on Justin Fields; Ben Roethlisberger celebrates draft anniversaryVideo
Did anyone believe it was prudent to exercise a 2025 contract option valued at more than $25 million for a player entering this season as a backup who was given up on by his previous team in exchange for nothing guaranteed more than a sixth-round pick? No? Some might have...
Penguins A to Z: Defense remains Raivis Ansons’ route to the NHLVideo
With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 49 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from...
Minor league report: Nailers shut out Fuel, take 3-1 series leadVideo
Goaltender Jaxon Castor made 21 saves for the Wheeling Nailers in a 3-0 shutout of the Indy Fuel in Game 4 of a Central Division semifinal series at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Tuesday. The Nailers lead the best-of-seven series, 3-1. Forward Jordan Martel scored two goals for Wheeling...
Reilly Smith takes ownership of disappointing debut campaign with Penguins
Acquiring winger Reilly Smith just before last year’s NHL Draft represented the first major offseason move Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas made after being hired to lead the club’s front office. Bringing in Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round pick in...
Penguins have options with their bottom-6 forwards
During the 2023 offseason, Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas stressed improvement to the team’s group of bottom-six forwards. His most prominent free agent signings toward that pursuit were forwards Noel Acciari, Lars Eller and Matt Nieto. Also included in the mix were reserves such as Vinnie Hinostroza,...
Penguins A to Z: A strong 2nd half to his 2nd season lifted Corey AndonovskiVideo
With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 49 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from...
Offseason dates of note for the Penguins
Over the next five months, the Penguins will have several key dates of note for this upcoming offseason. TBD – The NHL draft lottery Having missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the Penguins are in the NHL’s draft lottery to determine the order of the first 16 selections....
Minor league report: Nailers beat Fuel in overtime to take Game 3Video
A goal by former Robert Morris forward Justin Addamo 30 seconds into overtime gave the Wheeling Nailers a 3-2 home win against the Indy Fuel in Game 3 of a Central Division semifinal series at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Monday. The Nailers lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1. Addamo...
Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson to join Sweden for IIHF World Championship
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson will join Sweden for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship tournament. The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation announced Karlsson’s addition to the roster, along with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forward Victor Olofsson, via a release Monday. Slated for next month, the IIHF...
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton adds 4 Penguins prospects for playoff roster
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have added four Pittsburgh Penguins prospects to their roster for the upcoming Calder Cup playoffs. Defenseman Owen Pickering was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after completing his season at the junior level with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Swift Current Broncos. Meanwhile, forwards Cooper Foster and Ville Koivunen as...
Penguins have decisions to make on 20 pending free agents
The Pittsburgh Penguins have 20 players who are scheduled to become free agents this upcoming offseason. Here is a look at every player listed in alphabetical order and distinguished between unrestricted and restricted status. (Note: All contact information is via Cap Friendly.) Unrestricted free agents Jeff Carter, center Salary cap...
Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson eager to return to playoffs
Eight months into his tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Erik Karlsson is still fuzzy on a few details of his surroundings. Like his teammates’ first names. But he has the nicknames down. “You’re talking about ‘Tanger?’” Karlsson said when asked about fellow defenseman Kris Letang. “We never call him Kris.”...
Penguins A to Z: Offense, health were the only things missing for Noel AcciariVideo
With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 50 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from...
Madden Monday: ‘Unprofessional, inexcusable’ moments that wrecked the Penguins’ season
When the Pittsburgh Penguins cleaned out their lockers Thursday after another failed attempt to make the NHL playoffs, forward Lars Eller was asked where this season went wrong. “I think we had some times during the season where we just got too low — emotionally and quality of play,” Eller...
Despite disappointing finish, Tristan Jarry enters offseason as Penguins’ No. 1 option in net
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry received votes of confidence from coach Mike Sullivan and president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas during the club’s recent end-of-year sit downs with local media. However, Jarry’s deployment — benching, to be more accurate — over the final few weeks of the season might...
Minor league report: Penguins shut out Phantoms; Nailers rout Fuel in Game 2Video
In their regular season finale, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins got 21 saves from goaltender Ludovic Waeber and shut out the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 2-0, at the PPL Center in Allentown on Saturday. In his second shutout of the season, Waeber improved his record to 9-7-0. Forward Valtteri Puustinen recorded two...
Penguins reassign defenseman Ryan Shea to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead of AHL playoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea, placed on waivers Thursday by the club and cleared Friday, was formally re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday. Shea arrives with one game left in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s regular season, an away contest Saturday evening at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Unlike their NHL...
