Kevin Gorman Columns category, Page 13
Kevin Gorman: Penguins shouldn’t panic, but they need to show some urgencyVideo
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Pittsburgh Penguins say they aren’t about to press the panic button, even after they blew a lead against the New York Islanders and a critical chance to even their Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series. Maybe they already did. Not only did the Penguins make a lineup...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: For Penguins, everyone is a game-time decision
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Pittsburgh Penguins had an optional skate Friday at Nassau Coliseum, so the absence of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist, Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang didn’t raise any eyebrows. When Matt Murray did not participate, however, it begged an obvious question: Is he still starting...
Kevin Gorman: Islanders should be alarmed by Sidney Crosby’s scoreless gameVideo
UNIONDALE, N.Y. Something was missing next to Sidney Crosby’s name on the score sheet for the opening game of the Stanley Cup playoffs, as the 100-point scorer went scoreless. Statistically speaking, Game 1 against the New York Islanders wasn’t a great showing for the Pittsburgh Penguins captain. He didn’t produce...
Kevin Gorman: Penguins provide no defense for Mike Sullivan’s scratchVideo
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Mike Sullivan made a double-edged decision on his defensemen that he kept calling difficult, one that ultimately backfired on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The first part was simple: If Brian Dumoulin was good to go, playing him was a no-brainer. The second part was a struggle: Making Jack...
Penguins Game 1: Josh Bailey’s rebound goal sends Islanders to OT win
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — OVERTIME: Josh Bailey was denied by the post in the final seconds of regulation. He scored on a shot after the puck bounced off the post at 4:39 into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 victory over the Penguins in Game 1 of their...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Defensive depth brings big decisions for Penguins
When it comes to deciding the defense pairings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series against the New York Islanders, Mike Sullivan has some important decisions to make. Just don’t call them difficult. The Pittsburgh Penguins are as about as healthy as they have been on defense...
Kevin Gorman: Penguins have a dozen reasons to win another Stanley Cup
The Pittsburgh Penguins start these Stanley Cup playoffs with a dozen players who have hoisted the Cup in celebration of a championship at least once. Whether they can win another could depend largely upon the postseason play of the dozen Penguins who have never experienced that elation. “You have the...
Kevin Gorman: Pitt scores by bringing back colors but must build pride in Panthers
Pitt’s search for an athletic identity started with a switch from its iconic script logo and school colors by turning its uniforms into a Notre Dame knockoff, a poor man’s version of the Panthers. Finally, Pitt is back where it belongs. A change of heart finally led to a change...
Kevin Gorman: Failure to finish in overtime has Penguins going on the road in playoffs
Despite a milestone moment, the Pittsburgh Penguins ended their regular season with more of a sigh than a celebration. Sidney Crosby’s assist on Jake Guentzel’s tying goal gave the Penguins captain his 100th point and his right-hand man his 4oth goal but did nothing to improve their Stanley Cup status....
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Penguins maximize the minimum in season finale
On paper, the Pittsburgh Penguins were playing for keeps. On the ice, however, they forgot to keep playing. Well, with any sense of urgency anyway. Having already clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Penguins had only seeding at stake in the season finale against the New York...
Kevin Gorman: For sake of seeding, Penguins must take advantage of finaleVideo
Before Mike Sullivan spoke a word about the Pittsburgh Penguins solidifying a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 13th consecutive season, he played the spoiler. Sullivan entered the media room at PPG Paints Arena Thursday night and glanced to his left at a television showing the shootout between...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Penguins finally take care of business
Two points from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins drew a rematch with the hottest team in hockey. The Detroit Red Wings, winners of six straight, beat the Penguins on Tuesday and were poised to play spoiler once again Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. Things looked dim early,...
Kevin Gorman: With playoffs at stake for Penguins, ‘difficult decision’ is a no-brainerVideo
By not clinching a postseason spot sooner, the Pittsburgh Penguins put themselves in a predicament for their game Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings. If the Penguins had their preference, they would allow defenseman Kris Letang and center Evgeni Malkin more recovery time for their upper-body injuries so they...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Too early to judge these Pirates
As disheartening as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home-opening loss was, it is worth remembering it was only their third game of the season. So it might be just premature to suggest, based on their 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in 11 innings Monday at PNC Park, the Pirates are...
Kevin Gorman: Chris Archer shines in Pirates’ blown home opener
By the time Nick Kingham and Francisco Cervelli got their signals crossed in the 11th inning, Chris Archer’s electrifying start in his first home opener with the Pittsburgh Pirates was but a distant memory. When Paul DeJong scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball for a 6-5 victory on...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates start hot but blow home opener to Cardinals
Chris Archer was so fired up to start his first home opener as a Pirate that his teammates were offering odds on how many batters it would take before the right-hander let out his first yell. Beforehand, Trevor Williams said the over/under was 1.5. The under was a safe play,...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates hoping for another Home Opener Hero
Whether it’s a leadoff or walk-off, a solo shot, two in two at-bats or a grand slam, there is something special about the home team hitting a home run at the home opener. The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to find their next Home Opener Hero when they host the St. Louis...
Kevin Gorman: If Pirates want a new narrative, playoffs are only answer
Neal Huntington knows as expectations have changed for the Pittsburgh Pirates, from ending a two-decade losing streak to wanting to win a World Series, so have the never-ending narratives. The Pirates general manager buys into neither the notion that the baseball club would be satisfied with finishing above .500 nor...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: NCAA wrestling championships lived up to the hype
The NCAA wrestling championships came with a warning: You’ve never seen anything like it. Wrestling fans filled PPG Paints Arena over a three-day span to watch a pair of Western Pennsylvania products win individual championships and Penn State win its fourth consecutive national title and eighth in nine years. The...
Kevin Gorman: Blood round is difference between All-American and devastationVideo
Micky Phillippi watched his dream dashed one second at a time, a dozen agonizing ticks he couldn’t control. Twelve seconds separated the Pitt wrestler from becoming an All-American. Wrestlers will tell you that theirs is a sport you can’t quite understand unless you have worn the singlet and possess the...
Kevin Gorman: Upsets best part of Day 1 at March MatnessVideo
When you see the dizzying display of wrestling on eight mats covering the floor of PPG Paints Arena, you begin to understand why they call this March Matness. The NCAA wrestling championships are like an eight-ring circus full of takedowns, escapes and falls, of twists and turns and contortionist moves...
Kevin Gorman: Ready to watch NCAA wrestling with wide-eyed wonderVideo
Teague Moore knows the wide-eyed wonder that comes with the tidal wave of energy at the NCAA wrestling championships, one that wrestlers can ride to glory or be crushed under its weight. The American University coach will be flooded by memories this week, with reminders of the overwhelming joy of...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates make predictable moves but focus on future
The Pittsburgh Pirates made some predictable moves Monday by naming shortstop Erik Gonzalez and third baseman Jung Ho Kang starters over Kevin Newman and Colin Moran. That the decisions came down to defense is the obvious reaction, as Gonzalez and Kang provide more experience and better range on the left...
Kevin Gorman: Steelers need Ben Roethlisberger to be better leader
For a guy their general manager called the “unquestioned leader” of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s interesting to hear former teammates and former NFL players question Ben Roethlisberger’s leadership. Whether it’s Josh Harris claiming Roethlisberger purposely fumbled or Isaac Redman saying Roethlisberger didn’t do enough to build relationships in the locker...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Steelers’ spin on Antonio Brown trade falls flat
The only thing worse than the Pittsburgh Steelers trading Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders for third- and fifth-round draft picks was their weak attempt at defending it. In an interview with Steelers.com, general manager Kevin Colbert tried to put a positive spin on a disaster of a deal by...
