First Call: Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury blames himself for loss; Penguins trade targets heat up

Wednesday’s “First Call” features an unhappy Marc-Andre Fleury after losing to his old Penguins teammates. Two Penguins’ trade targets net goals. Bob Huggins gets fined. And the Pitt hoops team may be catching North Carolina at the right time.

At least Roy Williams seems to think so.

No Flower power

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury blamed himself for his team’s 4-3 loss to the Penguins Tuesday night.

“I thought our guys played well,” the former Pens netminder said. “They had the puck a lot. We created some chances. I just let in too many goals. It cost us the game.”

Fleury admitted that playing against his former teammates is still strange.

“I don’t think it will ever be normal,” Fleury said. “It’s always nice to see the guys, the training staff. But I’m still mad when I don’t get the win.”

Fleury allowed the four goals on just 16 shots. Meanwhile Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 31 of the 34 shot attempts he saw from Vegas.

Jarry leads the NHL in save percentage (.934) and goals against average (2.04).

Tracking Kreider

Chris Kreider is believed to be one of many names on the watch list for Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford.

After Jake Guentzel went down with a shoulder injury, many have wondered if the Penguins may try to acquire the Rangers forward. He’ll be a free agent next year.

Kreider scored a power play goal last night to help New York’s comeback win against the Colorado Avalanche.

That goal got the Rangers on the board after being down 2-0. They went on to win 5-3. It was Kreider’s 13th goal and 27th point.

Colorado is the next opponent for the Penguins on Friday night.

Hot Hoffman

Another name being rumored as a candidate for Rutherford to target is Florida Panthers winger Mike Hoffman.

He scored in Pittsburgh on Sunday as the Panthers beat the Penguins 4-1.

His team lost to Arizona 5-2 Tuesday. But Hoffman scored again as his trademark laser wrist shot was on display once more.

Meanwhile, former Penguin Phil Kessel had three assists in the win for Arizona. The Pens visit Kessel’s Coyotes Sunday.

That bad?

Pitt’s basketball team is going on the road to play North Carolina Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

You’d think it’d be Jeff Capel who would be critical of his club after the Panthers blew a 16-point lead at home against Wake Forest over the weekend.

And maybe he is. But UNC coach Roy Williams is really down in the dumps.

The Tar Heels normally are NCAA title contenders. But so far this year they are just 8-6 and head coach Roy Williams is calling this team “the least gifted I’ve ever coached (in Chapel Hill).”

Two of those losses have already occurred in ACC play as Williams’ players have fallen to Virginia and Georgia Tech. They beat Notre Dame in conference action to start the year.

Meanwhile the Panthers are also 1-2 in the ACC, having beaten Florida State in the season opener. But they suffered that bad blown lead to Wake Forest and fell to Louisville back on Dec. 7.

Unhappy Huggins

West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been fined $10,000 for criticism of officials. He was angry about what he deemed to be inconsistent foul calls during his team’s loss to Kansas over the weekend.

“I can’t control what those three blind mice running around out there do,” Huggins said of the referees.

The conference claims it was his third such violation of the Big 12’s sportsmanship policy.