When it's going your way, it's going your way. The Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Calgary Flames in a 4-3 victory to extend their home win streak to ten games and seven games overall. Calgary outshot the Penguins 30-23 and held a heavy shot advantage in the first and third periods of the game. But Marc-Andre Fleury made several key saves and the Penguins' offense was opportunistic. Pascal Dupuis scored midway through the first period with a grinding shift from the top line. Dupuis ... Read More
Steelers in Lambeau; Playoff Hopes Alive
December visits to Lambeau Field are generally feared due to the perennial strength of the Green Bay Packer organization and the frigid temperatures. Very fittingly, when the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8) take on Green Bay (7-6-1) on Sunday afternoon, there will be playoff implications for both historic franchises and the weather will be cold and wet. A mix of rain and snow and a high of just 26 degrees is expected in Green Bay, but the presence of star QB Aaron Rodgers is not, as he will miss his ... Read More
The key to get Pitt football back on top
The University of Pittsburgh has one of the most storied football programs in the country. Headlined by its nine National Championships, the last coming in 1976, Pitt ranks in the top five in Heisman trophy finalist (6) and fourth out of all FBS teams in alumnus in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (8). However, recently Pitt Football has hit a lull. With its last BCS appearance coming in 2004, when they lost in the Fiesta Bowl to Alex Smith and the Utah Utes, Pitt has found itself playing in bowls ... Read More
Bylsma’s system has led the team to success
Early in the season, Dan Bylsma was under a bit of pressure as many felt the Penguins, loaded with talent, were underperforming. Thirty-seven games into the season, the Penguins are 26-10-1, winners of six straight, lead the Metropolitan division by 14 points and the hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference. As previously mentioned, for a team of this caliber and talent, shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. However, when you consider the Penguins' top four defenseman have been plagued ... Read More
Who’s in and who’s out next year for the Steelers
With two games remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to finishing strong and extend their non-losing streak which dates back to 2003. Even in a down year, there is no quit from the Steelers, who in a year of countless injuries and demoralizing defeats, continue to push forward. Over the last 10 games, the Steelers are 6-4 and yet could easily be 8-2. For Mike Tomlin's squad, It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Attention should now be focused on personnel to see where ... Read More
Pens roll in 5-2 win over Wild
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been nearly invincible at home this season, posting a 16-3-0 record and Thursday night's matchup against the Minnesota Wild proved exactly why. The Penguins dominated the Wild for most of the night leading to a 5-2 victory to move the win streak to six straight. It was a night for homecomings at Consol Energy Center. James Neal returned from a five game suspension and Matt Cooke returned to Pittsburgh for the first time since last season. The Penguins honor ... Read More
Is Pitt ready for the ACC?
Monday night's loss to Cincinnati should have served as a wakeup call to Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon. It also should serve as a reminder of why the Panthers need to do a better job with their out of conference schedule. Don't get me wrong, there has been plenty to like about Pitt's first 10 wins of the season. There's also no shame in losing to a team like Cincinnati, although the Bearcats could be a bubble team at best in this year's NCAA Tournament field. On a night where the Panthers ... Read More
Pens win fifth straight on Sutter’s shootout goal
The Penguins just keep on rolling no matter who is missing from the lineup. Pittsburgh defeated the New York Rangers, Wednesday night, at Madison Square Garden thanks to a shootout goal from Brandon Sutter in the fifth frame. With a heavy list of star players missing due to injury and suspension, the Penguins climbed out to a 3-1 lead before seeing it disintegrate late in the third period. Chris Kunitz broke a scoreless tie with his 18th goal of the season 12:44 into the second period. ... Read More
Hockey’s war with itself
The NHL and the North American levels of hockey are at war with itself over tolerable levels of violence in the game. Questions are now being asked loudly about the future of fighting and the definition of acceptable hits. After several suicides of high profile enforcers over the past several years, attributable to depression caused by CTE, the loss of several players to concussions, including Marc Savard and Chris Pronger, there has been much discussion. There has also been some movement ... Read More
Brown should, but won’t, get MVP recognition
In a season all but lost at this point, the Pittsburgh Steelers played for pride on Sunday night against the Bengals and didn't disappoint. Through all of the ups and downs, there has been one player who continues to silence critics. While Big Ben continues to have a stellar season amongst all the rumors, Antonio Brown has been the MVP of this team and should be considered in the talk for MVP of the league. Heading into training camp and during the preseason, there was a pressing concern of ... Read More