After a game where Matt Murray allowed a staggering seven goals, the Pittsburgh Penguins' young goalie allowed only one against the Montreal Canadiens (27-13-6) in Pittsburgh's 4-1 win Wednesday night. With the defense allowing only 20 shots on net, Murray’s job was considerably easier than in his previous game against the Washington Capitals. The game began with both teams' offenses off to a good start, but Pittsburgh (28-11-5) got on the board firsts thanks to a wide-open Ian Cole flying ... Read More
Penguins haven’t missed a step in first game of 2017
After a long week since their last game, the Pittsburgh Penguins (26-8-5) won their fifth straight game after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning (19-19-4) 6-2 on Sunday evening at PPG Paints arena. Following a scoreless first period, the Lightning got on the board first when Jonathan Drouin scored. However, his goal was answered by Conor Sheary and Eric Fehr in the same period to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead heading into the final period of play. Two quick goals in the third period — one by ... Read More
Crosby scores in season-debut, Penguins win 3-2
He’s baaaccckkk. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby made his season debut after missing the first six games of the 2016-17 season with a concussion, but he looked like he had hardly missed a step. And Tuesday night, he certainly made his presence felt. In the second period, Crosby scored a beautiful one-timer on a power play off a pass from Evgeni Malkin, and Crosby had three more shots on goal. With goals from Carl Hagelin and Eric Fehr in the third period, the Penguins (4-2-1) ... Read More
Game 3 Preview: Can the Penguins claim series lead on home ice?
Pittsburgh Penguins (5-2) The Pittsburgh Penguins played their toughest game on Saturday and will continue to be challenged as the series goes on. Matt Murray played incredibly well and made big stops to keep their team within range of tying the series. Coach Mike Sullivan knows these challenges will continue to be seen, but he has the utmost confidence in his team to come away with the series win. Pittsburgh must continue to play a speedy style of hockey and protect Murray and the net ... Read More
Fehr scores game-winning goal, Murray shines in Game 2 of NHL Playoffs
After a heartbreaking Game 1 loss Thursday night against the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins rebounded and pulled off the 2-1 win in Game 2. Matt Murray dominated in-between the pipes for Pittsburgh, giving his team the advantage on the defensive side of things. Washington didn’t play lightly, slamming the Penguins into the boards, but Pittsburgh was ready and countered with the speed and elusiveness needed to escape the Capitals’ physical nature. Murray's Fury Murray played ... Read More
Pens hang on for fifth straight win
The Penguins got their Western Canadian road trip off on the right foot, holding on for a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. The Pens took an early lead on David Perron’s first goal of the season. Perron deflected a Brian Dumoulin point shot past Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller. Phil Kessel earned the secondary assist on the play, as Evgeni Malkin’s linemates cashed in. As the game went on, it seemed as if the tight-checking affair might end up 1-0. The shots were 14-13 in ... Read More
Is keeping Sprong the right move?
At some point in the next week, the Pens will have to make a decision on rookie winger Daniel Sprong. As an 18-year old out of Canadian junior, the Penguins are able to keep rookie Daniel Sprong around for a nine-game tryout period without burning the first year of his entry level contract. He has already played in six, and if he remains in the lineup the final three will be played this week. The decision on Sprong will most likely have to be made before the team leaves for Western Canada ... Read More
What do Dupuis injury and today’s moves mean for Pens salary cap?
The 2015-16 NHL season begins tomorrow and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been anticipating starting the season with Eric Fehr on long-term injured reserve. With this morning's news that Pascal Dupuis is out with a lower body injury, they should have even more cap space to work with. This afternoon, the Penguins sent Olli Maatta down to the AHL and recalled Oskar Sundqvist. The moves that are made today may very well be for salary cap reasons, so it is best not to read too much into the lineup ... Read More
Summer of Jim: Pens GM making all the right moves in 2015
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford faced a lot of criticism in his first year on the job. Many commenters (including this columnist) felt that Rutherford did not adequately manage his assets or the salary cap in order to put his team in the best possible position come playoff time. It was an easy criticism to make. The Penguins had so little salary cap space that they were forced to play with five defensemen for a long stretch at the end of the season, while minimal ... Read More
Pens sign Fehr; trade Sutter to Vancouver
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed free-agent center Eric Fehr to a three-year contract worth $2 million annually. To make room under the salary cap for Fehr, the Penguins traded center Brandon Sutter, along with a 2016 third-round draft choice, to the Vancouver Canucks for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening and a 2016 second-round pick. Fehr, 29, had spent nine of is 10 NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals, who drafted him in the first round in 2003. In 75 games with the Caps in 2014-15, Fehr ... Read More