With the Pittsburgh Penguins currently ranked third in the league in average goals against per game, falling two spots after allowing five against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night, knocking the defense seems farfetched. Maybe unfair. However, consider the two players with the worst plus/minus ranking on the team in Kris Letang and Ian Cole at -10 and -9, respectively. Now, consider Olli Maatta and Rob Scuderi lead the team with +9 and +8 ratings, while Ben Lovejoy checks in at ... Read More
Changes to D-pairs paying off for Pens
After starting 0-3, the Pittsburgh Penguins have turned things around and are now on a three-game winning streak. They even managed to finally score on the power play against Florida last night. The wins have not come easy, however, and there are still adjustments that could be made to help them improve going forward. One area that has been a hot topic for discussion is the team's defensive pair. The Penguins have used seven defensemen so far this season, and of a potential 21 combinations, ... Read More
Pens to sign Russian winger Plotnikov; salary cap set; changes coming to OT
The Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in signing Russian forward Sergei Plotnikov, according to a source close to the situation. The story was first reported by Russian news agency TASS. Plotnikov, 25, most recently played for Lokomitv Yaroslavl of the KHL, where he scored 15 goals and had 21 assists in 56 games in 2014-15. He also represented Russia in the 2015 IIHF World Championships, where he had four goals and an assist in 19 games. He was a teammate of Penguins center Evgeni Malkin at ... Read More
Report: Letang to resume training
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been cleared to resume training, according to a report by TVA Sport’s Renaud Lavoie. #penguins Kris Letang is back in the gym. He received the green light to start training with intensity. #tvasports— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 1, 2015 Letang suffered a concussion after being hit awkwardly into the boards by Shane Doan of the Arizona Coyotes on March 28. He was briefly hospitalized after the incident did not return to action in ... Read More
Kris Letang: veteran defenseman?
The 2014-15 season will be a forgettable one for most Pittsburgh Penguins players and fans. For defenseman Kris Letang, it’s a wonder that he can even remember it. Letang suffered at least two head injuries last season, the first coming as a result of a dangerous hit by Philadelphia Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo in January, the second after he fell awkwardly into the boards following an innocent-looking hit by Arizona Coyotes forward Shane Doan in late March. He also missed five games in late ... Read More
Letang a finalist for Masterton Trophy
The Professional Hockey Writer’s Association has named Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman a finalist for the 2015 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The Masterton Trophy is awarded annually to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” The award is typically given to players that have fought through injury or adversity in their career. Masterton was a Minnesota North Stars defensemen who died after sustaining injuries in a game in ... Read More
Mike Johnston deserving of another season behind Pens bench
Pittsburgh Penguins CEO and president David Morehouse told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Friday that head coach Mike Johnston, along with general manager Jim Rutherford and star centers Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, would be returning to the club for the 2015-16 season. Not only will they returning, Morehouse said that the Penguins’ upper management “never considered” replacing the team’s GM or head coach. In Johnston’s case, it will be a much-deserved second chance to establish himself ... Read More
Penguins lose to Islanders; Letang done for season
The Pittsburgh Penguins finished their home slate with a disappointing 3-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Friday night, and may have lost even more than that, as news broke late Friday night that defenseman Kris Letang will not return this season. Letang, 27, finished his most prolific season under less-than-ideal circumstances. He fell backwards into the boards awkwardly after a hit by Arizona Coyotes forward Shane Doan on March 28 and spent the night in the hospital for ... Read More
Pens get Malkin back, lose Downie for final meeting with Flyers
As has been typical of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2014-15 season, as soon as they get one player back from injury, they lose another one. When the Penguins visit the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon, center Evgeni Malkin will make his return to the Penguins lineup after missing the last two games with a nagging injury. Missing in action will be right-winger Steve Downie, who is out for today’s game and is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Downie did not appear to be injured during ... Read More
Kapanen comes to Pennsylvania; Penguins host Flyers
The Pittsburgh Penguins first-round draft pick and top forward prospect Kasperi Kapanen has ended his season and his native Finland and will soon join the Penguins’ top farm club in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Kapanen, 18, scored 11 goals and recorded 10 assists in 41 games with KalPa of the Finnish Liiga. It was a disappointing season for the youngster, who played well for stretches but failed to dominate the league as hoped. He also added one goal in five games for Team Finland in the under-20 ... Read More