Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Thursday, October 8, 2015. What's on tap for today: With the city in mourning over the Pirates playoff loss last night, hockey season couldn't come at a better time. The Penguins will get their season started with a visit to Dallas to take on the Stars tonight at 8:30 p.m. ROOT Sports Pittsburgh Pittsburgh headlines: The Pirates 4-0 loss to Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs last night ended their season at home in the Wild ... Read More
AM Joe: And now, we wait
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Monday, October 5, 2015. What's on tap for today: At the craziest part of the year's sports calendar, there will be two days of nothing but anticipation, as the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins and local college teams are all off until Wednesday's Wild Card game between the Bucs and the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. At noon, Pitt (3-1. 1-0) head coach Pat Narduzzi will discuss his team's big road win over Virginia Tech and look forward to ... Read More
Penguins to play 18 nationally-televised games on NBC, NBCSN
With stars such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins have long been one of the featured franchises in the NHL, and this season appears to be no different in that regard. The Penguins will appear on NBC or NBCSN 18 times in 2015-16 as the NHL’s broadcast partner will produce a record 105 regular season games league-wide. The Penguins will be tapped for NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivarly matchup six times: on Oct. 28 against the Washington Capitals, Nov. 11 ... Read More
Pens continue training staff shakeup with two new hires
Less than a week after the departure of strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar, the Pittsburgh Penguins have laid the groundwork for a new start in their off-ice training department. Joining the club in a newly created position will be Andy O’Brien. O’Brien has been the personal trainer of many NHL athletes – including the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby – and was the strength and conditioning coach of the Florida Panthers from 2005-2009. O’Brien, 37, will hold the position of director of ... Read More
World Champs: Crosby joins elite group with world title
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby captained Team Canada to a 6-1 victory in the finals of the 2015 IIHF World Championship on Sunday. Crosby had a goal and an assist in Canada’s championship game victory over teammate Evgeni Malkin and Russia. Team Canada dominated the tournament, winning all ten games and averaging over six goals per game. Malkin and Russia were unable to repeat as champions, but he had a goal in the final and earned a silver medal. Team USA won the bronze medal game over the ... Read More
Penguins’ effort unquestionable despite loss
The Pittsburgh Penguins certainly had a disappointing finish to their 2014-15 season. A year that started with such hope and promise finished with a dizzying tail slide down the home stretch of the regular season and a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the New York Rangers. The late-season slide showed that this Penguins club has many weaknesses, chiefly among them scoring goals. That demon reared its head in the playoffs as the Pens scored just one goal in each of their four ... Read More
Pressure is now on Rangers as series shifts to Pittsburgh
Pressure makes people do funny things. In the National Hockey League, pressure can make a defenseman whiff as he tries to chip the puck out of the zone, a goal scorer fire a shot high and wide at an open net, or a goaltender blink as a slap shot comes sizzling in from the point. In the NHL playoffs, pressure is everywhere, but some teams feel it more than others. In 2014, the with a Stanley Cup mandate from ownership and the coaching staff’s jobs on the line, the Penguins collapsed under ... Read More
Crosby comes alive as Penguins even series
After getting embarrassed in the first period of Game 1 in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the Penguins were determined to get off to a better start in Game 2 on Saturday night. The Rangers still came out with first period lead, but Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took over, scoring two goals in the second period to lead his squad to a 4-3 victory and evened the series at one game a piece as it heads back to Pittsburgh. The early going was tight checking, with teams combining for just ... Read More
Pens need production from stars to even series
After a hideous first 20 minutes on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, the Pittsburgh Penguins found a way to play two decent periods of hockey, something that seemed unfathomable after watching their parade to the penalty box in the opening frame. It was a good sign. The first period was so lopsided; it may as well have been scored Christians 2, Lions 0. The second and third periods proved that the Penguins and Rangers do in fact play in the same league. If the Penguins can limit ... Read More
Penguins make return to Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs are back. What seemed to be a fait accompli early in the season turned into a gut-wrenching struggle down the stretch, as the once-dominant Penguins looked like a shell of their former selves, backing into the postseason with a 4-9-2 record down the homestretch. The Penguins have now qualified for the postseason for nine consecutive seasons, but for the first time in a long time, find themselves in the position of being underdogs, as they will travel to New York City ... Read More