Tonight, the stars will shine even brighter in Las Vegas when the NHL Awards take place. And this time, what happens in Vegas won’t just stay there. There are three Pittsburgh Penguins up for awards — Sidney Crosby for the Hart Memorial Trophy, Jim Rutherford for GM of the Year and Pascal Dupuis for the Masterton Trophy. Here’s a look at their chances and who we think will take home the hardware. Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL MVP) Finalists: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Patrick ... Read More
Stanley Cup win solidifies places of Crosby, Malkin among hockey elite
Ever since the 2008-09 season that resulted in a Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins struggled to piece together a season that encompassed all the necessary qualities of a championship team. And captain Sidney Crosby felt the heat more than anyone else. A head injury forced him to be more cautious on the ice. And, at the start of the 2015-16 season, the captain hit rock bottom after being passed over for the All-Star Game. After that, Crosby looked like a completely different player — ... Read More
Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup win reminder that nothing in sports is certain
Rewind to 2009. The Pittsburgh Penguins had just won the Stanley Cup and were beginning to look like the start of the next NHL dynasty. It's hard to blame anyone for thinking Pittsburgh would be the next Gretzky-era Edmonton Oilers. Captain Sidney Crosby was only 21 years old, fellow center Evgeni Malkin was 22 years old and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was just 24 years old. The Penguins were loaded with young, superstar talent — and most of them were under team control for years. On June ... Read More
Despite great playoff performance, Crosby not right choice to win Conn Smythe
When Sidney Crosby was named the winner of the Conn Smythe trophy moments after the Pittsburgh Penguins had secured their fourth Stanley Cup victory last night over the San Jose Sharks, it was the name most people expected. Understandable, considering Crosby's effort throughout the playoffs and, in particular, his dazzling performance in Sunday's Cup-clinching victory in San Jose. It could be argued that Crosby's effort in that Game 6 against the Sharks alone was enough to secure the award ... Read More
Penguins win Stanley Cup, beat Sharks 3-1 in chaotic Game 6
On the sport's biggest stage, it was the Pittsburgh Penguins' stars who shone brightest. In an epic Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks, the Penguins won, 3-1, and hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup at SAP Center. Captain Sidney Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Sure, the Penguins were unable to win the series at home in front of their fans, but over 16,000 people gathered at Consol Energy Center to watch and cheer for Pittsburgh. And they got to see quite the ... Read More
Penguins, Sharks set for crucial Stanley Cup Final Game 6 at SAP Center
Pittsburgh Penguins After a tough loss on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins have another chance to put themselves on top of the NHL with a Game 6 win over the San Jose Sharks. And while they've played well in the series, there are a couple of areas where the team needs to tighten up. Penguins goaltender Matt Murray needs to play better in net and prevent soft goals from getting past him (he gave up a couple in that crucial Game 5 in Pittsburgh.) Pittsburgh also needs to do a ... Read More
Penguins can’t get past Sharks’ Martin Jones in Game 5 loss
Thursday night, the Penguins had the chance to clinch a major sport trophy at home for the first time since 1960. But, the San Jose Sharks scored three goals in the first period and escaped Game 5 with a 4-2 win to take the series back to San Jose for Game 6. Penguins goaltender Matt Murray and the defense surrounding him struggled quite a bit in the beginning of the game — the Sharks got on the board with two redirected shots and a goal squeezed in by defenseman Brent Burns. Martin Jones, ... Read More
Penguins’ depth paying dividends on road to hoisting Stanley Cup
In any sport, it's convenient to have a couple of superstars. The Pittsburgh Penguins have that in the form of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins are now one game away from their fourth Stanley Cup, and while this superstar trio has been a big part of the success, others have stepped into the spotlight, as well. Over the past two months, offseason and midseason acquisitions by general manager Jim Rutherford and call ups from AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have ... Read More
Penguins drop Game 3 to Sharks in overtime, 3-2
Two overtime games in a row, two overtime goals by rookies. But this time, it was San Jose Sharks rookie Joonas Donskoi — not the Pittsburgh Penguins' Conor Sheary — who played hero, winning the game for the Sharks, 3-2, 12 minutes and 18 seconds into overtime in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. On his home ice, the Finnish rookie delivered San Jose its first-ever Stanley Cup game win and cut the series deficit in half. (The Penguins lead, 2-1). Donskoi made a nice move around the back of ... Read More
Penguins, Sharks ready for pivotal Game 3
Pittsburgh Penguins Last time out, Conor Sheary and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks quickly in overtime. Now, entering Game 3 on the road and up 2-0 in the series, the Penguins are just two wins away from hoisting the Cup. The Penguins have seen a mix of both veteran and rookie presence in this series, which has been devastating for the Sharks. While not scoring a ton, Sidney Crosby has been stellar for the Penguins, and Evgeni Malkin has been his superstar self, as ... Read More