Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1) Head coach Mike Sullivan got straight to the point before today’s game: “Matt Murray is starting tonight in net.” (Marc-Andre Fleury remains day-to-day after suffering his second concussion toward the end of the regular season.) On Tuesday, Murray became the youngest goaltender to start a postseason game for Pittsburgh. And, not only did he start, he dominated in Game 3 to secure the Penguins’ win. Last game out, seasoned veteran Matt Cullen scored what would be the ... Read More
Mighty Penguins rebound and steal Game 3 from the Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1) played a stellar game to take back the lead in the series against the New York Rangers (1-2) at home, winning by a score of 3-1. Goaltender Matt Murray got the nod tonight — making his first career playoff start — and was a force in between the pipes for Pittsburgh. The Rangers squandered four power-play opportunities but played tough against the boards. However, this time, the Penguins didn’t show any signs of fatigue as they were able to put up 30 shots against ... Read More
Pittsburgh Penguins take on New York Rangers in crucial Game 3
Pittsburgh Penguins (1-1) Last time out, the Penguins weren’t able to get much past New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Pittsburgh’s goaltender Jeff Zatkoff was unable to perform at the same level he did in Game 1, but he didn’t do a terrible job, either. The Penguins’ offense was just overcome by a hard-hitting Rangers team that seemed to carry most of the game's momentum. Goaltender Matt Murray, who started in net for an injured Marc-Andre Fleury before Murray suffered from a ... Read More
Pens drop Game 2 to Rangers, 4-2
The Pittsburgh Penguins (1-1) suffered their first loss in the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers (1-1). The Penguins had an abundance of chances to keep the score close, but a series of goals by the Rangers kept Pittsburgh from picking up any momentum. Four straight goals by the Rangers sucked the life out of Consol Energy Center until the final stages of the third period when Pittsburgh began finding its first-period spark again. However, missed opportunities against ... Read More
In game two, Zatkoff looking to repeat strong performance
Pittsburgh Penguins (1-0) Jeff Zatkoff played not only played the biggest game of his career, so far, on Wednesday, he also played one of his best in game one of this opening playoff series against the New York Rangers. While the status of injured players like Marc-Andre Fleury, Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin is now listed as day-to-day, head coach Mike Sullivan seems very optimistic about having a fully healthy team soon. Although it is very unlikely for any of those players to play in ... Read More
Hornqvist’s hat trick leads charge in Game 1 victory
In his first career NHL playoff start, Pittsburgh Penguins backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff played lights-out hockey and helped the Penguins (1-0) nab the 5-2 win against the New York Rangers (0-1) at Consol Energy Center in the first game of the series. Zatkoff finished the game with 37 saves. The Rangers were able to keep the game close heading into the final period, tightening the score to a 2-1 Penguins lead. But goals by rightwingers Tom Kuhnhackl and Patric Hornqvist further separated the ... Read More
‘Baby Pens’ proving to be the backbone of the NHL Penguins
Over the years, the Penguins have been criticized for their talent in the minor leagues. Big trades and acquisitions used to fuel failed playoff runs of years past seemed to have drained any previous minor league depth the Pens had down in Wilkes-Barre. With the vast amount of injuries dealt with in Pittsburgh this season, the Pens had to dig deep and heavily rely on minor league depth that many thought was not there. These players that began the season playing in the AHL are proving any ... Read More
Game 1 Preview: Penguins eye payback in opening series game
Pittsburgh Penguins (0-0) The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the last three meetings against the New York Rangers and will look to begin redeeming themselves after being eliminated by New York for the last two years. The goaltending situation is still unknown as Coach Mike Sullivan said that it will be a game-time decision. Beau Bennett, Olli Maatta, and Marc-Andre Fleury all are suffering from injuries and it is unknown who will be in the starting lineup for Game 1. With Pittsburgh ... Read More
Penguins’ regular-season grades for 2015-16
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2015-16 NHL regular season was a tale of two different teams. The first: a team that struggled and couldn’t find the magic needed to be regarded as one of the league's best teams. The other: a formidable and dangerous team with an offense that had the spark and speed of a top-tier team, which was complemented by a fast-paced defense. Now, with the regular season over and done with, it’s time to assign the final grades of the season. Offense: A- Overall, this ... Read More
Penguins face goaltending challenges in opening playoff series
"Every team has injuries. Fortunately we have depth. It provides opportunities. That's what makes teams great," Coach Mike Sullivan said following practice this morning, a day before his Pittsburgh Penguins play host to the New York Rangers. The Penguins have been fortunate enough to have depth in many positions, but their goaltending situation is being stretched to capacity. Marc-Andre Fleury is now day-to-day and will be evaluated daily following a concussion that has kept him out since his ... Read More