Just about any way you slice it, the Pittsburgh Penguins outplayed the Nashville Predators Saturday night. The Penguins outshot the Predators, 26 to 25. They outdrew them in the faceoff circle 23 to 18, and they beat them where it counts, the scoreboard, as the Penguins went wire-to-wire for a 3-0 victory in Nashville. The Penguins high-powered offense has certainly dominated their fair share of games over the last few seasons, but this one had a different feel. It wasn’t a flashy, fantastic ... Read More
Penguins look to get back on track against Neal and the Predators
The Penguins will look to end their two-game slide tonight when they take on the Predators in Nashville. Greeting them will be a familiar foe: former Penguins winger James Neal. Neal scored 89 goals in parts of four seasons with the Penguins, including a career-best 40 in 2011-12. His trade was the first major move of the Jim Rutherford era, as the new Penguins General Manager sent Neal to Nashville for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling. “I’m excited,” Neal said of his opportunity to play ... Read More
Pens blow late lead, fall to Wings in OT
For the fourth time in six games, the Pittsburgh Penguins took an early lead, only to let their opponents come back to tie the score. The Red Wings were the latest to team take advantage of the Penguins’ inability to hold a lead, as they came from behind to win 3-2 in overtime Thursday night in Detroit. Playing for the second time in as many nights, the Penguins needed to hold on to a 3-1 third period lead. They held on for over 17 minutes, but Detroit Head Coach Mike Babcock pulled ... Read More
Penguins look to bounce back against Detroit
The NHL’s top power play will take on the best penalty killers in a battle of strength versus strength when the Penguins face the Detroit Red Wings tonight. Despite being shut out on the power play in Wednesday’ night’s loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Penguins are eight-for-19 on the man advantage, first in the league by a large margin. Captain Sidney Crosby leads the way for the Penguins with three goals and three assists on the power play, and his six power play points is first in the ... Read More
Flyers continue dominance of Pens at Consol
Hockey statisticians say that goal scoring is mostly luck. The average NHL player scores on a little bit over nine percent of his shots. Shots are what win games, they say. Take more shots than the other team, and eventually, the percentages will work out in your favor. Sometimes, it only takes one shot. Some people call it puck luck. Others call it the will of the hockey gods. In soccer, they call it “going against the run of play.” The first two periods ran exactly that way Wednesday night, ... Read More
Pens debut alternate jerseys against Flyers
The orange and black of the Philadelphia Flyers will take on the black and Pittsburgh gold of the Penguins tonight. For the first time since 2002, the Penguins will wear the traditional bright yellow color as part of their uniform. The Penguins alternate uniforms this season are throwbacks to the jerseys that the team wore from 1988 to 1992. That was the most successful period in franchise history, including some of its defining moments. Mario Lemieux scored a team-record 199 points in the ... Read More
Hornqvist adjusting well to Pittsburgh
A Pittsburgh Penguins forward is tied for second in the NHL in points scored, second in the NHL in points on the power play, and first in the league in shots taken. It isn’t Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Chris Kunitz. It’s new Penguins winger Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist, 27, was acquired from the Nashville Predators along with Nick Spaling in a draft-day trade this April. On the other end of the exchange was fan favorite and former 40-goal scorer James Neal. Hornqvist had only ever played ... Read More
Fleury’s strong play leads Pens over Islanders
The Penguins special teams came alive on Saturday night to help the team to a 3-1 victory over the previously unbeaten New York Islanders. Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet’s power play unit continued it’s torrid start with a two for four night and Assistant Coach Gary Agnew’s penalty killers emerged from their early season funk to go seven for seven and seal the Penguins’ victory. The Penguins undisciplined play gave New York plenty of chances with the man advantage, but the Islanders managed ... Read More
Penguins set to take on unbeaten Islanders
Injured winger Pascal Dupuis was a full participant in the Penguins’ morning skate today. He had skated on his own before practice on Friday, and may be available to play for the team when they host the New York Islanders tonight. “Pascal skated this morning, so it’s a game time decision tonight,” Head Coach Mike Johnston said of Dupuis. “I’m feeling much better than I did coming out of the game,” said Dupuis, “[There is] still a decision we have to make this afternoon with the coach and ... Read More
Pascal Dupuis skates Friday; could be available Saturday
Injured Pittsburgh Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis skated before the team’s practice on Friday, less than 24 hours after he was struck in the neck by a puck in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. He was removed from the game on a stretcher and did not return. “He looked fine this morning; he did skate a little bit on his own,” head coach Mike Johnston said after practice, “He came into the room, got checked out by the medical staff, he’s been basically cleared by them. … All signs are ... Read More