After three straight losses to start their season, the Pens have shaken things up a bit going into their game tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Not all of them are willing changes. Right-winger Beau Bennett, one of the team’s best players in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, has suffered an undisclosed injury and will miss tonight’s game as a result. With Bennett out of the lineup, expect rookie right-winger Daniel Sprong to get his first shot an increased role. Sprong, who ... Read More
Pens RW Bennett injured again; will miss tonight’s game
Through three winless games this season, one of the few bright spots this season for the Pittsburgh Penguins has been the play of third line right-winger Beau Bennett. That light has also been extinguished as the team announced early on today that Bennett is injured and will not play tonight against the Ottawa Senators. “He’ll be out for tonight’s game,” Pens head coach Mike Johnston said after morning skate. “We will start to get some news on how long that injury will be." For Bennett, ... Read More
AM Joe: Pens need a win
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Thursday, October 15, 2015. What's on tap for today: The Penguins (0-3-0) will have another opportunity to earn their first win of the 2015-16 season when they host the 3-1 Ottawa Senators. The Senators broke out offensively last night, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets, 7-3. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ROOT Sports Pittsburgh Pittsburgh headlines: The Steelers (3-2) have added WR Martavis Bryant to the roster and ... Read More
Penguins off to a rocky start
The Pittsburgh Penguins have now lost the first three games of the 2015-16 NHL season, a feat they have only accomplished three other times in the past. The first was in 1983-84 when they finished dead last in the league and drafted Mario Lemieux the following summer. Next was in 1996-97 when they fired head coach Eddie Johnston late in the season and Craig Patrick took them to a first-round playoff loss. The most recent was in 2001-02 when they fired head coach Ivan Hlinka just four games ... Read More
Despite more offense, Pens fall to 0-3
Beau Bennett impressed with a goal and several scoring chances on a reimagined third line, but the Pittsburgh Penguins continued to look out of sync in the 2015–16 home opener against the Montreal Canadiens ultimately losing 3-2. For a third consecutive game, the Penguins surrendered the first goal. Six minutes in, Brendan Gallagher curled around the bottom of the circle to the right of Marc-Andre Fleury and found Max Pacioretty alone in the high slot. Pacioretty fired a quick shot ... Read More
Punchless Pens will have tough test against Price
When the Pittsburgh Penguins take to their home ice for the first time in the 2015-16, some of the luster of opening day will have already come off the team. Sure, there will be the Pittsburgh debuts of Phil Kessel, Sergei Plotnikov, Daniel Sprong and others, but the team’s lack of urgency and scoring touch in the first two games of the season already has many worried about the season. Worries about the team’s slow start will be compounded by tonight’s opponents: the Montreal Canadiens. ... Read More
AM Joe: The greatest home run, ever
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Monday, October 12, 2015. What's on tap for today: The Penguins (0-2-0) will start their 2015-16 home slate by hosting the undefeated Montreal Canadiens (3-0-0) at Consol Energy Center. Head coach Mike Johnston's team, which has struggled to overcome two hot goaltenders in its opening-week losses, will face another stern test in Habs goalie Carey Price. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ROOT Sports Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ... Read More
Greiss: Pens arena ‘pretty dead’
Former Penguins goaltender Thomas Greiss caused a stir on Monday after making his debut with the New York Islanders at their new home in Brooklyn, the Barclays Center. After the Islanders’ 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday afternoon, Greiss was asked how the atmosphere was in his first game in New York. “It was fun to play (here), especially coming from Pittsburgh,” he said to Islanders Insights. “It’s pretty dead there.” Greiss, who played only one season in Pittsburgh ... Read More
AM Joe: Steelers look to get a jump on San Diego
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Monday, October 12, 2015. What's on tap for today: At noon, Pitt (4-1. 2-0) head coach Pat Narduzzi will discuss his team's homecoming victory over Virginia and look forward to next week's foe, Georgia Tech, in his weekly press conference. PittsburghPanthers.com The Steelers (2-2) need a win over the San Diego Chargers (2-2) tonight to stay two games back of the 5-0 Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ... Read More
Pens stymied by Smith, Coyotes
When the Penguins acquired Phil Kessel this offseason, they brought him on board to do one thing: score goals. Kessel did his part by scoring the Pens first goal of the season with the kind of wrist shot that has made him one of the league’s most dangerous snipers, but the rest of the team failed to cash in against Arizona goaltender Mike Smith, and the Penguins dropped their second straight game to start the 2015-16 with a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Coyotes. For the second consecutive ... Read More