This post was originally published on this site.
The Pittsburgh Penguins scored six and an empty netter, but had to survive a defensive zone faceoff to hold on for a win over the New York Rangers. It was a big night with a celebration of the 2016 team, but also big news as Kris Letang is on IR. Elsewhere in the Daily, Tristan Jarry is giving the Edmonton Oilers reason to question if they need more goaltending, there are some low-key players on the NHL trade block, including a former Penguins winger, and the Florida Panthers might have to admit defeat this season.
That was a heckuva night at PPG Paints Arena. I didn’t take the Rangers’ comeback seriously until the offensive zone faceoff with three seconds remaining. But oh that ’16 celebration.
I don’t know about you, but 10 years slipped by really quickly. Covering that 2016 run for 93-7 the Fan was my first time on the road, and I made some real friends.
But there were so many memories on that run. The intensity of the Washington series. That’s also when I dropped my wallet in the parking garage, and a fireman in Chevy Chase happened to find it. They realized I was from the Pittsburgh media, so after they looked me up and called 93-7 the Fan to get in touch with me, they had a little fun delivering it. I got some lights and honks from the truck. We had fun, and all was well.
There was Colby Bobblehead, a bit created by WPXI cameraman extraordinaire Andy (and my Quantum Leap buddy), who would hide little Colby around the arenas and take pictures.
The on-ice stuff was incredible. There was Mike Sullivan’s brilliant and perfectly executed forecheck wrinkle in Game 7 vs. Tampa (They sent two forecheckers and had the center “sweep” the blue line, covering the third breakout option. It befuddled Tampa).
I also got to spend a day at Haight-Ashbury. Let me tell you…
And the End:
Unfortunately, the article is gone, lost in the server changes over the years, but that team had “it.” It was this guy who wrote on Jan. 1, 2016, following the Penguins’ comeback win over the Detroit Red Wings, their first comeback win in nearly two years, that the team was going to win the Stanley Cup. I didn’t quite put it so bluntly, but I believe the line was, “that could end in silver.”
I don’t know why the Penguins didn’t make those returning guys available to the media. I guess they wanted to enjoy their time, eh?
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: First, bad news on Kris Letang.
I thought my game recap was done, and then … it kept going, and the story kept changing, and it kept…uh oh. Here’s the Penguins recap.
And the report card was a doozy to write. What do you focus on? Should I focus on the team that dominated the Rangers so thoroughly that the shot total was 34-17 deep into the third period, or the Penguins’ exhale that put the Rangers back in it?
In the end, we broke down the large portion of the game where it was decided, not the freak near-comeback. From some surprising player grades to the analysis, it’s all in the Penguins report card.
I guess my alarm didn’t go off this morning. Thanks, Siri. But we did publish a story earlier this AM. From Sidney Crosby’s emotional reaction to the tribute, to the actual video, which neither ABC nor the Penguins posted, but plenty of fans at the arena did (ABC did a terrible job in not delivering that to fans. Gee, why would they want to see it??). From Crosby’s locker room reaction to his on-ice feels, and the actual video in our Penguins locker room story.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
NHLtraderumors.me: Elliotte Friedman broke the story, and our buddy Dave Littman delivered it in full story form. Remember Michael Bunting? He was almost a New York Islander, and the Nashville Predators have some very usable pieces that aren’t drawing public attention, but plenty of interest on the trade block.
Hockey Night in Canada: The Headlines Segment. The crumbling Toronto Maple Leafs are drawing big headlines, and there are worries stars will want out. And Jason Robertson is not yet on the trade block as Dallas is still looking at an extension.
TSN: Linus Ullmark returned to the net for the Ottawa Senators Saturday and gave the Penguins some help by beating the New Jersey Devils. Ullmark has returned, and good for him.
The Penguins will likely see him Monday.
New Jersey Hockey Now: In that game, New Jersey had a goal disallowed. Why? They still don’t get it, and the NHL has another team, asking WTH?! The New Jersey Devils got the hose.
Florida Hockey Now: A playoff berth is looking tougher and tougher in Florida. And there is more bad news as more injuries are mounting for the Florida Panthers.
At this point, suck it up, miss the playoffs, enjoy a lottery pick and a run at it in 2027. Three straight Cup Final appearances will take a toll.
Sportsnet EDM: Uh oh. Tristan Jarry is having one of his rough patches, and the folks in Edmonton are getting a wee bit worried that they didn’t solve their goaltending problem.
Do you think when Kyle Dubas calls rival GMs right now, they just let it go to voicemail?
Categorized:Links NHL Trade Rumors