Penguins/NHL
Stars have set the tone as rest of the pieces are falling into place for the Champs
Following Saturday night’s 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins have won 11 straight games at home and Pittsburgh is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.
It’s been clear for 10-14 days the Penguins are back and in a big way.
Pittsburgh’s last two games vs the LA Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs have only further proved the point that the Penguins are back and the way the Penguins are rolling is only more bad news for the rest of the NHL and most notably the Eastern Conference when it was looking like 4-5 weeks ago that the Penguins were not going to be so mighty this spring.
The Penguins are striking fear into the rest of the league again and the two-time defending Champions might even get better at the deadline as Jim Rutherford is currently involved in a number of conversations.
What has changed is how motivated this group looks and it has started at the top with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.
Playoff mode has started with the stars and everything else is starting to fall in place.
1. Matt Murray has returned to being Matt Murray.
He’s 7-0-1 in his last eight starts with a .922 save percentage during that span and hasn’t lost in regulation since January 4. Timely saves at crucial moments were on display big time in this week’s wins over the Senators, Kings and Leafs.
2. The role players are shining.
— Carl Hagelin’s game has transformed since the all-star break and he’s back to making a major impact in hunting the puck and starting to give the Penguins something offensively. There’s a reason he’s been locked into the second line left winger spot for a few weeks.
A goal, assist vs the Leafs, Hagelin has 4 goals and 5 assists in his last 10 games. The Penguins had worried that Hagelin’s body was starting to break down because of all the hockey he’s played the last four years but Hagelin looks fresh again.
— Bryan Rust is performing over the last little while like playoff Bryan Rust. A Goal, 2 assists in last night’s 5-3 win over the Leafs, Rust has 5 goals and 7 assists over 11 games since returning from injury and he’s making an impact wherever the coaches are playing him as he’s played on all four lines since coming back.
Against Toronto, the Hagelin – Malkin – Rust line was phenomenal.
Then there’s Zach Aston-Reese who is showing great ability to play at the NHL level in how he does the little things very well below the dots and he’s making an impact offensively. A goal vs the Leafs, Aston-Reese has 3 goals in his last three games and had a great screen on Letang’s game winning goal vs the Kings Thursday night.
How he tracks the rest of the season makes things very interesting regarding Patric Hornqvist, a pending free agent, who will be 32 years old next season and is seeking a 5 year deal.
It’s such a short-sample, but the Penguins have believed before this call-up Aston-Reese had some Hornqvist intangibles in him and we’re seeing it in how well he can score around the net.
The more pressing question is whether this glimpse of Aston-Reese the Penguins are getting has an impact on the deadline towards whether the Penguins decide to make an offer for To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
3. What has been a key telling point with the Penguins that has played a major factor in them taking their game to another level is how they’re putting teams away in the third period, that coincides with this group starting to see what’s ahead of them in a couple months.
In a 3-3 game after forty minutes, Pittsburgh outscored the Leafs 2-0 in the third period and outshot them 11-5 where the Penguins were playing locked down defense for stretches.
Entering tonight’s game vs Columbus, the Penguins have outscored the opposition 25-10 in the third period over their last 10 games.
Dreger reporting Pens still in the mix for Brassard. Sam probably disagrees, but hes a huge upgrade over Rowney, so im all for it.
Number 1 what are you doing following Canadian source. Number 2 I wanted brassard over bonino back then. So yeah brassard is an upgrade over most pens 3C they had in last 10 years
Even when Eric Staal was here?
Apparently there was racist fans at Chicago game.
Dont worry, youre still the biggest piece of shlt in North America
Your so called country was built through racism
Your face was built through poutine.
Another comment that has nothing to do with what I said. Whyy because I’m right and you have nothing else to say
Haha i like that
I can’t stop laughing lol
Coincidence that world giving hard time to Russians in Olympics because of illegal drug usage. And all of a sudden USA is not having good Olympics as well.
They must’ve ran out of steroids as well
Montreal is the 3rd worst team in the NHL, behind Buffalo and Arizona.
They still have a 0.1% chance to make the playoffs, though.
Why is there a lot of games during daytime today on a weekday. Most people work and can’t watch . well except npl and stain
Because most of the country in Canada has a holiday…. the Americans are celebrating Washington’s Birthday! You’d think you’d know about the holidays in most of the other provinces as such a supercanuck lol.
Wow what a joke fergie singing national anthem at the NBA all Star game. This is what happens when you hot dog eating fat fuckks always expect a celebrity sing anthem in order to watch the game. Make America Shithole again
Montreal is currently 29th out of 31 teams.
Another comment that has nothing to do with what I said
God I love when you clowns come up with random comment because you guys have. I think to say and know I’m right.
Funny, you seem to have a strong opinion for that performance when you’re such a staunch Canadian patriot… nationalism is stupid and you’re a fraud lol! She bluesed it up, it was meh but it’s not worth getting your stars and bars panties in a bunch over it you fake Canadian wannabe American lol
Good game bishop 4 goals on 5 shots
Carey Price .904sv% and 2.98GAA. What a player!
Sv%200. GAA 14.12 tonight
A 200% SV% is pretty solid.
#59 is garbage… amirite sammich?
Hey sammich… question… how many referendums to leave Canada has Quebec had? How many has Alberta? Who is the real fake Canadian? PS only the weak speak French haha
Yea Yea typical media . If Quebec leaves Canada they will become a country on its own. If Alberta leaves Canada which they want to way more then Quebec but media only shows Quebec as the bad people. Alberta will join the US in a heart beat. Alberta has the most Americans wannabe.
Lmmfao… of PQ leaves Canada they take their debt and become next to nothing. If We left, which isn’t a real thing outside a small fringe… I mean you assholes held referendums that have barely failed twice now, but if we left? We take 97% of the oil of the country… in comparison? Bahahahahaha fuck off
End of the day the ab separatists movement is nothing more than an internet phenomenon you fake Canadian bitch lol
Yeah a dirty oil that’s costs a lot to produce and that’s why more and more Alberta has dryed up. In order to roll Alberta economy you need to have 100$ a barel and with future heading electronic and good luck in your shitwhole province. While Quebec gives electricity to Ontario and to the states.
Guess we could just dump sewage into the St Lawrence… cuz that’s better than accessing a valuable resource that is damn near a necessity to all hey fuckhead? Lol.
You’re such an idiot “wah Alberta’s only got money because it’s got oil”… that what you sound like. Oil money pays for your internet bitch… Equalization payments are what keeps retards like you in day care
Drooling
Colorado interested in Hunwick (at least that’s the rumour)… wonder if he’s moved when Schultz is over his illness. If there is interest they let the Pens out of a bad deal
Where’d you hear this? Makes sense, they’ve had him before and today both Johnson and Lindholm got hurt.
Online rumour more than anything tbh
Flyers lost Neuvirth to injury today and mason probably out for another month. Hopefully that can be exploited. 22-8-2 since they lost ten straight and 7-1 in their last 8. Getting really annoying. Huge game today.
ZAR is perfect trade bait.
I would lean more towards Sheary in that department, especially if we are bringing in a scoring winger. Higher cap hit and he’d be permanently in a bottom six role.
Despite the rough year I think Sheary works well with Sid however if the Pens have to shed salary to add the over the top piece at the deadline I’d be open to moving Sheary, especially if it helps retain Hornqvist
Like seeing what we are out of ZAR but one thing he lacks that Hornqvist is full of is that heart and desire and ability to get his teammates up. So why not both? If they can fit it under the cap that is. Too bad they didn’t keep MAF… that extra 2.75 would go a long way in preventing any deal with Hornqvist being done which would make the choice easier… right Sammich?
Oh, in case you don’t go to the other page… He sammich… I need you to help me out with something! Last night the Penguins played a team that was ahead of them in the standings, sit 3rd overall in goals for and had won 9 of 10. Despite this Murray back stopped the Penguins stopping 29 of 32 vs one of the top offences in hockey while Malkin gets in on not one, not two, but three even strength points and hits a major milestone. #fleurytradedyet #powerplayspecilist #lazyrussian Oh and it was awesome to watch Hunwick look better than… Read more »
Typical American behaviour dumb arrogance. Last I checked hainsey played 58 games is +9. While hunwick played 33 games and is -3. Yeah babcock had his last laugh after but morons like you judge players based on one or few games. If hunwick is so good why is he in the press box more often and only lately his been playing because he is getting shoped around
How did he have the last laugh? Like Hunwick playing in the 7th spot that’s where Hainsey would be playing in Pittsburgh. It’s a null move you stupid fuckk! Sam would have been happier to pay our 7th dman almost a full million more lol! No one said he was good… don’t try and over think the situation, he was simply better last night two hours after to ran your mouth on the subject and this is what we are laughing at. It’s always fun to watch You attempt the mental gymnastics you use to justify your idiocy. Pens don’t… Read more »
Best part of this… you also argue Cole sucks and he’s also a lot better than both Hunwick and Hainsey… what he hasn’t played enough games for you to his value yet retard?
How bout Schultz? You’ve been shitting on his recently too? Is he not better than Hainsey?
ZAR is the real deal-focus on other players-BP is nice but I don’t see adding him as a pressing need- still need another center -CR is a marginal 4th line center and could never play the 3C role if need be.