Seth Rorabaugh stories, Page 170
Penguins dominated by Maple Leafs in 4-0 shutoutVideo
TORONTO – Having largely embarrassed the Toronto Maple Leafs 48 hours earlier, the Penguins were expecting a far stiffer challenge in the second portion of a home-and-home series on Thursday. And sure enough, that was the case. The Maple Leafs offered a much more spirited attack. But few expected the...
Teddy Blueger’s value grows for Penguins
TORONTO — It wasn’t Game 7 of a playoff series. It wasn’t even Game 3. It was Game 58 of the regular season. And it was against a team that might not make the postseason. And the Pittsburgh Penguins already were up four goals. Suffice to say, when the Penguins...
Finally healthy, Zach Trotman happy to be back with Penguins
TORONTO — The scar is very pronounced. It traverses diagonally across Zach Trotman’s upper lip, just under his nose. But aside from a handful of shifts, the only thing Trotman missed as a result of being struck in the face by a skate was a few meals. “Luckily, it didn’t...
Penguins acquire Riley Barber, Phil Varone from Canadiens
TORONTO — The Penguins have acquired minor league forwards Riley Barber and Phil Varone from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forwards Joseph Blandisi and Jake Lucchini. Barber and Varone will each report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Barber, 26, is a native of Washington, Pa. A sixth-round...
Penguins ‘encouraged’ Evgeni Malkin will return to lineup vs. Maple Leafs
TORONTO — Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin appears to be a good bet to return to the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Malkin missed Tuesday’s 5-2 win against the Maple Leafs at PPG Paints Arena because of an illness and was absent from Wednesday’s...
Minor league report: Nailers beaten by Royals, 6-3
Goaltender Alex D’Orio made 30 saves for the Wheeling Nailers in a 6-3 home loss to the Reading Royals at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling on Wednesday. Defenseman Matt Abt scored two goals for the Nailers (23-21-5-0). Highlights: The Nailers’ next game is on the road against the Cincinnati Cyclones at...
Penguins recall Zach Trotman, place John Marino on injured reserve
The Penguins have recalled defenseman Zach Trotman on an emergency basis from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. In a corresponding transaction, rookie defenseman John Marino has been placed on injured reserve. This is the second recall of the season for Trotman, 29. In five NHL games this season, he...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Maple Leafs 2
Observations from the Penguins’ 5-2 win against the Maple Leafs: First things first, Evgeni Malkin was a very late scratch for this game after he fell ill in the late afternoon. He participated briefly in warmups but was ultimately ailing far too much to participate in the game. In his...
In Evgeni Malkin’s absence, Sidney Crosby leads Penguins past Maple LeafsVideo
The Penguins were missing another vital component of their roster Tuesday. Forward Evgeni Malkin briefly participated in warmups before leaving the ice. He ended up being scratched because of illness. His teammates, as has been the case for the bulk of this season, picked up the slack in the absence...
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scratched due to illness against Maple Leafs
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was scratched from Tuesday’s game at PPG Paints Arena against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to an unspecified illness according to the team’s Twitter account. Malkin participated in warmups but left relatively quickly. With Malkin absent, the Penguins opened the contest having Jared McCann center the...
Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson’s offense continues to evolveVideo
The Pittsburgh Penguins brought in Jason Zucker via trade last week to complement Sidney Crosby’s playmaking abilities. And sure enough, Crosby and his new winger combined, in some fashion, on three goals in the first three games they played together. He is the latest in a long line of candidates...
Penguins’ Zach Aston-Reese out indefinitely; Dominik Kahun a game-time decision vs. Leafs
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese will be sidelined on a week-to-week basis because of an undisclosed injury, according to coach Mike Sullivan. In 57 games this season, Aston-Reese has 13 points (six goals, seven assists). Patric Hornqvist assumed Aston-Reese’s spot on the third line alongside Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev...
Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson still has critics, but he’s more comfortable in Year 2
This is a story about Jack Johnson. It will elicit a lot of responses online. Many will be negative. Some will be positive. Several will be confused if they searched Google for information on the singer/surfer from Hawaii of the same name. A handful will be indifferent. Johnson, the Penguins...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Red Wings 1
Observations from the Penguins’ 5-1 win against the Red Wings: First things first, Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese left the game at 8:46 of the second period because of an undisclosed injury. Coach Mike Sullivan suggested an update might be available on Tuesday as the Penguins have an off day Monday....
Patric Hornqvist, 4th line lead Penguins past Red Wings
Patric Hornqvist has quite a resume. A two-time Stanley Cup winner, he has reached the 20-goal mark eight times in his career. Also, he makes a healthy $5.3 million per season. Having Hornqvist play on a fourth line is akin to Pablo Picasso painting your garage. Or, at least Jackson...
Penguins to start Matt Murray against Red Wings
The Penguins will start goaltender Matt Murray on Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG Paints Arena, according to coach Mike Sullivan. In 30 games this season, Murray has a 16-7-5 record, along with a 2.82 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and one shutout. Murray and Tristan Jarry...
Minor league report: Penguins lose to Sound Tigers, 3-2
Goaltender Casey DeSmith made 25 saves for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-2 road loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. on Saturday. Forwards Joseph Blandisi and Jamie Devane scored goals for the Penguins (25-20-3-5). The Penguins’ next game is at home against the...
What would work for Eastern Conference contenders as trade deadline approaches?
The Pittsburgh Penguins, as they are wont to do under general manager Jim Rutherford, didn’t wait until the Feb. 24 trade deadline to make a deal that could alter the trajectory of their season. On Monday, Rutherford swung a major trade by bringing forward Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild...
Empty net or not, Penguins’ Zach Aston-Reese snaps scoring droughtVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese snapped a 14-game streak without a goal during Friday’s 4-1 home win against the Montreal Canadiens. He didn’t exactly boast about how he scored it, however. Mainly because it was on an empty net. “It’s a lot easier when there’s no goalie there, obviously,” said...
Sidney Crosby offers take on Penguins’ mix-and-match top lineVideo
Over the past two games, top Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby had gotten adjusted to new left winger Jason Zucker. He also has had to make adjustments working with familiar options on the right wing with Patric Hornqvist and Dominik Simon. The Penguins opened Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime home loss to...
Penguins’ Dominik Kahun practices once againVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Kahun (concussion) participated in his second consecutive practice Saturday. Operating in a noncontact capacity, Kahun reported feeling “way better.” Aside from a lack of contact, Kahun has displayed few limitations with regards to his skating or conditioning during practice. “I’m going 100 percent already,” Kahun said....
Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad resumes skating
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bjugstad resumed skating for the first time in several weeks Saturday at the Penguins’ facility in Cranberry. Absent from the lineup since Nov. 15 because of a core muscle injury, Bjugstad skated before the team’s practice. He had not skated since mid-January during his recovery and...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 4, Canadiens 1
Observations from the Penguins’ 4-1 win against the Canadiens: Empty netters are kind of an odd thing. Think about it. The goaltender, the one player on a team whose sole job to keep pucks out of a cage, is completely removed off the ice, usually very late. That would be...
Minor league report: Penguins fall to Bruins, 4-2
Goaltender Casey DeSmith made 22 saves for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-2 road loss to the Providence Bruins at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. on Friday. Forwards Adam Johnson and Jordy Bellerive scored goals for the Penguins (25-19-3-5). Highlights: The Penguins’ next game is on the road...
Jason Zucker scores twice, leads Penguins past Canadiens
Jason Zucker is fully aware of the immense expectations foisted upon him. After all, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded high-end future assets to acquire his services Monday. And, as has been the case for any scoring winger the Penguins have brought in to play with franchise center Sidney Crosby — from...

