News Penguins Team Notes

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Game Preview: Edmonton Oilers @ Pittsburgh Penguins 12/16/25

Who: Edmonton Oilers (15-12-6, 36 points, 4th place Pacific Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (14-8-9, 37 points, 5th place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7:30 p.m. ET

How to Watch: TNT, HBO Max, truTV

Pens’ Path Ahead: Tonight marks the final night of the Penguins’ homestand. Now the Pens will look to regroup when they head up to the Great White North for games against the Ottawa Senators (Thursday) and Montreal Canadiens (Saturday).

Opponent Track: The Oilers have gotten points in five of their last six games, although they’re most recently coming off to a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens in Montreal.

Season Series: The Penguins won’t see the Oilers again until Jan. 22, when the team heads to Edmonton as part of a four-game West Coast swing.

Hidden Stat: The Penguins aren’t the only team that has struggled with blowing leads this season. The Oilers have gone into 15 third periods with a lead and suffered four overtime losses in that stretch.

Getting to know the Oilers​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman

Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Matthew Savoie

Trent Frederic – Adam Henrique – Mattias Janmark

Andrew Mangiapane – Curtis Lazar – Max Jones

DEFENSEMEN

Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard

Darnell Nurse – Alec Regula

Spencer Stastney – Ty Emberson

Goalies: Tristan Jarry, Calvin Pickard

Potential scratches: Riley Stillman, David Tomasek

Injured Reserve: Jake Walman, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Clattenburg, Jack Roslovic

• The Oilers have alternated their last two games between former Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, who backstopped Edmonton to a 6-3 win in his first start for his new team, and incumbent starter Calvin Pickard, in front of whom the Oilers lost 4-1 on Sunday to the Canadiens.

Tristan Jarry rockin' his new threads

: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/w9mQKBIE7q

— NHL (@NHL) December 14, 2025

• There’s a chance both Jarry and recent Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner could get the nod tonight, just days after they were traded from their former teams.
• When asked Monday what reception he thought he would get in his return to Pittsburgh, Jarry answered: “You never know. I hope in a good way. I put my heart and soul into this team, and I hope they understand that. You never want to go into a game thinking you’re gonna lose. You wanna win every single game that you step foot on the ice. And I think that’s all I want to do, is win in Pittsburgh. And I hope I was perceived that way.”

Season stats
via hockeydb

• This is a battle of two of the league’s top power plays. The Penguins and Oilers are two of just three teams converting on more than 30 percent of man-advantage opportunities so far this season.
• The Oilers aren’t doing as well stifling goals against, even at even strength or on the penalty kill. Edmonton is heading into this week with a 79.1 PK% (20th in the NHL) and 3.39 team GAA (26th).
• It’s true that those numbers have something to do with Skinner’s 0.891 save percentage in his first 23 appearances, but the Oilers defense has also been to blame especially early in the season. This team ranks 21st in the NHL in high-danger shots against, per MoneyPuck.
• Edmonton will now hope changing up the goaltending situation will help the defensive corps regain some confidence and lower that rate down the stretch. That puts a significant amount of pressure on Jarry, especially after Connor McDavid recently signed a two-year extension below market value in the hopes this team will win a Stanley Cup in 2026.
• Speaking of McDavid: He was named the First Star of the Week last week after putting up 10 points (four goals, six assists) in the Oilers’ last three games. He leads the league in assists (34) and ranks second in points (52) through 33 games. He’s also officially the fastest player in the NHL this season, according to both NHL Edge stats and the eye test below:

CONNOR MCDAVID WASTES NO TIME

: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctF pic.twitter.com/r3Us7zq0cK

— NHL (@NHL) December 14, 2025

• Zach Hyman, who returned in November after missing the beginning of the season due to his recover from a broken wrist, has provided a boost alongside McDavid on the top line. He heads into the matchup on a three-game goalscoring streak.
• The Oilers’ other star center could hit a milestone today as Leon Draisaitl enters the game one point short of 1,000. Draisaitl would be the 103rd NHL player and first player born in Germany to reach the milestone should he get on the scoreboard in Pittsburgh.

And now for the Pens​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Rutger McGroarty – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Ville Koivunen – Tommy Novak – Anthony Mantha

Connor Dewar – Kevin Hayes – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea / Kris Letang

Brett Kulak or Ryan Graves (?) / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Stuart Skinner, Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Danton Heinen, Jack St. Ivany

IR: Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones

• Oilers pickups Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak got added to the active roster Monday. Sergei Mursahov meanwhile got re-assigned to the AHL, so the Pens will be rolling into the week with Skinner and Silovs as the goaltending options.

• Brett Kulak is joining the Pens on the left side of the defense, so Graves could be a potential draft should the Pens slot him in to the lineup tonight.

Brett Kulak, acquired by PIT, is a defensive defenceman who generally plays a stabilizing role. Not having a great season and has had his minutes cut, but worth mentioning the Oilers goalies had an .861 save % with him on the ice. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/91EPkQcN3K

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 12, 2025

• Sidney Crosby is just two points from matching Mario Lemieux’s franchise-record career total of 1,723 points.
• The Penguins are heading into tonight on a five-game losing streak (it’s featured some of the worst blown leads in the entire NHL this season, but at least they’ve picked up four points in the 0-1-4 stretch without Evgeni Malkin on the second line and Blake Lizotte when they’re down a man). This marks the first time this team has dropped five straight decisions since October 2024.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/70331/game-preview-edmonton-oilers-pittsburgh-penguins-12-16-25

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Tristan Jarry vs. Stuart Skinner: Who will play better the rest of the season?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in action on Tuesday night, getting a fresh start on a new week after one of the most insane and baffling weeks in franchise history. It is also a fascinating game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Sidney Crosby is closing in on Mario Lemieux’s franchise record for career points.

Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl is one point away from 1,000 for his career.

Connor McDavid is in town. That is always incredible to watch, because recently he has just dunked all over the Penguins when he plays against them.

The Penguins might do something bizarre that you have never seen before. How big of a lead can they actually surrender? Tune in and find out.

There is also former Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry returning to face his former team, with Stuart Skinner getting a chance to face his former team. We have the rare dual revenge game just a few days after the trade.

It is tremendous theatre.

The Skinner vs. Jarry matchup is interesting not just in the context of Tuesday’s game, but also for the remainder of the season. Edmonton is hoping that one of the most inconsistent goalies in the league can fix its long-standing problem in goal and help get the team over the hump to win a Stanley Cup.

The Penguins are going to try and maintain their surprising start and roll — for now — with a Skinner and Arturs Silovs duo and hope they can play well enough to get them into the playoffs. Or at least hold down the fort until Sergei Murashov is ready and gets his chance.

It is going to be fascinating to see which of these two goalies (Skinner or Jarry) will play better the rest of the way.

What makes it so fascinating is they are so similar in terms of their overall production and consistent inconsistency throughout their careers. Both have shown flashes of brilliance with high peaks. Both have had stunning struggles and low valleys. Skinner actually backstopped a team to a pair of Stanley Cup Finals. Jarry has fumbled in just about every big moment he has played in and tends to wear down as each season goes on.

The simplest way to put it: They are goalies. Run-of-the-mill goalies that are capable of highs and lows at any given moment when you least expect either of them to happen. I don’t know how anybody, from the teams themselves, to media, to fans, to even the players have any idea as to what to expect over the next four months of the regular season from either player. If you think you know, I think you are kidding yourself.

There are maybe — maybe — four or five goalies in the NHL that I confidently trust over an extended period of time to play and produce at a consistently elite level. I trust Connor Hellebuyck. I trust Igor Shesterkin. I trust Andre Vasilevskiy. I think I trust Ilya Sorokin (probably?). That might be it.

Then there is the second tier of goalies that includes Jake Oettinger, Logan Thompson, the current version of Sergei Bobrovsky and maybe Darcy Kuemper. Or maybe Jeremy Swayman? What’s the difference between him and Linus Ullmark? Good luck figuring it out. They are all pretty good goalies with occasional moments of brilliance but are not consistently great like the first group.

Then there is quite literally everybody else.

You can win a Stanley Cup with Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill playing great, and then be forced to convince yourself they are still good when they turn back into Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill. Joey Daccord will play great enough one year to make you pay him big money, and then you are paying big money to Joey Daccord and wondering why you are paying big money to Joey Daccord.

Jarry and Skinner fall into the everybody else category.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season, the most recent extended stretch of hockey we have from both goalies, Jarry has appeared in 102 games with a .900 save percentage and is minus-4.3 goals saved above average. He has a .797 save percentage on high-danger shots in all situations.

Over that same time period Skinner has played in 133 games with an .899 save percentage and is minus-6.1 goals saved above average. He has a .793 save percentage on high-danger shots in all situations.

Virtually the same goalie.

The argument that you might be able to make in Jarry’s favor at this point is that since returning from his trip to the waiver-wire and American Hockey League in the middle of the 2024-25 season he has been the better goalie, and actually pretty decent. Both are statements of fact.

But what does that actually mean? Jarry playing well for a stretch of games is not a surprise. He has done that throughout his career, and at a rate that is not only better than his current level of play, but also at a legitimate All-Star level.

It also never lasts for more than 10-20 games at a time.

I went back over the careers of both players and looked at their rolling 10-game save percentages and compared them to the league averages in each season. Here they are side-by-side.

Skinner has hovered closer to the league average for most of his career. Jarry has had higher peaks, but significantly lower valleys. When he is good, he can be great. When he is bad, he can be awful.

Even when taking into account the declining league-wide save percentage in the NHL, Jarry’s current level of play versus the league average is not even close to what he has done at his best. So why should there be an assumption that this time his improved play is going to be any different long-term?

The answer is you should not. At least not until he proves it over an extend period of time. Maybe this time will be different?

Here they are overlayed on top of each other.

Good luck figuring out which of these guys you can count on.

Jarry has been a little better in the most recent sampling of games, but even those two numbers and performances are starting to regress back toward each other.

Jarry might play the better the rest of the way. It would not surprise me.

Skinner might play better the rest of the way. It would not surprise me.

Both of them will probably be wildly inconsistent and not what either team needs for its current objectives and goals.

We should expect this because that is what their careers have told us to expect from them as goalies.

At the end of the day the Penguins received a comparable goalie with no long-term commitment, opening up a future spot for their top goalie prospect, while also getting a serviceable defenseman this season that could actually be the most impactful of the two players arriving in Pittsburgh as part of the trade (and a future draft pick).

This is not an attempt to hedge bets on a prediction here. It is legitimately impossible to know who is going to play better. Good luck everybody.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...r-who-will-play-better-the-rest-of-the-season

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Pens Points: Jarry claims victory in return to Pittsburgh

Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…​

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers played an ice hockey game at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday night. This was a game of great significance for the starting goalies, as both players were on the ice against the team they were traded from just days ago. In the end, however, it was the now-former Penguin, Tristan Jarry, who got the last laugh and helped beat the Penguins 6-4. [Recap]

Jarry, after only being traded this past Friday, had to turn on that competitive switch to play against the only professional team he’s ever known by Tuesday night. With such a quick turnaround to play his former team, he admitted the emotions were still very fresh ahead of the first game as a visitor. [Trib Live]

A trade also means new opportunities for players in their new environment, which is what Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak are looking forward to as they settle in with the black and gold. [Penguins]

After retiring in the summer of 2024, former Penguins forward Derick Brassard, 38, has come out of retirement to sign with Genève-Servette of Switzerland’s National League. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…​

Leon Draisaitl became the first German-born player to reach 1,000 NHL points after he notched an assist in the first period of Tuesday’s game. [Sportsnet]

A few minor waiver moves were made on Monday, which included a former Penguins defenseman. The Boston Bruins added defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars. [TSN]

Legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban has purchased a minority stake in the Nashville Predators. [ESPN]

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/7043...rs-jarry-nhl-nick-saban-draisaitl-1000-points

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Report: Fenway Sports agrees to sell Penguins to Hoffmann family

It’s been a slow trickle of news and development in the story about the potential sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last out there was that the Hoffmann family’s exclusive window had expired, but it appears they and Fenway Sports kept grinding to reach a deal and reportedly now have one.

Sources say @FenwaySportsGrp has reached an agreement to sell the #NHL’s @penguins to the Hoffmann family, a Chicago-based investment group led by David Hofmann.

Official announcement expected in coming days.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 17, 2025

FSG bought the Penguins from the Lemieux Group in a $900 million transaction that came about at the end of 2021. Now about four years later, it looks like FSG is flipping the Pens for what should be a massive windfall. NHL franchise values have skyrocketed lately and they should be the beneficiaries of the timing.

That timing was bad news for the reported interest that Mario Lemieux had in an attempt made to buy back into the Pens franchise. The value has about doubled since he sold, leaving the opportunity tight to get back. It remains unknown how or if the Hoffman’s will incorporate Lemieux, who has had a strained and limited relationship with FSG in recent years.

As far at the fan impact of this sale, that remains to be seen. FSG was never fully welcomed or embraced having taken over from the legendary Lemieux, though they did pump in a large amount of money to renovate areas of PPG Paints Arena and invested heavily to bring Kyle Dubas on board and give him a large budget to expand the franchise’s off ice and managerial levels. Should the Hoffmann’s continue to allow a wide berth to Dubas and the hockey operations folks to continue a move like this might not be a seismic change for fans and consumers. One area to watch will be the potential transfer of Pittsburgh’s regional sports channel, currently owned and operated by FSG and branded as Sportsnet Pittsburgh. Past reports indicated a sale of the team would include the channel.

More details will certainly be coming in the future about this transaction and what changes might be in store for the team as it picks up a third different owner in this decade.

$1.7B sale price on Penguins from Fenway to Hoffmanns

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 17, 2025

Sounds like the Hoffmann family hasn't yet reached out to Mario Lemieux – who will retain his minority share through the transaction – but that Lemieux could be open to a larger presence around the team under new majority ownership. https://t.co/WXxbT0v1ck

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 17, 2025

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/70477/report-fenway-sports-agrees-to-sell-penguins-to-hoffman-family

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Revisiting Penguin predictions for 2025

It’s always fun to go back and have a laugh at how difficult predicting the future is, so why not put a six-game losing streak on the back burner to see how many twists and turns there really were in the calendar year of 2025.

Here’s an audit of what did and didn’t happen according to the clouded crystal ball.

Mike Sullivan is still the coach of the Pens on 1/1/2026

Is this a bold prediction? Maybe not. Unpopular? Possibly so. But there won’t be a change behind the bench in the near future in Pittsburgh. Sullivan has the confidence of his bosses and the utmost respect from his star players.

Well, starting out a cool 0/1. Sullivan eventually lost that confidence of Kyle Dubas and was fired after the season. It was time for a change, certainly past time based on the short shelf lives of NHL coaches. It makes sense to move into the next phase of the team with a younger and more developmental oriented coach like Dan Muse to bring fresh ideas and insert some new energy to the team but it was fair to need to see it to believe it. So far that’s been mostly a breath of fresh air for 2025-26.

Sidney Crosby will NOT win gold this year (but he will next year)

Crosby has won the last four major international tournaments in which he’s played (2016 World Cup of Hockey, 2015 World Championships, 2010 and 2014 Olympics) but he won’t be adding the 2025 4 Nations Faceoff to his endless mantle of achievements. That will be due to Sullivan and the Americans taking the title of the NHL’s international tournament next month.

That said, the unfamiliar feeling won’t last long — Crosby will capture his third Olympic gold in Milan for the 2026 Olympic games. How’s that for a bonus prediction?

Close but no cigar, the Canadians prevailed over the Americans in a 3-2 OT 4 Nations championship game to add to Crosby’s illustrious mantle of achievements. Wouldn’t bet against them in Italy in a few months either, but the gap between them and the Americans has become razor thin to make it a virtual toss up. The US won the round robin game 3-1 against Canada to prove they are loaded right there with Team Canada’s best.

Crosby breaks the Wayne Gretzky record of most point per game seasons

Easy one, by April Crosby will have more points than games to break the record that Wayne Gretzky set.

Crosby easily cleared this, scoring 91 points in 80 games last season to take that somewhat obscure NHL record as his own. He’s working on extending it with the 35 points in 32 games this season, which won’t be shocking to see that keep going.

The Penguins will trade Marcus Pettersson and not make the playoffs in 2025

The Pens have had a few nice weeks to end 2024, but their hot shooting will regress and they don’t have the defense or goaltending to overcome their general team construction that lacks too much talent in too many areas over the long run. They’ll finish a handful of points out of a playoff spot — not an embarrassment, but at the same time not a serious, real contender to make the playoffs by the end of the season.

As such, the team will trade Marcus Pettersson at the deadline, and maybe one or two others (but not much more). There won’t be a firesale, partially because the Pens will want to keep some talent around to finish the season and partially because contenders are not going to be that interested in what Pittsburgh has to sell. The return for Pettersson won’t thrill but won’t be terrible.

Some added context is needed here; when this article was posted on January 2nd, the Pens were in 9th place in the East, just one point below the playoff line (though they had played two more games at the time than most competitors). Pittsburgh ended up finishing more than a handful of points below the playoff line (11) but did end up trading Pettersson a few weeks after this, any illusion of a strong second half run was just that. There was no true firesale, the team did move Anthony Beauvillier, Cody Glass and Michael Bunting but brought an equal amount of NHL talent by gaining Conor Timmins, Connor Dewar and Tommy Novak. Important players without expiring contracts in Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson all stayed put.

The return for Pettersson was pretty strong, netting a first round pick that would become the 12th overall pick in the 2025 draft. Pittsburgh flipped that on draft day to move down and eventually draft Will Horcoff and Bill Zonnon. Pittsburgh also picked up some spare pieces to even out the money (Danton Heinen, Vincent Desharnais) and received prospect Melvin Fernstrom, while also including impending free agent Drew O’Connor in the deal.

The jury is still out on the three major young pieces that Pittsburgh got from this move. Horcoff is looking very promising and could be the key from this transaction to pay off down the line.

One of Ryan Graves or Tristan Jarry will be moved this summer

Kyle Dubas will look to undo a self-inflicted mistake and clear out a bad player/bad contract this summer. He won’t be able to work miracles and get rid of both, but he will flip one under-performing and over-paid veteran for a similarly bad contract in the off-season. It will be met with some relief in the long-term.

The moves didn’t happen in the summer but the intent was in the right place. Both Graves and Jarry hit the waiver wire in the course of 2025, reaching natural conclusions from the disappointing and declining play. Jarry rebounded to play well enough to get traded by the end of the year, once Edmonton saw him put more evidence out that he had presumably fixed some of his issues.

As for Graves, well who knows. He went down to Wilkes with a positive attitude, did well and was called back up. Since then he has been up and down on the borderline of the lineup. He still has three seasons after this to go, it doesn’t make sense to buy him out and even with a rising cap there’s not much reason to think another team is going to be interested in adding his services any time soon.

Erik Karlsson stays…for now

The Penguins will need players, and Karlsson’s $10.0 million existing cap hit won’t be easy to move. Pittsburgh won’t be that hard-pressed to make a bad deal that requires them to retain salary and/or acquire asset(s) lesser than what a 22 minute a night right handed defender who can score 50+ points in a season can offer as value on the ice, so they won’t make such a trade. Which means they’ll hold tight with Karlsson for a while longer yet. Karlsson won’t finish his contract (which lasts through 2026-27) in Pittsburgh, but he’ll spend of all 2025 in the Steel City.

There’s always a lot of smoke regarding Karlsson and the potential for a trade, most of it coming from outside forces. The Pens have not yet seemed outwardly anxious to try and move him, and his own performance has been badly needed for a blueline that doesn’t have many capable puck movers on it. Given the full no movement, this situation has always pointed to being an off-season move, should it happen at all. Maybe that changes by the 2027 deadline if the team is not looking playoff quality that year as his contract ticks out to go chase a Stanley Cup, but for now it seems sensible that Karlsson isn’t going anywhere.

No exciting trades or free agent signings..

Much like in 2024, the Penguins won’t be looking at the top free agents available. Besides entry level contracts they will not sign anyone for three or more seasons and not attempt to significantly upgrade their roster through free agency. Nor will there be any exciting trades ahead, unless dealing Pettersson for a couple of futures does it for ya.

Which means don’t hold your breath for news of a Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell trade in 2025, it’s not going to happen this year. The Pens still need somebody to play with Crosby, and those two have been productive and fit the bill to surround Crosby with legit NHL scoring line talent. Both Rust and Rakell are signed through 2027-2028, they’ll play most of the time remaining on those deals in Pittsburgh (even though, like Karlsson above, they won’t finish their contracts with the Pens – but the team will not be in a huge hurry to move them along either).

There’s a few days to go before the Christmas trade freeze but at this point it looks like Rakell and Rust lasted the of whole 2025 with Pittsburgh. Perhaps that changes by the March deadline if the Pens fall out of contention and seek to trade in those aging assets for some younger ones, though the point remains that the team will need some first-line caliber wingers to play with Crosby. That hasn’t changed and barring another club coming in with an offer that the Pens can’t refuse the status quo may continue for longer.

..But the youth revolution will begin

The Pens have been retooling in the last year, but have not really shifted into being a young team just quite yet. That’s mostly because they don’t have enough NHL caliber young pieces to fit the bill, but the slow process is about to show more progress. With Owen Pickering’s development that’s starting to change already, in the next 12 months it will only continue. Rutger McGroarty, Tristan Broz, Ville Koivunen, Joel Blomqvist and Vasily Ponomarev will all work towards being NHL regulars in the coming year. Harrison Brunicke will make his NHL debut. Veterans like Matt Nieto, Noel Acciari and Kevin Hayes will fade away through one mechanism (free agency, trade, IR) or another.

The changes and turnover won’t happen overnight. Veterans like Crosby, Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang will inflate the team’s overall average age, but make no mistake that through the the median age of the player, the Penguins will certainly be trending towards youth as 2025 goes along.

Some specifics were wrong, Pickering hasn’t taken any tangible steps and Acciari/Hayes have remained, but overall we’ll chalk this up as a win. No one could have foreseen Ben Kindel’s surprising ascension into an instant NHL player, but the Pens have gotten younger across the board. In 2025 they dropped to 30-something goalies (Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic) picking up two 20-something goalies (Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs). Brunicke, Koivunen, Sergei Murashov and Tristan Broz all made NHL debuts along with Kindel. Many older roster players (Nieto, Michael Bunting, Matt Grzelcyk) moved on with younger replacements.

The Pens aren’t truly a young team and never will grade well on the average, but the movement is clearly in place. The team has four U-23 members (Kindel, McGroarty, Koivunen and technically Brunicke) whereas as recently as 2022-23 they basically had none. Others like Murashov and ideally Pickering should be knocking on the door. The wave of young talent drafted in 2025 sets the stage for more like Horcoff to come up through the ranks in ideally the not-too-distant future.

Another slight miss was that some of the under-the-radar signings were not that exciting in July but have worked out wonderfully on the ice. Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon have played very well on team-friendly deals. Anthony Mantha has 22 points in 32 games. Those moves didn’t move the needle in the moment but have proven to be major adds for the team on the ice, as have to a lesser degree the signings of players like Connor Dewar, Filip Hallander and Caleb Jones for peripheral players.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/70469/revisiting-penguin-predictions-for-2025

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Random thoughts as Penguins try to break losing streak

Checking in with some quick random thoughts as the Pittsburgh Penguins try to break their now six-game losing streak.

They have not won since Evgeni Malkin left the lineup​

That is the pretty obvious line in the sand right now for when everything turned to crap for the Penguins.

When we last saw Malkin on the ice for the Penguins, he was scoring a game-winning goal late in the third period of a 4-3 regulation win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was his second goal of the game, his third point of the night, and his second consecutive multi-point game. The Penguins improved to 14-7-5, had one of the best records in the Eastern Conference (and the NHL) at that point and things were looking pretty good. He was up to 29 points in 26 games and showing that he still has some juice to his game and can still be a big-time difference-maker.

Then he missed a practice for maintenance.

Then he missed a game and was going to be day-to-day.

Then he went on injured reserve and has not played since.

The Penguins have also not won a game since, losing six games in a row including four games by a single goal (all in overtime). I do not think it is a stretch to suggest that the presence of a healthy Malkin in the lineup could have impacted at least one or two of those games.

They miss him, and they miss dearly. It has shortened the lineup, it has taken a key player off of the power play, and it has taken a difference-maker off the ice.

Is Anthony Mantha the best choice for the top power play right now?​

I am not so sure.

Especially in the manner in which he is being used.

If you are going to insist on putting Mantha on that unit, shouldn’t he be spending the bulk of that time in front of the net? Or at least near the net? I understand the Penguins power play has a lot of movement this season (a pleasant change, and a big part of their success) but I just don’t know that he has the puck skills or playmaking skills to be operating in the man-advantage out near the blue line or out near the face-off dots. I did not understand the logic of swapping him into that spot in place of Ben Kindel, and I understand it even less watching it in action.

Kindel has been extremely effective on the power play on that top unit. Put him back out there.

It might be time to split up Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust​

Crosby and Rust have been an outstanding duo for the Penguins for years, but it might have run its course as an effective line.

At least for now.

They can still produce offense together. That is not the problem. But they are absolutely bleeding goals and chances against at an alarming rate, and it’s becoming a huge problem.

For the season, they have been outscored (22-23) during 5-on-5 play. They are on the negative side of every shot attempt, scoring chance, and expected goal metric, despite getting heavy offensive zone starts.

Crosby might like having linemates he is familiar with and can trust, but you’re on a six-game losing streak, nothing is going right, and that line is at the center of a lot of issues defensively, especially late in games. Everybody needs a wake-up call right now.

It is make-or-break time​

This might be the stretch of games that really impacts what the Penguins season is going to be.

Because of games in hand and the NHL’s point system, the Penguins are still in a top-eight spot in the Eastern Conference by points percentage despite having lost six games in a row and won just six of their past 20 games (yeah, you read that right). Because so many of their losses have come in overtime or a shootout, they keep collecting points and hanging around. But their next four games are against teams below them in the standings (Ottawa, Montreal, Montreal, Toronto) and teams that theoretically will be competing for a wild-card spot with them.

It is not too early to start looking at four-point games.

If they can come out of this stretch with a few wins, they will build themselves a little bit more of a cushion and buy themselves more time to hang around in the playoff race. If they do not, they will start settling into a spot in the standings where everybody always thought they would be this season. Even with the recent results I think the Penguins have, more often than not, played better than their record indicates for long stretches of games. They just need to finish them. Now would be a great time to figure out how to start doing that.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/70510/random-thoughts-as-penguins-try-to-break-losing-streak

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Pens Points: Losers of seven straight

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…​

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators duked it out in Canada’s capital city on Thursday night. It was largely a no-show performance for a Penguins team that looks defeated and deflated at the moment. The Senators took a 4-0 victory as Pittsburgh’s losing streak reached seven games. [Recap]

Sidney Crosby remains just one point away from tying franchise icon Mario Lemieux for the eighth-most points in NHL history and most points in Penguins history. Of the two legends, which center has had the more impressive career? [TSN]

News and notes from around the NHL…​

Former Ottawa Senators head coach and Penguins assistant coach, Jacques Martin, will be added to the Senators’ Ring of Honor on Jan. 24, 2026, the team announced on Thursday. [Sportsnet]

Former NHL forward Milan Lucic signed with the Fife Flyers of Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League on Thursday. The transaction immediately sparked a backlash in Scotland because of an alleged domestic incident involving Lucic and his wife, Brittany Carnegie, in 2023, so much so that Scottish media reported Thursday that the signing has drawn criticism from domestic abuse advocates and coincided with the resignations of two team officials. [TSN]

Could a reunion between the Montreal Canadiens and forward Phillip Danault be in the cards? The Canadiens are apparently one of several teams calling the Los Angeles Kings to inquire about Danault’s services. [TSN]

Speaking of trades, here are six deals that NHL teams should make after the holiday roster freeze concludes on Dec. 28. [ESPN]

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/70518/pens-points-penguins-senators-crosby-lemieux-nhl-lucic-danault

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Hoffmann family enters into formal agreement for controlling interest of Penguins franchise

The Hoffmann Family of Companies has entered into a formal agreement purchase controlling interest of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Hoffmann family, who run a Chicago based investment company, were closing on a deal to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Fenway Sports Group for approximately $1.75 billion.

The Hoffmann Family has entered into a formal agreement to acquire a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Fenway Sports Group.

Full Release: https://t.co/xM4hO3NJcG pic.twitter.com/3nllwHBamy

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 19, 2025

That deal is now under agreement and subject to approval from the NHL’s Board of Governors.

“When the opportunity arose to become the next stewards of one of the most respected organizations in sports, we knew we had to pursue it,” said Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies. “The Penguins’ on‑ice legacy and the values shared by the team and the city align naturally with ours. We’re here to build, grow, stay…and win.”

The Hoffmann family business currently oversees more than 125 global brands, including the Florida Everblades in the ECHL.

“Hockey has always been a meaningful part of our family’s story, which makes this an incredibly special opportunity,” Hoffmann said. “We’ve long admired the Pittsburgh Penguins – not just for their championship legacy and history, but for the culture, passion, and loyalty that define the organization. From our earliest conversations, we saw how deeply the Penguins are woven into the fabric of Pittsburgh. We are honored to join that tradition and excited to become an active part of the community.

Current Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas is expected to continue in his role with the team.

“The franchise has thrived under the world-class leadership of Fenway Sports Group, and we are excited to build on that momentum,” Hoffmann added. “Our goal is to support Kyle Dubas with everything he needs to bring the Penguins back to the pinnacle of the NHL. We look forward to working alongside the exceptional leadership team already in place, strengthening our connection with Penguins fans, and ensuring the franchise remains a source of pride for the city for generations to come.”

Fenway Sports Group, who purchased the Penguins from Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle in 2021, are expected to maintain a minority shareholder role.

When the sale is officially completed, Geoff Hoffmann is expected to serve as the team’s Governor with the NHL’s board.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/7...or-controlling-interest-of-penguins-franchise

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

How damaging is a seven-game losing streak to a season?

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost again on Thursday, dropping a 4-0 decision to the Ottawa Senators that was a concerning replay of Tuesday’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers. They fell behind early, showed little pushback, and quietly lost by multiple goals without much of a serious challenge. At least they have moved on from losing multiple goal leads to just simply losing by multiple goals. It is less stressful and infuriating that way.

It is also still not good, and it extends the current losing streak to seven games.

This is relatively uncharted territory for the Penguins in the Sidney Crosby era, and history suggests it is probably not a good thing for their chances of building on what was at one time a strong start and making a surprising playoff appearance.

First, from a Penguins perspective, this is only the fifth seven-game losing streak that has happened in the Crosby era.

Of the previous four, three of them happened during Crosby’s rookie season in 2005-06 when the team won just 22 games.

That season saw the Penguins have losing streaks of nine games (to open the season!), 10 games and seven games.

The nine-game losing streak to open the season saw the Penguins lose four games in overtime or shootout (much like this losing streak), while the 10-game streak was entirely regulation defeats. That losing streak was snapped with an 8-1 win over an equally bad Washington Capitals team, and was immediately followed by the other seven-game losing streak (which featured one overtime loss).

The other previous seven-game streak came early in the 2022-23 season when they went 0-6-1 between Oct. 24 and Nov. 5. It put them into an early 4-6-2 hole that was going to be a challenge to climb out of. They ended up going 15-3-2 over the next 20 games, but that early losing streak, combined with another six-game losing streak later in the season, ended up playing a huge role in them missing the playoffs by a single point, snapping their streak of consecutive playoff appearances.

Until Thursday’s defeat, those were the only seven-game losing streaks that have happened during the Crosby era. This is also the only one that has taken place during the Crosby-Evgeni Malkin era, but even that comes with something of an asterisk because Evgeni Malkin has not actually played in any of these seven games.

The Penguins also missed the playoffs in each of those two seasons. And that probably should not be surprising. Seven games is a significant chunk of a team’s season (almost 10 percent) and given how many three-point games exist in the NHL and how difficult it is to make up points as the season goes on, giving away 10 percent of your season in one big segment is a problem.

The good news: There have been 32 teams that have had a seven-game losing streak in a season since 2005-06 and still ended up making the playoffs. That seems like a solid number!

The bad news: Over that same time period there have been more than 200 seven-game losing streaks from teams that did not make the playoffs.

Some of those instances were the same team having multiple seven-game losing streaks in the same season (like the 2005-06 Penguins), but at the end of the day it still comes out around a 14 percent chance of actually make the playoffs when you lose seven games in a row.

If the losing streak reaches eight games, only 15 of those teams have made the playoffs.

if by some chance it gets to 10 games, only four of those teams have made the playoffs.

So.

Yeah.

The odds are not in your favor when you lose seven games in a row, and those odds only keep going down the longer the losing streak gets.

Not only because of what that does to your season in the standings, but also because it is probably a pretty good indicator that your team in general is simply not very good.

That is what makes this particular seven-game winning streak so maddening for the Penguins. You can fairly say they deserved to lose against Montreal, Edmonton and Ottawa. Those were flat games where they did not play well and ended up with the result they deserved.

But the other four games were just …. baffling. They remain baffling. Everything about the situation they have put themselves in is baffling.

They outplayed Dallas and lost. Okay. Sometimes that happens. Dallas is an outstanding team. Sometimes they are going to get you if you give them another chance. It was an encouraging process with a frustrating result.

But the Anaheim, San Jose and Utah games are the type of games that even bad teams win given the positions they were in. If they simply hold on to those games the entire season looks different right now. Three additional points would give the Penguins a .606 points percentage right now. That would be the third-best points percentage in the Eastern Conference. They would still be in a great position and nobody would be talking about how the fast start had gone away. Because the fast start would still be happening.

That is also what, from a human element perspective, makes this particular seven-game losing streak even more damaging. This team looks broken given the way they have lost some of these games. The confidence looks gone. The energy looks gone.

If it continues any longer the focus of the season will eventually have to shift to what we all originally thought it would be from the beginning. The future.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/70544/how-damaging-is-a-seven-game-losing-streak-to-a-season

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins/Canadiens Recap: Pens shutout, lose again

Pregame​

Everything is different tonight for the Penguins, besides the Wotherspoon-Karlsson pair. Tommy Novak is back on the first line and Rickard Rakell is the latest in a long line to try at the second line center spot that Pittsburgh has been trying to fill in Evgeni Malkin’s absence. Ville Koivunen is back from being a healthy scratch and with his familiar, fellow youngsters. The fourth line says goodbye to Danton Heinen for the night as he becomes a scratch. On defense, the long-standing Kris Letang-Ryan Shea pair is no more for the first time since training camp. Connor Clifton gets a jersey and Stuart Skinner makes his second start with the Pens.

Tonight’s lineup in MTL pic.twitter.com/72dNYRiOAB

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 20, 2025

The home Canadiens are working with these formations as they call it in French.

La formation de ce soir

Tonight's lineup#GoHabsGo | @mtlgazette pic.twitter.com/PYU6pdavVu

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 21, 2025

First period​

Pittsburgh gets a power play early, it is poor recording no shots and seeing a crossbar get hit behind Skinner.

Kevin Hayes gets a breakaway for the Pens’ first shot, goalie Jacob Fowler stops him and then Noel Acciari too on the follow-up chance.

Skinner makes a flurry of great saves on Joe Veleno.

Hayes takes the first Pittsburgh penalty, the Canadiens strike after holding a lot zone time. Cole Caufield feeds Juraj Slafkovsky and he slings a shot from the front into the net. 1-0 MTL, 3:19 to go in the first.

Slaf nous offre notre premier cadeau de Noël

Elf on the shelf but make it Slaf going top shelf #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/38zY9rPPPc

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 21, 2025

A series of unfortunate events before the end of the period. Wotherspoon toepicks, the result is a clean lane for Owen Beck to skate in. Pretty shot to the top beats Skinner, it’s 2-0.

LE PREMIER DE BECK DANS LA LNH!!!

BECK'S FIRST NHL GOAL!!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Kx8zxsll5j

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 21, 2025

Would have been nice to get out of that period only down by a goal, that wasn’t the end result though. Shame Skinner gave up two goals, he had a couple really nice saves and was about the only Penguin player to do much of anything positive.

Second period​

Connor Dewar gets a great chance early on from a sublime pass from Erik Karlsson, better stop by Fowler.

Sidney Crosby got smacked in the face inadvertently by the stick of Kulak. Not great! Crosby goes to the locker room for repairs but is back soon after.

Karlsson shows off his playmaking chops again to put a cross-ice pass on the stick of Justin Brazeau. No finish again.

On Crosby’s first shift back, the first line gets some o-zone time. Nick Suzuki gets rushed and clears the puck over the window to create the second Pittsburgh power play of the night. It’s Montreal who scores. Bryan Rust makes a no look pass to an area that there isn’t even a Penguin player. It turns into another Anderson SH breakaway, this time he doesn’t hit the crossbar. 3-0 game.

Joyeux Noël et bonne année de la part du 17

Season’s greetings from Josh Anderson#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/xMGZSFHzSU

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 21, 2025

Second gets to the end, only five shots aside for each team. One is cruising, the other sinking.

Third period​

The Pens keep working, Fowler is in the zone. Hayes gets a chance but can’t score on the rebound.

Lane Hutson goes to the penalty box for cross-checking, Crosby stays on the ice for the full 2 minutes that goes by without a goal.

Pittsburgh pulls Skinner with 7:20 to play when they get an offensive zone faceoff. Why not? Despite having the extra player the Pens still end up chasing the puck for the most part. Montreal misses a few open looks but finally puts the dagger in with 2:58. 4-0.

Some thoughts​

• Line changes were a must after seven straight losses, good to see some fresh ideas implemented for this one. Muse has long been, um, musing over using Rakell as a center dating back to training camp, an idea that had to be shuttered when Bryan Rust got hurt and then Rakell himself took injured. Down Malkin, it makes sense to give it a go, though I assume the Pens will find out what the Ducks did many years ago in that Rakell will be more effective in the long haul on the wing. They just need a short-term patch for now though.
• Not sure Kulak will have much more luck than Shea did with Letang but that’s also worth the ol’ switcheroo at this point to see if change can be beneficial.
• Novak got buried with a big hit along the wall on the first shift. A fun game to play while watching Novak is to watch him get destroyed with a hit (he’s willing to hold the puck longer than most, so he ends up getting hit a lot; not a knock just willing to take the hit to extend his opportunity to create). See if Novak retreats to the perimeter or becomes ineffective for the next few shifts or period. Appeared to be the case tonight.
• Beck scored last week in the PIT/MTL game but his goal got called back after a Pittsburgh challenge and official review. He’d get his revenge in this game tonight by scoring again; they couldn’t take it away this time.
• Jacob Fowler vs the Pens: 2 starts, 2-0, .971 save%. Jacob Fowler in his other two NHL games (vs PHI and NYR): 0-1-1, .836 save%, 8 goals allowed in the two games. It wasn’t like Pittsburgh didn’t have chances, Moneypuck had them at 5.15 expected goals the first meeting on Dec. 11 (2 actual goals) and 3.61 one tonight (0 goals).
• The only good news is presumably the Habs will resort to not playing Fowler tomorrow in Pittsburgh. Though at this point, I wouldn’t put it past them.
• Parker Wotherspoon has been so good for the Penguins this season. Solid player, done very well in a big role (and not an easy job) of playing with Karlsson and often times the Pens’ first line that doesn’t exactly play tremendous defense. Wotherspoon has been reliable, a great story so far. When even he is tripping for no reason like he did in the first to let his guy go in unmarked and score, well, that’s an unnecessary signal that it’s just not going their way right now. The mistakes, accidents, blunders, all rising. The amount of confidence and quality play, way down. It can be difficult to correct, it isn’t that tough to diagnose that when in the midst of an eight-game losing streak it’s pretty much like a virus that has infected the whole team at this point.
• You also kinda knew, or could have gotten a strong suspicion about this one based on the early minutes when the Pens had a power play and it stumbled. Not that one power play is a make or break so much as nothing has changed from the top players looking like they’re in a complete fog. Other than Karlsson, who was great with his vision and passing, the rest of the top Pittsburgh players remain shaky, if visible at all. Rust, Crosby, Rakell, Mantha, goes for them all. That’s the top power play group and once again not moving the needle much. It was on display from the very start.
• Related: how the hell is Ben Kindel not on the top power play?
• The Bob Grove stat of the night is fittingly a sad one: today marks the ninth time the Pens have been shutout in back-to-back games. So much for putting on a good show on the Dad’s trip.

Rematch tomorrow in Pittsburgh. The Habs should be looking forward to it, at least.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-recaps/70605/penguins-canadiens-recap-pens-shutout-lose-again

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins 12/21/25

Who: Montreal Canadiens (19-12-4, 42 points, 2nd place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (14-11-9, 37 points, 5th place Metropolitan Division)

When: 7:00 p.m. eastern

How to Watch: Broadcast locally Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Pens go right back to Canada for a game on Tuesday night against the Maple Leafs before making it to their December 24-27 holiday break. Can’t come soon enough!

Opponent Track: Montreal came into the December 11th game against the Pens at perhaps a season rock bottom following a 6-1 drubbing to Tampa. The Habs 4-1-1 since that moment (including two wins against Pittsburgh) for a nice little turnaround.

Season Series: Tonight will be the last of the meetings between the Pens and Canadiens this year, and not a moment too soon for the Pens with the way things have gone so far after Montreal defeated them 4-2 on Dec 11th and 4-0 last night.

Getting to know the Canadiens​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zack Bolduc

Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov

Alexandre Texier – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson

Joe Veleno – Owen Beck – Brendan Gallagher

DEFENSEMEN

Mike Matheson / Noah Dobson

Lane Hutson / Alexandre Carrier

Arber Xhekaj / Adam Engstrom

Goalies: Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler

Potential scratches: Jayden Struble, Philip Danault (?)

Injured Reserve: Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach

• Danault didn’t play last night after his recent trade back to the Habs, we’ll have to see if he’s available to make his re-debut with Montreal tonight.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• It’s nice to see a team a few times within 10 days to learn more about them. Fowler definitely looks like he will live up to the hype (though as pointed out in the recap, so far he’s had two great outings against the Pens and then not been sharp in his other starts. Annoying!). Suzuki and Caufield are masters. Slafkovsky has impressed scoring a goal in both MTL/PIT games.
• Demidov has been good in his rookie season, but was very quiet last night. No shot attempts in only 14:21 of ice time during a comfortable win. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of rookie wall he hits, if one at all.
• Montreal adding Danault back in a trade, for the cost of only a second round pick, looks like a great move for them to make. Danault’s point production can be hit or miss but he is a very reliable checking center and good away from the puck. The Canadiens have enough firepower and guys who can take care of the offense, they could use a player with Danault’s skillset to boost them down the middle.

And now for the Pens​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha – Rickard Rakell – Justin Brazeau

Ville Koivunen – Ben Kindel – Rutger McGroarty

Connor Dewar – Kevin Hayes – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Brett Kulak / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Danton Heinen, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany

IR: Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones

• Dan Muse surely had some time to think on the way home last night from Montreal about how his changes (reflected above) worked out. In one sense, it wasn’t the absolute worst. They generated 3.6 expected goals according to MoneyPuck and were stymied by Fowler. That doesn’t put any actual goals on the board but could be some evidence to support giving the changes a little more time to see if they can figure it out before shaking it up again.
• Presumably will be Silovs in net tonight, he like the Pens could use a slump buster. Silovs is 0-3-4 in his last seven decisions and hasn’t notched a victory since November 6th against Washington. Maybe he and the team are due for something good to happen? That hope is about all you can hang your hat on right now since all the recent evidence is not very encouraging.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/penguins-...ntreal-canadiens-pittsburgh-penguins-12-21-25

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Gamethread: Penguins @ Canadiens

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-open-threads/70271/gamethread-penguins-canadiens

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

The week ahead: Penguins losing streak is over; how it changed expectations

The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a couple of losing streaks on Sunday night with their 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The most important streak it snapped is the eight-game losing streak they were on. Arguably the more satisfying streak that it snapped was their nine-game shootout losing streak that went all the way back to the early stages of the 2024-25 season.

Ending both streaks is important.

They needed something positive to happen on the ice to just change some of the vibe around the team.

They needed to win a shootout just to stop giving away extra points.

Arturs Silovs needed to win a shootout just to change one of the narratives around him. He has now stopped three of the past four shootout attempts he has faced. So there is that. That is something.

But now that all of this happened and the Penguins are back in the win column, what does it mean for the team as they get ready to head into the holiday break later this week? After Sunday’s win the Penguins own a .557 points percentage, which would be a 91-point pace over an 82-game season. That is 11th place in the Eastern Conference, and two points off the pace of the current playoff cut-line, which is at 93 points entering the week.

When the losing streak began, the Penguins had the third-highest points percentage in the Eastern Conference, the sixth-highest in the NHL, and were comfortably in a playoff position. Given that it was already two months into the season, it was not unreasonable to start thinking about the playoffs. The expectations for the season changed based on the early results.

Now that the losing streak has happened and they find themselves in their current position, it is not unreasonable to think that the expectations have changed again and reverted back to their preseason level. Their current place in the standings is probably about where most people expected them to be. They are not as bad as the results during their losing streak. They are probably not as good as their 8-2-2 start. They are most likely somewhere in the middle. Which is what their overall record for the season is.

Call it regression to the mean. Call it water finding its level. Call it back luck. Whatever it is, the Penguins are currently where we thought they would be in late December. Clearly not the worst team in the league. Clearly not a definite playoff team.

Injuries have certainly played a role in the streak. Evgeni Malkin’s absence has been significant and not only taken away a key leader and point-producer, but also limited the effectiveness of Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau on the second line.

Blake Lizotte’s absence has completely ruined the penalty kill (or at least contributed to it).

But it would it be unwise to just chalk everything up to that.

The defensive problems we all know are present on the roster are starting to get exposed more and more. They basically have one defensive pairing that can be truly relied on (Erik Karlsson and Parker Wotherspoon), and even that has slumped recently.

The goaltending, which was always going to be a wild-card with this team, has significantly regressed.

You can put together a compelling argument that the return of Malkin and Lizotte will improve the scoring and the forward depth. I am not sure there is anything that improves the defense or makes the goaltending more consistent. That is where the lowered expectations come in. Because we saw all of those things on display over the past two weeks.

The Penguins have two games this week sandwiched around the holiday break, and in what feels like a broken record to say at this point, they are both winnable.

On Tuesday afternoon they play a Toronto Maple Leafs team that looks like it is just waiting for a coaching change. They are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, they have some of the worst underlying and possession numbers in the league and even Auston Matthews looks like a player that does not have anything going on for him right now.

After the Christmas break they play a Chicago Blackhawks team that is not only still one of the worst in the NHL, but is currently without its best player — Connor Bedard — and looks even more uncompetitive without him.

Maybe they get four points out of this week. Maybe that puts them back into a playoff position for now. Either way, this team largely seems to be what we thought it would be and where we thought it would be. It just has taken a very strange and unexpected path in getting there.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...ng-streak-is-over-how-it-changed-expectations

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Sidney Crosby passes Mario Lemieux, sets new Penguins all-time scoring record

Sidney Crosby moved to the top of the Penguins’ all-time scoring list on Sunday evening, passing franchise legend Mario Lemieux with a goal and an assist in the first period during the team’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Crosby entered Sunday’s game trailing Lemieux by one point, tying and setting the new scoring record with 1,724 points.

After setting the new scoring record, a tribute message from Mario Lemieux played at PPG Paints Arena, bringing the crowd to its feet.

From one to another…

A message from Mario moves PPG Paints Arena to its feet pic.twitter.com/ZbsQUCyeEo

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) December 22, 2025

“Hey Sid, congratulations on passing me with 1,724 points,” Lemieux said. “I knew when we played together in 2005 that you were gonna be a very special player and accomplish a lot of great things in your career. Here we are 20 years later. You’re one of the best to ever play the game. You’ve been a great ambassador for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the National Hockey League, and the hockey world. I just would like to wish you all the best the rest of the way and again, congratulations. Well done.”

During the ensuing intermission, Crosby spoke about how much respect he has for Lemieux and their friendship.

"I have a ton of respect for Mario… it means a lot… that friendship, and what him and his family mean to me, is a lot."

Sidney Crosby on becoming the franchise's points leader pic.twitter.com/ts9cxsTjRH

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) December 22, 2025

“Obviously, I have a ton of respect for Mario and everything he’s done for this team and for hockey in general, so it’s pretty special,” Crosby said.

Crosby said Lemieux’s message played in the arena meant a lot to him and he was hoping to set the record while Lemieux could be in attendance.

“It was really special to have that message and obviously that friendship and what him and his family mean to me is a lot,” Crosby said. “It was really nice to have that.”

Along with setting a new franchise scoring record, Crosby has also moved into 8th all-time in NHL scoring history, trailing Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman by 31 points for 7th place, a feat that Crosby could achieve by the end of the season.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/7...eux-sets-new-penguins-all-time-scoring-record

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs 12/23/25

Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (15-11-9, 39 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Toronto Maple Leafs (15-15-5, 35 points, 8th place Atlantic Division)

When: 4:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: National broadcast on TNT, HBO Max and truTV

Pens’ Path Ahead: Tonight is the last game before the Pens’ holiday break. They’ll look to brighten what has been a tough December with a second straight win, then enjoy four days off before heading to Chicago on Sunday for a matchup with a Blackhawks team missing injured center Connor Bedard.

Opponent Track: The Maple Leafs, a perennial regular-season juggernaut in the Auston Matthews era, have been spiraling down the standings right alongside the Pens these past two weeks. The Leafs head into the matchup having gone 1-4-1 in their last six, and they most recently conceded a 5-1 defeat in Dallas on Sunday.

Season Series: This is the last time these two teams will meet this season. The Penguins are looking to finally get the upper hand after losing both in Toronto (where the Pens blew a third-period three-goal lead and lost in regulation on Nov. 3) and in Pittsburgh (where the Pens allowed four straight goals against in the middle of the a 7-2 blowout on Nov. 29).

Hidden Stat: The Penguins haven’t won at Scotiabank Arena since November 2022. They’ve also gone 0-3-1 in their last four matchups with the Leafs.

Getting to know the Maple Leafs​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – Max Domi

Matias Macelli – John Tavares – William Nylander

Nicholas Robertson – Nicolas Roy – Bobby McMann

Dakota Joshua – Scott Laughton – Steven Lorentz

DEFENSEMEN

Morgan Rielly / Philippe Myers

Jake McCabe / Troy Stecher

Simon Benoit / Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Goalies: Dennis Hildeby, Joseph Woll

Potential scratches: Henry Thrun, Calle Jarnkrok, Easton Cowan, Dakota Joshua

Injured Reserve: Anthony Stolarz, Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Dakota Mermis

Turning point in Toronto​

The Leafs are coming into this game under about as much pressure as possible to turn things around. The team is coming off a three-game road trip during which they were outscored by a combined 14-4, and they’ve slipped all the way behind the Buffalo Sabres to fall to the bottom of the Atlantic.

William Nylander, who told reporters after Sunday’s loss he felt the Leafs’ “confidence is low,” was asked if he’d ever been through a stretch like this before.

“Like, with losing? I don’t know if I’ve felt like this, before,” Nylander answered. “If I’ve had a stretch like this, I’m not sure. I don’t feel like I’ve had that in the NHL, at least.”

That’s not the only postgame interview that recently raised some concerns in the Leafs locker room. Auston Matthews has said he believes his team is fine mentally, while of his teammates have raised the Leafs’ mentality as a concern.

There is definitely a disconnect inside the Maple Leafs dressing room. And I’m not just talking about the head coach. pic.twitter.com/TWLJz2EVFI

— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) December 21, 2025

These answers came two days after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Leafs are going to “be forced into existential questions” unless they turn their season around.

Elliotte Friedman: Re Leafs: "If things don’t straighten out, the organization will be forced into existential questions they didn’t think they’d have to consider — beyond the coach, beyond management, into the core of their lineup and about overall direction" – Sportsnet (12/20)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) December 20, 2025

Changes have already started. The Leafs announced Monday night the dismissal of assistant coach Marc Savard, who was in charge of managing a power play that currently ranks last in the NHL at a 13.3 percent success rate.

pic.twitter.com/RbLXOKhLw8

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 22, 2025

Season stats
via hockeydb

Auston Matthews is on pace to finish this season with 32 goals. That would be the lowest single-season total of his career, and it’s an abrupt decline from a player who led the entire NHL in even-strength scoring through the first nine seasons of his career.

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn and James Mirtle recently floated a few ideas as to what’s going on with Matthews. They include the Leafs’ overall struggles with possession, head coach Craig Berube’s decision to give Matthews a tougher defensive workload and the absence from his line of Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner.

What's wrong with Auston Matthews?

A deep dive with @mirtle looking at all the factors contributing to Matthews' shocking decline.https://t.co/pCfTrCE9qo pic.twitter.com/C80UwHGfRI

— dom (@domluszczyszyn) December 22, 2025

Matthews isn’t the only one struggling to find the back of the net recently. The Leafs’ core of him, Nylander and John Tavares, alongside Matthew Knies and the now healthy scratch candidate Max Domi, have combined for a single goal during the Leafs’ last three games.

Maple Leafs' five highest-paid forwards on 0-3 road trip

Auston Matthews: minus-7, 0 points
William Nylander: minus-7, 0 points
Matthew Knies: minus-5, 0 points
John Tavares: minus-5, 1 goal, 0 assists
Max Domi: minus-1, 0 points, 1 scratch

(*some empty-netter minuses mixed in)

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) December 22, 2025

And now for the Pens​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha – Rickard Rakell – Justin Brazeau

Rutger McGroarty – Ben Kindel – Ville Koivunen

Connor Dewar – Kevin Hayes – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Brett Kulak / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Jack St. Ivany

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Danton Heinen, Ryan Graves, Connor Clifton

IR: Blake Lizotte, Evgeni Malkin, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones

• Sidney Crosby, the Penguins’ all-time leader in points, has points in each of his last six games against the Leafs (2-7—9 over that stretch, per the Penguins).
• The Pens have a few players who could hit games played milestones tonight, depending on if Stuart Skinner (199 career games) or Connor Clifton (399 career games) are in the lineup. Brett Kulak is meanwhile preparing to play in his 300th straight game, which currently marks the ninth-longest Ironman streak in the NHL.
• Yesterday was a travel day for the Pens. Injury and line updates could be expected this morning.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/7...tsburgh-penguins-toronto-maple-leafs-12-23-25

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins/Maple Leafs highlights: Tripped up before the break

The Penguins fell 6-3 in Toronto today. Max Domi scored the go-ahead goal and the Maple Leafs tacked on a pair of empty net goals to make the final score look lopsided.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-reca...-leafs-highlights-tripped-up-before-the-break

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Pittsburgh Penguins biggest disappointments, surprises and more at holiday break

The Pittsburgh Penguins are going into the Holiday and nearing the halfway point of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. They are probably where everybody expected them to be in the standings, but have reached it in a very unexpected manner. So it might be a good time to just check in and look at who has been their best player (no surprise), their biggest disappointment, their biggest surprise and their best offseason addition.

Let’s get to it.

Best player: Sidney Crosby​

There are some legitimate concerns with the way the top line has played defensively, and that applies to both Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. But the offense is still there, and it is still there at a very high level. Scoring 20 goals and averaging more than a point-per-game through 36 games at the age of 38 is wild stuff.

It is the sort of thing that just does not happen in the NHL. Crosby is on pace for 43 goals this season which would be the third-highest total of his career. He is, again, 38 years old. Players are not supposed to still be this productive at this age. He is obviously not most players. It has been a milestone year for him in becoming the Penguins’ all-time leading scorer, and he is still playing like one of the top offensive players in the NHL.

Biggest Surprise: Ben Kindel​

When the Penguins selected Kindel with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft it was greeted with a polarizing reception. Some saw the production and talent and knew there was a lot of upside. Others looked at some of the other familiar names that had been talked about pre-draft, and were still available, and saw it as a missed opportunity. Almost nobody saw him making the NHL team right out of training camp. Nobody could have imagined he would not only make the team, but also make it through the nine-game trial period and be here to stay. Not only is he here to stay, he has also been a major contributor and already displaying an advanced two-way game for an 18-year-old. He might not be a franchise-changing player, but he certainly has the ability to be a top-line player and perhaps even an All-Star level player. He has been a major bright spot.

With eight goals in 33 games he is on a 20-goal pace over 82 games while consistently posting some of the best underlying and possession numbers on the team. His line has also consistently been one of the Penguins’ most effective in most games. That is all extremely impressive play for an 18-year-old. He is not going to win the Calder Trophy, but he has a significant future in the NHL and with the Penguins.

Biggest Disappointment: Kris Letang​

There was always going to come a point in time where the big-three (Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Letang) would begin to slow down. To varying degrees, all of them have.

At least compared to what they were in their peak. But none of them have declined faster and more aggressively than Letang. He has been a difficult watch at times this season and is playing some of the worst hockey of his career. There are not many positives on the Penguins defense this season, but that was to be expected with most of the players that were assembled on that unit. There was still some hope that Letang might be able to provide something of value. Those moments have been few and far between.

Player the Penguins need more from: Ville Koivunen​

I had high expectations for Ville Koivunen coming into this season, and I think a lot of other people did as well. He has been outstanding in the American Hockey League. He had a strong debut late in the 2024-25 season with the Penguins.

He opened this season on a dominant run in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It just has not all translated into results this season at the NHL level. I would not say he has been bad, because that would be a little unfair. He doesn’t make a lot of obvious mistakes, and his underlying numbers, whether he is a part of The Kid Line or another line, have consistently been good. He is just not producing anything offensively, and that is what the Penguins want and need from him. He finds himself in good positions a lot, he has created chances, but the puck has not consistently gone in the net for him, or as a result of his plays. Only three points in 24 games is just a little underwhelming. Not every young player develops at the same pace.

There are going to be growing pains that come for a lot of them. If you want to see the Penguins rebuild and get younger and play different players you have to accept the reality that struggles are going to be a part of that. I am certainly not giving up on Koivunen, and the Penguins should not either, but they probably do need to see more production from him in the second half of the season.

Worst offseason addition: Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba​

They get to share this. Expectations for both players were low coming into the season, and they were mostly here as part of salary dump trades or to get future assets. Nobody was counting on them being major contributors. Even so, the Penguins’ defense has become a major liability with this team and played a significant role in the poor play over the past 10 games.

Clifton and Dumba have not been regulars, and Dumba is now in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but they have not been good when called on. I understand the purpose of their additions was not necessarily for their play. There is more going on there with salaries, contracts and future draft picks, which changes the way the trades themselves are analyzed from a big picture perspective. But from an on-ice perspective and how they have impacted this team, this season, they have not been useful additions.

Best offseason addition: Anthony Mantha ​

Mantha was this year’s Anthony Beauvillier, a low-budget, reclamation project free agent signing that could be inserted into the top-six, put in positions to score, and then be flipped at the trade deadline, probably for another future second-round pick.

So far, it has gone to plan.

With 11 goals and 23 total points he is on a 25-goal, 52-point pace and carries a relatively cheap salary cap number that should make him an attractive option for a team in need of some size and depth scoring for the playoffs.

Depending on the shift he can either look like an All-Star or one of the worst players you have ever seen. Overall he has accomplished what the Penguins had hoped.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/...ointments-surprises-and-more-at-holiday-break

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Pens Points: A not-so-merry Christmas Eve Eve

Here is a festively fun, Christmas Eve edition of Pens Points…​

Max Domi proved to be an indestructible force for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday afternoon, as he scored the game-winner to snap a 23-game goalless streak while helping end the Maple Leafs’ three-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. [Highlights]

“He’s still No. 1 in my book. I don’t think you can put a stat line or a number on what he means to this team and to hockey,” Sidney Crosby said of Mario Lemieux after passing his friend and mentor to become the Penguins’ all-time points leader. And in passing Lemieux for the franchise scoring title, Crosby, once again, chose to do so with class, paying tribute to arguably the greatest Penguin and NHL player of all time. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…​

Before the game against the Penguins, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said on Tuesday that he fully supports head coach Craig Berube despite the team’s recent losing streak and the firing of assistant coach Mark Savard on Monday. [TSN]

I may be biased, but Marc-Andre Fleury’s preseason sendoff was the perfect way to wrap up the career of the future Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender. However, teams are “kicking the tires” on Fleury, who is open to returning for the right opportunity, according to multiple reports. [Sportsnet]

Members of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association are on the verge of staging a strike in the ECHL if the union and the league cannot agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. [Associated Press via Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/news/70744/pens-points-penguins-maple-leafs-crosby-nhl-fleury-echl-strike

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

2026 World Juniors: Horcoff, Brunicke look to shine

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have two players participating in this year’s World Junior Championships, the U-20 tournament that takes place starting tomorrow, Friday December 26th and lasting through Monday January 5th over in Minnesota. What the Pens lack in quantity will be made up for in quantity with Canada’s Harrison Brunicke and the US’s Will Horcoff both expected to fill key roles for the two powerhouse teams.

Horcoff finished the tune-up games on the first line for the Americans, playing left wing for high draft pick James Hagens. Center depth has been a question mark and potential question mark for the US, it shows where Horcoff is that he’s being used for the national team on the wing, just as where he normally plays for the University of Michigan these days.

Steven Ellis from the Daily Faceoff listed Horcoff among his handful of top performers in that tune-up game against Finland:

#24 Will Horcoff, LW (Pittsburgh Penguins): After scoring twice against Germany, Horcoff looked great again today with a good first-period goal. He does an excellent job of rushing to the net and using his big frame to bully opponents. He also has quick hands, something that very few players his size manage to replicate. Horcoff likely has played his way onto the top line with James Hagens and Brodie Ziemer for good.

The good news there is that description is perfectly in-line with what Horcoff has been doing all fall so far at Michigan, where he’s emerged as a goal-scoring machine and one of the top prospects in NCAA hockey this season. Horcoff could be on the verge of an even bigger coming out party on the international stage if he can prove himself against the best players in his 18-19 year old age bracket.

The US plays Germany on Friday at 6:00pm eastern (NHL Network) as they look to repeat on last year’s championship and add a fourth ‘chip within the last six years. The US follows that up with round robin games against Switzerland (Dec 27th), Slovakia (Dec 29th) and Sweden (Dec 31st) before the single-elimination quarterfinals start on January 2nd.

Harrison Brunicke and the Canadians are over in the other group, they will play the Czechs on the 26th to open things up, followed by Latvia on the 27th, Denmark on the 29th and Finland on New Year’s Eve.

Ellis did a nice writeup on the experienced Brunicke heading into this tournament as well:

In total, Brunicke has played 26 pro games between the NHL and AHL over two years. For a player his age, that’s a lot of quality competition and increased speed he has had to deal with.

“Coaches love that at this level,” one scout said. “They know they can count on the guys who’ve played against the best of the best. They’re coachable.”

Brunicke has played a lot of meaningful hockey early in his career. He played in the Memorial Cup in 2023 prior to his draft year and then helped Canada win gold at the U-18 World Championship the following spring. Brunicke even skated in a pair of games with the senior national team ahead of the 2025 World Championship – showing a high level of trust from the Hockey Canada brass. That, plus his NHL experience, has allowed Brunicke to handle every challenge thrown his way so far.

“When you’re in more high-pressure situations, you get more comfortable with it,” Brunicke said. “I’m hoping to bring that here.”

Many believe Brunicke will be loaned back to Kamloops for the team’s WHL playoff push after the tournament. Others think the 6-foot-3 defender would benefit more from playing against men in the NHL. Regardless, he needs playing time – and he’s set to get a lot of it for Canada.

“I’m still trying to build that pro style of game, where it’s strictly hard defense, where you’re moving the puck and moving your feet, less risks,” Brunicke said. “That’s what I’m trying to bring here.”

Parekh is projected to be Canada’s No. 1 right-handed defender. That’ll leave Brunicke on the second pair, where he’ll still be able to eat heavy minutes as he did in Kamloops. Canada has a strong contender this year, and Brunicke is expected to be a leader, especially with his NHL experience.

Brunicke has played just five games over the past month, all coming in the AHL. The native of Johannesburg, South Africa had four points in that span, showing a high level of puck proficiency. On the surface, going from playing against men and adjusting to junior hockey sounds easy. But there’s a real adjustment, especially from a tempo perspective.

Brunicke is ready for the challenge.

“Whatever position I’m put in, whatever role, I’m ready to execute it,” Brunicke said. “I’m a two-way defenseman, playing hard defensively and getting to show my offense as well. I want to be a reliable defenseman who can eat minutes.”

After a fall mostly spent watching or practicing, Brunicke should certainly get all the chances he can handle in this venue where he is one of the most experienced players. Team Canada looks stacked with talent, they’ll need a veteran like Brunicke to help guide them along.

The fun for the Pens will be what looks like the annual, inevitable collision between the US and the Canadians, which will just so happen to feature Pittsburgh having one of the top American forwards and Canadian defenders. That won’t happen until early in the new year with the group format, but one that would be very closely monitored in Western PA.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburg...-world-juniors-horcoff-brunicke-look-to-shine

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Gamethread: Penguins @ Maple Leafs

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-open-threads/70277/gamethread-penguins-maple-leafs