RSS Penguins Team Notes

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins/Devils Recap: Pens pull away in third period to beat New Jersey

PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 26: Parker Wotherspoon #28 of the Pittsburgh Penguins battles against Dawson Mercer #91 of the New Jersey Devils at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 26, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Pregame​

The first Crosby-less lineup of the season for the Penguins serves as the first Samuel Girard appearance in the lineup. Arturs Silovs gets the nod in net.

Tonight's lineup vs. the Devils pic.twitter.com/Xaa4UsWsH7

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 26, 2026

The visiting New Jersey Devils bring this lineup to the proceedings.

Time to ruffle some Penguin feathers. pic.twitter.com/nwS1G8nvRz

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 26, 2026

First period​

Both teams trade some chances early, the Penguins are the better team early with the Evgeni Malkin line generating some chances before New Jersey starts to get the better of the play, forcing Silovs to make a couple of nice blocker stops.

Pittsburgh gets the first power play and nice zone time, it takes a while for them to settle in. Malkin and Kris Letang move the puck, Letang fires. Tommy Novak gets a piece to redirect things on Jacob Markstrom. 1-0.

A PPG FOR PGH pic.twitter.com/BN7DWZsuT3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 27, 2026

One goal often begats another, NJ gets a chance very late but it doesn’t go.

Shots go 9-6 PIT in the first, the power play goal being the difference.

Second period​

The Devils adjust and respond in the second with a better effort and more control of the puck. They get their first power play when Malkin high sticks a guy.

The power play doesn’t score but it helps build towards a goal soon after. Paul Cotter gets a piece of a Dougie Hamilton point shot. The Penguins decide to challenge, for some unknown reason because there was hardly anything there.

A DJ Pauly C banger that stands the test of time. pic.twitter.com/3XCRAL7yPk

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 27, 2026

Goal stands, NJ to the power play. The Pens kill it off but are right back to the penalty box soon after, Avery Hayes being the guilty party this time with a slash.

The penalty parade continues, Hayes draws one this time however the Penguins can’t score on their second power play of the evening. Soon after it’s Kris Letang’s turn to head to the box after knocking over Jesper Bratt. Another kill after some Connor Dewar hero ball to keep rushes going up the ice.

Turns out with 2:00 left that one more power play can get squeezed into a penalty-fest of a period, this time Simon Nemec of the Devils was the guilty party. No dice for the Pens on the late chance for a go-ahead goal.

Silovs and saves like this are the reason the game is tied after two periods:

Ain't no party like an Arty Party

Back-to-back stops on the doorstep! pic.twitter.com/hzyilT524g

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) February 27, 2026

Third period​

Pittsburgh comes out strong to start the third, the Hayes, Rakell and Rust line builds momentum and amps up the pressure. That continues a little later, Ryan Shea hammers the post so hard the puck ricochets with force way out to Connor Clifton. Clifton can tell that Markstrom is way off his angle and quickly sends another effort in. It hits the crossbar and goes in. 2-1 Pens.

SHEAZO WITH THE OL' OFF THE CROSSBAR APPLE

CLIFFY HAMMERS IT FOR THE LEAD!!! pic.twitter.com/esMbpbziNW

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) February 27, 2026

50 seconds later, the Pens double their lead. Malkin springs Egor Chinakhov, who drives to the net and makes a deft move to lift the puck back across Markstrom. 3-1 Pens, just like that.

DAD STRENGTH FROM CHINNY! pic.twitter.com/J5dUoK9cn5

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 27, 2026

The Devils pull Markstrom with almost four minutes left, getting aggressive while down two goals. That added pressure might have been a reason Clifton went to clear a puck on his backhand and sailed it out of play to take a penalty. They get Markstrom out for a 6v4 but their push ends when Blake Lizotte picks off a Hamilton pass, skates down and puts the puck into the empty net. 4-1.

Some thoughts​

• Faceoffs will be one area to monitor for the Pens without Crosby. He’s always not only near the top of the league in faceoff winning percentage, but also in pure numbers of faceoffs. This season, for instance, Crosby’s 1,171 faceoffs represent almost 39% of the total draws the team has had and was the third highest in the league. Ben Kindel (way down 402 faceoffs) was next on the list. Faceoffs were a struggle tonight, the Pens only won 40% of the draws and most of their top centers struggled (Rakell at 30%, Lizotte and Novak at a matching 33%).
• Welp, Dan Muse didn’t learn what goaltender interference was during the Olympic break. Muse is now 0-6 at making coaches challenges in that area. Each one has been seemingly been a worse challenge than the next, this one was almost no amount of contact with the goalie. It’s arguably the one hole in Muse’s coaching repertoire so far. Whatever the thought process is on those challenges need to be worked out, already!
• One area Muse has nailed is in the department of picking a goalie. Silovs was incredible in this game and was at his best when most of the game was tight. The Pens weren’t great over stretches for this one, thanks to their goalie they weren’t punished for that and able to punch in a few in the third period to pull away.
• Connor Dewar had two shorthanded breakaways. Didn’t score on either though it’s a sign he’s definitely looking to get up the ice these days even when shorthanded. The Pens’ PK has been good this year (and very good lately) yet they haven’t really been aggressively looking to strike on it too often. That might be changing.
• Samuel Girard as a Penguin was an interesting watch, as expected he’s a good skater. You can tell he’s been well-schooled and coached, had a team-high three blocks and was positioned impeccably in the defensive zone to leave a fine first impression.
• Evgeni Malkin always seems to look fresh and rejuvenated when he gets a few weeks off, he doubtlessly also knows without No. 87 around it’s on him to step up as the guy. That usually works out well too given his 1.34 point/game rate in the situation. Two assists tonight, plus four shots on goal, very noticeable performance.
• The defense was just as key at generating offense tonight. Letang’s shot got deflected for a goal. Shea hit two posts, the second one opening up an opportunity for his partner Clifton to score it himself. All hands are going to have to be on deck like that.
• The penalty kill is going to have to be strong as well, and was up to the task by going a perfect 5/5, plus Lizotte’s EN clincher. Big effort there, particularly in the second period when New Jersey had four cracks at their power play.
• Pens improve to 11-1-5 in games against division opponents this year. Massive stuff to pile up the points against the teams they’re competing with the most for a playoff berth.

That makes for a victorious first game back from the break, getting the Pens off on the right foot for what figures to be a very challenging path ahead. They handled business nicely against a team down in the standings while at home, as they should have. Up next are two afternoon games this weekend, starting in New York against the Rangers on Saturday.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-reca...-pull-away-in-third-period-to-beat-new-jersey

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Olympic hero Jack Hughes gets standing ovation at Pens-Devils game in Pittsburgh

Feb 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Jack Hughes got the welcome fitting for an American hero when the New Jersey Devils showed up in Pittsburgh on Thursday as the NHL is resuming play following the Olympic break.

After scoring an overtime goal against Canada on Sunday in Milan and winning gold for the United States for the first time in 46 years, Jack Hughes received a standing ovation at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.

Before the Penguins game against the Devils, the team honored the players who represented their countries at the Olympics.

“There is no greater honor than to represent your country in the spirit of international competition,” public address announcer Ryan Mill said. “In total, the Penguins and Devils organizations sent a combined sixteen players and staff t0 represent Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.”

International stars ️

Tonight, we honored the men and women who medaled at #MilanoCortina2026! pic.twitter.com/LMM8J21Brh

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 27, 2026

The Penguins also recognized the four members of the United States’ women’s hockey team that won gold and were members of the Cranberry Township-based Penguins Elite program.

When New Jersey Devils star forward Jack Hughes was recognized, he received a standing ovation — the same recognition he and fellow American player Tage Thompson received last night in Newark.

“Congratulations to all of our Winter Olympics representatives,” Ryan Mill said.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/7...ing-ovation-at-pens-devils-game-in-pittsburgh

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Ben Kindel keeps getting better

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 30: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The injury to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is obviously not ideal. The time of the year, the playoff race, the fact he is going to miss a couple of weeks and just the simple fact he is Sidney Crosby and there is not really an easy way to replace him all add up into an unfortunate situation the Penguins are going to have to navigate for a bit.

While all of that is true, it is also a big opportunity for rookie center Ben Kindel to keep establishing himself as a big-time player.

He is doing exactly that.

He did not appear on the stat sheet in the Penguins 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night from a goals or assists or points perspective, but it does not matter. He was still one of their best players. In fact, other than starting goalie Arturs Silovs (who was sensational), I thought he was their best overall player. That has also been a recurring theme over the past few weeks of games.

Over the course of the game he had a couple of those “wow” moments where you watched him play and had to say to yourself, “okay, this guy has it.”

There was the play in the first period where he overpowered Nico Hischier, threw him to the ice, stole the puck, and then went back for an odd-man rush to set up Justin Brazeau for a grade-A scoring chance. It did not result in a goal, but it was an incredible play.

There was the one zone exit in the second period where he confidently spun around one New Jersey forechecker and smoothly went up the ice to help establish possession in the offensive zone.

He was everywhere. He has been everywhere.

In the middle of the season he seemed to hit a little bit of a slump offensively, which was always going to be expected given the fact he is an 18-year-old playing in the NHL, but has quickly played his way through it. Over the past 10 games he has six goals, seven total points and is a plus-11 overall. When he is on the ice during 5-on-5 play during this stretch of games, the Penguins have a 13-2 goals advantage (best on the team among players that have played at least 100 minutes during that stretch) and own 58.9 percent expected goal share (fourth-best on the team among players that have played at least 100 minutes during that stretch). He has only had three individual games during that stretch with an expected goal share of under 59 percent, and only two under 50 percent. He has been over 60 percent five times, including one game against the New York Rangers where he posted a 98.9 percent expected goals share.

Just incredible stuff for an 18-year-old center.

Players that age, at that position, do not just step right into the NHL and do this in their draft year unless than are a top-two or-three pick. Even then they do not always drive possession and have this good of a defensive game so quickly.

His presence, as well as his overall development as this season has progressed, and especially his play over the past 10-or-so games, is a big reason why I think the Penguins have a really good chance to maintain something close to their current level of play with Crosby sidelined. He is also a big reason why the long-term math with the Penguins has changed so much. He might not be a Crosby or Connor McDavid level star at his peak, but his potential looks to be even higher than anybody could have reasonably hoped for or anticipated when the Penguins called his name.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/analysis/73312/ben-kindel-keeps-getting-better

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Gamethread: Penguins @ Rangers

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 07: Adam Fox #23of the New York Rangers skates against Ville Koivunen #41 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period of the National Hockey League game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers on October 7, 2025 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-open-threads/73318/gamethread-penguins-rangers

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins/Rangers Recap: Strong start ends in shootout loss for the Pens

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 28: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck while being chased by Will Cuylle #50 of the New York Rangers during the second period of a NHL game at Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Pregame​

Same players for the Penguins, Stuart Skinner gets back into the lineup for the visiting team.

Today's lineup in New York.#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/Bi38dGYwhX

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2026

First period​

Lots of penalty trouble early for the Rangers, Braden Schneider is the first to go 1:28 into the game. The Pens make them pay quickly. Anthony Mantha gets a great redirect on Erik Karlsson’s point shot, 1-0 Pittsburgh.

Mo magic pic.twitter.com/9F1tq4kBN3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2026

Soon after, Vincent Trocheck is very unhappy with the officials and abuses them enough to take a penalty and get a 10-minute misconduct tacked on. Pittsburgh scores again, Evgeni Malkin makes a great pass over for Bryan Rust, Rust sends it home.

Penguins were up 2-0 quick… until the second tally was taken away

Goalie interference on this one? Or clean?

(via @espn on ABC) pic.twitter.com/lupH1jujqN

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) February 28, 2026

The Rangers make a desperation challenge for goalie interference and…somehow it works to get the goal disallowed based on the most minimal of contact by Mantha on goalie Igor Shesterkin. Even though it didn’t really alter the ability to make the save seconds later from the other side. Refs making sure a nationally televised game doesn’t get out of hand? Or not wanting to call a third penalty on NYR three minutes into the game? Or giving Mike Sullivan a bail-out for the Trocheck penalty in the first place? Or just seeing what they decide to see? Who can say.

The rest of the period is pretty good for Pittsburgh, though they don’t score again, Rust hits a post on another close call. The Rangers barely have a pulse for this game. Shots are 10-2 PIT after one.

Second period​

Ryan Shea gets his Sergei Gonchar on early in the second when it comes to dancing along the blueline and throws a puck on net. It hits off Ranger defenseman Scott Morrow and changes direction enough to beat Shesterkin. 2-0 for real this time.

Sheazo let’s one fly pic.twitter.com/rVBMwZVyth

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2026

NYR gets a long-range shot on Skinner with 14:09, it’s the Rangers’ first shot of the period and in almost 20 game minutes, the crowd responds with the sarcastic cheer, but even that is half-hearted.

A bit later, Rickard Rakell goes to the penalty box for hooking and opens the door for countryman Mika Zibanejad. Trocheck sets Zibanejad up for the big shot, NYR scores to make it 2-1 exactly halfway through the period and game.

The @NYRangers have cut the lead to one!

It's Mika Zibanejad on the power play!

: ABC pic.twitter.com/w7CjO7qPxk

— NHL (@NHL) February 28, 2026

The Rangers sustain some energy for the first time all game, Gabe Perreault nearly ties the game when his shot flies off the post. The Pens are the ones suddenly caught on long shifts and standing around like their skate blades are out.

It’s a lot more disjointed of a period for the Pens (shots are 13-11 PIT in the second) but they do get out of there without giving up any more goals.

Third period​

New York scores early, some good luck when the puck clicks off Rust and goes to Vladislav Gavrikov and then a nice play by Gavrikov to find the open stick of Taylor Raddish for the tip in. 2-2 game.

GAVI WITH THE SHOT + RADDY TIPS IT IN pic.twitter.com/zhygl77Mtq

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 28, 2026

The Pens now become the team to take only one shot halfway through the period and have shifted Ben Kindel to play with Rakell and Rust to shake lines up in an effort to get something, later Malkin will skate with Rust and Rakell on shifts starting on the fly.

Neither team can score again in regulation.

Overtime​

Kindel-Malkin-Karlsson start it out for the Penguins. Pittsburgh ices the puck. Rakell (0-for-9 on the night on faceoffs) loses another and the Rangers take possession of the puck for quite a while, though they’re not in much of a hurry to create.

OT drags along with neither team being overly aggressive, finally in the closing seconds Malkin is able to attack the net and generate a few shots.

Shootout​

Mantha is the first shooter, he loses the handle on a deke attempt and doesn’t even get a shot away.

Trocheck is up for the Rangers, he beats Skinner five-hole.

—

Egor Chinakhov’s turn, he tries for the five-hole but Shesterkin closes it up.

J.T. Miller gets the chance to end the game, Skinner stops him.

—

It’s down to Tommy Novak to keep the game going. He doesn’t, his shot goes well wide.

Some thoughts​

• Another rough day on faceoffs, at one point in the second period the Pens had won just 21% of the faceoffs! The team only had six wins on 29 draws, take out Malkin (who won two, lost two at that point) and the rest of them were 4-for-25 (16%). Didn’t prove to be too disadvantageous today, but it’s a big issue for a team down their best and most frequent faceoff taker in Crosby.
• Other than the starts of play, some line changes are being tinkered with already and bound to happen for tomorrow. Beyond just losing all 10 faceoffs, Rakell didn’t have any shots on goal today. Rust only had two shots and got real quiet after a nice start. Avery Hayes hasn’t been able to show much alongside them. Whether it ends up being Kindel or Malkin – and both took a shift or two with Rakell/Rust today – as the next look there, something’s gotta give in that area immediately.
• The Pens’ first 20 minutes: sublime! Very, very good. The Rangers woke up at the first intermission and started playing a lot better. Pittsburgh was acting like they couldn’t or shouldn’t have to follow in kind, instead staying more at the level when NYR wasn’t very good. Didn’t make for a strong finish.
• As a result, it didn’t look like Pittsburgh squandered opportunities early in the game (most notably on Rust’s disallowed goal, and then Rust hitting the post). Turns out they could have used a little more out of the portion of the game that they dominated than more than just a 1-0 lead.
• Pens fall to 1-8 in the shootout on the season. They at least used new faces, but the results were the same in terms of their shooters not being able to do much of anything and the goaltending hardly being great either. They make it easy for the other team when they’re not even getting 2/3 of the shootout attempts even on net as it happened this time.
• Given how hard the schedule is about to get — starting with first place Vegas tomorrow — letting a point slip away against a last place team hurts in the moment. Up 2-0 and against a bad team that didn’t look interested in playing, the Pens should have been able to get a full result in this one. But when NYR started to get better, as noted above, the visitors didn’t up their games too. Disappointing outcome and last couple of periods here.

In good news, the Pens don’t have to dwell on this very long. The Golden Knights are waiting in Pittsburgh for an afternoon game tomorrow.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-reca...rong-start-ends-in-shootout-loss-for-the-pens

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Gamethread: Golden Knights @ Penguins

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 11: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against Tomas Hertl #48 of the Vegas Golden Knights at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 11, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-open-threads/73319/gamethread-golden-knights-penguins

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Penguins/Golden Knights Recap: Pens bounce back, shutout Vegas 5-0

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 01: Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Pregame​

Same lineup for the Penguins again, Arturs Silovs gets back in the net.

Hockey ! pic.twitter.com/tQV4Il5fEk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 1, 2026

First period​

Fun first period with free-flowing play and limited faceoffs. Vegas is the better team in the first 5-10 minutes, Pittsburgh then battles back and tips the scales as play moves along. Evgeni Malkin sets the tone with a huge hit on Tomas Hertl, then later helps build momentum with Egor Chinakhov with several scoring chances.

Back-and-forth play ambles along, Ben Kindel has two Golden Knights in front of him when he snaps a long-range shot. It catches Adin Hill a little off guard, 1-0 Pens.

Let Kindy cook pic.twitter.com/yANdAfGHp7

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 1, 2026

The rest of the period slips away quickly, there are only eight faceoffs in the whole period. Shots are low too, 6-5 Pens.

Second period​

Mitch Marner takes the first penalty of the game when he trips Erik Karlsson. The ensuing power play doesn’t get much going but does have a lot of zone time. That leads to Tommy Novak hitting Chinakhov with a pass soon after the penalty expired, Chinakhov displayed his lightning quick release to beat Hill to the far side. 2-0.

Egor Chinakhov has points in nine of his last 11 games (7G-3A).

Since he made his Penguins debut on January 1, no one has more goals than him pic.twitter.com/vPGSmyHtlV

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 1, 2026

A bit later, Avery Hayes hits Colton Sissons, pretty routine. Cole Reinhardt skates over and asks for a fight, Hayes is very willing to give it to him. They throw a few punches and then get tied up, nothing major. The Pens come out of that deal with a power play with Reinhardt picking up an extra minor. The power play scores quickly, Erik Karlsson throws a high shot to the net, the puck bounces around and Bryan Rust is the first on it. Rust flicks it by an out of sorts Hill. 3-0.

Bryan Rust hits the 20‑goal mark for the seventh straight season! #NHLStats: https://t.co/HN7JeIIy8Q

: @NHL_On_TNT & @StreamOnMax https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T pic.twitter.com/TwvVjkwmup

— NHL (@NHL) March 1, 2026

The Golden Knights get their first power play of the game, Kris Letang is sent off for tripping. The strong Pens PK takes care of it.

Pittsburgh then gets another power play, Vegas is caught with too many players on the ice. The Pens make quick work of it again, Karlsson finds Rickard Rakell who sweeps a puck in past Hill. 4-0.

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood

(via @NHL_On_TNT) pic.twitter.com/NrlIgC0l1O

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) March 1, 2026

The penalty-fest continues when Blake Lizotte gets called for reaching in and tripping Jack Eichel, another successful penalty kill.

The three-goal second period puts the Pens up a commanding 4-0 after 40 minutes, shots were 11-7 PIT in the middle frame.

Third period​

The Knights start trying to get it into gear late but hit a road block when Reilly Smith trips Lizotte.

Hertl pays Malkin back from the first period with a massive open ice hit of his own.

Play continues on, Kindel drops a puck in the offensive zone for Justin Brazeau in support and skates to the net. Brazeau shoots from distance, Hill doesn’t pick up on it. 5-0.

BRAZ BROUGHT THE BURGERS!

Here's how to cash in your @McDonalds offer: https://t.co/QH7j1DPz1i pic.twitter.com/0WGeXvNOlW

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 1, 2026

Some thoughts​

• Chinakhov is up to seven goals in his last nine games. Even when he doesn’t score, the threat of his shot and the possibility is there almost every shift. Really impressive to watch him operate these days, such a talent. He doesn’t need a lot of time or space to get a hard shot away.
• The Bob Grove stat of the day: 2-7-3 in their last 12 home afternoon games and 0-4-2 in the last six Sunday home games. Games like this can be tricky with out of cycle starts and usually back-to-backs on a Sunday.
• Very disjointed game from Vegas, made worse when Mark Stone left with an injury in the first period and didn’t return. Couldn’t have helped matters there, weird occurrence where Letang gave a little push on Stone’s upper arm. No twisting or huge force but something went awry.
• Vegas played to type from the preview, they don’t give up a ton of shots but they don’t get a lot of saves. The Kindel shot was tricky but caught Hill back in his crease. The third goal Hill was also a bit out of position from the mayhem in front and Rust made him pay.
• Unique way for Hayes to pitch in by getting in a fight that drew an extra penalty on the other guy. As it should have, there was nothing wrong with Hayes’s hit in the first place. Reinhardt, understandably, was looking to do something to provide a jolt to his team in that moment (down 2-0 and looking sleepy throughout) yet it backfired since the Pens scored quickly and turned it into a 3-0 game.
• Big game from the special teams, the power play scored twice (plus scored a defacto PPG six seconds after one expired), the PK was 2/2. That’s the foundation for a winning recipe.
• a

Good bounceback from the Pens for letting a point getaway yesterday, the party moves onto Boston on Tuesday night.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-reca...ghts-recap-pens-bounce-back-shutout-vegas-5-0

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

NHL Trade deadline: Penguins primer

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 28: Connor Clifton #75 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The NHL trade deadline is approaching this Friday afternoon, March 6th at 3pm Eastern time. The Penguins find themselves in an interesting spot, tied for third currently in points percentage in the Eastern Conference. They have been the most active team at trading this season, having added Egor Chinakhov, Stuart Skinner and Sam Girard during the season, while acquiring and sending out Brett Kulak.

There’s good reason to believe that GM Kyle Dubas isn’t done putting the final touches on his team and making more moves to shuttle players and picks around in order to accomplish his stated goals of positioning the team now and in the future.

What we shouldn’t expect is any bold rental moves aimed solely with short-term ideas. The Pens weren’t involved at all in the Artemi Panarin sweepstakes and they won’t be involved in deals like the ones that included impending free agents like Rasmus Andersson and Kiefer Sherwood.

What’s left? Let’s get into it.

Areas to at least keep an eye on​

Draft pick pile — no team has more quality draft depth in the next three or four years than Pittsburgh. The Pens have two second round picks in each of 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 and two third round picks in 2026, 2027 and 2028 thanks to previous trades made. That’s even after trading a second and third round pick for Chinakhov. If an opportunity arises to acquire a young-ish NHL player (like perhaps defenseman Zach Whitecloud) it makes a lot of sense that the Pens can use their excess picks to make that trade.

Connor Clifton —Clifton is an impending free agent that has been in and out of the lineup throughout the season. Lately he’s been a staple on the third pair, bringing his physical game and helping the team. While Clifton shouldn’t necessarily have his bags packed, if the Pens shuffle pieces to bring in a defenseman (like the aforementioned Whitecloud) it might make some sense to make a subsequent trade to send Clifton out to recoup some of that trade price. Hanging onto Clifton for depth’s sake also makes sense, but moving an impending free agent plays into what the team has frequently done.

Stuart Skinner —We wrote about this in detail last week, which all still applies today. Looking at the bigger picture, Arturs Silovs has only given up 16 goals in his last nine games. That has has to be noted if the Pens think Silovs might be turning into the main goalie for the rest of this season, where does that leave Skinner? It’s an intriguing question. Pittsburgh could always opt to stand pat and keep their goalie depth, but standing pat hasn’t been the typical M.O. as of late. You would have to think if a goalie-hungry team like Ottawa or Vegas was interested in Skinner that the Pens would at least hear them out.

Justin Brazeau — This might be months or even a year early, but if there was a time to sell high on Brazeau it would be now that he’s in a career-year in every major category. Brazeau is under contract for next season, so the onus would be on improving that third line for a player that might fit stylistically better with Anthony Mantha and Ben Kindel. Brazeau has been slowing down from his torrid early-season production, he found the back of the net against Vegas (scoring the fifth goal in a 5-0 win) but only had one goal in the 10 games prior to that. If the Pens think Avery Hayes or a trade addition might surpass Brazeau then dealing him could be a proactive move to make. Usually a player like Brazeau would be out of trade considerations at this time, but the Penguins have been so active at shuffling pieces like this around that it’s at least worth a mention.

Potential trade targets​

Right side defense — The addition of Girard has seemingly set the left side for now with Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea in tow. The right side is the area that looks prime for improvement. Whether that means a potential big swing like Dougie Hamilton or Justin Faulk remains to be seen, the options could expand to a rental like Connor Murphy or something in between like Whitecloud. If you had to place a shiny nickel on what position the Penguins will add to this week before the deadline, the right side defense would be a very good selection in whatever form that might be.

Center — There’s no need to overreact managerially to the Sidney Crosby injury since the Pens’ captain should return to the team in a few weeks, yet center could be a place to monitor. Evgeni Malkin has shifted to the wing, leaving the non-center Crosby options of Kindel, Tommy Novak and Rickard Rakell sticking out at the moment. Someone like Vincent Trocheck (32) has been older than what Pittsburgh has been targeting, though the positional flexibility of players like Novak and Rakell could open up possibilities to bring in a center now and figure out the pieces as they go. This could be a longer-term play too, if Malkin isn’t going to be a center on the Pens in 2026-27 then there would be more of a need for a second or third line center next season to join the Crosby-Kindel tandem.

Expect the unexpected – Many of the trades, like Jarry/Skinner and Chinakhov have come out of the blue without much indication until a deal was finalized. Dubas operates in the shadows, and often counter to the conventional wisdom or reports of the day, going back to the ‘reach’ of taking Kindel 11th overall in the draft. Dubas’s next move might very well be something that isn’t seen coming, like adding a Bobby McMann or an even deeper cut for a different target that isn’t mentioned commonly on the trade rumor mill. Given the team’s draft surplus and significant cap space, their hands are free to operate about as creatively as they dare to dream. Lately there has been no shortage of surprising and unpredictable moves, the next one very well could follow that path as coming out of left field.

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/rumors/73435/nhl-trade-deadline-penguins-primer

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Boston Bruins 3/3/2026

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 11: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins checks Marat Khusnutdinov #92 of the Boston Bruins in the first period at the TD Garden on January 11, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (31-15-13, 75 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ Boston Bruins (33-21-5, 71 points, 5th place Atlantic Division)

When: 7:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Streaming on ESPN+, local broadcasts on SN-PT and NESN

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are back home later this week for a three-game homestand, which starts Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, continues Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers and wraps up with a Sunday rematch against the Bruins.

Opponent Track: After heading into the Olympic break with back-to-back shootout losses, the Bruins have split their schedule since between a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and a 3-1 loss in Philadelphia.

Season Series: Joonas Korpisalo earned a 27-save, 1-0 shutout win against the Penguins the last time these two teams met on Jan. 11 at TD Garden.

Hidden Stat: The Bruins have claimed 10 straight wins at TD Garden, marking the franchise’s longest home win streak since the 2022-23 season.

Getting to know the Bruins​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Marat Khusnutdinov – Elias Lindholm – David Pastrnak

Casey Mittelstadt – Pavel Zacha – Viktor Arvidsson

Michael Eyssimont – Fraser Minten – Morgan Geekie

Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic

DEFENSEMEN

Jonathan Aspirot / Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm / Mason Lohrei

Nikita Zadorov / Henri Jokirharju

Goalies: Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo

Potential scratches: Alex Steeves, Andrew Peeke, Jordan Harris

Injured Reserve: Dans Locmelis

• The Bruins were riding an eight-game point streak, dating back to before the Olympic break, before dropping a 3-1 decision to the Flyers on Saturday in Philadelphia.
• Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, both sidelined ahead of the Olympic break with upper-body injuries, are back to anchor the Bruins’ top two lines.

Season stats
via hockeydb

• Morgan Geekie just tied a career high with 33 goals, and he’s done it in just 58 games this season.
• The Bruins’ top defenseman, Charlie McAvoy, is riding a nine-game point streak dating all the way back to Jan. 22.
• The penalty kill has been a weakness this season for the Bruins, who are heading into this matchup ranked 27th in the NHL with a 76.7 percent PK rate. The team reportedly made some significant changes to the unit after the Olympic break, per The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. Since then— albeit in a small sample size— the Bruins PK has been perfect, going 1-for-1 against the Blue Jackets and 3-for-3 against the Flyers last week.
• The Bruins are in the market for a “top-six forward and a right-shot defenseman” at the trade deadline, according to a recent report from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. They’re reportedly dangling AHL forward Matthew Poitras as a potential trade piece, per Pagnotta.
• Here’s a look at the Eastern Conference playoff race as of Monday night, per NHL.com. The Bruins are just two points up on the race for the final Wild Card spot in the East, although they have three games in hand on the Washington Capitals for the spot.

And now for the Pens​

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard / Kris Letang

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Goalies: Arturs Silovs, Stuart Skinner played yesterday

Potential Scratches: Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Ilya Solovyov

IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander, Jack St. Ivany

• Not much news from Monday. As of Monday, Evgeni Malkin was set to have a talk with Penguins management about a potential extension “in the next day or two,” per The Athletic’s Josh Yohe.
• A few milestones potentially on the table tonight: Rickard Rakell is three assists short of 300, Sam Girard is two assists shy of 200 and Kris Letang is one point back from No. 800.
• Per Pens PR: Only the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights have more 20-goal scorers than in Pittsburgh, where Sidney Crosby, Anthony Mantha and Bryan Rust have each reached the threshold this season.
• Another fun fact from Pens PR: the Pens’ fourth line of Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte has been on the ice for seven 5v5 goals against, the fewest of any forward line that has been together for at least 250 minutes at even strength this season.
• The Pens’ Sunday win over the Vegas Golden Knights boosted their MoneyPuck playoff odds to 89.4 percent heading into Tuesday.

Playoff chances as of Sunday https://t.co/RbnckCLHNP pic.twitter.com/Rg4HBNSeew

— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) March 1, 2026

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/general/73449/game-preview-pittsburgh-penguins-boston-bruins-3-3-2026

 

[Pittsburgh Penguins]

Gamethread: Penguins @ Bruins

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 11: Tanner Jeannot #84 of the Boston Bruins checks Brett Kulak #77 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at the TD Garden on January 11, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins won 1-0. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

Source: https://www.pensburgh.com/game-open-threads/73422/gamethread-penguins-bruins