Monday was day one of a four day off stretch for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they prepare to pack their bags and head to Europe to partake in the NHL Global Series this weekend in Stockholm, Sweden. This
will be the Penguins second trip to Stockholm to play, previously doing so back in 2008 against the Ottawa Senators. This time they will take on the Nashville Predators in a rematch of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
These two games are the only contests on the schedule for the Penguins over the next 11 days, giving the team plenty of time to rest up and prepare for a busy final stretch to the calendar year that awaits when they return home from Europe.
Pens Points…
Coming off a disappointing weekend that saw them only secure one of four possible points, the Penguins now have two prime opportunities to right ship when they take on a struggling Nashville Predators squad for a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday and Sunday. [Pensburgh]
Under Dan Muse, Erik Karlsson has transformed into the players Penguins fans thought they were getting when they acquired him. Karlsson has consistently been one of the Penguins best players to this point in the season, looking like his future Hall of Fame self. [Yard Barker]
Sergei Murashov did not get a win in his NHL debut on Sunday, but the 21-year old goaltender hardly looked out of place on the biggest stage. It remains to be seen how long his stay in the NHL lasts this time, but he showed exactly why the Penguins are so high on his potential. [Sportsnet Pittsburgh]
It was a slow start to the season for Tommy Novak, which can be forgiven coming off an injury that ended his 2024-25 season early shortly after being acquired by the Penguins. Now back to full game readiness, Novak is back with Evgeni Malkin on the second line. [Trib Live]
The Penguins unexpected start to the season has many fans thinking about the playoffs but there is still a long way to go. This start also raises questions about how the Penguins may approach trades when everyone figured they were going to be big time sellers this coming deadline. [The Athletic $$]
NHL News and Notes…
Nathan MacKinnon has rocketed to the top of the NHL scoring lead after a week that saw him post 10 points in just three games played for the NHL leading Colorado Avalanche. MacKinnon was subsequently named the NHL’s First Star of the Week. [NHL]
Just days before the NHL hosts games on the continent, the league announced the opening of its new official league office in Zurich, Switzerland as it continues to expand its footprint across Europe. [NHL]
