After a brief stop back in Pittsburgh, the Penguins return to the road this evening to take on the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Sitting at 5-2-0 on the season, the Penguins have
thus far exceeded expectations but tonight’s contest will serve as an early measuring stick as they go up against the team that has been the class of the NHL the last two seasons. Even down a few big guns, the Panthers remain formidable and are a favorite to hoist another Cup this season.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
It’s still early and the sample size is small, but the early returns on the Penguins newcomers has been overwhelmingly positive thus far. Kyle Dubas didn’t make any big splashes this offseason, but the moves he did make are paying off big time through seven games. [Pensburgh]
When the Penguins and Justin Brazeau agreed to terms this offseason, no one expected him to be skating on the second line with Evgeni Malkin. Injuries in training camp pushed Brazeau into a second line role and it has paid huge dividends for all sides. [Sports Illustrated]
A new coach is always going to bring a new vibe to a locker room, but that doesn’t always mean the new vibe will be well received. Through his short tenure as Penguins head coach, Dan Muse has instilled a new atmosphere around the Penguins and the players are taking notice. [Trib Live]
Even with a 5-2-0 start to the season, the Penguins are not going to be satisfied with simply exceeding expectations through the first few weeks of the season. With a strong start under their belt, the Penguins are hungry for more. [Trib Live]
Even after signing a contract extension last season, there were still questions about where Ryan Shea fit into the Penguins blue line hierarchy. It’s become a bit clearer in the early going this season with Shea seeing more even strength ice time than Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. [PPG]
An old friend has resurfaced in the German profession league with former Penguins forward Jean-Sebastien Dea agreeing to terms with Eisbaren-Berlin of the DEL, Germany’s top league. Dea spent the last three seasons in the KHL. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
On Wednesday, the NHL announced a multi-yard partnership with popular online prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket to become the official prediction markets of the NHL. [NHL]
There is quite an uneasy feeling surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs at the moment and it has head coach Craig Berube searching for answers to get his team out of this early funk they are experiencing. [Sportsnet]
