Coming off a successful three game road trip that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins capture five out of a possible six points, the team now returns to the friendly confines of PPG Paints Arena for a season high five game homestand beginning tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
This homestand will see the Penguins host four Western Conference teams with Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks on tap, along with Utah making its first trip to the Steel City with the new Mammoth nickname, and wrapping up with Connor
McDavid and the Oilers all in addition to the Ducks. The lone Eastern Conference opponent will be the Montreal Canadiens.
Puck drop for tonight’s showdown with the Ducks is set for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
If the Penguins end up in a shootout in any of these next five home games, lets hope head coach Dan Muse sends out a few different faces than the regular ones we have been seeing this season. The normal rotation is not working and it’s time to mix in some new guys for a fresh start. [Pensburgh]
Fresh off a conditioning stint in the AHL, rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke will be joining the Team Canada World Juniors team. He was one of 27 players selected for the upcoming training camp with a chance to make the final tournament team in the coming weeks. [Pensburgh]
Justin Brazeau made his return to the Penguins lineup on Sunday against the Dallas Stars after a month long recovery from injury kept him sidelined. One of the Penguins top scorers when he went down, Brazeau has confidence he will pick up where he left off. [Trib Live]
After wondering when the Penguins were going to start unloading assets as sellers this season, they are suddenly looking more like potential buyers. While going “all-in” might not be the plan this season, there are still options to explore that could help a playoff push. [The Hockey Writers]
One player the Penguins do have that has been popping up in some rumors if goaltender Tristan Jarry. Right now, Jarry is the Penguins No.1 goalie and playing like it after years of underachieving. If it keeps up, the rumors will only become louder but the Penguins are in no rush to act. [The Athletic $$]
In an interview with an outlet from his native Russia, Penguins goalie prospect Sergei Murashov detailed his NHL debut, how he mentally prepares himself, and what life has been like in Pittsburgh since coming over from Russia last season. [The Hockey Writers]
NHL News and Notes…
Ilya Sorokin was dominant in net for the New York Islanders last week, posting a 3-0-0 record, recording at least 30 saves in each of his starts, including 35 to help end the Colorado Avalanche’s 17-game point streak. Sorokin was named the NHL First Star of the Week for his work in net. [NHL]
The next chapter of USA Hockey is set to be written at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but before the puck drops in Milan, it’s a good time to look back and see which hockey greats have donned the red, white, and blue in the past to represent their home nation. [NHL]
