Penguins Nation

Aside from goaltender, defenseman is the most nuanced position at the NHL level. That's not to say jumping into a No. 1 center role is a cakewalk, but your mistakes are generally amplified when you're doing a majority of your work in the defensive zone. That's why this season's crop of rookie defensemen is so impressive. From Jacob Trouba of the Winnipeg Jets to Nashville Predators mainstay Seth Jones, the league has seen a surge of strong yet youthful defenders jump in and become impact players. While the hypothetical race to be the best young blueliner is tight, no first-year defenseman has ...

Aside from goaltender, defenseman is the most nuanced position at the NHL level. That's not to say jumping into a No. 1 center role is a cakewalk, but your mistakes are generally amplified when you're doing a majority of your work in the defensive zone. That's why this season's crop of rookie defensemen is so impressive. From Jacob Trouba of the Winnipeg Jets to Nashville Predators mainstay Seth Jones, the league has seen a surge of strong yet youthful defenders jump in and become impact players. While the hypothetical race to be the best young blueliner is tight, no first-year defenseman has ...

For the first time in a few seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't go nuts at the trade deadline. Instead of loading up on top-end players—think Jarome Iginla or Marian Hossa—general manager Ray Shero took a more measured approach and added a pair of depth players in Marcel Goc and Lee Stempniak. They've played in six contests since the March 5 deadline, and seem to be settling into their new roles nicely. Learning new systems on the fly is never easy, and the Penguins' schedule hasn't left much time to squeeze in practices. Pittsburgh played back-to-back games on March 6 and 7, did ...

For the first time in a few seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't go nuts at the trade deadline. Instead of loading up on top-end players—think Jarome Iginla or Marian Hossa—general manager Ray Shero took a more measured approach and added a pair of depth players in Marcel Goc and Lee Stempniak. They've played in six contests since the March 5 deadline, and seem to be settling into their new roles nicely. Learning new systems on the fly is never easy, and the Penguins' schedule hasn't left much time to squeeze in practices. Pittsburgh played back-to-back games on March 6 and 7, did ...

We're down to the stretch run of the 2013-14 NHL season. The Pittsburgh Penguins have played 65 of their 82 contests and have amassed 92 points—good for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. While it seems like they have had the Metro wrapped up since November, there are still plenty of questions lingering as the campaign ends and teams slide into playoff mode. Considering the injuries that the team has faced all season long and the names that are still on injured reserve, the next month will be more important for Pittsburgh than it might be for a totally healthy team. The ...

We're down to the stretch run of the 2013-14 NHL season. The Pittsburgh Penguins have played 65 of their 82 contests and have amassed 92 points—good for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. While it seems like they have had the Metro wrapped up since November, there are still plenty of questions lingering as the campaign ends and teams slide into playoff mode. Considering the injuries that the team has faced all season long and the names that are still on injured reserve, the next month will be more important for Pittsburgh than it might be for a totally healthy team. The ...

If the Pittsburgh Penguins are Superman, then the Boston Bruins are Doomsday. In the DC Universe, the super-villain was literally put together from scratch to be an unstoppable force that could not be contained in any prison or defeated by any man. In the comics, he's the only creature to have ever killed the Man of Steel, and he did it by simply beating him to death. That strategy should sound familiar to anyone who has witnessed a Bruins playoff series over the last few seasons. Their style of play stands in stark contrast to the way the Penguins go about their ...

If the Pittsburgh Penguins are Superman, then the Boston Bruins are Doomsday. In the DC Universe, the super-villain was literally put together from scratch to be an unstoppable force that could not be contained in any prison or defeated by any man. In the comics, he's the only creature to have ever killed the Man of Steel, and he did it by simply beating him to death. That strategy should sound familiar to anyone who has witnessed a Bruins playoff series over the last few seasons. Their style of play stands in stark contrast to the way the Penguins go about their ...

He swung for the fences but wasn't making any contact. With spring training in full bloom, it's the perfect time to use a baseball metaphor for hockey. With two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the possibility of coming away with nothing at the trade deadline becoming more realistic by the minute, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero decided he better bunt. So instead of knocking one out of the park by landing Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler—arguably the biggest name considered available on trade deadline day—Shero had to settle for a couple of 30-year-old journeymen whose combined ...

He swung for the fences but wasn't making any contact. With spring training in full bloom, it's the perfect time to use a baseball metaphor for hockey. With two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the possibility of coming away with nothing at the trade deadline becoming more realistic by the minute, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero decided he better bunt. So instead of knocking one out of the park by landing Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler—arguably the biggest name considered available on trade deadline day—Shero had to settle for a couple of 30-year-old journeymen whose combined ...