Seth Rorabaugh stories, Page 143
Penguins shut out Sabres, extend winning streak to 5 games
By any measure — be it by record, eye test or even a graduated cylinder — the Buffalo Sabres are the worst team in the NHL. They’ve held that designation a handful of times over the past decade, having not qualified for the postseason since 2011. That said, they know...
Penguins forward Colton Sceviour presses on after a disjointed week
Last week didn’t start ideally for Pittsburgh Penguins fourth-line forward Colton Sceviour as he still was stuck on the NHL’s list of absences related to covid-19 protocol after landing on it the previous weekend. Then he had a pretty awful case of the Mondays when he was placed on waivers....
Penguins to start goaltender Casey DeSmith against Sabres
The Penguins are scheduled to start backup goaltender Casey DeSmith for Saturday’s road game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. In eight games this season, DeSmith has a 5-2-0 record along with a 2.52 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. DeSmith has played in two career games...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 3, Sabres 0Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 3-0 win against the Sabres: When he reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career last season, Bryan Rust could barely stifle a smile. He achieved that plateau during a 2-1 road win on Jan. 17, 2020 against the Detroit Red Wings, his...
Minor league report: Nailers, Alex D’Orio lose in overtime to Komets
Goaltender Alex D’Orio made 25 saves for the Wheeling Nailers in a 3-2 overtime home loss to the Fort Wayne Komets at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Friday. Forwards Tyler Drevitch and Cody Sylvester each scored goals for Wheeling (8-17-5). Highlights: The Nailers’ next game is at home against...
Ron Hextall is eager to craft a new legacy with the Penguins
First, let’s get the obvious question out of the way when it comes to Ron Hextall and the Penguins. It’s the same question that has followed him for 30-plus years and likely will follow him for another 30-plus years. Why did he, as the starting goaltender of the Philadelphia Flyers,...
Anthony Angello offers Penguins some rare offense from the 4th lineVideo
The Buffalo Sabres of the mid-2000s were a perfect team for the “new” NHL. Following the 2004-05 lockout that ushered in a salary cap as well as new rules designed to promote offense, the Sabres were one of the NHL’s top teams as they had several lines of quick, skilled...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Sabres 2Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 5-2 win against the Sabres: First things first, Penguins defenseman John Marino was scratched due to an undisclosed injury. He is “day to day” according to coach Mike Sullivan. As for the game, Evgeni Malkin kept rolling along. After that terrible 2-0 road loss to the...
Penguins beat Sabres, extend winning streak to 4
Western New York in March isn’t exactly a glamorous locale to spend a few days. There nearly are as many potholes as there are blinding snow squalls. But Mike Sullivan doesn’t mind setting up shop for a midweek excursion in Buffalo given the format the NHL has adopted for this...
Penguins reflect on a year since the NHL paused for covid-19
Mike Matheson was in a much different place exactly one year ago. Dallas, to be specific. Then a member of the Florida Panthers, Matheson was in his Dallas hotel room watching the Dallas Mavericks host the Denver Nuggets. And that’s when he realized the world was rapidly changing. During the...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 4, Rangers 2Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 4-2 win against the Rangers: Jake Guentzel’s resume is impressive. He has recorded one 40-goal season in his career. He probably would have two were it not for a devastating shoulder injury he suffered last season (to say nothing of a global pandemic that disrupted the...
Minor league report: Alex D’Orio records 1st professional shutout as Nailers beat FuelVideo
Goatlender Alex D’Orio made 27 saves and recorded his first career shutout as a professional, leading the Wheeling Nailers to a 6-0 home win against the Indy Fuel at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Tuesday. Forward Nick Rivera scored two goals for Wheeling (7-17-4) while forward Lawton Courtnall added...
Penguins fend off late attack by Rangers for 3rd consecutive win
Defending a lead has been a struggle for the Pittsburgh Penguins throughout the 2020-21 season. Granted, much of that futility can be tied to the fact they’ve trailed so often in games, they’ve been the ones trying to stage a comeback victory. On Tuesday, they successfully defended a late lead....
Penguins activate defenseman Juuso Riikola from injured reserve
The Penguins have activated defenseman Juuso Riikola from injured reserve. He has been sidelined since suffering an undisclosed injury on Jan. 19. In two games this season, Riikola, 27, has no points. To make room for him on the roster, the Penguins placed forward Jared McCann on injured reserve retroactive...
Penguins forward Jared McCann day to day with undisclosed injury
Penguins forward Jared McCann will miss Tuesday’s home game against the New York Rangers due to an undisclosed injury. According to coach Mike Sullivan, McCann’s status is “day to day.” McCann left Sunday’s 5-1 win against the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena at 14:48 of the second period. The timing...
Minor league report: Penguins lose to Phantoms in overtimeVideo
Forward Tim Schaller had two goals and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who lost at home to the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms in overtime, 4-3, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Monday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (5-2-2-1) also got a goal and an assist from forward Josh Currie while forward Drew...
Penguins Prospect Watch: Jonathan Gruden gets first professional goal
A weekly look at how Penguins prospects and minor leaguers have fared over the past seven days: • In the American Hockey League (AHL), forwards Jordy Bellerive and Jonathan Gruden each had a goal and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 6-3 road win against the Binghamton Devils...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Rangers 1Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 5-1 win against the New York Rangers: First things first, there was no update on Penguins forward Jared McCann after the game. He left the game at 14:48 of the second period with an undisclosed injury. His linemates, Kasperi Kapanen and Evgeni Malkin, were front and...
Penguins beat Rangers, but lose Jared McCann
Playing his first game in over a week, Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith led his team to a 5-1 victory against the New York Rangers on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. Making 23 saves, DeSmith was more than competent with the task at hand. At the same time, he wasn’t particularly...
Penguins to start Casey DeSmith against Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to start goaltender Casey DeSmith for Sunday’s home game against the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. In seven games this season, DeSmith has a 4-2-0 record along with a 2.73 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. At 6-foot and 181 pounds, DeSmith...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 4, Flyers 3Video
Observations from the Penguins’ 4-3 win against the Flyers: A son of Boston, Mike Sullivan grew up as a fan of the Red Sox. So he can appreciate one of the tried and true cliches of that sport in the value of winning two of three against an opponent in...
Minor league report: Bellerive, Gruden lead Penguins past DevilsVideo
Forwards Jordy Bellerive and Jonathan Gruden each had a goal and an assist for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 6-3 comeback road win against the Binghamton Devils at the RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, N.J. on Saturday. The Penguins (5-2-1-1) scored six unanswered goals to orchestrate the comeback....
Penguins notebook: Brian Dumoulin, Evan Rodrigues return to lineupVideo
The Penguins welcomed back defenseman Brian Dumoulin and Evan Rodrigues to their lineup for Saturday’s 4-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Each player was activated from injured reserve, having been sidelined since late January because of undisclosed ailments. Dumoulin returned to his primary role on the...
Forward Jared McCann leads Penguins past Flyers
When forward Jason Zucker suffered a gruesome left leg injury approximately a week and a half ago, a considerable void was created in the Penguins’ lineup. The left wing on this team’s second line, typically centered by Evgeni Malkin, is a pretty prominent assignment. Whether it be Ryan Malone or...
Penguins forward Colton Sceviour to be placed on NHL’s covid-19 protocol list
Penguins forward Colton Sceviour will be placed on the NHL’s list of absences related to covid-19 protocol on Saturday according to coach Mike Sullivan. He will not play in Saturday’s home game against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena, scheduled to begin shortly after 1 p.m. The list is...

