Pens Points: Two More Days
We are rapidly approaching opening night, and hockey news is flying all over the place.
Only two days separate us from Penguins hockey, and you can feel the excitement in the air. The Penguins have trimmed their roster, and the lineup for opening night is beginning to take shape. Keep it here with Pensburgh for everything Penguins as we prepare to begin the 2018-19 season on Thursday night.
Get your Tuesday rolling with today’s Pens Points...
With the season two days away, the Penguins trimmed a few more players from the roster to get closer to the magic number of 23 for opening night on Thursday. Zach Aston-Reese and Zach Trotman were both assigned to the AHL on Tuesday leaving the team with one more cut to make before the season begins. [Penguins]
There may be 23 guys on the roster, but a select handful will have a major impact on how the Penguins perform this season. Outside of the obvious names like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel, these five others could make-or-break the Pens’ fortunes come spring. [Pensburgh]
Another X-factor for the Penguins this season will be the emergence of their young players. Guys like Daniel Sprong and Zach Aston-Reese will be asked to contribute in ways they never have before and fill in holes left by departed players. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Do you like podcasts? Do you like hockey? Of course you do! Now, you can combine your love of both with the brand new Pensburgh podcast. The first episode dropped on Monday, so go give it a listen and subscribe for new episodes dropping every week. [Pensburgh]
Preseason stats mean absolutely nothing, but strong showings from Matt Cullen and Derick Brassard should give Pens fans hope that both are tracking towards big seasons on the ice where their contributions will be much needed. [Trib Live]
Another Stanley Cup this season would give this Crosby/Malkin era of Penguins hockey three championships in four seasons and four championships overall — something almost unmatched in sports today. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Attending a Penguins game at some point this season? If the answer is yes, then you can expect a few changes to your gameday experience at PPG Paints Arena when the Penguins are in town. Most of the changes are of the food variety, but there are a few other tweaks as well that may interest the average fan. [Penguins]
Tom Wilson is back in the news for once again trying to decapitate a defenseless player with a needless head shot. Wilson is expected to be suspended yet again, and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby shared his thoughts on the incident with reporters on Monday. [Pensburgh]
News and notes from around the NHL...
Shea Weber has been named the 30th captain in Montreal Canadiens history, replacing outgoing captain Max Pacioretty. Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron were named alternate captains for the Habs. [Sporting News]
Twitter released the team-specific Emoji Hashtags for all 31 NHL teams on Monday. #LetsGoPens carries over from last season for the Penguins, while the Carolina Hurricanes and Arizona Coyotes get an updated version for this season. [SportsLogos.net]
A few NHL retirements to pass along from Monday: Radim Vrbata calls it quits after 16 NHL seasons, and Scott Hartnell hangs up his skates after 17 years in the league. [ESPN]
Naming a new sports franchise is never easy, and it packets a lot of pressure. Pick the wrong name, and you’re the butt of millions of jokes from a notoriously ruthless Internet. This is what the owners of the new, prospective Seattle franchise are feeling right now. [Seattle Times]