Pens Points: Meet Me in St. Louie
Penguins open three game road trip against white hot Blues and Pens Points has all the latest to get you up to speed.
No team in the NHL is hotter at the moment than the St. Louis Blues, winners of 10 straight and looking to make it 11 when the Pittsburgh Penguins roll into the Enterprise Center later this evening. In fact, the last time the Blues lost a game, it was back on April 13th against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
Tonight’s contest will begin a three-game road trip for the Penguins that will then send them to Dallas and Chicago for a weekend doubleheader.
Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points...
Offer sheets remain a rarity in the NHL, but after the success the Blues had last offseason, maybe that trend will change. With a lot of work ahead of him this summer, perhaps Kyle Dubas is willing to offer sheet some players to improve the roster. [Pensburgh]
Joona Koppanen is back with the Penguins after being recalled on an emergency basis on Wednesday. Koppanen was recently sent back down to the AHL after a short stint in the NHL where he scored his first career NHL goal. [Trib Live]
Sidney Crosby has signed a new brand deal with a Swiss luxury watch company founded by former teammate Mark Streit and Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi. Crosby has also signed on as a shareholder with the company. [ESPN]
There’s still a few months until the NHL Draft and free agency roll around, but for teams like the Penguins, planning for the offseason is already underway. Picks aplenty give Dubas a lot of room to maneuver this summer. [The Athletic $$]
For all his struggles in Pittsburgh, Tristan Jarry still became just the third Penguins goalie in franchise history to ever record 20 career shoutouts, joining club legends Tom Barrasso and Marc-Andre Fleury with his shutout on Sunday. [The Hockey News]
Some positive news on forward Evgeni Malkin who has missed the last three games due to injury. Malkin will travel with the team on its upcoming three game road trip but his availability for any of those games remains unclear. [Trib Live]
Down on the farm, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have already wrapped up a spot in the AHL playoffs but more work is yet to be done. If they can finish top two in the division, they will secure a first round bye once the playoffs begin. [Citizen’s Voice]
NHL News and Notes...
A new mega broadcasting rights deal has been reached between the NHL and Rogers for distribution in Canada. The new 12-year deal begins in 2027, running through 2038 and is worth $11 billion Canadian dollars. [NHL]