Dan’s Daily: Leafs Survive; Chaos at Trial; Penguins Candidates

An intense news week came to a head Friday when all hell broke loose in the sexual assault trial of the five 2018 Team Canada players. The Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination with a dramatic Auston Matthews goal in the third period against the Florida Panthers. However, Brendan Shanahan’s time in Toronto might soon end amid fiery headlines. The Chicago Blackhawks are closing in on a new coach and could announce it at any time (and we have a good idea who it is), and we dished some hard grades on a couple of Penguins trade acquisitions, as well as got the latest on the Penguins’ coaching search.

I appreciated a lot of the feedback on my note about pervasive and sometimes relentless negativity in the Penguins universe. I received a couple of long, encouraging emails and a couple of short ones addressed to one of our original subscribers that I referenced yesterday, who was stepping away from following the team because the negativity was too much.

I think we all need to be brake-checked now and then. My best advice, and what I try to do as a central part of this job, is to set proper expectations and define the context. I can, to a near certainty, promise you that the Penguins will not win the 2026 Stanley Cup. Or the 2027 Cup. That won’t be how I cover the team. I will cover them, sometimes critically, in the context of their transition and effort, and how general manager Kyle Dubas is setting them up for long-term success.

You’ll pump my brakes, and I’ll do the same for you.

I’ll also make the offer–If you want to support PHN but the 40 bucks a year just isn’t in the budget or you’re only a part-time reader who appreciates the effort it takes to be the only outlet that provides daily coverage and content 365 days a year, email me and we’ll send you a half-off coupon code. Email contact at nationalhockeynow.com. One of us will send you the code. No explanation needed. I appreciate ya.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Our weekly report card unflinchingly graded a pair of players, both of whom were this season’s trade acquisitions, Kevin Hayes and Philip Tomasino. Not coincidentally, they played together a fair amount, too. So, we delivered some unvarnished grades and a look at their futures in the Penguins’ lineup.

Jay Woodcroft? Yep. Mitch Love and D. J. Smith? Yes. Elliotte Friedman had a bit more insight and a list of names for interviews or those who have interviewed with the Penguins coaching search.

Steelers Now: The five takeaways from the expected wins, losses, and the trap game in the Steelers’ schedule.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: How pathetic. What a craptastic roster. The bullpen blew up, again, and the bats went limp, again, as the Pirates lost, again.

NHL Rumors, News, & NHN

TSN: Pandora’s Box flung open in the sexual assault trial of the 2018 Team Canada players. On Friday, the judge dismissed the jury because one juror complained that lawyers were laughing at her, declared another a mistrial, then agreed to continue the trial as a judge-only trial.

Then, Tyler Steenbergen’s testimony for the prosecution (the Crown) continued to contradict the core arguments of … the prosecution.

NYI Hockey Now: Some men just want to watch the world burn. There’s a vacant spot at the top on Long Island, and Russ Macias might be a few days ahead of everyone else. Toronto president of hockey operations Brendan Shanahan’s contract is set to expire after this season, and Macias writes that Shanny should go to the top of the New York Islanders’ list.

Florida Hockey Now: Days of hammering on Toronto captain Auston Matthews for being goalless in the series evaporated in one cathartic moment. Matthews sniped a late third-period goal to break a scoreless tie with Florida, and Toronto dramatically forced a Game 7 with the Florida Panthers.

Ottawa Citizen: The Senators have opened contact talks with Claude Giroux. Even at 37, he’s been a key cog in their turnaround.

Montreal Hockey Now: It’s time to go shopping for the bleu, blanc et rouge. Marc Dumont takes a swing at the coming summer–an important one–for the now rebuilt Montreal Canadiens.

Chicago Hockey Now: Sources are telling Hockey Now that Chicago is close to hiring a new coach. Greg Boysen has the breakdown and has a pretty good idea that it will be Jeff Blashill.