Dan’s Daily: Unrest in Nashville; Sullivan Big Changes, but Penguins Go Splat

CALGARY, Alberta — The Daily has been bereft of NHL trade rumors for a few weeks now as GMs hunker down and get a good look at their teams. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas may have to watch through his fingers at the horror his team is becoming. Coach Mike Sullivan made big changes Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets, and they worked. Then they didn’t. The Penguins remain a bigger mess than R. Lee Ermey could describe in colorful but unprintable language.

Elsewhere in the Daily, there’s unrest in Nashville, as both Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos have called out the Nashville Predators. This might be bad news for the Penguins, but the Edmonton Oilers are in the midst of a scoring drought (yep, that means someone is going to pay. Gee, maybe it will be a team that can’t cover in the defensive zone?), the Calgary Flames are getting great goaltending in their record-setting start, Nick Kyporeos advocates finding the money for Mitch Marner to trading him, and the NHL Awards show/presentation will be different this year.

I had to take a walk around Calgary late last night after my plane landed just to get my blood flowing after a long day of sitting and typing in arenas, airports, and airplanes. Nothing was open at midnight local time, but for the first time, I did feel threatened or worried about myself as someone approached with ill intent. Fortunately, I have “a look” that I used as a parent to convey anger. Apparently, the look is more frightening than Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, at least according to my son, who, even as an adult, was freaked out by the look.

So, too, was the guy who took an aggressive step toward me but then veered away as I reflexively gave the look but kept walking.

Whew. It’s been more than 25 years since I had to drop the mitts. I’m guessing my teammates would have given stick taps, but I would have lost that scrap, as well as my phone and wallet. Ah, the joys of the road and not sleeping.

By the way, absolute kudos to the Winnipeg fans. People are ridiculously friendly there and here in Calgary, the above notwithstanding. Those chants at the game Sunday were beauties. “Where is Rutger?” was a classic when paired with “Yager’s better!”

That gave me a hearty laugh.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: On Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets, coach Mike Sullivan dodged questions but dropped his patience and made sweeping changes to the Penguins’ lineup.

The Penguins had a 2-0 lead and tied the game in the third, but their mistakes just piled up like laundry in a college dorm. The mistakes figuratively stunk like the laundry, too. Here’s the full Penguins recap.

PHN Video: I didn’t spare feelings or names in the Postgame video from Winnipeg—the Five Minute Penguins Postgame.

And read the scathing Penguins report card.

Earlier Sunday, we did the first PHN+ Q&A of the season. Subscribers submitted their questions via online form and email. As promised, it was no holds barred. Check out the Penguins Q&A.

I’m going to answer more questions in another post for PHN+ subscribers today or tomorrow. Use coupon code Dan10 to get $10 off the full price, and join the party here.

Oh, and the Steelers had a helluva second half. I had to read all about it later, but Heinz Field was rockin’. The Steelers scored 31 unanswered points, and Pittsburgh saw a Steelers win.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

TSN Video: Stamkos called out the effort. Jonathan Marchessault called his team fragile. Are the new guys going too far?

Toronto Star: Nick Kypreos put it succinctly. The Maple Leafs have two choices with Mitch Marner. They can clear enough cap space to pay him, or they will need to trade him. Kypreos also went into a few possible replacements, but I wasn’t sure about the plausibility of his list.

NYI Hockey Now: It’s early, but there are already waivers, injuries to top-six players, and questions about whether a fading prospect will get the call to the NHL. There is already a lot going on with the New York Islanders.

Philly Hockey Now: Try not to chuckle with a big dose of schadenfreude (joy in another’s misery), but frustration and tempers are flaring as the losing streak hits four for the Philadelphia Flyers.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Bring up the kids! Let’s see what they can do! It’s not always so easy, even when one of the kids earns NHL ice in training camp. New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe had to sit young defenseman Seamus Casey because things took a sour turn for the New Jersey Devils.

The leap to the NHL is huge and it’s tough for the kids, especially defensemen.

Detroit Hockey Now: Man down! The Swedish team Skelleftea showed up to the game with one fewer player than originally boarded the bus. How? As it turned out, nature called, and one of the Detroit Red Wings prospects was left behind at a stop on the way.

Guys? … Guys?

Forever Blueshirts: Our cousin site that covers the Rangers has the weekend takeaways from the Rangers beating the Maple Leafs, with Igor Shesterkin stealing one. The New York Rangers know their game.

Sportsnet: I suppose I should care a little more about this last story, but I don’t. The awards are the awards, and the winners are deserving, but the attempted black tie roasts that usually go over like a fart in church or boring presentation shows are a bygone era. And the NHL Awards will undergo a big change, too.

Edmonton is losing and not scoring. And the Calgary Flames, who were thought to be rebuilding, are winning with great goaltending.