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Dan’s Daily: Penguins Get Good News, Sam Poulin Leads WBS Playoff Push

The Vegas Golden Knights playoff hopes suffered a sucker punch by the Vancouver Canucks. The NHLPA and agents had their first in-person meetings in more than two years, and to no surprise, the financial fallout of the Arizona Coyotes move to a little college rink was a hot button topic. Should Shea Weber be leading the Montreal Canadiens despite his career being over? The WBS Penguins playoff push got a boost. And the Pittsburgh Penguins received excellent news.
It’s shocking news if you watched Jason Zucker crash into the wall and yell in agony.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Jason Zucker was a full go, Brock McGinn joined practice in a non-contact sweater… Pittsburgh Penguins practice.
PHN+: Since Penguins fans know the Pens are going to lose in Round One, and since Pens fans know the worst will inevitably come true and predicting as much is akin to being right, which is more important than air or water in 2022, there isn’t much use writing about anything else. But we did anyway.
Yes, that injury seemed to scare and take the starch out of Zucker, too. It must have been a dark day or two, “that was probably the one thing I didn’t prepare for…” Jason Zucker speaks.
Make sure to follow our YouTube channel — Zucker spoke, as well as Big Jeff Carter, who cracked a few jokes, as usual. We’ll have a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins stuff in the playoffs, too:
NHL News & National Hockey Now:
Times Leader: The WBS Penguins beat the LV Phantoms, which greatly enhanced the WBS playoff hopes. Sam Poulin had a strong game, too. WBS Penguins.
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman is covering the agents and NHLPA meeting–the first in two years. Nothing earth-shattering just yet, but important stuff.
Vegas: It’s getting to be mission-critical in Las Vegas. They “were awful” against the Canucks and Vegas’s playoff hopes are suddenly in great peril. Vegas Golden Knights angst.
Montreal: It’s become a controversy in Montreal. The Montreal Gazette opined that Shea Weber should be more involved with the current Canadiens. Our Marco D’Amico fired back. No. Hell no. Leave Shea alone. But not quite in those words. Here’s the controversy. Montreal Canadiens debate.
MHN is fast becoming the premier English outlet in Quebec. We’ve never experienced anything like it. I thought PHN grew quickly, but they’re smashing my growth records, and we love it.
NY Post: The rise of Jack Hughes is again slowed. The center is out of the season with a knee injury.
Washington: The reeling Capitals gathered it together. Perhaps the team-only meeting helped. They beat the Lightning 4-3. Washington Capitals takeaways.
NYI: Noah Dobson hit the 40-point plateau. The young man is growing into his role with the New York Islanders.
When you think about it Dan they really should just all break up for the season and head home. After accumulating 92 points over the last 6 months it is clear it was all just a stretch of good luck.
Pens would be 71-0-0 right now if only Ryan Reeves was still on the team.
No but they might of got past the 2nd Round vs Washington in 2018 on go on to compete for a 3rd Cup. Instead we got Brassard and lost a First Round pick , really 2 First Round picks if you consider the round trip. And then moved Reaves after the season in the summer.
So the Penguin’s must eat their peas with a weak bench aging stars and 3 First Round exits.
But other than that you’re right.
Thank you for proving my point
Dan, thanks for your jab at the ever cynical group of Penguins “fans”. Also, don’t call them fans. Judging by the some of the commenters around here, the Penguins weren’t even going to make the playoffs. Now, like you said, its a foregone conclusion that they are going to lose in round one. These people are nothing but trolls and should be ignored, maybe going forward ignore them? I am a fan no matter what. Make the playoffs or not, no big deal. I enjoy every game that i can watch! Every season there is only one winner and 31… Read more »
I’ve been a Pens fan since the late 1960’s and can remember following their 1970 conference playoff series when they lost to the Blues. But it seems according to you, I and others should forever remain in the “my country right or wrong” crowd. Maybe you want to live in a country where individuals are not allowed to call it like they see it, but by the grace of God I hope that never happens here.
People have to make almost everything political. You have a choice to say or do whatever you want. I am exercising my right to ignore it. Opinions are not facts. I prefer to be more positive and look on the brightside of things. Endless negativity gets you no where. Especially when there is so much evil and discontent in the world the last few years. At the end of the day, its a game. In the grand scheme it is meaningless and the outcome is random and out of our control. Feel free to spew negativity all you want, but… Read more »
The negativity is a mindset. Sort of a way of life. Of course all are entitled to an opinion. And equally entitled to question what the team or players do. BUT good grief it is HOCKEY. I am not all that wild about some players too but I have to be honest I do not see anything related
To that as a threat to democracy! Relax boys. There are too few things left in the world to enjoy. I just don’t recall the founding fathers debating how the country would weather someone’s plus/minus.
Just remember certain writers amplified and echoed the Dom Simon makes everyone better punchline .
Your personal vendetta against Simon and Brassard is delightfully entertaining
I have nothing against either player and wish them both well. That has nothing to do with the epic failures associated with the Brassard trade and the lack of criticism of Sullivan’s beyond ludicrous use of Simon in the 2020 playoff….. and beyond.
I have yet to read an analysis and reasons for the original Reaves trade and its cost, plus the moving of Reaves for Brassard and it’s cost , and how and why this franchise damaging round trip occurred.
That trade was 4 years ago. It was Ryan Reeves, not Wayne Gretzky. Let it go man
Hey Dan. What’s the DraftKings line on the Pens out in the first round ? Sullivan gone if that happens again this year?
Not only the Pens, but everyone has a fighting chance. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Caps won it all, let alone some better teams. Everybody is dangerous come playoff time. Need I remind you that we were in game 7 with the Sens and Kunitz saved us in overtime? That’s the difference between winning and losing so even Ottawa had a shot with a team that wasn’t spectacular, but very gritty. So the clairvoyants around the web are a scam, just like those in amusement parks. As far as I’m concerned I prefer the Pens in the underdog position.
Pretty sure everyone in hockey would be surprised if the Caps won it all.
Did everyone forget that the Canadiens made it to the Cup finals last year?
The competition certainly looks stiff this year in the Eastern conference. But all it takes is some secondary scoring to click with the Pens and GAME ON!
No matter what anyone says or thinks the team that has the right goaltending going into playoffs is usually the best chance to win it all, just need a goalie to get hot at the right time in my opinion?
Good news everyone! I woke up this morning with the tail end of a dream still in my head… The Penguins, in white away jerseys were the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions… since Sid was shaking JFJ’s hand after the game, I assume they had just beat the Colorado Avalanche (in Game 5 or 7, probably 7) of the series! 🙂 Start planning the parade!
You are forgetting about jinx rules. You aren’t supposed to mention it. Now that you mentioned it, they are doomed. Its like an announcer calling a no hitter in the 5th inning. Lol