Penguins Wrap: A Trade; 2 Ws in a Row! Letang Gets Real

For just the third time this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins won two games in a row — and they looked pretty proficient doing it in games that sandwiched Thanksgiving Day. (See what we did there?) Those wins weren’t quite enough to get them out of the cellar in the Metropolitan Division, but could it be the start of a better brand of hockey? The wins also came with Tristan Jarry in net, something many might consider unexpected.

Along the way over the past week, Sidney Crosby reached a milestone, the team made a trade for a forward, and defenseman Kris Letang had some interesting thoughts on the Penguins now compared with previous seasons.

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Saturday: With the fan base getting restless, to say the least, PHN called on president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas or the Fenway Sports Group ownership to speak out and communicate the plan.

The fans want the Penguins to get younger, but sometimes that comes in small steps. With veteran Kevin Hayes ready to return from injury, prospect Vasily Ponomarev, after three NHL games, was returned to the AHL.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been assaulting the record book and the milestone ledger, and he did it again. This time, he notched his 600th career goal.

Crosby’s milestone goal, however, came in yet another frustrating, embarrassing loss. This time, the Penguins were flat to say the least and fell for the third straight game, sixth time in seven outings, this one at home against Utah.

The postgame reaction and analysis were not kind. How could they be after the team quit? Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic spoke out and implored the team to “do something about it.” Check out the Penguins report card.

Sunday: With losing — and sometimes with winning — come changes. The Penguins trade watch was on, with reports that Dubas and his staff were heavily scouting Montreal.

It sure seemed like the Penguins had reached a breaking point. PHN’s Dan Kingerski certainly thought so. He put forth the idea that either coach Mike Sullivan had to go or the team had to make other big changes.

Monday: In what might have been a prelude to getting back on the winning side, the Penguins held an upbeat workout, with the players orchestrating a shootout competition, and Sullivan talked about having honest conversations with the players. Read all about it in the practice report.

In another sign that it’s not easy to get younger, the Penguins sent a prospect who might be running out of chances back to the AHL. After 12 NHL games this season and time on the third line, it was back to the minors for Sam Poulin.

The Poulin move made way for a new player. It wasn’t a blockbuster deal, but the Penguins acquired a former first-round draft pick from the Nashville Predators in forward Philip Tomasino.

Tuesday: One trade doesn’t mean Dubas is finished. He’s been highly active and on the go, and apparently made a stop to scout a player who is on several teams’ radar, Columbus Blue Jackets defensive prospect David Jiricek.

It’s inescapable that Dubas receives some criticism. Meanwhile, Sullivan seems to continue to have the full backing of his bosses. Those items and more in 4 Penguins thoughts.

Tomasino joined the Penguins in time for practice and talked about his situation afterward. He discussed his hopes to regain the form he had during a strong rookie season and said he hoped he can be a sparkplug for the team.

During that practice, there was a different tone from the upbeat session a day earlier. Sullivan wasn’t shy about loudly scolding his players. Plus, the Penguins put young forward Valtteri Puustinen on waivers. It’s all in the practice report.

Wednesday: With the Penguins facing their first game in four days, and first game since the embarrassing loss against Utah, Sullivan made some changes on defense, including reuniting a young pairing. Read about it in the morning skate report.

The Penguins have made a bad habit of blowing leads. Surely, their four-goal lead against the Vancouver Canucks was safe, right? Well, it ended up barely being enough, but even if it was an adventure, they got a much-needed win.

Despite nearly blowing that lead, the Penguins felt good about their game. It was one of their best performances in some time. That was also reflected in the Penguins grades.

Thursday: Without taking a stance one way or another, PHN tackled what has been a prickly situation for the faithful. Could goalie Tristan Jarry still be the guy? On Thanksgiving, it was some food for thought.

Friday: One overriding observation by many outside the Penguins organization is that the team certainly isn’t what it used to be. Now a prominent player got real about one aspect of that. Read about the honesty from Kris Letang.

There was a notable incident during the Penguins’ game in Boston when the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin got jabbed by a Bruins player who was on his bench, and Makin retaliated by swinging his stick in that direction. The players involved got penalized, but will they hear from the league?

It was tight. It was well-played. Where has this version of the Penguins been? They got a big goal from the new guy and looked strong in a win at Boston.

Lots of As and Bs, plus some smiles and relief that the Penguins finally looked like the team they have been expecting to be. Check out the Penguins report card.