Penguins Wrap: No Points Earned, But Perhaps a Few Made

The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t lost a game since last month.

OK, so they haven’t played any in February and dropped their final two in January, but when a team is sputtering the way they have been, it has to latch onto any positive it can find.

The Penguins have been off since their 6-4 defeat by San Jose Jan. 29 at PPG Paints Arena, courtesy of the combination of their bye week and the NHL’s all-star break, but they are scheduled to reconvene for a practice today at 4 p.m. at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

And while there were no games during the past week, there was no shortage of issues to discuss. Here’s a look back at the past seven days:

Sunday

There’s been speculation about the Penguins trying to acquire a replacement for Casey DeSmith as No. 1 goalie Tristan Jarry’s backup. Here are some of the guys who might be candidates.

With no team activities scheduled for the week, the Penguins returned two players to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre.

Monday

There’s no question that Mike Sullivan is one of the top coaches — maybe the top coach — in franchise history. But now that he’s been on the job for more than seven years, is it possible that at least some of his players might be tuning him out?

Tuesday

Brian Burke, the Penguins’ president of hockey operations, has maintained a generally positive perspective on his team, but acknowledged that it has one trait that is a serious concern.

This is a pretty unsettled time for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Wednesday

Ron Hextall made a personnel decision last summer that has contributed to the Penguins’ struggles this season.

Mario Lemieux was pretty visible around PPG Paints Arena on game nights when he was one of the Penguins’ majority owners, but his profile dropped dramatically when his share of the franchise did. (+)

Thursday

Mike Sullivan invariably credits the Pittsburgh Penguins “leadership group” anytime his team does something good. Well, it’s time for those guys to guide the team to a playoff spot.

The NHL’s TV ratings have had a precipitous drop this season. Here are some things that can be done to boost fan interest — and viewership.

Friday

A look back at the many highs and lows of the Penguins’ first 49 games in 2022-23.

Management decided to keep the Penguins’ aging core intact when Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin were eligible for free agency last summer. Does that look like a wise move now?

A lot of fans don’t seem to care much about the NHL All-Star Game and attendant activities. What does Sidney Crosby, who has been involved in a few, think about them, and other issues in the game today?

Saturday

The March 3 NHL trade deadline coming into view, so here’s an updated look at the value of some of the pieces the Penguins might try to move.

With team activities scheduled to resume with a practice Sunday, the Penguins recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski from their farm team in Wilkes-Barre, a move that suggested Tristan Jarry might not be ready to take part in workouts.