Pens Points: Happy Thanksgiving
Enjoy Pens Points as an appetizer before the Thanksgiving meal to come.
It was closed than it had to be in the end, but right now the Pittsburgh Penguins will take wins anyway they can get them and they did so on Thanksgiving Eve with a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Penguins rushed out to a 5-1 lead thanks in part to a four goal first period then hung on as the Canucks stormed back, but fell short in the end. [Pensburgh]
Pens Points...
For nearly two decades, the Penguins reigned as the premier franchise in the NHL. That reign has now come to an end, but looking back on how their collapse unfolded, it didn’t have to be this way so soon. [Sportsnet]
Having recovered from a planned medical procedure, assistant coach Mike Vellucci was back behind the bench against the Canucks. He will not travel to Boston on Friday, but the plan is for him to be back for good starting Saturday. [Trib Live]
Only one player in Penguins history has worn the number 68 during his time with the team, and now that jersey is hanging from the rafters. It’s fitting that the one and only Jaromir Jagr is the only player to ever don that sweater. [The Hockey News]
Dating back to last season, the Canadian hockey media has been obsessive about Sidney Crosby leaving Pittsburgh for what they view as greener pastures elsewhere. If you though the contract extension quelled those takes, you are sadly wrong. [Sports Illustrated]
If you’re looking for a Christmas present for the Penguins fan in your life then here’s the deal for you. Running now through Monday, December 2nd, the Penguins are offering 25% off on tickets to all January home games. [Penguins]
NHL News and Notes...
After a few season of COVID related stagnation to the NHL salary cap, the league appears to be headed for a serious cap spike in the near future, a move that could cause stars to demand more money than ever on new deals. [Sportsnet]
Thanksgiving has historically been a pretty good benchmark to determine which teams will make the playoffs and which ones will not. Last season, just three teams on the outside of the playoff window at Thanksgiving qualified at the end. [Sportsnet]