Pens Points: Moving In The Right Direction

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning...

The Penguins met the New York Islanders last night at PPG Paints Arena. And while the Penguins haven’t found success against the Isles so far this year, last night was a different story. For the second straight game, the Penguins pretty handily beat their opponent, getting 2 more crucial points. [Recap]

The Phil Kessel trade rumors are making the rounds again. Adam Gretz is here to tell you why a in-season trade revolving around the superstar has no precedent. *Side note: after last night’s game, I think these rumors are headed straight down the drain where they belong. [Pensburgh]

The Penguins’ power-play has been seeing fewer and fewer chances to get on the ice. The reason? Refs may be swallowing their whistles while the Penguins play. [Trib Live]

The Penguins made their annual holiday trip to UPMC Children’s Hospital for all sorts of smiles and holiday cheer. [Trib Live]

Justin Schultz has sort of faded into the background while he rehabs from his gruesome leg injury. But rest assured, the defenseman is ‘doing well,’ and is slated for a February return to the ice. [Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

The New York Rangers have been declared the NHL’s most valuable franchise, according to Forbes. [New York Post]

Interested in seeing the evolution of the NHL, from a measly six teams, to a now soon-to-be 32-team juggernaut? [Newsday]

What’s next for the Seattle franchise now that the team has been officially approved to play in the league? A ground-breaking ceremony. [KOMO]