Pens Points: Closing out 2019

It was a mostly ho hum victory for the Penguins on Tuesday night as they defeated the Ottawa Senators by a score of 5-2 in their final game of 2019. Evgeni Malkin tallied twice while teammates Dominik Simon, Patric Hornqvist, and Jake Guentzel added one a piece in the victory. While the victory is sweet, we will have to wait patiently on word about Guentzel’s condition following a hard crash into the boards in the third period.

The Penguins will hit the ice for the first time in 2020 on Thursday night when they welcome the San Jose Sharks into town.

Start the final day of 2019 with Pens Points...

For the first time in his career, Jake Guentzel has been named an NHL All Star and will represent the Penguins at the All Star Game in St. Louis. Guentzel currently leads the Penguins in goals scored and total points. [Pensburgh]

It remains to be seen if Guentzel will be joined by Kris Letang, who is up for the “Last Man In” vote. Letang won the vote last season and will now go for two in a row this year. Voting will open on January 1st. [Penguins]

There are still questions surrounding Alex Galchenyuk and his future in Pittsburgh, but as of right now, he’s still in black and gold and starting to find his stride. By tweaking his play style, Galchenyuk is starting to produce after month of waiting. [Trib Live]

Playing the best he has all season, Galchenyuk has found a new confidence and looks like a new player on the ice. Given his status with the coaches and front office earlier this month, he may be doing enough to keep a roster spot long term. [Penguins]

Once Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad return from injury, the Penguins have a serious question to answer about their center icemen. Given how well Jared McCann has played at center in their absence, will he stay or move back to the wing? [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

A lot happened over the past decade in Pittsburgh sports, but just how much do you still remember from the last 10 years? Test your knowledge with a quick quiz and let us know how you fared. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Even with the holiday break interrupting the NHL schedule last week, guys still took advantage and showed out for their teams. Victor Hedman, Jordan Binnington, and John Tavares were the best of the bunch and took home “3 Stars” honors. [NHL]

Full rosters for the NHL All Star Game were released on Monday, with a trio of Blues players making the cut for the host city. Several other teams tied with two All Star selections. This season’s game will take place on Sunday, January 25th in St. Louis. [NHL]

There was a lot of good to celebrate from the NHL in the past decade, but there were also some things that were rather forgettable. Just because a player was highly touted when they were drafted does not mean they ever panned out. [The Hockey News]