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Tuesday was just another ho-hum day for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they continue to use another unexpected extended break to prepare for their game against the New York Islanders on Thursday night. Not much breaking news to discuss surrounding the team this morning.
**holds finger to imaginary earpiece**
Sorry, sorry. Being told there is in fact some pretty significant news to discuss in Penguins world from Tuesday.
Pens Points is here with all the headlines about the new hires...
What started out as a quiet day for the Pittsburgh Penguins was quickly turned on its when the team announced the hiring of Ron Hextall as the team’s new general manager and Brian Burke as the President of Hockey Operations. [Pensburgh]
Both Hextall and Burke have found front office success in the past and the Penguins hope that will carry over to their new roles. Previously, Hextall won a Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 while Burke lifted the trophy in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks. [Trib Live]
For Hextall and the Penguins, this may seem like an odd match given the history between Hextall the player and the franchise. A legendary icon of the rival Philadelphia Flyers, Hextall has his fair share of history with the Penguins already. [NBC Sports]
Hextall never won a Stanley Cup during his general manager tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers, but his fingerprints are all over the current Flyers team and the Penguins will need that type of vision when they enter a post-Crosby/Malkin rebuild. [Puck Prose]
Every general manager has their own style about how they go about business and Hextall will be no different. Based on what we know from his time with the Flyers and looking at his body of work, his style seems to differ greatly from what the Pens had in the past. [NBC Sports]
In some non-front office news, the Penguins were on the ice today for practice in preparation for another showdown with the Islanders. Zach Aston-Reese joined his teammates for the session and skated alongside Brandon Tanev and Teddy Blueger. [Pensburgh]
No question this season has been nothing but a struggle for the Penguins power play and quite frankly those issues preceded the new campaign. There is no one quick fix for the power play woes, but the Penguins could rectify a lot by simply shooting more. [The Athletic $$]
It’s not just the power play currently weighing down the Penguins special teams efforts. The normally effective penalty kill is also having issues of its own through 11 games. While they are utilizing a more aggressive style, the results have yet to arrive. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
News and notes from around the NHL...
After a 16 year career, former Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday. Currently a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 37 year old calls it a career with 711 career points. [NHL]
The Eastern division continues to be ravaged by COVID-19 postponements, this time involving the Flyers and Washington Capitals. Their matchup for Tuesday was called off and there could be more coming in the next few days. [Broad Street Hockey]