Pens Points: Capital Punishment

For the first time this month, and only the second time all season, the Pittsburgh Penguins captured a regulation victory by defeating the Washington Capitals 6-3 on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps more important than the win itself, the Penguins looked and played like the better team for most of the contest and more than earned the two points. [Pensburgh]

Drop the puck on a new week with Pens Points...

While the Penguins got the points they’ll be more than happy to keep, there were still some moments that left fans shaking their heads. Fortunately, it wasn’t just the Penguins making the mistakes on Sunday, proving both sides have much to work on going forward. [NBC Sports]

Bruised and battered for almost the entire early part of the season, the Penguins blue line is suddenly getting healthier which means Mike Sullivan has some decisions to make. From mainstays to up and comers, what Sullivan decides will certainly be open to debate. [Pensburgh]

Still wading through a litany of COVID related issues, the East division standings remain skewed with teams having played anywhere between 14 games all the way down to just nine. The Boston Bruins lead the way for the moment, but everyone behind has games in hand. [Pensburgh]

With a consistent playoff team like the Penguins, trade rumors are always going to be swirling as they look to add pieces for a potential Stanley Cup run. Currently, the hot rumor in Pittsburgh involves a former beloved member of the franchise and a position that needs help. [Pensburgh]

In an attempt to help boost the offense, Mike Sullivan asked his defensemen to get more involved in the attack and the move paid dividends immediately. Given the success, expect to see more of the same when they hit the ice again on Tuesday. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Before puck drop on Sunday, news broke that goaltender Casey DeSmith was unavailable and the Penguins needed to recall Maxime Lagace from the taxi squad to serve as backup to Tristan Jarry. No reason was given for DeSmith’s absence and it remains to be seen if the situation is long term. [Trib Live]

As COVID continues to wreak havoc on the NHL season, the league has instituted revised virus protocols in hopes of stemming the wave of postponements. Each team must now adapt to the changes and the Penguins are no exception. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Even as players are continually added to the COVID list, it’s always nice when we hear about players coming off. The latest was Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos, revealing it was a false positive that landed him on the list in the first place. [NHL]

An up to date NHL COVID list currently contains 25 players from eight different teams. New Jersey is slowly clawing guys back but fellow Eastern Division side the Philadelphia Flyers are the hardest hit this week with seven players listed. [TSN]

One of the best rivalries currently going in the NHL is also one of the league’s newest. Barely four seasons old, the bad blood between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks has already established itself as one of the nastiest. [Yahoo! Sports]