Pens Points: Back to Second

In what started to feel like deja vu from Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins dropped a 3-1 decision to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night and fell to second place in the Eastern Division standings. Jeff Carter tallied the lone Penguins goal with a rocket late in the third period to spoil Tuukka Rask’s shutout attempt. [Pensburgh]

Begin the final Wednesday of April with Pens Points...

With the ESPN television rights deal already completed, the NHL brought in a second rights holder in Turner Sports to complete the package. The announcement marks an official end to the NHL’s time with NBC after 16 seasons. [Pensburgh]

Due to the COVID pandemic, legendary Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange had been missing from the booth since last season. That changed on Tuesday night when Lange filled in for new dad Josh Getzoff on the radio call. [Trib Live]

Before the season, many people wondered if this Penguins team had what it took to compete for a playoff spot let alone the Stanley Cup. Now in first place in the final days of the season, expectations for this team have changed dramatically. [Trib Live]

With vaccination numbers increasing, the Penguins are hoping they can reward fans who have received the COVID vaccine. In a petition to the Pennsylvania state government, the franchise is seeking approval to create special seating sections for vaccinated fans. [WPXI]

Hockey has never been bigger in Western Pennsylvania and the proof can be seen in the Penguins Elite Program. Six teams from the Pens Elite program are set to take part in the upcoming USA Hockey Youth Nationals. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

For a more comprehensive look on what the new NHL/Turner Sports television rights deal means for the league, Elliotte Friedman has you covered. Basically, Turner offered a whole bunch of money which is exactly what the NHL wanted. [Sportsnet]

It won’t come into effect until the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but there is a very real possibility that USA/Canada travel restrictions could cause issues for the NHL. If that becomes a reality, the league is prepared to adapt any way necessary. [NHL]