One more night at PPG Paints Arena, then the Pittsburgh Penguins head back out west for their annual California swing, which begins on Saturday. The Boston Bruins are in town for the finale, and they arrive as the Atlantic Division leaders with the fourth-best record in the NHL. It’s another tough assignment for a Penguins team that keeps sliding as the losses continue to stack up.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM, with the game set to air on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
A little over a month into the season, the shape of the 2026-27 Penguins is starting to come into focus with each passing game. Nobody wants to live through a season full of losses, but from a big-picture standpoint, that may end up being the best path for this group.
The picture isn’t any brighter in the minors, either. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are still searching for consistency after splitting a weekend set against Utica and Hershey. A clean sweep was there for the taking, but a blown 3-1 lead spoiled their chance against the Comets.
The Penguins’ slide in the standings keeps creating a deeper hole, and while it’s too early to say anyone is out of the playoff race, every defeat makes that climb tougher later on.
One issue that jumped into focus after Tuesday’s loss to the Golden Knights was the power play. That became especially obvious when the Penguins came up empty on a late 5-on-3 advantage. Even with constant changes to the units, there’s still a lot of work left before that group gets where it needs to be.
In Other News...
Penguins Fans Just Got A Telling Hint About Declan Carlile
Declan Carliles standing with the Penguins got a notable boost after Wednesdays practice, when Dan Muse made it clear the young defenseman still has a place on this roster. For a team that is constantly balancing development, depth and lineup stability, that kind of public backing matters, especially when roster decisions can shift quickly around the edges of camp and early-season preparation.
Muses comments came in a day when other teams were making their own personnel calculations, from Carolina and Vancouver shelving a potential Elias Pettersson trade to Columbus opening roster spots by placing Danton Heinen and Emil Andrae on waivers. Pittsburghs situation is more immediate and more local, though, because Carliles role is now part of the conversation in a lineup that is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away Late
The Penguins had a chance to leave Las Vegas with a result they could have lived with, and for much of the night the game stayed within reach. Instead, special teams tilted the outcome in a 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights, with Pittsburgh unable to make the most of its late power-play opportunities and the margin for error shrinking as the third period wore on.
What stood out afterward was the familiar frustration around penalties and the need to be more resilient when the game gets tight. Players and coach alike pointed to the discipline issues and the defensive response in key moments, a reminder that this group can compete well enough to win on most nights, but still has to finish the job when the game is there to be taken. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Turn Veterans Day Game Into Something Bigger Than Hockey
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are adding a community focus to their Veterans Day weekend game on Nov. 14, teaming with the Penguins GOALS Foundation to support the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center. Before the matchup with the Hamilton Hammers at Mohegan Arena, the organization will stage a donation drive aimed at helping local veterans through the colder months.
Fans attending the game will have a chance to contribute outside the East Gate Entrance, where the team is collecting new cold-weather items and non-perishable food. It is the kind of pregame effort that fits the date on the calendar and gives the night a purpose beyond the score sheet, with the details laid out by the team as part of the event announcement. [Read more 🡒]