There was plenty to like around the Pittsburgh Penguins this week, and a few of the details came straight from practice. Coach Dan Muse is apparently sticking with the makeshift third line centered by Hendrix Lapierre, flanked by Ville Koivunen and Filip Hallander, while Ben Kindel ended up in a new role on Friday and centered a strong fourth line. The practice notes also included a closer look at how Muse is handling those combinations, plus the latest on Erik Karlsson and the ripple effect from Kindel’s work.
Kindel’s name keeps popping up for a reason. One of the better moments in the room this week came after he burned Erik Karlsson with a hesitation move, and Karlsson was in on the humor about it. That play, along with Kindel’s return and his one-ice moves, is part of the weekly PHN+ Insider look at what’s happening inside the Penguins room and the decisions still ahead.
Andrei Kuzmenko was back with the team Friday, and he addressed the media in a brief moment at his dressing stall. He did not take questions, which was understandable given the circumstances. Kuzmenko spoke about his father’s death and thanked many people, and while his English can be difficult to follow at times, his statement was included.
Elsewhere in the NHL chatter, the Alexander Nikishin situation still looks stuck in the same place. One team after another has been linked to him, but the latest round of interest only underscored how hard it is to make the numbers work. The discussion around the cost has already been laid out, and the basic issue remains the same: the team has no reason to give in because it does not need him, while the player is the one who has to blink.
The Edmonton goaltending mess, meanwhile, is already setting off alarms. The panic has arrived quickly, and the reaction around the Oilers has been loud enough that the situation is now a story in itself.
In Detroit, Dylan Larkin took heat when he was introduced at the home opener. And in Anaheim, the Ducks’ six-year deal worth over $7 million a year for a young defenseman with only 14 NHL games drew a big reaction, enough that it made people look twice at the Koivunen deal.
In Other News...
Penguins Win Exposes One Early Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Penguins got the result they wanted in their overtime win over Montreal, but it was anything but a clean night. Pittsburgh had to battle back from an early hole, leaned on Evgeni Malkin for multiple goals and still found itself staring at a game that kept slipping toward the Canadiens before the final push. Even in victory, the pace and the swings made it clear there are still parts of this roster that need tightening up.
Montreals comeback in the third period was made even more frustrating when a coachs challenge wiped away what looked like a go-ahead Penguins goal, adding another jolt to a game already full of momentum changes. The finish eventually swung Pittsburghs way, but the kind of defensive breakdowns and near-misses on display are the sort of early-season warning signs the Penguins cant afford to shrug off, especially after a night that was supposed to feel a lot more settled than it did. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Blow Big Lead Before Escaping In A Wild Opener
The season opener had all the hallmarks of a comfortable night for Pittsburgh, with Evgeni Malkin setting the tone and the Penguins building what looked like a commanding cushion against Montreal. Malkin logged a power-play goal and two assists while moving past Dale Hawerchuk into 22nd place in NHL history with 1,411 points, a milestone that underscored how much he still drives the offense even as the roster around him continues to evolve.
Instead, the game turned into a survival test, as the Canadiens kept pressing and made the Penguins sweat deep into the night. Montreal clawed all the way back to force overtime, with Cole Caufield striking twice and Ivan Demidov providing the late equalizer before Tommy Novak finally ended it for Pittsburgh in the extra period, a wild finish that left the opener feeling more like a warning than a statement. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Overtime Win Came With One Ugly Moment Fans Will Debate
The Penguins overtime win over Montreal came with the kind of moment nobody in the building wanted to revisit once the final horn sounded. Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier had already been an important part of their recent stretch and a steady presence in earlier seasons, which made his exit all the more unsettling for Montreal in a game that was supposed to be decided by speed, structure and special teams, not a dangerous collision.
Carrier was knocked out of the game after a sequence involving Pittsburgh forward Egor Chinakhov, and the hit quickly shifted attention from the result to the condition of the Canadiens blueliner. Because he is in the final year of his contract, every game carries a little more weight around his role and future, and this one left a lingering question mark long after the Penguins celebrated the two points. [Read more 🡒]