Pens Points: Easy Avalanche

Mar 22, 2023 - 10:00 AM

Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning...

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had their NHL blue line decimated by injuries, which is not helping their cause as they look for solid ground in the wild card hunt. However, the AHL Penguins are dealing with defensive deficiencies of their own, perhaps further straining an already-battered unit. [PensBurgh]

The Penguins are one of the worst teams in the league at turning expected goals into actual ones. What does this mean? Who are the worst offenders at failing to turn attempts into goals? [PensBurgh]

While the NHL again comes under scrutiny for some of its players abandoning team-sponsored Pride Night festivities, Penguins forward Jason Zucker has made his feelings very well-known: he’s here to support the entire LGBTQIA+ community. “For me, it’s something that I always make sure I support.” [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Here’s some jersey-related news: Fanatics will replace Adidas as the NHL’s outfitter of on-ice uniforms and authentic jerseys beginning with the 2024-25 season, the league announced Tuesday. [ESPN]

Luke Prokop, the first openly gay player under an NHL contract, said he is disappointed at what he sees as a “step back for inclusion” throughout the league. [Yahoo]

Is John Tortorella the right coach to turn the Flyers’ fortunes around long-term? [Broad Street Hockey]

The Great 8 continues to dominate: during Tuesday night’s game, Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history with 13. For those keeping tabs at home, Ovechkin now has 820 career goals, second only to Gretzky at 894. [NHL]