It’s hard to believe, but we have arrived at game No. 82 for the 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins, though it seems like just yesterday they were at Madison Square Garden opening the season against the New York Rangers. Not many fans thought there was going to be more than the standard 82 games for the Penguins this season, but we now know there is more hockey yet to be played with the Penguins qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs. First though, the Penguins will put a cap on the regular season with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues later this evening.
Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and ESPN.
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Pens Points…
For now, there is only one game remaining on the Penguins 2025-26 schedule, a meeting with the St. Louis Blues later this evening to wrap up the regular season. More games of course will be added, likely this weekend when the Penguins begin Stanley Cup playoff action. [Pensburgh]
Who the Penguins will play when those playoff games are added remains to be seen, but we could know by the time this post goes live with the Philadelphia Flyers just two points away from locking down the final playoff spot and guaranteeing a “Battle of Pennsylvania” meeting in the first round. [Pensburgh]
There were a bunch of regulars missing from the Penguins lineup over the course of their weekend back-to-back with the Washington Capitals. That opened the door for some depth players to get back in the lineup and make one last audition before the playoffs begin. [Pensburgh]
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For maybe the last time, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin met in an NHL game this weekend. If that was indeed the end of their two decade rivalry, then it was an absolute treat to watch all these years, and the two combatants seem to agree, the memories will last forever. [PPG]
It didn’t appear so at the time, but the moves Kyle Dubas made over the summer helped build the Penguins into the playoff team they are today. Add in a handful of other transactions he made during the season and at the draft, and you will exactly how he built the Penguins into a contender. [Sportsnet]
NHL News and Notes…
With the regular season winding down, the race for the NHL’s individual awards are also coming to a close. Nikita Kucherov is will positioned to win his first Hart Trophy and Zach Werenski could take home his first Norris while Matthew Schafer should waltz away with the Calder. [ESPN]
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Anton Forsberg has backstopped the Los Angeles Kings into a playoff spot out west with a spotless week in goal and he has been named the NHL First Star of the Week as a result. Fellow goalie Linus Ullmark has named Second Star while Dylan Larkin rounded out the trio of honorees. [NHL]
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