Zbynek Michalek

The Sports Illustrated jinx is alive and well. Seven days after SI posed the question—“Who Will Stop the Penguins?”—on the cover of its April 15 issue the new-look Flyers provided the answer. Paced by Claude Giroux’s three-point effort and...

The objective in any survival situation is to adapt, adjust, and overcome. With their playoff lives on the line the victory-starved Penguins achieved all three of those goals during Game 4 on Wednesday night. Three days after the Flyers delivered a...

In all likelihood the Penguins and the Flyers will clash in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs sometime next week. If Sunday’s matinee contest at CONSOL Energy Center was a preview, the Pens could be in big trouble. After striking for tw...

In a battle of two of the NHL’s hottest teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins rode another stellar effort by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a crisp 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Entering Monday night’s contest at CONSOL Energy Center on a five...

Sometimes in hockey it’s the trades you don’t make that can best help your team. And so it was with Penguins general manager Ray Shero. As the 2012 NHL trade deadline approached he took a good, long look at his club, weighed the comparative stren...

It’s hard to imagine that a team blessed with elite players such as Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan could be on the outside of the NHL playoff picture looking in. Yet despite a recent 13-2-3 hot streak the Anaheim Ducks entered Wednesday...

Entering Tuesday night’s contest at the Bell Centre, the Penguins had a chance to accomplish something they’ve never done during their 45-year history. Namely, sweep a season series with Montreal. Too bad the Canadiens weren’t in a cooperative...

Here are my top three stories from Sunday in the NHL:   1.  Ference Banned- Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference, who has been outspoken about player safety and headshots in the past, was suspended three games yesterday for boarding New York...

Alexander Ovechkin has been suspended three games for leaving his feet to hit Pittsburgh defenseman Zbynek Michalek in Sunday’s matinee game. The incident, which occurred at the 4.03 mark of the second period in Pittsburgh 4-3 overtime victory,...

Following a typically strong start to the 2011-12 campaign, the Penguins have stumbled along at an unsightly 13-13 clip since the end of October. As the season reaches the halfway mark, the Pens suddenly find themselves in a dogfight to stay in the h...

Through the years Pittsburgh fans have become accustomed to watching Jaromir Jagr score big goals. So it was nothing new, really, to see big No. 68 find an open patch of ice and whip his patented backhander past an opposing goalie. Trouble is, the on...