Penguins Need a Switch, Believe They Can Recover
Welcome to the THW Pittsburgh Penguins Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Penguins writers.
Today we discuss the Penguins’ need to switch up their system, that they believe they can recover from their slow start, and, as a plate cleanser following Monday’s (Oct. 30) loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a reminder that the Penguins are well represented among the NHL’s best decade by decade.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Penguins Need to Switch Up Their System
October 30, 2023 by Sylvie McCarthy
After losing three games in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 on Thursday, Oct. 26. The Avalanche came into the game undefeated and were favored to win. Despite all the changes the Penguins made over the summer, they have been struggling so far this season to find their footing. With the league constantly changing, it is vital that teams tweak their system to stay competitive which is something Pittsburgh has not done. However, they switched up their strategy against Colorado and it paid off. That is why this game needs to be the blueprint for the rest of the season.
Penguins Believe They Can Recover from Slow Start
October 30, 2023 by Ben Wagner
When the Pittsburgh Penguins lured Kyle Dubas away from the Toronto Maple Leafs, they had likely found the managerial piece they needed to recover from last season’s relative disaster. The new Penguins’ president of hockey ops brought in a host of new faces to revitalize the team after narrowly missing the postseason for the first time in nearly two decades. Lars Eller, Vinnie Hinostroza, Matt Nieto, and Noel Acciari followed Dubas to Pittsburgh with the hopes of increasing the balance of scoring down the lineup.
Defending Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson arrived via trade soon after and has continued to be the sparkplug he was for the San Jose Sharks last season. Despite all the hype, it hasn’t quite translated to success early in 2023-24. At 3-4 on the young season, the team’s record hasn’t met expectations. Dubas addressed the Penguins’ early-season struggles in a press conference on Oct. 25.
The Best NHL Players of All-Time, by Decade
September 30, 2023 by THW Archives
The National Hockey League was founded on November 26, 1917. Over the league’s 100 years, countless players have left indelible marks on the game. Names like Morenz, Shore, Richard, Howe, Beliveau, Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux are uttered in hockey circles with the utmost reverence. If one were to ask multiple generations who the best NHL players were, one would receive multiple answers.
Attempting to compare, contrast and list the greats across multiple decades is a near-impossible (and extremely subjective) endeavor. In an attempt to at least minimize the subjectivity while also giving each legend their proper respect for the time in which they played, the following list will be broken down decade-by-decade, all the way back through the NHL’s first full decade (1920s). The five best players will be mentioned for each, the “best” will be identified, and honorable mention will be bestowed upon the greats who didn’t quite crack the top five.
Buckle up.