Pittsburg, PA

Erik Karlsson’s uncertain summer is over. The defenseman is eager to get to work with the Penguins

Published

1 year ago

August 9, 2023

Erik Karlsson’s uncertain summer is over. The defenseman is eager to get to work with the Penguins

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins have been where Erik Karlsson is trying to go. Sometimes at Karlsson’s expense.

The superstar defenseman was sitting on the bench when Chris Kunitz’s knuckler found its way back into the back of the Ottawa net in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference finals.

The Penguins spilled onto the PPG Paints Arena ice bathed in joy on their way to capturing the franchise’s fifth Stanley Cup.

Six years later, Pittsburgh believes its championship window remains open. Six years later, Karlsson is still waiting for the chance to hold the Cup over his head in triumph.

So while Karlsson insists he didn’t have a “preferred destination” as the rebuilding San Jose Sharks explored trade opportunities for the dynamic defenseman, something about joining the Penguins seemed right.

Pittsburgh’s roster is littered with veterans eyeing one last push. Maybe two. Karlsson knows he has more hockey behind him than in front of him.

No wonder the smile on the 33-year-old seven-time All-Star’s face was so wide when he was introduced on Wednesday, three days after the Penguins acquired him in a blockbuster three-team deal. He’s finally caught the team he’s spent much of his career chasing.

“The players that they’ve had here for a long time are still really good players,” Karlsson said. “I’m really excited to step into that group and learn a lot of things and also at the same time, hopefully bring some new things and help them become even better.”

Pittsburgh is banking on it. The Penguins haven’t won a playoff series in five years and failed to reach the postseason this spring for the first time since 2006. First-year general manager/president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has spent his first few months on the job retooling the roster around Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Karlsson is his biggest catch.

Playing with a joy he admits had been missing in recent years, Karlsson posted career highs in goals (25) and points (101) points on his way to his third Norris Trophy.

“I just feel like I’m in a really good spot in my life right now,” Karlsson said. “I had a lot of fun playing hockey last year and coming to the rink every day, even though it wasn’t under the easiest of circumstances and we didn’t win very many games.”

Last season also marked the first he played in San Jose without Brent Burns, who was traded in the summer of 2022. Karlsson downplayed the idea he and Burns’ relationship became “strained” during their four seasons together with the Sharks.

“We’re actually pretty good friends personally,” Karlsson said. “I just think that when you don’t do well as a team collectively, things don’t tend to work out for anyone. And it didn’t for a long time. It’s just unfortunate that it played out that way.”

Karlsson now finds himself on the roster with another smooth-skating, offensive-minded defenseman in Letang. Both players like to have the puck on their stick. Both are capable of logging massive amounts of minutes. Both can capably quarterback the power play.

Letang signed off on Karlsson’s acquisition, telling Dubas “whatever’s going to make us better and help us win.”

Karlsson certainly gives Pittsburgh more firepower. And he’s not concerned about any potential conflict with Letang over who does what.

“At the end of the day, we’re all trying to do the same thing, which is win hockey games and win a (Stanley) Cup,” Karlsson said. “If we’re all pulling the same rope, I don’t think it’ll matter how it all plays out.”

Karlsson and Ryan Graves — signed to a six-year deal in July — are part of a reconfigured blue line that Pittsburgh hopes will help it return to the kind of north-south speed game that helped the club win consecutive titles in 2016 and 2017. Coach Mike Sullivan won’t have to tell Karlsson twice to get the puck and get it up the ice. It’s something Karlsson does as well as anyone in the game.

“I like playing with the puck,” he said. “That’s how we started off playing the game and that’s how I’m hoping I get to play the game for the rest of my career.”

A career that Karlsson insists has a lot of juice left even as he enters his 15th season. He averaged 25:37 of ice time while playing all 82 games last season. Sullivan will likely tinker with finding a partner for Karlsson when training camp opens in September, with Graves or Marcus Pettersson the obvious candidates.

Those things can be figured out later. For now, Karlsson is simply happy that a process that ate up most of the summer is over. No more trying to read the tea leaves to figure out where he’ll be playing this winter.

“I’m happy that it worked out at the end.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Source link

Click to comment

Pittsburg, PA

E. Faye Williams: Is misleading different from lying? | New Pittsburgh Courier

Published

57 mins ago

September 29, 2024

Press Room

E. Faye Williams: Is misleading different from lying? | New Pittsburgh Courier

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—I’ve always thought there might be a difference in misleading and lying, but JD Vance has acknowledged that he was lying about Haitian Immigrants when he admitted the story about Haitian Immigrants was intentional knowing it was not true! Even when one of his constituents came apologized to her neighbors about their taking her cat and presumably had a meal with it. Even though she found her cat in her basement, apologized and admitted she was mistaken, that was not good enough for JD or his boss,

Such despicable behavior from two men who want people to vote for them! They want those children whose school they interrupted and put fear in not only the children, but also their parents, the city and state officials! I thought about my 6-year-old nephew who just spent his first few days in first grade. He has been so excited about leaving pre-K and K and moving up to first grade! To have his school so interrupted so quickly would have been devastating.

It’s very challenging for some of the little ones to leave home, spend the day away from their Mom, and as soon as they find out school is not so bad while making new friends, they are told that school is a scary place! Their parents have to admit to them there may be bad people on the way or around the school who want to hurt them!

Do grown men who do that to children deserve to be on a ballot with the possibility of becoming what may be called leaders?

We must admit a lot of candidates running for office that we really do have despicable people masquerading as leaders but are only a disgrace to the America they claim to love more than the rest of us who work so hard to be mentors and examples of good behavior. I am talking about their parents, grandparents, their teachers and others.

I can understand why so many young people are confused about what is good and what is bad!

Do you remember when we were taught the 10 commandments? The Golden Rule? To say Yes Mam and No Mam; Yes, Sir and No, Sir? Please and thank you? You remember when truth mattered and it was less likely to be punished if we did or said something we shouldn’t have, to tell the truth?

Everything about the good old days was not good for everybody, but we had the hope of making things better—not only for ourselves, but for everybody. We were even admonished about throwing away good food by being asked if we knew about all the starving children in China who didn’t have food? We didn’t know the number—and our parents didn’t either, but the question taught us to be thoughtful before we threw away something others might need!

At one time, adults were expected to be good examples for children—but so many are failing miserably now. As we approach November 5th, Voting Day, have you noticed how many Republicans are bad examples? Thankfully, there are a few of them who are truth-tellers, and are not afraid to break the pattern and do the right thing.

JD Vance, Donald Trump, Mark Robinson, Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Josh Hawley, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz aren’t ready to break the chain!

Those who are doing better are the Cheneys, lots of former Trump staffers, Adam Kinzinger, Michael Steele, Nicole Wallace, Military Generals, 200 former President George W. Bush’s staff, Black Republicans for Harris and a growing number of others who want to make things better for all of us.

One way to do that is to VOTE as if you really mean to make things better on November 5th!

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the Dick Gregory Society.)

About Post Author

Source link

Pittsburg, PA

N.J. woman, Pittsburgh man charged after chaotic car meetups in Philly

Published

10 hours ago

September 29, 2024

Press Room

N.J. woman, Pittsburgh man charged after chaotic car meetups in Philly

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

A woman from New Jersey and a man from Pittsburgh are the latest people to be charged after the chaotic car meetups in Philadelphia last weekend.

Alexis Boyce, 20, from Englishtown, New Jersey, surrendered to Philly police Friday morning.

Police say her vehicle, a Dodge Challenger, was recovered.

Boyce is charged with causing/risking a catastrophe, riot, fleeing a police officer and related offenses.

Albert Woynar, 18, was arrested in his hometown of Pittsburgh by the Pennsylvania State Police on Friday.

He has been transported to Philadelphia.

Woynar is also charged with causing/risking a catastrophe, riot and fleeing a police officer. He’s also charged with aggravated assault.

The chaos unfolded between 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 and lasted until just after 4:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22.

Source link

Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts odds, expert picks, how to watch: Steelers narrowly favored on the road

Published

18 hours ago

September 29, 2024

Press Room

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts odds, expert picks, how to watch: Steelers narrowly favored on the road

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has not yet made Justin Fields the team’s official starting quarterback, but he is still in line to start a fourth consecutive game to open the season when they play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon. The Steelers, with a 3-0 start, are a small road favorite against the 1-2 Colts, who are coming off their first win of the season.

The Steelers’ Week 3 win against the Los Angeles Chargers seemed like a big development for Fields as he had by far his best passing day of the season, leading four scoring drives (including two touchdown drives) in another win. If he is able to guide Pittsburgh to a win on Sunday with another strong performance it would be difficult to imagine Russell Wilson getting the starting job back anytime soon.

It could be a promising offensive matchup for the Steelers, given their desire to run the ball and the Colts’ struggles in stopping the run at times early this season. But Pittsburgh is dealing with some injuries in the ground game, as starting left guard Isaac Seumalo is still working his way back from injury while running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are both dealing with injuries. Harris is expected to play but was seen with a sling on his arm earlier in the week.

This is also going to be a massive test for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, going up against a Steelers defense with a relentless pass rush that is allowing just 8.6 points per game through the first three weeks. Richardson has been a very boom-or-bust player early in his career. While he’s struggling with turnovers, he’s also making some of the most jaw-dropping throws you can imagine from a quarterback. There will be big-play opportunities in both directions here.

Mike Tomlin is only 32-40-3 against the spread as a road favorite in his head coaching career (going back to the start of the 2007 season), but he is 4-1 in such games since the start of the 2022 season.

All odds from BetMGM. Looking for NFL tickets? Find them here.

The Pulse Newsletter

Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox.