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Musings: Penguins Win Streak Snapped Against Senators | Pittsburgh Penguins

Published

1 week ago

February 3, 2026

Musings: Penguins Win Streak Snapped Against Senators | Pittsburgh Penguins

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins saw their six-game winning streak snapped in their final home game before the Olympic break, falling 3-2 to the Ottawa Senators.

“What we had today wasn’t much, and we still hung in there all the way to the end,” Erik Karlsson said. “It’s obviously never fun losing, but I don’t think that we deserved to win this one, even though we were hoping that we could hang in there a little bit to the end and at least get into overtime.”

Even though the Penguins were able to score first, off a pass from Evgeni Malkin to Egor Chinakhov, the Senators controlled the majority of the play. It was goaltender Arturs Silovs who kept his team in it, making several quality saves in the first period.

“I think him and [Skinner] have been standing on their head every night for us and tonight, unfortunately, Artie was forced into that,” Blake Lizotte said. “He did a great job and deserved better from us out in front of him.”

Throughout the first 40 minutes of play, the score was only 1-1 while the Penguins got outshot 22-10 in the process. While the team has been playing incredible hockey since the holiday break, going 13-2-2 in the process, tonight the team struggled to sustain possession and get into the offensive zone.

“I don’t think that we played the game that we have been for the past six weeks,” Karlsson said. “This was probably one of the very few games where we couldn’t seem to figure out how we wanted to play. I don’t think anyone in here, myself included, feels very good about how we started.”

The team also found themselves short-handed a lot throughout the first two periods when they took four straight penalties.

“It’s just too many penalties,” Lizotte said. “It takes guys out of the game. But from a team perspective, that’s disappointing to take that many. But from a PK perspective, really proud of the way the guys battled tonight, even though we didn’t have our best stuff.”

In the third period, Ottawa was able to get their first lead of the game after Tim Stutzle buried the rebound after Drake Batherson’s breakaway opportunity.

Just two minutes later, the Penguins were able to fight and tie the game after Ryan Shea’s shot from the boards snuck past Linus Ullmark, and Novak was there to get his tenth goal of the season.

“I think when you come out flat for two periods and you’re still in the game, you have a chance to win,” Lizotte said on the team’s effort in the third period. “I think there was a little bit of juice there, but overall, you’re not going to win many hockey games playing like that over 60 minutes.”

With just over five-minutes left in regulation, Claude Giroux found himself on a partial breakaway. Silovs stopped the initial shot, but the contact from Karlsson had Giroux crash into the net, which led the puck to cross the goal line.

Head Coach Dan Muse challenged the call for goaltender interference, but after further review, the referees ruled it a goal.

“He came in, I stopped the puck. He goes like 25 miles (per hour) going down,” Silovs said. “What (do) they expect me to do? I would understand if it would go straight away in. Then, I would agree with the call. But it’s a second effort. I don’t really agree with the call.”

Down by one, the Penguins pulled Silovs and tried to tie the game, but couldn’t break the Senators’ defense to beat Ullmark before time ultimately ran out.

The team will have a quick turnaround before traveling to New York to face the Islanders on Tuesday.

“This was not the brand of hockey that we’ve been accustomed to playing,” Karlsson said. “Gotta wash this one away. We know we’re a much better hockey team. We got a big game again tomorrow, and I think everybody’s already looking forward to turning the page.

More from Muse on Monday’s performance against Ottawa:

How did you see the sequence unfold on the game-winning goal? What was the explanation that you received?: I didn’t get an explanation. I saw it as they called a slash, he makes the save, and is run into, no chance at all. There’s nothing else that he can do there. I felt like that was one we could challenge. That’s why I challenged it. I don’t have any explanation.

Was tonight’s game just a flat performance? Is there anything that you can put your finger on?: It was flat, it was execution, races, battles. I think [Silovs] had a really strong game, and our penalty kill did a good job. Outside of that, I don’t think there’s much else I’m walking away here liking.

Is there a way to handle the systems and structure that Ottawa had tonight?: No, we’ve seen it this year. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen it. I do think we can be better. I think there’s been games where we have been better. I don’t think this is going to be like saved all the time. I thought it wasn’t it tonight. You look at the missed opportunities, starting with just our execution coming out of our zone. The first couple of shifts, there’s plays to be made. We’re not making them, or the support is not there. I thought as you got to the end of it, especially the back half of the first and throughout most of the rest of the game, it was just kind of playing into the game that they want to play. And I think we’ve also shown enough throughout the course of the year that we can generate off the forecheck. We can get into the offensive zone. We don’t have to force it early on, and we can generate that way. We weren’t doing that tonight. And so now we spent, it felt like the great, great, great majority of the game either defending or without the puck. And you don’t want to play that game. And so, I mean, that’s a credit to them. They work hard, they check hard, and they’re playing well. But at the same time, I thought a lot of this, we got to look in the mirror tonight in terms of the game that we played. And the only reason that this was a close game was just because of Artie.

With the huge game tomorrow against the Islanders, was tonight a wake-up call for the team?: Because it’s a quick turnaround, like, it’s nice that we get to play tomorrow night, but we also can’t just say that this didn’t happen. Like, we have to be better than this. For me, it’s so far off the mark from where we’ve been playing and where we’re working to get to. And so, it’s an opportunity tomorrow to show ourselves that there’s a much better game that we have the ability to play than that.

You’ve had a couple of challenges this year that haven’t gone your way around the net. Does the league explain what is or isn’t goaltender interference?: Yeah, I think a lot of it also is that there are a lot of factors that are at play. We get all of them. We get the explanations. So, I mean, I would challenge that one again.

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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Steelers Trade D.K. Metcalf To The Las Vegas Raiders In Massive NFL Trade Proposal

Published

5 hours ago

February 10, 2026

Press Room

Pittsburgh Steelers Trade D.K. Metcalf To The Las Vegas Raiders In Massive NFL Trade Proposal

The Pittsburgh Steelers just hired Mike McCarthy to become their next head coach, and he will be tasked with either elevating the culture past their playoff struggles or starting the rebuild process.

It is unlikely McCarthy is the future for the Steelers, as his experience mirrors that of Mike Tomlin, and McCarthy is 62 years old.

The Steelers have had only three head coaches since 1969 until McCarthy was hired as their fourth. The fifth will likely happen sooner rather than later. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has stated that he believes the Steelers should not draft a quarterback for a while.

They should either run it back with Aaron Rodgers or move on to Will Howard and build the team first, then find the quarterback.

That is why the Pittsburgh Steelers will trade D.K. Metcalf to the Las Vegas Raiders to start their process of building an elite team first.

Why The Las Vegas Raiders Should Trade For D.K. Metcalf

Metcalf entered the NFL back in 2019 with the Seattle Seahawks and looked like he was going to become the next big dominant wide receiver.

A physical freak of nature with elite straight-line speed, Metcalf’s ability was easily showcased in just his first few games in the league. He is an above-average wide receiver in the league; however, he has yet to pan out into the top 10 receiver many thought he would become.

Metcalf’s 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers was statistically the worst in his career, but he still had better numbers than many other receivers put up.

The Steelers should move on from the 28-year-old wide receiver and look to return draft assets for the future. The quarterback of the future is not set in Pittsburgh, and they should look to the future, not 2026.

The Las Vegas Raiders have the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, and Fernando Mendoza is sure to be selected. The rookie quarterback will need as much talent around him to have early success in the NFL to build off of. The Raiders have the right end and running back, but lack in the wide receiver room.

Pairing Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and D.K Metcalf together to help Mendoza get comfortable would instantly give the offense a much-needed jolt of energy.

If you also factor in speedster wideout Tre Tucker, the Raiders offense could be cooking under new head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders need to add as much as they can via the draft, free agency, and trades to help Mendoza succeed right from the get-go.

What Would a Trade Package Look Like?

The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired D.K. Metcalf last March for a 2nd round pick, a seventh-round pick swap, and a sixth-round pick swap. The Steelers were doing their best to go “all-in” with Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season and were able to win the AFC North and make it to the playoffs. However, their playoff performance proved they did not belong.

The Steelers are unlikely to get back what they gave up for him, but it could be close. The Steelers should seek a third-round pick and the same sixth and seventh round swaps as they did before.

That 2026 third-round pick will be highly valuable, as it will be the 67th overall. There would be no harm in asking for a second, but with pick 36 overall, the Raiders should look to retain it.

The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of great pieces and are about to get their future starting quarterback. They must give him a big-time target to throw to, along with a capable offensive line.

The easiest way to give Fernando Mendoza a legit number one guy right away to throw to is to trade for D.K. Metcalf.

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7 churches within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh to close in March

Published

17 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Press Room

7 churches within the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh to close in March

Seven churches in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will close next month.

These closures will impact Catholics in places like Swissvale, Turtle Creek, and Braddock, with churches in the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, leaving St. Maurice Church in Forest Hills as the only one of those churches remaining.

The announcement came just minutes into Sunday’s mass at St. Maurice as it was streamed online.

Good Shepherd Church, Madonna del Castello Church, Sacred Heart Church, St. Anselm Church, St. Colman Church, St. John Fisher Church, and St. Jude the Apostle Church are all slated to close on March 12.

KDKA-TV’s Shelley Bortz first reported on the potential for closures last October. The parish said financial struggles and declining attendance were part of the problem.

“We’ve been expecting this, unfortunately, due to many things: population decrease, coming to church, and not enough priests. So, we have those issues that we’ve been dealing with,” Sandi Hartman, a parishioner, said to KDKA-TV at the time.

Those sentiments were echoed on the altar on Sunday.

The letter read to the congregation came from Bishop Mark Eckman. He said in it that he recognizes the news brings a time of big changes, along with a sense of loss, too.

Eckman wrote that the parish’s mission remains unchanged and that the move will better resource the parish.

In the meantime, the church plans to take time to honor the churches that will be closing, as said on its livestream on Sunday.

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Former Steelers WR Wins Super Bowl With Seahawks

Published

1 day ago

February 9, 2026

Press Room

Former Steelers WR Wins Super Bowl With Seahawks

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers hold one of the more interesting streaks in the NFL, as they continue to find themselves having former players take home the Lombardi Trophy by becoming Super Bowl champions.

With the Seattle Seahawks win in Super Bowl LX, another former member of the Steelers organization will receive a ring and hoist the Lombardi Trophy to end a season.

Cody White spent a stint in the black and gold from the 2020 season to the 2022 season. Now, he’s a Super Bowl champion with the Seahawks. White is currently on Injured Reserve with a groin injury.

White’s Time With Steelers

White was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, before getting waived during that offseason. He would then join the New York Giants for six days and the Denver Broncos for two weeks during the same offseason before signing to the Steelers practice squad in September of 2020.

White spent three seasons with the Steelers, making his NFL debut with the team in 2021, catching two passes for 17 yards in a 24-10 loss. He would spent two more seasons with the team before getting released by the Steelers organization with a hamstring injury.

White spent the 2023 and 2024 season with current Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, helping Metcalf grow as White was a member of the team’s practice squad.

White’s Launch After Pittsburgh

The majority of White’s playing time in the NFL prior to his signing with the Seahawks had been as a gunner on special teams, but he stepped up in 2024 when Metcalf went down with an injury before Week 9’s game. This season, White featured as one of the team’s more consistent receiving options until an injury in Week 17 put him on season ending injured reserve ahead of the team’s Week 18 matchup.

Aug 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cody White (82) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In 2025, White was able to accumulate 90 yards on three receptions across ten games. He also notched his first NFL regular season touchdown, doing so on a 60-yard reception against the Washington Commanders during Week 9.

White was also responsible for four kick returns during the 2025 season, accounting for 106 return yards. As a gunner on return plays on special teams defense, White accounted for 7 total tackles in 2025.

White comes from an NFL family, as his father, Sheldon White, has been the Steelers director of pro scouting since 2022, and also was a defensive back for three teams across eight seasons in the National Football League.

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