Pittsburg, PA
Penguins Finish Season Strong, But Fall Short of Playoffs | Pittsburgh Penguins
On the morning of March 24, Pittsburgh sat at 24th in the NHL standings and 13th in the Eastern Conference, nine points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and with just a 1.7% percent chance of making the postseason.
The Penguins then dragged themselves back into the fight, picking up points in 11 of their last 12 games to get themselves back in contention. While they got eliminated the night before playing Game 82, that stretch said a lot about them “as people, first and foremost, but also as hockey players,” Penguins Head Coach Mike Sullivan said.
“So, I couldn’t be more proud of the group with what we’ve been able to accomplish here over the last month or so. Obviously, we’re disappointed that we didn’t put ourselves in a better position leading up to that. But certainly, the response speaks volumes.”
Bryan Rust said guys just came together and buckled down after the dust settled from the March 8 deadline that saw the Penguins be sellers for the first time in recent memory, sending Jake Guentzel to Carolina. Sidney Crosby said that the whole group showed a lot of character, and “that every single guy stepped up and had a part in us still being in it.”
Alex Nedeljkovic was a fantastic story, getting 13 straight starts in goal and firmly re-establishing himself at the NHL level after a couple of bumpy seasons in Detroit. Evgeni Malkin turned it up, scoring seven times in that stretch. Rust, “a Pittsburgh Penguin born and bred,” as Sullivan likes to say, left it all on the ice like always. Drew O’Connor took huge steps in his development, stringing together two three-game goal streaks. Rookies Jack St. Ivany and Ryan Shea earned the trust of the coaching staff as a third defensive pairing. The list goes on.
However, the captain was the biggest factor behind the team’s 8-1-3 run.
“Both on the ice and off the ice, you could see he was just so driven,” Rust said. “The way he just handles himself, the way he plays, how hard he plays, how hard he prepares – it’s something that has been unbelievable to watch over the last, what, 10 years that I’ve been here? But especially over the last month.”
His numbers this season at age 36 are remarkable without context, scoring 42 goals – the third-highest total of his 19-year career – and 94 points. But Crosby truly took it to another level in the last few weeks of the year, with his 24 points since March 24 ranking first in the NHL, and simply playing inspiring hockey.
It’s unfortunate we won’t get to see that dominance continue when the stakes are highest, especially because “I think once you get to playoffs, anything can happen,” Crosby said. “I feel like we were trending the right way, we were one of the hottest teams in the league late, and don’t have much to show for it right now. But hopefully, that’s something we can build off of.
“There are lots of teams who want to win the Stanley Cup. I mean, that’s what I play for and I think that’s what we all believe, (that) if you get in, anything can happen. We felt like we were playing good at the right time, but yeah, there’s a lot to go through.”
While the Penguins felt like they were capable of being a playoff team, they ultimately fell short in a season that had so much promise after a thrilling first offseason with Kyle Dubas, highlighted by the addition of Erik Karlsson.
While there are positives to draw from the strong finish, as Crosby said, the entire campaign has to be taken into account when trying to understand why Pittsburgh missed the postseason for a second consecutive year after putting together a 16-year playoff streak, the longest active run in all of the major North American professional sports leagues.
“When you’re talking about one or two points, there’s a lot of different games or instances you look at,” Crosby said. “So, it’s hard to turn one or two points and magnify that into what the reason is necessarily, but there’s probably different things. I think the obvious one is just multiple games where we had leads, and we ended up not even getting points in some of those.”
Lars Eller said game management and the wrong decisions at the wrong time are some of the reasons for not closing out games – particularly in the first half – where the Penguins had leads and were the better team. They also struggled on the power play, finishing 31st in the league.
There’s a lot of work to be done in those areas and others, which will be addressed by Dubas and his staff. But knowing that the core – particularly the Big Three of Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang, will be back to lead this team – should inspire some confidence through the coming months.
“I just think this is a core group of players that have been one of the most accomplished groups in the history of the game,” Sullivan said. “Watching them compete the way I’ve watched them compete, year in and year out, gives me unwavering belief in them. Just their drive and their will to win, they were a huge part of dragging us back into the fight.
“I just think those experiences, they have an influence on my belief in them. I think they’re still (at an) elite level (of) play. Sid’s had a remarkable season. Tanger’s had a pretty strong season. I think Geno’s really played well down the stretch. So, I just believe in this group. Always have.”
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a strong showing so far in the Grapefruit League, but suffered a surprising defeat.
The Pirates lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., taking just their third defeat in Spring Training so far, dropping to 9-3 in the Grapefruit League.
Pittsburgh saw their five-game winning streak come to an end, but they are still level with the New York Yankees at the top of the Grapefruit League standings.
This game also came after the first off day for the Pirates on March 4 and a 7-1 win over Team Colombia in an exhibition at LECOM Park on March 3.
How the Pirates Fell to the Cardinals
Pirates right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller made his third start in the Grapefruit League and threw three scoreless innings, before giving up a solo home run to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman on a slider down in the zone, putting the road team up 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning.
That represented the first run that Keller gave up all Spring Training and Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Derek Diamond came in for him after he gave up a single to Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker.
Keller has just a 1.23 ERA over 7.1 innings for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League, a good start for the veteran on the starting rotation.
St. Louis loaded the bases against Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk in the top of the fifth inning with three walks, but Sisk struckout top prospect in shortstop JJ Wetherholt and forced Gorman into a double play to keep it a one-run game.
Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski gave up a run in the top of the sixth inning, as he walked second baseman Ramón Urías, who stole second base, then gave up a single to catcher Pedro Pagés, doubling the Cardinals’ lead at 2-0.
The Pirates tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, as shortstop Alika Williams hit a two-run home run off of Cardinals left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews.
Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, hitting leadoff batter Joshua Baez with a pitch and then giving up a single to pinch-hitter Jimmy Crooks to make it 3-2.
Right fielder Ryan O’Hearn had a strong showing for the Pirates in the loss to the Cardinals with two hits in two at-bats. He is now slashing .462/.563/.769 for an OPS of 1.332 in six Grapefruit League games.
Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia had a hit off the bench for the Pirates, as he is now slashing .533/.611/.733 for an OPS of 1.344 in seven games.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!
Pittsburg, PA
As his polarizing Pitt career winds down, a banged-up Cam Corhen has saved his best for last
Along with the best football prospects the season has to offer, the NFL Draft promises to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Pittsburgh from April 23 to 25.
If the turnout approaches that of Detroit in 2023, those descending on the North Shore and Downtown could reach 700,000 over the three days. For reference, that’s more than 10 times Acrisure Stadium’s 68,400 seats, and more than double the city’s roughly 308,000 residents.
Where will they stay? How will they get around?
Event planners at VisitPittsburgh say the city is up to the task.
“They picked us out of several cities because we have the infrastructure,” said Perry Ivery, general manager of the Oaklander Hotel and board chair of VisitPittsburgh.
Last year, Wisconsin’s Green Bay comfortably accommodated a unique visitor count three times its 106,000 population, according to residents and local leaders.
Rooms Enough?
Ivery said there are some 26,000 hotel rooms across the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, the bulk of which are concentrated in and around Downtown.
Even if each room holds two to four people, the total still appears to fall short. But Ivery said many attendees will be locals, whether from Pittsburgh, surrounding counties or neighboring states within a day’s drive.
Plus, a high proportion of out-of-town guests could have Pittsburgh roots and a free bed to claim in a family home, he added.
There are also around 3,500 units available for short-term rental in and around Pittsburgh through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
“We’re all working together to make sure everybody has a great hospitality experience in the City of Pittsburgh,” Ivery said.
Infrastructure from roads to parking, and bus and light rail routes, will also feel the strain.
Strain on the Train?
Pittsburgh Regional Transit normally services around 100,000 riders on an average weekday, across its entire network. Spokesperson Adam Brandolph said the agency is prepared for the transit demands of what’s expected to be the biggest event the city has hosted.
“We’re confident that we’ll be able to meet the needs of visitors to the draft as well as daily riders,” he said, noting “no major closures or detours” are planned for the event other than the University Line project, which may see less construction during that week.
Brandolph said the agency is finalizing plans and intends to make more information public soon.
A spokesperson for VisitPittsburgh said a local committee is working with a range of stakeholders including transportation agencies, engineering partners and local government “to deliver a coordinated and comprehensive plan for the region.”
“This includes collaboration with public transit agencies on adjusted service plans, clearly marked detour routes, designated rideshare zones and proactive communication with residents, businesses and commuters,” said Alex Kenzakoski, communications director for VisitPittsburgh.
“Our shared goal is to minimize disruption, keep the region moving and make travel as predictable and seamless as possible for both fans and locals.”
Kenzakoski said details on road closures, transit adjustments and travel guidance will be made known ahead of the draft, and encouraged fans to download the NFL OnePass app for transportation information and updates.
Ivery said a successful draft week execution could line Pittsburgh up for future hosting prospects.
“There’re going to be folks that come in that have never been to Pittsburgh … This is a case to showcase our town, and our hotels,” he said.
“We’re friendly, we have grit, we’re very excited to showcase that we can do large-scale activities.”
This story first appeared in Pittsburgh’s Public Source. Read the original here.
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