Well, well, well, gather ’round folks, ’cause it’s time for an update on our beloved waddling warriors, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and their latest shenanigans. First off, the Pens’ big-shot defenseman, Erik Karlsson – you know, the guy with the stick and puck wizardry – caught some kind of bug and played hooky from practice. They slapped a “questionable” sticker on him for Saturday’s throwdown with the Vegas Golden Knights. So who’s on deck? Enter one Mr. Ryan Shea, fresh from the land of the minor leaguers, ready to fill those giant skates once more.
Now, let’s rewind to the dog days of August when the Pens pulled off a trade so big, it could’ve been a summer blockbuster movie – cue the dramatic soundtrack. That’s when they snagged Karlsson in a deal that had the complexity of a three-way chess game with the San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens. Karlsson, last season’s Norris Trophy hotshot, was the first dude to crack a hundred points from the blue line since Brian Leetch partied like it was 1991 (yup, that long ago). Our new Penguin pal has been flapping between brilliant and “meh” on the ice, especially on a powerplay that’s so inconsistent it might as well be flipping a coin.
In other, less headliner-y news, there’s a glimmer of hope for John Ludvig, another Penguins patrolman of the defensive zone. After being benched by IR since January third, he’s tiptoed back onto the ice in the most fashionable of all the jerseys – the non-contact one. Although he’s only banked a lonely assist in nineteen games, the kid’s shown he’s got the guts and the gumption to play some good old-fashioned rough-and-tumble hockey.
Oh, and guess who else is on the mend? Reilly Smith. Unfortunately for all the drama seekers, there won’t be a tearful reunion on the ice with his old chums, the Golden Knights, come Saturday. Nursing some kinda upper-body owie since January eleventh, he’s still on the sidelines. But hey, he’s along for the trip to Sin City, so chances are he’ll be soaking in some of that Vegas magic off the rink.
So there you have it, the latest soap opera episodes featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins. Will Karlsson make his triumphant return? Can Ludvig and Smith shake the injury bug? Stay tuned, sports fans — same Penguin-time, same Penguin-channel.