And this is what a real youth movement looks like. The trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, are part of the painful process that doesn’t always end well. As part of our travel day coverage, we grabbed a shovel and dug into the Pittsburgh Penguins’ current station with a double-digit number of young players. The Penguins also shipped one of the young players back to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Elsewhere in the Daily, it seems the Toronto Maple Leafs are making some calls for top-six help and might consider a reunion with Michael Bunting. The Olympic sweaters have been unveiled. And doctors have confirmed Logan Cooley escaped serious injury after that ugly collision Saturday night.

The No Pucks Given podcast will be up this morning. It was an absolute ordeal to record. It looks like the travel mic is kaput, so I had to dig into my bag for the wired earbuds–the emergency stash. It only took three hours and about 10 attempts to get the podcast done.

But the pod was preceded by a pretty fierce dinner in Center City, Philly. I’ll tell you about exploring–I really, really wanted a Pat’s cheesesteak, but I also know that I’ve been there a dozen times. So, I went exploring in Center City. I must have grabbed the door for this inviting little dumpy bar three or four times and didn’t go in. I walked around for 20 minutes deciding what I wanted. So, I went back to the dive bar, walked in, and it was a smoking bar… nope. No way. So, I threw up my hands and went a little upscale to an Italian spot around the corner.

A Pasta Genovese–an aoli with garlic and pine nuts on ziti with a Neshiminy Creek beer. Candlelight, as per my new tradition. I guess it’s either food in a paper bag or an affordable fancy dish with candles. Barbuzzo in Center City.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Play the young players! Let them make mistakes. They have to grow. Now, those are the well-meaning and passionate responses I get quite a bit. The team hears them, too. So, with just two rookie skaters in the lineup Saturday, what gives? This is a youth movement, right? So, let’s get into what a youth movement and rookie development actually looks like for the Penguins’ future.

A couple of hours after I wrote that piece, the Penguins indeed sent one of the rookies back to WBS. Gone so soon, Tristan Broz returned to WBS.

No, I don’t necessarily get that situation, either.

Steelers Now: Oh boy. I was listening to the first half. Then I watched the second half here at the hotel. Yikes. Run defense…hello? This is a first, and it probably won’t get better. There were Fire Tomlin chants at Acrisure Stadium.

Also, head over to SteelersNow.com for all of the Steelers news and analysis. There is a LOT of it. But I agree with Steelers fans. No coach can last a decade without a playoff win, certainly not with an org whose foundation is synonymous with trophies. If the Steelers lose to Baltimore, it’s going to get ugly. And it probably should.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

NHL.com: Let’s start with the Olympic sweater reveals. Canada and Finland have only put out cropped pictures, but I think a black Maple Leaf is going to look pretty ominous–thus, cool. And the USA is going straight up traditional.

I own one sports jersey or t-shirt. One. It’s a signed Mark Johnson Team USA sweater, and you’d best believe I’ll be wearing it for the gold medal game. USA! USA!

Detroit Hockey Now: Bob Duff has been on a roll this week. I mean, he’s been turning out some A+ stories. And after 30 years on the beat, he’s plugged in, too. His latest is simple enough: What We’ve Been Hearing, Latest Red Wings News and Rumors.

NHLTraderumors.me: I’ll chide the aggregator for not linking back to the source, so I’m not sure if Elliotte Friedman said this on 32 Thoughts or a radio hit, but it appears the TML are sniffing around Michael Bunting for some top-six winger help.

Sportsnet: I don’t know if you’ve seen this kid’s interviews, but he’s the hockey version of Space Man. Part nihilist, part Buddha, Devon Cooley has been a revelation and a much-needed piece for the Calgary Flames this season.

To the Pittsburgh kid, Logan Cooley. He had a scary knee-on-knee collision Saturday, and it looked like bad news. However, Sunday came, and the news was good. Cooley only suffered a contusion.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Very simply, Quinn Hughes holds all the cards. That’s the words from the rumor mill as the trade rumors percolate around Hughes and the New Jersey Devils.

Boston Hockey Now: Ouch. Mark Kastellic pushed the button on Moritz Seider. The pair scrapped in the corner, and the end was … obvious. Check out the rock ’em sock ’em fight between Seider and the Boston Bruins’ tough guy.

I asked the hotel clerk where the nearest Sepsis station was. He looked at me, puzzled.

“Oh, you mean Septa?”

I said, “No, I’ve been on the Philly metro before. I mean Sepsis.”

Hehe. Have fun.

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