DALLAS — While I investigate who shot JR, for real and not what the mainstream history writers of TV Guide want you to believe, the Pittsburgh Penguins put forth a solid effort without Evgeni Malkin and took one of the NHL’s best to the mat. They should have won, and they knew it. We’ve got full analysis and no more 1980s TV references. We’ve also got Sidney Crosby’s opinions on the Olympic rink and the fun he’s having with Ben Kindel.

Elsewhere in the Daily, the LA Kings may cash in on center Philip Danault, putting him on the NHL trade block. There was a bunk report about the Penguins sending players to the World Juniors, and we’ve got real reports of conversations that could lead to an absolute blockbuster trade for the New Jersey Devils.

I must confess, of all of the cities we go to, I have the least feel for Dallas. It doesn’t feel like much of a city, yet it’s massive. I had Mac & Cheese with three straight meals while eating at some of the most hyped BBQ spots in this sprawled metropolis, and if you ask me in a week where I ate, I’ll not remember the names of any of them.

I finally solved the hotel situation, though my ice-cold shower Saturday morning was less than pleasant (the shower knob made the water colder as you turned it to hot, but not all the way to hot, where it got lukewarm, but if you turned it toward cold, the water was scalding. The front desk lady admitted I got the room with all of the problems, but also the biggest and most convenient room.

I mean, it did have a leather recliner, from which I kicked back and watched most of the Steelers game.

On the plus side, the Dallas Stars continue to treat visiting media better than any barn in the league. Bar none. They’ve got credentials waiting with monogrammed pens and notebooks for us, and they don’t charge visitors for the media meal. It’s the little things. God bless Texas.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: First, the trade chatter got a little warm Saturday night. The Edmonton Oilers are indeed interested in Tristan Jarry, but pulling off any deal will be complicated, if not impossible. Elliotte Friedman had the Penguins trade talk.

Sidney Crosby and Ben Kindel, and others were on the ice for more than 90 minutes after practice, simply having fun. We dug into his opinions on Kindel (and him) just being a kid. And Crosby doesn’t care if the Olympic rink is three feet too short, as long as he gets to play. Pick a frozen lake, pick a parking lot, he’s ready to lead Team Canada.

I asked Dan Muse on Saturday if Evgeni Malkin would be available Sunday. He sort of shrugged and said it was just a maintenance day (Saturday). Malkin didn’t play Sunday, and the Penguins made a flurry of activations and recalls, and demotions, one of which is a little confusing — The Penguins news.

OK, if you want the goal scorers and the small details of yet another 3-2 shootout loss, start here with the Penguins recap.

And then finish up with the full-blown report card, where we brush past the small details in favor of the big stuff. The tactical game, the coaching decisions, the rough performances, but also the handful of players who earned high marks in the Penguins’ report card.

OK, the Steelers eeked out a controversial win over Baltimore. They didn’t deserve it. How many steps must a receiver walk down before you can call a touchdown? Yikes. We’ve got a dozen stories of locker room and game analysis, and full Steelers reporting.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

New Jersey Hockey Now: It has been discussed. Repeat. THE deal involving the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils for Quinn Hughes has been discussed. The Devils trade talk is a doozy.

X.com: Frank Seravalli reports it’s time for a change of scenery, and the LA Kings have a trade chip–Philip Danault, who a few teams have already called about.

Sources: Trade chatter is picking up around #LAKings center Phil Danault. Multiple teams have inquired with LA on his availability, Danault has emerged as a target amid thin center market.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 6, 2025

Nope: I’m not going to print the bunk report here. Suffice it to write, it spread quickly across the interwebs that the Penguins would loan Ben Kindel to Team Canada for the World Juniors. I can assure you, with full knowledge and confidence, that it was another bad report.

Hey, I had a few reports go bad on me earlier in my writing career, but I also wised up and realized bad sources. Unfortunately, the new crop of “analysts” doesn’t have to worry about credentials or editors. The internet reporters who don’t cover games or teams don’t have that responsibility to others or checks and balances.

TSN: Perhaps it behooves us to pay attention to the Edmonton Oilers for a few moments. As the CP reports, the Oilers are beginning to emerge from their early-season slide and are actually starting to play some pretty good hockey.

I wish I could find the source material on this one, but the tweet will have to do:

Pierre LeBrun: Re Team Canada: I think there’s a group of players that weren’t at 4 Nations that remain heavily in the conversation; Celebrini, Horvat, Wilson, Suzuki, Johnston, Scheifele, Bedard; to me only 3 of that list make the Olympic roster – Insider Trading (12/4)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) December 6, 2025

Philly Hockey Now: The Flyers also took one of the league’s best to the mat and lost. Travis Konecny was asked about it being a measuring stick, and he basically said NO. Will James has the angry and disappointed Philadelphia Flyers postgame blog.

Tags: nhl trade Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby

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