Where was their fire? The Pittsburgh Penguins were shut out Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, though in fairness, they suffered a pair of damaging mistakes by the refs, too. We’ve got the full coverage from the inside. Also, we conducted a quick Q&A with a heavy concentration on the rookies, Sergei Murashov, and the trouble that lay ahead.

Elsewhere in the Daily, Tristan Jarry suffered a non-contact injury, and Edmonton is holding its collective breath. The Toronto Maple Leafs coach is challenging his team’s passion. And crews are working frantically to finish the Olympic hockey arena, but will it be enough?

I rolled into Montreal last night around 2:30 after getting out of Ottawa after midnight. I treated myself to an extra 90 minutes of sleep, though not intentionally. I just set my stuff down, flung open the neatly made bed with fresh sheets, and it was 8 a.m. before my head sank into the pillows.

I have spent a few off days in Montreal, but one thing I’ve never done–smoked meats. I think today is the day. Also, I have moved the Live Chat to 4:30 today. Hopefully you can join.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Let’s skip past the recap. The report card is a must-read–inside the room, a tactical analysis, player grades, and a clear breakdown of the no-goal call, which was, objectively, wrong. Here are the Penguins’ grades.

Let’s get to the interactive segment. What about Sergei Murashov? What about Tristan Broz, and how would I grade the rookies with the team? We got some really good questions in the Penguins Q&A.

NHL Trade Chatter, News, & National Hockey Now

Oilers Nation: Jarry went lateral to make a save, and that was the end of his night. Uh oh, time for Edmonton.

The Penguins have more goalies, right?

NHLtraderumors.me: Frank Seravalli reports a Philip Danault trade could go down this weekend, and the New Jersey Devils are among the last teams standing in the trade talks.

One of the new internet “insiders” tried to report that Danault had demanded a trade and was promptly smacked down by Danault’s agent, Allan Walsh. I won’t further embarrass him here.

I will give you some insight on this new crop of internet reporters, since I have employed some, fired some, and otherwise know how the sausage is made. First, you have to hold them accountable, instead of cheering them on. Without editors or oversight, but with a desire to be seen or recognized, there’s usually a nugget of truth, though it’s too easy to get it wrong. Without premium-level sources, the “reports” are passed down through several people, so by the time they get to the internet, they are often warped or plain wrong. As the editor-in-chief, I’ve stopped my share of stories because I could see, where the writer couldn’t, that the information wasn’t 100% reliable.

Also, I had to learn the hard way, so I’m not unsympathetic to getting cracked. Been there.

TSN: Now then, back to the Daily. There are 2000 people working to finish the Olympic hockey arena, but while the Cecil B. DeMille production races to be ready, questions about whether the ice will be good enough linger. Also, there are just a few decisions remaining on the Team Canada roster.

Canada left off Sidney Crosby in 2006. It was a way wrong decision. They cannot leave out Macklin Celebrini in 2026. That kid is the next face of the game and will one day captain Team Canada.

Sportsnet: The Penguins aren’t the only team fighting uphill. The Toronto Maple Leafs are sputtering, and coach Craig Berube, who is becoming increasingly bellicose with his team publicly, called out their heart, their passion.

NYI Hockey Now: A bad moon rising on Long Island. The Bo Horvat injury fallout for the New York Islanders.

Philly Hockey Now: Don’t feel too bad–Will James has a full analysis and a breakdown of the breakdown. It was a tale of two games, and it didn’t end well for the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday.

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