Without Sidney Crosby and without the benefit of a warmup game, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a couple of periods to jell. Still, when Penguins game ops played Free Bird in the third period, it was not in honor of Team USA, but to celebrate a growing Penguins lead in a 4-1 win. Full game recap and analysis with some subtle jokes is contained herein. We examined the human side of the recent Penguins trade that sent Brett Kulak to Colorado. And, Pittsburgh fans gave Devils star Jack Hughes a rousing ovation with USA chants, which he was surprised by and returned the praise. <\/p>\n
Elsewhere in the Daily, it looks like we know the identity of the team trying to trade for Tyler Myers. The Toronto Maple Leafs lost again, pushing them to seller status, and the Toronto Sun laid out their five trade candidates. Lastly, Jimmy Murphy reports that Marc Bergevin and Brendan Shanahan have been tied to the open Nashville GM job. <\/p>\n
Nice job, Pittsburgh. You shocked Jack Hughes. PPG Paints Arena was buzzing, even at 5 p.m., when I arrived at the barn. There were swarms of fans waiting to get in, walking around the 5th Ave., and the ticket prices on the third-party sites were going for a premium, too. <\/p>\n
Many fans were wearing Team USA jerseys. Our Vince Comunale went over to the Devils\u2019 dressing room postgame, and Hughes was humble about everything, including the USA-USA! chants. <\/p>\n
\u201cJust really special. I mean, Pittsburgh\u2019s an unbelievable sports town. You know, going into the game, I knew they\u2019d do something, but obviously, (Sidney) Crosby is the biggest athlete here,\u201d Hughes said. \u201cSo I\u2019m sure they were cheering for Canada as well, but there were obviously a lot of proud Americans in the crowd tonight, and that was something I\u2019ll always remember, and every time I come back to Pittsburgh, I\u2019ll really appreciate what they did for me tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Man, that kid has a way with words. He has represented us very well and has changed my and a lot of people\u2019s opinion of him. I also think this experience has changed him a bit, too.<\/p>\n
Big pop and USA chants for Jack Hughes pic.twitter.com\/OJWUaIxMti<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dan Kingerski (@TheDanKingerski) February 27, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Even I had some goosebumps. Just awesome. <\/p>\n Well, I\u2019m off to New York. Last night, we counted up the games, and this guy has now covered 211 straight games. I am Ironman!<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The postgame recap\u2013a special teams affair that ended with a 4-1 Penguins win<\/a>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s do the report card. It sure sounded like the boys were ribbing Connor Dewar, who had a pair of shorthanded breakaways, but didn\u2019t bury either. We dug into the nuts and bolts of the game, the standout performances, and what the team did right in the Penguins\u2019 report card<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thursday morning, someone sent me Brett Kulak\u2019s first media availability in Colorado. It was a study in the human cost of the sport. And we ask the question\u2013did Penguins GM Kyle Dubas make a mistake<\/a>?<\/p>\n And, I know I posted this yesterday, but it got such a positive reaction from those who read it, I\u2019ll post it again (I have the microphone and you will listen to every damn word I have to say!). Comunale did a great piece on how Pittsburgh was the origin of Team USA, going back to 1920<\/a>.<\/p>\n NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now<\/p>\n Detroit Hockey Now: It looks like the Detroit Red Wings are the team trying to acquire Tyler Myers. The 6-foot-8 defenseman is dragging is feet approving it, but the Red Wings<\/a> are waiting.<\/p>\n Toronto Sun: Oh, a few columns and stories are floating about regarding the fall of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After back-to-back bad losses in Florida, it\u2019s time to become sellers. Terry Koshan has the five Maple Leafs trade chips<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sportsnet: Live from New York, it\u2019s Saturday Night! Quinn Hughes will appear on SNL<\/a>.<\/p>\n My man, just don\u2019t let Michael Che write jokes for you on Weekend Update. <\/p>\n Boston Hockey Now: A little help from Boston. The Penguins win, and the Columbus Blue Jackets\u2019 loss gave the Penguins a seven-point lead over the CBJ. Jack Studley breaksdown the Bruins\u2019 win<\/a>.<\/p>\n RG.org: Jimmy Murphy reports that a couple of seasoned vets are interested, or the Nashville Predators are interested in them. Brendan Shanahan and Marc Bergevin are linked to the Preds GM gig<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: jack hughes<\/a> nhl trade<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> tyler myers<\/a> <\/p>\n Categorized:Links<\/a> NHL Trade Rumors<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t