Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Pittsburgh Penguins were about to win a game they had no business winning, but the hockey gods pulled a shocking twist at the end, and then a wild overtime period brought fans out of their seats until they slumped back in the them. Utah and Logan Cooley literally skated past the Penguins at PPG.
Elsewhere, the Dylan Larkin-Detroit Red Wings feud exploded Thursday. Larkin left the team, and Detroit suspended him pending a trade, which doesn’t seem close. The Philadelphia Flyers are dangling a couple of their forwards in a trade, and we know the cost. And a couple of the injured staples of the Florida Panthers’ lineup have resumed skating.
And just before publishing, an international sports court forced the IIHF to reinstate Russia, immediately. WOW.
Cooley should have been the No. 1 overall pick. I wondered it aloud then, but would you rather have Logan Cooley, Shane Wright, or Juraj Slafkovsky? Cooley did things Thursday that only an elite few can do.
Then again, Cooley did those things against the Penguins’ defense, which…
Part of the report card coming:
“Indeed, there were moments of good forechecking and pressure, but when the Penguins are not attacking, their team defense leaves Silovs as defenseless as a sleep-deprived teenager on Elm Street.”
— Dan Kingerski (@TheDanKingerski) October 30, 2026
Let’s get to it. I have a drive to Montreal to make…
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Sam Girard played, but there was a lot of roster shuffling leading. There’s a lot of ins and outs and a lot of strands to keep in mind. Here are the activations, the demotions, and the updated Penguins roster.
To the game: Our new postgame format is a recap but also a breakdown of every goal. The positive spin is that the Penguins got a point in their OT loss.
Now then, the report card. Second verse, same as the first. The mistakes that disappeared for two games roared back, and if not for Artur Silovs’s brilliance, the game could have been an ugly blowout. We dissected the problems and got a lot of input from the room. If you’re the sort that wants to know–this is one of those heavyweight Penguins report cards.
Last night was a difficult game to write about and the postgame video wasn’t my favorite. I just couldn’t seem to to condense it. But I did get coach Dan Muse to dive into the Xs and Os a bit in the postgame presser. He’s usually not one to do that, but I may have found the right wording to lead him into it. Some of the guys did, too.
From that standpoint, there’s going to be some potentially spicy tidbits in the Insider column today. I think I’ll be writing some of it verbally on the drive and finish in Erie or upstate NY. So, I’ll be wasting this glorious day in the car. Would some airline start flying closer to Montreal for less than $650?!
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
Detroit Hockey Now: Interim GM Shawn Horcoff dug in his heels on Dylan Larkin. The player informed the team that he’d waited long enough for a trade and his patience was through. Detroit suspended Larkin without pay. And Horcoff didn’t mince words in the Red Wings press conference.
DHN: Moritz Seider was indirectly curt about Larkin leaving. Coach Todd McLellan is turning the page, and as as Max Smith writes, the team is beginning to find a Red Wings identity.
Detroit must realize it is time to sell for less than they wanted. You don’t get full price on a going out of business sale. Also, Larkin is well in the wrong.
NHLtraderumors.me: The Minnesota Wild are out there on several fronts, including Larkin. But Jordan Schmaltz–take it for what it’s worth–put New Jersey in the mix, too. The latest intel on a Larkin trade.
AP: Russia will be in the World Junior tournament. An international sports court ruled the IIHF must readmit Russia immediately.
Odd. Who decides that and who has the power here? Ultimately, the IIHF was using a flimsy secondary excuse to suspend Russia because of the war without actually naming the war as the real reason, and it backfired.
This also means Russia will be eligible for the NHL’s World Cup next year. One wonders if Russia would include Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin on the team as a make good? But Malkin seems to have a chance to still be playing next year.
Florida Hockey Now: The Florida Panthers are good, but they are banged up. Coach Paul Maurice delivered the updates on Brad Marchand and Sasha Barkov.
Daily Faceoff: The Flyers and Wild are talking trade. Here are the details and the player costs to acquire either Owen Tippett or Travis Konecny.