What is better for the Pittsburgh Penguins than beating the Philadelphia Flyers? Beating the Flyers and punching them, too. The Penguins did that, too, as they shed the emotional toll of their scoring drought in a 6-3 win. We’ve got the full analysis. We’ve also got the scoop behind the Penguins help wanted ad for an assistant coach.

Elsewhere in the Daily, the NHL trade chatter is getting heavy. We’ve got the first report on an offer for Calgary Flames defenseman Rasums Andersson, and it seems the New York Rangers are on deck for a sell-off. Vegas and Mitch Marner rallied for a late goal and a beauty of an overtime winner in Marner’s first battle vs. Toronto. And the Flyers are in the market for a goalie, for reasons you saw Thursday.

I must confess, Thursday night was one of those games that I essentially stormed out of the locker room, angry at my profession. I was embarrassed by the banal and generic questions from my tribe to the team, and I get why many of you criticize us.

I finally realized–American hockey writers cover easy stories, not the game of hockey.

The fourth line played well. There’s a story. It was a rivalry game. There’s a story. Those are practice day stories, not postgame, but I suspect that’s what you saw this morning across the media landscape.

No, no one asked Blake Lizotte about the construction of that fight, nor Bryan Rust about the chip-and-chase game they used to pummel Flyers defensemen. Or any of the defensemen on the breakout challenges since Erik Karlsson left the lineup, and the success of weaving through the Flyers’ neutral zone attack.

I really thought about this last night. It matters to me that you get a plate full of meaty coverage and not sugar. I instruct my young writers across the network to read Sportsnet and TSN, but also a couple of old-school beat writers around the country (including Dave Molinari). I want youngsters to learn how to write because, sadly, not a lot of colleges teach it very well, and also to see how Canadians cover hockey. Up North, it’s about themes and how the game was played.

Instead, American audiences are treated to Sidney Crosby answering questions about how good it was to pull away and get up 6-1 (Even he sort of winced and had to figure out how to answer that one without being sarcastic). Yep, before we could have some fun with Sid and ask if he still hated the Flyers, someone played scrum killer.

Credit Sid. I would have let loose a few mock sentences about 6-1 is better than being down 6-1 and, uh, that’s the idea. eh?

That’s just a little bit behind the curtain of this business and the room.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Here’s the recap with the goals and the story of how the Penguins beat the Flyers.

The report card dealt with several changing tactical aspects of the game. The Penguins did start with some grinding dump-and-chase hockey, but then backed up the Flyers to play on the rush. The Penguins also had to figure out how to retake the game. The game and the player grades are in the Penguins’ report card.

Philly Hockey Now: The flip side of the coverage. Our guy used that phrase you love. Will James wrote, “It’s time to hold the veterans accountable.” Here’s the Philadelphia Flyers postgame.

I don’t know if anyone else got this story, but I got a few texts about the Penguins help wanted ad for an assistant coach. So, we did some digging on the odd story. The answer isn’t salacious, though you may have to read between the lines of what a team source, who was also receiving texts, told us—getting to the bottom of why the Penguins placed the help-wanted ad.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

NHLTradeRumors.me: Ignore the clickbait title and the aggregator site reporting what Boston reporter Jimmy Murphy uncorked. The Bruins offered a first and a prospect for Rasmus Andersson. It was not an insignificant offer, but I can see why not a winner.

The Athletic ($): The New York Rangers trade chatter could include several big names getting new addresses. Things surely aren’t going too well in Mike Sullivan’s Big Apple return. And the local Athletic reporters rated the trade candidates.

Vegas Hockey Now: Vegas was down 5-4 in the waning seconds. They scored with the extra attacker, then Jack Eichel–oh what a beaut–scored the OT winner and Vegas beat Toronto in an emotionally charged game because it was the first meeting between Marner and his former mates. First, Hannah Kirkell has coverage of the Golden Knights’ win.

Hannah did a masterful job of being front and center after the game. She was part of the Mitch Marner scrum and was the center of it. Yeah, this one meant a bit more for Marner and the Golden Knights.

Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins beat the Seattle Kraken. Ok. But the game was a special night as the team retired Zdeno Chara’s No. 33. It was a long celebration with speeches and fans nearly breaking Chara with a “Thank you Chara!” chant. Jack Studley has all of the coverage on BHN, but here’s the story of retiring Zdeno Chara’s number.

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