Hey there puckheads… this is POJagoff back in action with your Gameday post. This is going to be a bit of a rant about the NHL and hockey as much as it is a GD preview. Let’s dive right in and get started with some gentle hand stuff… I mean commentary.
On April 18th, 2024 the NHL approved the relocation of the Phoenix ‘Yotes to (checks notes) Utah. The sale of the team to Utah hit a whopping price tag of $1.2 billion WITH A “B” for a team that at the time did not have an actual stadium and was being kicked out of its hometown in what I can only describe was a years long feud of NIMBY chicken.
Pay attention here because… this is not that far off of a concept for something that almost happened to the Penguins pre Sid with the saving grace of 66.
Off ice issues started years prior with owners and front office staff…
The owner prior to the move (Meruelo) played hard ball and came up snake eyes after the city called his bluff. The Yotes team essentially built up an entire entertainment district in Glendale (oh look another familiarity) and they were pushed out into a college arena toward the end while becoming the laughing stock of the entire NHL.
This is where the NHL once again f-s it all up.
You would think that if there was a plan in place for a team and $1.2 bills on the line that there would be an actual CONCEPT of a team and the NHL would hold them to account but no… the boring ass Mormon state known as Utah came up with… that’s right. THE UTAH HOCKEY CLUB. The preferred name of the “Utah Yetis” has been rejected by the patent office due to its similarity to the mug / cooler / lifestyle brand Yeti.
It’s like they did the group project the night before. And the NHL let them.
Comparatively to the VGKs or the Kraken… this is by far the dumbest, laziest, ugliest effort any new franchise has put up since I’ve been able to watch hockey, and I’m not young.
The club has struggled since the get go. There has also been an attendance issue averaging of 68% capacity with around 11k fans watching due to heavy obstructions in the temporary set up. Dead last in the NHL behind the Sharks mostly due to the arena not being fitted properly for hockey. The Jazz configuration seats roughly 18k people. There are renovation plans in place. You’d think that they would have figured that out prior to acquiring the team.
All in all, the league and the organization is paling in comparison to the success shown by Vegas and Seattle with their two most recent expansions. This team is so new that their fans are still deciding whether to call themselves “Utahns” or just go with the classic “Mormons with a ton of kids with terrible names.”
“Well, folks, if the Penguins think they can coast their way to an easy win tonight, they might be in for a rude awakening—kind of like realizing you left your beer outside in subzero Utah temperatures.”
Utah may be the new kids on the block, but they’ve been holding their own defensively, ranking in the top half of the league in goals against. Their goaltending has been quietly impressive, meaning Pittsburgh’s scorers might need more than their usual effort on goal to actually get a couple past them.
On Utah’s side, they’ve been a tough team to crack defensively, but their offense remains a work in progress. They lack a true superstar forward, but they make up for it with a balanced attack and an aggressive forecheck. If the Penguins’ defense decides to take the night off (as they are sometimes known to do), Utah could put the Pens in a very uncomfortable place… like the back of a Volkswagen?
Meanwhile in Yinzerville,
Pittsburgh is shaking things up between the pipes with a fresh goalie arrangement. With Tristan Jarry having a full on career meltdown, the Penguins have been rotating their netminders like a game of musical chairs, hoping someone can provide a solid 60 minutes which hasn’t happened that often this season. Whether it’s Nedeljkovic stepping up or Blom getting his shot, let’s just say this whole situation feels about as stable as a Jenga tower in a wind tunnel.
Most recently, let’s just say they’ve perfected the art of playing well enough to not lose outright, but not well enough to actually win games. Whether it’s coughing up leads late, struggling to convert power plays, or finding new and creative ways to secure just one point instead of two, the Penguins have been redefining mediocrity with stunning consistency. Sidney Crosby continues to put up vintage performances, but even he looks like he’s wondering if he accidentally signed up for a one-man show.
“Nedeljkovic is playing like a guy who knows job security in this town is about as firm as a snowball in July. Let’s see if he can keep it going!”
With the goalie situation taking center stage, keep an eye on Alex Nedeljkovic. He’s shown flashes of brilliance in relief of Jarry, and if he can string together some solid performances, he might just become the Penguins’ best hope for some stability in net.
So there you have it, folks. A new city, a new team, and what has slowly become the same old Penguins spinning their wheels trying to figure things out. Will this be one more night they put it all together, or will they add another chapter to their ongoing series of “Almost Wins”? Puck drops at 9:30 PM Eastern, so grab a coffee, an extra-stiff drink, and settle in.
“Because if there’s one thing Penguins hockey guarantees, it’s the full spectrum of human emotion—mostly frustration, but hey, we take what we can get.”
Go Pens. Or whatever. Let’s just hope they don’t get altitude sickness.