Mike Necciai
Pittsburgh Penguins writer for TheHockeyWriters.Com and PittsburghHockeyNow.Com. Youth hockey coach, and student of the game.
Author's Posts
Evgeni Malkin for NHL MVP
March 16th, 2018 The Pittsburgh Penguins are battling for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division after being on the cusp of missing the postseason prior to the New Year. They turned a negative goal differential through the first half of the season into a plus-19 and continue to score at a menacing pace. While the team has somehow flipped a switch and...
Don't Sleep on Kris Letang's Season
February 28th, 2018 At the start of the season, there were questions galore about Kris Letang's future. When would he return to the Pittsburgh Penguins? When that time comes, will he be the same player as before? Will such an invasive surgery — which, Letang had in April last year to correct a herniated disk in his neck — impact the longevity of his...
Penguins Have a Smorgasbord of Trade Deadline Options
February 21st, 2018 For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline is quite unique. Jim Rutherford and the Penguins, after a few under the radar moves that included adding Jamie Oleksiak and Riley Sheahan, have placed themselves in a position to compete for a Stanley Cup championship as is. Their stars are hitting on all cylinders right now and...
Evgeni Malkin is Putting the NHL on Notice
February 20th, 2018 A few short months ago, prior to the calendar flipping to 2018, the Pittsburgh Penguins and their 'big three' — Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel — were struggling. They were on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and, despite their absurd amount of offensive talent, they couldn't score. The Penguins'...
Penguins Discover Latest Diamond in the Rough
February 17th, 2018 Somehow, Jim Rutherford and the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to find struggling players who — after falling by the wayside from their previous club — become major contributors within the lineup. It's about the right fit, of course. But there's a lot to be said for recognizing a player's skill set while drowning out the negativity...
Penguins Recent Performance Clouding Deadline Plans
February 12th, 2018 Murky. Muddy. The first words that come to mind when attempting to forecast the Pittsburgh Penguins' approach to the looming trade deadline. We're two weeks away from Jim Rutherford's last-ditch effort to tweak this roster in preparation for a run at a third consecutive Stanley Cup, and, instead of their needs becoming clearer, they're...