Pens Points: To South Florida

The Penguins’ first game of the calendar year comes against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning...

For all intents and purposes, we have reached the halfway point of the NHL season, and with that in mind, we’re taking a look at the best, worst, and all of the surprises from the first half of the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins season. [PensBurgh]

Hooks is looking into the crystal ball to make some bold Penguins predictions for the rest of the calendar year. [PensBurgh]

“The second I came back, everything felt the same. Just the chemistry in the room has been great so far. The staff is a little different but other than that, everything seems good. Everything seems like the old team,” says the recently re-acquired P.O Joseph, who is happy to be back with the Penguins and wants to stay this time. [Trib Live]

Veteran Kevin Hayes gave Michael Bunting some rather sage advice recently, and Bunting looks to have taken it to heart, as he has turned his season around for the better, even ending 2024 on a three-game scoring streak. [Penguins]

News and notes from around the NHL...

The Great 8 Chase continues to be magnified, as Alex Ovechkin scored again on Thursday, goal No. 871, 24 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record. [NHL]

Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux has been suspended for three games for slew-footing Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon during the game on Dec. 31. [NHL]

Many players either choose or are forced to sign one-year “prove it” contracts with the hope of parlaying that into a multi-year deal. These eight players are proving their worth to their current teams, perhaps enough to earn an extension. [The Hockey News]