Fifth Avenue Sports

Blog

fifthavenuesports.com/

Profile

fifthavenuesports.com/author/a

Homepage

fifthavenuesports.com

  • Farewell, Sweet Prince

    As the Russell Wilson era begins in Pittsburgh, the sun sets on the Mason Rudolph era. Maybe calling Mason’s time “era” is a bit of a stretch, but with the Pittsburgh Steelers signing Wilson to a one-year deal, it almost certainly ends Rudolph’s time with the team. Rudolph is an unrestricted free agent, and with…

  • Steelers Nation, Let’s Ride?

    Russell Wilson is a Pittsburgh Steeler. Imagine hearing that sentence a few years ago. Per reporting from Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are signing the quarterback to a one year deal for $1.2 million after his release from the Denver Broncos. Wilson visited the Steelers on Friday, spending several hours at the facility. His next destination…

  • Minnesota Goes Wild, Pulls Goalie In Overtime

    Perhaps the Minnesota Wild are very aptly named. Tied 3-3 in overtime, the Wild decided to try something that many of us (myself included) have never seen before. While his team had possession of the puck during 3-on-3 overtime, Minnesota’s head coach, John Hynes, decided to pull the goaltender to get an extra attacker on…

  • Penguins Move Ruhwedel As Deadline Nears

    Once the Jake Guentzel trade happened, we all expected the dominos to start to fall. I did not think, however, that Chad Ruhwedel would be the first one. The Penguins traded the veteran defenseman to the New York Rangers in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2027. Woof. Ruhwedel, 33, has played in 47…

  • The Full Guentzel Trade, A Quick Return Analysis

    My friends, the moment we were all dreading has finally come. The Jake Guentzel trade is complete, officially. This unveiling of the trade has ben a mess from the start, but it’s here and, I’m not going to lie: it’s underwhelming. The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith (hey remember him?)…

  • The Jake Guentzel Trade Wasn’t Good, But It Wasn’t A Fleece

    It’s the first morning that Jake Guentzel is no longer a Pittsburgh Penguin. It’s crushing to think that his final skate in black and yellow was alone, in practice, while rehabbing from injury. Now that we all have had a little bit of time to process this whole ordeal, I wanted to take a broader…

  • The End Of An Era: Thoughts As The Penguins Get Demolished On And Off Ice

    Yesterday morning, as I was getting dressed, I reached into the top drawer. That’s the drawer that contains all my Penguins shirts, so naturally, it’s overflowing. I rummaged around in there for a while, before pulling out a shirt that was about halfway through the pile. It was my Jake Guentzel name and number shirt.…

  • Reilly Smith Did The Penguins A Big Favor, And It Was About Time

    Reilly Smith may have played his best game as a Pittsburgh Penguin. I say may because he had a few really good games in that early stretch of the season, when he looked like an absolute steal from the Vegas Golden Knights. He also may have played his last game as a Pittsburgh Penguin. In…

  • So Long Matthew Phillips, We Barely Got To Knew You

    One of the quickest, strangest runs for an NHL player in Pittsburgh came to an end earlier today, when the Washington Capitals claimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Penguins. Phillips joined the Penguins just a few weeks prior, when the team claimed him off waivers from Washington. Phillips was in the midst of…

  • Three Under The Radar Players Who Could Be Traded By The Pens

    In case you missed it, the Pittsburgh Penguins are sellers. They have to be after an abysmal west coast trip saw them net only 2 out of an available 8 points. After getting shutout in Seattle, blowing a 3-1 third period lead in Calgary, and getting demolished in Edmonton, the writing is on the wall…

  • Sell, Sell, Sell

    The path forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins is clear. After three straight losses to close out their west coast road trip, the plug has finally been pulled on the playoff hopes of these Penguins. It’s over. To stay realistically in the race, the Penguins needed a near perfect run on the west coast, and that…

  • Was Seattle The Nail In Penguins’ Coffin?

    Last night was a hard watch. Games that start at 10pm ET usually are, but when they go the way they did for the Penguins, it gets a lot harder. No matter what they did, Pittsburgh could not get anything going on the road against the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle scored a fluky…

  • Not Broadcasting Pirates vs Orioles Hurts The Game Of Baseball

    Today down in warm sunny Florida, the Pittsburgh Pirates will take on the Baltimore Orioles during the early going of spring training. I would say we are still in the part of the spring training phase where fans actively want to watch baseball that means absolutely nothing in the standings. Whether you’ve just missed the…

  • Reilly Smith Is On The Move…Right?

    Here’s a funny story: a few weeks ago, in early February, I sat in the Hillman Library at the University of Pittsburgh. I had some time to kill before I had to run out and catch a flight to Florida later in the evening. While I sat there, I went down a hockey stats rabbit…

  • Termarr Johnson, 19, Steals The Show In Pittsburgh’s Third Spring Training Game

    In Pittsburgh’s third spring training game, this time against the Toronto Blue Jays, 19-year old top Pirates prospect Termarr Johnson lit up the game log, even if the Pirates lost. Johnson, the fourth overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Pirates, blasted not one, but two home runs against the Blue Jays in…

  • We Are Officially On Emil Bemström Six-Goal Watch

    Emil Bemström wasted little time making a name for himself in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform. The team’s recent addition via trade scored his first goal as a Penguin in his debut game, and he picked a great time to do it. The team needed as many hands on deck as possible in their crazy, thrilling,…

  • Liover Peguero Makes Early Case For The Second Base Job

    In the first Pirates spring training game this season broadcast on tv, potential second baseman Liover Peguero came ready to play. The 23-year old broke onto the major league scene last year, when he got into 59 games for the Pirates after earning a call-up. His rise to the Pirates was surprising and rather rapid.…

  • Henry Davis Impresses In Spring Training Debut

    Baseball is officially back, baby! The Pirates opened up spring training play in the Grapefruit League today, paying the Minnesota Twins a visit in Fort Myers, Florida. For the Pirates, there were lots of interesting names to keep an eye on, including Canaan Smith-Njigba and Edward Olivares, who both started in Pittsburgh’s opening game. But…

  • The Banishment Of Ty Smith

    I have to give credit to Andrew Destin over at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. His article on the present day-Ty Smith helped spark this deep dive I went into Smith’s career. His article, which you can find here, provides an interesting look into Smith’s thoughts now, almost two years removed from the trade. But to understand how…

  • I’m A Big Fan Of The Emil Bemström Trade

    Consider it the unofficial beginning of Kyle Dubas’ vision moving forward. Unofficial, because it doesn’t involve moving out anyone currently on the NHL roster, and it’s not the headliner type of trade that the Penguins might be making several of in the next few weeks. It also doesn’t really fit the style of trade that…

  • Waiver Wire Wackiness: Colin White Makes His Canadiens Debut Against The Penguins

    Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Colin White will make his debut for his new team, the Montreal Canadiens, against his old team tonight at PPG Paints Arena. The forward was claimed off waivers by Montreal earlier today, and luckily for White, all he will have to do is travel across the hallway to the visitor’s locker…

  • Analyzing Kyle Dubas’ Pre-Deadline Press Conference

    At 2pm on Wednesday afternoon, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas stood at the podium and took questions on the state of the current team, the upcoming trade deadline, and the road ahead. There was a lot to like from this presser. Dubas acknowledged that the team needs to overall get younger, and he said he…

  • Latest Loss Features Everything Wrong With The Penguins, And Why The Season Is Done

    Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building. Only this time, he left out of disgust. The Penguins fell 5-4 to the New York Islanders in overtime Tuesday night at home, in the latest of heartbreaking losses that will doom this year’s Penguins season. In most cases, getting a point thanks to a loss…

  • The Power Play Kills Yet Another Game

    It was an unforgettable weekend if you were a Pittsburgh Penguins, or maybe just a Jaromir Jagr fan. In preparation for the Penguins to retire his #68, Jagr spent the weekend in town and even skated with the team on Saturday during practice. But that was just the appetizer to what was an absolutely amazing…

  • Penguins Claim Forward Matthew Phillips Off Waivers From Washington

    There’s a new guy in town, by the name of Matthew Phillips. The Penguins announced this afternoon that they have claimed the forward off waivers from the Washington Capitals. Washington had waived him yesterday. I didn’t expect him to be claimed by anyone, but clearly Kyle Dubas saw something in him, enough to put in…

  • Yeah, Rickard Rakell Has To Stay With Sidney Crosby, Right?

    Rickard Rakell looked like a new man last night in Chicago, in a 4-1 win for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Chicago Blackhawks. Playing with Sidney Crosby will do that for you. With Jake Guentzel out for a considerable amount of time (anywhere up to four weeks), there became a wide open slot in Pittsburgh’s…

  • It’s Over. We Are Screwed.

    As if things could not get any worse after Wednesday night’s humiliating 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, Jake Guentzel went into the locker room midway through the third period. He did not record a shift in the final 12 minutes of the game, after appearing to be injured on an awkward hit into the…

  • This Is Not A Playoff Team

    If there were ever a time for urgency for this iteration of the Pittsburgh Penguins, last night was it. After back to back bad losses on the road to the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets, the Penguins found themselves back home on Valentine’s Night. On a national broadcast against a Stanley Cup Playoff contender in…

  • Remembering The Good Times With Mitch Trubisky

    The Mitch Trubisky era in Pittsburgh is officially over. What we all saw coming after he was benched in Week 15 after a horrible loss to the Indianapolis Colts has finally happened, as the Steelers handed Trubisky his walking papers on Monday. Trubisky, along with offensive lineman Chuks Okorafor and punter Pressley Harvin, were released…

  • Pirates Invite Three Intriguing Names To Spring Training

    The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced three additional players have been extended non-roster invites to spring training, which kicks off in just a few days. Free agent pitcher signings Wily Peralta, Connor Sadzeck, and Brent Honeywell are the newest NRIs to head to Bradenton for the Pirates. Peralta spent the 2023 season with Washington’s Triple-A affiliate,…

  • Five Recent Deadline Additions That Instantly Felt Weird

    The trade deadline is rapidly approaching us. At the time of this publishing, we are under a month out from the March 8th date set. With the Penguins still being in somewhat unpredictable territory for what they will do at the deadline (buy, sell, or stand pat), I decided to look at some past trade…

  • Brenden Dillon’s Oddly Ugly History With The Pittsburgh Penguins

    For a guy who doesn’t see the Penguins all that often, Brenden Dillon has found a way to make headlines in Pittsburgh almost every time they meet. The problem is, they’re never for a good reason. As I write this, there is some serious concern for Penguins forward Noel Acciari, who suffered a brutal hit…

  • Four Things To Help Turn This Penguins Season Around

    Tonight kicks off the unofficial second half of the season, when the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets in their first game after the NHL All Star Break. At 22-17-7 (51 points), the Penguins currently sit at fifth place in the Metropolitan Division. They are a full seven points out of the second wild card spot…

  • The Best Game Of Baseball That Never Happened

  • Is A Le’Veon Bell Comeback Possible?

    Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell made headlines this weekend when he went on social media and proclaimed that he wanted to make a comeback to the National Football League. “I won’t start training until like March,” he stated in a series of Snapchat videos. “And I’m gonna be honest with myself. I gotta…

  • The Ultimate One-Game Wonder Pittsburgh Pirates Team

    I’ve said it before on here, but obscure players are always my favorite in team histories. And it doesn’t get more obscure than players who only played in one game for a team. With that, I dedicated an evening to going through the entire history of the Pittsburgh Pirates (well, back to 1891, when they…

  • Way Too Early Pirates Player Stats Predictions

  • Trying To Find A Number For Jake Guentzel’s Next Contract? Look To William Nylander

  • Opinion: We Could Do A Lot Worse Than Arthur Smith

    Well, the offensive coordinator search ended a little early. The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to be their next offensive coordinator. Smith is coming off a three year tenure as the head coach in Atlanta, where the Falcons went 7-10 in all three years. He was heavily coveted by…

  • Ron Hextall’s Final Trade In Pittsburgh

    With all this talk about trades, it got me thinking. What was the last trade that Ron Hextall made? In his final trade deadline with Pittsburgh during his reign of terror, Hextall made several moves that were puzzling at best at the time, and are straight up awful in hindsight. There was the Mikael Granlund…

  • I Mean, Do I Really Have To Say It Again?

    The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to it. The Cleveland Browns fell to it. The Buffalo Bills fell to it. And now, we have yet another victim to the Terrible Towel curse. Another team that the curse inflicted itself upon after their fans disrespected Myron Cope’s creation. The Baltimore Ravens have been eliminated from the postseason, falling…

  • In It For The Long Lull

    The Pittsburgh Penguins were able to end things on a high note, with a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens that was capped off with an overtime thriller by Marcus Pettersson. The Penguins got a desperately needed win before heading into the All Star Break, which gives the team a full nine days off before…

  • One Step Forward, Three Steps Back

    Well, it’s not often that I get to use an Olivia Rodrigo song as a headline. It’s bittersweet, because that’s a first checked off, but it comes after another lousy night of Penguins hockey. In a surprisingly nasty game for two teams that don’t see each other that often, the Penguins fell to the Florida…

  • The Penguins Are Misusing Valtteri Puustinen

    After bursting onto the scene and providing a spark in the Penguins lineup, Valtteri Puustinen has fallen off a complete cliff. The former seventh round pick was routinely appearing on the scoresheet, but now, he is nowhere to be found. So what happened to this promising young rookie, one of the few bright spots in…

  • What Does The Future Look Like For Mitch Trubisky?

  • Looking At Three Potential OCs We Know The Steelers Are Interested In

    It’s a little telling about the state of the Pittsburgh Steelers that we in this city have become heavily invested into who takes over the offensive coordinator. Instead of talking about a team potentially still in the playoffs, we’re here instead. That being said, this offseason does prove to be a very interesting one. With…

  • Trying To Make Sense Of The Aroldis Chapman Signing

    Well, the Pirates did a thing! It’s a confusing, it’s odd, it’s unexpected, but it’s a thing! Not long after comments from Pirates owner Bob Nutting made headlines, in which he said he wished the Pirates were farther along in the offseason than they were, general manager Ben Cherington goes out and signs Aroldis Chapman,…

  • Wide Right: The Towel Curse Strikes…AGAIN

    As the final seconds ticked down in Orchard Park, Bills fans sat in shock as they saw a chance at victory slip through their fingers. With under two minutes to go, the Bills had a chance to tie the game at 27-27. A back and forth, highly entertaining game, Buffalo was driving down the field…

  • If The Penguins Are Going To Add, They Should Look At Anthony Duclair

    Though we are still a month and a half away from the actual, official, March 8th trade deadline, it’s never too early to start looking at who the Penguins should be interested in. While we don’t fully know if the Penguins will be buyers, sellers, or attempt to stand pat once trade season really heats…

  • Steelers Planned Approach To QB, OC Is Refreshing, But Narrow

    There was a lot to discuss and ponder after Mike Tomlin’s season finale at the podium wrapped up on Thursday. In probably one of his most candid press conferences ever, Tomlin was open and honest about some of the potential changes that need to take place if this team is to get back to competing…

  • NFL Bandwagon Team Rooting Guide (Steelers Fans Edition)

    Sadly, as the NFL playoffs march on, the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be. After being eliminated 31-17 by the Buffalo Bills last week, fans and players alike will be watching from home as the playoff field narrows down from eight teams to four. With no team wearing black and yellow remaining, I decided to try…

  • The Case For And Against Every Steelers QB Option

    It will be the biggest talking point all season long, or at least until the team declares their decision: who will be quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024? There are so many options at play for this team, which is both a blessing and a curse as the Steelers try and mull over this…

  • The Most Obscure Pirates Of 2023

  • A Long Night

  • Steelers Review, Super Wild Card Weekend: Rent Due

    I try to not be one for revisionist history. When your team loses as bad as the Pittsburgh Steelers did in Buffalo on Monday, it’s easy to claim you never believed. It’s a sort of comfort. A kind of coping mechanism to protect yourself from the embarrassing truth that we all sat down and subjected…

  • The Jake Guentzel Conundrum

  • Belief Is Everything

    Two years ago, as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was wrapping up his farewell tour, the Steelers stood in Week 18 with a mathematical chance at the postseason still. They had just come off Ben’s final home game ever, a 26-14 win over the Cleveland Browns, and needed help in the final week to sneak into the…

  • Playoff Preview: Steelers @ Bills

    Can you imagine the amount of money you would be swimming in right now if at the beginning of the season, you had bet Mason Rudolph would be starting a playoff game for the Pittsburgh Steelers? I actually have no idea what that number would be, but nevertheless, here we are. The Rudolph story continues…

  • The Mann Who Got Away

  • You Can’t Replace TJ Watt, But You Can Manage His Absence