There have been a lot of developments for the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past week. Unfortunately for the team, most of these were not the type of developments they would have wanted. They say a long road trip can help a team bond and find their game. It hasn’t worked out that way on the current Western Canada tour, with only one game remaining on Saturday in Vancouver.

One of the biggest stories was the ongoing drama with the goalkeepers. In particular, Tristan Jarry is taking some time away from the rest of the team, while Alex Nedeljkovic and rookie Joel Blomqvist are doing as best they can given the Penguins’ defensive play is far from solid. .

Coach Mike Sullivan had to try to explain things while righting the ship, but even he had enough during one of the week’s practices.

At least there was a little respite with upbeat talk about Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid in relation to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

As Halloween approaches, you may need to summon the courage to catch up on the past week. Click on the links.

SATURDAY: Before the team leaves for its trip, PHN looked at some of the Penguins’ biggest problems. They weren’t difficult things. They not only described what had happened, but also foreshadowed what was to come in the West. Discover the three biggest problems.

Alex Nedeljkovic, the Penguins’ backup and sometime No. 1 goaltender last season, was deemed ready to return from a preseason injury after a win during a short conditioning stint in the AHL. So, where does the team’s goaltending situation stand? Oddly enough, they had planned to go on a trip with the three guardians.

The trip apparently seemed like a good time to make some changes to the lineup. Chief among them was the fact that the intruder, at least in the short term, was the winger. Michael Bunting.

Considering all the situations mentioned above, the Penguins headed west for a trip that turned out to be something that could help define the season.

Sunday: As the Penguins’ big trip began in Winnipeg, the big question remained what would happen to Jarry and how the team would handle a three goalie situation.

Perhaps a sign of how tense or difficult the goaltending situation was, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan broke from his norm and, hours before the game in Winnipeg, refused to name starter.

That starter was Alex Nedeljkovic, but that wasn’t the main thing. The Penguins, with their lines scrambled, blew a two-goal lead in the second period, continued to make mistakes and lost to the Jets.

The Penguins’ effort against Winnipeg was an improvement over their game two days earlier against Carolina, but it wasn’t enough. Defensive lapses continued to be a problem. Discover the Penguin Notes.

Monday: Penguins coach Mike Sullivan had a lot to say — during and after practice — in Calgary. He angrily stopped at least two drills to get better execution from his team, and afterward, he not only addressed that topic, but also discussed the Tristan Jarry situation in more detail. All this and much more.

Tuesday: It’s always great to have boots on the ground and eyes on the team on a road trip. PHN’s Dan Kingerski observed Sullivan, the star players and Jarry, as he points out in 3 thoughts.

Well, it wasn’t a loss of regulation, at least. The Penguins still fell back into some of their stubborn bad habits. They blew two one-goal leads in the third period and fell to Calgary in a shootout.

If you dare, you may see those same stubborn bad habits appear. But you can also discover some new emerging faces in the Penguin Notes.

Bryan Rust was just being honest when he said the Penguins’ power play was at least better than last season’s “trainwreck.” Overall, though, the Penguins were understandably not in a good mood after the loss. in the locker room.

Wednesday: The Penguins had a day off from games or practices during their trip, but the analysis of the disappointing start to the season continues. By calling it that, stars Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson must be better. This includes production from the top line. Discover the Penguin Blog.

THURSDAY: Wow. On this day off, it turns out that goalie Tristan Jarry returned to Pittsburgh to work alone with a goalie coach. It’s just the last chapter of the The Jarry epic.

In a respite from the gloom, there were Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby and Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid. They were preparing to face each other on Friday night, but took time in their respective locker rooms to talk about their roles on Team Canada in the Face to face of the 4 Nations.

With so many areas of concern for the Penguins in the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost difficult to know where to start. Have no fear. PHN breaks it all down and categorizes these concerns. (Spoiler: Defense takes first place.) The problems, on one level scale from 1 to 10.

Friday: We couldn’t blame rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist. He made 46 saves. Everyone else? Well, there was a lot of blame and a lot to dislike as the Penguins fell to 0-2-1 on their road trip by getting cleared in Edmonton.

No sugar. No clear answers. No punches were fired. The Penguins are 0-2-1 through the first three games of what is shaping up to be a potentially pivotal road trip with one game to play. They seem to be about to an early collapse.

It is predictable. Clever. Respected. Takes losses hard. He is one of the Penguins’ most consistent players. His teammates dish on Lars Eller.