DK Pittsburgh Sports Columns http://dkpittsburghsports.com Award-winning columnist Dejan Kovacevic covers Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Pitt and more Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:19:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.5 Column: One more intelligent decision to make http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/16/column-one-more-intelligent-decision-to-make/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/16/column-one-more-intelligent-decision-to-make/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2015 04:05:11 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=35467 Mike Johnston isn’t dumb. Oh, he’ll do occasionally dumb things, as do we all. But he’s also demonstrated in his still-short tenure with the Penguins that he won’t stay stupidly stubborn. Take a look for yourself … That’s Daniel Sprong blistering home his first NHL goal, one which broke the backs of the Senators in […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/16/column-one-more-intelligent-decision-to-make/feed/ 13 Column: Johnston better win one of next two http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/15/column-johnston-better-win-one-of-next-two/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/15/column-johnston-better-win-one-of-next-two/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:11:26 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=35365 Brief and to the Point … Mike Johnston’s job isn’t in immediate jeopardy, but the Penguins won’t wait long to make a move if the Ws don’t come mighty soon. As in this week. The Senators are on tap Thursday at Consol Energy Center, and they’re 3-1 with an NHL-high 16 goals. It might not […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/15/column-johnston-better-win-one-of-next-two/feed/ 249 Column: ‘A lesser team would have crumbled!’ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/13/column-a-lesser-team-would-have-crumbled/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/13/column-a-lesser-team-would-have-crumbled/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:08:04 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=35004 SAN DIEGO — Ben Roethlisberger was telling me late Monday night, right after his healthy fellow Steelers yanked a rainbow-colored unicorn from a hat in trumping the Chargers, 24-20, on a last-second Le’Veon Bell touchdown, that his knee was feeling “good … really good, a lot better.” He even mustered a small smile and nod […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/13/column-a-lesser-team-would-have-crumbled/feed/ 133 Column: Penguins watered down in the desert http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/11/column-penguins-watered-down-in-desert/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/11/column-penguins-watered-down-in-desert/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2015 08:30:18 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=34805 GLENDALE, Ariz. — Jim Rutherford, Mike Johnston and their staffs escorted the Penguins into this 2015-16 NHL season with a plan that underscored depth: They’d roll four scoring lines, they’d split their stars on separate power-play units, they’d fan out their top defensemen, and they’d operate with a pack mentality, both in structure and scope. […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/11/column-penguins-watered-down-in-desert/feed/ 195 Column: For openers, no shortage of issues http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/09/column-for-openers-no-shortage-of-issues/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/09/column-for-openers-no-shortage-of-issues/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2015 05:09:00 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=34557 DALLAS — Rob Scuderi might no longer be capable of playing at an NHL level. It feels like it’s no longer possible to discuss the Penguins without stating that as a preface, so there it is, right up there in plain terms. It’s not exactly a riveting observation. It certainly isn’t a revelation. But consider […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/09/column-for-openers-no-shortage-of-issues/feed/ 175 Column: Three up, three down … more to go http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/08/column-three-up-three-down-and-now-what/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/08/column-three-up-three-down-and-now-what/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2015 06:52:35 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=34424 “We know what we are.” Gerrit Cole spoke those five words to me in a silent, sullen clubhouse at PNC Park late on this Wednesday night. And having already completed his formal media sessions, now away from hot lights and seated at his stall, running his fingers through that ragged hair as still plotting his […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/08/column-three-up-three-down-and-now-what/feed/ 432 Column: 1,908 reasons Pirates can beat Cubs http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/06/column-1908-reasons-pirates-will-beat-cubs/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/06/column-1908-reasons-pirates-will-beat-cubs/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2015 00:42:36 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=34181 He seemed human. He arrived at PNC Park on Tuesday afternoon by riding the Cubs’ team bus rather than walking across the Allegheny. Although there’s no photographic evidence, it’s safe to presume he put on his socks and spikes one leg at a time. He then set one foot in front of the other as […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/06/column-1908-reasons-pirates-will-beat-cubs/feed/ 151 Column: The hope of youth, of something new http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/05/column-the-hope-of-youth-of-something-new/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/05/column-the-hope-of-youth-of-something-new/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2015 04:05:26 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=33907 “It’s a little scary, you know?” Marc-Andre Fleury had just plodded off the ice, peeled off his mask and plopped himself at his stall following the Penguins’ exhaustive practice Sunday at Consol Energy Center, and our topic of conversation was the makeup of the forward lines. Specifically, whether enough of those forwards might feel inclined […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/05/column-the-hope-of-youth-of-something-new/feed/ 115 Pivotal play: Spence stops fake field goal http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/02/pivotal-play-spence-stops-fake-field-goal/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/02/pivotal-play-spence-stops-fake-field-goal/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:03:28 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=33491 The main item of concern surrounding the Steelers’ 23-20 overtime loss to the Ravens Thursday at Heinz Field is the amount of opportunities the Steelers had to seal a win. Missed field goals were only part of the problem. A porous run defense with lack of adjustment to the issues causing that jumps high on […]

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]]> http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/02/pivotal-play-spence-stops-fake-field-goal/feed/ 0 Column: Blame kicker? Sorry, that misfires, too http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/02/column-blame-kicker-sorry-that-misfires-too/ http://dkpittsburghsports.com/2015/10/02/column-blame-kicker-sorry-that-misfires-too/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2015 07:07:09 +0000 http://dkpittsburghsports.com/?p=33378 Josh Scobee blew the Steelers’ two best chances to beat — no, bury — the winless Ravens with two missed field goals late in what wound up a 23-20 overtime loss Thursday night at Heinz Field. The snaps were fine, the holds were firm, there was barely a breeze and, heck, they’d even cemented off […]

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