Columns
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25.0K332DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Pirates’ plan couldn’t be clearer
in Bradenton, Fla.POSTED: 4:19 AM February 13, 2020Forecasts are dire for the 2020 Pirates, but the franchise's future beyond that has never appeared clearer than now.
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4.5K30PiratesKovacevic: Crick ‘ready to move forward’
in Bradenton, Fla.POSTED: 12:06 AM February 12, 2020Kyle Crick, dueling with Keone Kela for the Pirates' closer role, is looking forward to burying his 2019 season.
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18.8K367DK'S GRINDKovacevic: This time, Rutherford had his back to the wall
in Bradenton, Fla.POSTED: 5:20 PM February 11, 2020The Penguins' trade for Jason Zucker from the Wild came only after massive pressure was applied to Jim Rutherford.
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11.4K262DK'S GRINDKovacevic: On Pirates’ potential surprises, rebuild
in Bradenton, Fla.POSTED: 3:00 PM February 10, 2020Cole Tucker is one of several Pirates who could be a surprise in spring training, which begins here this week.
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16.3K178DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Stolen points can’t supplant solid play a lot longer
in Sunrise, Fla.POSTED: 11:42 AM February 9, 2020The Penguins fended off the Florida Panthers, 3-2, Saturday night at BB&T Center, but that hardly hid their mounting lapses.
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6.0K39DK'S GRINDKovacevic: What’s really wrong with power play?
in Sunrise, Fla.POSTED: 1:36 PM February 8, 2020The Penguins' power play isn't exactly prolific these days, but it's got the potential to be ... if only they'd get moving.
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8.1K99DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Wings needed more than prayer
in Tampa, Fla.POSTED: 10:50 AM February 7, 2020Jared McCann's a quality hockey player. A character kid, too.
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8.0K118DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Penguins’ recent results masking rut
in Tampa, Fla.POSTED: 1:16 PM February 6, 2020The Penguins keep winning, but a deeper dive shows they've taken some steps back in the past half-dozen games.
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5.1K39DK'S GRINDKovacevic: How Rust kept ‘my foundation’
at PPG Paints ArenaPOSTED: 2:50 PM February 1, 2020A couple winters ago in Calgary, Bryan Rust's hands might as well have cryogenically frozen, colder even than the subzero temps outside the Saddledome.
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7.9K112DK'S GRINDKovacevic: East-heavy slate will expose all
in Cranberry, Pa.POSTED: 2:39 PM January 31, 2020The Flyers definitely don't stink. As James van Riemsdyk told me a few days ago in Philadelphia, "We're getting stronger, more confident, and I think everyone can see that."
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27.9K436DK'S GRINDKovacevic: No Marte stinks. Payroll stinks. And yet, this is all the right approach
at PNC ParkPOSTED: 11:11 PM January 27, 2020The Pirates traded Starling Marte to the Diamondbacks for two 19-year-old prospects, and that won't be popular. But it makes sense.
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9.3K152DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Don’t bury Cherington as boring
at PNC ParkPOSTED: 7:50 AM January 25, 2020Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton spoke before the annual PiratesFest at PNC Park on an array of subjects.
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9.9K132DK'S GRINDKovacevic: A plan to pair with Pirates’ low payroll?
at PNC ParkPOSTED: 10:10 AM January 24, 2020The payroll's too low. There. I said it. Yet again, for maybe the millionth year in a row.
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7.2K153DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Honestly, Penguins might be wise to file this one away
in PhiladelphiaPOSTED: 6:20 PM January 22, 2020The Penguins lost to the Flyers, 3-0, Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Center in the last game before the NHL's All-Star break.
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8.0K257DK'S GRINDKovacevic: On being better than Philly
in PhiladelphiaPOSTED: 12:06 AM January 21, 2020At some stage of the Penguins' game with their archrival here tonight, something is sure to go wrong for the home team.
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11.1K238DK'S GRINDKovacevic: Johnson’s huge shorty heady, too
at PPG Paints ArenaPOSTED: 1:00 AM January 20, 2020A month ago, Jack Johnson was getting some good-natured grief from good buddy Drew Doughty. Something about barely having any goals over the past, oh, decade or so.
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8.0K174DK'S GRINDKovacevic: This toughness has different definition
in BostonPOSTED: 2:30 PM January 17, 2020No, it's not about hits and fights, scraps and scrums and all that other tough stuff.
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12.2K114DK'S GRINDKovacevic: This time, Penguins don’t dare stray
in BostonPOSTED: 12:10 AM January 16, 2020It's possible that, by the time the Zambonis complete their final laps here tonight, the most compelling quotes I could cull about the Penguins would come from the Bruins' locker...