Penguins That Fly

Clarification of absence

2009-12-31T18:27:00.001-05:00

I've obviously been away from the blog for some time now. I'm still following the team closely and writing plenty, but school has really taken over. I'm not sure that I'll be able to get back to doing this soon or not, but I will keep the door open.

Midseason Hiatus

2009-10-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a bit of a break right now from the blog, as you might be able to tell. It's a pretty busy time with school and all, and I'm just not within the time constraints necessary to write much at the moment.

Things will probably pick up a little while later.

Penguins handle Bolts with ease

2009-10-17T23:20:00.002-04:00

That was a pretty sound all around effort. The powerplay only had one goal, but the unit generated shots all night and was not a complete black mark. Jay McKee had a big night of blocking shots, and Marc-Andre Fleury moved to 7-0 on the year, giving up just one goal in a 4-1 win for the Pens.

McKee put on an exhibition of shot blocking. He had seven blocks tonight, adding to his league lead, and they always seemed to come at a pivotal time. He's been fearless in these first eight games, and has absolutely looked better than Hal Gill did with this team.
Sidney Crosby bounced back after a few distinctly sub-par games in a row. He picked up two assists, one of which came on a beautiful play behind the net where he fed Mike Rupp in front for a coffin sealing tally.
Speaking of Rupp, he played a nice game. Lots of in-your-face, physical work on the boards.
Alex Goligoski is playing the best hockey of his brief career. He's a threat to make something happen everytime he is on the ice. He had a beautiful coverup using nothing but his speed when Sergei Gonchar was caught out of position in the second period.

I know, there's really not a lot negative to say right now. The Pens are 7-1. St. Louis on Wednesday.

Malone, Lightning visit Mellon Arena

2009-10-17T14:58:00.002-04:00

The Penguins tonight play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning and former their former Pittsburgh power forward, Ryan Malone. Malone, who has six goals on the season, lines up with Steve Stamkos and Marty St. Louis on one of the most balanced, well-constructed lines in the NHL.

Marc-Andre Fleury will be in goal for the Penguins. Fleury is 6-0 on the season, having been in net for two home wins early on against the Rangers and Islanders and then each game on the Penguins' recent 4-0 road swing that took them all over the continent.

Antero Nittymaki, familiar with the Penguins from his time in Philadelphia, will get the nod from Rick Tocchet in the nets for Tampa Bay. Nittymaki has historically been roasted by the Pens, particularly captain Sidney Crosby, who has been held pointless in his last two games and could use a stat-padding evening.

This is still a potential trap game with the Penguins returning home from a long road trip, sitting pretty at 6-1, and facing a Lightning squad that got shell shocked a few days ago by the Ottawa Senators, 7-1.

Penguins-

Chris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Bill Guerin
Ruslan Fedotenko-Evgeni Malkin-Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke-Jordan Staal-Tyler Kennedy
Mike Rupp-Craig Adams-Eric Godard

Brooks Orpik-Sergei Gonchar
Mark Eaton-Kris Letang
Alex Goligoski-Jay McKee

Marc-Andre Fleury

Lightning-

Ryan Malone-Steven Stamkos-Martin St. Louis
Alex Tanguay- Vincent Lecavalier-Steve Downie
James Wright-Jeff Halpern-Drew Miller
Todd Fedoruk-Zenon Konopka-Stephane Veilleux

Matthias Ohlund-Victor Hedman
Andrej Meszaros-Kurtis Foster
Paul Ranger-Matt Walker

Antero Nittymaki

Go Pens.

Goaltenders' duel ends in shootout win for Penguins

2009-10-14T21:40:00.002-04:00

The Pens were fairly dominant through the first 40 minutes of play tonight. The Hurricanes took it to them in the third period and tied it up on two goals from Ray Whitney. There were several instances in that frame at which things looked pretty bleak for the black and gold. Eric Staal almost buried the winning goal a few times, and the Penguins' powerplay had an absolutely miserable evening, but the team continues to find ways to win. Chris Kunitz finally got off the schneid with the shootout capper. It wasn't even remotely pretty at times, but a 4-0 road trip is absolutely beautfiul.

Some particulars...

Crosby was held off the scoresheet in regulation again, but he played a fine game. He would have had an assist on a great setup to Kunitz that should have been buried by Guerin to ice the game, but Cam Ward stoned him on a pretty lazy shot. Undeterred, Crosby tallied a wicked backhander in the shootout to tie it up
Other than the tying goal by Ray Whitney, Fleury was outstanding. He made some big saves on Matt Cullen and Eric Staal, and he gave up one goal on six shootout attempts.
Kunitz's game was his best of the year, the shootout goal notwithstanding.
Something has to be done to fix the Penguins' powerplay. There is no logical reason for a unit with two of the top three players in the game plus its best powerplay quarterback to be as abysmal as the Pens' group is.

The Penguins are six and one heading home for a Saturday night tilt with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Penguins sit at five and one after win in Kanata

2009-10-12T22:28:00.002-04:00

I missed my first game in some time tonight, actually in its entirety. I can't offer any commentary on the game, other than what the stats show and what I've heard. Crosby and Malkin could use to be their dominating selves, even though the team hasn't exactly suffered from their lack of excellence in the first five games, outside of Saturday's contest. Tyler Kennedy has developed into a hell of a hockey player. He is the ultimate third liner in every way.

The Pens are one game out of perfection six games into the year. That's just fine with me.

(Photo: Yahoo!)

Penguins rout Leafs in Toronto

2009-10-10T23:10:00.003-04:00

That was about as dominating an effort as the Pens have put out since the lockout. The score was only 5-2, but shots were 33-20, and the Penguins burned the Leafs for three powerplay goals. Sidney Crosby had another great night in the faceoff circle, going for 68 percent. Jay McKee blocked seven shots, some of which came on a penalty killing unit that went three for three.

Some particulars...

Malkin and Crosby played like two superstars playing a glorified AHL team should play. They were the best players on the ice, and the Leafs really had no answer for them all night.
Matt Cooke, where did that shot come from?
Jordan Staal is primed for an absolutely monster year. Last year, it took him an eternity to finally start scoring, but once he did, goals came in droves. He's started earlier this year, and if he can just maintain some consistency, 60 points is not out of the question. He has become a force at both ends of the ice.
Max Talbot looked and sounded good on the FSN broadcast. He'll be a welcome addition whenenver he can make it back, even if the team is hardly struggling without him.
The entire fourth line fought tonight. Eric Godard, Craig Adams and Mike Rupp all dropped the gloves. The team responded to a good bit of Toronto goonery.
The Pens are four and one out of the gate. It hasn't always been pretty, but tonight was by far their best effort of the campaign to date.

Next up come the new-look Ottawa Senators in Kanata, Ontario on Monday night at 7:30.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Penguins venture north of the border to take on Leafs

2009-10-10T12:52:00.003-04:00

This one is a Hockey Night in Canada match with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs aren't a particularly good team, at least so far, but they've got a pretty deep blueline. In a few months, when newly acquired Phil Kessel arrives on the scene after mending an injury, their offense should pick up a bit, but they're anemic up front at the moment.

With injuries, the Leafs will be without Kessel, speedy forward Viktor Stalberg, Wayne Primeau and Mike Van Ryn. The Penguins are fully healthy with the exception of forward Max Talbot, out for at least another month and a half.

Marc-Andre Fleury handle the nets for Pittsburgh against Vesa Toskala for the Leafs.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Dupuis
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Goligoski-McKee

Fleury

Maple Leafs-

Ponikarovsky-Grabovsky-Kulemin
Blake-Stajan-Mayers
Hagman-Mitchell-Stempniak
Rosehill-Wallin-Orr

Beauchemin-Kaberle
Komisarek-White
Schenn-Finger

Toskala

Go Pens.

Bush-league antics not enough for Flyers as Pens take two points

2009-10-08T22:08:00.003-04:00

First of all, that was a big-time win. The Flyers are a very good team, and the Penguins outplayed them pretty easily and got a huge road win. The postgame garbage from the Flyers is generally to be expected, but if Scott Hartnell actually bit Kris Letang, it's one of the more disgusting things I've ever seen on a hockey rink, and I've seen a lot of them.

Jordan Staal was an animal. We might have something here with him on Evgeni Malkin's line. His goal reminded me of the one in Game 4 of last year's Finals.
Tyler Kennedy looked good. He had his usual energy, but his goal was particularly nice, whizzing around the Philly defense and cutting to the net for a nice redirection.
Sidney Crosby was 21 of 24 on faceoffs.
Staal, Bill Guerin, and Alex Goligoski all scored their first goals of the season. Goligoski's was more of a formality....
as Ray Emery and Braydon Coburn teamed up to score on themselves. Coburn was awful tonight, and Emery is shaky in general.
The Flyers' defense, even with Chris Pronger, is very mistake prone and unreliable.
Hartnell can expect serious retribution if he's not suspended the next time these teams meet. Nothing's certain, but if he bit Letang, he's a criminal.
"Crosby Sucks!"
Two points is two points, and it's nice to take them from anticipated competition for a divisional title like the Flyers. These are essentially four point games.

Next up come the Leafs on Saturday night on HNIC.

Pens drop a goose egg against Coyotes

2009-10-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

That was a dull game. There is really nothing good, or even terrible, that came out of it. Brent Johnson and Chris Bourque played well in their Penguins debuts, but the team didn't support Johnson's effort or produce any sustainable offense whatsoever.

Evgeni Malkin is playing terribly. He's been a virtual non-factor in the season's first three games. The same goes for Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin. These are three players that need to be effective if the Pens want to win hockey games.

Thursday night is a big time matchup in Philadelphia against the Flyers. I'd expect the Pens to come out with a bit more urgency and give the Flyers a game, though a loss would not be toally unexpected. The Flyers will want blood.

Go Pens.

Game 3- Phoenix Coyotes @ Penguins

2009-10-06T22:50:00.003-04:00

The Pens face a vastly inferior opponent at Mellon Arena on Wednesday night when the troubled Phoenix Coyotes come to town. The Coyotes won their first game against the Los Angeles Kings thanks to a productive night by Radim Vrbata, and the Penguins are 2-0 after weekend victories over the two New York squads.

Former Penguin Robert Lang, recently signed by the 'Yotes, centers their first line. Enforcer Paul Bissonnette, claimed away from Pittsburgh last week, may or may not be in the lineup, but it seems unlikely at this time.

Brent Johnson will get his first chance in goal for the Penguins, since the Coyotes aren't an immense goal scoring threat and, probably more importantly, the Penguins will be in Philadelphia for a very challenging game with the Flyers on Thursday night. Ilya Bryzgalov goes for Phoenix.

Penguins-

Kunitz- Crosby- Guerin
Fedotenko- Malkin- Dupuis
Cooke- Staal- Kennedy
Rupp- Adams- Godard

Orpik- Gonchar
Eaton- Letang
Goligoski- McKee

Johnson

Coyotes-

Boedker- Lang- Doan
Upshall- Lombardi- Mueller
Prucha- Hanzal- Vrbata
Winnik- Korpikoski- Fiddler

Sauer- Michalek
Jovanovski- Aucoin
Vandermeer- Yandle

Bryzgalov

Penguins squeak out two points on Long Island

2009-10-03T22:08:00.004-04:00

That was an odd hockey game. The defending Stanley Cup champions spent a lot of time behind against last year's league-worst New York Islanders, but they remained persistent and eventually got a few pucks behind Dwayne Roloson to secure a win and move to 2-0 on the season.

Some particulars...

John Tavares was awesome. He's been a thrill to watch in international competition with Canada, and he looked extraordinarily comfortable in his first meaningful NHL game. His goal was a perfect demonstration of his very tangible nose for the puck, and what a wicked backhander it was that he shelved over Marc-Andre Fleury. He and Kyle Okposo are going to be a scary tandem for the next decade or so.
Tyler Kennedy continued to play up-tempo, energetic hockey. Everything he touches turns into gold right now, whether it be a scoring chance or just an easy clear of his defensive zone. He has flat-out speed, and he can skate circles around defensemen.
Sidney Crosby is back to 2007-08 form. He's shooting the puck when opportunities present themselves, and he's burying the puck.
Bill Guerin needs to motivate himself and get going. He took a dumb penalty that nearly cost his team the game tonight, and though it's only been two games, he could not have been more of a non-factor in either of them.
Fleury kept his team in the game during a piss-poor second period.
Eric Godard and, to a lesser extent, Pascal Dupuis are both totally useless with the puck on their sticks. Dupuis is a crasher and a banger who can kill penalties fine, but if you want to waste a world-class talent like Geno Malkin, then Dupuis is the winger for you. Godard does not need to be in the lineup every night, and a player like Chris Bourque could do the Pens some good.
There's nothing wrong with team toughness, but Jay McKee and Malkin cost the Pens a goal with their little acts after Brendan Witt's beauty of a hit on Ruslan Fedotenko. There is a fine line between being a good teammate and being a dolt, and McKee crossed it.

The Pens are sitting at 2-0 with the highest winning percentage in the history of sports.
Next up are the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday at the Igloo.

Pens-Rangers thoughts; Pens-Islanders Preview

2009-10-03T10:53:00.003-04:00

The Penguins put in a workmanlike effort at home last night to beat the New York Rangers, 3-2.

Tyler Kennedy has developed into a really handy player. He was all over the ice, and everything he touched seemed to transform into a scoring opportunity.
Evgeni Malkin nor Sidney Crosby had great games, but they both made some offensive plays solely on talent and positioning to put the puck in the net.
Marc-Andre Fleury's save on Vinny Prospal in the second period was one of his top five of all-time.
Alex Goligoski looked supremely confident on the point.
The Penguins need to start burying golden chances off of odd-man rushes. They blew several last night, and probably should have had at least five goals.

Now, to look ahead to the Islanders tonight at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

This game, more importantly than anything, marks the NHL debut of teenaged wunderkind John Tavares. The OHL star was drafted first overall this past June, and has been dubbed "The Next, Next One" and the savior of the troubled Islanders franchise.

Marc-Andre Fleury will be in goal for the Penguins, likely against Dwayne Roloson for the Isles.

Penguins-

14 Chris Kunitz- 87 Sidney Crosby- 13 Bill Guerin
26 Ruslan Fedotenko- 71 Evgeni Malkin- 9 Pascal Dupuis
24 Matt Cooke- 11 Jordan Staal- 48 Tyler Kennedy
17 Michael Rupp- 27 Craig Adams- 28 Eric Godard

44 Brooks Orpik- 55 Sergei Gonchar
7 Mark Eaton- 58 Kris Letang
3 Alex Goligoski- 74 Jay McKee

29 Marc-Andre Fleury

Islanders-

16 John Sim- 12 Josh Bailey- 21 Kyle Okposo
13 Jeff Tambellini- 91 John Tavares- 57 Blake Comeau
26 Matt Moulson- 10 Richard Park- 20 Sean Bergenheim
40 Joel Rechlicz- 45 Nate Thompson- 28 Tim Jackman

2 Mark Streit- 8 Bruno Gervais
32 Brendan Witt- 24 Radek Martinek
44 Freddy Meyer- 25 Andy Sutton

30 Dwayne Roloson

Game 1- New York Rangers @ Penguins

2009-10-01T20:07:00.003-04:00

Everything begins anew for the Penguins at 7:38 on Friday night when the puck drops on the new season at Mellon Arena. The New York Rangers, complete with a projected 10 new faces from last season, will be in town and take a go at putting a damper on the evening's banner-raising spectacle and subsequent hockey game.

Half the fun of this one comes in the pregame. The Penguins will have their normal home opener shtick for a little while, which will be accompanied by the raising of last season's Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup championship banners, with the possibility of a designation for another Pittsburgh Art Ross winner, Evgeni Malkin.

As for the game itself, the Rangers should provide a handful for the Pens. Although they've hardly ever won in the Igloo over the last few years, there's been a lot of roster turnover under GM Glen Sather, so it's tough to say how this group of Blueshirts will respond to opening up and what has really been a house of horrors for them.

Free agent signing Marian Gaborik, at least for now, is healthy, and provides a real scoring threat. Rookies center Artem Anisimov and defenseman Mike Del Zotto are two young Rangers who could be pretty entertaining to watch, though hopefully not in this game.

Sidney Crosby is anticipated to be back at close to 100% from a preseason groin ailment. Newly claimed waiver wire pickup Chris Bourque may or may not be in the lineup, but I'd guess the latter since the Rangers will be dressing enforcer Donald Brashear, a trendy counterpart for Pens tough guy Eric Godard over time.

Penguins-

14 Chris Kunitz- 87 Sidney Crosby- 13 Bill Guerin
26 Ruslan Fedotenko- 71 Evgeni Malkin- 9 Pascal Dupuis
24 Matt Cooke- 11 Jordan Staal- 48 Tyler Kennedy
28 Eric Godard- 27 Craig Adams- 17 Michael Rupp

44 Brooks Orpik- 55 Sergei Gonchar
7 Mark Eaton- 58 Kris Letang
3 Alex Goligoski- 74 Jay McKee

29 Marc-Andre Fleury

Rangers-

10 Marian Gaborik- 17 Brandon Dubinsky- 20 Vinny Prospal
21 Chris Higgins- 23 Chris Drury- 24 Ryan Callahan
81 Enver Lisin- 42 Artem Anisimov- 12 Ales Kotalik
87 Donald Brashear- 22 Brian Boyle- 34 Aaron Voros

18 Marc Staal- 6 Wade Redden
33 Michal Rozsival- 97 Matt Gilroy
4 Michael Del Zotto- 5 Dan Girardi

30 Henrik Lundqvist

Penguins claim Bourque off waivers from Capitals; "Biz Nasty" grabbed by Phoenix

2009-09-30T15:39:00.004-04:00

The Penguins today claimed winger Chris Bourque off of waivers from the Washington Capitals. Borque, the son of all-millennium defenseman Raymond Bourque, is an offensively minded forward with very good potential for a waiver claim. He's never quite put it all together or been able to stick to an NHL roster, so he makes for an interesting reclamation project of sorts.

Also, enforcer Paul Bissonnette, a longtime mainstay in the Penguins' farm system, was claimed by the ~~Hamilton Tigers~~ Phoenix Coyotes. Bissonnette will have a significantly easier go at making an NHL roster there, so it's not a terrible thing for his careeer.

Bourque will start the year in Pittsburgh.

Penguins officially set roster

2009-09-29T21:30:00.005-04:00

The Penguins have officially set their roster for opening night on Friday against the New York Rangers. Newly signed Martin Skoula is on it as the seventh defenseman, which means that Deryk Engelland and Nate Guenin are in Wilkes Barre after clearing waivers. Joining them there are Ryan Bayda, Chris Conner and Paul Bissonnette. Ben Lovejoy and Max Talbot start the year on injured reserve.

Here's the lineup for Friday night, assuming center Sidney Crosby returns from a preseason groin ailment:

14 Chris Kunitz- 87 Sidney Crosby- 13 Bill Guerin
26 Ruslan Fedotenko- 71 Evgeni Malkin- 48 Tyler Kennedy
09 Pascal Dupuis- 11 Jordan Staal- 24 Matt Cooke
17 Michael Rupp- 27 Craig Adams- 28 Eric Godard

44 Brooks Orpik- 55 Sergei Gonchar
07 Mark Eaton- 58 Kris Letang
03 Goligoski- 74 McKee

29 Marc-Andre Fleury
01 Brent Johnson

Skoula is the seventh defenseman and the only extra that Pens will carry off the bat.

Skoula signs; several Pens placed on waivers?

2009-09-29T16:49:00.002-04:00

The Penguins today signed defenseman Martin Skoula, a defensive but balanced blueliner who will start the year as the team's seventh defenseman. He signed a one-year deal, and seems to have automatically leapfrogged Deryk Engelland and Nate Guenin in competition for the final defensive roster spot.

Skoula may be the Penguins' only extra player to start the regular season on Friday. For salary cap-related reasons, reports are coming out from Jon Bombulie that forwards Chris Conner, Ryan Bayda, Paul Bissonnette, defensemen Engelland and Guenin have all been cut from the NHL roster and exposed to waivers. If these players clear, they will all report to Wilkes Barre and the AHL.

This is not confirmed yet, but it is interesting.

Bayda inks one year deal with Pens

2009-09-28T21:20:00.002-04:00

The Penguins today signed grinder Ryan Bayda to a one year, two-way contract. Bayda was in training camp on a tryout basis, and he earned a deal through a nice preseason showing and camp effort. This signing puts Bayda on even terms with Chris Conner and Paul Bissonnette in the soon-to-be-decided race for the final forward roster spot, assuming there is one more spot to be had up front.

Bayda has spent the last few years with the Carolina Hurricanes organization.

Several longshots remain in competiton for final two roster spots

2009-09-26T13:57:00.002-04:00

The Penguins are expected to keep two more players on their final roster that will start the season in six days at Mellon Arena against the New York Rangers. Preliminarily, those players will fill the roles of a seventh defenseman and twelfth/thirteenth forward, which means they'll spend several games in the press box this season.

Defensemen Nate Guenin and Deryk Engelland and forwards Chris Conner, Ryan Bayda, and Paul Bissonnette are the final five players competing for NHL jobs, with two of them likely to make the team.

The Pittsburgh proudct Guenin seems to have the inside track on the seventh defensive spot, thanks to a strong preseason and the fact that he doesn't have much to gain from more time in the AHL, where he's played for the last several years.

Conner and Bayda are the two most likely candidates for the last forward spot. If the Penguins elect to take a more offensive angle, Conner will make the team and probably play on the third line with Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke, as Tyler Kennedy moves up to Evgeni Malkin's line. If the team opts for a more defensively oriented, tougher approach, Bayda, or potentially the pugilistic Bissonnette, will make the roster.

A lot will be determined tomorrow evening in Detroit when the Pens return to the Motor City for their final preseason game.

Changes at PTF

2009-09-21T22:22:00.003-04:00

For the upcoming season, game previews will remain relatively unchanged, but recaps will take a slightly different formation. I'll be posting up thoughts and observations on the happenings between the glass, rather than just a conventional recap, which would be completely unoriginal and available on any number of websites.

Due to a recent stroke of good luck that has resulted in my family winning Penguins season tickets in a raffle (best five dollars we've ever spent), there will be a slight delay from time to time in the posting of the recaps, since I might not be home from the games yet.

Go Pens.

Sorry for short-changing you in the preseason. The half-assing will stop on October 2nd.

Preseason Game 2- Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs

2009-09-18T17:39:00.002-04:00

Not a whole lot to talk about for this game. We'll get a look at Konstantin Pushkarev, Nick Johnson, and Luca Caputi. Awesome. Billy Thomas is in the lineup for the Leafs.

Penguins-

Caputi-Malkin-Kennedy
Cooke-Smith-Guerin
Pushkarev-Adams-N.Johnson
Bissonnette-Rupp-Wallace

Orpik-Lovejoy
Goligoski-Guenin
Lee-Letang

Fleury
B.Johnson

Leafs-

Stalberg-Stajan-Slaney
Blake-Allison-Tlusty
Foster-Brent-Thomas
Mayers-Mitchell-Boyce

Exelby-White
Finger-Mikus
Gunnarson-Rogers

MacDonald
Reimer

Go Pens.

Crosby's line takes over in OT win to start preseason

2009-09-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

Preseason recaps will be generally short, and this is no exception.

Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz each had two goals, and Chris Conner added another as the Penguins won 5-4 at Mellon Arena tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kunitz's goals were the final two of the game, tying it up and ending it an overtime. In a comedy of errors, Columbus netminder Dan LaCosta gave up a whopping five goals in roughly one period of play.

Eric Tangradi, making his NHL debut, played very physically and chipped in assists on both of Crosby's goals.

Box.

Preseason Game 1- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Penguins

2009-09-14T22:35:00.003-04:00

The Penguins open up preseason play on Tuesday night when they play host to the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets, who made the playoffs for the first time in their existence last season. The game was moved up to accommodate the upcoming G-20 Summit in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Jackets are bringing along a young team full of prospects trying to make the roster. Former Penguin Mathieu Garon will make the trip, and will probably share time with Dan LaCosta in goal. Columbus' first round pick, John Moore, will make his NHL debut.

For the Pens, their top two prospects, Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres, will be in the lineup, and playing in prominent roles on the top forward line and defensive pairings.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Tangradi
Dupuis-Staal-Fedotenko
Conner-Jeffrey-Bayda
Sill-Vitale-Godard

Despres-Gonchar
Eaton-Engelland
McKee-Bortuzzo

Fleury
Thiessen

Blue Jackets-

Filatov-Brassard-Mayorov
Umberger-Vermette-Voracek
Picard-Murray-Dorsett
Sestito-Blunden-Boll

Russell-Methot
Lynch-Roy
Moore-Clitsome

Garon
LaCosta

Go Pens.

Three preseason games set for television on NHL Network

2009-09-12T15:19:00.003-04:00

The Penguins will have three televised preseason games on the American NHL Network in September. The dates are the 21st, 22nd, and 31st against Toronto, Montreal, and Detroit.

Of slightly more note, players are trickling into Pittsburgh for the start of training camp. Summer break for the blog is officially over, and the bloggers will get back into the swing of things just as the players will.

Top 15 Penguins Prospects Rankings

2009-08-17T09:58:00.011-04:00

I've seen quite a few lists ranking the Pens' prospects lately, and I disagree with a lot of them. So, since I find myself to have a decent grasp on the realm of minor hockey, here is Penguins That Fly's list of the top 15 Pittsburgh Penguins prospects going into the 2009-2010 season.

Note that Alex Goligoski is not included in the list. That is by design, is he is more of a player than a prospect at this point. There is little left unknown about him, so he's off the list.

Listed next to the player's name is his position, team he played for last season, league he played in, and how he was acquired by the Penguins. I feel that my analysis after 15 would be too based on personal opinion.

1. Eric Tangradi - F - Belleville Bulls, OHL- trade w/ Anaheim
Tangradi is a slam dunk for this spot. He lit up the OHL last year as captain of the Belleville Bulls, so it was a bit of a surprise that Ray Shero was able to get him out of Anaheim along with Chris Kunitz in the Ryan Whitney trade. Tangradi is a big kid, around 6'3'', and he's a prototypical power forward. Player Comparision: Ryan Malone.

2. Simon Despres - D - St. John Sea Dogs, QMJHL- 2009 1st round draft pick
Despres has an impressive pedigree, and some of us were absolutely thrilled when he fell to the Penguins at the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. I had him going 17th overall to the St. Louis Blues, and very few mock drafts had him as low as he went. He stands 6'4'' and is every bit of 200 pounds. He's very mobile for a defenseman his size, and his puck moving game
progressed tremendously last season, with his assist total doubling. He is, above all else, a defensive defenseman. Player Comparison: Jonathan Ericsson.

3. Alex Grant - D - Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL- 2007 4th round draft pick
Grant was actually a teammate of Despres' for a year and a half while both played in St. John, but Grant was dealt around the QMJHL trade deadline to Shawinigan, where he played deep into the playoffs. Grant has an offensive side to him that makes him dangerous. He skates very well and has a strong burst. He can join the offensive rush, but he's not a defensive liability by any means. Player Comparison: Brad Stuart.

4. Keven Veilleux - F - Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL- 2007 2nd round pick
Veilleux's natural skill level is higher than any other prospect in the system, including Tangradi. When he's on, he has proven that he can tear apart QMJHL defenses. The major red flags with Veilleux are his consistency and work ethic. He often elects not to use his teammates, which gets him into trouble. He's 6'4'', fast, and capable of playing all three forward positions. If he pans out, which is a gigantic if, he'll be a great asset to the Penguins. Player Comparison- Olli Jokinen.

5. Brian Strait - D - Boston University, NCAA- 2006 3rd round pick
After winning a national championship with the Terriers last season, Strait made the decision to leave BU and turn pro. Strait is another very pure defensive blueliner who will not give you much in the opposition's end of the ice. Strait plays an incredibly simple style of hockey and rarely makes mistakes. He has proven he can play in a shutdown role, both with BU and the US U18NDT. Player Comparison- Rob Scuderi.

6. Luca Caputi - F - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - 2007 4th round pick
Like Tangradi, Caputi was a big star in the OHL with the Mississauga Ice Dogs. Also like Tangradi, he's big, mean, and good around the net. Where the two players differ however, is in Caputi's crumby skating. He has limited burst and a choppy stride. He's too slow, and that will probably limit him to a third line role in the NHL. He's a good bet to make the NHL at some point, albeit not in as prominent a spot as most Pens fans think he should be in. Player Comparison: Fernando Pisani.

7. Dustin Jeffrey - F - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - 2007 6th round pick
Jeffrey got a brief tryout with the big club last year when the Penguins were riddled with injuries, and he was a bright spot on a team that was playing pretty terribly. He is an excellent faceoff man, which the Penguins lack now that Mike Zigomanis is gone. With Mike Rupp, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Godard and Craig Adams already in the NHL, Jeffrey will probably spend another season in Wilkes Barre. He's very likely to make the team in 2010. Player Comparison: Blair Betts.

7. Ben Lovejoy - D - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - signed as undrafted free agent
Lovejoy is a pure defensive defenseman. In the NHL, he is good for ten points per season, most of which will be assists. However, when he plays within his limits, Lovejoy is a very serviceable bottom pairing defenseman. He won't make many mistakes, and you'll barely notice him, which isn't a bad thing. Player Comparison: Ossi Vaananen.

8. Ben Hanowski - F - Little Falls High School, Minnesota - 2009 3rd round pick
Hanowski put up absurd numbers in high school, all most averaging four points per game. There's no guarantee that high school studs, even in Minnesota, will carry their success with them to the pro game, but Hanowski has definite potential. He can shoot, pass, and even play physically. His skating could stand to improve, though. Again, he's no guarantee, but he's someone to keep an eye on. Player Comparison: Thomas Vanek.

9. Casey Pierro-Zabotel - F - Vancouver Giants, WHL - 2007 3rd round pick
CPZ has become a bit overrated because of his absurd numbers in the WHL last year playing alongside top draft pick Evander Kane, now of the Atlanta Thrashers. He played as an overager, regularly going up against kids three years younger than him. At that level, age makes a big difference. Like Hanowski, he has potential. His area of specialty is around the crease, where he uses his frame and hand-eye to make things happen. He isn't a can't-miss prospect, though, and it's not wise to expect him to pan out into a top six forward. Player Comparison: Tomas Holmstrom.

10. Nick Johnson - F - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - 2004 3rd round pick
Johnson is unspectacular, but he has some deceptive speed and talent that could turn him into a decent third line player who can pinch in on a second line in the NHL. He's no sure thing, but Johnson gives a hardy effort every night and won't be pushed around. He could be a potential dark horse to make the team out of camp, a la Paul Bissonnette in 2008. Player Comparison: Tyler Kennedy.

11. Phillip Samuelsson - D - Chicago Steel, USHL - 2009 2nd round pick
He was overshadowed in his junior career by fellow Steel blueliner John Moore, but Samuelsson is a quality defensive defenseman. He doesn't have the same edge and tenacity that his father, Ulf, did, but he's steady and reliable. He projects to be completely inept offensively, but his shortcomings can be hidden if he does his job in his own end. Player Comparison: Adam Pardy.

12. Nathan Moon - F - Kingston Frontenacs, OHL- 2008 4th round pick
Moon is a wild card because his future could be anywhere from a top six winger to fourth line center to complete bust. He has played all three forward positions. He has a history of attitude issues, but Kingston coach Doug Gilmour is said to have straightened him out in that regard. He's an agitator, but has a decent set of hands on him and can put the puck in the net. Player Comparison: Ryan Callahan.

13. Joe Vitale - F - Northeastern, NCAA - 2005 7th round pick
Vitale's ceiling, should he get there, will be as a fourth line center who is productive on faceoffs. He plays his game with an edge, though, and can be a useful player when deployed correctly. He's never done much offensively at any level, so he shouldn't be expected to do so in the NHL if he makes it there. Player Comparison: Boyd Gordon.

14. Brad Thiessen - G - Northeastern, NCAA - undrafted free agent
Thiessen was a Hobey Baker finalist last year as a teammate of Vitale's at Northeastern last year. After the season, Thiessen, who was somehow never drafted, joined the Penguins as a taxi squad goaltender for the playoff run. He'll challenge John Curry for the starting job in Wilkes Barre this season, and then presumably, the same two players will be in competition to backup Marc-Andre Fleury in 2010. He's a very energetic, athletic netminder. Player Comparison: Joey MacDonald.

15. Nick Petersen - F - Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL, 2009 4th round pick
Petersen exploded for 90 points last year in the "Q," good for a 60 percent increase on his point total from two years ago. He plays an up-tempo game and, obviously, has a nose for the net. He's a good passer, but only a fair skater. His ceiling is pretty unclear at this point, but he's a person of interest. Player Comparison: Dan Cleary.

Tangradi should be given every opportunity to play on Malkin's line

2009-08-15T11:06:00.003-04:00

When Max Talbot had shoulder surgery in the wake of his epic performance that bolstered the Penguins to a Game 7 win in the Stanley Cup Finals, he left what was initially thought to be a short-term void in the Penguins' lineup. With Talbot playing on the right wing on Evgeni Malkin's line, the Penguins had a quick fix that worked quite well for the last two and a half rounds of the postseason. Now, with Talbot injured, there are several candidates with an opportunity to replace Talbot over the long-haul.

Talbot's a fine complimentary player, but in spite of his playoff effort, he is simply not a top six winger by any stretch of imagination. Talbot belongs as the Penguins' fourth line center, or conceivably, a third line winger. Whoever takes over for him will be given every opportunity to stick in that spot over the long-term.

There's been a lot of debate as to who should be plugged in for Talbot on opening night in October. Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal and Pascal Dupuis have been highly speculated as possibilities, but Eric Tangradi has been largely ignored by observers who don't think he'll be an NHL-ready player at that point in time, either because of a hand injury suffered in the OHL playoffs last season, or because he is simply too young and unseasoned.

I, however, fully endorse that Tangradi gets the job to lose it when training camp opens up in September. All indications point to Tangradi's hand rehab going smoothly, and as one can easily tell by listening to him speak, he oozes the self-confidence necessary for a young player to compete in the world's greatest league.

The 20 year old Tangradi is a big man (or should I say, kid) at 6 feet-3 inches and about 215 pounds. He is highly unlikely to be pushed around by NHL defensemen, who will admittedly be faster and stronger than anything he's ever seen before.

He has more natural skill than any of the other players who could vie for the spot on Malkin's line, and because of his age and talent level, Tangradi could be much more than a short-term replacement for Talbot. He could be Malkin's power forward winger for years to come, replacing the departed Ryan Malone, who worked so well on Malkin's wing in the 2007-2008 season.

While Tangradi is a natural left winger and the vacancy on Malkin's line is at right wing, I don't see any reason why Tangradi couldn't make a quick adjustment. Tangradi's greatest contributions will come down low and in front of the net anyway, where his handness and position are largely irrelevant. It's not as if Tangradi is a perimeter sniper who needs to be on the left side of the ice to take quality shots and generate offense.

If the experiment with Tangradi on Malkin's wing completely flopped, the Penguins would be left with options. Tangradi could use his blue-collar mentality and strength to move down to one of the lower two lines and contribute in a grinding role for some time, or, since he's on a two-way contract, he could be sent to the AHL for additional seasoning in a top six role.

This is a low-risk, high reward proposition.

Also posted on Faceoff-Factor.com with the author's permission.

PTF returns to action

2009-08-09T14:03:00.001-04:00

I got home from a few weeks away today. Just a notification that we'll be back in full swing soon.

PTF taking a break for three weeks

2009-07-17T23:36:00.001-04:00

I'll be out of town without a computer or internet access for roughly three weeks, leaving on Sunday, July 19th. The blog will be back in full force for next season, but I'm gone for a little while.

Have a great end of your summer!

NHL releases regular season schedules

2009-07-15T17:55:00.006-04:00

...and the Pens open up with their homecoming banner-raising game on Friday, October 2nd against the New York Rangers. Personally, I'd have preferred the Capitals or Flyers, but the Rangers aren't a terribly team to bring in for such an historic event as a banner ceremony. Hopefully, the Rangers will be brought onto the ice to watch the celebration take place prior to the game.

The next night, Saturday, the Pens take their show on to the road to the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island to face the next "Next One," top overall draft pick John Tavares. That will be quite the show, as Tavares has a friendship with Sidney Crosby, who was in a similar spot to Tavares four years ago. Like Crosby, Tavares walks onto the worst team in the league, a team that also faces an uphill struggle to get a new arena deal done securing its long-term future in its region.

I'm excited for that one, and I hope Tavares has success in that game short of getting a "W."

Pittsburgh will meet Minnesota, Anaheim and of course, Detroit, two times apiece from the Western Conference. Some kind of a rivalry, as you might imagine, is developing between the Pens and Wings. Fortunately, this year, the Pens will be the ones with the Cup.

There is also a western Canadian swing with three games against Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

The full schedule is right here. It's also screen capped below (read clockwise):

Pens sign Jay McKee

2009-07-12T23:35:00.003-04:00

Obviously, I've been busy and kind of missed the bell on reporting this one. The offseason is dull.

I like this signing. McKee is an upgrade on Hal Gill, and his positional play and steadiness will be a nice compliment on the third pairing with Alex Goligoski. For 8/10 of a million dollars on a one year deal, this is a no risk-high reward contract engineered by Ray Shero.

Shero has a had a fine offseason, and it will be complete once he fills the backup goaltender spot recently vacated by veteran Mathieu Garon, who signed with the Blue Jackets.

Reviewing the Pens' Stanley Cup Champions DVD

2009-07-08T14:27:00.002-04:00

A few days ago, I received an email from a representative of Dan Klores Communications, the company that was about to put out the DVD commemorating the Penguins' run through the playoffs all the way to the franchise's third Stanley Cup championship. The man told me that he'd send me a free copy of the movie if I agreed to review it on the blog, and quite frankly, I was skeptical at first because I thought it was all a scam. Of course, it was not, and the disc showed up in the mail at about 11:00 this morning. What followed was the best hour and ten minutes or so of my week.

The DVD was excellent. It takes us through the regular season rather quickly in a bit less than half the total time of the film, but it paints a good picture of everything that goes on throughout the year. It didn't cut any corners, and it didn't seem as rushed as one might think, being as it was done on such short time (less than a month).

There are several players, coaches, front office people and media members that are interviewed throughout the movie as a supplement to the narrarator, who was somewhat robotic but still tolerable to listen to. Sidney Crosby, Dan Bylsma, Ray Shero, Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko, Hal Gill, Tyler Kennedy, Mark Eaton, Max Talbot, Kris Letang, Craig Adams, Brooks Orpik, Mathieu Garon, Phil Borque, Dan Potash, and even Pierre McGuire are featured throughout.

Some interesting anecdotes are covered rather extensively, most prominently the now famous Mario Lemieux text message to the team after their disheartening Game 5 loss in the Finals.

The bonus features are solid. There's a video documenting every heroic goal throughout the playoffs, a quick montage of the best goals and saves in the league from the entire season, parade coverage, Game 7 postgame interviews, and my personal favorite, a ten minute "mic'd up" session with Bill Guerin at the team's practice between Game 6 and 7 against Detroit.

It's an absolute must-have for any serious Penguins fan who wants physical documentation all in one place of the very memorable 2008-2009 campaign.

Penguins' Cup Champions DVD to be released on July 7th

2009-07-04T00:56:00.007-04:00

The Pens will release their official Stanley Cup Champions seasonal review DVD on Tuesday, July 7th. Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy will be on hand at two separate locations to sign autographs and take pictures with fans who show up to purchase the DVD.

Kris Letang
Donaldsons Crossroads Giant Eagle
4007 Washington Road
McMurray, PA 15317-2520
Signing will take place from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
**Please note that fans must purchase a copy of the DVD to receive an autograph

Tyler Kennedy
Dick’s Sporting Goods
The Mall at Robinson
5000 Robinson Centre Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Signing will take place from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
**Please note that fans must purchase a copy of the DVD to receive an autograph

The DVD will include wireless microphone sound bytes of forward Bill Guerin at practice, a "best of" segment featuring the premiere moments from around the NHL during the season, live highlights of all overtime goals scored in the playoffs from all teams, the Penguins' celebration after Game 7 in Detroit and finally, an in-depth look at the team's victory parade through downtown Pittsburgh.

Fedotenko re-signed; Pens add depth defenseman

2009-07-03T15:10:00.002-04:00

Ruslan Fedotenko today signed another one year deal with the Penguins to go for another Stanley Cup. His salary for the coming season will be $1,800,000, thus carrying a cap hit of 1.8. He took a $450,000 pay cut to remain with the team, as he made $2,250,000 with a 2.5 cap hit last season.

Ray Shero also signed local defenseman Nate Guenin of Sewickley, PA, to a two-way contract for one year that will pay him roughly a half million dollars if he plays in the NHL next year, which is a fairly unlikely prospect at this point in time. He has spent the last few years in the Flyers' system.

The Pens now have a shade under three million dollars to sign a backup goalie and sixth and seventh defensemen. John Curry will likely be that goalie and Ben Lovejoy one of the defensemen.

Penguins sign Mike Rupp

2009-07-01T17:59:00.002-04:00

The Pens have signed hulking forward Mike Rupp, formerly of the New Jersey Devils. A fourth liner, Rupp will make $850,000,000 per year over the span of a two year contract. Rupp figures to play on the Penguins bottom line along with Craig Adams and another player.

The deal likely means the imminent departure of one or both of Pascal Dupuis and Eric Godard from Pittsburgh, as the Pens have a surplus of fourth line grinders that hurts them against the salary cap of 56.8 million dollars.

Shero inks Guerin, Adams to extensions

2009-06-30T00:15:00.002-04:00

Bill Guerin and Craig Adams respectively signed one and two year contract extensions with the Penguins and GM Ray Shero today. With the signings complete, the Pens now have $50,493,000 committed to 17 players on one-way deals. That leaves Shero with $6,307,000 to spend on a backup goalie, top six winger, sixth and seventh defensemen, and a fourth line-caliber forward.

Guerin took a massive pay cut from his last deal which payed him 4.5 million dollars all the way down to two million flat on his new one. Adams' took a 500K reduction, and his new yearly salary is 550K per year over two years.

To fill the remaining positions on the team, restricted free agent defenseman Ben Lovejoy will almost certainly be on the roster come opening night, as will young centerman Dustin Jeffrey. RFA John Curry is very much in the running to back up Marc-Andre Fleury.

Most likely, one or none of Ruslan Fedotenko and Rob Scuderi will be brought back to fill another one of the spots, either top six winger for Fedotenko or bottom pairing defenseman for Scuderi.

Pens make six more picks at NHL Entry Draft

2009-06-27T13:36:00.004-04:00

In round two with the 61st overall pick, the Pens went off the board a bit to select Phillip Samuelsson, son of former Penguin Ulf. Samuelsson is a defensive defenseman from the Chicago Steel of the USHL.

In round three, they selected Ben Hanowski with the 63rd overall pick. Hanowski, of Minnesota, was the most prolific high school scorer in the history of the State of Hockey. Personally, this was my favorite pick of the day.

In round four, they selected right wing Nick Peterson of the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.

The Pens traded goalie Chad Johnson to the Rangers for pick 151. They used that on Andy Bathgate of Belleville of the OHL.

In round five, they took the son of former NHLer Randy Velischek, Alex, a defensive defenseman from New Jersey on his way to Providence to play college hockey next season.

In round six, they nabbed another defenseman, Viktor Ebom. No information on him from me.

In the seventh round, the Pens held the "Mr. Irrelevant" pick. However, they traded it to the Montreal Canadiens for a return that hasn't yet been specified. It sounds like nothing.

Penguins nab blueliner Despres with 30th overall selection

2009-06-26T23:13:00.005-04:00

I had Simon Despres going 17th overall in this draft, so I'm absolutely thrilled that the Pens were able to get him with the 30th pick. He's a big, strong, physical, mobile, reliable defenseman who makes an outstanding first pass out of his own zone. Personally, he reminds me of Jonathan Ericsson. Despres had 32 points last year, all but two of them assists, for the St. John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior League.

Despres has played two years in the "Q" now, and odds are he will return to Quebec for another year in that league. He's not a terribly lengthy project considering how late he was selected. Two or three years from now, expect Despres to figure in prominently on the Pens' defensive corps.

His childhood idol was Mario Lemieux.

The following are defensemen that I see Despres as playing a similar game to:

Brooks Orpik
Mike Komisarek
Jonathan Ericsson
Anton Volchenkov

Other notables from the day:

-Chris Pronger and Ryan Dingle going to Philadelphia for Luca Sbisa, Joffrey Lupul, and two first round picks. Considering that Sbisa was a first rounder last year, the Flyers are giving up Lupul and three consecutive firsts for an aging defenseman going into the last year of his contract. Pronger's a prototypical Flyer in that he is big, mean, and dirty as Hell, but this is a major mortgage on the future

-John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duchene going 1-2-3, as expected.

-Jordan Schroeder falling all the way to the Canucks at 22nd overall. Most every mock draft had Schroeder in the top 15. He's a small guy, but I have a problem with the fact that he fell that far.

-Landon Ferraro, Stefan Elliott, Ryan O'Reilly, and Zach Budish falling all the way out of the first round. It's beyond me how nobody took Elliott and Budish, yet Marcus Johansson and Nick Leddy still found themselves with new teams.

The Penguins have another big day ahead of them tomorrow with rounds two through seven on the horizon. Ray Shero and his staff hold six picks over the course of the day, including the famous "Mr. Irrelevant" slot that will conclude the weekend's festivities. The Pens had lost picks in the Bill Guerin and Hal Gill trades, but the horribly mismanaged Tampa Bay Lightning were kind enough to give them back 3rd and 5th round picks for negotiating rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts plus a failed defensive prospect in Michael Sersen.

61st overall (2nd round)
63rd overall (3rd round from Tampa Bay)
121st overall (4th round)
123rd overall (5th round from Tampa Bay)
181st overall (6th round)
211th overall (7th round)

Tomorrow is a huge day for restocking a somewhat dry Pittsburgh pipeline.

Pens hold 30th pick in Friday's draft

2009-06-25T23:02:00.003-04:00

On Friday night, the NHL Entry Draft will take place in Montreal, Quebec. Ray Shero and the Penguins hold the 30th pick as a result of their Stanley Cup victory. Odds are the best player available at that juncture will be a winger, but names like Dylan Olsen, Tim Erixon, and Stefan Elliott have been rumored to potentially fall to them.

Here's PTF's mock draft, from rounds one to three.

Penguins Projected Selections-

30. LW Carl Klingberg (Sweden)
61. LW Erik Haula (Finland)
63. RW Anton Rodin (Sweden)

Round 1-

1. Islanders- John Tavares
Tavares proves too good for Garth Snow to pass up, and the Islanders get a franchise center who immediately becomes the face of the franchise

2. Lightning- Victor Hedman
Hedman is the easy pick for the Bolts. He'll provide disaster relief for the most abysmal defense in the NHL.

3. Avalanche- Matt Duchene
A selection purely based on value, Duchene will nicely compliment Stastny, Wolski, and Smyth in what could be a lethal top six.

4. Thrashers- Brayden Schenn
-Barring another epic failure by Don Waddell, Kovalchuk finally gets his center in the form of the younger Schenn brother.

5. Kings- Evander Kane
-The Kings pick up a future second line center who could form a nice one-two punch down the middle with Kopitar.

6. Coyotes- Magnus Paajarvi Svensson
-An electrifying talent, MSP would look fantastic along with young talented forwards like Mueller, Boedker, Lisin, and Tikhonov.

7. Leafs- Jordan Schroeder
-Even though Burke missed out on Tavares, he can get a poor man's JT in Schroeder, whose playmaking and scoring prowess more than makes up for his small stature.

8. Stars- Jared Cowen
-Another pure value pick. Cowen has had injury problems, but his Pronger-esque tenacity and size will do wonders for whoever takes him.

9. Senators- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
-Bryan Murray took a similar Swedish defenseman last year in Erik Karlsson, and OEL could pair with his countryman on an elite young puck-moving blue line.

10. Oilers- Dmitri Kulikov
-Kulikov, who has moved quickly up draft charts, impressed a lot of people at the Memorial Cup and helps the Oilers get younger on the back end.

11. Predators- Scott Glennie
-Not only can Glennie fly, but he's also got a nice package of grit, toughness, and goal scoring. He can play all three forward positions in whatever style Randy Carlyle likes, and he'd be excellent along with Andrew Ebbett in the future.

12. Wild- Nazem Kadri
-Kadri's stock has fallen a bit, but the Wild take him on shear talent alone. With Todd Richards likely to implement a more aggressive offensive system, Kadri should fit right in.

13. Sabres- John Moore
-Moore might be the best all around defenseman in this draft after Hedman. He's big, strong, mobile, and most importantly, smart.

14. Panthers- Ryan Ellis
-Ellis' stock has probably gone down a bit just because of his 5'9'' frame, but his excellent offensive capabilities should keep him in the top 15.

15. Ducks- Zack Kassian
-Another chart climber, Kassian fits a power forward mold perfectly. His emotion, grit, and skill will do wonders for a somewhat anemic Predator offense.

16. Jackets- Carter Ashton
-Ashton is another prototypical power forward, and the Jackets really don't have any of those in their prospect pool. Adding him in with Filatov, Voracek, and Brassard sets the Jackets up for a top-of-the-line forward group in a few years.

17. Blues- Simon Despres
-Despres is another mean defender in the Pronger/Stevens mold, obviously on a smaller scale. He'd add another dimension to a young defense that already boasts the likes of Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo.

18. Canadiens- Jacob Josefson
-The Habs need help, well, everywhere, and Josefson can give it to them. He's a bit too soft for my liking, but Montreal has never had any problem with that. He's a versatile playmaker who fills one of their many needs.

19. Rangers- Chris Kreider
-The Rangers have a fair forward pipeline as is, and Kreider would only strengthen it...literally. He's a tough kid who can score goals. From a Pens fan perspective, it would be scary to see the Rangers with Kreider, Grachev, and Anisimov together if they all hittheir potential.

20. Flames- Louis Leblanc
-By all accounts, Leblanc plays larger than his size and skates exceptionally well. Together with Mikael Backlund, he would give the Flames a few very respectable future pivots at center.

21. Flyers- David Rundblad
-The Flyers almost have to take a defenseman here just to balance out their disproportionate talent pool and give themselves some chance to stop the big guns in their division. Rundblad would do that for them.

22. Canucks- Stefan Elliott
-Elliott is a two-way defenseman who always takes care of business in his defensive zone. Mike Gillis is familiar with him from his days in the WHL, and he could fill in fairly well for Mathias Ohlund down the line.

23. Devils- Ryan O'Reilly
-The Devils don't have a system loaded with talent really at any position, and O'Reilly should help them out. He's a playmaker first, and that's quite helpful when you have an organization with Parise, Bergfors, Elias, and Tedenby in it.

24. Capitals- Landon Ferraro
-The Capitals are rather well-stocked organizationally all over the lot, but their biggest deficiency is a lack of a second line center. They'll hope Ferraro can end those woes.

25. Bruins- Kyle Palmieri
-Palmieri is a sensible value pick at this slot. With question marks surrounding Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins would do well to add Palmieri to their pipeline.

26. Islanders- Peter Holland
- The Islanders should load up on as much talent as they can get their hands on and take the best player available with all of their picks. That player is Holland at this point in the draft.

27. Hurricanes- Jordan Caron
-Caron is very versatile and can help a team in a lot ways. The Canes have a ton of offensive talent on their team and in their system. Caron can compliment any foward nicely.

28. Blackhawks- Zach Budish
Budish is a big, mean winger who can play in a similar mold to the Hawks' Dustin Byfuglien.

29. Red Wings- Tim Erixon
-The Red Wings always find their gems in Sweden, and Erixon is just another one of them. Carl Klingberg, also of Sweden, is another option.

30. Penguins- Carl Klingberg
-The aforementioned Klingberg is a big winger with a right handed shot. He's mobile for his 6'3'' size and can shoot very well. He's a great pick for the Penguins if he's there.

Round 2-

31. Islanders- Ethan Werek
32. Lightning- Calvin de Haan
33. Avalanche- Drew Shore
34. Thrashers- Dylan Olsen
35. Kings- Richard Panik
36. Coyotes- Toni Rajala
37. Islanders- Olivier Roy
38. Stars- Jeremy Morin
39. Senators- Nick Leddy
40. Oilers- Jakob Silfverberg
41. Predators- Tomas Tatar
42. Predators- Joonas Nattinen
43. Sharks Charles Olivier-Roussel
44. Panthers- Zach Button
45. Thrashers-Marcus Johansson
46. Senators-Dmitri Orlov
47. Rangers- Matt Hackett
48. Blues- Matt Clark (compensatory)
49. Avalanche- Brayden McNabb
50. Leafs- Taylor Doherty
51. Hurricanes-Cody Eakin
52. Lightning- Anton Lander
53. Canucks- Phillipe Paradis
54. Devils- Mike Lee
55. Capitals- Ben Hanowski
56. Islanders- Alex Chiasson
57. Sharks- Michael Latta
58. Leafs- Alex Hutchings
59. Blackhawks- Mikko Koskinen
60. Red Wings- Jesse Blacker
61. Penguins- Erik Haula

Round 3-

62. Islanders- Edward Pasquale
63. Penguins- Anton Rodin
64. Avalanche- Ryan Howse
65. Canadiens- Gleason Fournier
66. Sabres- Eric Gelinas
67. Flames-Seth Helgeson
68. Leafs- Josh Birkholz
69. Stars- Taylor Beck
70. Predators- Chris Brown
71. Oilers- William Wrenn
72. Predators- Jimmy Bubnick
73. Devils- Brian Dumoulin
74. Kings- Tyson Barrie
75. Lightning- Gabriel Lemieux
76. Ducks- Marcus Foligno
77. Jackets- Mac Bennett
78. Blues- Tomas Vincour
79. Canadiens- Kevin Lynch
80. Rangers- Curtis McKenzie
81. Flyers- Kenny Ryan
82. Oilers- Jordan Swarz
83. Canucks- Corban Knight
84. Devils- Jerry D'Amigo
85. Capitals- Ryan Borque
86. Bruins- Collin Bowman
87. Flyers- Burke Gallimore
88. Hurricanes- Jeff Costello
89. Blackhawks- Simon Bertilsson
90. Red Wings- Alex Velischek
91. Islanders- Danny Mattson

The Penguins have built through the draft like no other team in the league. Let's hope Shero keeps that trend alive on Friday night. The draft is at 7:30 on Versus in the United States and TSN in Canada. Versus will probably just carry the TSN feed.

Faceoff-Factor's top 30 draft rankings

2009-06-23T14:30:00.003-04:00

I collaborated this week with Jesse Marshall and Mike Farkas on a mock draft and top 30 ranking for Friday's NHL Entry Draft over at Faceoff-Factor.com. The rankings are here.

Check back over there all week for continual coverage of the draft.

Penguins That Fly-- Help Wanted

2009-06-18T21:58:00.005-04:00

I posted it at the top of the awards show preview, and I'll do it again now. There are several parties that have expressed interest in writing for the blog within the last three months. I'll email those people to see if they are still intrigued by the prospect of joining up here, but I want as many candidates as could be.

If anyone is interested, please, just shoot an email over to pensthatfly@gmail.com.

Thanks.

Previewing the NHL Awards Ceremony

2009-06-18T10:38:00.007-04:00

First off, bit of a public service announcement. Erika has decided to move on from the blog, and I'd like to add another writer in her absence. I know there are several interested parties, and if you're interested, just send an email along to pensthatfly@gmail.com. I would ask that you include a sample article as well as a few things about yourself. Thanks in advance.

The NHL will hand out all of its regular season awards and accolades tonight at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. The Hart, Selke, Norris, Lady Byng, Vezina, Calder, Masterson, and Adams. So without further ado, here are PTF's picks for who will and should win tonight's awards. Only hockey peformance related awards will be covered, which excludes the Masterson and Lady Byng.

Hart Trophy- most valuable player to his team during the regular season
Nominees- Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin, Penguins C Evgeni Malkin, Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk
Who will win- Ovechkin. He's the sexy pick for most writers, and his goals will net him the award.
Who should win- Ovechkin. The Capitals are absolutely nothing without him, while Malkin has another superstar riding shotgun with him.

Norris Trophy- best defenseman in the league during the regular season
Nominees- Red Wings D Nicklas Lidstrom, Bruins D Zdeno Chara, Capitals D Mike Green
Who will win- Lidstrom, as usual, will win the Norris on reputation alone.
Who should win- Chara. Unike Green, he can actually play defense, and his shutdown ability and tenacity were superior to Lidstrom's.

Vezina Trophy- best goaltender in the league during the regular season
Nominees- Bruins G Tim Thomas, Blue Jackets G Steve Mason, Wild G Niklas Backstrom
Who will win- Thomas. He was outstanding all year long and didn't break down at key moments.
Who should win- Thomas. For the same reasons listed above.

Selke Trophy- best forward excelling in the defensive aspects of the game during the regular season
Nominees- Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk, Flyers C Mike Richards, Canucks C Ryan Kesler
Who will win- Richards. His shorthanded goals will be too attractive for the voters to pass up.
Who should win- Kesler. He doesn't get the credit he deserves on an unpopular team playing in a grinding role, but he's a worthy victor here.

Calder Trophy- best rookie in the league during the regular season
Nominees- Ducks RW Bobby Ryan, Blue Jackets G Steve Mason, Blackhawks LW Kris Versteeg
Who will win- Mason's boatload of shutouts will make him an obvious pick to some misguided writers
Who should win- Ryan. After being called up a little after the start of the year, there was no more consistent scorer in hockey than Ryan.

Adams Trophy- best coach in the league during the regular season
Nominees- Blues' Andy Murray, Sharks' Todd McLellan, Bruins' Claude Julien
Who should win- Murray. He had an untalented roster plagued with injuries to its best players, but his team still had success.
Who will win- Julien. His big market success with the best record in the league will make him too hard to overlook.

Enjoy the show. It starts at 7:30 on Versus and the NHL Network in the US.

Penguins extend Goligoski through 2012

2009-06-17T15:47:00.002-04:00

The Penguins have re-signed young blueliner Alex Goligoski to a three year contract extension that will pay him five million dollars over the length of the deal. That equates to a yearly cap hit of 1.833, which does seem a bit high to me. Goligoski's a quality young player who will more than likely grow into the money he will be making, but right now, this is overpayment. It seems very, very unlikely that the Ray Shero Pens will have enough money left to retain Rob Scuderi while keeping the roster under the salary cap. Anyway, the offseason is now officially underway.

Some cellular snapshots from the Pens' championship parade

2009-06-15T20:13:00.017-04:00

I took the liberty of commuting on the "T" downtown for the parade today (Monday).

Here are a few so-so pictures I snapped from three deep.

Crosby and Fleury handle the Cup.

Crosby and Lord Stanley, peaking out from behind this guy's head.

Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey

Evgeni Malkin and his highly esteemed parents, Vladimir and Natalia

Jordan Staal, Phillipe Boucher, Craig Adams, and Chris Minard

A few others now, courtesy of my father's coworker, DJ Geis.

Chris Kunitz

Bill Guerin and the Prince of Wales Trophy

Dan Bylsma and Tom Fitzgerald

Kris Letang and Hal Gill

Thanks to DJ for his contributions, which are significantly better than mine.

Each picture can be viewed in much higher quality by being clicked on.

Victory parade set for Monday

2009-06-13T18:17:00.002-04:00

How sweet it is.

The City of Champions has its second major sports title in five months.

The Pens will hold a parade through downtown starting at noon on Monday. The route will begin at the intersection of Grant and Seventh in the Golden Triangle.

That's three! Pens take Game 7, win Stanley Cup

2009-06-12T23:23:00.007-04:00

With one last glorious save, Marc-Andre Fleury secured a Game 7 victory in the Stanley Cup Finals for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nicklas Lidstrom had the puck on his stick in tight with a chance to tie the game, 2-2, but Fleury pushed across his crease and denied him. Max Talbot scored two goals in the second period that ultimately made the difference, and Fleury saved 23 of 24 shots. Sidney Crosby became the youngest captain in NHL history to lift the Stanley Cup.

Crosby was injured on an awkard collision with Johan Franzen in that middle frame and only took one shift after that. The Pens', with their captain out of play, came together and played the road game of their lives. Jordan Staal and Brooks Orpik led a furious brigade of shot blocking that helped hold off a strenous surge by the Wings.

Jonathan Ericsson scored for the Wings late in the third period, setting up the longest six minutes and seven seconds of our lives.

A point shot deflected off Staal and hit the crossbar, preserving the Pens' lead before Fleury's heroics in the closing seconds.

THE PENS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP!

Evgeni Malkin has the Conn Smythe.

Of course, there will be more to come, but we'll just celebrate right now.

Have a nice summer, Hoss.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 7- Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings

2009-06-11T16:27:00.002-04:00

What has been a truly magical ride for the Penguins will come to an end on Friday night. The only question left to be answered is whether or not it will end on an positive note. The Pens have pushed the Stanley Cup Finals to a decisive seventh game. At its conclusion, either Sidney Crosby or Nicklas Lidstrom will take the Cup from commisioner Gary Bettman, and that will be the end of it.

After five years of miserable failure and 16 seasons of playoff futility, the Penguins are one win away from immortality. The game that they've worked all their lives to get a chance to play has finally arrived.

Marc-Andre Fleury needs to have his head in the game from puck drop to the final buzzer. As was the case in Game 6, the Penguins will have absolutely no chance whatsoever if Fleury slips up.

Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin has to light it up. The Red Wings will not continue to allow Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal to cost them games. Crosby and Malkin have to be the best players on the ice.

This is kind of a big deal. No matter how it turns out, these Pens have treated us to something special this year.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Red Wings-

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Cleary
Franzen-Filppula-Hossa
Holmstrom-Helm-Samuelsson
Hudler-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS! BRING IT HOME!

Role players come up huge as Pens force Game 7

2009-06-09T22:43:00.002-04:00

Wow, what an adrenaline rush. The Penguins dominated the first 40 minutes of the game, then held off a furious Detroit surge in the final minutes to force a decisive Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Buckle up. If you have a history of diabetes or heart issues, I would strongly suggest walking away from your television set on Friday night and saving yourself the blood pressure rise.

The Pens' third liners and bottom pairing defensive defensemen coupled with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to stave off elimination for at least three more days.

Tyler Kennedy's goal insurance goal five and a half minutes into the final frame proved to be the winner, coming after Jordan Staal tallied in the second period on a two on one break with Matt Cooke, beating Chris Osgood.

Kris Draper, however, would turn the momentum drastically with twelve minutes left. He picked up a long rebound off a Johnny Ericsson slap shot and wristed it into an empty net. Fleury had no chance.

Things would get worse.

Evgeni Malkin took a mindless cross-checking penalty at 9:18, and the Wings damn near scored on the powerplay. Rob Scuderi, who starred in the Pens' show in this game, swept the puck away from a looming Nick Lidstrom as a yawning cage sat behind him, saving a sure goal.

Once that was killed, Bill Guerin went off for high sticking. The Pens came up big on the kill.

Dan Cleary was allowed a breakaway when Pavel Datsyuk saucered the puck behind the Penguins' blueliners. Fleury stayed with Cleary all the way for the biggest stop of his life.

With 18 seconds left, a mad scramble broke out around Fleury. As Johan Franzen was whacking at the puck at the top of the crease, Scuderi whipped out his left leg and kicksaved the puck away.

The Pens narrowly escaped, but a win is a win.

Notes-
-Free agent Scuderi is playing himself out of the Pens' price range.
-Any more questions about Fleury's mental toughness?
-Osgood kept the Wings in the game and gave them a shot.
-The third line was money.
-Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals! One win away!

Go Penguins.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6- Detroit Red Wings @ Penguins

2009-06-08T22:05:00.003-04:00

If the Penguins are to force a decisive seventh game in the Stanley Cup Finals, they will first have to hold serve at home in Game 6. The Red Wings dominated them thoroughly in Game 5, and the Pens know they have to be ~~significantly~~ astronomically better than they were in that game if they want to force said Game 7. They also have to find a way to solve Chris Osgood, who has been beatable in this series' games at the Igloo. There isn't much more to describe at this point. It's time to sit back and enjoy the beautiful spectacle that is Stanley Cup hockey.

Petr Sykora will return to the lineup.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Red Wings-

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Cleary
Franzen-Filppula-Hossa
Holmstrom-Helm-Samuelsson
Hudler-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS!

Pens brutalized in Game 5

2009-06-07T00:29:00.003-04:00

The Penguins had their chances in the first and third periods, but it was the middle frame that killed them in an embarrassing 5-0 romping at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings now have a 3-2 series lead and an opportunity to close the series out on Tuesday night at Mellon Arena. The Pens, of course, must win to stay alive and force a Game 7 at "The Joe".

Dan Cleary, Valterri Filppula, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Rafalski, and Henrik Zetterberg lit up Marc-Andre Fleury before Mathieu Garon took over between the pipes. The Penguins had some quality scoring chances but were always either denied by Chris Osgood or fired off the net.

Notes-
-This series is far from over.
-The Igloo better get loud for Game 6.
-Datsyuk looked good.
-Crosby and Malkin were terrible both in terms of failure to control emotion and production.
-Fleury's head better get right, and fast.

Go Penguins.

It ain't over yet.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 5- Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings

2009-06-05T21:05:00.004-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins have all the momentum as they head into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Joe Louis Arena, but the Detroit Red Wings will be getting a serious emotional lift with the return of star center Pavel Datsyuk. While his on-ice impact will likely be minimal due to his injured right foot, it will be interesting to see if the Wings can rally around him.

Marc-Andre Fleury needs to keep making saves, and it would be dandy if Chris Osgood could revert back to his terrible regular season self. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin must continue to play like superstars.

We'll see if fatigue has really set in for the Wings. I'm going to the game, so the recap will be late.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Red Wings-

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary
Datsyuk-Filppula-Hossa
Holmstrom-Helm-Samuelsson
Hudler-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS!

Series all square as Penguins pull out critical Game 4 decision

2009-06-04T22:49:00.003-04:00

There could be no conspiracy allegations directed at the Pittsburgh Penguins and NHL after their 4-2 ousting of the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. Despite being shorthanded for eight minutes to only four for the Wings (until the end of the game when things got messy), the Pens' best players dug down deep and came up big. The Stanley Cup Finals are now tied, 2-2, and the Pens have all of the momentum heading into a separating Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday.

Sidney Crosby broke out of a series-long goal scoring drought when he scored the winner at 10:34 of the second period. Evgeni Malkin, who was an animal all game long, hit Crosby with a cross-crease pass on a two on one break that Crosby redirected past Chris Osgood from across his body.

The Red Wings had taken a 2-1 lead shortly after the puck dropped on the middle frame when Brad Stuart shot through a Penguin-made screen that blinded Marc-Andre Fleury. The Red Wings had all the momentum when they got a powerplay for a Brooks Orpik trip on Valterri Filppula.

Things changed quickly, however. Jordan Staal outskated Nick Lidstrom and outmuscled Brian Rafalski on his way to beating Osgood cleanly to tie the game with the Pens' first shorthanded goal of the playoffs.

Crosby's marker would follow that, and then Tyler Kennedy converted an opportunity in front generated by the brilliant passing of Crosby and Chris Kunitz. The Pens went into the third period up, 4-2, and the final twenty minutes were delightfully boring.

Darren Helm had Detroit's other goal in the first period off a bad giveaway by Rob Scuderi

Notes-
-Lidstrom and Zetterberg look like they've hit a wall. They're dead tired.
-Fleury was outstanding.
-The Wings' powerplay almost seems to kill their own momentum.
-Who'd have thunk that the Pens powerplay would be so efficient?
-Kirk Maltby is a talentless, cheap shotting hack. It's beyond me how he has four Stanley Cups.
-It's now a best of three to decide the Cup.
-Pavel Datsyuk will probably be back for Game 5. Hopefully his impact will be minimal.

Go Penguins.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 4- Detroit Red Wings @ Penguins

2009-06-03T23:36:00.002-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins face another practical must-win situation on Thursday night as the Detroit Red Wings will be looking to take a 3-1 series lead with a win in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Of course, the Penguins could even the series with a victory of their own, in turn forcing a best of three set with two games in Detroit to decide the recipient of Lord Stanley's Cup.

Forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Kris Draper could both potentially be back in the lineup for Detroit. Datsyuk will have a much more noticeable impact than Draper, even though it's not likely to be on the score sheet. Before being sidelined during the Western Conference Finals, Datsyuk had been very quiet offensively. He'll be charged with the daunting task of containing Evgeni Malkin, whose 33 playoff points are more any other player since Joe Sakic in 1996.

Marc-Andre Fleury will need to more or less replicate his performance in Game 3. Chris Osgood has to be better on the other side, or this thing will go back to Mo-Town all evened up.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Red Wings-

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary
Filppula-Datsyuk-Hossa
Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson
Abdelkader-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS!

Penguins find new life in Game 3 triumph

2009-06-02T22:50:00.003-04:00

It was a bit rough around the edges, to be generous, but the Pittsburgh Penguins found a will and a way to beat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-2, in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The win assures that the Pens and Wings will meet in Game 5 on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena, and needless to say, that the series is far from over. Had Detroit pulled it out, they'd have gained an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the series, but it was not to be.

After Jonathan Ericsson was whistled for a classic new NHL interference on Matt Cooke, the Penguins' powerplay went to work at 9:06 of the final frame. The Pens put together a string of excellent puck possession, and they were finally rewarded when Sergei Gonchar's missle found its way through a hole and past Chris Osgood to give them a 3-2 lead.

The Penguins staked themselves to an early lead when Evgeni Malkin found Max Talbot in the high slot for a one-timer in the opening minutes, but that was answered quickly by Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, who snuck shots past Marc-Andre Fleury. Franzen's goal came with a man advantange.

Kris Letang tied the game at two on another powerpaly near the end of the period, setting up Gonchar's theatrics in the third. Max Talbot also had an empty netter for Pittsburgh

Emblematic of the physical brand of hockey the Pens played in this one, Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke and Brooks Orpik both notched several monster bodychecks. Darren Helm and Niklas Kronwall seemed like the two primary targets on those.

Notes-
-Sidney Crosby played well, but was held to just one assist.
-Great bounceback effort by Fleury.
-If they don't win Game 4, the Penguins' effort tonight will be rendered meaningless.
-Kunitz, Orpik and Cooke are a firing squad.
-In fact, Kunitz had 11 hits. Orpik and Cooke had five apiece.
-Malkin is a stud.

Go Penguins.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 3- Detroit Red Wings @ Penguins

2009-06-01T22:43:00.003-04:00

An up and down season for the Pittsburgh Penguins will just about come to an end on Tuesday night if they can't find a way to beat the Detroit Red Wings on home ice in Game 3 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. The Wings hold a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven series, and a 3-0 advantage would be insurmountable.

The Penguins actually played fairly well on the road, but Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin didn't finish enough chances. Detroit's stars have also been quiet offensively, but goals by defensive defensemen and grinding forwards have pushed them over the top. This means that Jordan Staal's line with Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke has to skate stride for stride and match goal for goal with Detroit's units centered by Darren Helm and Valterri Filppula.

Since this is a home game, Head Coach Dan Bylsma gets the second line change. This will allow him to get Crosby and potentially Malkin away from a matchup with shutdown centerman Henrik Zetterberg. This is a huge boost for Crosby, who is primed for a productive evening.

No word yet on Pavel Datsyuk's status for the game, but Kris Draper will not play even though he's healthy.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Red Wings-

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary
Holmstrom-Filppula-Hossa
Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson
Leino-Abdelkader-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS!

Penguins beat themselves in Game 2 defeat

2009-05-31T22:35:00.003-04:00

Yup, that was terrible. Marc-Andre Fleury was his normal choking dog self, the Penguins didn't finish their best scoring opportunities, and Chris Osgood stoned them time and time again. The series is now 2-0 in favor of the Detroit Red Wings. It's hard for even the most optimistic among us to see the Penguins getting out of this one. They'll probably win Game 3, but even then I can't see them winning the series. Unlike the Washington Capitals, the Red Wings know how to finish teams and actually play sound defensive hockey.

The referees directly assisted on the game winning goal, but it hardly matters when you play a listless brand of hockey for 40 of 60 minutes.

Notes-
-Fleury is an absolute joke of a playoff performer.
-Crosby was again a non-factor.
-Malkin, Cooke, and Fedotenko are the only Penguins who have come to play.
-F*ck our lives.
-The series will be over if the Pens falter on Tuesday.
-Flashbacks.
-Glad to see the Penguins learned nothing last year and continue to not care.
-They've even played okay, but it doesn't matter when your world class players don't finish.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 2- Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings

2009-05-31T10:22:00.003-04:00

The Penguins showed some signs of life in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but they fell victim to a few bad breaks and bounces as the Detroit Red Wings took Game 1 in a rematch of last year's final series. The series is not quite over if the Penguins lose tonight, but it's extremely unlikely that the Red Wings would lose four out of five games. That means there has to be a sense of urgency.

The Pens need to be crisper on their passes and avoid making stupid decisions with the puck. Marc-Andre Fleury has to stay closer to the net to avoid again being tortured by the active boards at Joe Louis Arena.

Pavel Datsyuk is out again. Kris Draper will also be in the press box .

In the playoffs, every road team's goal is to earn a split in the other team's building. That can still happen.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
Boucher

Fleury

Red Wings-

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary
Holmstrom-Filppula-Hossa
Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson
Leino-Abdelkader-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS!

Penguins blasted in Game 1

2009-05-30T22:55:00.002-04:00

The Detroit Red Wings showed on Saturday night why they are the best hockey team in the world. They buckled down defensively and absolutely took it to an overmatched Pittsburgh Penguins team in Game 1 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. This is not to say that the Pens can't find a way to beat the Wings, but the series will be all but over if Pittsburgh doesn't earn the split on Sunday night in Game 2. Marc-Andre Fleury, as is customary for him in big games, looked terrible. He was outplayed by the worst goalie in the league this year, Chris Osgood.

The game winning goal went to Johan Franzen, who took advantage of a rather fluky bounce off the lively Joe Louis Arena boards. Franzen took the bounce and through it in front, where Marc-Andre Fleury scored his second own-goal of the game by kicking the puck into his own cage.

Fleury's other marker came on an equally bad bounce off the boards on a shot by Brad Stuart. The puck bounced directly off the end boards and went in off of Fleury's behind.

Ruslan Fedotenko scored the only Penguins goal to make it 1-1 before the Wings took over.

Justin Abdelkader scored his first NHL goal for insurance just after the puck dropped on the third period.

Notes-
-Fleury was awful.
-Osgood robbed Evgeni Malkin on a breakaway.
-Sidney Crosby was completely shut down by Henrik Zetterberg
-Win on Sunday, or the series is over.

Go Penguins.

Stanley Cup Finals, Game 1- Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings

2009-05-29T21:48:00.006-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins know what it's like to lose to the Detroit Red Wings. They did it just last year, remember, in this same Stanley Cup Final series. The teams have changed a lot since then, however, and there's no reason to believe that series will have any bearing on this one.

Marian Hossa has jumped ship from the Penguins' top line where he has since been replaced by Bill Guerin. Chris Kunitz joins Sidney Crosby and Guerin on the line that has terrorized the Eastern Conference during these playoffs.

Hossa plays for the enemy now and will no doubt have extra motivation going up against his former teammates. He left a long-term, lucrative offer from the Penguins on the table to get the best shot he could at the Stanley Cup. Needless to say, the irony would be tremendous if the Penguins can manage a way to beat him in the 2009 rendition of this rivalry.

Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom and his partner Johnny Ericsson will be in uniform for Game 1 after missing time in the Western Conference Finals with injuries. Selke Trophy winner Pavel Datsyuk is unlikely to play, as is Kris Draper. If Datsyuk is out, the Penguins have an instant advantage, particularly Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

With the Wings likely to focus mainly on Crosby's line, Malkin and Jordan Staal must step up and take advantage of the lower pairings for Detroit. If Malkin disappears like he did last year around this time, the Penguins are out of luck.

Marc-Andre Fleury will duel with Chris Osgood in net. Neither team has a distinct edge here.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
Boucher

Fleury

Red Wings-

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary
Holmstrom-Filppula-Hossa
Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson
Leino-Abdelkader-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Osgood

GO PENS!

Rematch! Pens face Wings in Stanley Cup Finals

2009-05-27T22:21:00.005-04:00

With Darren Helm's overtime winner in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Detroit Red Wings have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals where they'll meet the team they beat in that round last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Wings have a balanced attack, and there's no need to get into immense detail about their stars. However, the Penguins could have a huge advantage after some interesting developments in the nation's former automotive capital.

Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk are both hurt and have missed the last two games with with lower body injuries. Those are the best two players on the team, and if they either cannot play or will play at less than 100 percent, the Pens will need to take advantage.

Datsyuk's injury could be a broken foot. At the very least, it is badly bruised. That means that if he gets the chance, Sergei Gonchar should blast a slap shot right at him...hard, low, and at the injured foot. It's not nice or classy, but the Penguins need to inflict as much physical adversity as they can on the Wings.

Saturday, May 30	at Detroit, 8:00 pm	NBC, CBC, RDS
Sunday, May 31	at Detroit, TBD-Night	NBC, CBC, RDS
Tuesday, June 2	at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm	VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Thursday, June 4	at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm	VERSUS, CBC, RDS
* Saturday, June 6	at Detroit, 8:00 pm	NBC, CBC, RDS
* Tuesday, June 9	at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm	NBC, CBC, RDS
* Friday, June 12	at Detroit, 8:00 pm	NBC, CBC, RDS

*if necessary

Oh yeah...

"I've had enough of this. I'm playing for the other guys next year."

Okay, Benedict. The Pens better make him squeal.

Pens spit shine their shoes following sweep of Hurricanes

2009-05-26T22:05:00.004-04:00

The Penguins had it taken to them by the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4, but Marc-Andre Fleury repeatedly saved their bacon in a 4-1 victory that concluded a straight sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals. The now two-time defending conference champion Penguins will likely draw the Detroit Red Wings in a rematch of last year's final.

Eric Staal staked Carolina to a lead at 1:36 of the first period, but it was all Penguins from that point on.

Ruslan Fedotenko made a nifty deflection on a Phillipe Boucher slapper from along the goal line that tied the game at 1-1. Max Talbot then scored a rather fluky goal that beat Cam Ward on a high bounce, giving the Pens a lead going to the second period.

In the middle frame, Sidney Crosby fed Bill Guerin cross-crease for an insurance marker before the scoring was finally closed out by Craig Adams, who recieved a pass from Crosby prior to hitting an empty net in the final seconds.

The superstitious Crosby not only touched the Prince of Wales Trophy, but picked it up, grabbed it, and had his entire team touch it. A far cry from last year's thorough rejection of the trophy.

The Pens are going back to the Stanley Cup.

Round 3, Game 4- Penguins @ Carolina Hurricanes

2009-05-25T22:06:00.003-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins can clinch their second consecutive berth in the Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday night when they visit the RBC Center for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 6-2 hammering of the Carolina Hurricanes. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin stole the show with five points between them.

Bill Cowher is sounding the Canes' customary warning siren for their home conference championship game. As Pittsburghers can attest to, Cowher is atrocious in home conference championship games. So the Pens have that much on their side.

There is some speculation that prospect Drayson Bowman will dress and replace Erik Cole, but again, that is purely speculation. The Canes have nothing to lose and their lineup hasn't worked so far, so it shouldn't be ruled out.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
Boucher

Fleury

Hurricanes-

Whitney-Staal-LaRose
Bowman-Cullen-Eaves
Samsonov-Jokinen-Walker
Bayda-Brind'Amour-Ruutu

Seidenberg-Pitkanen
Gleason-Corvo
Wallin-Kaberle

Ward

GO PENS!

Penguins bury Hurricanes in Game 3 rout

2009-05-23T21:55:00.008-04:00

Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby played like the best two players in the world on Saturday night as the Penguins ousted the Carolina Hurricanes, 6-2, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The Pens now hold a nearly insurmountable three games to none lead in the best-of-seven series.

Matt Cullen opened the scoring 246 seconds after the opening faceoff thanks to some shoddy defensive coverage by Matt Cooke. Cullen roofed it on Marc-Andre Fleury. Carolina looked to have all the momentum. That would soon change when Crosby and Malkin took over the rest of the period.

On a powerplay, Malkin gathered in a bouncing puck off of Tim Gleason and beat Ward effortlessly on a mini-breakaway.

Things quieted down until Crosby converted a Bill Guerin feed at the top of the crease with 42 seconds left in the first period, a great passing play by Chris Kunitz, Crosby, and Guerin. Malkin then beat Cam Ward out of the corner with a wrister that went in through the five-hole.

Sergei Samsonov got Carolina back into it with a rebound marker at 1:58 of the final frame before the Penguins overwhelmed Ward. Ruslan Fedotenko and Guerin's goals sandwiched a long-range empty netter off a faceoff by ~~Mario Lemieux~~ Craig Adams.

Notes-
-The Penguins are going to the Stanley Cup Finals, regardless of Game 4's outcome.
-They have outclassed Carolina in every way during this series.
-Fleury was good when he had to be.
-Kunitz was very effective.
-How awesome does it seem now that the Penguins got Adams off waivers at the trade deadline?
-Crosby and Malkin are the best two players remaining in the playoffs, no question about it.
-Eric Staal was kept invisible again.
-It's going to be a long couple of days until Game 4.

What the hell is with the lack of comments these days? It makes the blog seem too unimportant. Get to it, folks!

Go Penguins.

Round 3, Game 3- Penguins @ Carolina Hurricanes

2009-05-22T23:02:00.002-04:00

If the Pittsburgh Penguins can weather the storm (no pun intended) and beat the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC Center on Saturday night, this series is all but over, and the Penguins are bound for the Stanley Cup Finals for the second year in a row. It won't be an easy task, though, as the Canes have lost three games at home in the last three months. In reality, the Penguins can nearly assure themselves of a series win by getting just one win in the Carolinian swing of the series.

Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have to continue their domination, and Marc-Andre Fleury has to be stout between the pipes. The Pens need to pepper Cam Ward with shots at every opportunity. Jordan Staal has to keep on shutting down his brother, Eric.

Carolina forward Patrick Dwyer was fined, not suspended, for his match penalty from Game 2 drawn when he high-sticked Kris Letang in the face, sparking a line brawl at the end of the game.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Boucher-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Hurricanes-

Whitney-Staal-LaRose
Cole-Cullen-Eaves
Samsonov-Jokinen-Walker
Bayda-Brind'Amour-Dwyer

Seidenberg-Pitkanen
Gleason-Corvo
Kaberle-Wallin

Ward

GO PENS!

Malkin's hat trick spurs Pens to 2-0 series lead

2009-05-21T22:15:00.002-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins survived a wild first period to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes, 7-4, on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series. Evgeni Malkin knotched his first career postseason hat trick, capped off with a wicked turning backhander that snuck between Cam Ward's head and the crossbar to provide the Penguins with an insurance marker at 6-4.

The game ended with a lengthy series of skurmishes that amounted to a staggering 44 penalty minutes. Kris Letang and Tim Gleason dropped the gloves, as did ~~Bob Probert~~Miroslav Satan and Patrick Eaves. Carolina forward Ryan Bayda was assessed a match penalty for high sticking Letang. Both Bayda and Letang were pegged with 10 minute misconducts.

Sidney Crosby opened up an offensively loaded first period at 1:51 when Chris Kunitz found him cross-crease for a layup. After Chad LaRose tied it for Carolina, Malkin's first goal of the night restored the Penguins' lead. Jussi Jokinen and Dennis Seidenberg each scored softies on Marc-Andre Fleury to flip the lead to the Carolinian side.

Max Talbot beat Ward with a slapper three minutes into the second period, and Kunitz followed on with a fine individual effort for his first goal of the playoffs with seven ticks on the clock, giving the Pens the lead again.

After Patrick Eaves tied it once more thanks to some shoddy work by Phillipe Boucher and Sergei Gonchar, Malkin took over. He banged home the game winner on the right post prior to his filthy backhander.

Tyler Kennedy tacked on an empty netter before the line brawl occured.

Notes-
-Colin Campbell will be a busy man tomorrow.
-Malkin had four points.
-Matt Cooke had three assists.
-Again, Chad LaRose was impressive for the Hurricanes.
-Malkin's parents are quietly becoming celebrities in Pittsburgh.

Go Penguins

Round 3, Game 2- Carolina Hurricanes @ Penguins

2009-05-20T20:55:00.005-04:00

The Penguins narrowly squeaked by the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 by a 3-2 score. The Canes have now lost Game 1 in each of their three playoff series, so they obviously aren't about to panic. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin need to be the best players on the ice and get to Cam Ward, who is in goal against Marc-Andre Fleury. Jordan Staal has to continue to keep his brother quiet.

Tuomo Ruutu is out. Erik Cole is in.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Boucher-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Hurricanes-

Whitney-Staal-LaRose
Cole-Cullen-Walker
Samsonov-Jokinen-Eaves
Bayda-Brind'Amour-Dwyer

Seidenberg-Pitkanen
Gleason-Corvo
Kaberle-Wallin

Ward

GO PENS!

Pens hold off 'Canes for Game 1 victory

2009-05-18T22:17:00.005-04:00

Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves on 25 shots in a 3-2 win in Game 1 over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Penguins held off a late charge in the final seconds, as Eric Staal let the potential game tying goal bounce off his blade and into the body of Fleury.

After Phillipe Boucher scored to give the Pens a 3-1 lead eight and a half minutes into the third period, the Hurricanes found themselves on a powerplay when Brooks Orpik went off for elbowing.

Joe Corvo's slapper found its way through a crowd and beat Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 3-2. The goal really shouldn't have counted, though, as Staal had knocked Fleury's stick away from him seconds before the puck went in.

So much for that conspiracy.

Miroslav Satan scored the game's first goal coming out of the penalty box in the first period. Matt Cooke hit him in stride, and Satan beat Cam Ward on his backhand with a beauty.

Evgeni Malkin flustered Ward with a backhander a minute and a half later that made it 2-0.

Chad LaRose restored Carolina's equilibrium with a weak backhander that got through Fleury, the only goal in the middle frame.

Notes-
-Sidney Crosby and his line were not themselves, but the Pens still pulled out a win.
-Fleury made some big saves.
-LaRose is a very, very good role player.
-Ward is tough to beat.
-Carolina has been down 1-0 in each of their previous series. This isn't over by a longshot.

Go Penguins.

Round 3, Game 1- Carolina Hurricanes @ Penguins

2009-05-17T14:37:00.002-04:00

The Hurricanes might not be able to boast the same offensive firepower that teams like the Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers can, but they do offer a balanced attack in all three zones that has carried them to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Eric Staal is their biggets offensive gun. Ray Whitney had a fine season, and there's more talent like Erik Cole, Sergei Samsonov, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu, and Matt Cullen. The defense lacks a bonafide number one, but it's six men strong with no major weaknesses to speak of.

Cam Ward will be in goal against Marc-Andre Fleury. Ward is a great goalie all year, but he kicks it up a notch in the playoffs. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will need to be on their game if they want to beat Ward. Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko, Chris Kunitz, and Jordan Staal have to join in the scoring.

Sergei Gonchar practiced on Sunday and is expected to be in for Game 1.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-J. Staal-Kennedy
Boucher-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Hurricanes-

Whitney-E. Staal-LaRose
Cole-Cullen-Ruutu
Samsonov-Jokinen-Eaves
Bayda-Brind'Amour-Walker

Pitkanen-Babchuk
Gleason-Corvo
Wallin-Seidenberg

Ward

GO PENS!

Staal brothers to face off in Eastern Conference Finals

2009-05-14T23:39:00.002-04:00

Scott Walker scored with 84 seconds left in the first overtime period on Thursday night to lift the Carolina Hurricanes over the top seeded Boston Bruins in the deciding Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. This means that the Canes will now face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference finals, a series in which home ice advantage will be held by the Penguins.

Eric Staal has had a nice playoff for Carolina, notching 13 points in 14 games to this point. Jussi Jokinen, Ray Whitney, and Chad LaRose have molded the primary supporting cast around the franchise player Staal.

Joni Pitkanen and Joe Corvo lead an underrated defensive core that has done a nice job against stars like Zach Parise and Phil Kessel in the first two rounds of the postseason. Dennis Seidenberg and Tim Gleason are also pure quality on the blue line for the Canes. Niclas Wallin and Anton Babchuk get the job done, while Tim Conboy is generally scratched.

Cam Ward is a truly outstanding goalie. His performance three years ago that saw him win the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe as MVP of the playoffs planted a seed, and he's built on it. Ward is regarded by some as the frontrunner to start in the nets for Team Canada in Vancouver next winter during the Olympics.

The Penguins have their own Staal brother, though theirs isn't quite as dominant as Eric. Jordan Staal has turned it on of late with two goals in the last three games of the Washington series.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will have to play like superstars. Marc-Andre Fleury will have to be more than just adequate in goal. Sergei Gonchar, Rob Scuderi, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Hal Gill, and Mark Eaton must play sound two way hockey on defense.

Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour was injured when a puck struck his face while he was seated on the bench during the overtime in Game 7 against Boston. He did not return, but there is nothing to indicate he'll miss any time against Pittsburgh.

Penguins route Capitals, advance to Eastern Conference Finals

2009-05-13T21:34:00.003-04:00

How gratifying was that? After hotly contested, strenuous series, the Pittsburgh Penguins blew the Washington Capitals out of the water in this one by a 6-2 margin.

Bill Guerin scored what would go down as the winning goal just after puck drop in the second period. Also scoring for the Penguins were Sidney Crosby twice, Craig Adams, Kris Letang, and Jordan Staal.

Crosby capped off what was a fantastic individual series by stealing the puck from his adversary Alex Ovechkin and beating Jose Theodore cleanly after a long breakaway for his second goal of the game.

Sergei Gonchar returned from a knee injury and assisted on Crosby's game opening goal.

While the league may have been dismayed to see such a great series end with such an anti-climactic contest, it will remain irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

The Pens put on a great team effort when they needed it most.

Round 2, Game 7- Penguins @ Washington Capitals

2009-05-12T23:14:00.002-04:00

Well folks, it's all down to this. Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the greatest spectacle in North American sports, save maybe the Super Bowl. The Penguins and Capitals both would have preferred to have won this thing by now, but they haven't, so on they will play on Wednesday night at a very red Verizon Center. Home ice hasn't been a huge deal so far, so don't expect it to be in this game. Momentum? Nope. Shots on goal? Laughable.

Marc-Andre Fleury has to be better. He's facing 11 less shots per game than Simeon Varlamov in this series, but giving up just just about the same amount of goals. Some of those have been soft.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin need to outduel Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The powerplay needs to click. The penalty kill must be stout.

Sergei Gonchar, out since Game 4 with a knee injury caused by a knee on knee hit by Ovechkin, may or may not return for the game. He practiced on Tuesday, but he is a game-time decision. It wouldn't be a shock if he pulled a Willis Reed and came back to help his team to victory. After all, he did it just last year in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals when he came back from a rib injury during the third overtime to help Petr Sykora net a game winning powerplay goal.

This is the biggest game of the season, and it doesn't get any bigger from here on out.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Goligoski-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Fedorov-Semin
Laich-Steckel-Bradley
Clark-Gordon-Beagle

Morrissonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Erskine-Pothier

Varlamov

LET'S GO PENS!

Capitals force seventh game on Steckel's overtime tip

2009-05-11T21:58:00.002-04:00

David Steckel tipped in a slapshot in overtime. At least it wasn't Ovechkin.

The Penguins have work to do.

Fleury better get his shit in order.

Go Pens.

Game 7 is on Wednesday at the Verizon Center.

Round 2, Game 6- Washington Capitals @ Penguins

2009-05-10T21:02:00.003-04:00

The Penguins have stormed all the way back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Washington Capitals. At this point, they are the favorites to win the series, but that all changes if they don't take care of business at home on Monday night. They have all the momentum, and Sergei Gonchar is questionable to return from injury. There cannot be a letdown. Let's clinch this thing right now and send Ovie and his friends back to DC as the Pens wait to find out who their conference final opponent will be. The Caps will get Donald Brashear back from a six game suspension.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Satan

Goligoski

Orpik-Scuderi
Eaton-Boucher
Letang-Gill

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Laich-Fedorov-Semin
Steckel-Gordon-Bradley
Fleischmann-Beagle-Clark

Morrissonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Erskine-Pothier

Varlamov

END THIS.

Malkin's overtime tally stakes Penguins to 3-2 series lead

2009-05-09T22:01:00.004-04:00

The Penguins had more than a few chances to put this game away long before they actually did. But you know what? It doesn't matter, and the Pens are going home for Game 6 with a chance to end the series at Mellon Arena and send Alex Ovechkin and company home packing.

Evgeni Malkin's pass, intended for Sidney Crosby at the left post, was deflected in by a diving Tom Poti past Simeon Varlamov at 3:28 of overtime. Malkin celebrated with his teammates as the classy folk in China Town D.C sent garbage soaring into the mob.

Prior to the goal, a Capital forward ran into the stationary stick of Phillipe Boucher and took an epic flop that was properly left uncalled by referee Bill McCreary. The entire sequence took place after Malkin drew a penalty on a semi-break away but was tripped twice by Milan Jurcina and John Erskine, leading to the powerplay.

Ovechkin had two goals, one of which tied the game with a little over four minutes left in the third period. While none of us particularly like him, he's a supreme sniper to any player the league has seen since Maurice Richard.

His goal in the second period was the best shot I've ever seen.

Jordan Staal, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Matt Cooke also scored for the Penguins.

Nicklas Backstrom had the non-Ovechkianic marker for the Caps.

Notes-
-This was a very well officiated playoff game. Way to let the teams play.
-Malkin was an animal.
-Marc-Andre Fleury was adequate.
-Varlamov was a rebound machine.
-Fedotenko is on fire.
-The third line was back in old form.
-The Penguins absolutely must close things out at home on Monday night.

Go Penguins.

Round 2, Game 5- Penguins @ Washington Capitals

2009-05-09T09:00:00.005-04:00

The Penguins will be without Sergei Gonchar as they head into Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal with the Capitals tonight at the Verizon Center. Gonchar's right knee was injured during a brutal knee on knee blow delivered by Alex Ovechkin in Game 4.

Alex Goligoski has been recalled from Wilkes Barre/Scranton and will take Gonchar's place in the lineup and presumably on the first powerplay unit alongside Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Bill Guerin.

Gonchar's absence aside, the Penguins have all the momentum at this point and will win the game if they just keep their foot on the gas pedal and continue to pressure Simeon Varlamov. The Caps' goalie gave up several weak markers in the fourth game.

The powerplay is going to have to avoid feeling sorry for itself and managed at least a goal or two if the Penguins want to make things a lot easier for themselves. Another "0fer" will not suffice.

Marc-Andre Fleury needs to be on his toes. He can't let Ovechkin torch him.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Talbot-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Letang
Scuderi-Gill
Letang-Goligoski

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Laich-Backstrom-Semin
Clark-Steckel-Bradley
Fleischmann-Gordon-Beagle

Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Erskine-Pothier

Varlamov

GO PENS!

According to Darren Dreger, Gonchar is out for this game and perhaps the rest of the season.

Penguins hold serve at home, even series at two games apiece

2009-05-08T21:29:00.004-04:00

It wasn't as easy as the Penguins would have liked, but they held off the Capitals in the third period and got a well-deserved win. In this game, it wasn't the big guns who found the scoresheet most often, but rather the secondary scorers and role players.

After Nicklas Backstrom put the Capitals up 1-0 on a slapshot just seconds after the opening faceoff, the Penguins went to work on rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov.

Sergei Gonchar, who was later injured on a brutal knee to knee hit by Alex Ovechkin, broke through Washington's lackluster defensive line and ripped a slapper past Varlamov.

Billy Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko followed with goals in the first period, putting the Penguins ahead 3-1 heading into intermission. Fedotenko's goal was particularly soft...not a commonality this series against Varlamov.

After Mike Green made a beautiful play to set up a Chris Clark tap in, the Pens finished it off.

Miroslav Satan made a nifty pass through John Erskine's legs that found Sidney Crosby on the tape. 87 proceeded to redirect it into the cage.

Milan Jurcina cut his team's 4-2 deficit in half with a slapper of his own while shorthanded. The goal should have never happened, but it was allowed by a missed interference call on Matt Bradley, who should have been whistled for powdering Kris Letang way after the puck was gone.

Not deterred by their stroke of bad luck, the Penguins once again gained insurance when Max Talbot beat Varlamov short side with a wrist shot as time winded down.

The Pens locked it down from there on in.

Notes-
-The Pens will need Gonchar back at some point. No Gonchar = No Stanley Cup.
-Hopefully, he'll be back for Game 5 on Saturday, but the Pens proved they can win without him.
-That was very dirty play by Ovechkin. At least he's remorseful, but that was a no class move.
-Varlamov finally looked human.
-The Pens have all the momentum now, and are playing with confidence.

Go Penguins.

Round 2, Game 4- Washington Capitals @ Penguins

2009-05-07T21:23:00.002-04:00

With Kris Letang's overtime goal in Game 3, the Penguins received a tremendous injection of life in this series. However, that will all be for naught if they can't beat the Capitals at home in Game 4. This is another must win. Going to Washington for Game 5 facing elimination would be big-time trouble. The Penguins have seen this fish before, having lost Game 4 at home after winning Game 3 in last year's Stanley Cup Finals against Detroit.

The Pens need to find a way to finish plays and beat Caps' netminder Simeon Varlamov, who has been unconscious since he took over for Jose Theodore for Game 2 of the Caps' first round series with the New York Rangers.

This is a must-win situation.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Talbot
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Steckel-Bradley
Clark-Gordon-Nylander

Morrissonn-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Sloan-Pothier

Varlamov

GO PENS!

Letang's overtime blast nets Game 3 victory for Penguins

2009-05-06T22:11:00.003-04:00

What a freakin' series, eh? Games 1 and 2 were the Sidney Crosby/Alex Ovechkin Show, and Evgeni Malkin was nearly invisible. In this game, Malkin stepped it up, and Kris Letang scored on a long slapshot in overtime to send the Penguins to a victory that keeps them alive in this series.

After a Crosby faceoff win, Mark Eaton slid the puck over to Letang at center point. Letang wound up a slap shot that caromed off Caps' defenseman Shaone Morrissonn. After hitting Morrisonn, the biscuit took a nice course that saw it slip just under the cross bar and past Simeon Varlamov, who robbed the Penguins time and time again throughout the contest.

Overtime nearly wasn't necessary, but Nicklas Backstrom tied the game on the powerplay late in the third period. Backstrom tried to find Ovechkin at the back door, and his shot richocheted off Marc-Andre Fleury and into the net.

The Capitals did take an early lead in this game when the puck took a bad bounce off the end boards behind Fleury, who had lost his stick. It bounced out to Ovechkin who fired into an empty net.

The Penguins could have folded, but Ruslan Fedotenko and Malkin scored goals that set up Backstrom and Letang's late game heroics.

Notes-
-The Penguins dominated the game tonight, and deserved to win.
-Varlamov is absolutely outstanding.
-Letang was bad tonight, but made up for it in the end.
-Series would have been over. Whew.
-Wooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Go Penguins.

Round 2, Game 3- Washington Capitals @ Penguins

2009-05-05T22:04:00.003-04:00

With a win at home in Game 2, the Capitals held serve for the Washingtonian portion of the series' first four games, forcing the Pittsburgh Penguins into a must-win situation at home in Game 3.

If the Penguins falter again, they are done like dinner. If they rebound and win, this becomes an entirely new series that could be bound for seven games. That's what's at stake.

Penguins' winger Chris Kunitz was fined, not suspended on Tuesday for a cross-check he leveled to the mask of Capitals' netminder Simeon Varlamov during a net mouth scramble at the end of Game 2. The Caps were fuming over the NHL's decision not to suspend Kunitz, and you can bet Alexander Ovechkin will be out to put Kunitz's head through the plexiglass during this game.

Evgeni Malkin needs to stop his Mr. Invisible act and play like the Hart Trophy candidate he was during the regular season. Hopefully, a change of scenery will cause that delightful turn in Malkin's game.

Varlamov has played very well in net, and Marc-Andre Fleury has been average. The Penguins' powerplay has been atrocious. Fleury and the powerplay have to be better.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Steckel-Bradley
Fehr-Gordon-Clark

Morrisson-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Pothier-Sloan

Varlamov

GO PENS!

Pens in a hole after Game 2 loss in D.C.

2009-05-04T21:42:00.003-04:00

It was a beautiful hockey game. The game's two best players each had hat tricks, and the action was exciting on both ends of the ice. Unfortunately, the Penguins' supposed trump card had another horrible game, and the Capitals got one more goal than the boys in white.

Alexander Ovechkin had a hat trick, including the game winning goal. Sidney Crosby also got his hat trick, but the difference was once again that the Capitals made one more play than the Penguins did.

The Pens had their chances throughout the game, but time and time again were robbed by Simeon Varlamov. On the other end of the ice, Marc-Andre Fleury was less than stellar again.

The Pens are coming home now. If they lose Game 3, it's season over.

Help us all.

Fleury, Kunitz, Guerin, and Gonchar better get their acts together, and fast.

Round 2, Game 2- Penguins @ Washington Capitals

2009-05-03T21:15:00.005-04:00

The Penguins will look to take away the Capitals' home ice advantage with a rebound win after a close loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In that first game, the Pittsburgh powerplay was an abysmal 0 for 5, while the Caps scored a goal on a two man advantage. As it turned out, special teams and Caps' netminder Simeon Varlamov's stick save on Sidney Crosby were the difference in the game. The Pens are still confident, and they still have a golden opportunity to earn a road split to open up this series.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Steckel-Bradley
Clark-Gordon-Fehr

Morrisson-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Pothier-Sloan

Varlamov

GO PENS!

Capitals sneak by Penguins in Game 1

2009-05-02T15:32:00.003-04:00

Tomas Fleischmann scored the game winning goal at 1:46 of the third period to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference Semi-Final series with the Penguins. The goal game on a bad defensive breakdown by the Penguins, as Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik were beat badly on a passing play by Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom. Evgeni Malkin's backcheck on the play also left a lot to be desired.

That goal came after Sidney Crosby was robbed by Simeon Varlamov from in tight after a beautiful drop and go with Chris Kunitz. If Crosby had scored, the Penguins would have staked themselves to a 3-2 lead, but it was not to be.

Crosby did score minutes into the first period to give the Pens an early lead, but that was nullified not long after when Dave Steckel put in a bad rebound by Marc-Andre Fleury. Alex Ovechkin followed up on Steckel's tally to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead on a 5 on 3 powerplay later in the period.

Mark Eaton also scored for the Penguins, tying the game at two apeice before Varlamov's theatrics led to the game winner by Fleischmann.

Notes-
-The Penguins played horribly in this game, but still had a chance to win at the end.
-The powerplay was unsurprisingly atrocious, going 0 for 5.
-Petr Sykora was back in the lineup. He played very poorly.
-Kunitz had maybe his worst game as a Penguin.
-One interesting fact: The Caps are 7-1 against the Pens in Game 1, but 1-6 in those series.

-The Penguins came to D.C. needing to earn a split of the first two games. That can still happen.

Round 2, Game 1- Penguins @ Washington Capitals

2009-05-01T22:00:00.003-04:00

The series everyone has been waiting for is finally here. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will face off at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon to open up the best of seven set.

While Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have dominated most of the media spotlight as the hockey world readies for the series' beginning, both the Pens and Caps have a slew of other young stars that will prove very important down the stretch. Evgeni Malkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Simeon Varlamov are a few examples.

Varlamov, who was the Capitals' backup for most of the season, took over for an incompetent Jose Theodore after the former Montreal Canadien gave up four soft goals in Game 1 against the New York Rangers.

Pittsburgh has to stay out of the penalty box. Washington has arguably the best powerplay in the game. Ovechkin, Sergei Fedorov, Semin, Green, and Backstrom offer many scoring options.

Though Varlamov played fantastically in the first round, his performance came against the offensively challenged New York Rangers. Varlamov has never faced the kind of firepower before that the Penguins are about to expose him to. In the first round, he took shots from Scott Gomez and Markus Naslund; now, he'll have to stand up to Crosby and Malkin.

Speculation is that Petr Sykora will return to the lineup for this game after being scratched for the final two games of the series against Philadelphia, but nothing is certain.

The Pens need to win one of the first two games in Washington if they're to win the series.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Satan
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Steckel-Bradley
Clark-Gordon-Fehr

Morrisson-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Erskine-Pothier

Varlamov

GO PENS!

Penguins must find the fine line between physicality and stupidity

2009-04-30T21:17:00.001-04:00

During the regular season, Penguins’ defenseman Brooks Orpik and forwards Matt Cooke and Chris Kunitz hovered near the top of the NHL’s hitting leader board.

Orpik was second in the league with 309, Cooke fifth with 262, and Kunitz sixteenth with 207 body checks. The numbers have been well-documented in Pittsburgh hockey circles.

For their upcoming series against the Washington Capitals, the Penguins will face a team loaded with offensive talent, and perhaps more importantly, tremendous potency on the power play.

In hockey, the most common way to put the opposition on the “manpower advantage,” as Washington play by play announcer, Joe Beninati would say, is to overstep the game’s rules while hitting.

This could pose a problem for the Penguins.

You see, the best way to shut down Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, and Alexander Semin, is to put them on their backside and take away their speed and poise through hard hitting.

When the Caps are laid out on the ice, they’re not scoring goals.

However, in the cases of Orpik, Cooke, and Kunitz, their eagerness to play so physically has resulted in a substantial amount of penalties against all three of them.

Cooke is second on the team in penalty minutes behind only enforcer Eric Godard. Orpik and Kunitz aren’t far behind at sixth and seventh on the team.

Physicality is a double edged sword when facing a team like the Capitals. If the Penguins don’t play physically, the team in red will dance around them like pylons and torch Marc-Andre Fleury. If they do decide to muscle up, they run the risk of taking penalties if they aren’t careful while doing it. This means keep the arms down, stay away from the head, and don’t clutch and grub.

Taking penalties against the Capitals will also equate to goals against. Their power play ranked fifth in the NHL during the regular season, and it was fairly solid in the first round against the best penalty killing team in the league, the New York Rangers.

Kunitz and Cooke need to tenderize Green at every opportunity that arises, and Orpik best keep Ovechkin and Semin in the crosshairs at all times. Still, it is essential that they play clean in the process.

Penalties after the whistle aren’t going to cut it, either.

The Pens need to walk a fine line between playing physical and playing stupid, or the Caps will embarrass them.

Crosby's Penguins to meet Ovechkin's Capitals in second round

2009-04-28T22:13:00.003-04:00

After the Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers on a Sergei Fedorov goal with five minutes left in Game 7, the Caps and rival Pittsburgh Penguins settled on their respective couches to take in the final few minutes of the New Jersey Devils-Carolina Hurricanes seventh game.

The Devils led with only a minute and a half to go, and were looking as if they'd be the team to advance to the second round. However, the Canes had something to say about that, scoring two goals in fifty seconds to tie and win the game, 4-3. Eric Staal got the winner past a badly choking Martin Brodeur.

So the Penguins, who were likely to face the Boston Bruins in Round 2, will now draw the explosive Capitals, and with them, the game's most electrifying talent in Ovechkin.

Finally, Ovechkin has a supporting cast around him put together by general manger George McPhee that managed to win the franchise's first playoff series in Ovechkin's tenure with the team.

Alex Semin, Mike Green, Brooks Laich, and the great Sergei Fedorov accompany Ovechkin to provide a hefty surplus of offense.

The wild card in this series will be the rookie netminder for Washington, Simeon Varlamov. The Russian backstop was thrown into the fire after Jose Theodore was annihilated in Game 1 against the Rangers after a shaky regular season. The Pens will throw offense at him that is vastly superior to the Rangers', though, and "Varly" will have to be up to the task.

Crosby and Malkin vs. Ovechkin is enough to make the internet hockey community explode.

This will be fun.

Note to Helmut--

Don't troll the comments this series.

Bylsma no longer "interim"

2009-04-28T10:37:00.003-04:00

Interim Head Coach Dan Bylsma is no longer interim.

Bylsma and the Penguins organization agreed on a multi-year contract Monday evening.

Bylsma is 22-5-4 since taking over for Michel Therrien on February 15.

Congrats, Dan. We're excited to have you!

Penguins' next opponent to be determined by two series deciding games

2009-04-26T22:17:00.004-04:00

The Penguins clinched into the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win in Philadelphia on Saturday, but with two other Eastern Conference series dragging to Game 7, the Pens will have to wait a few more days for the revelation of their second round foe.

Carolina beat New Jersey, 4-0, on Sunday to force the decisive final game in that series.

Earlier in the day, Washington beat New York, 5-3, sending that series to Game 7.

Both games will take place on Tuesday night, with the Caps-Rangers game on national television.

Here are the different scenarios, as they pertain to Pittsburgh:

If Carolina and New York win, the Pens play Carolina in the second round.
If Carolina and Washington win, the Penguins play Washington in the second round.
If New Jersey and Washington win, the Penguins play Boston in the second round.
If New Jersey and New York win, the Penguins play New Jersey in the second round.

Each of these teams has a 25 percent chance of facing off with the Penguins.

Personally, the preference would be for Carolina and New York to win, but how about you?

Crosby quiets Philadelphian crowd as Penguins advance with comeback win

2009-04-25T17:48:00.004-04:00

Danny Briere broke through the Pittsburgh Penguins' back line on the powerplay and beat Marc-Andre Fleury inside the right post to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-0 lead. As fans, most Pittsburghers sat back in horror and braced themselves for what seemed like an inevitable seventh game at Mellon Arena on Monday night.

Daniel Carcillo then did the Penguins a big favor. He dropped the gloves with Maxime Talbot, giving the Penguins' bench just a flicker of life. What followed was a comeback of epic proportions.

Ruslan Fedotenko pickle-stabbed a puck through Martin Biron just seconds after the Carcillo-Talbot scrap, and the momentum was in a full state of shift.

Mark Eaton then batted a puck out of mid-air off a 3 on 1 break from the blue line on in, slicing the Flyers' 3-2 lead in half and further planting a seed of doubt.

Sidney Crosby, who heard "Crosby Sucks" chants all series long, delivered the tying goal on another bat out of the air. Biron badly misplayed the puck, setting up the opportunity.

Sergei Gonchar delivered the dagger just minutes after the start of the final frame, drilling a slapshot that beat Biron cleanly. The play was set up by Evgeni Malkin, whose performance today ranks among the best of his career.

After a crossbar was hit by Darrol Powe, Fleury robbed Joffrey Lupul coming down the right wing with a beautfiul push across his crease.

The Flyers, with Biron pulled, lost the puck to Crosby in the neutral zone. 87 then circled the empty Philadelphia net and backhanded the puck in. It was the final nail in the coffin.

Notes-
-Philadelphia, Crosby just wanted to give you all a big fat "[eff] you".
-Claude Giroux was Philly's best player all series.
-The Flyers played a good series. They have little to be ashamed of.
-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Round 1, Game 6- Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers

2009-04-24T22:04:00.002-04:00

After a disheartening effort on home ice in Game 5 that saw the Penguins squander an opportunity to advance to the second round without much trouble at all, there is work left to do for Pittsburgh. Though they would still have another crack it snagging the elusive series clinching win if they can't get it tomorrow, Sidney Crosby and his team would certainly want no part of that seventh game.

If Friday's practice line combinations are any indication, Eric Godard looks to be in line for his first action of the posteason. Petr Sykora and Miro Satan, two wingers that combined for over 40 goals this season, will be in the press box. Kris Letang will return for the game after missing Game 5 with an undisclose injury, thankfully forcing Phillipe Boucher out of the lineup.

So far in the series, the two netminders, Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Biron, have both been outstanding for the most part. That said, each has been prone to the occasional mistake that has badly hurt his team--Biron in Game 1 and Fleury in Games 3 and 5.

The games only get bigger from here on in.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Talbot-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Adams-Godard

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Flyers-

Gagne-Richards-Knuble
Hartnell-Carter-Lupul
Briere-Giroux-Powe
Carcillo-Ross-Asham

Timonen-Parent
Coburn-Carle
Alberts-Jones

Biron

GO PENS!

END THIS!

Penguins shutout at home, Flyers force Game 6

2009-04-23T21:40:00.005-04:00

Round 1, Game 5

The third line comes out big, both Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal take multiple shots at Biron. Unfortunately Biron comes out big too and makes some good saves.

Richards and Powe sandwich Crosby in the corner…Powe comes out bleeding. Malkin is knocked down behind the Flyers zone but there is no call.

Sidney Crosby carries the puck into the zone and passes to Dupuis. Great shot,

Crosby shovels the rebound, but Biron makes the save.

Tyler Kennedy with the best chance of the game so far. Biron is sharp early, though. Tyler Kennedy chips it into the outside of the goalpost.

Staal is called for roughing. Though the Flyers sustain pressure, the Penguins kill the penalty.

Matt Cooke goes in with a backhander. “Satan rips one well wide…Malkin to Satan: oooooh, wide”-CSN Philadelphia commentators. Even they know how disappointed we are in him.

Crosby sets up Guerin, but it somehow doesn’t go in. So Crosby picks of a pass and gets it back in. He is everywhere, and finally draws an interference call on Ryan Parent. Incredible play from the captain.

Malkin drills one at Biron and gets another shot off the rebound. Biron shows up.

Malkin gets another chance and Biron makes another save. Penguins can’t capitalize.

Brooks Orpik hits Danny Briere hard in the corner of the Penguins’ zone. Orpik has 10 more hits in this series than the player with the second most. Wow.

Jeff Carter throws one at the net. It goes wide off of Scott Hartnell. The CSN announcers are sure that Malkin just tripped a Flyer.

Flyers put a flurry of shots at Fleury, but nothing comes of it. The Penguins apply pressure on the Flyers, but apparently the inside of the blueline is offsides now.

Orpik fires one that knocks the stick right out of Biron’s hand.

Arron Asham hammers one over Fleury’s shoulder.

Geno deflects in a Gonchar shot. War room says no.

Daniel Briere is called for roughing. The power play is subpar.

Sid and Kunitz get beautiful chances.

The rest of the period is tense but nothing happens.

Rob Scuderi is called for hooking. Bad call.

Carter passes to Hartnell but Fleury makes an incredible right pad save. Penalty killed.

Giroux scores.

Gonchar slaps one on goal, Biron with the save but nearly lets in the rebound.

Knuble misses his check on Malkin and after the whistle, they exchange blows.

Briere is called for highsticking.

Satan smacks the puck in and it takes a weird hop off the board and is about half an inch from going in. Biron realizes it just in time.

Knuble scores.

Eaton is called for interference. With 30 seconds left on the penalty, Crosby goes off for slashing.

Jordan Staal went in shorthanded and nearly cut the deficit to 2. Then Kimo Timmonen is called for hooking. Malkin goes in looking defeated, passes to Kennedy, who shoots a muffin.

Fleury is pulled so it’s 6-on-4. When the power play is over, Crosby takes a cross-checking penalty.

Ew. Game 6, 3:00 pm Saturday in Philadelphia on NBC.

Round 1, Game 5- Philadelphia Flyers @ Penguins

2009-04-22T23:49:00.002-04:00

The Penguins have a golden opportunity to shut the door on any window of opportunity the Philadelphia Flyers might have to get back into the series with a win on Thursday night. Of course, a Penguins' win would clinch the series for Pittsburgh and eliminate the Flyers, whilst a victory by the Flyers would force a sixth game in Philadelphia, something the Pens surely don't want.

It's Marc-Andre Fleury against Marty Biron in goal. Hopefully, the Pens won't need Fleury to deliver the same heroic effort he did on Tuesday, but it's nice to know he has it in him if the black and gold needs it again.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Flyers-

Briere-Giroux-Powe

Gagne-Richards-Knuble
Hartnell-Carter-Lupul
Carcillo-Ross-Asham

Timonen-Parent
Coburn-Carle
Jones-Alberts

Biron

GO PENS!

FINISH THEM OFF.

Fleury hot as Pens win

2009-04-21T22:05:00.007-04:00

Flyer in the box for tripping Tyler Kennedy.

Fleury makes a save on Carter.

Kris Letang is called for tripping Jeff Carter…what a soft call.

Malkin is in the box for hooking. Penguins are amazing on the penalty kill.

Guerin is denied by Biron. Sykora drops it back for Fedotenko who blasts the puck at the net. The rebound hits Biron in the head and nearly goes in.

Ryan Parent gets called for holding. Missed opportunity. Jordan Staal misses a wide open net.

Jordan Staal makes a great backhand play to keep the puck in the zone but Matt Cooke is called for hooking.

Fleury is really on tonight. He is blocking shot after shot from Flyers.

Malkin misses a great chance from the top of the circle.

Matt Cooke is in the box again for something or other.

Kunitz passes to Crosby who gets it in the goal.

Malkin in front of the goal…no dice.

Fleury makes a save on Carter’s backhand. Fleury made a huge glove save on Giroux.

Tyler Kennedy with backhand: SCORE!

Fleury makes great save after great save.

Hal Gill is in the box for interference. Penalty killed.

Fleury denies Hartnell. But then Sergei Gonchar is called for tripping…Hartnell
totally dove on that one.

Mike Richards is called for tripping Fleury.

Fleury makes an epic glove save.

Hartnell is in the box for interference.

Penguins start the third on the power play.

Sid rings one off the post.

Richards picks off a pass between the defense but Fleury makes a great save.

Mark Eaton goes to the box for tripping. The Penguins kill most of the penalty and then there was a post-shot from Carle. Close, but Fleury makes the save.

Mark Eaton blocks a shot and then there is a lot of commotion around the net and Fleury loses his mask.

Tyler Kennedy is called for holding. Another bad call. Briere tries to slam a rebound in the side of the net but Fleury is there.

2-on-1 for the Penguins. Staal with the shot, Biron with the save.

Carcillo with the goal.

Malkin goes in the zone with Ruslan Fedotenko but Biron makes the save.

Chris Kunitz gets a breakaway. He takes a great shot but Biron makes a save.

Malkin tries to smack in the rebound but Biron gloves it.

With a minute left, the Flyers pull Biron. Max Talbot with the empty netter.

Tonight, Fleury definitely made up for his performance on Sunday. Penguins lead the series 3-1.

LET'S GO PENS!

DO IT!

Round 1, Game 4- Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers

2009-04-20T21:53:00.002-04:00

The Philadelphia Flyers may have given themselves some new life with a home win in Game 3 to avoid falling an insurmountable three games back in the series, but the Penguins will have another shot to essentially wrap this thing up. A Penguins win would send the series back to Pittsburgh where they could officially end it in Game 5.

Petr Sykora needs to stop playing like garbage. If he doesn't, he'll be out of the lineup and replaced by Miroslav Satan very soon. In fact, he may already have been.

Once again, it will be Marc-Andre Fleury and Marty Biron in goal. This is the biggest game of the season to date, and it's do or die time for the Flyers. If Philadelphia pulls it out, this series has seven games written all over it. If the Penguins win, as was said, this series is all but over.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Flyers-

Gagne-Richards-Knuble

Hartnell-Carter-Lupul
Briere-Giroux-Powe
Carcillo-Ross-Asham

Timonen-Parent
Coburn-Carle
Alberts-Jones

Biron

GO PENS!

Flyers make it a new series

2009-04-19T17:45:00.002-04:00

The Penguins will have a tough road ahead of them if they want to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite a fairly solid all-around effort, a few defensive lapses and stupid penalties allowed a desperate Flyers team to light up the scoreboard and cut the 2-0 series lead in half.

The Flyers got an early lead on two first period goals, but Evgeni Malkin got the Pens back into it with seconds left in the opening frame. After Rob Scuderi tied the game from the point seconds into the second period, the Penguins fell apart and were beaten fairly soundly.

Chris Kunitz had a monsterous hit on Kimmo Timonen.

This series is far from over, but remember, the Penguins still hold a 2-1 advantage.

Round 1, Game 3- Penguins @ Philadelphia Flyers

2009-04-18T21:11:00.002-04:00

The Penguins will look to put a stranglehold on their Eastern Conference opening round series with the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Wachovia Center for a matinee tilt. The Penguins lead the series 2-0, and a win would make it nearly impossible for the Flyers to come back. PTF has already covered everything there is to know about this series in other previews and recaps, so we'll just leave you with the lines.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Satan

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Flyers-

Hartnell-Carter-Lupul
Gagne-Richards-Knuble
Briere-Giroux-Powe
Carcillo-Ross-Asham

Timonen-Parent
Carle-Coburn
Alberts-Jones

Biron

GO PENS!

Back and forth battle ends with Guerin's OT marker

2009-04-17T19:18:00.011-04:00

Evgeni Malkin took a Ruslan Fedotenko feed and wiggled past the Flyers' defense, but he snapped a shot that hit the crossbar dead on and bounced away.

A wide open pace would follow for the next five minutes, as the game's first whistle did not come until almost a full seven minutes in. Brooks Orpik laid a big check on Joffrey Lupul, and Scott Hartnell, in true form, made his second knee on knee hit of the series, this time on Orpik.

Luca Sbisa nipped Kris Letang with his stick to put the Penguins on the powerplay with 9:21 on the clock. Sidney Crosby hit the post, and the particularly worthless Petr Sykora blew a wide open net.

After Mark Eaton took a holding minor, Hartnell tipped in a Matt Carle shot to put Philly up 1-0.

All in all, it was a fun first period of hockey, but the ice titled in the Flyers' favor at the end of it.

At the start of the second, the Pens came back onto the ice a changed team. Malkin's line with Sykora and Ruslan Fedotenko got some quality shots on Marty Biron, as did the Crosby unit with Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz. Biron was not to be beaten at that point in time.

That was until Crosby, Malkin, and Guerin came up the ice on a three on two. Malkin found Guerin above the left circle, and the crafty veteran ripped one that beat Biron short side. It was an absolute snipe of a snapper by Billy G.

Less than three minutes into the third, things went terribly wrong for the Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury let up a soft goal on a wrister by Darryl Powe coming down the right wing. That restored the Flyers advantage and put the Pens in a tough position.

Fleury made a ridiculous save on Jeff Carter from the left post that saved any hope the Penguins had left of tying the game.

What ensued was pure mayhem.

Carter went to the box for a very borderline hooking call on Jordan Staal with four minutes left. Carter got his stick up on Staal, but Staal definitely sold it by trapping Carter's stick in an unflattering spot.

Anyway, a Kris Letang blast bounced off Braydon Coburn, then off Malkin, caroming into the net and giving the Penguins their equillibrium back once again.

The overtime was somewhat dull until Hal Gill was pegged with a cross-checking minor for nailing Daniel Briere from behind while he was on the ice. It was a good call.

The Penguins had most of the penalty killed, and Mike Knuble was kind enough to do THE EXACT SAME THING Gill had done moments earlier as he stood in front of the net. Knuble was called for the cross-check.

While the Pens were about to go on their portion of the powerplay, rookie Claude Giroux slashed down on Chris Kunitz's stick. The stick split in half, making for a default slashing call on Giroux and giving the Penguins a five on three advantage.

Guerin scored his second goal of the game from in tight on a wrister that beat Biron cleanly.

Notes-
-Guerin looks pretty good in black and gold for that third round pick.
-Fleury's amazing save kept the game alive.

-Wow.

Go Pens.

Round 1, Game 2- Philadelphia Flyers @ Penguins

2009-04-16T21:08:00.002-04:00

The Philadelphia Flyers face a must-win situation Friday night when they return to the Mellon Arena for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Late in Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers gooned up a game they had already lost, and relatively useless winger Danny Carcillo managed to get himself suspended for butt-ending Max Talbot in the face.

The Flyers' explosive offense was badly outshined by the Penguins' in the inagural game. Undoubtedly, they'll be taking at least some sort of a new approach for Game 2.

Philly blueliner Kimmo Timonen did not practice Thursday after apparently injuring his knee on a hit by Chris Kunitz just seconds after the opening puck-drop in Game 1.

Marc-Andre Fleury will need to be good again for the Pens, and it would be nice if Marty Biron could continue to be his usual lousy self on the Philadelphia side of the coin.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Flyers-

Gagne-Richards-Knuble
Hartnell-Carter-Lupul
Briere-Giroux-Asham
Nodl-Powe-Ross

Timonen-Parent
Coburn-Carle
Alberts-Jones

Biron

GO PENS!

Pens topple Flyers to open playoffs

2009-04-15T22:24:00.002-04:00

That was about as dominating a performance as we could have hoped for.

I was at the game, so the recap isn't going to be very playoff-esque. I'll just offer a few observations.

-Kennedy has developed into the kind of player every team would love to have.
-Staal and his line were significantly better than Philly's Briere-Giroux-Asham line.
-Crosby and Malkin were their usual selves.
-It's hard not to be excited at the prospect of playing Martin Biron for the rest of the series.
-Not shockingly, the Flyers gooned it up at the end; the Pens didn't back down.

Better recap coming Friday.

Let's Go Pens.

Round 1, Game 1- Philadelphia Flyers @ Penguins

2009-04-14T22:04:00.002-04:00

It's playoff time in Pittsburgh again, as the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to avenge last year's Stanley Cup Finals loss to the Detroit Red Wings and give Pittsburgh its second major sports title in four months.

Standing in their way, at least for the first round, will be the cross-state rival Flyers. The Flyers are lead by outstanding young center and captain Mike Richards. While Richards is the catalyst for this squad, Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, Daniel Briere, Scott Hartnell, and Claude Giroux provide scary measures of offensive fireopower that may only be rivaled by their opponents in this series, as well as a select few other teams.

On the back end, Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn run the show in both the offensive and defensive zones. Last year, these two players were unhealthy for the Penguins-Flyers series, so the Pens will have a bit more to handle on that front. Matt Carle and Ryan Parent are distinctly average, while Andrew Alberts and Randy Jones are wild cards who can perform well or poorly on any given night.

In goal, Martin Biron figures to be the Flyers' most likely Kryptonite. He has a propensity toward giving up soft goals, and he'll need to be on top of his game. If he's not, this will be a short series.

The entire Penguins team has a good amount of playoff experience, and they'll need to utilize any advantages that may come about as a result of that.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Godard

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Flyers-

Gagne-Richards-Knuble
Hartnell-Carter-Lupul
Briere-Giroux-Asham
Carcillo-Powe-Ross

Timonen-Jones
Coburn-Carle
Alberts-Parent

Biron

GO PENS!

Penguins and Devils from up close and personal

2009-04-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

Pens That Fly reader Molly was kind enough to take these pictures for us at the Devils @ Pens game two weeks ago. Since I'm an idiot, I didn't check the blog's email and missed them entirely.

So, here they are.

Thanks, Molly!

Times set for first round of playoffs, Pens-Flyers series

2009-04-12T23:45:00.004-04:00

Link.

The Pens and Flyers will open up on Wednesday night, and play every other day for the duration of the series. Versus, NBC, CBC, and RDS will divide the broadcasting rights amongst themselves.