As expected, the Penguins made their first meaningful set of training camp cuts today, sending 11 players to Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the American Hockey League.
Goaltenders Brad Thiessen and John Curry were among the cuts, and that's no surprise considering that the Penguins' goaltending chores this coming season have always been Marc-Andre Fleury and Brent Johnson's to handle.
On the blueline, Steve Wagner, Brian Strait, Corey Potter and Robert Bortozzo will head across the state.
Strait, Potter and Bortozzo all had good camps, but in the end, none of them were probably likely to crack the roster. All could be a decent fill-in as a call-up, however.
Wagner didn't really distinguish himself during camp, and it can't be a shock to anyone that he is in this group.
Up front, Joe Vitale, Tim Wallace and Chris Conner got the bump. Again, nothing really surprising there. While Wallace and Conner have filled in capably as call-ups in prior seasons, nobody can realistically argue they deserve to stick at this point.
Nick Johnson also will go to Wilkes-Barre.
Some in the organization feel Johnson is the Penguins' most well-rounded prospect, but while he scored two goals this pre-season, his practices were somewhat inconsistent. Again, I don't think anyone can argue it was unjustified to send him down. Johnson will still be in the mix to see NHL time at some point this season.
The last guy to go was Brett Sterling, a player who some thought might have a chance to make the team.
While I'm a little surprised he didn't survive this round of cuts, part of me understands the move. Sterling showed some potential as a goal scorer -- and that's been his pedigree -- but the reality is that he had to play lights out to make the team. Mainly that's because he'd have to play on the top 2 lines in Pittsburgh, and would otherwise be miscast in a bottom 6 role.
While Sterling had a pretty decent camp all things considered, it just wasn't enough to keep him at this point. He'll give a good offensive boost to the Baby Penguins, though, and might just find himself as a call-up for a few games at some point in the season when he a spark could be needed.
Of all the players listed above, Potter, Wagner, Conner, Sterling and Curry will need to clear waviers before officially being able to report to WBS. That will be by noon tomorrow (Thursday).
With these cuts, the Penguins currently have 30 roster players (18 forwards, 10 defenseman, and 2 goaltenders), and need to get down to 23 by the season opener.
Among the bubble players still in the mix with a real shot to stick in Pittsburgh in just the few open roster spots include Ben Lovejoy, Deryk Engelland, Steve Hutchinson and Simon Despres on defense, and Mark Letestu, Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi, and Ryan Craig up front.
The Penguins last two exhibition games are Friday night in Chicago in the second end of a back-to-back with the Blackhawks, and late Sunday afternoon in Detroit against the Red Wings.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Penguins Defeat Cup Champs To Run Undefeated Preseason Record To 4-0
The train just keeps on rolling.
Behind goals from Evgeni Malkin, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu, as well as 20 stops on 21 shots by goaltender Brent Johnson, the Pittsburgh Penguins ran their undefeated pre-season record to 4-0 by disposing of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, 4-1, last night at the CONSOL Energy Center.
While Chicago didn't have all of its regulars in the lineup, and played behind thier 3rd string goaltender for 40 minutes, it did have 4 of their top 6 blueliners and forward Patrick Kane in the lineup. Still, the Penguins dominated most of the game, outshooting Chicago 39-21.
Malkin's first goal was a sensational individual effort, abusing several Blackhawks and taking advantage of some solid distraction work in front by rookie winger Eric Tangradi to score, while Jeffrey, Johnson and Letestu all scored by having deflected pucks go in.
Like Malkin, Jeffrey had a strong game -- probably his best of the pre-season. Just when it looked like he was going to have a hard time doing enough to stick on the roster, he complicated the picture last night.
Tangradi also had a strong game, making the decision on what to do with him probably just as difficult. Bylsma complimented him afterwards, saying he's doing "exactly what he brings to the table".
It's hard to say the picture became any clearer on the blueline either. Deryk Engelland was a +2, and Simon Despres had another decent game. Ben Lovejoy didn't play himself out of the picture, but he continued to not do anything to distinguish his way into it.
One things is for sure: whoever sticks -- and manages to start as the #6 blueliner -- is going to get less ice-time than the other 5 rearguards, Head Coach Dan Bylsma said yesterday.
Bylsma also said that whoever plays in that role is going to have to bring something special to the table, whether it be on the penalty kill, with physical play, or something else.
The Penguins are expected to make roster cuts at some point today. Keep checking back here for the word on who's going and, for now at least, who's sticking.
Behind goals from Evgeni Malkin, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu, as well as 20 stops on 21 shots by goaltender Brent Johnson, the Pittsburgh Penguins ran their undefeated pre-season record to 4-0 by disposing of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, 4-1, last night at the CONSOL Energy Center.
While Chicago didn't have all of its regulars in the lineup, and played behind thier 3rd string goaltender for 40 minutes, it did have 4 of their top 6 blueliners and forward Patrick Kane in the lineup. Still, the Penguins dominated most of the game, outshooting Chicago 39-21.
Malkin's first goal was a sensational individual effort, abusing several Blackhawks and taking advantage of some solid distraction work in front by rookie winger Eric Tangradi to score, while Jeffrey, Johnson and Letestu all scored by having deflected pucks go in.
Like Malkin, Jeffrey had a strong game -- probably his best of the pre-season. Just when it looked like he was going to have a hard time doing enough to stick on the roster, he complicated the picture last night.
Tangradi also had a strong game, making the decision on what to do with him probably just as difficult. Bylsma complimented him afterwards, saying he's doing "exactly what he brings to the table".
It's hard to say the picture became any clearer on the blueline either. Deryk Engelland was a +2, and Simon Despres had another decent game. Ben Lovejoy didn't play himself out of the picture, but he continued to not do anything to distinguish his way into it.
One things is for sure: whoever sticks -- and manages to start as the #6 blueliner -- is going to get less ice-time than the other 5 rearguards, Head Coach Dan Bylsma said yesterday.
Bylsma also said that whoever plays in that role is going to have to bring something special to the table, whether it be on the penalty kill, with physical play, or something else.
The Penguins are expected to make roster cuts at some point today. Keep checking back here for the word on who's going and, for now at least, who's sticking.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Look At The Penguins Roster
After 3 games and the half-way point of the pre-season, the Penguins have little to complain about thusfar.
While their team has shown a good blend of offense and defense, they're still closely analyzing who it is that deserves the last few roster spots up front and on the blueline.
Right now, after sending goaltender Mattias Modig to Wilkes-Barre yesterday, the Penguins have 41 players left in camp, which means many more still need to go in order to get the roster down to 23 before the regular season. And many of the 18 who will be leaving will probably depart after tomorrow after tonight's final exhibition game at CONSOL against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Let's take a look at where things stand on the blueline.
Going into camp, many felt that defenseman Ben Lovejoy -- who played 11 games with the big club last year and didn't look out of place doing it -- had the inside track to the start the year in Pittsburgh as the #6 reargard.
Lovejoy, however, hasn't distinguished himself in camp. He hasn't played poorly either, but with the surprising performance of a few of his fellow blueliners vying for that spot, it's still a race at this point to see who sticks.
Andrew Hutchinson is one of the guys that has inserted himself strongly into the picture. Hutchinson played in the American Hockey League for the Dallas' Stars affiliate last season, but has 130+ NHL games on his resume. While he brings fair offensive tools to the table, I'm not sure that's an ideal fit for what the Penguins need in the #6 hole -- which I believe is steady defensive play and a physical presence, especially since whoever gets that job is probably going to be playing with the more offensive-minded Alex Goligoski.
Another guy who has raised his game and put himself squarely into contention for the spot is Corey Potter.
Potter has some skill and can make a good first pass, but the strength of his game is using his body and playing well positionally. The 6' 3" blueliner played 3 games for the New York Rangers last season, but suited up most of the year for their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf-Pack, where he finished with 28 points and a +17 rating in 69 games. He's impressed Pens' brass -- and me -- with his play in the pre-season so far.
I think HC Dan Blysma was hoping they'd get some of that type of game from Deryk Engelland -- who plays a style similar to Potter's, albeit with a little less puck-moving ability -- but, like Lovejoy, Engelland hasn't overwhelmed anyone at camp either.
There's one other defenseman worth mentioning here -- Simon Despres.
Despres, last year's #1 draft pick, has shown strong offensive flair this pre-season and I think the Penguins are pretty happy with his development, but while they could keep him for up to 10 games and see how he handles himself at this level before sending him back to Junior hockey without it costing him a year on his entry-level contract, I don't believe his play has been so over-the-top that the organization is seriously considering that option at this point, as I suggested they should a week or two ago.
It's going to be interesting to see how the battle on the blueline shakes out over the next week. As I mentioned, cuts are likely to be made tomorrow, so things will come more into focus at that point. I would expect the Penguins will keep 3 bubble players on the blueline at that juncture and see if they can settle on one after the final two exhibition games
How the forward ranks are thinned is going to be very interesting as well.
One guy who has been playing really well and making it hard on the Penguins to consider sending him down is Ryan Craig.
Craig is a versitle player with NHL experience who can play all three forward positions, grind along the wall and in the corners, win face-offs and chip in occasionally offensively. His problem, however, is that he suffered a groin injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week and remains out of the lineup.
When you're battling for a bubble spot on the roster, but can't play because of injury, you lose the opportunity to impress. Because of that, Craig and his two-way contract are now probably ticketed to start the year in Wilkes-Barre.
Meanwhile, Eric Tangradi continues to get good looks in practices and in games in a top 6 role with Evgeni Malkin and Mike Comrie, and he continues to get power play time as well. While I think Tangradi has played fairly well, he has yet to meaningfully chip in on the scoresheet or otherwise make it impossible for team brass to do anything but keep him.
I expect the team to keep him around for the balance of the pre-season, however, so he still has a chance to make a real impact. If he does that in the next 3 games, Tangradi could possibly play himself onto the roster, at least to start the season while Jordan Staal is on the shelf.
The guy who's probably the most curious case is forward Brett Sterling. Sterling scored a nice goal in the exhibition opener while playing with Sidney Crosby and has shown in camp thusfar some of the traits which have made him a strong goal-scorer at times in the AHL. He's also demonstrated a willingness to get his nose dirty around the net, despite being only 5' 7".
That said, it looks like Sterling's play has leveled off a bit in recent days, and he's now no longer skating on one of the top lines in practice. He'll probably still get some more exhibition action and, like Tangradi, that could make or break what the Penguins do with him come the end of the pre-season. In the end, though, he's going to have to do even more to convince the Penguins that they should keep him instead of one of their other 13 forwards who have one-way contracts and can't be sent down to the minors without it costing their full salary.
Another player who I was very curious to look at during this camp was Dustin Jeffrey. When he was drafted, Jeffrey, 6' 5", was cast as a 3rd/4th liner if he ever made it to the NHL. Last year, though, he made great offensive strides at Wilkes-Barre. With the few cups of coffee the Penguins have already given him at the NHL level, it was no secret that he'd be competing for one of the last few roster spots up front at this year's camp.
Unfortunately, while I don't think the Penguins are disappointed in his play, Jeffrey hasn't seized on the opportunity thusfar to distinguish himself to the point that the team would have to keep him. Unless things go differently for him the last few games, I think he, too, is probably ticketed for Wilkes-Barre.
The forward who has undeniably had the best training camp among all the bubble players up front is center Mark Letestu.
Letestu has done almost everything well -- and well enough that he would have to really drop the ball to probably not start the season in Pittsburgh. He's played sound positionally, won face-offs and leads the Penguins in pre-season scoring with 4 points in only 2 games played.
After playing a few games each year in the NHL during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons, Letestu stepped up his game last year, and played pretty well when called to fill in with the big club in 2009/2010. He even dressed in the post-season a bit without looking the least bit out of place, and has clearly carried that over to this year's camp.
He's just playing with a lot of confidence and it shows.
Unless something drastic changes, Letestu is probably going to open the season with the big club, and maybe even centering the third line with Aaron Asham and Matt Cooke, and I doubt that would make anyone in Penguin Nation uncomfortable.
Again, it's going to be an interesting next few days.
More soon.
While their team has shown a good blend of offense and defense, they're still closely analyzing who it is that deserves the last few roster spots up front and on the blueline.
Right now, after sending goaltender Mattias Modig to Wilkes-Barre yesterday, the Penguins have 41 players left in camp, which means many more still need to go in order to get the roster down to 23 before the regular season. And many of the 18 who will be leaving will probably depart after tomorrow after tonight's final exhibition game at CONSOL against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Let's take a look at where things stand on the blueline.
Going into camp, many felt that defenseman Ben Lovejoy -- who played 11 games with the big club last year and didn't look out of place doing it -- had the inside track to the start the year in Pittsburgh as the #6 reargard.
Lovejoy, however, hasn't distinguished himself in camp. He hasn't played poorly either, but with the surprising performance of a few of his fellow blueliners vying for that spot, it's still a race at this point to see who sticks.
Andrew Hutchinson is one of the guys that has inserted himself strongly into the picture. Hutchinson played in the American Hockey League for the Dallas' Stars affiliate last season, but has 130+ NHL games on his resume. While he brings fair offensive tools to the table, I'm not sure that's an ideal fit for what the Penguins need in the #6 hole -- which I believe is steady defensive play and a physical presence, especially since whoever gets that job is probably going to be playing with the more offensive-minded Alex Goligoski.
Another guy who has raised his game and put himself squarely into contention for the spot is Corey Potter.
Potter has some skill and can make a good first pass, but the strength of his game is using his body and playing well positionally. The 6' 3" blueliner played 3 games for the New York Rangers last season, but suited up most of the year for their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf-Pack, where he finished with 28 points and a +17 rating in 69 games. He's impressed Pens' brass -- and me -- with his play in the pre-season so far.
I think HC Dan Blysma was hoping they'd get some of that type of game from Deryk Engelland -- who plays a style similar to Potter's, albeit with a little less puck-moving ability -- but, like Lovejoy, Engelland hasn't overwhelmed anyone at camp either.
There's one other defenseman worth mentioning here -- Simon Despres.
Despres, last year's #1 draft pick, has shown strong offensive flair this pre-season and I think the Penguins are pretty happy with his development, but while they could keep him for up to 10 games and see how he handles himself at this level before sending him back to Junior hockey without it costing him a year on his entry-level contract, I don't believe his play has been so over-the-top that the organization is seriously considering that option at this point, as I suggested they should a week or two ago.
It's going to be interesting to see how the battle on the blueline shakes out over the next week. As I mentioned, cuts are likely to be made tomorrow, so things will come more into focus at that point. I would expect the Penguins will keep 3 bubble players on the blueline at that juncture and see if they can settle on one after the final two exhibition games
How the forward ranks are thinned is going to be very interesting as well.
One guy who has been playing really well and making it hard on the Penguins to consider sending him down is Ryan Craig.
Craig is a versitle player with NHL experience who can play all three forward positions, grind along the wall and in the corners, win face-offs and chip in occasionally offensively. His problem, however, is that he suffered a groin injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week and remains out of the lineup.
When you're battling for a bubble spot on the roster, but can't play because of injury, you lose the opportunity to impress. Because of that, Craig and his two-way contract are now probably ticketed to start the year in Wilkes-Barre.
Meanwhile, Eric Tangradi continues to get good looks in practices and in games in a top 6 role with Evgeni Malkin and Mike Comrie, and he continues to get power play time as well. While I think Tangradi has played fairly well, he has yet to meaningfully chip in on the scoresheet or otherwise make it impossible for team brass to do anything but keep him.
I expect the team to keep him around for the balance of the pre-season, however, so he still has a chance to make a real impact. If he does that in the next 3 games, Tangradi could possibly play himself onto the roster, at least to start the season while Jordan Staal is on the shelf.
The guy who's probably the most curious case is forward Brett Sterling. Sterling scored a nice goal in the exhibition opener while playing with Sidney Crosby and has shown in camp thusfar some of the traits which have made him a strong goal-scorer at times in the AHL. He's also demonstrated a willingness to get his nose dirty around the net, despite being only 5' 7".
That said, it looks like Sterling's play has leveled off a bit in recent days, and he's now no longer skating on one of the top lines in practice. He'll probably still get some more exhibition action and, like Tangradi, that could make or break what the Penguins do with him come the end of the pre-season. In the end, though, he's going to have to do even more to convince the Penguins that they should keep him instead of one of their other 13 forwards who have one-way contracts and can't be sent down to the minors without it costing their full salary.
Another player who I was very curious to look at during this camp was Dustin Jeffrey. When he was drafted, Jeffrey, 6' 5", was cast as a 3rd/4th liner if he ever made it to the NHL. Last year, though, he made great offensive strides at Wilkes-Barre. With the few cups of coffee the Penguins have already given him at the NHL level, it was no secret that he'd be competing for one of the last few roster spots up front at this year's camp.
Unfortunately, while I don't think the Penguins are disappointed in his play, Jeffrey hasn't seized on the opportunity thusfar to distinguish himself to the point that the team would have to keep him. Unless things go differently for him the last few games, I think he, too, is probably ticketed for Wilkes-Barre.
The forward who has undeniably had the best training camp among all the bubble players up front is center Mark Letestu.
Letestu has done almost everything well -- and well enough that he would have to really drop the ball to probably not start the season in Pittsburgh. He's played sound positionally, won face-offs and leads the Penguins in pre-season scoring with 4 points in only 2 games played.
After playing a few games each year in the NHL during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons, Letestu stepped up his game last year, and played pretty well when called to fill in with the big club in 2009/2010. He even dressed in the post-season a bit without looking the least bit out of place, and has clearly carried that over to this year's camp.
He's just playing with a lot of confidence and it shows.
Unless something drastic changes, Letestu is probably going to open the season with the big club, and maybe even centering the third line with Aaron Asham and Matt Cooke, and I doubt that would make anyone in Penguin Nation uncomfortable.
Again, it's going to be an interesting next few days.
More soon.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Penguins Sweep Blue-Jackets; Raise Pre-Season Record To 3-0
With jobs often on the line and young players always trying to make a name for themselves, pre-season NHL games are always a bit physical and energetic.
The back-to-back games the Pittsburgh Penguins had against the Western Conference's Columbus Blue Jackets were no different and, in fact, had even more spice because of the close geographical proximity between the two clubs.
After sweeping the Blue Jackets by winning 5-4 Friday night in Columbus, and 3-1 last night at the CONSOL Energy Center, the Penguins showed they can not only score, but handle themselves physically, too.
Friday night, the Penguins' offensive weapons took center stage, jumping out to an early lead on goals by forwards Aaron Asham 34 seconds in, and Mike Rupp before the 10 minute mark.
Pittsburgh fell behind 3-2 after that, but rallied with three unanswered goals. LW Chris Kunitz had a pinball shot go off him to tie the game before the second period ended, then winger Nick Johnson scored from the slot with about 8 minutes left in the 3rd to give the Penguins the lead.
Mike Comrie -- with his 2nd goal in 2 games -- gave the Penguins insurance with a few minutes to go, which they would need when Columbus made it 5-4 with about 35 seconds left, but the Blue Jackets got no closer.
Brent Johnson stopped 18 of 21 shots in 2 periods, while John Curry was real strong in the final frame, stopping 15 of 16.
The Penguins also scored 3 power play goals on 8 chances in the contest.
Last night on home ice, there were more fisticuffs, but still the same result on the scoreboard in the end.
While Columbus got the opening goal in the first period against Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins were the only team to light the lamp the rest of the way, getting tallies from Pascal Dupuis late in the 2nd period on a Blue Jackets' turnover to tie the score, then goals from Evgeni Malkin and Asham in the 3rd period to finish their Ohio rivals.
Perhaps the most notable thing to cheer about in front of the 18,087 mostly young hockey player fans who attended the game free after the Penguins' organization gave away tickets to the game to youth hockey groups throughout western pennsylvania were the several fights that occurred, including 2 by defenseman Kris Letang and one by Malkin, who won a clear decision over Blue Jackets' star Rick Nash of all people.
I'll have more tomorrow on the state of the Penguins' roster.
The back-to-back games the Pittsburgh Penguins had against the Western Conference's Columbus Blue Jackets were no different and, in fact, had even more spice because of the close geographical proximity between the two clubs.
After sweeping the Blue Jackets by winning 5-4 Friday night in Columbus, and 3-1 last night at the CONSOL Energy Center, the Penguins showed they can not only score, but handle themselves physically, too.
Friday night, the Penguins' offensive weapons took center stage, jumping out to an early lead on goals by forwards Aaron Asham 34 seconds in, and Mike Rupp before the 10 minute mark.
Pittsburgh fell behind 3-2 after that, but rallied with three unanswered goals. LW Chris Kunitz had a pinball shot go off him to tie the game before the second period ended, then winger Nick Johnson scored from the slot with about 8 minutes left in the 3rd to give the Penguins the lead.
Mike Comrie -- with his 2nd goal in 2 games -- gave the Penguins insurance with a few minutes to go, which they would need when Columbus made it 5-4 with about 35 seconds left, but the Blue Jackets got no closer.
Brent Johnson stopped 18 of 21 shots in 2 periods, while John Curry was real strong in the final frame, stopping 15 of 16.
The Penguins also scored 3 power play goals on 8 chances in the contest.
Last night on home ice, there were more fisticuffs, but still the same result on the scoreboard in the end.
While Columbus got the opening goal in the first period against Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins were the only team to light the lamp the rest of the way, getting tallies from Pascal Dupuis late in the 2nd period on a Blue Jackets' turnover to tie the score, then goals from Evgeni Malkin and Asham in the 3rd period to finish their Ohio rivals.
Perhaps the most notable thing to cheer about in front of the 18,087 mostly young hockey player fans who attended the game free after the Penguins' organization gave away tickets to the game to youth hockey groups throughout western pennsylvania were the several fights that occurred, including 2 by defenseman Kris Letang and one by Malkin, who won a clear decision over Blue Jackets' star Rick Nash of all people.
I'll have more tomorrow on the state of the Penguins' roster.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Penguins Ground Wings, Pare Pre-Season Roster, And Move To Prime Time
Boy .. the kids get sick .. the wife goes out of town .. then everything under the sun happens in Penguin Nation.
Let's start with the first competive action on the ice for the local hockey club, which was Wednesday night in the pre-season home opener against the Detroit Red Wings, who the Penguins promptly went out and blitzed, 5-1, in front of a sellout crowd of 18,087 and an atmosphere that bordered on that which you'd find for a playoff game.
Of course, that's what you get when everyone gets to see the CONSOL Energy Center for the first time, let alone for a game against a rival like Detroit -- even a preseason one.
While the crowd didn't need any help, Pittsburgh made sure to keep things raucous. When the game was just over 10 minutes old, the Penguins ALREADY had a 3-0 lead, racing to that advantage on goals by Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. Mike Comrie) -- the first in the history of the building less than 2 minutes in -- Captain Sidney Crosby and Ryan Craig, all against the human sieve, Red Wing's goaltender Chris Osgood.
Brooks Orpik also got tossed out of the game before the thrilling first period ended when he collided with Red Wings star forward Johan Franzen and was given a 5-minute major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct.
The fight which ensued when Detroit' winger Todd Bertuzzi challenged Orpik was just gravy.
Speaking of fights, there was a lively one about 4 minutes before the Orpik hit when Pens' winger Jesse Boulerice squared off against Red Wings' forward Aaron Downey -- a fight that can't be considered a surprise since the two of them staged a notable bout several years ago when Boulerice was with the Carolina Hurricanes and Downey was with the Dallas Stars.
That fight ended with Downey one-puncing Boulerice and breaking his jaw.
This fight ended with revenge, as Boulerice pummeled Downey to the delight of the CONSOL faithful.
Detroit tried to get back in the game in the 2nd period after being outshot 20-7 in the first, and started down that path with a goal by defenseman Ruslan Salei that got by Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury from the point, but Pittsburgh squashed any hope of a Red Wings' rally with goals by Brett Sterling and a 2nd one by Craig before the next intermission. And the score at that time was how the game finished.
Sidney Crosby left the third period after feeling his hip get a little tight, but said after the game and the next day that the injury was not serious, and that he stayed in the locker room largely as a precautionary measure.
Pittsburgh outshot Detroit 37-26 in the game; Fleury finished with 20 saves on 21 shots in two periods of work before Brad Theissen replaced him for the third.
Sterling and Craig, by the way, may have been the Penguins two best forwards. Craig is a verteran of a few hundred NHL games and shouldn't be overlooked for a potential roster spot on the club to start the season, especially if he keeps playing like he did Wednesday night. Sterling, meanwhile, continued his impressive camp run with his goal and a helper, mostly while on Crosby's left wing -- at least for 2 periods.
Sterling's strength is that he consistenly plays hard in the corners and around the goal despite his generous 5' 7" frame. That's what he's been doing the last several weeks and Pens' brass has to be beginning to wonder whether they might have to find a roster spot for him.
Tyler Kennedy -- the guy probably most likely to be on the chopping block if Sterling, Craig or anyone else theatens to stay on the roster -- also had a good game, but will it be enough?
Others who were notable for the Penguins were Mark Letestu, who continued his impressive camp with 2 helpers, and Mike Comrie, who got the opening goal.
I knew I loved Hilary Duff for reasons other than what you see when you look at her.
New blueline acquisition Zbynek Michalek also had a strong night, blocking 6 shots and looking fierce on the penalty kill.
The morning after the game, the Penguins sent to Wilkes-Barre forwards Boulerice, Chris Collins, Joey Haddad, Nick Peterson, Kevin Veilleux, Ryan Schnell, and three guys who looked real good in last week's rookie tournament -- Geoff Walker, Zach Sill and Alex Smigelski, the latter of which earned his first pro contract with the club.
Carl Sneep was among 3 blueliners who also went to the Baby Penguins, as did goaltender Patrick Killeen.
I'm not sure if they were still around when the big news was announced yesterday, but if not, they surely missed a lot of buzz surrounding the word that the NHL will team up with cable heavyweight and network made famous for it's "Hard Knocks" NFL reality show, HBO, to feature the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in their own reality mini-series, called "24/7", starting in December and carrying through early January.
HBO's 24/7 series has earned multiple Emmy awards, and has previously focused mostly on boxing productions (and one NASCAR production).
The series it produces involving the Pens and Caps will include the production of four, 1-hour episdoes airing each Wednesday starting on December 15 that will feature behind-the-scenes footage of the two clubs on the ice, off the ice, in the locker room, while they travel, during their meetings, while they rehab, etc --- all starting with the teams in early December.
It also will be the first sports reality program anywhere to track teams during their regular seasons.
The pinnacle of the program will be the final two episodes, which will largely coalesce around the Penguins and Capitals game in Washington, DC on December 23, and their already-anticipated Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on New Year's Day.
Undeniably, the impetus for this series is the rivarly between Crosby and Capitals' star Alexander Ovechkin. Still, it goes beyond that. I mean, HBO knows what it's doing here. In featuring these two clubs for it's debut NHL series, it selected the clubs that have the greatest NHL rivalry running right now, and that was no accident.
Not coincidentally, that's the same logic that led the NHL to decide it wouldn't be wrong to feature the Penguins in the Winter Classic again against the Capitals even though the Pens' participated just 3 years ago and other teams have been calamoring to play in the game.
Speaking of the Classic, HBO also knows that the game has fast become a must-see event, and that by capitalizing on it (no pun intended), it will reach even more viewers interested in knowing things about the teams and game that they never knew about before.
Finally, HBO knows that the National Hockey League is on the rise right now, and obviously wants to seize the opportunity to get ratings because of it. For its part, the league has to be thankful for an opportunity to gain further mainstream exposure as its television contract expires after this year.
Personally, I can't wait for the series. I've always thought that, with NHL players typically being as gracious, professional and acceptable as they are, and with hockey being a sport that is immensely underrated, difficult, and unique, a reality series of some kind would be great for the sport. It's going to lend even more excitement to a game and rivalry that seems like it can't stand anymore of either as it is.
Kudos to HBO for agreeing to go forward with the project in general, let alone feature the Boys of Winter in it.
More over the weekend, including recaps of the back-to-back preseason games between the Pens and Columbus Blue Jackets, starting tonight in Ohio and continuing Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
Let's start with the first competive action on the ice for the local hockey club, which was Wednesday night in the pre-season home opener against the Detroit Red Wings, who the Penguins promptly went out and blitzed, 5-1, in front of a sellout crowd of 18,087 and an atmosphere that bordered on that which you'd find for a playoff game.
Of course, that's what you get when everyone gets to see the CONSOL Energy Center for the first time, let alone for a game against a rival like Detroit -- even a preseason one.
While the crowd didn't need any help, Pittsburgh made sure to keep things raucous. When the game was just over 10 minutes old, the Penguins ALREADY had a 3-0 lead, racing to that advantage on goals by Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. Mike Comrie) -- the first in the history of the building less than 2 minutes in -- Captain Sidney Crosby and Ryan Craig, all against the human sieve, Red Wing's goaltender Chris Osgood.
Brooks Orpik also got tossed out of the game before the thrilling first period ended when he collided with Red Wings star forward Johan Franzen and was given a 5-minute major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct.
The fight which ensued when Detroit' winger Todd Bertuzzi challenged Orpik was just gravy.
Speaking of fights, there was a lively one about 4 minutes before the Orpik hit when Pens' winger Jesse Boulerice squared off against Red Wings' forward Aaron Downey -- a fight that can't be considered a surprise since the two of them staged a notable bout several years ago when Boulerice was with the Carolina Hurricanes and Downey was with the Dallas Stars.
That fight ended with Downey one-puncing Boulerice and breaking his jaw.
This fight ended with revenge, as Boulerice pummeled Downey to the delight of the CONSOL faithful.
Detroit tried to get back in the game in the 2nd period after being outshot 20-7 in the first, and started down that path with a goal by defenseman Ruslan Salei that got by Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury from the point, but Pittsburgh squashed any hope of a Red Wings' rally with goals by Brett Sterling and a 2nd one by Craig before the next intermission. And the score at that time was how the game finished.
Sidney Crosby left the third period after feeling his hip get a little tight, but said after the game and the next day that the injury was not serious, and that he stayed in the locker room largely as a precautionary measure.
Pittsburgh outshot Detroit 37-26 in the game; Fleury finished with 20 saves on 21 shots in two periods of work before Brad Theissen replaced him for the third.
Sterling and Craig, by the way, may have been the Penguins two best forwards. Craig is a verteran of a few hundred NHL games and shouldn't be overlooked for a potential roster spot on the club to start the season, especially if he keeps playing like he did Wednesday night. Sterling, meanwhile, continued his impressive camp run with his goal and a helper, mostly while on Crosby's left wing -- at least for 2 periods.
Sterling's strength is that he consistenly plays hard in the corners and around the goal despite his generous 5' 7" frame. That's what he's been doing the last several weeks and Pens' brass has to be beginning to wonder whether they might have to find a roster spot for him.
Tyler Kennedy -- the guy probably most likely to be on the chopping block if Sterling, Craig or anyone else theatens to stay on the roster -- also had a good game, but will it be enough?
Others who were notable for the Penguins were Mark Letestu, who continued his impressive camp with 2 helpers, and Mike Comrie, who got the opening goal.
I knew I loved Hilary Duff for reasons other than what you see when you look at her.
New blueline acquisition Zbynek Michalek also had a strong night, blocking 6 shots and looking fierce on the penalty kill.
The morning after the game, the Penguins sent to Wilkes-Barre forwards Boulerice, Chris Collins, Joey Haddad, Nick Peterson, Kevin Veilleux, Ryan Schnell, and three guys who looked real good in last week's rookie tournament -- Geoff Walker, Zach Sill and Alex Smigelski, the latter of which earned his first pro contract with the club.
Carl Sneep was among 3 blueliners who also went to the Baby Penguins, as did goaltender Patrick Killeen.
I'm not sure if they were still around when the big news was announced yesterday, but if not, they surely missed a lot of buzz surrounding the word that the NHL will team up with cable heavyweight and network made famous for it's "Hard Knocks" NFL reality show, HBO, to feature the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals in their own reality mini-series, called "24/7", starting in December and carrying through early January.
HBO's 24/7 series has earned multiple Emmy awards, and has previously focused mostly on boxing productions (and one NASCAR production).
The series it produces involving the Pens and Caps will include the production of four, 1-hour episdoes airing each Wednesday starting on December 15 that will feature behind-the-scenes footage of the two clubs on the ice, off the ice, in the locker room, while they travel, during their meetings, while they rehab, etc --- all starting with the teams in early December.
It also will be the first sports reality program anywhere to track teams during their regular seasons.
The pinnacle of the program will be the final two episodes, which will largely coalesce around the Penguins and Capitals game in Washington, DC on December 23, and their already-anticipated Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on New Year's Day.
Undeniably, the impetus for this series is the rivarly between Crosby and Capitals' star Alexander Ovechkin. Still, it goes beyond that. I mean, HBO knows what it's doing here. In featuring these two clubs for it's debut NHL series, it selected the clubs that have the greatest NHL rivalry running right now, and that was no accident.
Not coincidentally, that's the same logic that led the NHL to decide it wouldn't be wrong to feature the Penguins in the Winter Classic again against the Capitals even though the Pens' participated just 3 years ago and other teams have been calamoring to play in the game.
Speaking of the Classic, HBO also knows that the game has fast become a must-see event, and that by capitalizing on it (no pun intended), it will reach even more viewers interested in knowing things about the teams and game that they never knew about before.
Finally, HBO knows that the National Hockey League is on the rise right now, and obviously wants to seize the opportunity to get ratings because of it. For its part, the league has to be thankful for an opportunity to gain further mainstream exposure as its television contract expires after this year.
Personally, I can't wait for the series. I've always thought that, with NHL players typically being as gracious, professional and acceptable as they are, and with hockey being a sport that is immensely underrated, difficult, and unique, a reality series of some kind would be great for the sport. It's going to lend even more excitement to a game and rivalry that seems like it can't stand anymore of either as it is.
Kudos to HBO for agreeing to go forward with the project in general, let alone feature the Boys of Winter in it.
More over the weekend, including recaps of the back-to-back preseason games between the Pens and Columbus Blue Jackets, starting tonight in Ohio and continuing Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Let Destiny Begin
Tonight, the curtain finally raises.
Or is it rises?
No matter ... the damg thing is going up, and that's all that counts.
After a decade of promises and threats, failures and successes, visions and dreams, the Pittsburgh Penguins will open their new building, the CONSOL Energy Center, for its first game between two competing NHL clubs, when the Boys of Winter host their biggest Western Conference rival, the Detroit Red Wings, in a 7:00 PM exhibition contest tonight.
Fittingly, the Penguins are unleashing the hounds for the game, dressing stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, have left Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk at home, but they intend to field a pretty veteran-heavy lineup this evening.
Among their skaters will be Dan Cleary, Kirk Maltby, and Todd Bertuzzi. The Mule, Johan Franzen will also be in the lineup, and he'll be joined by a few other skilled guys up front in Valterri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. Even new signee and respected 40-year old veteran Mike Modano -- in his first season with a club other than the Minnesota/Dallas franchise he suited up for his entire career -- will be in the lineup.
Brad Stuart and Jonathan Ericsson will lead their blueliners in front of the most overrated goaltender to ever win a Stanley Cup -- in the ol' Igloo or otherwise -- Chris Osgood.
On the Penguins' side, Brett Sterling, Pascal Dupuis, Mike Comrie, Eric Tangradi, Mark Letetsu, Tim Wallace, Tyler Kennedy, Ryan Craig, Joe Vitale and tough-guy Jesse Boulerice will join Sid and Geno up front.
Sterling -- who's had a strong camp thusfar -- will play with Crosby and Dupuis, and while I don't think he's going to shove Chris Kunitz off the roster, I'm anxious to see him there.
Meanwhile, Malkin will play with Comrie and Tangradi, as they've done for most of camp so far.
Letetsu will try to continue his strong play on the 3rd line with Wallace and TK, while the 4th line will be filled out by the Pens' remaining 3 forwards -- Craig, Vitale and Boulerice.
On the blueline, Orpik and Letang will be joined by newcomer Zbynek Michalek, along with Corey Potter, Andrew Hutchinson and Brian Strait.
Orpik will play with Big Z, while Letang will skate with Strait and the two youngsters, Potter and Hutchinson -- trying to make an impression for the team's 7th defense spot -- will be paired.
Brad Thiessen will back up #29 in goal.
There's no TV for tonight's game, but it will be broadcast on the radio and on the Pens' website, and I know I won't be wasting any time tuning in to hear legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Lange call his first goal in the building.
It's been a long time coming, both to hear hockey again and see this spectacle of a new building open up for it.
The Penguins are deserving, that's for sure.
I'll have a brief recap tomorrow.
Let's Go Pens!
Or is it rises?
No matter ... the damg thing is going up, and that's all that counts.
After a decade of promises and threats, failures and successes, visions and dreams, the Pittsburgh Penguins will open their new building, the CONSOL Energy Center, for its first game between two competing NHL clubs, when the Boys of Winter host their biggest Western Conference rival, the Detroit Red Wings, in a 7:00 PM exhibition contest tonight.
Fittingly, the Penguins are unleashing the hounds for the game, dressing stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, have left Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk at home, but they intend to field a pretty veteran-heavy lineup this evening.
Among their skaters will be Dan Cleary, Kirk Maltby, and Todd Bertuzzi. The Mule, Johan Franzen will also be in the lineup, and he'll be joined by a few other skilled guys up front in Valterri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. Even new signee and respected 40-year old veteran Mike Modano -- in his first season with a club other than the Minnesota/Dallas franchise he suited up for his entire career -- will be in the lineup.
Brad Stuart and Jonathan Ericsson will lead their blueliners in front of the most overrated goaltender to ever win a Stanley Cup -- in the ol' Igloo or otherwise -- Chris Osgood.
On the Penguins' side, Brett Sterling, Pascal Dupuis, Mike Comrie, Eric Tangradi, Mark Letetsu, Tim Wallace, Tyler Kennedy, Ryan Craig, Joe Vitale and tough-guy Jesse Boulerice will join Sid and Geno up front.
Sterling -- who's had a strong camp thusfar -- will play with Crosby and Dupuis, and while I don't think he's going to shove Chris Kunitz off the roster, I'm anxious to see him there.
Meanwhile, Malkin will play with Comrie and Tangradi, as they've done for most of camp so far.
Letetsu will try to continue his strong play on the 3rd line with Wallace and TK, while the 4th line will be filled out by the Pens' remaining 3 forwards -- Craig, Vitale and Boulerice.
On the blueline, Orpik and Letang will be joined by newcomer Zbynek Michalek, along with Corey Potter, Andrew Hutchinson and Brian Strait.
Orpik will play with Big Z, while Letang will skate with Strait and the two youngsters, Potter and Hutchinson -- trying to make an impression for the team's 7th defense spot -- will be paired.
Brad Thiessen will back up #29 in goal.
There's no TV for tonight's game, but it will be broadcast on the radio and on the Pens' website, and I know I won't be wasting any time tuning in to hear legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Lange call his first goal in the building.
It's been a long time coming, both to hear hockey again and see this spectacle of a new building open up for it.
The Penguins are deserving, that's for sure.
I'll have a brief recap tomorrow.
Let's Go Pens!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Keeping The Foundation In Place
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that General Manager Ray Shero has signed a 5-year contract extension.
Shero's original deal -- signed prior to the 2006/07 season -- also was a five-year contract, and was up after this season. Now, he has committed to stay through the 2015/16 season.
I think most people who follow the organization would tell you that Shero was going to get this extension, and is well-deserving of it. I'm no different.
Shero has been an immense asset to the organization since he was first hired. As an assistant GM for many years with organizations that had to build from scratch in the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators, he had the pedigree coming in as a guy on the rise who knew how to construct a franchise.
With the Penguins, he's done exactly that, building a solid foundation with an improved scouting department, placing an emphasis on player development, and relying on organizational continuity.
In addition to that, Shero has shown an astute ability for drafting, trading and salary cap management. I've praised him in this space for going against the grain of long-term contracts and instead maintaining salary flexibility by honing in and locking down a group of core players which will always keep the team in the Stanley Cup hunt.
Of course, to do that requires a keen eye for talent and organizational fit. It also requires giving yourself a lot of options, which Shero has done well with the help of owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle.All 3 have created a great team atmosphere surrounding the Penguins and more than one player --Brooks Orpik is one, newly signed Mike Comrie another -- has gone on record of saying that they took less because they wanted to play in Pittsburgh and give themselves a shot at a Stanley Cup.
Lemieux and Burkle said of Shero's signing today, "This was an easy decision."
Undoubtedly, it was. The Penguins are fortunate to have Shero. And with the 'foundation' of the team now committed for at least 5 more years, the ship remains under strong and steady guidance.
In Shero We Trust.
Shero's original deal -- signed prior to the 2006/07 season -- also was a five-year contract, and was up after this season. Now, he has committed to stay through the 2015/16 season.
I think most people who follow the organization would tell you that Shero was going to get this extension, and is well-deserving of it. I'm no different.
Shero has been an immense asset to the organization since he was first hired. As an assistant GM for many years with organizations that had to build from scratch in the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators, he had the pedigree coming in as a guy on the rise who knew how to construct a franchise.
With the Penguins, he's done exactly that, building a solid foundation with an improved scouting department, placing an emphasis on player development, and relying on organizational continuity.
In addition to that, Shero has shown an astute ability for drafting, trading and salary cap management. I've praised him in this space for going against the grain of long-term contracts and instead maintaining salary flexibility by honing in and locking down a group of core players which will always keep the team in the Stanley Cup hunt.
Of course, to do that requires a keen eye for talent and organizational fit. It also requires giving yourself a lot of options, which Shero has done well with the help of owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle.All 3 have created a great team atmosphere surrounding the Penguins and more than one player --Brooks Orpik is one, newly signed Mike Comrie another -- has gone on record of saying that they took less because they wanted to play in Pittsburgh and give themselves a shot at a Stanley Cup.
Lemieux and Burkle said of Shero's signing today, "This was an easy decision."
Undoubtedly, it was. The Penguins are fortunate to have Shero. And with the 'foundation' of the team now committed for at least 5 more years, the ship remains under strong and steady guidance.
In Shero We Trust.
Training Camp Weekend In Review
With just 2 days of on-ice sessions in the books, trends are already evident at Penguins Training Camp 2010.
While training camp opened this year for the Boys of Winter with question marks on both line combinations up front and pairings on the blueline, some clarity has started to surface in those areas.
First, Pascal Dupuis opened up camp on the RW on the #1 line with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz.
On the second line, newcomer Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a Mike Comrie) slid into the center spot, with Evgeni Malkin on the RW and rookie power-forward Eric Tangradi on the left.
Mark Letetsu started off centering the third line between top 9 regular Matt Cooke on the LW and clone Aaron Asham on the right.
Max Talbot centered Mike Rupp and Craig Adams on the fourth line.
On defense, many wondered how the Pens' two newcomers -- Paul Martin (wearing #7) and Zbynek Michalek (wearing #4) -- would fit in.
Well, Martin was paired with Kris Letang, while "Big Z" was paired with Brooks Orpik.
It will be interesting to see if those combinations stick, but Orpik and Michalek would obviously be the Penguins' shutdown tandem, while Martin and Letang would be their '2-way' pairing.
While several players are off to good camp starts -- Malkin, Martin, Comrie and Goligoski, to name a few -- the guy who has probably been the best performer so far is Letestu.
Letestu already has 3 goals (including one shootout tally) in two scrimmages and has distinguished himself with good decision-making and strong two-way play on what has been an excellent third line so far in camp.
If Letestu keeps playing the way he has, I don't think there's any doubt that he'll be on the opening night roster filling the role many wondered whether he would snatch going into this camp.
Did I just say snatch?
Well, I did mention Hilary Duff earlier.
Anyway, snatching is also beginning to look like an appropriate reference for RW Tyler Kennedy's roster spot. Kennedy has been skating on the 5th line throughout camp so far and looks very much in danger of finding himself on the outside looking in 3 weeks from now.
TK is really going to have to distinguish himself in games to avoid being on the wrong end of a trade out of town.
The other notable story out of camp so far is the chemistry which Malkin and Comrie have been showing.
Both have generated good offense thusfar during the scrimmages, and seem to be feeding off each other well. Malkin, in particular, has been flying all over the ice, and Comrie is doing a great job down low on the cycle.
While many are looking to today's scrimmage between Crosby and Malkin's units, I'm more anxious for the first exhibition game of the season, Wednesday at home against the Detroit Red Wings -- and not just because it will be the first hockey game between NHL opponents in the CONSOL Energy Center, let alone such great rivals like the Pens' and Wings.
Personally, I love the exhibition season. While I promise I wasn't a scout in my former life, I still love to watch the young players and role players compete for spots, and compete against their peers on opposing teams while doing it.
Given that it's the first game @ CONSOL, I'm sure the Penguins will dress several of their stars for the game. They typically do that for home exhibition contests anyway. That will likely dummy down the number of rookies and kids on the ice, but I'm still anxious to tune in.
In fact, look here for a game day preview that morning.
Until then ....
Friday, September 17, 2010
Training Camp 2010
And so, it begins.
With the Mellon Arena now officially (save for legal challenges) set for demolition and a new marketing slogan unveiled ("Destiny Has A New Home"), the Pittsburgh Penguins begin training camp 2010 today with a look of determination and vengence.
Not unlike that in the above picture, in fact.
Before I go further, credit is deserved with respect to that brilliant piece of art, which was done up and done well by the guys at THEPENSBLOG . It was so good and Training Day -- the actual movie with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke from which the setting for the art comes -- is such a winning film, I just had to borrow it here.
Perceptions aside, the Penguins enter the 6th post-lockout season with 4 consecutive playoff appearances under their belt spanning 11 playoff series, two consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, and one Championship. They will, undoubtedly, be on many short lists of Cup favorites again this year, but as their Head Coach Dan Bylsma likes to say, the foundation for winning in May and June starts in camp, and the Penguins certainly won't be the only team around the league kicking off their camp with excitement and optimism that they have a chance to go the distance in the coming season.
They also won't be the only team with storylines and questions, but since this is a PENGUINS blog, we only care about the ones germane to the local hockey club.
Right?
Right.
And so, with that -- and while Captain Sidney Crosby and company report for camp physicals and testing today -- let's look at the most pressing storylines and questions facing the team this season:
1) Will The Team Miss The Veteran Leadership Provided By Bill Guerin And Sergei Gonchar
As we all know, Gonchar was the first free agent -- notable or otherwise -- to sign a deal with a different team, leaping ship to sign a 3-year deal with the Ottawa Senators at about 12:20 PM on July 1, while Bill Guerin was not offered a new contract by Pens' GM Ray Shero and is now attending camp on a tryout contract with the arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers.
It's probably more sickening to face the realistic possibility that we may have to watch #13 where orange and black this year, but that aside, it is undeniable that both Guerin and Gonchar were steady, calming veteran leaders in the Pens' locker room for as long as they've been with the team.
Guerin, in particular, was a huge factor when the Penguins won the Cup in 2009.
Sure, the Penguins still have respected veterans on the team. Matt Cooke is one. Mike Rupp is another. But are their young players -- Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal -- ready to step up and be true leaders? Personally, I think they're well-suited to do that, largely because of how battle-tested they've had to become, quickly, over the last several playoff seasons. Nobody can deny Crosby's leadership, and Staal would be a realisitc Captain candidate on many other teams.
Another guy you can't overlook on the leadership department is defenseman Brooks Orpik. Like Staal, Orpik is a natural leader who has always been known as the conscience of the team. He speaks his mind and isn't afraid to call out the group for poor performance. It will be criminal if Orpik doesn't permanently don the "A" that Gonchar wore the last few years for the coming season.
All in all, I don't believe the Penguins will be lacking in the leadership department this season.
2) Will Evegni Malkin Return To Form?
While Malkin had a decent season last year by mortal standards with 77 points, we know he's capable of putting up a lot greater numbers. The 2009 Art Ross Trophy winner was limited to some degree by injury last season, and that didn't help his cause, but there were many other games when he was notably quiet while in the lineup.
I think Geno struggled with his emotions a little bit last year, too. The injury got him down and, when coupled with his sometimes poor play, he got into a mental funk that he wasn't able to shake.
When he's one his game, Geno is one of the three best players in the world, and while the Penguins may not need him at that level every night, there's no disputing that they need more from him than they got last season. If he gets back his high level of play on a more consistent basis and flirts with the 40 goal/100 point barrier again, the Penguins won't complain.
Because I suspect we'll see a better season from #71, the bigger issue surrounding him this year may actually be where he bides his time.
Until just days ago, it appeared as if Bylsma was going to play Malkin at wing on the 2nd line with Staal, in an effort to boost the team's top 6 scoring and spread out some of the other guys who are capable of playing in a 3rd line role for the team. The news that Gronk now won't be ready to start the season after another procedure related to his foot may change that.
Or it may not.
It seems as if Blysma is still going to give Geno some time on the wall, and maybe see if a guy like Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. Mike Comrie) can slide into the center spot temporarily. I still think Malkin will now see a little more time at his familiar center position than had been anticipated, though. At least initially.
Either way, Geno's play -- and where he plays -- will be one of the most interesting storylines to watch both in camp and in the regular season this year.
3) Will The Sum Of The Power Play Finally Equal Its Talented Parts?
With the personnel wearing black and gold on a regular basis, the Penguins should consistently produce a top-5 man-advantage unit. For some reason, though, that has been lacking the last several years, as Pittsburgh has hovered around 20th overall in the league power-play rankings for long stretches.
Can they finally improve those figures this year? It's going to be interested to track, because so much of what drove the power-play in prior seasons -- Gonchar quartbacking the unit on the ice and assistant coach Mike Yeo quarterbacking it from the bench -- is gone.
With the departure of both those guys, the Penguins will have an opportunity to try some new things, and while Gonchar was so effective and so smooth at getting his shots on the net and making all the little plays to drive the man-advantage engine from the center point, it's time to finally shake the power-play's underachiever label.
Bylsma is going to take over the job of overseeing the man-advantage, and he may very well decide to run the power play through the half-wall like we saw for so many years with a guy wearing #66 patrolling the ice in Pittsburgh. If Crosby or Malkin don't take the stage there, whoever it is that takes Gonchar's place on the point will likely drive the group.
While he really needs to get better at hitting the net on a more consistent basis, I think Kris Letang deserves a spot on the top 5 both because of his skill and the fact that he's a right-handed shot. But it's not likely that the man-advantage would run through him. That would likely be through either smooth newcomer Paul Martin or holdover Alex Goligoski on the other side.
Martin is a great puck distributor, and I think he has the potential to show off some previously untapped offensive potential in Pittsburgh -- particularly on the power-play. But my guess is that GoGo might get the first crack at playing the other point on the man-advantage.
Goligoski is very slick with the biscuit, and he sees the ice well. He's played on the power play in Gonchar's absence before and has had decent success, which can't be surprising because he was always viewed as a power play quarterback dating to his time at the University of Minnesota. That was always his game -- offense.
It's hard to think the Penguins will do worse in that area, if only because they can't fall much further in the rankings. But the real question is whether they will do better, and if so how much. Again, this is a big question worth watching for the coming year.
4) Will A Young Player Crack The Penguins Roster?
1-2 months ago, conventional wisdom was that the Penguins would finally have an opening or two for a young player to (hopefully) seize in this year's camp.
However, when Shero signed Aaron Asham and then Hilary Duff's husband, that view changed somewhat.
Now, with Staal on the shelf for all of camp and a week or two after that, the picture has changed again.
First of all, I think Shero did the right thing by adding those both Asham and Hilary Duff's husband. The Penguins needed some depth and potential, and he added it with low risk. AND, in bringing those two guys on board, he also created competition and sent a message to his young players that they aren't going to have anything handed to them.
At this point -- barring any trade or further injury throughout camp -- I think one young player has a chance to stick up front. The question is, who's that going to be?
Will it be power-forward-in-waiting Eric Tangradi? Tangradi -- who had his NHL debut last season in the team's regular season finale against the New York Islanders -- has trained as hard as he ever has this summer to try and crack the roster, and he seems to have added an edge to his game. He's the protype of a player the Penguins need on their top 2 lines. While I think the team hopes he has a great camp, I think they wouldn't mind sending him to Wilkes-Barre, having him dominate there for a month or two, then call him up.
Will it be Mark Letetsu? Letetsu may be the most intriguing player to watch in camp, because he filled in quite capably on the third line last year in Staal's absence, and provides Bylsma with a right-handed face-off option there. He's not a kid like some of the other Penguins' prospects and has come somewhat out of nowhere the last 2 seasons to be looked at as a guy who might realistically be able to fill a role and fill it well at the NHL level. He may actually end up being the best fit for the team's needs right now.
Will it be Nick Johnson? Johnson also filled in relatively well in spot top-6 forward duty last year, playing 6 games and scoring a goal. Many think he has the most-balanced, NHL-ready skill set of anyone among the prospects in the Penguins' organization.
Will it be Dustin Jeffrey? Jeffrey was drafted as a center several years ago, and initially, the feeling was that he had a ceiling on him as a 3rd/4th line role player in the NHL, but he moved to the wing full-time last year at Wilkes-Barre and played exceedingly well offensively. On top of that, Jeffrey had a strong prospect development camp, and was one of the team's best players in the prospect camp that just ended earlier this week.
While a few other intriguing players are going to be watched for the potential final roster spot -- like veteran Ryan Craig and AHL pick-up Brett Sterling, to name two -- it's probably more likely for it to be taken by one of the 4 guys I already mentioned.
One last thing on young players making the roster: While most people think that the Penguins' 6th blueline position will go to defenseman Ben Lovejoy, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that a young player could surprise in camp and steal it from him.
Can you say Simon Despres?
Despres was a great prospect when the Penguins' drafted him last year and the hulking, skilled giant has grown by leaps and bounds since then on the ice. In just one year, Despres is already at the point where he's dominating his competition game in and game out at the junior level. He did the same thing amongst his peers at the development camp and prospect camp. He's going to be NHL-ready at any time now, and while he isn't AHL-eligible this season (which means he goes back to his St. John Sea Dogs junior team for one more year if he doesn't stick with the big club), the Penguins can keep him for up to 10 games before sending him back without losing a year from his contract.
Depending on how well Despres plays in the next 3 weeks, they may do just that.
Personally, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing him get that window to strut his stuff with the big club. Staal had the same window 4 seasons ago and played so well that the team was forced to keep him. Could the same thing happen with Despres? It's possible. But I think the team should take a hard look at that option because there's nothing wrong with bringing up Lovejoy at that time if Despres needs to be sent back down.
I actually like Lovejoy. He played well with the team in 12 games last year. He was steady, didn't make mistakes, and showed a competent two-way game. But Despres has a greater ceiling -- both offensively and defensively -- there's no question about it.
While the Penguins' actually have other good, near-NHL ready prospects on defense like Brian Strait and Robert Bortozzo -- guys who will also be watched closely at camp --the question of whether Despres steals a spot in the Penguins' top 6 over Lovejoy will be the real blueline battle to keep an eye on.
5) Can Marc-Andre Fleury Sharpen His Game And Focus Again?
It's hard to deny that Fleury had a below-his-capabilities regular season last year, and a playoff that didn't measure up to that level. In fact, playing the most important position in hockey, one could fairly argue that had Fleury risen his game even somewhat in the post-season last year, the Penguins would have knocked off the Montreal Canadiens (and probably the Philadlephia Flyers, too) and could have been palying in their 3rd straight final.
As it was, Fleury may have been burned out a bit from all the high-stakes hockey he had played the last several years. That, coupled with the 3-week break last seaons where he went away for the Olypmics but didn't see competitive action, might have -- in all fairness -- kept him from getting into a good rhythm.
But there's no question that the Penguins need that from Fleury. They don't need him to have a sub 2.00 GAA, but they do need better from him. If he can get back to making the timely save for the team, and focus on his consistency during the regular season, the Penguins will benefit greatly. Fleury is never going to lead the league in individual goaltending numbers, but I, his teammates, and the organization are all more than happy to look past that if he is able to get back to just being above average and making the timely save. That alone would go a long way to put the Penguins in position for another championship.
That's it boys and girls. There obviously are other things worth watching in camp, too -- the impact of the Staal injury and the new-look Penguins' defense to name two -- but these topics should be at the top of everyone's list as we all get ready to roll with on-ice action beginning tomorrow morning.
The offseason was too long this year. I'm excited to get back at it. I know you are, too.
More soon.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Week Of Transition
And another dawn is upon us.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect Camp ended this week and with it came a big crashing thud as the Pens' prospects fell 9-5 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the third and final game of a propsect tournament involving the two squads, as well as those of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, who the 'baby Penguins' both prevailed over days earlier.
But against Chicago's prospects, Pittsburgh crashed and burned, in no small part due to the abysmal netminding of prospect Mattias Modig.
In his first appearance of the tournament, Modig fished 7 pucks out of his net.
In only about 30 minutes of work.
And looked bad doing it.
Forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel scored twice for the Penguins in a game that was long out of reach early, and Defenseman Simon Despres finished off a strong camp by scoring on a beautiful individual effort. Geoff Walker also scored to wrap up a solid camp and tournament, as did power forward prospect Eric Tangradi.
Tangradi, by the way, has a new physical edge on display -- one that was missing from his hulking game last season. I'm anxious to see it in the big boy camp.
Speaking of the real-deal camp, that's what the Penguins will transition to this week. It starts tomorrow with the players reporting for physicals and testing, before on-ice sessions over the weekend that are open to the public.
One guy who won't be participating because he's already been sent back to his junior team (along with three other draft picks from this year) is Tom Kuenhnacki, the Pens' 2010 4th round pick, who showed potential among the Pens' prospects, but still has more work to do.
Another guy who won't be participating in the big camp and who now won't be ready for the start of the NHL season -- contrary to what was reported a few weeks ago -- is center Jordan Staal.
Penguins' GM Ray Shero announced today that Staal would be out 5-6 weeks after undergoing another, and what is hoped to be final, procedure related to the torn tendon he suffered on the top of his foot when it was skated over by Montreal Canadiens' defenseman P.K. Subban in game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series this past May.
Staal had already undergone 3 procedures on the foot prior to the most recent one, but he has continued to suffer from complications related to an infection in the area around the wound.
That's what's kept Staal off the ice most of the off-season.
With Staal being out until after the regular season has kicked off, things are going to be even more interesting in camp than they were going to be in the first instance.
Head Coach Dan Bylmsa was leaning hard towards moving Staal up to play center on the second line and shift Evgeni Malkin to wing with Gronk.
Geno may still play on the right side some while a number of players -- probably most notably new signee Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. Mike Comrie) -- get a chance to temporarily fill that role.
Now, though, there may be some times when Malkin indeed shifts back to get some time at the center position again.
I think Staal being absent might open back up -- at least somewhat -- a top-6 door for Tangradi that had been closed more with the signings of Comrie and, before him, Aaron Asham. Not because those guys are wedded to those roles, however, but simply because it pushed the depth chart on the roster down a few more unexpected pegs.
Now, Tangradi will probably get some time on the top 2 lines in camp and if he dominates, he may just stick.
I'll have a Camp Kick Off Report tomorrow where I'll present and analyze the most pressing issues and storylines for the team in the coming season.
Stay tuned.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect Camp ended this week and with it came a big crashing thud as the Pens' prospects fell 9-5 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the third and final game of a propsect tournament involving the two squads, as well as those of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, who the 'baby Penguins' both prevailed over days earlier.
But against Chicago's prospects, Pittsburgh crashed and burned, in no small part due to the abysmal netminding of prospect Mattias Modig.
In his first appearance of the tournament, Modig fished 7 pucks out of his net.
In only about 30 minutes of work.
And looked bad doing it.
Forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel scored twice for the Penguins in a game that was long out of reach early, and Defenseman Simon Despres finished off a strong camp by scoring on a beautiful individual effort. Geoff Walker also scored to wrap up a solid camp and tournament, as did power forward prospect Eric Tangradi.
Tangradi, by the way, has a new physical edge on display -- one that was missing from his hulking game last season. I'm anxious to see it in the big boy camp.
Speaking of the real-deal camp, that's what the Penguins will transition to this week. It starts tomorrow with the players reporting for physicals and testing, before on-ice sessions over the weekend that are open to the public.
One guy who won't be participating because he's already been sent back to his junior team (along with three other draft picks from this year) is Tom Kuenhnacki, the Pens' 2010 4th round pick, who showed potential among the Pens' prospects, but still has more work to do.
Another guy who won't be participating in the big camp and who now won't be ready for the start of the NHL season -- contrary to what was reported a few weeks ago -- is center Jordan Staal.
Penguins' GM Ray Shero announced today that Staal would be out 5-6 weeks after undergoing another, and what is hoped to be final, procedure related to the torn tendon he suffered on the top of his foot when it was skated over by Montreal Canadiens' defenseman P.K. Subban in game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series this past May.
Staal had already undergone 3 procedures on the foot prior to the most recent one, but he has continued to suffer from complications related to an infection in the area around the wound.
That's what's kept Staal off the ice most of the off-season.
With Staal being out until after the regular season has kicked off, things are going to be even more interesting in camp than they were going to be in the first instance.
Head Coach Dan Bylmsa was leaning hard towards moving Staal up to play center on the second line and shift Evgeni Malkin to wing with Gronk.
Geno may still play on the right side some while a number of players -- probably most notably new signee Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. Mike Comrie) -- get a chance to temporarily fill that role.
Now, though, there may be some times when Malkin indeed shifts back to get some time at the center position again.
I think Staal being absent might open back up -- at least somewhat -- a top-6 door for Tangradi that had been closed more with the signings of Comrie and, before him, Aaron Asham. Not because those guys are wedded to those roles, however, but simply because it pushed the depth chart on the roster down a few more unexpected pegs.
Now, Tangradi will probably get some time on the top 2 lines in camp and if he dominates, he may just stick.
I'll have a Camp Kick Off Report tomorrow where I'll present and analyze the most pressing issues and storylines for the team in the coming season.
Stay tuned.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Penguins' Rookies Rolling At Prospect Camp
After 3 days of the Pittsburgh Penguins' prospect camp in London, Ontario, Canada -- and 2 games of the 4-team rookie tournament -- it's something old and something new for the organ-I-zation.
Two players expected to lead the way for the team in the tournament involving the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks -- forward Dustin Jeffrey and defenseman Simon Despres -- have played as advertised, leading the way up front and on the blueline for the Penguins' rookies and helping them beat both the Senators' prospects (5-3) and Maple Leafs' prospects (2-1) on two consecutive nights Saturday and Sunday.
But it's the unexpected contributions the Penguins have gotten from goaltender Brad Thiessen and forwards Zack Sill and Geoff Walker that probably have played the biggest part in the Penguins being 2-0 heading into the tourament's final game tomorrow afternoon against the Blackhawks' youngsters.
Thiessen started both games and stopped 46 of 50 shots in the process, further staking claim to the organization's #3 netminder spot behind Marc-Andre Fleury and Brent Johnson.
Meanwhile, Sill scored twice Saturday night and, despite not getting on the scoresheet, arguably had an even better game last night.
He was abrasive, created all kinds of offense, and even dropped the gloves once.
Walker has come out of nowhere to make an impact in both games as well. Not surprisingly, he played on a line with Sill in both games. The big 6' 3", 225 pound forward -- signed as a free agent just last month after having what could only be considered an average last season split between the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League -- has been a force down low and in the offensive zone.
Actually, he's doing a lot of what the Penguins have been hoping to see from Eric Tangradi -- the Penguins' top forward prospect (which doesn't say a lot for Tangradi, but does for Walker).
That's not to say that Walker has any legitimate chance of doing anything other than sticking with the Baby Penguins no matter how well he performs at the rest of the rookie camp or even the big league camp starting this weekend, but it's always neat to see guys rise up out of nowhere.
Tangradi, by the way, had a solid opening game against the Sens' prospects Saturday night, but short of displaying some physicality by coming to the aid of a teammate and dropping the gloves last night, wasn't as much of a factor in the second game.
The Penguins need to see more from him.
The bad news for the Penguins in the camp/tournament so far was that defenseman Alex Grant suffered a pretty bad injury on Saturday night when he was rocked into the boards from behind by one of Ottawa's prospects. He was taken off the ice immobilized on a stretcher and spent the night in a local hospital for oberservation.
He was diagnosed with whiplash and also suffered a broken arm/wrist on the play -- an injury that will unfortunately set Grant's development back for months.
I'll have another camp update later in the week.
Two players expected to lead the way for the team in the tournament involving the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks -- forward Dustin Jeffrey and defenseman Simon Despres -- have played as advertised, leading the way up front and on the blueline for the Penguins' rookies and helping them beat both the Senators' prospects (5-3) and Maple Leafs' prospects (2-1) on two consecutive nights Saturday and Sunday.
But it's the unexpected contributions the Penguins have gotten from goaltender Brad Thiessen and forwards Zack Sill and Geoff Walker that probably have played the biggest part in the Penguins being 2-0 heading into the tourament's final game tomorrow afternoon against the Blackhawks' youngsters.
Thiessen started both games and stopped 46 of 50 shots in the process, further staking claim to the organization's #3 netminder spot behind Marc-Andre Fleury and Brent Johnson.
Meanwhile, Sill scored twice Saturday night and, despite not getting on the scoresheet, arguably had an even better game last night.
He was abrasive, created all kinds of offense, and even dropped the gloves once.
Walker has come out of nowhere to make an impact in both games as well. Not surprisingly, he played on a line with Sill in both games. The big 6' 3", 225 pound forward -- signed as a free agent just last month after having what could only be considered an average last season split between the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League -- has been a force down low and in the offensive zone.
Actually, he's doing a lot of what the Penguins have been hoping to see from Eric Tangradi -- the Penguins' top forward prospect (which doesn't say a lot for Tangradi, but does for Walker).
That's not to say that Walker has any legitimate chance of doing anything other than sticking with the Baby Penguins no matter how well he performs at the rest of the rookie camp or even the big league camp starting this weekend, but it's always neat to see guys rise up out of nowhere.
Tangradi, by the way, had a solid opening game against the Sens' prospects Saturday night, but short of displaying some physicality by coming to the aid of a teammate and dropping the gloves last night, wasn't as much of a factor in the second game.
The Penguins need to see more from him.
The bad news for the Penguins in the camp/tournament so far was that defenseman Alex Grant suffered a pretty bad injury on Saturday night when he was rocked into the boards from behind by one of Ottawa's prospects. He was taken off the ice immobilized on a stretcher and spent the night in a local hospital for oberservation.
He was diagnosed with whiplash and also suffered a broken arm/wrist on the play -- an injury that will unfortunately set Grant's development back for months.
I'll have another camp update later in the week.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Prospects For The Prospects
The Pittsburgh Penguins will begin their preparations for the upcoming season in earnest starting later this week when they hold their 2010 prospect camp in London, Ontario, Canada.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton coaches John Hynes and Alain Nasreddine will run the camp, which is not completely unlike the prospect development camp they ran earlier this summer; however, there is more involved. Aside from gauging the development of their top young players in drills and practices, they will get to see how they compete against those from other organizations when they play a tournament against the prospects from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and, this year, the Chicago Blackhawks.
One other thing Pens' brass typically does at this camp is evaluate whether or not anyone is suitable for a minor-league contract, or whether or not they are worthy of an invitation to participate in the Penguins' full big-league camp starting a week later, or both.
Now, some players participating in this prospect camp won't have to worry about that. Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres, among others, are certain to participate in Pittsburgh's full camp.
All eyes will be on them, of course, but other players will be worth watching, too -- like center Alex Smigelski, for example, who was a surprise to the organization at the development camp and is one of those guys playing for a contract on a tryout basis.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel, the Penguins' 3rd round pick in 2007, is another player to keep an eye on. Zabotel, an offensive forward who excelled in the Canadian Hockey League before being drafted, took a big step back in his development last year. After failing to crack the Wilkes-Barre roster for most of the season, he played mostly with the Pens' East Coast Hockey League affiliate in Wheeling and may be running out of chances with the organization.
Carl Sneep and Brian Strait are also two blueliners who many with the team will be watching. After 2009 #1 draft pick and top prospect Despres, Sneep and Strait are the guys who will be knocking on the NHL door next. It's time for them to dominate this camp.
I'll attempt to post periodic updates from the tournament at the prospect camp so everyone has an idea of who's looking good, and who's looking like they're facing a one way ticket to Squaw Island.
Meanwhile, with last week's signing of Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. free-agent forward Mike Comrie), there have been mixed feelings in Penguins land about whether the move was a good one or a bad one.
Certainly, Comrie has some offensive skill, as this video undoubtedly demonstrates. In that sense, he could be a good fit on one of the top two lines going into this season.
Personally, I disagree with those who liken Comrie to Petr Sykora or Miroslav Satan and feel he won't fit into HC Dan Bylsma's system, or who call him washed up like those two players.
Comrie is 29 -- not 39 -- and has a more recent history of producing better than either of those two players did. In fact, Comrie has 2 seasons of more than 30 goals and 3 other seasons of more than 20 in his career. He's been derailed by injuries the last few seasons, but can be a useful player for Pittsburgh if he produces.
Perhaps more importantly, even if he doesn't help the team a great deal, there was very low risk in signing him for a 1-year, league-minimum deal, as I pointed out last week. While some don't feel this way, I believe there's more to gain than there is to lose from bringing in Hilary Duff's husband at that rate.
The only negative, in my opinion, is that it cuts into the possibility of one of the Penguins' young players taking on a more meaningful role with the club this year.
As I've said in this space previously, Pittsburgh needs a young player to step up and make an impact on the NHL club. Not a 75-point season impact --- a 15-20 goal and 4o point impact, then improve on that the next season. The Penguins have their big guns. The team needs to develop good complementary players and it's been a whlie since they've done that internally.
The thinking was that with all their free-agent departures -- then the decision not to bring Guerin back -- there was a chance for one or maybe two young players to make the team. Certainly, guys like Tangradi, Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Chris Conner were excited about that opportunity.
That is, until Shero brought in Aaron Asham, and then Comrie.
Now, while there may still be a chance for one of the kids to make the roster coming out of training camp, it's a lot less likely.
Still, competition is a good thing, and that should make those young players work, not sulk.
In fact, if I were Tyler Kennedy -- who didn't meet expectations last season and may have seen his own development plateau -- I'd still be looking over my shoulder a little bit.
More soon.
Wilkes-Barre Scranton coaches John Hynes and Alain Nasreddine will run the camp, which is not completely unlike the prospect development camp they ran earlier this summer; however, there is more involved. Aside from gauging the development of their top young players in drills and practices, they will get to see how they compete against those from other organizations when they play a tournament against the prospects from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and, this year, the Chicago Blackhawks.
One other thing Pens' brass typically does at this camp is evaluate whether or not anyone is suitable for a minor-league contract, or whether or not they are worthy of an invitation to participate in the Penguins' full big-league camp starting a week later, or both.
Now, some players participating in this prospect camp won't have to worry about that. Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres, among others, are certain to participate in Pittsburgh's full camp.
All eyes will be on them, of course, but other players will be worth watching, too -- like center Alex Smigelski, for example, who was a surprise to the organization at the development camp and is one of those guys playing for a contract on a tryout basis.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel, the Penguins' 3rd round pick in 2007, is another player to keep an eye on. Zabotel, an offensive forward who excelled in the Canadian Hockey League before being drafted, took a big step back in his development last year. After failing to crack the Wilkes-Barre roster for most of the season, he played mostly with the Pens' East Coast Hockey League affiliate in Wheeling and may be running out of chances with the organization.
Carl Sneep and Brian Strait are also two blueliners who many with the team will be watching. After 2009 #1 draft pick and top prospect Despres, Sneep and Strait are the guys who will be knocking on the NHL door next. It's time for them to dominate this camp.
I'll attempt to post periodic updates from the tournament at the prospect camp so everyone has an idea of who's looking good, and who's looking like they're facing a one way ticket to Squaw Island.
Meanwhile, with last week's signing of Hilary Duff's husband (a.k.a. free-agent forward Mike Comrie), there have been mixed feelings in Penguins land about whether the move was a good one or a bad one.
Certainly, Comrie has some offensive skill, as this video undoubtedly demonstrates. In that sense, he could be a good fit on one of the top two lines going into this season.
Personally, I disagree with those who liken Comrie to Petr Sykora or Miroslav Satan and feel he won't fit into HC Dan Bylsma's system, or who call him washed up like those two players.
Comrie is 29 -- not 39 -- and has a more recent history of producing better than either of those two players did. In fact, Comrie has 2 seasons of more than 30 goals and 3 other seasons of more than 20 in his career. He's been derailed by injuries the last few seasons, but can be a useful player for Pittsburgh if he produces.
Perhaps more importantly, even if he doesn't help the team a great deal, there was very low risk in signing him for a 1-year, league-minimum deal, as I pointed out last week. While some don't feel this way, I believe there's more to gain than there is to lose from bringing in Hilary Duff's husband at that rate.
The only negative, in my opinion, is that it cuts into the possibility of one of the Penguins' young players taking on a more meaningful role with the club this year.
As I've said in this space previously, Pittsburgh needs a young player to step up and make an impact on the NHL club. Not a 75-point season impact --- a 15-20 goal and 4o point impact, then improve on that the next season. The Penguins have their big guns. The team needs to develop good complementary players and it's been a whlie since they've done that internally.
The thinking was that with all their free-agent departures -- then the decision not to bring Guerin back -- there was a chance for one or maybe two young players to make the team. Certainly, guys like Tangradi, Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Chris Conner were excited about that opportunity.
That is, until Shero brought in Aaron Asham, and then Comrie.
Now, while there may still be a chance for one of the kids to make the roster coming out of training camp, it's a lot less likely.
Still, competition is a good thing, and that should make those young players work, not sulk.
In fact, if I were Tyler Kennedy -- who didn't meet expectations last season and may have seen his own development plateau -- I'd still be looking over my shoulder a little bit.
More soon.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Hilary Is Comin' To Town
Those who have followed me here regularly know I'm a big fan of the foregoing actress/pop singer.
Well, spit shine my shoes, because the Penguins are goin' dancin' with Hilary Duff.
While the Penguins have enough talent on their roster to fill the new CONSOL Energy Center quite capably, they added another shining star to the building today when they effectively put Ms. Duff in the venue personally at some point as a visitor to watch her new husband -- forward Mike Comrie -- suit up for the Pens after he signed a 1-year contract for the $500,000 league minium.
Comrie, 29, is a former 20 and 30 goal scorer who has played with 5 teams in his career, most recently the Edmonton Oilers, where he put up 13 goals in only 43 games last year.
He missed most of the remainder of the season with a bout of mono.
Like so many players who seek green pastures in Pittsburgh, Comrie had his eye on the big prize in making his decision.
"I wanted to go to a great team and be a part of an organization like Pittsburgh and be able to compete for a Stanley Cup," Comrie said.
It seems that Comrie will have a chance to make a meaningful impact with the club, too, because sources indicate that Comrie will be given a chance on one of the top 2 lines in camp starting in two weeks.
Comrie's game is built around finesse, so he'll fit in well in that regard, even though he's not a big guy and doesn't necessarily skate like the wind. But he has good hands, and isn't afraid to be a bit chippy out there when necessary.
I actually was going to write a piece next week on a few current intriguing unrestricted free agents I felt the Penguins should consider bringing to training camp on an invitation basis. Comrie was going to be one them.
Marek Svatos, Brendan Morrison and Jay Pandolfo were the others.
In short, the Penguins are taking a chance on Comrie, but because they're doing so cheaper than a working girl on Liberty Avenue at 3 AM on a Saturday night, the risk is low, and that's good.
While question marks will surround Comrie until everyone has a chance to see how he performs on the ice in black and gold, the same can't be said for his spouse.
We know she gets the job done.
And that too, is good.
Very, very good.
Penguin Hits And Happenings
As September dawns, the NHL season is .... finally .... right around the corner.
The dog days of August are over and it's time for our favorite sport to get back in season.
Training Camp for the Penguins starts two weeks from today, but one guy who won't be on the ice in the black, white and las vegas gold is center Jordan Staal, who the team revealed (officially) this week has suffered a few 'setbacks' in his recovery from having a tendon torn on the top of his foot when Montreal Canadiens' defenseman P.K. Subban accidentally stepped on him in game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference Semifinal series in May.
According to Penguins' GM Ray Shero, Staal will not be ready for the start of camp, but is at this point expected to be able to play when the regular season opens for the Boys of Winter against their cross-state rivals and Eastern Conference Finalist Philadelphia Flyers on October 7.
While there have actually been mixed reports on exactly what the problem has been for the Pens' Selke Trophy finalist -- some have indicated he suffered from an infection -- it is undeniable that Staal hasn't been able to skate as frequently as he othewise might have in summer preparations for an upcoming season.
Certainly, part of that has to do with the fact that Staal had a second operation relative to the injury in June, but the point is that it's going to take Gronk some time to get into skating shape when he's finally able to get his boot on and move around without real limitation.
Staal has been quite frustrated with his summer -- not surprisingly -- but he's shooting for the halfway point of camp to really ramp up his on-ice work.
If anyone can bear down and prepare himself for the rigors of NHL work in short fashion, it's the Penguins' hard-working, farm-boy thoroughbred from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
What I'm hoping #11 avoids, though, is having his season wash-out as the result of an off-season corrective procedure. As we all know too well, Max Talbot was pretty much useless to the team last year after going through off-season shoulder surgery right after he was the hero in game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.
Max took a long time to rehab and was just never the same all season long.
I hope the same doesn't happen with Staal. It goes without saying he's more important to the team than Talbot is.
What's going to be interesting to see is how Staal's setback affects the plan the Penguins had going into this year to move Staal up to center the second line and shift Evgeni Malkin to wing. In all likelihood, that will be put on hold for a while. We'll see.
But speaking of something interesting, how about Bill Guerin skating around the Flyers' practice facility in New Jersey just the other day, and wearing a Flyers' t-shirt in their locker room afterwards??
Of course, Guerin was notified about a week or so ago by Shero that the Penguins wouldn't be offering him a contract, and it's long been known that Guerin was hoping to play one more season for a contender in the Eastern Conference.
But to see him wearing that garb?
He deserves better.
There's no word, by the way, that Guerin is close to signing a contract with the Flyers. In fact, Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren and Guerin both claimed that the on-ice session was simply a matter of convenience for a guy looking to skate while he was in town with his son.
Still, the rumor mill is that the Flyers have been kicking the tires on Guerin, and that their cap situation is really the main thing keeping them from offering Billy G a contract of some kind.
Time will tell where this goes, but let's hope I don't have to root against a guy that was so key to the franchise's 3rd Stanley Cup victory because he now suits up for the enemy.
Lastly, the Penguins were progressively out in the forefront of the community again this week, validating the team's #1 ranking in 'fan relations' in all professional sports (as per ESPN the Magazine) by announcing that they would be giving away nearly 8,000 tickets to children and youth hockey programs in the Western Pennsylvania region to attend the Pens' pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on September 25.
Pittsburgh's effort in this regard is actually a part of a partnership between the team and Imagine Pittsburgh, a local think tank organization that looks to attract -- and retain -- bright young professional talent to the city.
As a part of their plan, the team and Imagine Pittsburgh will be dolling out free tickets to 51 local Colleges and Universities and various youth hockey and other children's organizations throughout the region, all in the hope of filling the stands that night with kids aged 4-24 and showing off both the CONSOL Energy Center and the region.
Another great initiative for a team always on the cutting edge of marketing their product.
More soon.
The dog days of August are over and it's time for our favorite sport to get back in season.
Training Camp for the Penguins starts two weeks from today, but one guy who won't be on the ice in the black, white and las vegas gold is center Jordan Staal, who the team revealed (officially) this week has suffered a few 'setbacks' in his recovery from having a tendon torn on the top of his foot when Montreal Canadiens' defenseman P.K. Subban accidentally stepped on him in game 1 of the teams' Eastern Conference Semifinal series in May.
According to Penguins' GM Ray Shero, Staal will not be ready for the start of camp, but is at this point expected to be able to play when the regular season opens for the Boys of Winter against their cross-state rivals and Eastern Conference Finalist Philadelphia Flyers on October 7.
While there have actually been mixed reports on exactly what the problem has been for the Pens' Selke Trophy finalist -- some have indicated he suffered from an infection -- it is undeniable that Staal hasn't been able to skate as frequently as he othewise might have in summer preparations for an upcoming season.
Certainly, part of that has to do with the fact that Staal had a second operation relative to the injury in June, but the point is that it's going to take Gronk some time to get into skating shape when he's finally able to get his boot on and move around without real limitation.
Staal has been quite frustrated with his summer -- not surprisingly -- but he's shooting for the halfway point of camp to really ramp up his on-ice work.
If anyone can bear down and prepare himself for the rigors of NHL work in short fashion, it's the Penguins' hard-working, farm-boy thoroughbred from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
What I'm hoping #11 avoids, though, is having his season wash-out as the result of an off-season corrective procedure. As we all know too well, Max Talbot was pretty much useless to the team last year after going through off-season shoulder surgery right after he was the hero in game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.
Max took a long time to rehab and was just never the same all season long.
I hope the same doesn't happen with Staal. It goes without saying he's more important to the team than Talbot is.
What's going to be interesting to see is how Staal's setback affects the plan the Penguins had going into this year to move Staal up to center the second line and shift Evgeni Malkin to wing. In all likelihood, that will be put on hold for a while. We'll see.
But speaking of something interesting, how about Bill Guerin skating around the Flyers' practice facility in New Jersey just the other day, and wearing a Flyers' t-shirt in their locker room afterwards??
Of course, Guerin was notified about a week or so ago by Shero that the Penguins wouldn't be offering him a contract, and it's long been known that Guerin was hoping to play one more season for a contender in the Eastern Conference.
But to see him wearing that garb?
He deserves better.
There's no word, by the way, that Guerin is close to signing a contract with the Flyers. In fact, Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren and Guerin both claimed that the on-ice session was simply a matter of convenience for a guy looking to skate while he was in town with his son.
Still, the rumor mill is that the Flyers have been kicking the tires on Guerin, and that their cap situation is really the main thing keeping them from offering Billy G a contract of some kind.
Time will tell where this goes, but let's hope I don't have to root against a guy that was so key to the franchise's 3rd Stanley Cup victory because he now suits up for the enemy.
Lastly, the Penguins were progressively out in the forefront of the community again this week, validating the team's #1 ranking in 'fan relations' in all professional sports (as per ESPN the Magazine) by announcing that they would be giving away nearly 8,000 tickets to children and youth hockey programs in the Western Pennsylvania region to attend the Pens' pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on September 25.
Pittsburgh's effort in this regard is actually a part of a partnership between the team and Imagine Pittsburgh, a local think tank organization that looks to attract -- and retain -- bright young professional talent to the city.
As a part of their plan, the team and Imagine Pittsburgh will be dolling out free tickets to 51 local Colleges and Universities and various youth hockey and other children's organizations throughout the region, all in the hope of filling the stands that night with kids aged 4-24 and showing off both the CONSOL Energy Center and the region.
Another great initiative for a team always on the cutting edge of marketing their product.
More soon.
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