The Pittsburgh Penguins have been talking for days about how important their last 3 games before the Olympic break are for them.
They have stated that they want to "finish strong" and get momentum going into the 17 day break.
Last night's 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders at Mellon Arena was a good start.
Chris Kunitz scored twice, Evgeni Malkin scored the other goal and added a helper, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 37 stops in a contest the Penguins were in control of most of the night.
After a scoreless first period when Fleury made several strong saves, Pittsburgh broke through about halfway through the 2nd frame when Malkin led a 3-on-2 rush down the near boards before passing to the high man, Chris Kunitz, who beat Isles' netminder Dwayne Roloson short side to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.
Geno made it 2-0 at the 17-minute mark when he cleanly won a faceoff in the Islanders' zone back to Mark Eaton. Eaton moved the puck cross-ice to his partner Sergei Gonchar at the opposite point before Sarge blasted one that Malkin easily tipped behind Roloson as he was going to the net.
In the third period, Casper made an appearance.
New York forward Frans Neilsen took, and won, a draw in the Pittsburgh zone against Penguins' forward Tyler Kennedy and went right to the net. He must have made himself invisible because nobody -- and I mean NOBODY -- went with him.
Sure enough, seconds later, he got the puck right in front of Fleury before spinning around and depositing a backhander past the sprawling netminder to make it 2-1.
The Penguins were clearly confused on that play, and it may have largely had to do with the fact that Kennedy took the draw after his linemate and center Jordan Staal got kicked out of the circle. Instead of staying with his man, as TK should have, he went out to the point.
Perhaps he was still getting back in the swing after his spirited fight with Islanders' forward Matt Martin late in the first period?
Anyway, the situation worsened when Staal did the same thing as Kennedy -- went to the point. While he should have gone there lined up on the wing off the draw, what I can't figure out is where defenseman Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik were on the play??
It's one thing if the forwards get confused on who's going to the point and who's staying with the center -- whether that center goes to the net or not -- but one of the defenseman needs to be with anyone going to the net on a face-off at all times.
I'm not sure I've ever seen all 5 Penguin players seemingly go blank like that at the same time.
In any event, while the game was close the next 5 minutes, Kunitz struck again at near the 15-minute mark when linemate Bill Guerin was able to get to a loose puck along the near boards and create somewhat of a 2-on-1.
It wasn't a 'rush' though because Guerin simply worked to get to the puck first in a race with an Islanders' defenseman and then just chipped it over him into open ice near the blueline for a racing Kunitz.
#14 took the puck in on a breakaway, dipped his head momentarily and got Roloson to move first, then beat him low to finish the scoring at 3-1 with his 8th of the season.
With the win, the Penguins moved to within 1 point of the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division. New Jersey lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime last night -- their 11th loss in the last 15 games.
The Penguins played a pretty strong game last night. They gave up a lot of chances and were outshot 38-28, but Fleury was strong and, overall, the Penguins were relatively solid defensively.
They got a nice game from Letang on the blueline, who sprawled to make a diving save in the first period on a play where Fleury was out of position, and also got an inspired performance from winger Mike Rupp last night.
Rupp was a physical force from the drop of the puck, getting in Roloson's face at one point and even challenging Islanders' defenseman Andy Sutton in the first period as a way of responding to the hit he put on teammate Pascal Dupuis at the end of the game the last time these two clubs faced off.
Sutton declined Rupp's invitation, perhaps listening to recent trade rumors connecting him to the Pens and thinking it may not be a good idea to get into a tussle with a potential new teammate.
I also thought Mark Letestu had a strong game. I like what I've seen from him overall during his recent call-up (or call-ups, as the case may be). He struggled on Sunday in the Pens' loss to the Washington Capitals, but last night, he was tenacious on the puck, showed good hockey sense, and helped create a few scoring chances.
The Penguins host the Islanders' brethren from New York -- the Rangers -- in their next contest on Friday at The Igloo.
With the Olympic roster freeze set to take effect tomorrow at midnight, it will be interesting to see what moves are made, if any, in the next 36 or so hours. The Penguins have been as involved in talking with other teams as any club, so we'll see.
More soon.
NOTES:
Thank goodness for small favors. With the Capitals threatening the Penguins' NHL record single season 17-game winning streak, the Caps' were finally defeated last night, in Montreal by the Canadiens. Attempting to defy conventional wisdom once again, the Caps' overcame a 3-goal, 5-2 deficit in the third period by scoring with 20 seconds left in the contest to send it into overtime. Fortunately, the Habs didn't wilt, and won it with 8 seconds left in the 5-minute period on a goal by Tomas Plekanec, stopping Washington's streak at 14 games and preserving the Pens' league mark for another day.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Penguins Bid To Host 2011 NHL All-Star Game
As the Pittsburgh Penguins prepare for their home game tonight against a New York Islander team that ended a 7-game losing streak last night by beating the Nashville Predators in a shootout on Long Island, word came yesterday that the local hockey club has submitted a proposal to host the 2011 NHL All-Star game at the Consol Energy Center.
The National Hockey League has long been looking to award that game to Phoenix and have it played at the JOBING.COM Arena there, but with Pittsburgh hopping into the mix now and offering up a city that hosts one of the best young teams in the game getting ready to enter a sparkling new building, the picture may have changed.
The last time Pittsburgh hosted the NHL All-Star game was 20 years ago, in 1990. Of course, who doesn't remember Mario Lemieux torturing then-Flames goaltender Mike Vernon and scoring 4 goals on his way to the MVP trophy??
An announcement on the 2011 game isn't expected for a few months, but suffice it to say, Phoenix has strong competition on its hands. And if the Penguins don't get it that year, I expect that they will be awarded the game soon thereafter.
Getting the All-Star game would be one of many coups for the Penguins' franchise as they attempt to book their new building with as many high-profile events as possible. They have already have committments from the NCAA to play 2 opening rounds of march madness basketball there in 2012, for one.
The Penguins are also attempting to secure an agreement from the NCAA to allow the team to host the Frozen Four hockey tournament there.
There's no doubt that the club is using the potential of its new building to the fullest.
Back on the ice, let's hope the Penguins can come up with 2 points tonight. They have creeped to within that many of a New Jersey Devils squad that has lost 10 of its last 14 and also is in action against the Philadlephia Flyers this evening in the second half of a home-and-home with the Pens' cross-state rivals.
Recap tomorrow.
Let's Go Pens!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Off-Day News And Notes; More On "The Rivalry"
As the region faces the prospect of another measurable snowstorm, just 3/4 days after the last one impaled this area, the Pittsburgh Penguins were given an off-day yesterday, but will return to the ice today to practice in anticipation of their home game against the New York Islanders tomorrow night.
Before the Isles walk into town as another in a long line of Penguins' opponents to match up against the flightless birds after playing the day before (they host the Nashville Predators at home tonight), there are a number of miscellaneous matters surrounding the team worth hitting on.
First, the Penguins have returned forward Mark Letetsu back to Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the American Hockey League. Letetsu was re-assigned after Sunday's loss to the Washington Capitals, joining Tim Wallace, who had been called up with Letetsu on Friday, but was sent down before the game Sunday when it was determined that LW Chris Kunitz would return to the lineup that day.
Speaking of Kunitz, I was generally pleased with his performance in his first game coming off abdominal surgery. He was a force in the first period, but tailed off and was less of a factor in periods 2 and 3. Really, though, that couldn't have been surprising under the circumstances. While he had been practicing most of the week and felt good at the start of his sessions back on the ice, Kunitz admitted that things got tougher for him as the week went on. He's still working out the recovery aches and pains, obviously, and it's going to take him some time to get back in the swing. Make no mistake, though -- the Penguins will need him to be an impact player down the stretch this season.
Meanwhile, there continues to be talk that the Penguins are actively trying to make a trade before this Friday's Olympic roster freeze sets in. Largely, Pens' GM Ray Shero is working to free up some cap space, perhaps by making a roster move with defenseman Martin Skoula, and perhaps by moving one or more players. He's probably examining doing both, with LW Ruslan Fedotenko perhaps the most likely guy to be moved in a trade.
Fedotenko has certainly struggled this season, but his history as a strong playoff performer has several teams interested in him -- including contenders like the Phoenix Coyotes, and non-contenders like Edmonton Oilers, among others.
Finally, people are still talking about Sunday's latest epic between the Caps and Penguins:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/31399-Campbells-Cuts-Can-Caps-offensive-style-win-the-Cup.html
This well-written piece by Ken Campbell raises an interesting question --- and one that is unlikely to be resolved until the post-season: Can the Capitals go the distance with their offense, or will their defense and goaltending trump that and fail them when needed the most?
I talked yesterday about how Washington has averaged nearly 5 goals per game during their absurd 14-game winning streak, but there's no question that those figures are a by-product of regular season play. Only time will tell if they can buckle down enough to overcome the much tighter checking in the post-season.
Regardless, the Capitals will be dangerous. But if Pittsburgh sees them in the playoffs again, I'll take my chances. As Washington's own coach, loudmouth Bruce Boudreau, admitted before the last time the clubs met several weeks ago, the Penguins have the best group of centers in the game and it's not even close. See this excellent piece for a discussion about that, and how both the Pens' and Caps' have built strongly through the draft the last 4 to 5 seasons:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/30969-THNcom-Blog-Pens-Caps-serve-as-lesson-for-draft-dodgers.html
It's interesting. Prior to the Sunday's game, I read an interesting piece that someone sent to me about how the matchups between these two clubs might not really come down to Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, but instead may come down to Nicklas Backstrom and Jordan Staal.
Here's the piece:
http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20100123/?pg=24&pm=1&u1=friend#pg24
I thought Craig Custenance offered some interesting perspective when I read that, but after Sunday's game, it's not unreasonable to think that every game, every matchup, every potential playoff series between these two teams will always come down to #87 and #8, no matter how good their respective supporting casts are.
Crosby and Ovechkin are the engines that drive their teams. If Backstrom or Staal, for example, aren't playing up to par, the Captains are still good enough to make the difference, and we all can look no further than Sunday's game for proof.
Crosby and Staal totaled 4 goals for Pittsburgh. Washington won the game because Ovechkin single-handedly topped them both.
No wonder why there's so much talk about the National Hockey League scheduling next year's Winter Classic between The Pens and Caps. That talk surfaced first a few months ago, and continues with each legendary game these two clubs play:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123102716.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4894170&name=lebrun_pierre
Count me in.
That's all for now boys and girls.
More soon.
Before the Isles walk into town as another in a long line of Penguins' opponents to match up against the flightless birds after playing the day before (they host the Nashville Predators at home tonight), there are a number of miscellaneous matters surrounding the team worth hitting on.
First, the Penguins have returned forward Mark Letetsu back to Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the American Hockey League. Letetsu was re-assigned after Sunday's loss to the Washington Capitals, joining Tim Wallace, who had been called up with Letetsu on Friday, but was sent down before the game Sunday when it was determined that LW Chris Kunitz would return to the lineup that day.
Speaking of Kunitz, I was generally pleased with his performance in his first game coming off abdominal surgery. He was a force in the first period, but tailed off and was less of a factor in periods 2 and 3. Really, though, that couldn't have been surprising under the circumstances. While he had been practicing most of the week and felt good at the start of his sessions back on the ice, Kunitz admitted that things got tougher for him as the week went on. He's still working out the recovery aches and pains, obviously, and it's going to take him some time to get back in the swing. Make no mistake, though -- the Penguins will need him to be an impact player down the stretch this season.
Meanwhile, there continues to be talk that the Penguins are actively trying to make a trade before this Friday's Olympic roster freeze sets in. Largely, Pens' GM Ray Shero is working to free up some cap space, perhaps by making a roster move with defenseman Martin Skoula, and perhaps by moving one or more players. He's probably examining doing both, with LW Ruslan Fedotenko perhaps the most likely guy to be moved in a trade.
Fedotenko has certainly struggled this season, but his history as a strong playoff performer has several teams interested in him -- including contenders like the Phoenix Coyotes, and non-contenders like Edmonton Oilers, among others.
Finally, people are still talking about Sunday's latest epic between the Caps and Penguins:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/31399-Campbells-Cuts-Can-Caps-offensive-style-win-the-Cup.html
This well-written piece by Ken Campbell raises an interesting question --- and one that is unlikely to be resolved until the post-season: Can the Capitals go the distance with their offense, or will their defense and goaltending trump that and fail them when needed the most?
I talked yesterday about how Washington has averaged nearly 5 goals per game during their absurd 14-game winning streak, but there's no question that those figures are a by-product of regular season play. Only time will tell if they can buckle down enough to overcome the much tighter checking in the post-season.
Regardless, the Capitals will be dangerous. But if Pittsburgh sees them in the playoffs again, I'll take my chances. As Washington's own coach, loudmouth Bruce Boudreau, admitted before the last time the clubs met several weeks ago, the Penguins have the best group of centers in the game and it's not even close. See this excellent piece for a discussion about that, and how both the Pens' and Caps' have built strongly through the draft the last 4 to 5 seasons:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/30969-THNcom-Blog-Pens-Caps-serve-as-lesson-for-draft-dodgers.html
It's interesting. Prior to the Sunday's game, I read an interesting piece that someone sent to me about how the matchups between these two clubs might not really come down to Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, but instead may come down to Nicklas Backstrom and Jordan Staal.
Here's the piece:
http://today.sportingnews.com/sportingnewstoday/20100123/?pg=24&pm=1&u1=friend#pg24
I thought Craig Custenance offered some interesting perspective when I read that, but after Sunday's game, it's not unreasonable to think that every game, every matchup, every potential playoff series between these two teams will always come down to #87 and #8, no matter how good their respective supporting casts are.
Crosby and Ovechkin are the engines that drive their teams. If Backstrom or Staal, for example, aren't playing up to par, the Captains are still good enough to make the difference, and we all can look no further than Sunday's game for proof.
Crosby and Staal totaled 4 goals for Pittsburgh. Washington won the game because Ovechkin single-handedly topped them both.
No wonder why there's so much talk about the National Hockey League scheduling next year's Winter Classic between The Pens and Caps. That talk surfaced first a few months ago, and continues with each legendary game these two clubs play:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123102716.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4894170&name=lebrun_pierre
Count me in.
That's all for now boys and girls.
More soon.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Pens' Fall To Canadiens, Capitals In Weekend Sweep
For the third straight week, the Pittsburgh Penguins were scheduled for back-to-back games.
2 weeks ago, the Pens' prevailed in two nationally televised contests against the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers on Sunday, 1-23 and Monday, 1-24.
Last week, they went 2-0 again, beating the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres in back-to-back games on Sunday, 1-31 and Monday, 2-1.
This past weekend wasn't as nearly as kind to the them.
And not just because of the snow that they and everyone else in the mid-Atlantic region had to deal with.
Instead, problems with their defense have cropped up again, and those troubles played a big part in back-to-back road losses to the Montreal Canadiens, 5-3, and Washington Capitals, 5-4 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Both defeats were disturbing in their own way and, to be honest, I'm not sure which was worse.
After probably their longest break between games all season -- 4 days -- the Penguins came out flat and were both outhustled and outplayed at The Bell Center in Montreal by the Canadiens Saturday afternoon.
Pittsburgh got a tough break early in that one when a Canadiens' player basically bodychecked Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury behind the net when he went to play the puck around the boards, leaving him out of position and unable to get back in the crease when his clearing attempt was intercepted and put into an empty cage by Montreal forward Tomas Plekanec 30 seconds into the game.
So much for a penalty call there. Inexcusable.
Jordan Staal helped the Pens' bounce back quickly though, getting a break of his own when a Canadiens' defender blew a tire while defending a 2-on-2 rush with Pascal Dupuis, allowing Staal to barge to the net, force Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak to make a great save, but leave the rebound for Dupuis to have go off him and into the net for a 1-1 tie.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh was weak around its net on 2 plays in the 2nd period when Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez scored to give Montreal a 3-1 lead.
While Bill Guerin managed to get one in off Halak's glove later in that frame to keep the Pens' in the game, the Pens' wheels came off in the third period.
First, Montreal forward Mathieu Darche scored only his 2nd goal of the season about 7 minutes in on a slapshot that deflected in off a Pens' defender -- Sergei Gonchar, if memory serves.
That goal prompted Head Coach Dan Bylsma to replace Fleury with backup Brent Johnson -- probably not so much because Fleury was playing poorly, as much to try and shake his team up and give Fleury a chance to rest up in advance of the team's showdown with the Washington Capitals the next day.
Johnson didn't fare much better than Fleury, though, as the Gionta scored his second of the night just minutes later, again capitalizing on some weak defense in front of the Pens' goal.
Evgeni Malkin made things interesting with approximately 3 and 1/2 minutes to go when he came out of the penalty box and took a clearing attempt in on a breakaway before beating Halak high glove side to make it 5-3.
Less than a minute later, however, Geno killed whatever small chance the Penguins had of mounting a comeback when he took an undisciplined roughing penalty, and permitted Montreal to basically kill off the rest of the game on the man-advantage.
Telling in the loss was the Canadiens outshooting the Pens' 32-21.
And it was indicative of the play, too.
Perhaps the Penguins were more focused on their game against the Caps' --- and how they were going to get there given the snow -- but regardless, their lack of energy against Montreal was hard to explain. Especially having plenty of time to rest leading up to that game.
That was the first time Montreal took a game from the Pens in this year's season series (3-1).
In any case, while Pittsburgh was prepared to depart Montreal for Washington immediately after their game there, the snowstorm that President Barack Obama called "Snowmaggedon" prevented them from flying into DC. Instead, they had to completely re-arrange their travel plans and fly into Newark, New Jersey, before taking a 4-hour bus ride to the Nation's Capital.
While that wasn't entirely unexpected -- there had been, in fact, some talk that the game between the Pens and Caps might be pushed back, or even postponed -- it did result in the Penguins arriving in Washington very late, at 2:30 AM Sunday morning.
Make no mistake -- that's a tough hand of cards for anyone to deal with facing a nationally televised 12 noon start that very day against a team that had won 13 straight games.
Capitals' coach Bruce Boudreau actually had the gall to suggest that the bad weather affected his team more.
But when the puck dropped and all the hype had again risen to unspeakable levels at the prospect of Crosby/Ovechkin II this sesason, the Penguins as a team set out looking to prove that their late arrival, lack of sleep, and travel adventures would be no impediment to getting back on the winning track.
Sidney Crosby scored twice in the opening period, first finishing off an unassisted play by taking the puck to the net on a 3-on-2 before beating Caps' netminder Jose Theodore, then completing a nice passing sequence on a man-advantage by finding himself alone in front and bearing down to abuse Theodore with an in-tight forehand.
Those goals were Crosby's 38th and 39th of the season, tying a career high for him and -- at the time, anyway -- putting him into a tie with Caps' forward Alexander Ovechkin for the league lead.
That didn't last long, though, because Ovehckin managed to score in the 2nd period to cut the Pens' lead to 2-1 after sneaking behind Pens' defenseman Mark Eaton and scoring on a breakaway.
But the Penguins quickly reasserted their dominance down the middle, getting two goals from Jordan Staal in that same period, first on a tap-in from in front of Theodore, then after finishing a 2-on-1 with Malkin by depositing Geno's pass top-shelf above Theodore's blocker.
Things looked pretty good for Pittsburgh at that point. After coming out of the gate strong on little rest in the first period, they kept it going in the 2nd frame. Even a late 2nd period tally by Washington forward Eric Fehr didn't do a lot to dent the Penguins' strong game up to that point.
But you can't sleep on the Capitals, and Ovehckin made that clear by scoring twice in the third period. His first goal was the by-product of him being a split second quicker in reaction to a loose puck that fell at his feet right in front of Pens' defenseman Brooks Orpik after a blocked shot.
His third goal game off a face-off play when he pinched into the circle, got a loose biscuit and buried it past Fleury far side.
His hat trick forced overtime at 4-4.
In the extra frame, the Penguins were probably just looking to push the game to a shootout, where they are 7-0 this season.
But then Orpik took a needless penalty when he got the stick up on Caps' forward Alexander Semin.
Orpik called Semin "a baby" after the game because of the play, and further piled on by saying he has "zero respect for that kid" because he acts like that all game, but the fact of the matter is that while Semin commonly flopps all over the ice more than my 3-year old on skates, it was a penalty. And, Orpik simply can't do that. He can't put Washington in a 4-on-3 power play situation at that point of the game.
Why?
Because their power play is lethal, and it made the Penguins pay 45 seconds or so into it when an Ovehckin shot went off the post and came back through and underneath Fleury's legs before Washington RW Mike Knuble poked it in for the game winner.
So, with that, the Penguins blew a 4-1 lead to the Caps' -- something we've seen way too much of against that team in the regular season the last 18 months or so -- AND lost a chance to end the Capitals' league best wininng streak.
After their defeat of the Penguins, that streak stands at 14 games.
And there's no doubt, the Pens' league record single year 17-game regular season winning streak -- set by the lethal Pens' 1992/93 squad -- is in real jeopardy.
There's also no doubt that my personal hatred for the Washington Capitals has now officially risen above the degree to which I despise the Philadelphia Flyers.
And that's saying something.
I can't stand the Capitals.
BUT, I have to say that, from a hockey purist standpoint, yesterday's game between Pittsburgh and Washington was fantastic. It was as intense as a playoff game, and was a worthy chapter in the rivalry book between these two clubs -- a rivalry that is quickly rising to the top one league-wide.
And while there's no doubt that a lot goes into that rivalry, it remains unquestionably driven by the team's 2 superstar captains -- Crosby and Ovechkin.
Their individual will in the games these two teams play against one another is an amazing spectacle.
Ovechkin always raises his game against us, it seems, and for all the goals Crosby has scored around the net in his career, I'm not sure I have ever seen him literally bear down to score in the way he did to tally his first two goals yesterday.
Especially Crosby's second goal. Sid's deke near the net was so fast and so clean that Theodore is still trying to react almost 24 hours later.
I can't wait to see their two clubs face off in the Olympics. I mean, the game yesterday was better than any Super Bowl -- I'll tell you that. Incredible.
Unfortunately, though (with my fan hat on again), the loss cost the Penguins another chance to move up in the Atlantic Division and get closer to a continually struggling Devils club.
It also, as mentioned above, continued to provide worries about the state of the team's defense.
The Penguins have given up 19 goals against in the last 5 games, and that's not a good sign.
While Washington scores a ton -- they've averaged nearly 5 goals a game during their 14 game winning streak -- the amount of goals the Penguins have allowed recently has to be a concerning trend for the Penguins as they get ready to head down the stretch drive.
With 3 more games until the Olympic break -- and 2 more until the NHL's pre-Olympic trade freeze on Friday -- the Penguins will now get ready for a team that always plays them tough.
The New York Islanders.
They visit Mellon Arena Wednesday.
Snow permitting, of course.
More soon.
2 weeks ago, the Pens' prevailed in two nationally televised contests against the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers on Sunday, 1-23 and Monday, 1-24.
Last week, they went 2-0 again, beating the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres in back-to-back games on Sunday, 1-31 and Monday, 2-1.
This past weekend wasn't as nearly as kind to the them.
And not just because of the snow that they and everyone else in the mid-Atlantic region had to deal with.
Instead, problems with their defense have cropped up again, and those troubles played a big part in back-to-back road losses to the Montreal Canadiens, 5-3, and Washington Capitals, 5-4 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Both defeats were disturbing in their own way and, to be honest, I'm not sure which was worse.
After probably their longest break between games all season -- 4 days -- the Penguins came out flat and were both outhustled and outplayed at The Bell Center in Montreal by the Canadiens Saturday afternoon.
Pittsburgh got a tough break early in that one when a Canadiens' player basically bodychecked Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury behind the net when he went to play the puck around the boards, leaving him out of position and unable to get back in the crease when his clearing attempt was intercepted and put into an empty cage by Montreal forward Tomas Plekanec 30 seconds into the game.
So much for a penalty call there. Inexcusable.
Jordan Staal helped the Pens' bounce back quickly though, getting a break of his own when a Canadiens' defender blew a tire while defending a 2-on-2 rush with Pascal Dupuis, allowing Staal to barge to the net, force Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak to make a great save, but leave the rebound for Dupuis to have go off him and into the net for a 1-1 tie.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh was weak around its net on 2 plays in the 2nd period when Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez scored to give Montreal a 3-1 lead.
While Bill Guerin managed to get one in off Halak's glove later in that frame to keep the Pens' in the game, the Pens' wheels came off in the third period.
First, Montreal forward Mathieu Darche scored only his 2nd goal of the season about 7 minutes in on a slapshot that deflected in off a Pens' defender -- Sergei Gonchar, if memory serves.
That goal prompted Head Coach Dan Bylsma to replace Fleury with backup Brent Johnson -- probably not so much because Fleury was playing poorly, as much to try and shake his team up and give Fleury a chance to rest up in advance of the team's showdown with the Washington Capitals the next day.
Johnson didn't fare much better than Fleury, though, as the Gionta scored his second of the night just minutes later, again capitalizing on some weak defense in front of the Pens' goal.
Evgeni Malkin made things interesting with approximately 3 and 1/2 minutes to go when he came out of the penalty box and took a clearing attempt in on a breakaway before beating Halak high glove side to make it 5-3.
Less than a minute later, however, Geno killed whatever small chance the Penguins had of mounting a comeback when he took an undisciplined roughing penalty, and permitted Montreal to basically kill off the rest of the game on the man-advantage.
Telling in the loss was the Canadiens outshooting the Pens' 32-21.
And it was indicative of the play, too.
Perhaps the Penguins were more focused on their game against the Caps' --- and how they were going to get there given the snow -- but regardless, their lack of energy against Montreal was hard to explain. Especially having plenty of time to rest leading up to that game.
That was the first time Montreal took a game from the Pens in this year's season series (3-1).
In any case, while Pittsburgh was prepared to depart Montreal for Washington immediately after their game there, the snowstorm that President Barack Obama called "Snowmaggedon" prevented them from flying into DC. Instead, they had to completely re-arrange their travel plans and fly into Newark, New Jersey, before taking a 4-hour bus ride to the Nation's Capital.
While that wasn't entirely unexpected -- there had been, in fact, some talk that the game between the Pens and Caps might be pushed back, or even postponed -- it did result in the Penguins arriving in Washington very late, at 2:30 AM Sunday morning.
Make no mistake -- that's a tough hand of cards for anyone to deal with facing a nationally televised 12 noon start that very day against a team that had won 13 straight games.
Capitals' coach Bruce Boudreau actually had the gall to suggest that the bad weather affected his team more.
But when the puck dropped and all the hype had again risen to unspeakable levels at the prospect of Crosby/Ovechkin II this sesason, the Penguins as a team set out looking to prove that their late arrival, lack of sleep, and travel adventures would be no impediment to getting back on the winning track.
Sidney Crosby scored twice in the opening period, first finishing off an unassisted play by taking the puck to the net on a 3-on-2 before beating Caps' netminder Jose Theodore, then completing a nice passing sequence on a man-advantage by finding himself alone in front and bearing down to abuse Theodore with an in-tight forehand.
Those goals were Crosby's 38th and 39th of the season, tying a career high for him and -- at the time, anyway -- putting him into a tie with Caps' forward Alexander Ovechkin for the league lead.
That didn't last long, though, because Ovehckin managed to score in the 2nd period to cut the Pens' lead to 2-1 after sneaking behind Pens' defenseman Mark Eaton and scoring on a breakaway.
But the Penguins quickly reasserted their dominance down the middle, getting two goals from Jordan Staal in that same period, first on a tap-in from in front of Theodore, then after finishing a 2-on-1 with Malkin by depositing Geno's pass top-shelf above Theodore's blocker.
Things looked pretty good for Pittsburgh at that point. After coming out of the gate strong on little rest in the first period, they kept it going in the 2nd frame. Even a late 2nd period tally by Washington forward Eric Fehr didn't do a lot to dent the Penguins' strong game up to that point.
But you can't sleep on the Capitals, and Ovehckin made that clear by scoring twice in the third period. His first goal was the by-product of him being a split second quicker in reaction to a loose puck that fell at his feet right in front of Pens' defenseman Brooks Orpik after a blocked shot.
His third goal game off a face-off play when he pinched into the circle, got a loose biscuit and buried it past Fleury far side.
His hat trick forced overtime at 4-4.
In the extra frame, the Penguins were probably just looking to push the game to a shootout, where they are 7-0 this season.
But then Orpik took a needless penalty when he got the stick up on Caps' forward Alexander Semin.
Orpik called Semin "a baby" after the game because of the play, and further piled on by saying he has "zero respect for that kid" because he acts like that all game, but the fact of the matter is that while Semin commonly flopps all over the ice more than my 3-year old on skates, it was a penalty. And, Orpik simply can't do that. He can't put Washington in a 4-on-3 power play situation at that point of the game.
Why?
Because their power play is lethal, and it made the Penguins pay 45 seconds or so into it when an Ovehckin shot went off the post and came back through and underneath Fleury's legs before Washington RW Mike Knuble poked it in for the game winner.
So, with that, the Penguins blew a 4-1 lead to the Caps' -- something we've seen way too much of against that team in the regular season the last 18 months or so -- AND lost a chance to end the Capitals' league best wininng streak.
After their defeat of the Penguins, that streak stands at 14 games.
And there's no doubt, the Pens' league record single year 17-game regular season winning streak -- set by the lethal Pens' 1992/93 squad -- is in real jeopardy.
There's also no doubt that my personal hatred for the Washington Capitals has now officially risen above the degree to which I despise the Philadelphia Flyers.
And that's saying something.
I can't stand the Capitals.
BUT, I have to say that, from a hockey purist standpoint, yesterday's game between Pittsburgh and Washington was fantastic. It was as intense as a playoff game, and was a worthy chapter in the rivalry book between these two clubs -- a rivalry that is quickly rising to the top one league-wide.
And while there's no doubt that a lot goes into that rivalry, it remains unquestionably driven by the team's 2 superstar captains -- Crosby and Ovechkin.
Their individual will in the games these two teams play against one another is an amazing spectacle.
Ovechkin always raises his game against us, it seems, and for all the goals Crosby has scored around the net in his career, I'm not sure I have ever seen him literally bear down to score in the way he did to tally his first two goals yesterday.
Especially Crosby's second goal. Sid's deke near the net was so fast and so clean that Theodore is still trying to react almost 24 hours later.
I can't wait to see their two clubs face off in the Olympics. I mean, the game yesterday was better than any Super Bowl -- I'll tell you that. Incredible.
Unfortunately, though (with my fan hat on again), the loss cost the Penguins another chance to move up in the Atlantic Division and get closer to a continually struggling Devils club.
It also, as mentioned above, continued to provide worries about the state of the team's defense.
The Penguins have given up 19 goals against in the last 5 games, and that's not a good sign.
While Washington scores a ton -- they've averaged nearly 5 goals a game during their 14 game winning streak -- the amount of goals the Penguins have allowed recently has to be a concerning trend for the Penguins as they get ready to head down the stretch drive.
With 3 more games until the Olympic break -- and 2 more until the NHL's pre-Olympic trade freeze on Friday -- the Penguins will now get ready for a team that always plays them tough.
The New York Islanders.
They visit Mellon Arena Wednesday.
Snow permitting, of course.
More soon.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Penguins Ready To Make A Deal??
Sorry for the hiatus since Tuesday, boys and girls. I blame the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-day break for my absence. On the bright side, my wife appreciates it. I told her that I instructed the Penguins to schedule that many days off in a row so I could step back from this for a bit. Not surprisingly, though, you're away for a few days and there's a ton to talk about.
Like trade talk.
I planned on addressing this largely during the league's Olympic hiatus, but things are already in overdrive on the NHL trade front, and rumors have been flying fast and furious the last 4 to 5 days.
One of them that I was going to briefly mention was that the Penguins had been surprisingly connected to Atlanta Thrashers' star forward Ilya Kovalchuk.
Word was that the Penguins were offering center Jordan Staal and defenseman Mark Eaton for him.
Obviously, that's not something Pens' fans have to worry about now, since word came last night that the Thrashers dealt Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils for rookie forward Nicklas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrick Cormier, a 1st round draft pick, and a swap of 2nd round picks.
While it's certainly good news that Pittsburgh doesn't have to be concerned with losing Staal, the bad news is that they now have their hands more full in contending with the Devils this season.
Kovalchuk -- a guy who's scored 40 goals 5 straight seasons -- will certainly fill a need in New Jersey's lineup, and he'll surely aid their chase of the Atlantic Division crown and Stanley Cup in the Eastern Conference this year, too.
Make no mistake -- if the Penguins have to face NJ in the playoffs, beating them just got tougher.
On the bright side, only time will tell how well Kovalchuk fits into Devils' coach Jacques Lemaire's defensive system. Beyond that, it's hard to see Kovalchuk being a player the Penguins have to deal with in New Jersey for anything more than this year. With his seeming salary cap demands (at least of the Thrashers) -- 20% of the cap, or about 11 million per season -- on a long term contract, I can't see him sticking in New Jersey for the long run.
Which explains why the return for Kovalchuk, in this writer's estimation, was not great.
Oduya is a two-way, reliable, underrated defenseman, but he's a #4 guy on the backline, no more. Bergfors is having a decent rookie season (which Penguin fans know all too well), but is nothing more than a complementary player at this point. And after sending an opposing player into convulsions on the ice after an elbow to the head in a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game about a month ago, Cormier isn't going to play another game this year. He has potential, but is a troubled prospect, at best.
If the Penguins were putting together a comparable package, think Eaton, Pascal Dupuis, Luca Caputi and a first round pick.
Would Pens' GM Ray Shero toss that to Atlanta for Kovalchuk -- even as a rental?
It's certainly something to think about.
I'm just glad I'm not a Thrashers fan, becuase their GM, Don Waddell, has been running that team into the ground for the last 6 seasons. Trading star players like Dany Heatley, then Marion Hossa, then Kovalchuk says something about the state of your team, don't you think?
But back to reality in Penguin land, the trade talk that has heated up in recent days has seemed to center largely around the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Pens have been scouting them heavily of late, including sending their director of player personnel, Dan McKinnon -- a guy who doesn't typically do direct scouting -- to Columbus last night.
It's no secret the Penguins are looking hard at Blue Jackets RW Raffi Torres as a potential fit for their second line.
Torres has 16 goals this season and is a guy that will go to the net for you.
There's also been a lot of talk that Pittsburgh is looking at Plum native R.J Umberger, but I'm not sure there's a great deal of truth to that.
Columbus values Umberger greatly and I'm not sure the Penguins would be able to pony up the return that Blue Jackets' GM Scott Howson would likely seek in any deal for Umberger.
So, while his 19 goals and 40 points in 59 games would be a nice complement to the Penguins' top 6 forward group, I don't expect to see a hometown reunion between the Penguins and Umberger anytime soon.
Another guy the Penguins have long been connected to is a guy who somehow survived the recent player purge in Toronto -- Alexei Ponikarovsky.
"Pony", as he's affectionately known by in Toronto, is a big winger (6' 4") with size and the willingness to do the dirty work in the corners and around the goal to score. He's the Leafs' leading scorer this year, with stats just like Umberger's.
Even though he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, I would rather see him in Pittsburgh than Torres. But, while the fit is certainly right, I don't have as much intelligence that he's at the immediate top of the Penguins' radar right now. Some are speculating about it. See this piece:
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bill_lankhof/2010/02/03/12717506-sun.html
Unfortuantely, though, I don't hear as much about him in a Pens' uniform as I'd like.
Another guy who has been talked about a great deal of late -- and who may have the most logical connection to Pittsburgh -- is Carolina forward Ray Whitney
Whitney has a no-trade clause, but is a veteran with experience who can score and help the power play. While I think the Penguins can improve their man advantage without him, he certainly would bring some scoring depth to the club for their postseason run.
Curiously, Whitney -- also an unrestricted free agent after this season -- was supposedly close to being dealt to the LA Kings about 4 or 5 days ago. It seemed that Carolina and LA had the parameters of a deal worked out, but when LA was given permission to talk with Whitney about signing a contract extension, Whitney apparently wanted a 3-year deal and the Kings balked. That seems to have scuttled those talks, at least for now.
Meanwhile, word seems to be that Whitney may have used his leverage in asking for that contract because he isn't really as interested in going to the Kings, and instead is holding out hope to be dealt to his #1 preferred destination.
That's said to be Pittsburgh, as per respected hockey journalist Bob McKenzie, from TSN Canada. Read his piece from a few days ago here:
http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?id=308689
The problem with Whitney is that he's in great demand around the league right now. After Kovalchuk, he may be one of the more sought after players. Given his reputation as a reliable scorer, that's understandable, but is it enough to push him out of the Penguins' price range?
The asking price for Whitney has been said to be a 1st round draft pick and another young player on the rise. I doubt Pens' GM Ray Shero will pony up that much and, I'm not sure I would either.
Meanwhile, I've started to hear some talk that the Penguins may be involved in some form of trade dialogue with the Dallas Stars.
I expect the Stars and first year GM Joe Nieuwendyk to be active leading up to and right before the trade deadline this season, and if Pittsburgh is talking with Dallas, they are likely looking hard first and foremost at one of their young wingers -- maybe rookie Jamie Benn, or even James Neal.
The Stars would almost certainly want one of the Penguins young defenseman, Kris Letang or Alex Goligoski, in return and, to be frank, I can't say I'd be shocked if Shero made a move involving one of those two players.
The Pens' brass has been great at stockpiling good, young defensemen the last few seasons. Letang and GoGo are on the rise at their position, and guys like Carl Sneep, Robert Bortozzo and Simon Despres -- the Pens' first round pick this last year -- are proving themselves to be strong prospects as well.
Of course, the Penguins are known to be looking to bolster their defense corps as well, and are picking around the league looking for a physical, defensive defenseman.
I thought they might look at Brendan Witt, who was waived by the New York Islanders two days ago, but it doesn't appear they made a claim, since Witt cleared waivers and was sent to the American Hockey League.
You want toughness? Witt was hit by an SUV in the street in Philadelphia a few months ago and played that night. After the collision, in true Chuck Norris form, he stood up and said, "I'm okay .. I'm a hockey player."
Maybe the quote of the year.
Anyway, we'll see if the Isles' attempt to put him through re-entry waivers. Maybe something will happen there.
Time will tell whether any of this -- or something else -- comes to fruition soon, but needless to say, chatter has certainly heated up lately as the Penguins get ready for big back-to-back contests on the road against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow afternoon and the Washington Capitals in their 3rd straight nationally televised NBC game on Super Bowl Sunday at noon.
More this weekend.
Like trade talk.
I planned on addressing this largely during the league's Olympic hiatus, but things are already in overdrive on the NHL trade front, and rumors have been flying fast and furious the last 4 to 5 days.
One of them that I was going to briefly mention was that the Penguins had been surprisingly connected to Atlanta Thrashers' star forward Ilya Kovalchuk.
Word was that the Penguins were offering center Jordan Staal and defenseman Mark Eaton for him.
Obviously, that's not something Pens' fans have to worry about now, since word came last night that the Thrashers dealt Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils for rookie forward Nicklas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrick Cormier, a 1st round draft pick, and a swap of 2nd round picks.
While it's certainly good news that Pittsburgh doesn't have to be concerned with losing Staal, the bad news is that they now have their hands more full in contending with the Devils this season.
Kovalchuk -- a guy who's scored 40 goals 5 straight seasons -- will certainly fill a need in New Jersey's lineup, and he'll surely aid their chase of the Atlantic Division crown and Stanley Cup in the Eastern Conference this year, too.
Make no mistake -- if the Penguins have to face NJ in the playoffs, beating them just got tougher.
On the bright side, only time will tell how well Kovalchuk fits into Devils' coach Jacques Lemaire's defensive system. Beyond that, it's hard to see Kovalchuk being a player the Penguins have to deal with in New Jersey for anything more than this year. With his seeming salary cap demands (at least of the Thrashers) -- 20% of the cap, or about 11 million per season -- on a long term contract, I can't see him sticking in New Jersey for the long run.
Which explains why the return for Kovalchuk, in this writer's estimation, was not great.
Oduya is a two-way, reliable, underrated defenseman, but he's a #4 guy on the backline, no more. Bergfors is having a decent rookie season (which Penguin fans know all too well), but is nothing more than a complementary player at this point. And after sending an opposing player into convulsions on the ice after an elbow to the head in a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game about a month ago, Cormier isn't going to play another game this year. He has potential, but is a troubled prospect, at best.
If the Penguins were putting together a comparable package, think Eaton, Pascal Dupuis, Luca Caputi and a first round pick.
Would Pens' GM Ray Shero toss that to Atlanta for Kovalchuk -- even as a rental?
It's certainly something to think about.
I'm just glad I'm not a Thrashers fan, becuase their GM, Don Waddell, has been running that team into the ground for the last 6 seasons. Trading star players like Dany Heatley, then Marion Hossa, then Kovalchuk says something about the state of your team, don't you think?
But back to reality in Penguin land, the trade talk that has heated up in recent days has seemed to center largely around the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Pens have been scouting them heavily of late, including sending their director of player personnel, Dan McKinnon -- a guy who doesn't typically do direct scouting -- to Columbus last night.
It's no secret the Penguins are looking hard at Blue Jackets RW Raffi Torres as a potential fit for their second line.
Torres has 16 goals this season and is a guy that will go to the net for you.
There's also been a lot of talk that Pittsburgh is looking at Plum native R.J Umberger, but I'm not sure there's a great deal of truth to that.
Columbus values Umberger greatly and I'm not sure the Penguins would be able to pony up the return that Blue Jackets' GM Scott Howson would likely seek in any deal for Umberger.
So, while his 19 goals and 40 points in 59 games would be a nice complement to the Penguins' top 6 forward group, I don't expect to see a hometown reunion between the Penguins and Umberger anytime soon.
Another guy the Penguins have long been connected to is a guy who somehow survived the recent player purge in Toronto -- Alexei Ponikarovsky.
"Pony", as he's affectionately known by in Toronto, is a big winger (6' 4") with size and the willingness to do the dirty work in the corners and around the goal to score. He's the Leafs' leading scorer this year, with stats just like Umberger's.
Even though he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, I would rather see him in Pittsburgh than Torres. But, while the fit is certainly right, I don't have as much intelligence that he's at the immediate top of the Penguins' radar right now. Some are speculating about it. See this piece:
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bill_lankhof/2010/02/03/12717506-sun.html
Unfortuantely, though, I don't hear as much about him in a Pens' uniform as I'd like.
Another guy who has been talked about a great deal of late -- and who may have the most logical connection to Pittsburgh -- is Carolina forward Ray Whitney
Whitney has a no-trade clause, but is a veteran with experience who can score and help the power play. While I think the Penguins can improve their man advantage without him, he certainly would bring some scoring depth to the club for their postseason run.
Curiously, Whitney -- also an unrestricted free agent after this season -- was supposedly close to being dealt to the LA Kings about 4 or 5 days ago. It seemed that Carolina and LA had the parameters of a deal worked out, but when LA was given permission to talk with Whitney about signing a contract extension, Whitney apparently wanted a 3-year deal and the Kings balked. That seems to have scuttled those talks, at least for now.
Meanwhile, word seems to be that Whitney may have used his leverage in asking for that contract because he isn't really as interested in going to the Kings, and instead is holding out hope to be dealt to his #1 preferred destination.
That's said to be Pittsburgh, as per respected hockey journalist Bob McKenzie, from TSN Canada. Read his piece from a few days ago here:
http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie/?id=308689
The problem with Whitney is that he's in great demand around the league right now. After Kovalchuk, he may be one of the more sought after players. Given his reputation as a reliable scorer, that's understandable, but is it enough to push him out of the Penguins' price range?
The asking price for Whitney has been said to be a 1st round draft pick and another young player on the rise. I doubt Pens' GM Ray Shero will pony up that much and, I'm not sure I would either.
Meanwhile, I've started to hear some talk that the Penguins may be involved in some form of trade dialogue with the Dallas Stars.
I expect the Stars and first year GM Joe Nieuwendyk to be active leading up to and right before the trade deadline this season, and if Pittsburgh is talking with Dallas, they are likely looking hard first and foremost at one of their young wingers -- maybe rookie Jamie Benn, or even James Neal.
The Stars would almost certainly want one of the Penguins young defenseman, Kris Letang or Alex Goligoski, in return and, to be frank, I can't say I'd be shocked if Shero made a move involving one of those two players.
The Pens' brass has been great at stockpiling good, young defensemen the last few seasons. Letang and GoGo are on the rise at their position, and guys like Carl Sneep, Robert Bortozzo and Simon Despres -- the Pens' first round pick this last year -- are proving themselves to be strong prospects as well.
Of course, the Penguins are known to be looking to bolster their defense corps as well, and are picking around the league looking for a physical, defensive defenseman.
I thought they might look at Brendan Witt, who was waived by the New York Islanders two days ago, but it doesn't appear they made a claim, since Witt cleared waivers and was sent to the American Hockey League.
You want toughness? Witt was hit by an SUV in the street in Philadelphia a few months ago and played that night. After the collision, in true Chuck Norris form, he stood up and said, "I'm okay .. I'm a hockey player."
Maybe the quote of the year.
Anyway, we'll see if the Isles' attempt to put him through re-entry waivers. Maybe something will happen there.
Time will tell whether any of this -- or something else -- comes to fruition soon, but needless to say, chatter has certainly heated up lately as the Penguins get ready for big back-to-back contests on the road against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow afternoon and the Washington Capitals in their 3rd straight nationally televised NBC game on Super Bowl Sunday at noon.
More this weekend.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Crosby's 8-Minute Hat Trick Sinks Sabres, 5-4
So much for getting back to playoff-style hockey.
After dispatching the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in their rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday afternoon at Mellon Arena, run-and-gun was the name of the game last night at the ol' Igloo as the Pittsburgh Penguins reached into their bag of offensive tricks and stormed goaltender Ryan Miller and the Sabres for 4 goals in 8 minutes in the second period -- including a Sidney Crosby hat trick -- on their way to overcoming a 3-1 deficit and beating Buffalo, 5-4.
It was Pittsburgh's 7th win in their last 10 games, and lifted them to within 1 point of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The win also put them 5 points back up on the Ottawa Senators, although the Sens, Devils and even the Sabres all have the chance to gain ground on the Pens this week, since the Boys of Winter don't hit the ice again until Saturday afternoon when they visit the Montreal Canadiens.
Last night, the shootout at the OK Corral started less than a minute in when Mark Letetsu scored his first National Hockey League goal, beautifully finishing off a 3-on-1 by taking a cross-ice pass from Tyler Kennedy near the foot of the crease and lifting the puck over Miller's sprawling left leg to give the Pens a 1-0 lead.
Buffalo began turning the tables about 5 minutes later when Pens' defenseman Brooks' Orpik failed to clear the puck from in front of the net and netminder Marc-Andre Fleury lost sight of it in a group of players. Unforunately, Sabres' forward Derek Roy didn't, and he easily slid it by Fleury into the open cage for his first goal in 9 games.
Thomas Vanek followed that up less than a minute later finishing off a 2-on-1 by lifting the puck over Fleury's shoulder on the short side from about 10 feet -- a shot Fleury played somewhat weakly and probably would like to have back.
Things really didn't look good when Buffalo's version of TK -- forward Tim Kennedy -- finished off an exceptionally executed 3-on-2 by redirecting a pass from Sabres' forward Mike Grier into the upper corner of the net past Fleury from low in the slot.
At that point, Buffalo led 3-1 and, with star goaltender Ryan Miller holding down the fort, it wasn't shaping up as an easy chore for the Penguins to score 3 more against him to win in the final 30 minutes.
So, they just scored 4 on him in the next 8 minutes instead.
Sidney Crosby got things going on the power play near the 10-minute mark when he swept a fake shot-pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski past Miller from just above the goal line to Miller's left.
3 minutes later, Jordan Staal -- again centering the second line with Evgeni Malkin on his wing --- ripped one on net from 25 feet after taking a pass from Geno on a simple 2-on-2, and somehow the shot got through between Miller's right arm and body. That tied the game at 3.
3 minutes after that, Crosby capitalized on a miscommunication between Miller and a Sabres defenseman by intercepting a Miller pass from behind the net that was intended for one of his blueliners and immediately tossing it on goal from 15 feet. Miller --- scrambling to get back in the goal -- got a piece of it, but not enough, as it skidded off him and in to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead.
90 seconds later, Crosby finished off the hat trick -- his 3rd this season and 5th of his career -- by streaking down the right wing on a 2-on-1 with Pascal Dupuis and, after more stickhandling wizardry than Miller would see in a week from his entire team, beat the mesmerized Sabres' goaltender with a shot to the far post to make it 5-3 Pittsburgh.
Cue the hats.
Again.
That goal was Crosby's 37th of the season, tying him for the league lead with Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks.
Things calmed down considerably in the third period, and the Pens' appeared to have things comfortably under control most of the frame -- until the last 3 to 4 minutes, that is, when the Penguins were whistled for 2 penalties and the Sabres regularly stormed Fleury and the Pens' goal.
The first penalty was on Sergei Gonchar -- a tripping call right in front of the net -- and I was extremely unhappy at Sarge when I saw the play. It was a lazy, needless penalty because the puck wasn't even near the area. I also wasn't happy with the fact that the Sabres player who felt the contact embellished the play by going down and got the referree to make the call, but I was more upset with Gonchar because what he did in that situation was completely unnecessary.
He put his team in a bad place and, sure enough, Sabres' forward Jason Pominville made the Pens' pay when he capitalized on the ensuing power play to make the score 5-4.
Worse than that, though, was the next penalty call the Penguins got whistled for about a minute later -- a holding call on defenseman Brooks Orpik for allegedly grabbing a Sabres player in the corner.
Now, this one wasn't Orpik's fault because he didn't hold the guy. Clearly. He did have one hand off his stick, but was using that in a clear checking (pushing) motion on the guy's body while trying to poke at the puck with his stick hand.
When the guy fell down from one of the pushes, the official from behind that play --- yes, the one who couldn't really see what was going on -- made the phantom call. And when Orpik tried to state his defense, the official was adamant about it, too.
I could have strangled him.
The Penguins were fortunate enough to kill that, but believe me, it wasn't easy. The Sabres, of course, pulled Miller and went 6-on-4 for the entire time. They challenged Fleury but #29 and the Pens' penalty killers shut the door.
And with that, the Penguins will get a well deserved rest until Saturday.
Thanks to Crosby and company.
I'll have more between now and then. Trade talks appear to be heating up.
NOTES:
Max Talbot missed the game against Buffalo last night, while continuing to work through the effects of his groin problem. That wasn't a surprise, but what was a surprise was defenseman Jay McKee being a late scratch, after taking the warmup. No announcement was made before or after the game that McKee had any injury of any kind.
Head Coach Dan Bylsma announced after the morning skate that he would go with the exact same lineup as the one against the Red Wings the day before. Obviously something changed and, with McKee being pulled out of the lineup at the last minute, there is some speculation that the Penguins might be very close to moving McKee.
What might corroborate that thinking is that, McKee's replacement in the lineup, Martin Skoula -- someone who has fallen into some disfavor with the coaching staff the last month or so -- played only 4 or so minutes after again looking out-of-place during several shifts on the ice.
Basically, then, the Penguins went with 5 defensemen most of the night. What doesn't make sense is that, if they aren't convinced Skoula can be reliable for them anymore, why pull McKee out of the lineup if he's not injured unless something was immenent on the trade front?
The Penguins might be close to elevating Ben Lovejoy to full-time status with the big club. We'll see.
After dispatching the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in their rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday afternoon at Mellon Arena, run-and-gun was the name of the game last night at the ol' Igloo as the Pittsburgh Penguins reached into their bag of offensive tricks and stormed goaltender Ryan Miller and the Sabres for 4 goals in 8 minutes in the second period -- including a Sidney Crosby hat trick -- on their way to overcoming a 3-1 deficit and beating Buffalo, 5-4.
It was Pittsburgh's 7th win in their last 10 games, and lifted them to within 1 point of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The win also put them 5 points back up on the Ottawa Senators, although the Sens, Devils and even the Sabres all have the chance to gain ground on the Pens this week, since the Boys of Winter don't hit the ice again until Saturday afternoon when they visit the Montreal Canadiens.
Last night, the shootout at the OK Corral started less than a minute in when Mark Letetsu scored his first National Hockey League goal, beautifully finishing off a 3-on-1 by taking a cross-ice pass from Tyler Kennedy near the foot of the crease and lifting the puck over Miller's sprawling left leg to give the Pens a 1-0 lead.
Buffalo began turning the tables about 5 minutes later when Pens' defenseman Brooks' Orpik failed to clear the puck from in front of the net and netminder Marc-Andre Fleury lost sight of it in a group of players. Unforunately, Sabres' forward Derek Roy didn't, and he easily slid it by Fleury into the open cage for his first goal in 9 games.
Thomas Vanek followed that up less than a minute later finishing off a 2-on-1 by lifting the puck over Fleury's shoulder on the short side from about 10 feet -- a shot Fleury played somewhat weakly and probably would like to have back.
Things really didn't look good when Buffalo's version of TK -- forward Tim Kennedy -- finished off an exceptionally executed 3-on-2 by redirecting a pass from Sabres' forward Mike Grier into the upper corner of the net past Fleury from low in the slot.
At that point, Buffalo led 3-1 and, with star goaltender Ryan Miller holding down the fort, it wasn't shaping up as an easy chore for the Penguins to score 3 more against him to win in the final 30 minutes.
So, they just scored 4 on him in the next 8 minutes instead.
Sidney Crosby got things going on the power play near the 10-minute mark when he swept a fake shot-pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski past Miller from just above the goal line to Miller's left.
3 minutes later, Jordan Staal -- again centering the second line with Evgeni Malkin on his wing --- ripped one on net from 25 feet after taking a pass from Geno on a simple 2-on-2, and somehow the shot got through between Miller's right arm and body. That tied the game at 3.
3 minutes after that, Crosby capitalized on a miscommunication between Miller and a Sabres defenseman by intercepting a Miller pass from behind the net that was intended for one of his blueliners and immediately tossing it on goal from 15 feet. Miller --- scrambling to get back in the goal -- got a piece of it, but not enough, as it skidded off him and in to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead.
90 seconds later, Crosby finished off the hat trick -- his 3rd this season and 5th of his career -- by streaking down the right wing on a 2-on-1 with Pascal Dupuis and, after more stickhandling wizardry than Miller would see in a week from his entire team, beat the mesmerized Sabres' goaltender with a shot to the far post to make it 5-3 Pittsburgh.
Cue the hats.
Again.
That goal was Crosby's 37th of the season, tying him for the league lead with Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks.
Things calmed down considerably in the third period, and the Pens' appeared to have things comfortably under control most of the frame -- until the last 3 to 4 minutes, that is, when the Penguins were whistled for 2 penalties and the Sabres regularly stormed Fleury and the Pens' goal.
The first penalty was on Sergei Gonchar -- a tripping call right in front of the net -- and I was extremely unhappy at Sarge when I saw the play. It was a lazy, needless penalty because the puck wasn't even near the area. I also wasn't happy with the fact that the Sabres player who felt the contact embellished the play by going down and got the referree to make the call, but I was more upset with Gonchar because what he did in that situation was completely unnecessary.
He put his team in a bad place and, sure enough, Sabres' forward Jason Pominville made the Pens' pay when he capitalized on the ensuing power play to make the score 5-4.
Worse than that, though, was the next penalty call the Penguins got whistled for about a minute later -- a holding call on defenseman Brooks Orpik for allegedly grabbing a Sabres player in the corner.
Now, this one wasn't Orpik's fault because he didn't hold the guy. Clearly. He did have one hand off his stick, but was using that in a clear checking (pushing) motion on the guy's body while trying to poke at the puck with his stick hand.
When the guy fell down from one of the pushes, the official from behind that play --- yes, the one who couldn't really see what was going on -- made the phantom call. And when Orpik tried to state his defense, the official was adamant about it, too.
I could have strangled him.
The Penguins were fortunate enough to kill that, but believe me, it wasn't easy. The Sabres, of course, pulled Miller and went 6-on-4 for the entire time. They challenged Fleury but #29 and the Pens' penalty killers shut the door.
And with that, the Penguins will get a well deserved rest until Saturday.
Thanks to Crosby and company.
I'll have more between now and then. Trade talks appear to be heating up.
NOTES:
Max Talbot missed the game against Buffalo last night, while continuing to work through the effects of his groin problem. That wasn't a surprise, but what was a surprise was defenseman Jay McKee being a late scratch, after taking the warmup. No announcement was made before or after the game that McKee had any injury of any kind.
Head Coach Dan Bylsma announced after the morning skate that he would go with the exact same lineup as the one against the Red Wings the day before. Obviously something changed and, with McKee being pulled out of the lineup at the last minute, there is some speculation that the Penguins might be very close to moving McKee.
What might corroborate that thinking is that, McKee's replacement in the lineup, Martin Skoula -- someone who has fallen into some disfavor with the coaching staff the last month or so -- played only 4 or so minutes after again looking out-of-place during several shifts on the ice.
Basically, then, the Penguins went with 5 defensemen most of the night. What doesn't make sense is that, if they aren't convinced Skoula can be reliable for them anymore, why pull McKee out of the lineup if he's not injured unless something was immenent on the trade front?
The Penguins might be close to elevating Ben Lovejoy to full-time status with the big club. We'll see.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Opening The Floodgates: Wheeling And Dealing Around The League To Impact Penguins?
The NHL's annual trade deadline this year is on March 3 at 3:00 PM EST, and everyone knows how hectic things can get on the trade front in the 24 hours leading up to that time.
Penguins' GM Ray Shero has made deals at the deadline in each of the last 3 seasons --- every one with him at the helm of the Pittsburgh ship.
This year, though, there's almost a second trade dealine of sorts, and that comes during the league's Olympic hiatus from midnight on February 12 to midnight on February 28, when there's a trade freeze and no deals can be made.
That deadline had spawned speculation that, rather than wait until the final hours before March 3, we might see deals before 2-12, and while many dismissed that as unlikely because teams that made deals before the Olympic trade freeze would be forced to spend salary cap money to pay players during 2+ weeks when they aren't suiting up for their teams, that angle obviously proved to be incorrect after two major trades that happened yesterday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs -- suffering through a miserable season -- were involved in both deals.
The Leafs' first sent 4 players to the slumping Calgary Flames, including 20-goal man Niklas Hagman and up-and-coming defenseman Ian White, in a package that netted them 3 guys in return, including underachieving name-defenseman Dion Phaneuf.
Toronto then turned around and somehow sent Penguin killer Jason Blake and his albatross contract along with inconsistent goaltender Vesa Toskala to the Anaheim Ducks for 6-million per season netminder and former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner J.S. Gigeure.
On top of that, while one player who has always done well against the Penguins has left the Eastern Conference, apparently a different one may be on the way in, as the Flames are also reportedly on the verge of dealing Olli Jokinen and another player to the New York Rangers for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik.
Kotalik has already been sent home by the team and told he'd be traded, while Higgins was pulled from the Rangers lineup before face-off last night.
What could these landmark deals mean to Pittsburgh? Nothing on the surface --- unless they get other teams antsy about trading. If that happens, we might see a deal involving the Penguins sooner than later.
Curiously, of all the players said to be on the block from the Maple Leafs, the one guy the Penguins have been linked to -- Alexei Ponikarovsky -- was not dealt.
Ponikarovsky, with 19 goals this season, is said to still be on the block, however, so don't expect that chatter to die down.
What else is interesting is that I've heard from one source that the Penguins may be looking at adding a name-defenseman, rather than a forward, before the deadline this year.
Since there aren't many of those on the block, yesterday's Phaneuf trade -- together with the news that another one of those guys, Sheldon Souray, is likely out for a while after fracturing a bone in his wrist during a fight with Calgary Captain Jarome Iginla Saturday night -- could start the dominos falling there, and I'll be interested to see how that affects Pittsburgh, if at all.
I'm obviously planning on a lot more talk about the upcoming trade deadline during the Olympic break, but I'll certainly keep everyone posted on anything I hear in the meantime.
More tomorrow.
Penguins' GM Ray Shero has made deals at the deadline in each of the last 3 seasons --- every one with him at the helm of the Pittsburgh ship.
This year, though, there's almost a second trade dealine of sorts, and that comes during the league's Olympic hiatus from midnight on February 12 to midnight on February 28, when there's a trade freeze and no deals can be made.
That deadline had spawned speculation that, rather than wait until the final hours before March 3, we might see deals before 2-12, and while many dismissed that as unlikely because teams that made deals before the Olympic trade freeze would be forced to spend salary cap money to pay players during 2+ weeks when they aren't suiting up for their teams, that angle obviously proved to be incorrect after two major trades that happened yesterday.
The Toronto Maple Leafs -- suffering through a miserable season -- were involved in both deals.
The Leafs' first sent 4 players to the slumping Calgary Flames, including 20-goal man Niklas Hagman and up-and-coming defenseman Ian White, in a package that netted them 3 guys in return, including underachieving name-defenseman Dion Phaneuf.
Toronto then turned around and somehow sent Penguin killer Jason Blake and his albatross contract along with inconsistent goaltender Vesa Toskala to the Anaheim Ducks for 6-million per season netminder and former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner J.S. Gigeure.
On top of that, while one player who has always done well against the Penguins has left the Eastern Conference, apparently a different one may be on the way in, as the Flames are also reportedly on the verge of dealing Olli Jokinen and another player to the New York Rangers for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik.
Kotalik has already been sent home by the team and told he'd be traded, while Higgins was pulled from the Rangers lineup before face-off last night.
What could these landmark deals mean to Pittsburgh? Nothing on the surface --- unless they get other teams antsy about trading. If that happens, we might see a deal involving the Penguins sooner than later.
Curiously, of all the players said to be on the block from the Maple Leafs, the one guy the Penguins have been linked to -- Alexei Ponikarovsky -- was not dealt.
Ponikarovsky, with 19 goals this season, is said to still be on the block, however, so don't expect that chatter to die down.
What else is interesting is that I've heard from one source that the Penguins may be looking at adding a name-defenseman, rather than a forward, before the deadline this year.
Since there aren't many of those on the block, yesterday's Phaneuf trade -- together with the news that another one of those guys, Sheldon Souray, is likely out for a while after fracturing a bone in his wrist during a fight with Calgary Captain Jarome Iginla Saturday night -- could start the dominos falling there, and I'll be interested to see how that affects Pittsburgh, if at all.
I'm obviously planning on a lot more talk about the upcoming trade deadline during the Olympic break, but I'll certainly keep everyone posted on anything I hear in the meantime.
More tomorrow.
Pens' Owners Lemieux, Burkle Offer To Buy Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported over the weekend that Pens' owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle made a "very serious" offer to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates from majority owner Bob Nutting about 4 months ago in a meeting held at the Penguins' offices in Chatham Center.
Nutting and Pirates President Frank Coonelly have denied that the offer was "formal" or "substantial", and Nutting has re-affirmed his prior public statements that the team is not for sale.
That's too bad, because Lemieux and Burkle would probably do a good job getting the Pirates -- who have suffered a sports record 17-consecutive losing seasons -- back on the winning track again.
Word of this offer was not just a big story in Pittsburgh sports circles over the weekend, but also a surprise, and it led many to wonder why Lemieux and Burkle would be interested in a franchise that has such a poor recent history.
It's believed that the Pens' owners were --- and make no mistake, still remain -- interested in collaborating on all marketing, television and other related revenues that they might be able to bring together by owning two professional sports franchises in the same city.
What happens from here remains to be seen. Lemieux and Burkle, as Penguins' fans know well, have a history of getting what they want.
While I don't expect anything immediate or imminent, if there are more developments on this story, I'll certainly get something up here.
Nutting and Pirates President Frank Coonelly have denied that the offer was "formal" or "substantial", and Nutting has re-affirmed his prior public statements that the team is not for sale.
That's too bad, because Lemieux and Burkle would probably do a good job getting the Pirates -- who have suffered a sports record 17-consecutive losing seasons -- back on the winning track again.
Word of this offer was not just a big story in Pittsburgh sports circles over the weekend, but also a surprise, and it led many to wonder why Lemieux and Burkle would be interested in a franchise that has such a poor recent history.
It's believed that the Pens' owners were --- and make no mistake, still remain -- interested in collaborating on all marketing, television and other related revenues that they might be able to bring together by owning two professional sports franchises in the same city.
What happens from here remains to be seen. Lemieux and Burkle, as Penguins' fans know well, have a history of getting what they want.
While I don't expect anything immediate or imminent, if there are more developments on this story, I'll certainly get something up here.
A Familiar Refrain: Pens - 2 ; Red Wings - 1
Nobody in Penguin Nation needs reminded that the last two times the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings faced off, the Penguins prevailed by the score of 2-1.
Sure, those games decided the winner of the 2009 Stanley Cup, and yesterday's nationally televised Pens' shootout victory over Detroit by the same 2-1 score didn't quite have the same stakes.
But Pittsburgh will take it, especially since it was the result of one of their best games in weeks.
The Penguins controlled play much of the afternoon, outshooting the Red Wings by a whopping 47-24 count. They kept Detroit bottled up in their own end and in the neutral zone most of the game, and when the 'Wings got into Pittsburgh's end, the Pens' did a great job generally keeping them to the outside and limiting quality scoring chances.
Still, there was intensity and a playoff feel to the contest -- not unexpected given the recent history between these two clubs -- and it resulted in an unsettled 1-1 score after 65 minutes.
Sidney Crosby got the Penguins' only regulation goal, scoring in the 2nd period after taking a cross-ice pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski on a 3-on-2 rush and deking Red Wings' netminder Jimmy Howard out of position before depositing it off the far post and in for a 1-0 lead.
That shift occurred right after the Pens' killed a penalty, and Head Coach Dan Byslma deserves some credit for getting Crosby out there on the ice on that shift without having to deal with the hounding of either Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg, or the defense pair of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.
Anyway, that advantage held up until around the mid-point of the third period when a shot by Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart clanged in off the post behind Pens' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Pittsburgh survived a 4-on-3 Detroit power play for near the last 90 seconds of overtime after defenseman Sergei Gonchar allowed Red Wings forward Valtteri Flippula to just sneak behind him and force a hooking penalty.
The Pens' PK was a strong 5-for-5 on the night.
In the shootout, Fleury stopped Pavel Datsyuk and Jason Williams, while Howard -- after stopping Kris Letang -- was then victimized by both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on sweet backhand moves.
The Penguins are now 7-0 in the shootout this season.
A guy who had a fantastic game for Pittsburgh was Jordan Staal.
Staal played LW on a line with Evgeni Malkin most of the game and was dominant almost every time over the boards. He had a ton of good scoring chances and hit the crossbar twice on the same shift in the third period.
Bylsma was able to play Staal with Malkin becasue of the strong game he got from Wilkes-Barre call-up Mark Letetsu, who he played at center ice on the third line with wings Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke.
Letetsu played just about 10 minutes and fit in with the other 2/3 of the Pens' third line quite well, and I'll be interested to see if that trio stays together -- and Staal stays with Malkin -- in the Pens' next contest.
By the way, that's tonight, in another nationally televised matchup, this time against the Buffalo Sabres (7 PM EST, Versus).
The Penguins will have to work very hard to avoid a letdown tonight. It won't be easy facing a challenging Sabres squad after yesterday's strong, emotional win against the Red Wings, but they don't have a choice really. The Sabres are 2 points up on them in the conference standings, and the Pens' still trail New Jersey in the Atlantic Division, albeit by only 3 points after the Devils late collapse and loss against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday.
Recap tomorrow.
Let's Go Pens!
Sure, those games decided the winner of the 2009 Stanley Cup, and yesterday's nationally televised Pens' shootout victory over Detroit by the same 2-1 score didn't quite have the same stakes.
But Pittsburgh will take it, especially since it was the result of one of their best games in weeks.
The Penguins controlled play much of the afternoon, outshooting the Red Wings by a whopping 47-24 count. They kept Detroit bottled up in their own end and in the neutral zone most of the game, and when the 'Wings got into Pittsburgh's end, the Pens' did a great job generally keeping them to the outside and limiting quality scoring chances.
Still, there was intensity and a playoff feel to the contest -- not unexpected given the recent history between these two clubs -- and it resulted in an unsettled 1-1 score after 65 minutes.
Sidney Crosby got the Penguins' only regulation goal, scoring in the 2nd period after taking a cross-ice pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski on a 3-on-2 rush and deking Red Wings' netminder Jimmy Howard out of position before depositing it off the far post and in for a 1-0 lead.
That shift occurred right after the Pens' killed a penalty, and Head Coach Dan Byslma deserves some credit for getting Crosby out there on the ice on that shift without having to deal with the hounding of either Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg, or the defense pair of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.
Anyway, that advantage held up until around the mid-point of the third period when a shot by Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart clanged in off the post behind Pens' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Pittsburgh survived a 4-on-3 Detroit power play for near the last 90 seconds of overtime after defenseman Sergei Gonchar allowed Red Wings forward Valtteri Flippula to just sneak behind him and force a hooking penalty.
The Pens' PK was a strong 5-for-5 on the night.
In the shootout, Fleury stopped Pavel Datsyuk and Jason Williams, while Howard -- after stopping Kris Letang -- was then victimized by both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on sweet backhand moves.
The Penguins are now 7-0 in the shootout this season.
A guy who had a fantastic game for Pittsburgh was Jordan Staal.
Staal played LW on a line with Evgeni Malkin most of the game and was dominant almost every time over the boards. He had a ton of good scoring chances and hit the crossbar twice on the same shift in the third period.
Bylsma was able to play Staal with Malkin becasue of the strong game he got from Wilkes-Barre call-up Mark Letetsu, who he played at center ice on the third line with wings Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke.
Letetsu played just about 10 minutes and fit in with the other 2/3 of the Pens' third line quite well, and I'll be interested to see if that trio stays together -- and Staal stays with Malkin -- in the Pens' next contest.
By the way, that's tonight, in another nationally televised matchup, this time against the Buffalo Sabres (7 PM EST, Versus).
The Penguins will have to work very hard to avoid a letdown tonight. It won't be easy facing a challenging Sabres squad after yesterday's strong, emotional win against the Red Wings, but they don't have a choice really. The Sabres are 2 points up on them in the conference standings, and the Pens' still trail New Jersey in the Atlantic Division, albeit by only 3 points after the Devils late collapse and loss against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday.
Recap tomorrow.
Let's Go Pens!
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