Buzzer Beaten

On a weekend full of "March Madness" buzzer beaters, the Carolina Hurricanes pulled off a buzzer beater of their own with a goal by Jamie McBain with less than 1 second remaining in overtime. For McBain, it was twice as good because it was also his first career NHL goal. This was only a fitting ending for a rather flat performance from the Pens, who looked sluggish throughout the game despite recording 25 shots on goalies Manny Legace (who left the game due to injury) and Justin Peters. The first period was exceptionally bad for Pittsburgh, as they gave up a goal to Zach Boychuk to give the Canes a 1-0 lead at intermission. The second looked like it would be the same way, until the Pens got a late powerplay goal by Jordan Staal off of a beautiful feed from Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Pens managed to kill off a few crucial penalties in the first part of the third peiod, and Evgeni Malkin scored his 24th goal of the season to give the Pens a 2-1 lead with less than 7 minutes remaining. The Canes were far from done, however. Their comeback began when Joni Pitkanen scored with 4 minutes to go to tie the game up at 2-2. Thankfully, the Pens were able to kill a late penalty to send the game into overtime and get one important point in the standings. The points will still be important, but become less of a focus as the Pens begin "rivalry week" next week beginning with the Detroit Red Wings next Monday in Joe Louis Arena.

Yinz Luv 'Da Guins, EP. #6

Answering the Bell (And a Fleury Shutout too)

Pens fans have been waiting for a Marc-Andre Fleury shutout for what seems like an eternity now. They got one Thursday night in their 3-0 win vs Boston but it was almost like a footnote compared to the other storylines surrounding the game. None of those storylines were bigger than Matt Cooke returning to Boston in his first game against the Bruins since his collision with Marc Savard that left Savard with a grade 2 concussion and still out. Fans booed Cooke from the moment he stepped out onto the ice, and he was immediately challenged to a fight by Boston's enforcer Shawn Thornton on his first shift. Cooke "answered the bell" and immediately dropped the gloves with Thornton in a short lived but scrappy fight that had no clear winner. Now that that was out of the way, the Pens could get down to the real task at hand. Tyler Kennedy put the Pens on the board midway through the first with a snap shot that beat Boston's goalie Tuuka Rask for a 1-0 Pens lead. The first 19 and a half minutes of the second period featured nothing really exciting other than a few attempted knee shots by Boston on several Pens players, including Crosby, and a fight between Zdeno Chara and Mike Rupp. The very end, however, was when the Pens arguably put the dagger right through the hearts of Boston. Alexei Ponikarovsky deflected a Kris Letang shot in with 15 seconds to go to put the Pens up 2-0 at intermission. The Pens continued that momentum with a Mike Rupp goal 5 minutes into the third, and suddenly the screaming, booing, crazy fans at TD Garden fell silent. Some began to boo the team, some began to leave early, and one even threatened to fight every person on the Penguins' team bus. This "no show" from the Bruins in their highly hyped "revenge game" should in no way undermine the shutout of Marc-Andre Fleury. Though he made only 17 saves, he was important at keeping the Pens ahead on the scoreboard at crucial times in the game. Tonight also marked the return of Eric Godard, who missed several weeks due to injury. Though Godard was back, Evgeni Malkin missed his second straight game due to injury and it is unknown if he will play in the Pens next game. Penguins next play Saturday afternoon returning home to face the Carolina Hurricanes.

Mean Green

The Devils brought their retro uniforms, the Penguins brought their retro team. The Penguins resembled their old ways of sloppy play and many turnovers in the "Pre Bylsma Era" as they lost 5-2 to the New Jersey Devils Wednesday night. The game was a polar opposite from last Friday's game which involved focused, hard defense from the Penguins but penalty trouble and shooting inaccuracy prevented them from winning. Tonight, the Penguins took only 2 penalties for 4 minutes but could not keep from turning the puck over many times, 3 of which lead to Devil's breakaway goals. The Penguins did get off to a good start with Chris Kunitz wristing in a Billy Guerin rebound, but that is about all that could be said for their efforts. The collapse started when Kris Letang had his pocket picked at the blue line by Dainius Zubrus, who scored on Fleury to tie up the game. The Pens also gave up a late goal with under 2 minutes remaining in the 1st to Paul Martin, this time because of line changing difficulty. The collapse continued when Patrick Elias scored a shorthanded goal about 3 minutes into the second period after stealing the puck in the neutral zone. The Penguins gave up one more goal to Zach Parise in the second, as he wristed one past backup Brent Johnson. The Pens did make a push towards the end, however, as Ruslan Fedotanko scored to make it a two goal game under 6 minutes into the third. They also had a chance at the end to score on a 5 minute major powerplay after Alex Goligoski was boarded by Rod Pelley. They were unable to convert on this chance, and Rob Niedermayer of the Devils would later net an empty netter to seal the game. This loss meant that the Penguins were swept by New Jersey this season, losing all 6 games played between the two teams. This could become a major setback in the division race later on in the year, as the two teams are neck and neck for the division lead and second place in the east. The Penguins next play tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins in the first game since the incident between Matt Cooke and Marc Savard. I would expect Marc-Andre Fleury to start, as he was pulled midway throught the second tonight, possibly to save his energy for tomorrow. Evgeni Malkin's status for Boston is unknown, as he was skating in practice but did not play tonight in New Jersey. So far the Penguins have earned 3 out of a possible 8 points on this road trip, so tomorrow's game should be extremely important in that way as well.

Enter TIGOs Bracket Challenge, Winner gets a Penguins Bobblehead

Here's the deal. Fill out a bracket. If you win I will send you a Dennis Bonvie Wilkes-Barre/Scranton bobblehead. Easy enough.

Head over to Yahoo and fill it out. The password is TIGO. If you need the group ID number, its 120295. Tell your friends. You have until tip off of the first game on Thursday (around noon) to complete your bracket. Good luck.

Grinding One Out

The Pittsburgh Penguins needed tough defense and solid goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury in order to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Sunday afternoon and receive two all important points in the standings. Fleury made 21 out of 22 saves, including some acrobatic ones near the end of the game to preserve the 2-1 lead for the Pens. Beating Nittymaki was no easy task either, however, as he stopped 37 of the 39 shots thrown at him. The first to do so was Pascal Dupuis early in the third on a wrist shot set up by a touch pass from Matt Cooke by the net. This was the tying goal at the time, and gave the Pens much momentum. Sergei Gonchar scored the go-ahead powerplay goal on a slapshot from the point set up by Alexi Ponikarovsky and Sidney Crosby. There were several "ugly" setbacks to this win, however, with none being bigger than the questionable status of Evgeni Malkin. Malkin did not return to the ice in the third period, and it is unknown what the problem is and how long it will effect him. Another story was former Flyer Steve Downie's attempt to intentionally injure Sidney Crosby. He intentionally twisted Crosby's leg when they were going for the puck along the side boards. Crosby limped off the ice, but returned to the ice several shifts later with no signs of injury. Tampa Bay's lone goal was scored by Vincent Lecavalier midway through the second period. Dan Bylsma also made some key changes to the starting lineup, including playing Jay Mckee over Alex Goligoski and Tyler Kennedy over Maxime Talbot. It is unknown whether he will continue to rotate scratches, especially with the return of enforcer Eric Godard sometime possibly in the near future. The Penguins next game is the all important rematch with the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. This is another "4 point game" and the Penguins' last chance to avoid being swept by the Devils in the season series.

Flat Out

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Penguins 3-1 on a night when the Penguins could not catch a break from the goalposts, the schedule-maker, or especially the officials. The Pens accumulated 32 PIMs, had a penalty shot awarded against them, and Craig Adams was ejected from the game. This was on a play where he hit Martin Skoula after the whistle was blown for icing. Adams was whistled for a 5 minute major and was given a misconduct. Further review showed that the play was in fact not icing and the whistle should not have been blown, but it was too late to overturn the penalty, which the Pens did kill anyway. There was also much contraversy surrounding the Devils' 3rd goal in which Ilya Kovalchuk shot the puck on net and Marc-Andre Fleury's glove was interfered with while attempting to make the save. The play was deemed unreviewable, however, and the goal stood. The scoring of the game started out quickly with Patrick Elias scoring less than two minutes into the game, and Sidney Crosby answering 42 seconds later with a wrist shot past Brodeur. The second period was scoreless, with the highlight perhaps being Ilya Kovalchuk being stopped on a penalty shot by Marc-Andre Fleury after being tripped up by Kris Letang on a breakaway. The Devils opened the third quickly with an Andy Greene slapshot followed by Kovalchuk's highly contraversial goal. Matt Cooke also had a rough night, being the target of several questionable hits before finally dropping the gloves with Rob Niedermayer in the beginning of the third. Also, Tyler Kennedy has been healthy scratched for the past two games due to coaches decision. Kennedy brings a gritty physical presence as well as speed to the table, so this was an interesting decision by Bylsma. With or without Kennedy, the Penguins next play Sunday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third game of their five game road trip.

Rusty in Raleigh

After 3 full days of rest, the Penguins played a rather flat game Thursday night in Carolina losing 4-3 in overtime. Brian Pothier scored the overtime winner for the Canes slapping one past goaltender Brent Johnson for the overtime win. The only positive out of this game for the Penguins, however, is that they will receive one very important point in the division standings leading into Friday night's showdown with the second place New Jersey Devils. The Penguins started out hot, getting goals from Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin in the first 6 minutes to take a quick 2-0 lead. The Canes then caught their stride and tied the game up going into the intermission with goals from Ray Whitney and Zach Boychuk, both goals being rather "soft" and possibly due to not being sharp on the Penguins' end. The Canes carried that momentum right into the second with a goal from Eric Staal, but recent "player of interest" Matt Cooke tied it right back up 4 minutes later by jamming away until he beat young goalie Justin Peters. It would be the last time Peters was beaten however, as he was lights out for the remainder of the game. Despite this disappointing performance, the Pens must regroup for the second game of the back to back series against the New Jersey Devils Friday night. This is considered as a "4 point game" as the two points to the winner will not only be important but the points not received by the loser will be significant as well. The Penguins have not yet beaten the Devils this year, so they best bring their "A Game."

Thank God That's Over

Penn State got hammered by Minnesota in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament, 76-55. It was even that close. This was a terrible season and now the suffering is over. Talor Battle had 10 but was basically a non-factor. Good thing I don't have to watch anymore of the Big 10 tournament. Now it's a wait and see what will happen with HC Ed DeChellis. I think the fans have made up their minds.

On to good PSU news. Talor Battle Earns All-Big Ten Honors for the second straight year.

The Blue-White game on April 24 will be televised by ESPN2.

Off the Hook! (Well, Not Really...)

The NHL has decided not to suspend Penguins forward Matt Cooke for his hit on Boston's Marc Savard Sunday afternoon. The hit drew much attention as Cooke's shoulder made contact with Savard's head as he was releasing a shot, and temporarily knocked out Savard. (Savard has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 concussion, and it is unknown when he will return) Many fans (even those of the Penguins) were outraged at the decision not to suspend Cooke, but the truth of the matter is that Cooke did nothing technically wrong. The NHL rulebook has no rule stating that contact between the shoulder and the head is illegal, therefore no penalty should be put in effect. This was a very similar case to the hit Philadelphia's Mike Richards put on Florida's David Booth earlier in the season, and Richards did not receive a suspension either. Expect this change to be put into effect for the 2010-11 season, but as of now it is still legal. Whether it was immoral or not I will leave the reader to decide, but the concrete laws of the NHL say it was not punishable, so no suspension for Cooke. I do, however, expect Cooke to have much difficulty in opposing arenas, especially when the Penguins travel to Boston on March 18th. The Pens next game, however, is Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes and while it is unknown whether Matt Cooke will dress, he is certainly available.

Big Ten Tournament Predictions

The Big Ten basketball tournament starts Thursday. Penn State will face Minnesota in an 11 vs 6 seed game. I filled out a bracket. Take a look at my computer skills below.



One more game and this dreadful season will be over. No NCAA's. They did play Minnesota tough in both games this year so maybe PSU will win one. Doubtful but that's why they play the games.

Drug Allegations Against Jason Kendall

Former Pirates catcher Jason Kendall is divorcing his wife and things are getting ugly. In court today, Chantel Kendall accused him of abusing Adderall, a drug that is prescribed for attention deficit disorder. Adderall can also be used as a PED. The whole story can be read here. This is the TMZ video of the story. Apparently Rod Stewart's son is involved somehow.



That is probably going to hurt more than this-



I remember watching that game. You can see the bone pop out of his sock.

And while I'm posting videos, here is one of my favorite bands The Hold Steady with a live performance of Ask Her For Some Adderall. This blog makes no sense sometimes.

Streakin Again!

What does one do when their 15 game point streak is snapped? The answer is simple, start another one! That is exactly what Evgeni Malkin did Sunday afternoon scoring the game winning goal and leading the Penguins to a 2-1 victory. He took a pass from new linemate Alexei Ponikarovsky and ripped a wrister past goaltender Tim Thomas in the beginning of the third period. This was perhaps the only "legitimate" goal in the entire game as the first goals scored by each team left the opposing goaltenders pleading their case. The Pens' other goal was scored by Pascal Dupuis on a rebound that Thomas was unable to control for the whistle. Boston's Blake Wheeler scored a similar goal jamming the puck from underneath goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury before the whistle blew to put Boston on the board. The game also featured an extremely scary moment when Boston's Marc Savard collided with Matt Cooke, leaving Savard motionless on the ice for several painstaking minutes while the entire crowd at Mellon Arena held its breath. Savard was finally taken off the ice in a stretcher with an ovation from the crowd in Pittsburgh. The exact details on his situation have not been released, only saying that he experienced concussion-like symptoms. My best wishes to him for a speedy recovery as you never like to see injuries like that. The Pens next play the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday, giving them some time to rest from a busy 4 game week.

Star Power

Though the Dallas Stars were in town, it was the Pens' stars that shone brighter Saturday afternoon at Mellon Arena. All star Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist to lead all players in scoring. Alexei Ponikarovsky also got his first goal as a Penguin, capping off the win with a rebound powerplay goal. Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz each contributed a goal and an assist as well. The Pens' third goal was scored by Pascal Dupuis also. Perhaps the highlight of the day was the extremely lengthy fight between Craig Adams and Steve Ott of Dallas, leaving both players short of breath and to the delight of the crowd. Marc-Andre Fleury also bounced back well from a lackluster performance on Thursday to get the win. The only "downer" was the ending of Evgeni Malkin's point streak. Dallas goals were scored by Ribeiro, Segal, and Eriksson. The Pens next play Sunday afternoon at 3 pm vs the Boston Bruins.

There's No Tieing In Baseball

I'm sure if Matt Capps was still with the Bucs today's game wouldn't have ended 3-3. Ryan Church homered, Jeff Clement had an RBI and Kevin Hart was horrible. Preseason baseball at its best. Still, I can't wait until opening day. 29 days. The next TV game is Wednesday. Lets Go Bucs!

Johnny on the Spot!

After a shaky start from goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Johnson made every save thrown at him to help the Penguins to a 5-4 overtime win over the Rangers Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Jordan Staal had two deflection goals, including the overtime game winner to lead the Pens to victory. Chris Kunitz started the scoring for the Pens with a rebound powerplay goal 6 minutes into the first period. After that came Staal's first goal tipped in off a Matt Cooke wrister to take a 2-1 lead, but Chris Drury of the Rangers answered 5 minutes later with a wrap around from his knees to beat Fleury and tie the game up. In the second the Rangers scored two "soft" goals off Fleury, but they would be their last points of the game as Brent Johnson came in and was perfect. Mike Rupp also scored a huge momentum swinging goal off a center ice pass from Sidney Crosby to cut the defecit to 1 to end the period. Only one goal was scored in the third, but it was a big one as Alex Goligoski deflected a shot from the corner off of the skate of Marc Staal. His brother Jordan then scored the powerplay overtime winner deflecting an Evgeni Malkin slapshot in to give the Pens two points and move them ahead of the idle Devils in their division. To Fleury's defense, however, he had been sitting idle for the entire Olympics and was "rusty." The Rangers goals were scored by Artem Anismov, Drury, Michal Rozival, and Brandon Dubinsky. The Pens next play Saturday against the Dallas Stars.

Yinz Luv 'Da Guins!, Ep. #5

I'm a day late on this but the newest episode of Jim Shearer's Yinz Luv 'Da Guins! is out.

TRADE DEADLINE

Ray Shero and the Pens once again made several key moves at the deadline this year, hopefully picking up exactly what they need to go deep into the playoffs.

Here's a list of Penguins trades:

February 11

Team: St Louis Blues

Who We Got: Defenseman Steve Wagner

Who We Gave: Defensemen Nate Guenin

This was little more than a swap of minor leaguers before the Olympic roster freeze, though it has seemed the Pens have gotten the better end of this deal so far. Wagner has added some depth to a struggling WBS Pens defense, and though he is hurt now, should continue to be a factor when he returns.

March 1

Team: Florida Panthers

Who We Got: Defenseman Jordan Leopold

Who We Gave: 2nd round draft pick

Leopold looked solid in his Pens debut vs Buffalo next to Alex Goligoski, and looks like he can not only contribute defensively, but offensively as well. He brings an element of physicality to the table as well, as he is not afraid to agressively check and go after the puck. I believe it was a very good addition by Ray Shero.

March 2

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Who We Got: Winger Alexei Ponikarovsky

Who We Gave: Winger Luca Caputi, Defenseman Martin Skoula

This was the "mini-blockbuster" deal that many people expected out of Ray Shero for nearly a month now. The Pens were obviously in need of a large power forward possibly to compliment Evgeni Malkin, and Ponikarovsky, or "Poni", fits that bill perfectly. Caputi will be greatly missed in Wilkes Barre, but the deal was for the best.

March 3

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Who We Got: 6th round pick
Who We Gave: Defenseman Chris Peluso

Not really much significance to this deal, as Peluso has never even been with the Wilkes Barre Scranton Pens, much less Pittsburgh.

Baseball is Back! Pirates Liveblog

The first spring training game of the year. Pirates at Yankees. Is this a preview of the 2010 World Series? Highly unlikely. It's hard to repeat as champs in the big leagues. Please, anyone but the Yanks again. The game is at 1 and can be seen on the MLB Network. If you happen to live in my neck of the woods, the game is also on YES. Join the guys in the liveblog below. I'll be at work. Go Bucs!

Welcome Back

In a game overshadowed by the fallout of the Olympics and the approaching trade deadline, the Pens managed to pound out a 3-2 win over Buffalo Tuesday night. This was an important two points for the Pens on their first game back since February 14th, as it greatly helps their cause in their division against the New Jersey Devils. Brent Johnson turned in a strong performance and made several of his 28 saves at crucial moments to hold the one goal lead. Sergei Gonchar began the scoring near the end of the first with a slapshot powerplay goal past Lalime. Pascal Dupuis continued it into the second on a wrist shot.(above) Ruslan Fedotanko put the game away in the third beating Lalime on a set play midway through the third. Sabres goals were scored by Lyndman and Roy. While the game was entertaining enough, there were several other stories that "overshadowed" the game. The players from both teams who participated in the Olympics were honored before the game, and Sidney Crosby got a mixed reaction from the fans at mellon arena. The other big story was the acquistion of defenseman Jordan Leopold on Monday and winger Alexi Ponikarovsky during the game. (more to come on trades later) Those stories aside, it was still a very good win for the Pens, who next play Thursday against the New York Rangers.

What? Penn State Wins By 19? Who?

Talor Battle once again led Penn State in scoring as the Nittany Lions pounded Northwestern. The bench though was the story in this game. Cammeron Woodyard was 4-4 from the field in the first half and had a career high with nine points. The bench as a team had 25. Penn State shot 57% for the game. This one was over from the get go which is strange to say about the Lions. Up next is Michigan State in East Lansing on Thursday. Game time is at 7 and is on ESPN2.

Sidney Crosby

What an incredible tournament. I'm glad the kid gets paid to play for the Pens. Take a deep breath and enjoy what we just watched. Best two weeks of hockey ever. It sucks because Team USA was phenomenal. A silver medal is nothing to complain about. No time to dwell, there's other things left for Crosby to defend. Go Pens!

Yinz Luv 'Da Guins!, Ep. #4

Mini Miracle!

This was the "Border War" and the "Battle for North America", and was perhaps the most hyped hockey game of the entire Olympics so far. It lived up to the hype, and much, much more. The United States pulled off a shocking 5-3 upset over powerhouse Canada Sunday night in Vancouver in front of thousands of stunned Canadien fans. This upset was not nearly to the magnitude of the one against the USSR in 1980, but it certainly felt that way to American hockey fans. USA rode a 42 save performance by goaltender Ryan Miller and a two goal night from Brian Rafalski to propel them to victory. Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner also scored and Ryan Kesler added one of the most spectacular empty net goals ever scored to clinch the win for the Americans. Canada's goals were scored by Eric Staal, Dany Heatley, and Sidney Crosby. This win also meant the USA has an automatic bye into the quarterfinals, and do not play until Wednesday against an opponent yet to be determined.

Penn State Wins at Michigan 55-51

Penn State won at Michigan for the first time since 1999. Talor Battle had 14 points and Andrew Jones added 10. The Nittany Lions outrebounded the Wolverines, 39-25.

I just got done saying that they suck. Then they go and with their first two Big 10 games of the year. On the road no less. They still do suck but beating Michigan is always nice. Penn State was held to one field goal for something like the final 7 minutes of the game. See, suck. I still think PSU needs a coaching change and nothing has changed my opinion.

The next game is Ohio State this Wednesday at 6:30 in State College. The game is on the Big 10 Network. A win here would be nice, too.

Former Pirates Pitcher Jim Bibby Dies

Jim Bibby died yesterday after battling cancer. He was 65.

Bibby was a member of the Pirates from 1978-81 and 1983. He won a World Series ring as a member of the We-Are-Family Buccos in 1979.

Bibby is the uncle of current NBA player Mike Bibby, who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

Besides being a World Series champion, Bibby was a one time All-Star (1980) and will forever be in the baseball record book for throwing a no-hitter while pitching for Texas in 1973.

The picture is one of my prized possessions. A Lynchburg Hillcats bobblehead that he autographed. Bibby was a pitching coach for Lynchburg following his playing career.

OLYMPIC HOCKEY PREVIEW 2010

Here's just a quick preview of the way I expect things to shake out these Next two weeks.



TEAM CANADA

Canada brings perhaps one of the most talented and well balanced rosters ever into Vancouver this year. They are so loaded with scoring power, defensive skill, and 3 of the best goaltenders in the business. They also did a good job balancing youth like Sidney Crosby and Jonathon Toews with experienced players like Chris Pronger and Joe Thornton. Most of Canada expects gold from this team, especially on their home ice.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Sidney Crosby- the most talented and well rounded player in the entire Olympics and should be Canada's driving force

Rick Nash- brings an amazing skill set to Vancouver, with an incredible ability to score and help teammates

Dany Heatley- found his scoring touch of recent, and should put points on the board for

Chris Pronger- no denying Pronger's skills in indimidation, experience, and puck movement

Martin Brodeur- holds NHL shutout record, and with a few slight exceptions, is in prime form so far this year.


MY PREDICTION: GOLD

TEAM RUSSIA Russia has all of the offensive firepower to hang with and perhaps surpass the likes of Canada and Sweden. Their only flaw is that they are slightly top heavy, and their defense may not be as strong as Canada. They do have enough to get by and be a major factor in every game they play. Expect them to be a serious contender.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Evgeni Malkin- getting hot at just the right time, and should lead Russia's attack

Alex Ovechkin- character issues asside, Ovechkin is one of the most gifted players ever with an unreal wrist shot

Ilya Kovalchuk- expect him to do what he does best, which is put the puck in the net

Anton Volchenkov- one of the best fundamental defensemen and the best Russia has to offer

Evgeni Nabokov- by far Russia's best goalie and should get the majority of starts for team Russia



MY PREDICTION: SILVER




TEAM SWEDEN

After taking gold in Torino, Sweden is back to contend once again. They should be a quiet contender, and stay under the radar which will mostly be covered with Canada, Russia, and the United States. Sweden has a powerful lineup this year, and should once again contend for a medal.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:



Sedin twins- grouped together because of how well they compliment each other. Look for this dynamic duo to make some noise


Peter Forsberg- biggest X factor of this years Olympics because nobody knows how good he can still be

Henrik Zetterberg- anchored Detroit's attack for years now and should be a factor in Sweden's powerplay

Nicklas Lidstrom- most experienced defenseman on the team, and his play has not slowed down yet

Henrik Lundqvist- top goaltender for Sweden who should see the majority of time



MY PREDICTION: BRONZE




TEAM USA
Team USA is a young group of guys without much experience, but with a lot of talent. They probably do not have the experience to medal, but their raw talent should give them the ability contend. If they play well together as a team, however, they can compensate for that lack of experience and be a serious medal threat.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Zach Parise- probably the USA's best scorer and if he stays healthy he should be a major player in their sucess

Patrick Kane- one of the top young talents for the USA and should be used frequently in all situations

Brooks Orpik- shutdown defenseman and intimidating presence not only on the blue line but everywhere he moves to on the ice

Ryan Miller- top USA goalie and likely the only one equipped to deal with the Olympic pressure



MY PREDICTION: 4th



OTHER COUNTRIES IN CONTENTION

Belarus

Czech Republic Finland
Germany
Latvia Norway Slovakia Switzerland

Caught Napping...

On a Valentines Day afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Nashville Predators after lackadasical play throughout the game. Many of the players on the team took an "early vacation" and played as if they were already on the Olympic Break. The players who did show up were goal scorers and Olympians Sidney Crosby and Brooks Orpik. Matt Cooke also scored on a Jordan Staal rebound. These performances were not enough to overcome the Predators, led by Martin Erat (had a goal in regulation and in the shootout (above)) and Shea Weber (goal and an assist). Jordin Tootoo also added a goal for Nashville. All but five of the Penguins will have over two weeks of rest during the Olympics. The five that will be participating are Canada's Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury, Russia's Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar, and Brooks Orpik representing the USA (right). The Penguins do not play until March 2nd at home against the Buffalo Sabres.