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.

Penn State Basketball Sucks!

I'm running out of things to say. The Nittany Lions extended their school-worst start in league play and their longest losing streak in four seasons, losing to No. 10 Michigan State 65-54 in State College. That's 0-12 in the Big Ten. Taylor Battle was one bright spot, scoring 30 points on 7-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. Other than that, this team is awful.

Up next for PSU is Northwestern on Wednesday at 8:30. The game can be seen on The Big Ten Network but curling is probably on so let's watch that instead. It has to be better than this crap.

Overtime'd Out

Notorious "Penguin Killer" Olli Jokinen scored an overtime game winner to defeat the Pens 3-2 Friday night at Mellon Arena. He put the puck past goaltender Marc Andre Fluery at 1:02 of overtime on a wrist shot from the right side. Fleury was actually not scheduled to play, but filled in after starter Brent Johnson left the game with a lower body injury late in the second period. There is no word yet whether the Pens will call a goalie up from Wilkes Barre Scranton to fill in. The game also got extremely chippy in the second period, with Matt Cooke dropping the gloves with Chris Drury and a viscious sandwich hit being laid on Sidney Crosby. (see right) After things calmed down in the third, Sidney Crosby tied it up with his 41st goal of the season on a Sergei Gonchar redirect, but the Pens were unable to score after that. Ranger goals were scored by Brandon Dubinsky and Vinny Prospal, both in the second period. The Penguins' next game is Sunday afternoon against the Nashville Predators, which will also be their last game until after the Olympic Break.

SNOW DAY

On a day where blizzard conditions shut down most of the northeast, Chris Kunitz turned up the heat in Mellon Arena Wednesday night. He scored two goals and Evgeni Malkin added another as the Pens beat the Islanders 3-1. This was even more special because it was only his second game since he missed over a month due to injury. This feat was witnessed by a crowd of over 13000 people, a remarkable turnout for the conditions outside. And though not every seat was filled, the Pens continued their sellout streak to 147 consecutive games. Kunitz got his first goal midway through the second period on a breakaway with Evgeni Malkin. His second came with just over 5 minutes to go in the third to clinch the game for the Pens. Malkin scored with 3 minutes remaining in the second off of a Sergei Gonchar slapshot. Perhaps the biggest turning point in the game, however, was Kris Letang's sprawling dive in front of an empty net saving a sure goal and preserving the tie. The Islanders did manage to beat Fleury once, and that was off a Franz Nielsen backhand. The win combined with the New Jersey Devils' loss to the Flyers Wednesday night moved the Penguins within one point of the division lead. The Pens' next game is Friday night at Mellon Arena against the New York Rangers.

Behind The Steel Curtain Is About To Kick Our Ass

Sean's Ramblings is having another Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament. Last year we sat on the sidelines and watched The PensBlog win it all. This year we are part of it. We are an 8 seed and facing the mighty Behind the Steel Curtain in round one. Now I know how Morehead State feels when they make the NCAAs. Go vote over at Sean's place, and vote for This Is Getting Old. We are going to need all the help we can get.

So click here and vote. First round voting ends Friday at 5 but do it now, slackers.

Out of Gas...

After busting out of the gate to a 4-1 lead halfway through the game, the Pens gave up four consecutive goals and lost 5-4 to the Capitals in overtime. This majorly was due to the fatigue and lackluster play late into the second and throughout the third. They looked extremely focused and completely outplayed the Caps in the first and through most of the second, but faded away as the game wore on. Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal recorded two goals each, but were overshadowed by the hat trick of Alexander Ovechkin. Once overtime began, it looked evenly matched until the Capitals were given a powerplay with under 3 minutes to go. Mike Knuble deflected in an Ovechkin point shot for the Caps' 14th straight victory. To add insult to injury, the Penguins AHL affiliate experienced a similar collapse to the Hershey Bears sunday afternoon at the Giant Center forfeiting a 3-0 lead to a 5-4 loss on a Hershey PP goal with little over a minute remaining. The cause for the Penguins' fatigue can likely be due to their bizarre night before and the fact they did not arrive in Washington DC until after 2 AM. The defense at many times looked vulnerable and allowed rebounds and gave up important pieces of ice at times. While I am not going to speculate about trade possibilities, many Pens fans believe that changes may be made in the next week before the Olympic roster freeze that takes place during the Winter Games. Ray Shero has proven himself to be a knowledgable and cunning GM over the years, and I personally have my full faith in him. The Pens next game is Wednesday against the Islanders at Mellon Arena.

Oh No Canada

Feuled by a contraversial goal less than one minute into the game, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Penguins Saturday afternoon at the Bell Centre by the score of 5-3. 29 seconds into the game Habs forward Mathieu Darche knocked over Marc-Andre Fleury behind his net giving Tomas Plekanec an open goal from the left boards. This should have been a goaltender interference call as Fleury was in the trapezoid behind the goal, but the referees missed the play and called it a goal. Seconds later the goal was answered by an odd man rush by Jordan Staal tipped in by Pascal Dupuis, but the Pens were unable to take an advantage in the game. Brian Gionta added two goals and Darche and Scott Gomez also scored for Montreal. One of the few highlights for the Pens was captain Sidney Crosby getting his 300th career assist on a Bill Guerin goal in the second period. Malkin also added a late goal, giving him 20 for the season. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was replaced by Brent Johnson midway through the third in possibly an attempt to rest him for the game tomorrow. The Penguins next game is tomorrow against the Washington Capitals in the Verizon Center. (note: There is the possibility that this game will be postponed due to inclimate weather in Washington and travel issues, but recent information suggests the Pens will make it to Washington in time for the start of the game)

No Mas Presents: Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No

The good people at No Mas have put together a video on the Dock Ellis no-hitter.



They are selling "Tripsburgh" T-shirts. It also comes in gray, which I think I will be buying shortly. [No Mas]





Speaking of unlicensed Pittsburgh T-shirts, I contributed to PSaMP's quest to find all this stuff. [PSaMP]

My Last Trip To The Igloo

Unless I can somehow get playoff tickets at a reasonable price, this was probably my last trip to the Mellon. I never sat so far away. Our seats sucked but it was probably the most fun I had at any game in years. When the best player on the planet has a hat trick and the Pens win, does it really matter how bad your seats were? No. Here is my trip in pictures.














Because our seats were so far away, we didn't throw these onto the ice.



The next day I had to go shopping with my better half. That's the deal. I drag her to games, she drags me to malls. It's a win-win for both of us. We ended up at the Robinson Mall where I found this, in what has to be the largest Dick's Sporting Goods ever.



I love my bobbleheads. But wait, there's more.



Trust me, this guy will never see the garden.

If any of you have ever driven the 5+ hours across the state, then you would know that you pass out about 150 Giant Eagle supermarkets. I always wanted to stop in to get the Advantage Card. Not because I would ever buy groceries then drive home, but because I wanted to feel like a local, especially at Pirates games. On Sunday's you get like 2 bucks off a Pirates ticket. Ha! I have the card now too, yinzers. Walking around the store I see this:



SUPERSTAR!!!

Now I decide to get a shopping cart and do what I just said I wouldn't, buy stuff.



Penguins bottled water. I'll take two. Two that I will never open. Now it's getting late and starting to snow a little so I wanted to get back on the road, then suddenly I almost crash my cart into an 80 year old lady. WHAT IS THIS?????



You guys get Cherry RC? I thought they stopped making this stuff years ago. They only had five 12 packs so I bought them all. That should last me until at least March.

So that was my trip. A Sidney Crosby hat trick, hanging out with good friends, a Gonch bobblehead and Cherry RC. Now that I am a proud card carrying member of the Giant Eagle community, they better stock up on the Cherry RC come baseball season. Go Pens!