Game 12: Pens 3, Hurricanes 0

Brent Johnson: Turning Hurricanes into Light Rainfall all night long

Penguins- 3
-Pascal Dupuis (Crosby, Kunitz) 1-4:18
-Maxime Talbot (Asham, Rupp) 2-2:15
-Pascal Dupuis (Goligoski, Crosby) 8:10
W- Johnson (33-33)

Hurricanes- 0
L- Ward (28-31)

RECAP

There are many ways to determine that Brent Johnson had a spectacular night in net. You can watch highlights to see him sprawling across the crease denying shot after shot, you can look at the scoreboard and appreciate the first Pens' shutout of the season, or you can simply just listen to the Carolina fans. You know they are a bit frustrated when a "Let's Go Panthers" chant breaks out. Johnson's phenomenal goaltending turned out to be just the spark the Pens needed to bounce back from yesterday's disaster. The whole team looked better. Pascal Dupuis and his mustache lead the way for the Pens offense.

Dupuis scored 2 incredibly timely goals, the first early in the 1st period to give the Pens the lead and his 2nd midway through the 3rd to put the game out of reach for the Pens. But let's face it, the game was out of reach from the moment Brent Johnson stepped onto the ice. He saw everything, and he stopped everything. Maxime Talbot also scored a goal for Pittsburgh on a play where he wasn't really trying to shoot but the puck found its way past Cam Ward for the goal.

Game Changing Play

Nifty little forehand-backhand move by Dupuis = Pens 1st goal.


Grades

Offense- B+ Everyone looked more energized and certainly more involved in the game. They put some pressure on the Canes' D, and they were rewarded with a few goals. There really weren't that many "pretty" plays but they were very efficient and effective.

Defense- A- A shutout may only get recorded for the goalie, but it is a testament to the whole defense. Played very well.

Johnson- A+ He was perfect, therefore he gets a perfect score.

Powerplay C+ They did only get 2 opportunities, but there is still something missing from this unit. Eventually they'll click, but they just can't seem to get out of this rut yet.

Penalty Kill A- They dominated Carolina for many of the PKs. And when they didn't, Johnson was there.

3 Big Points

-Of course with every triumph there is a negative. Kris Letang reagitated his hand and left the game midway through the 2nd and didn't return. Also Malkin was a scratch.

-Orpik and Engelland looked fantastic.

-Asham did get a point, but I still get the sense that they are trying to figure out what to do with him. He did show signs of being an effective weapon once properly acquainted with the team, but there is still some refinement left to do.

3 Stars

1. Brent Johnson
2. Pascal Dupuis
3. Sidney Crosby

AHL Game 8: WBS 6, Hershey 2

StatementMany of the premiere AHL commentators/bloggers/etc predicted that this would need to be a statement game for Hershey. They finally get a shot vs WBS at Giant Center with their home crowd buzzing and they were wearing their special edition Calder Cup championship jerseys with the logos of the teams they defeated in last year's playoffs. The buzz was high. To sum it up, this is the statement that Bears PbP man John Walton made on twitter after the game.

" In a word, ugh. Penguins impressive in all facets of the game tonight, 6-2 the final."

Ugh was a pretty popular phrase in Giant Center, but for the WBS fans the word was "Woooo!!!" The Pens moved to 8-0, and more importantly, picked up their 6th point (in 3 games) of the year against the Bears.

The Bears got off to a hot start with a Keith Auccoin goal 49 seconds into the game, but the Pens would quickly have an answer and would not stop answering. Chris Conner scored the first Pens goal of the game just 26 seconds after Auccoin's, and then he picked up an assist a few minutes later on Andrew Hutchinson's powerplay "go-ahead" goal. Joe Vitale kept the flow going with a shorthanded goal midway through the 1st to give WBS a 3-1 lead after 10 minutes. Eric Tangradi put up his 1st AHL goal of the season with another powerplay goal just 27 seconds before the intermission buzzer to put the Pens up 4-1 and send some of the Hershey fans home early to trick-or-treat. Conner struck again in the 2nd period with his 2nd goal of the game, and this time it was Hutchinson who got the helper. Hershey showed a bit of life midway through the 3rd with a Zach Miskovic goal, but Zach Sill made sure that the comeback would go no further with a put-away goal to give WBS a 6-2 lead.

This was such a huge win for the Pens. On paper, they picked up another 2 points against Hershey (which really makes it like 4 pts) which will certainly come in handy later in the year, and they kept their win streak going at 8-0. They also passed what has been the toughest test in the AHL for the last few years, and that was winning at Giant Center. Anyone who did not yet believe that we are for real this year may have been converted tonight. And if there already weren't enough reasons to be excited about this team, they won without premiere scoring winger Brett Sterling, who is still recovering from an injury.

Not to rain on the parade, but eventually they are going to have to lose. (I'm just glad it wasn't tonight.) When they lose is unknown, but it will not be in October. Hutchinson and Tangradi have made an immediate impact this weekend, though it is unknown how long Hutch will be in WBS after Letang's injury and Michalek's status unknown.

Penguins Gameday #12 (Hurricanes)

Penguins (5-5-1, 11 pts)

Hurricanes (5-4-0, 1o pts)

Where: RBC Center

When: 7:00 ET

TV: FSNPIT

The Pens really need to bounce back from yesterday's disaster and get themselves back over the .500 mark. They have to get that 0-21 powerplay working, and they also need to find lines that work and stick with them. They can do all this tonght in Carolina.

Opponents to Watch:

Jussi Jokinen- tricky little forward who can score goals rather frequently. Marking him should be a priority.

Eric Staal- he's a Staal

Carolina D-men- I'm referring to them as a whole because I think that the Pens should be able to tear right through these guys if they keep the pressure on.

Notes:

-No clue about Geno. Maybe we'll know something later.

-Jordan Staal may return tonight, but I think he will probably wait.

3:00 pm- Not looking like Staal will play

3:15 pm- Malkin listed as questionable, but the feeling is that he will play.

3:30 pm- Johnson in the net.

Whiteout

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN, 8
Series: Michigan leads 10-5, last meeting Oct 24, 09 ... PSU 35 Michigan 10
Line: Michigan by 3

The schools will be in different divisions next year so this is the last meeting for two years. Denard Robinson will be back for the Wolverines and Matt McGloin will make his first start for Penn State.

I hate Michigan. The Chad Henne to Mario Manningham last-second touchdown in '05 is right up there in one of the most disappointing endings ever, for any team I like. (Braves/Bucs is #1). Michigan has lost their last two games, to Mich. State and Iowa.

Notes:
Penn State leads the nation with the fewest penalty yards per game (25.1).

Evan Royster needs 31 yards to break the all-time rushing record for the Lions.

Michigan is 2nd in total offense per game.

Denard Robinson is good.

Prediction: Michigan 33 Penn State 24

Game 11: Flyers 3, Pens 2

Pens lose, Malkin hurt, Engelland dominates.

Flyers- 3
-Claude Giroux (Richards) 2-5:20
-Daniel Carcillo (Carle, Betts) 2-13:34
-Claude Giroux (Leino Timonen) 3-10:43
W- Bobrovsky (26-28)

Penguins- 2
-Kris Letang (Malkin, Comrie) 1-8:12
-Tyler Kennedy (Crosby, Letang) 2-19:15
L- Fleury (21-24)

RECAP
As far as the game itself, the Pens totally laid an egg. Aside from a brawling first 4 minutes and a "too little too late" energized final minute of the game, the Pens were essentially lifeless. They were backing off of the puck carrier, getting sloppy in finishing off their checks, and turned the puck over mulitple times. Claude Giroux made the Pens pay, capitalizing on one of those turnovers for a shorthanded goal and another golden opportunity on the power play. There were certainly plenty of powerplays to go around, and even more so in the 1st period.

Cooke and Richards got things started with a bang 6 seconds into the game when Mike Richards and Matt Cooke found each other off the faceoff. Then came the next fight just seconds later between Deryk Engelland and Jody Shelley. This was the best (and maybe only good thing) that they did all game. Midway through the fight, Engelland caught Shelley with a killer shot that left him bloodied. *Scroll down with caution*




No, that's not a Halloween costume, that is actually his face. Then came an onslaught of minor penalties that packed the penalty boxes so much to the point where the Pens received a powerplay during 3 on 3 hockey. After all the dust cleared, it was 1-0. That's about all the good I can say about this one, however there is that elephant in the room that nobody wants to think about yet nobody can avoid. What happened to Geno?
For those who did not pick up on it, Malkin stepped into the penalty box to serve the bench minor for "Too Many Men" and then was not seen again for the rest of the game. The only bit of information we have is that Dan Bylsma confirmed that it was injury related, yet did not specify the problem.

Game Changing Play

Giroux's shorthander to tie the game up. It was a combined hiccup by Goligoski and Letang that Giroux just cashed in on.

Grades

Offense- C Lost all of their edge in the 2nd and 3rd periods and would not find it again until about 45 seconds to go AKA "too little too late."

Defense- B They were respectable.

Fleury- B+ Can't blame it on him. He let one bad one in, but saved at least 4 more. I would say that it was his personal best game of the season.

Powerplay- C- Awful, not to mention the shorthander on top of it.

Penalty Kill- B- They did give up 1 goal, but held pretty strong afterwards.

3 Big Points

-Please be ok Geno, Please be ok Geno, Please be ok Geno, Please be ok Geno...

-Engelland is proving his worth in spades so far this year with both his fists and his stick. Another great fight and another decisive win.

-If the Pens didn't have to go to Carolina tomorrow, I would suggest a bag skate. They deserve the pain after this performance. The key is not to let any of this carry over.

My 3 Stars

1. Claude Giroux
2. Sergei Bobrovsky
3. Deryk Engelland

AHL Game 7: WBS 4, Adirondack 1

Still Streakin!7-0! 7-0! 7-0! The Wilkes Barre-Scranton Pens are still the #1 team in the AHL. They confirmed this Friday night with a commanding 4-1 victory at Glens Falls against the Adirondack Phantoms. I'm starting to run out of good things to say about this team, as they seem to have every aspect of the game adequately covered. Their defense was superb tonight, especially considering they were recently bolstered with the return of solid blueliner Andrew Hutchinson. Hutch had a very good return to the AHL, accumulating 2 points and assuming his role as powerplay QB. Eric Tangradi also made his AHL season debut. He looked ok, and he should be just fine after a few games to get re-adjusted. The Pens got some contributions from some grinders and others not accustomed to scoring, which is always a good thing. Ryan Craig slammed the first one home early in the 1st period to give the Pens an early lead that they would not give up for the rest of the game. Carl Sneep resumed the party in the 2nd with his 1st career AHL goal. Perhaps the most surprising contribution came from charismatic team enforcer Jesse Boulerice. Boulerice scored to put the Pens ahead by 3 and essentially lock up the game for the boys from the WB. David Laliberte did beat Theissen once for a Phantoms' goal, but it was negated by a late Nick Johnson goal to finish the game 4-1 and keep their advantage on the rest of the AHL. Theissen was good when he had to be, but in general the defense did a good job keping the puck from getting to him.
Huge road game in Hershey tomorrow, and a win would be so huge for the Pens even though they will hold their 1st place no matter who wins.

RMU Men's Hockey Weekend Preview

Friday Oct 29th

RMU (4-0-0 Overall, 3-0-0 AHA) at Rochester Institute of Technology (0-4-1 Overall, 0-0-0 AHA)

All Time Series: RMU leads 1-0-1 (1-0-1 Home, 0-0-0 Away)

Last meeting: 11/12/2005, 5-5 Tie ; 11/13/2005, 4-2 RMU

Game Notes:

This will be Robert Morris' first trip to Ritter Arena to face the RIT Tigers. RMU has started out the season with a 4-0 record for the first time in school history, defeating American International (twice), Ohio State, and Air Force. Defenseman Denny Urban leads the team in scoring with 6 points (1 g, 5 a). Forwards Nathan Longpre and Trevor Lewis lead the team with 3 goals each. Senior Forward Nathan Longpre scored the 100th point of his career in RMU's 3-2 win over Air Force, making him the 2nd RMU player to reach that mark, trailing only Chris Margott. Junior Goaltender Brooks Ostergard has started all 4 games of the season, with a 2.25 GAA and .927 SvPct. The Colonials are ranked 19th this week in the Inside College Hockey poll and are just outside of the Top 20 in the USCHO poll. The Colonials were off last weekend.

RIT is the defending Atlantic Hockey regular season and tournament champions and have won the AHA regular season championship 3 of the last 4 seasons. RIT was the NCAA East Regional champions last season, defeating Denver (2-1) and New Hampshire (6-2) to qualify for their first NCAA Frozen Four. RIT lost to Wisconsin in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals 8-1. Forwards Tyler Brenner and Andrew Favot lead the team with 6 points each. All 3 goalies have started at least 1 game for the Tigers, with Senior Jan Ropponen leading the team with a 3.01 GAA, and .906 SvPct. RIT has struggled defensively this season, giving up an average of 4.6 goals per game, all non-conference games. RIT lost to RPI (4-2) and Union (7-2) on the road last weekend.

Saturday Oct 30th

RMU (4-0-0, 3-0-0) at Niagara University (0-2-2, 0-0-0)

All Time Series: Niagara leads 20-8-6 (5-7-4 Home, 3-11-2 Away, 0-2-0 Neutral)

Last Meeting: 3/5/2010, 3-1 Niagara; 3/6/2010, 4-2 Niagara

Game Notes:

RMU and Niagara both left College Hockey America at the end of the 09-10 season to join Atlantic Hockey. Niagara finished tied for 3rd in College Hockey America last year and lost to Alabama-Huntsville in the CHA tournament final. Defenseman Ryan Annesley leads the Purple Eagles in scoring with 5 points, while Freshman Carsen Chubak has made 3 starts in net with a 3.77 GAA and .896 SvPct. The Eagles are very young defefensively, with 6 of their 8 defenseman being Freshmen or Sophomores. Niagara lost to Union (6-2) and RPI (4-3 OT) last weekend.

Penguins Gameday #11 (Flyers)

Penguins (5-4-1, 11 pts)

Flyers (4-4-1, 9 pts)

Where: Consol Energy Center

When: 7:00 ET

TV: FSNPIT

Wow, the schedule maker must really like to watch the Pens and Flyers play each other. The Flyers will be making their 3rd appearance in just 11 games on the Pens' schedule tonight. The season series is split 1-1, with each team winning on the road. It will be Arron Asham's first game against his former team, so it will be interesting to see how he responds. It will also be the last home game for the Pens for quite a while, as they embark on a Western road trip next week. To cap it all off, it is a key division game in the jockey for the early season lead in the Atlantic.

Opponents to Watch:

Daniel Briere- He can skate, score, rebound. And he seems to like scoring against Pittsburgh. Hopefully he won't like playing the Pens after tomorrow.

James van Riemsdyke- Basically drop everything about Briere down here too. Same playing style.

Chris Pronger- When he's not busy whining about a hangnail, Pronger actually is a very good defenseman on the ice. He is a presence.

Notes:

- As far as the whole Fleury/Johnson situation, I imagine one will start tonight and the other will play tomorrow. The big question is who.

-Steigy said during the last practice that he expects to see Staal back against the Flyers, but I still have my doubts. Maybe a few more weeks.

12:30 pm- PROJECTED LINES

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Asham-Letestu-Malkin
Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Comrie
Letang-Martin
Orpik-Goligoski
Engelland-Lovejoy
Fleury?

Winter Classic Jerseys Revealed

So how do you keep yourself busy on a Thursday afternoon off-day. How about unveiling your Winter Classic Jerseys. The Pens held a little exposition Thursday showcasing their new design for the jerseys that they will wear for the Winter Classic this year and possibly as alternates afterwards. Let's see the pics.


Not bad. From what I saw, the response to these was generally negative. I like the idea. The color scheme is nice, and I totally dig the retro logo. The only grievance I have is the pinstripes. Why so many? Are they really necessary? Otherwise, they're decent. Let's have a closer look at the best part.



The retro logo looks sweet with this layout. Our friends Geno and Staalsy (who is getting mighty close to a return) were on the scene to help showcase the new jerseys.

"In Soviet Russia, jersey wear you."

Personally, I thought the old thirds were better, but it could be worse. We could be stuck wearing these.

No offense to the Caps or their hideous jerseys. But it doesn't matter who has the best jerseys, but rather who wears them better. But I'm getting way ahead of myself, the Winter Classic is months away. Big game vs the Flyers tomorrow.

Game 10: Lightning 5, Pens 3

zapped!

Lightning- 5
-Dana Tyrell (Thompson, Kubina) 1-2:51
-Teddy Purcell (Kubina, Ritola) 1-16:40
-Vincent Lecavalier (St Louis, Stamkos) 2-8:43
-Martin St Louis (Downie, Stamkos) 3-6:40
-Martin St Louis (Stamkos) 3-19:29
W- Ellis (24-24)
ND- Smith (4-7)

Penguins- 3
-Craig Adams (Cooke, Orpik) 1-3:28
-Matt Cooke (Letang, Adams) 1-4:29
-Pascal Dupuis (Adams, Crosby) 1-12:15
L- Fleury (26-30)

RECAP


One great shift does not translate into a win, and the Pens found this out. As remarkable as it was to see Craig Adams and Matt Cooke score on the same penalty kill early in the 1st period, that was just about how unremarkable the rest of the game went for the Pens. Maybe it was too much time in the Florida sun, because the Lightning were the more focused and determined team and methodically chipped away at the Pens' early lead to get themselves the victory.

Martin St Louis and Steven Stamkos were the duo to beat, with St Louis taking control with a game winning goal and the EN clincher and Stamkos tallying 3 assists. It seemed that the Pens were doing a good job preventing Stamkos from unleashing his vicious shot but instead allowing him to distribute the puck nicely to his teammates. St Louis put the dagger into the Pens when he took the puck right around Ben Lovejoy on a breakaway and then lifted the puck past Fleury into the net to put his Lightning up 4-3.

Penalties were also an issue in this game, with the Pens taking 9 minors and Tampa getting whistled for 6. The Pens obviously got off to a good start with their special teams (2 shorthanders always help) but were unable to do anything productive on the other side of the man advantage. Also note that it was the Pens debut for Arron Asham, and had it not been for a few minor skirmishes, nobody would have even noticed.

Game Changing Play

St Louis's breakaway goal to put Tampa up 4-3.

Grades

Offense- B- They got good work done by their 3rd and 4th liners, but the guys at the top were silent.

Defense- C+ Lovejoy wasn't the only one to get burned on a breakaway. The D looked very sluggish in getting back to the D zone, and paid for it a few times.

Fleury- C Inexcusably atrocious first 2 goals let in. The other 2 weren't really his fault. I just don't know when he will get back to his game, but his huge buffer on the starting job is starting to dwindle and every good game Johnson plays further decreases this window so Fleury would be smart to step it up soon.

Powerplay- C- For lack of a better word, they were just lousy.

Penalty Kill- A- Those 2 shortys really were spectacular and the one goal they did give up was on the 3 v 5 so it really can't be counted as a PK failure. They were out on the ice too much in the 1st place, and did a nice job at least keeping the game within reach.

3 Big Points

-Didn't the Pens pick up Mike Comrie in the offseason? I always see someone out there wearing his number, but #19 is never anywhere near the action.

-Craig Adams had 3 points and Matt Cooke had 2. When these depth guys put up these kinds of numbers and you still don't win, there is a problem. (But still Kudos to Adams and Cooke)

-At least Brooks Orpik looked good. Didn't seem to have any lingering from his injury, and was a force as usual in the defensive zone.

My 3 Stars
1. Martin St Louis- 2 goals, assist, gwg. Shoe-in for #1 star.

2. Craig Adams- 3 points for a grinder like Adams. He was really determined tonight.

3. Steven Stamkos- 3 assists, and a very well-played smart game.

Penguins Gameday #10 (Lightning)

Penguins (5-3-1, 11 pts)

Lightning (5-2-1, 11 pts)

Where: St Pete Times Forum

When: 7:30 PM

TV: FSNPIT

The Pens wrap up their 3 game mini-road trip against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 3 out of 4 points on the road isn't bad, and a win would be a great way to wrap it up. The Pens have had 3 days to recover from their hard fought game in St Louis, and hopefully will be refreshed and energized.

Opponents to Watch:

Steven Stamkos- He is the best player (or at least top 3) in the NHL right now. Completely shutting him down is a pipe dream, but limiting his effectiveness on the ice should be the goal.

Ryan Malone- Another former Penguin, Malone is a presence in front of the net and is a defenseman's worst nightmare. Keeping him away from the rebounds should be the focus.

Martin St Louis- Don't let him fool you, he can still skate and he can still shoot. Keep two eyes on Stamkos, and still keep one on St Louis.

Notes:

-Arron Asham will likely be making his Penguins debut.

-Tangradi and Hutchinson have been sent down to WBS, so obviously they won't be in the lineup.

-Staal and Michalek are close, but not yet.

-Gagne is day-to-day for Tampa.

Top Ten Most Hated Team - #9 Chicago Cubs

The Cubs were both the first and last opponent at Forbes Field, thankfully we won all those games.

1908. The Pirates held a half game lead going into their last game over the hated Chicago Cubs, win and they are in. A blown call gives the Cubs the win and effectively eliminates the Pirates from the playoffs. Although in the end we may have gotten the last laugh, as that 1908 season, in which they erroneously made the playoffs, was the beginning of the curse that all Pirates fans know and love today.

Speaking of curses. The Curse of the Billygoat is the curse that has kept them out of the World Series since 1945. Until 1984 it also kept them out of the playoffs. Who did the Cubs beat to clinch the division title? Your Pittsburgh Pirates. These aren't the only times the Cubs have used the Pirates for a stepping stone into the playoffs though, in 2003 they won the Central by sweeping a doubleheader against the Pirates.

How about a history of trading away great players? The Pirates sure have one, and it seems like the Cubs are always welcoming our players with open arms. Or at least robbing us of marginal talent. Ralph Kiner, Aramis Ramirez, Randall Simon (yup he was successful with the Cubs), Jon Lieber, Kenny Lofton, even Tom Gorzellany.

I hate how Cubs fans invade PNC Park, and show little to no class. I hate how their fans have an arrogant tone, and talk down to the Pirates when really the Cubs are a dysfunctional mess who haven't accomplished a damn thing in 100 years. I also can't stand how Cubs fans are always trying to get into the game. Whether it's Bartman, or the schmuck that threw the beer on Victorino Cubs fans can't seem to stay in their seats and let the athletes do the playing.

Speaking of the fans what is with that bogus "Go, Cubs, Go" song? Oh yeah and what is with the Ron Santo love fest? A good player to be sure, but get off it already. You don't see me screaming for Bob Walk in the Hall just because he is a broadcaster.

Alfonso Soriano.... enough said.

The most fitting thing about the Cubs? Ernie Banks' nickname is Mr. Cub..... why is this so fitting? Because he never had one single playoff appearance as a Cub!

Wrigley Field? I've never been but from what I hear it's filled with poor sightlines, and uncomfortable seats. I love nostalgia and all, but I'm a comfort fan as well.

One Nice Thing About the Cubs: The aforementioned Ron Santo's battle with Diabetes has been an inspiration to many fans of the Cubs and the Sport in general.

Puck Chatter

I figured I'd spice this boring "No Pens Game" Monday with some more Puck Chatter. Just a little bit.

Rypien's Rampage
This is another one of those things that I'm sure you've all heard already, but yes Rick Rypien did get a 6 game suspension for physically engaging a Minnesota fan on his way to the locker room. The incident occurred after Rypien was given a misconduct for an on-ice altercation with Brad Staubitz. Rypien spotted the fan (who appeared to be cheering the penalty call) and immediately reached over the wall and grasped the Minnesota fan's shirt before being restrained by coaches and teammates and sent down the tunnel. Here is the likely fallout of the incident.

1. Everyone who didn't know Rick Rypien's name beforehand (which is about 90% of all hockey fans) knows it now.

2. The Canucks organization has to eat crow for a while and apologize for everything or else this may get even worse.

3. Fans hopefully (but probably not) learned a bit more about their place in the game. The camera angle is inconclusive, but I would imagine that the Wild fan was verbally tirading Rypien as he walked past, and combine this with Rypien's belligerent mood and you have a problem. My advice to all fans: If you are going to taunt and jeer your opponent all night long, don't buy seats next to the away tunnel. (Like I said before, there is no proof of what he did beforehand to rile up Rypien, but it must have been something because other players and coaches from Vancouver also expressed their displeasure with said fan.

Old Hat

A hat trick is a rare and remarkable feat in the NHL....well remarkable at least. They are everything but rare this week as there were 7 hat tricks across the NHL in a 3 day span. They are:
Lee Stempniak- 10/21 vs LA
Rene Borque- 10/22 vs Columbus
Daniel Alfredsson- 10/22 vs Buffalo
Steven Stamkos- 10/22 vs Atlanta
Alex Semin- 10/23 vs Atlanta
John Taveres- 10/23 vs Florida
Brad Richardson- 10/23 vs Colorado

I wonder where all these hats "really" go....
"Koval-bench"
Sorry about the horrible title, but this is a fascinating story. Ilya Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch Thursday night against Buffalo. Coach, when asked, said that it was his decision to scratch Kovalchuk, and he would not further elaborate. The rest of the Devils team were also confused at the move, but....

Photo

Modern camera equipment can follow the puck extremely closely, but none closer than last night against the Rangers. Del Zotto blasted a shot that was deflected over the net and straight at the camera.

Needless to say, the camera didn't fare so well.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. MIA (Week #7)

Steelers vs. Dolphins Inactives

Steelers

WR Antonio Brown
DL Brett Keisel
QB Charlie Batch
CB Crezdon Butler
RB Jonathan Dwyer
LB Thaddeus Gibson
OT Tony Hills
OT Trai Essex

Dolphins

FB Deon Anderson
TE Jeron Mastrud
OG John Jerry
WR Marlon Moore
OL Patrick Brown
LB Quentin Moses
DL Rob Rose
QB Tyler Thigpen