Penguins Gameday #7 (Senators)

Penguins (3-3-0, 6 pts)
Senators (1-3-1, 3 pts)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00
TV: FSNPIT

Plenty of interesting storylines and bits about this one. Last year's 1st round playoff rematch, Ex-Pen Gonchar's first game at Consol Energy Center, battle of the Michaleks (even though Zybenek probably won't play), battle of the guys with famous wives (Comrie (Hilary Duff) vs Mike Fisher (Carrie Underwood)), and the Pens' quest to get their first win of the season against a Canadian team (0-2 so far). None of those really matter to me, because Pittsburgh has a shot to grab the division lead tomorrow, but they have to win. Also, I'd really like to see them add to that 2 game winning streak.

Opponents to Watch:

Erik Karlsson- proved he likes playing against the Pens last year. He's a deceptive type of guy, and could surprise and score when you least expect it.

Sergei Gonchar- everyone knows what his slapshot can do, but I would like to see the Pens test his defense. He can be exploited on when he is in transition.

Jason Spezza- He's on a rampage right now. Mark him at all times.

Notes:

-Michalek out, obviously Asham and Staal out, Orpik listed as questionable.

-Still no word of who is starting in the crease for the Pens

-Pascal Leclaire is out for the Sens, so it appears that Brian Elliott will be taking the start tomorrow.

1:00 pm- Brent Johnson looks like he will get the green light again.

AHL Game 4: WBS 4, Charlotte 3

revenge sweep!Ok, so maybe a 2 game regular season series does not make up for the 4-0 playoff sweep put on the Pens by the Rats last year, but ruining the Checkers' inaugural weekend in Charlotte has to count for something. The Pens made it a sweep on Sunday afternoon, beating Charlotte again to finish the 2 game series and move to 4-0 on the season. This time, however, it was quite the fight. Charlotte jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on goals from NHL experienced vets Zach Boychuk and Jerome Samson when WBS answered with a veteran of their own and Brett Sterling's first (of hopefully many) goal of the season. But then things took a bit of a turn for the worse for the Pens when Boychuk struck again with just 20 seconds left in the period and put the Checkers in solid position for their first home win. There are points (even this early) in any team's season when an individual needs to take over a game and carry the team on his back to a win. Tonight, that man was Tim Wallace. Tim scored his first of the night (and 2nd of the season) late in the 2nd to bring the Pens within one, and then later in the third he forced his way to the net to poke the game tying goal past Murphy. Wallace was also present on the ice for the Pens' GWG, which was achieved on a Nick Johnson shot that deflected off Steve Wagner and into the net, sending the Pens into a frenzy as well as another win. There was one scary moment late that involved Brett Sterling hobbling off the ice into the locker room late in the 3rd, but after the game coach Hynes remarked that he was alright and it was mainly a precautionary thing. Some interesting things to note were that both Jason DeSantis and Joey Mormina got the green light on D, replacing Carl Sneep and Hutchinson (who is still up in the NHL). Dustin Jeffery also had a solid night, totalling up 3 assists and was the primary setup of Wallace's 2nd goal. As mentioned above, it is comebacks like this one that determine a good team from a great one, and the Pens just keep rollin!

Steelers vs. Browns Inactives (Game 1)

Steelers

QB Charlie Batch
CB Crezdon Butler
RB Jonathan Dwyer
OG Trai Essex
WR Antonio Brown
OLB Thaddeus Gibson
OT Tony Hills
CB Keenan Lewis

No surprises here, this list looks basically like every other week. Charlie Batch will be the 3rd quarterback if need by, Leftwich will be backing up Ben. OG Trai Essex has for all intents and purposes lost his job to Legursky, and rightfully so. WR Antonio Brown is inactive because they are taking the emphasis off special teams and giving Ben the better WR in Emmanuel Sanders. Expect to see both Sanders and Randle El returning punts.

Browns:

DE Robaire Smith
RT John St. Clair
QB Seneca Wallace
QB Jake Delhomme
WR Carlton Mitchell
RG Shawn Lauvao
TE Alex Smith
DE Jayme Mitchell

As if being the Browns wasn't bad enough they will be without top RDE Robaire Smith, starting RT John St. Clair, and , I guess, co-top QB's Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme.

Game 6: Pens 5, Flyers 1

Flyers think they're fly but Sid flys higher.
Penguins- 5
Chris Kunitz (Crosby) 1-11:31
Mark Letestu (Letang, Martin) 2-19:15
Sidney Crosby (Malkin, Comrie) 3-3:13
Sidney Crosby (Letang Goligoski) 3-4:37
Matt Cooke (Dupuis) 3-16:36
W- Johnson (29-30)
Flyers- 1
Daniel Briere (Hartnell, Carter) 1-6:43
L- Bobrovsky (27-31)
RECAP
The dominant chant all night long in Philadelphia (when they weren't busy booing the youth hockey player of the night off the ice) was "Cros-bee-sucks! Cros-bee-sucks!" This was absolutely true, but they forgot the 2nd half of the phrase. It should read "Crosby sucks...the life out of our team!" Sid was in his typical "Flyer-killing" form on Saturday, tallying up 2 goals (both on powerplay) and an assist to captain his Penguins past their hated rivals across the state. This was a huge win for the Pens, who tied the Islanders for the division lead and kept the momentum rolling from their home win last night. This really was a great week for Pittsburgh, grabbing 6 out of a possible 8 points and moving from dead last to a tie for 1st in the Atlantic Division.

Chris Kunitz got things kicked off for the Pens, beating Bobrovsky to tie the score at 1. Mark Letestu scored a very late goal in the 2nd period to give the Pens the momentum as well as the lead which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Matt Cooke also contributed an empty netter late. Brent Johnson looked solid yet again, and now things may start to get interesting in the media. The game was a bit rougher than the last meeting between the 2 teams, with an assortment of roughing calls and post-whistle scrums and a feature event between Mike Rupp and Jody Shelley. The Flyers fans (most of them were wearing Phillies gear) had plenty to boo about during the game yet that still wasn't enough, and they seized the opportunity to boo when the youth hockey mite of the night in Philadelphia announced that he wanted to grow up and play for the Penguins. It appears that he made the right choice.

Game Changing Play

Letestu's goal with 45 seconds left in the 2nd period was a crucial blow to the morale of the Flyers and turned out to be the game winning goal.

Grades

Offense- B+ Looked a hell of a lot better against this kid than they did last time.

Defense- B Bend but don't break. Gave up shots, but not many genuine scoring opportunities.

Johnson- A- Don't look now, but Brent is on a roll!

Powerplay- B+ Still had their problems, but they have Sid and that was good enough to cash in twice.

Penalty Kill- B+ Gave up an early one, but then bounced back nicely.

3 Big Points

-I don't want to say just yet that Fleury's job is in jeopardy, but it must be noted that Johnson was given the start for both games of the double-header and both times he delivered. I'm sure Fleury will get more opportunities, but now the pressure is REALLY on him to step it up. 3-0 looks a lot better than 0-3.

-Mark Letestu and Alex Goligoski are really becoming regulars on the scoresheet. It's these kind of contributors along with the big nights of guys like Sid and Geno that are the building blocks for championship-caliber teams.

-Pens defense looked good tonight but they are still really noticeably missing the services of Orpik and Michalek. Get well soon guys.

Penguins Gameday #6 (Flyers)

Penguins (2-3-0, 4 pts)
Flyers (2-1-1, 5 pts)
Where: Wells Fargo Center
When: 6:00 ET (moved up for Phillies game)
TV: FSNPIT, CSNPHI
Alright so one of the most crucial things to do in back-to-back games is to try to carry the momentum from a big win into the next game, especially if that next game is on the road. The Pens will be facing their first back to back situation with a chance to do just that. I'm sure the motivation for revenge from opening night also may play a role.

Opponents to Watch:

Sergei Bobrovsky- Yeah, we don't need a reminder on who he is....

Daniel Briere- Hot start to the season. Hopefully the Pens mark him better.

Claude Giroux- Silent assassin gets you when least expected. Know where he is at all times.

Notes:

Obviously Staal and Asham out. Michalek out as well. Orpik likely out though he is listed as "questionable."

WBS Game 3 vs Charlotte

Dustin and the welcoming committeeAt the same time Pittsburgh was celebrating their first ever win in a new arena, Wilkes Barre was off spoiling another. Dustin Jeffrey scored twice to lead WBS over the Checkers in their first ever home game in Charlotte. Jeffrey's 2 goals were nearly polar opposites, with one methodically coming on the powerplay and the other from a shorthanded opportunity. Joe Vitale added an important insurance goal, and Steve Wagner scored the 4th to ensure the Pens would stay ahead comfortably. This was a much cleaner game for WBS than on Tuesday, with only a few minors here and there being called.

Game 5: Pens 3, Islanders 2

Finally!
Penguins- 3
Mike Rupp (Martin, Letestu) 2-4:07
Eric Tangradi (Letestu, Engelland) 2-6:57
Alex Goligoski (Malkin, Crosby) OT-1:51
W- Johnson (22-24)
Islanders- 2
Josh Bailey (Comeau, Weight) 2-11:18
Radek Martinek (Comeau, Moulsen) 2-13:06
L- DiPietro (26-29)
RECAP
This game can certainly be remembered in a variety of ways. It can be noted for the dismal Pens powerplay, the ejection of Kris Letang which may have been the worst blown call in the NHL all year, and it will always be remembered by Eric Tangradi and his family. But, years down the road, the history books will note this day as the day the Pens finally got that first win at the Consol Energy Center. After a scoreless 1st, Mike Rupp got things kicked off for the blue-clad Pens with a rebound goal early in the 2nd. Eric Tangradi quickly followed.

Tangradi took a pass from former WBS teammate Mark Letestu and wristed it hard enough that it found its way through Dipietro's pads and into the goal for Eric's first NHL goal. Then the Letang fiasco commenced (see below) and the Isles took advantage to tie up the game. The game would remain tied, and start to get a bit nastier, until Alex Goligoski was able to cash in early in overtime to send the fans at Consol Energy Center into a frenzy and finally get the monkey off their backs. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win.

The sidestory of the game was the ejection of Kris Letang, who was given a 5 minute major and game misconduct for an "illegal contact to the head" of Blake Comeau. I'm no expert, but don't you actually have to make contact with the person's head in order to call that?

Letang clearly got the shoulder (if you aren't convinced by the screenshot above just YouTube it and you will see what I mean). The powerplay turned out to be huge for the Isles, and was the sole reason why they even got a point. (Who knows, maybe that point will be significant in March) The NHL probably won't do any reviewing on this hit unless it wants to laugh at the incompetence of its officials, so Letang won't be further disciplined.

Game Changing Play

OT game winner... Doesn't change the game any more than that.

Grades

Offense- B- meh...they were mediocre.

Defense B Did a decent job protecting Johnson.

Johnson- A- Well done again Mr Johnson.

Powerplay- D The goal is the only thing keeping them from an F

Penalty Kill- B Gave up 1, but killed the rest of the 5 minute penalty as well as all the minors off.

3 Big Points

-Tangradi and Letestu are now being rewarded for their hard work. Well done and they are both making a strong case to stay.

-Letang looked great until his penalty, and Goligoski was also on the top of his game. Perhaps there is some defensive upside in them after all?

-Powerplay needs to be "un-revamped." They are even worse than last year.

Penguins Gameday #5 (Islanders)

Penguins (1-3-0, 2 pts)
Islanders (1-1-1, 3 pts)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT

Ok so let's try this whole "christening the Consol" thing again. If the 3rd time is the charm, shouldn't the 4th time be magical, especially considering the Isles are playing with half of a team.

Opponents to Watch:

Blake Comeau- Clearly the best player the Isles are putting on the ice through 3 games. Lets cool him down a bit.

Rick DiPietro- He will either be solid or shaky. Pens have to get in his head early.

Nino Niederreiter- rookie looking good so far.

Notes:

Pens will be without Michalek and likely Orpik again. I assume Comrie will be back in the lineup.

If you thought the Pens were getting hit hard with injuries, check out the Isles. Star center John Taveres is a game-time decision, Rob Schremp is out for at least a month, top d-men Okposo and Streit are both recovering from surgery, and Wisniewski is suspended for flipping off Sean Avery.

The List Grows

Add Dale Sveum and Carlos Tosca to the list of candidates to become the next Pirates manager. This list is longer than Schindler's.

Game 4: Leafs 4, Pens 3

Leafs are for real this year.
Maple Leafs- 4
Colton Orr (Schenn, Brown) 1-5:18
Clarke MacArthur (Kaberle, Phaneuf) 2-3:01
Francois Beaucheman (Schenn, Zigomanis) 2-5:31
Clark MacArthur (Grabovski, Kulemin) 2-10:30
W- Gustavsson (22-25)
Penguins- 3
Chris Kuntiz (Malkin, Goligoski) 1-11:27
Maxime Talbot (Cooke, Kennedy) 1-17:33
Sidney Crosby (Lovejoy Cooke) 2-19:16
L- Fleury (10-14)
RECAP
Under the new NHL system, there is no such thing as an automatic win. Pens yet again learned this the hard way. This is my take on the progression of the game. The Pens came into the game expecting an easy win, got scored on early, rebounded from the early goal against and then grabbed the lead. After they took the lead into the 1st intermission, they once again backed off and allowed the Leafs to pump in 3 quick goals, and they were already too far behind before they started playing again. Maybe not, but that's at least what it looked like. To make matters worse, Fleury was way off his game. The defense managed to hold down the fort through the first period, but everything finally culminated in a 7 minute span in the 2nd period and this turned out to be the death punch for the Pens. There's really not much great to say about the Pens. Their defense was decent considering the absence of Orpik and Michalek, Sid finally got that first goal out of the way, and Deryk Engelland showed he can fight with the best of 'em by dropping Colton Orr. At least it's something to build on. Anyway, mad props to the Leafs after their major turnaround from last year.

Game Changing Play
I have to say Beaucheman's goal. It turned out to be the game winner, and it killed any momentum the Pens may have had.

Grades

Offense- B They weren't that bad. Moved the puck well and put 3 goals on the board.
Defense- A- Really remarkable effort without their top 2. Engelland and Hutchinson certainly held their own, and the D limited the Leafs to just 14 shots all game.
Fleury- D Yikes. One bad game means nothing, 2 bad games still probably means nothing, but 3 in a row starts to raise a few eyebrows. It would be nice to see MAF snap out of this slump.
Powerplay- B+ Got a goal. Shot the puck more, and took mostly quality shots. If anything, I must say that the powerplay was the most improved.
Penalty Kill- C- Just when you think the PP is working ok, the PK starts to screw up. I forsee a lot of special teams' practice this week at practice.

3 Big Points:

-Like I said, Fleury is starting to call some attention with his recent play. Yikes.

-Told ya the Leafs would be a contender.

-Pens really didn't make a whole lot of mistakes, but they just couldn't finish.

Pens Gameday #4 (Leafs)

Penguins (1-2-0, 2 pts)
Leafs (2-0-0, 4 pts)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:30 ET
TV: FSNPIT

Ok so the Pens got that first win out of the way but there is still the little matter of winning their first ever game in the CEC. They couldn't do it against their most hated foe, nor could they do it against the team that ended their season last year, so why not do it against the team that robbed them at the trade deadline. (good ol Ponikarovsky) We'll have to keep an eye throughout the day about their roster because as of right now nobody has any idea what's going on.

Opponents to Watch:

Colby Armstrong- I actually don't think he'll be that much of a factor in the overall outcome of the game, I just think that it is worth noting that he will be returning.

Dion Phaneuf- He throws hits, he scores goals, he throws hits, he moves the puck, he throws hits, he can skate well, and did I mention that he can hit?

Phil Kessel- The Leafs really drafted a player of the franchise future in Tyler Seguin....oh, right. Kessel is pretty good too though.

Notes:

-I don't really know what's going on with Orpik or Michalek, so for now I would have to guess that both Hutchinson and Engelland are playing, but that can change.

-Only potential scratch I'm seeing from Toronto is that Brett Lebda is questionable.

Live Notes:

12:30 pm- Godard in lineup tonight. Looks like Comrie will be healthy scratch.

12:30 pm- Orpik and Michalek both out. Hutchinson and Engelland to play.

6:00 pm- Fleury between the pipes tonight.

STARTING LINES:

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Letestu-Malkin
Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Lovejoy
Engelland-Hutchinson
Fleury

Gametime:

1-5:18 Colton Orr tips home a Luke Schenn shot. 1-0 Leafs

1-11:27 Woooo! Kunitz tips home a Malkin slapper. Powerplay goal. 1-1

1-17:33 Scooorreee!! Talbot jams one home! 2-1 Pens!

2-1 Pens after 1.

2-3:12 Macarthur scores. Weak penalty call and weak effort from Fleury. 2-2

2-5:27 Beaucheman scores. 3-2 Leafs

2-6:10 FIGHT! Engelland and Orr. Great fight. Both landed some shots. Engelland ends up on top of him.

2-10:30 Macarthur again. 4-2 Leafs

Uh oh, Talbot limping down the tunnel.

2-18:03 Malkin penalty shot. No good. Went too wide to the right.

2-19:16 GOAL!!!! Crosby backhands one off of a feed from Lovejoy. 4-3 Leafs now.

4-3 Leafs after 2.

Start of 3rd. Talbot seems ok.

1:21 left. Timeout Pens. Pens down 4-3.

Final: Leafs 4, Pens 3

AHL Game 2: WBS 2, Adirondack 1

At least we won...Something just didn't seem right. The Pens' opening game vs the Flyers on Thursday afternoon seemed way too clean, almost so much so that it lacked the intensity of a usual Pens/Flyers game. Looks like their AHL affiliates tried to split the difference. The Penguins defeated the Phantoms in a game that looked more like a WWE fight night than it did a hockey night. The 2 teams totalled 66 PIMs, which is a lot considering only 30 of those PIMs came from misconducts. That leaves 18, count 'em, 18 minor penalties (7 Pens, 11 ADK). One would think that with all those penalties that either the score would be high or the powerplays must be horrible. As you probably guessed, it was the latter. The Pens scored on one of their opportunities, but left the other 9 powerplay chances with empty boxes on the scoresheet. (So maybe it wasn't all Reirden's fault) Adirondack was no better, squandering all 6 of their chances on the man advantage. But enough of that, let's focus on what the Pens did well and why they kept their East Division lead. Tim Wallace clearly came out to play, scoring the equalizer (and the Pens' lone PP goal) and contributing with his physical play throughout the game. Wallace was a thorn in the side of the Phantoms until all the tension finally manifested with 3 seconds to go in the game with a scrap that saw Wallace, Robert Bortuzzo, and Phantoms' Patrick Maroon ejected. Joe Vitale notched the other score for the Pens, while Zac Rinaldo put up the lone tally for Adirondack just 42 seconds into the game. Rinaldo's goal seemed to take all of the air out of Mohegan Sun Arena, and immediately some fans who aren't firm believers in starting goaltender John Curry started to make themselves heard. John quickly quieted them down by stopping all 25 of the remaining shots he faced to preserve the win for the Pens and his first of the season. Drew Fata and Nick Petersen also made their season debuts, with Fata subbing in for Hutchinson (called up to Pittsburgh) and Peterson starting in place of Craig (scratched). The Pens next game is Friday, when they make their first ever road trip out to Charlotte to face the newly established Checkers for a 2 game mini-series.

Pirates Interview John Gibbons

The Pirates have officially interviewed their third candidate for the open managerial job, bringing in former Toronto Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons.

Gibbons might be most well known for his multiple run-ins with his players, most notably the ones that led to the trade of Dave Bush, the trade of Shea Hillenbrand, and the outright release of Frank Thomas. He and Ted Lilly also got into a shoving match, but both say that everything is resolved.

When I first heard about the interview that's what came to mind, I assumed he was just the other extreme from John Russell's corpse like demeanor. The more I read though I kind of think that he was dealing with a group of immature, egotistical players, and he needed to clear them out.

Hillenbrand was clearly a cancer, writing "this is a sinking ship" and "play for yourself" on the teams white board. That sort of behavior is completely unacceptable and can't go without a response.

Ted Lilly refused to give his manager the ball on the mound after giving up 7 runs in an inning, I defy you to find me a good manager who is just going to let that slide in the dugout.

He had problems with Frank Thomas too. Does that really seem like a big deal? Frank Thomas was hitting .167 after 20 games and he was benched by Gibbons. What did Thomas do? Instead of working hard and proving he belonged he whined about it, and made it about the Blue Jays not wanting to pay his option. Gibbons made the right move benching Thomas, and after watching how this team handled Aki I think that's a bit refreshing.

From all accounts his players seemed to respect him, save the four above. Maybe the respect came from his handling of those situations. People don't like to work with Debbie Downer's and like it or not he rooted them out and they were gone.

He has had some success with the Blue Jays, and for the most part he did it with a lot of young players. He is not a huge small ball guy, but it's hard to tell coming from the AL where pitchers don't bat. He does use a lot of relievers, which probably is going to be a given considering our starters, and his teams don't run a whole lot.

He does like to use the intentional walk though, which is a terrible, terrible choice in most cases.

He isn't the type of manager to play for just one run. He is a fiery guy to players, and while he makes very bland basic decisions, and has a pretty meek demeanor on the field, I'm not so sure he would just be a yes-man for the Front Office.

So as of right now I'd be slightly in favor to neutral of this hiring.

Game 3: Pens 3, Devils 1

Johnny on the Spot...
Penguins- 3
Alex Goligoski (Tangradi) 1-18:56
Mark Letestu (Letang, Martin) 2-2:32
Paul Martin ENG (Kunitz) 3-19:49
W- Johnson (30-31)
Devils- 1
Patrick Elias (Arnott) 3-8:20
L- Brodeur (28-30)
RECAP
The Pens got their crucial first win Monday afternoon, and better yet got it done against the Devils. The Pens quickly broke the curse of being unable to beat NJ, and went into Prudential Center to dominate. It was such a major turnaround from last year that in this game alone the Pens 3 goals have already matched 60% of their entire total from last year vs the Devils. The Devils' style of play was noticeably different from last year, with not nearly as strong of a trap defense and more open ice movement. The Pens had little trouble gaining the zone and putting quality shots on Brodeur, and although Marty was pretty solid, a few did find their way past. Alex Goligoski tallied the 1st with a rocket slapshot on a play set up by a great play from Eric Tangradi on Kovalchuk. The Pens' 2nd goal was tallied by Mark Letestu after he deflected a Kris Letang slapshot behind Brodeur with his skate. Paul Martin got the third empty net goal, and got himself the last laugh on a crowd that was showering him with boos every time he touched the puck. As I said before, Marty was good but the real hero was the man between the pipes across the ice from him. Brent Johnson, making his first start of the season, posted 30 saves and held off an onslaught of Devils' shots in the last 10 minutes to preserve the win for the Pens. After the game, he mentioned how he relishes "every opportunity to start" that comes his way and how happy he was to be able to tally such a pivotal victory for the team. The Pens did experience a scary moment when Zybenek Michalek left the ice holding his arm. This could amount to some serious difficulty for the Pens D, who was already playing the game without shutdown man Brooks Orpik.

Game Changing Play

With time running out, Travis Zajac deked out most of the Pens' defense along with Johnson and seemed poised to tuck in the equalizer when Craig Adams came out of nowhere to poke the puck away and prevent the Devils from tying up the game.

Grades

Offense- B+ Looked much better and was able to get quality shots on Brodeur throughout the game. And they were even rewarded with the occasional goal.

Defense- B+ Held their own without Orpik and Michalek and overcame a short bench (though not as short as the Devils) to contain Kovalchuk and Parise and keep the Devils from most of the high percentage areas.

Johnson- A How can you not give him an A. He made some crucial saves down the stretch and would have had a shutout had it not been for a rocket shot by Elias. Great performance by Brent.

Powerplay- C+ Ok so they got a goal but at least 4 of their 6 powerplays looked uneventful and sluggish not to mention that they were unable to convert on a 5 v 3. Still work to do on the PP.

Penalty Kill- A- Weren't really needed much but they got the job done when they had to so they get in the A range.

3 Big Points

-3 games, 3 solid performances from Tangradi and Letestu. If they keep playing like this, there is no way that either of them get sent down even when Asham and Staal return.

-Though many of the Pens posted strong individual performances, I must say that I still don't care for the new lines. Comrie wasn't nearly as effective with Sid as he was with Geno and Dupuis was a non-factor on the 4th line. It is hard to eval the new D pairings because of Michalek's early exit.

-Sid looked like he drank about 4 red bulls before he took the ice. He seemed like he was everywhere, making acrobatic shots and passes as well as backchecking hard. He still hasn't scored yet, but he looked a lot more like the Sid we all know and love.

Pens Gameday #3 (Devils)

Penguins (0-2-0, 0 pts)
Devils (0-1-1, 1 pt)
Where: Prudential Center
When: 4:00 pm
TV: FSN

Both teams are looking to put their bad opening weekends behind them and start fresh for their season. Unfortunately, only 1 will be able to. For the Pens, they will be relying extra on FA pickup Dman Paul Martin who is familiar with the Devils trap system and how to beat it. Hopefully this info will come in handy because the Pens were unable to beat it at all last year. Also note that this game is on at 4:00. (those of us who don't have the day off can thank the fine folks down in NJ)

Opponents to Watch:

Ilya Kovalchuk- Keep an eye on Kovalchuk at all times, and not just because he may be the only one with the puck.

Travis Zajac- The silent killer on the line between Parise and Kovalchuk, Zajac is effective in slipping under the radar while the 2 superstars draw the attention of the defense.

Martin Brodeur- He is beatable, its just that the Pens weren't able to figure him out last year.

Notes:

-Volchenkov is questionable, still recovering from a nose injury he suffered Saturday vs the Caps

-Bylsma has not yet said whether to expect Fleury or Johnson.

Live Notes:

Johnson between the pipes tonight.

Orpik out also

Devils starting short bench today because of their injuries/lack of cap room.

Starting Lineup:
Kunitz-Crosby-Comrie
Tangradi-Letestu-Malkin
Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Dupuis
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Michalek
Lovejoy-Engelland
Johnson

Practice/Asham Update

October 10 The Pens were back at work today in practice looking to improve on some of the glaring errors that cost them their first 2 games. When interviewing with the media at today's practice, he said that his team needs to work on some fine details and need to control their emotions when playing the Devils' trap defense tomorrow afternoon. Of course the big news of the day was the revised line combos, as reported by the Penguins official site.

Kunitz-Crosby-Comrie

Tangradi-Letestu-Malkin

Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy

Rupp-Adams-Dupuis/Godard

Ok so obviously a few things jump out here. Though I agree that Letestu is currently playing worthy of a top 6 spot, Malkin and Comrie had some good chemistry together. Also, one of Comrie's main strengths is his ability up the middle and that is lost on Sid's wing. Dupuis is one in the doghouse here, falling from the top line to the 4th. His play has been lackluster, but isn't 2 games a bit early for such a harsh demotion?

Asham Update

The moods of Pens fans went from bad to worse on Saturday when they heard the latest update about Arron Asham. He went from a questionable day-to-day shoulder injury to indefinitely on the IR. The possibility of surgery has also been tossed around several times from what I'm reading. It may be a long time before he makes his debut with the Pens.

WBS vs Hershey Game 1

Statement Win!Wilkes Barre-Scranton opened up their season Saturday night with a statement 4-3 shootout win over the 2 time defending champion (and favorite for a 3rd) Hershey Bears. This win sent a message to the rest of the AHL that the Pens mean business this year and left me more excited for the season than I was at the start of the game. Why am I so excited now? The reason is that for the most part the Pens were outplayed by Hershey. As strange as this may sound, the fact that a Penguins team not playing their best can defeat a Hershey team that looked like they have been playing for weeks may be the most exciting part of all. It makes one think about what this team would look like if everyone did play their best and it also shows that Hershey isn't unbeatable this season. (good to have confidence against a team that you play 9 more times) Kyle Greentree and the Bears opened up the scoring early, but the Pens were quickly able to answer with strikes from Chris Collins and Nick Johnson to grab a 2-1 lead. They should have actually been given a 3rd goal, as Holtby clearly fell back into the net with the puck but the referees blew the whistle and did not signal a goal. The Bears answered Johnson's goal with a strike of their own from Steve Pinizzotto after he was left all alone on a breakaway. The Pens jumped back out in the 2nd period when Tim Wallace drove to the net and Andrew Hutchinson was able to skate up and slam home the rebound, but they just could not hold off Hershey's powerplay and Keith Auccoin. The overtime period was mostly uneventful, and the shootout did not start off well for the Pens after Dustin Jeffrey tried one too many dekes and missed. Things got even scarier when Francois Bouchard connected on his attempt to put the Bears up 1-0. WBS was just getting started though, as they answered with an onslaught of great shots. Nick Johnson took a nice straight path to the goal and just pounded one home past Holtby, Geoff Walker put a spectacular last minute deke on Holtby for the circus shot goal, and Brett Sterling did what he does best with a lightning shot past Holtby to put the Pens up 3-1 in the shootout. Theissen stopped all 3 of his final shots and the Pens fans rose in an ovation to their team and perhaps the most promising season in the 11 year history of the franchise. But I don't want to get ahead of myself here, and now it's time to calm down from this win and start working out some of the defensive kinks (especially from the Sneep-Wagner pairing) before the Adirondack game on Tuesday.

Game 2: Habs 3, Pens 2

24 seconds of hell.
Canadiens- 3
Mike Cammalleri (Plekanec, Kostitsyn) 1-15:24
Mike Cammalleri (Halpern, Gorges) 3-17:48
Scott Gomez (Poulot, Gionta) 3-18:12
W- Price (34-36)
Penguins- 2
Evgeni Malkin (Crosby, Goligoski) 2-0:40
Mark Letestu (Comrie, Martin 3-8:42
L- Fleury (21-24)
RECAP
All in all, the Penguins really deserved to win this game, and they surely would have had it not been for a 24 second lapse late in the third in which they conceded 2 straight very soft goals to tie the game up and then jump ahead. The final goal was really the worst, as Gomez simply threw the puck on net without any intention of scoring and it managed to trickle its way past. They seemed to be on the right track of fixing the problems that plagued them Thursday night when their entire body of work fell apart for 24 seconds. Before Gomez netted the GWG, Mike Cammalleri had 2 of his own (1 was a tip-in). Any Pens fan who watched the series last year probably expected this, and Comrie delivered. Even Carey Price looked good, making 34 saves on 36 shots and kept many of the Pens' shooters in check. It was quite the physical game, with PK Subban getting an opening shower of boos before proceeding to agitate and try to draw whistles from nearly every Penguin on the ice.

Game Changing Play
Obviously it was Gomez's goal, which pretty much left Fleury and the rest of the team awestruck at how that puck found its way into the net.

Grades
Offense- C- 2 goals against Price and the Habs is really nothing to be proud of. Granted that Carey played quite well but to have 36 shots and only convert 2 is a disappointment.
Defense- B- Improved from their disaster Thursday night and only played 24 seconds of disaster. Actually they made plenty of errors but for the most part were able to recover.
Fleury- C- He made some great saves, but 2 of the 3 goals (even maybe even the third) were pitiful. I know he is capable of more.
Powerplay- B- Though I know the powerplay was not credited the goal, Malkin's goal was really on the PP (player just coming out of box when goal was scored). Still much room for improvement.
Penalty Kill B+ The object of a PK is to keep your opponent from scoring, and the Pens did that so I guess you can say their PK was effective.

3 Big Points

-Pens showed improvement from Thursday, but it still may be a few more games before this team starts playing up to their full potential. That being said, they could still go get some wins.

-Malkin is playing out of his mind right now, but even he can only carry the team so far. It's time for Sid and Fleury to show some life.

-Another solid game from former WBS guys Tangradi and Letestu, and Ben Lovejoy also looked decent in his Pittsburgh debut.

Pens Gameday #2 (Canadiens)

Penguins (0-1-0, 0 pts)
Canadiens (0-1-0, 0 pts)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00
TV: FSN

The concept of revenge is always an interesting one in the minds of hockey players. The Pens fell to a crushing defeat last year at the hands of the Habs, and even though one regular season win won't make up for it, it still carries a bit of extra motivation. The Pens are coming off a very sloppy 1st game but the Habs really didn't look that much better in their opener.

Opponents of Interest:

Mike Cammalleri- He tortured the Pens in last years playoffs, and is back from his suspension.

PK Subban- Had a breakout series vs Pittsburgh last year and now there is a lot of buzz around this kid. Time to see what he's done in the offseason.

Carey Price- I wonder if the Habs will allow as many shots withhout Halak? Let's hope the Pens light Carey up.

Live Notes:

12:25 pm- Word is that Asham is nowhere near ready to play. Out tonight for sure.

6:00 pm- no other injuries of note to report

6:20 pm- PROJECTED LINES

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Malkin-Comrie-Tangradi
Cooke-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Michalek
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Lovejoy
Fleury

Homecoming

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN 2, 12 PM
Series: Penn State leads 14-3, last meeting Oct. 10, 09 ... PSU 35 Illinois 17
Line: Penn State by 8

Penn State will try to rebound against Illinois. The Lions have only 6 touchdowns in the red zone out of 18 trips this year. That sucks. In fact that ranks 114th out of 119 in the FBS. RB Evan Royster needs 128 yards to become Penn State's all-time career rusher.

Prediction: Penn State 21 Illinois 14

Game 1: Flyers 3, Pens 2

Sloppy, Sloppy, Sloppy...
Flyers- 3
Daniel Briere (Richards, Leino) 2-2:51
Blair Betts (Powe, Van Riemsdyk) 2-17:15
Claude Giroux (unassisted) 3-4:55
W- Bobrovsky (29-31)
Penguins- 2
Tyler Kennedy (Martin, Letang) 3-0:44
Alex Goligoski (Michalek, Kunitz) 3-5:14
L- Fleury (24-27)
RECAP
There really isn't much that can be said for this game that can't be found on any other recap you may come across. Sergei Bobrovsky made the Pens look silly at times, and they couldn't put all three periods together. They came out like a war machine in the 1st, looked flatter than pancakes in the 2nd, and then tried to recover in the 3rd but was just unable to dig themselves out. They put 15 shots on the rookie in the 1st period, and he stopped every single one of them. The mistakes and sloppy play became dominant in the 2nd, and the Pens began to show the rust from the offseason. They came out hard in the 3rd, but couldn't buy a call from the refs and just couldn't get one past Bobrovsky to tie the game up. There was a lot of "excitement," but both teams really lacked the physical play that has come to define these games. To be honest, this game looked more like "croquet on steroids."

Game Changing Moment
I have to say Betts goal late in the 2nd period. It really took the air out of the building, especially since it should have never happened. Mistake by the Pens changing, mistake by Fleury playing the puck, and a mistake by every Penguin on the ice for losing sight of the puck.

Grades
Offense- C+ 2 goals against a first-time starter isn't exactly a marvelous accomplishment. They had several opportunities to bury one, but just couldn't get the shot on goal.
Defense- C Nobody really stood out as having a "good game." Michalek was decent, and Martin wasn't bad but everyone else was quite disappointing.
Fleury- B- Ok, so 2 of the 3 goals weren't his fault but he also let like 3 shots behind him that hit the iron. He can do better.
Powerplay- B They moved the puck well, but just had a hard time getting the shot off. Deja vu?
Penalty Kill- B- One major hiccup but they actually looked pretty good after that.

3 Big Points

-Despite a few flashes of brilliance, Letang and Goligoski really were plagued by a few glaring mistakes with positioning and turnovers and ended up costing the Pens a few goals. Boy I hope this trend doesn't continue.

-Kennedy looked pretty good, while Talbot and Adams came out flat. This may become significant if Asham returns to the lineup in deciding who to bench.

-This game didn't count for any more points than the next one does. Get back on the horse and go get 'em on Saturday.

Pens Gameday #1 (Flyers)

Penguins (0-0-0, 0 pts)
Flyers (0-0-0, 0 pts)
When: 7:00
Where: Consol Energy Center
TV: VS

If you cannot figure why this game is huge then you must not know much about hockey. A showdown between the last 2 Eastern Conf champions and perhaps the most hated rivalry in hockey, not to mention the grand opening of Consol Energy Center should add to the intensity.

Gameday Notes:

-Asham is questionable for the game tonight, and I would expect Kennedy to fill his spot if he is unable to play.

-The Flyers will probably have Pronger, though he is still listed as a game time decision.

Projected Goalies:
Fleury vs Boucher

Opponents to watch:

Ville Leino- played as well as anyone on that team during the playoffs last season.

Brian Boucher- if the Pens get enough shots on him, he will start to let pucks in.

Andrej Mezaros- I wonder how the Flyers biggest defensive acquisition will fit in? I say the Pens should test him.

Live Notes:

12:30 pm- I'm hearing Letang is sick and is a game time decision

12:40 pm- Pronger out? That's what I am seeing.

12:40 pm- By the way Tangradi is back up in PIT. Got sent to Wheeling b/c of Asham. Killeen came up to practice with Meloche.

1:00 pm- Rumor that the Flyers are starting Bobvrosky

2:25 pm- Pronger out confirmed by ESPN. Make of that what you will.

4:30 pm- Hearing Letang is doubtful. Adams likely healthy scratch.

5:00- PROJECTED LINES
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin
Cooke-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Godard
Orpik-Michalek
Martin-Lovejoy
Goligoski-Engelland
Fleury

GAMETIME

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Tangradi-Comrie-Malkin
Cooke-Letestu-Kennedy
Rupp-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Michalek
Martin-Letang
Goligoski-Engelland
Fleury

1-20:00 - end of 1st period. score 0-0

2-3:10 - Briere scores. 1-0 Flyers

2-17:30- Pens caught in a change. Betts buries a rebound. 2-0 Flyers.

3-1:??- GOALLL!!!! Kennedy puts the Pens on the board. 2-1 Flyers

3-5:00- Giroux scores off of a gift Letang turnover. 3-1 Flyers

3-5:14- SCORREEE!!! Goligoski answers right back with a zinger! 3-2 Flyers

Final Score: Flyers 3 Pens 2

Tangradi to Wheeling?

And Killeen up to Pittsburgh. No word why.Just hours after being told that he won a spot on Pittsburgh's NHL roster, Eric Tangradi was surprisingly demoted to the Pens' ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers. That's right, not AHL, I said ECHL. To replace him, the Pens called up goaltender Patrick Killeen, who is just beginning his first season of professional hockey. To make matters even stranger, nobody from the Pens organization has commented since making the announcement. Now you can probably find just about every rumor in the book on the internet right now, but after pondering this for a while I think I have a reasonable theory.

Since Killeen was the choice of replacement, it seems that either Fleury or Johnson suffered some sort of minor injury/sickness during practice today and Pittsburgh is in need of a backup goaltender. Rather than pull someone out of Wilkes-Barre, they figured they would just take Killeen because Wheeling is a much shorter drive and they likely won't need him to do anything anyway. Ok so that half of the story makes sense so far.
Since Killeen will be in Pittsburgh, that makes 24 players on the roster and therefore one player needs to be cut. Tangradi has a contract that allows him to move freely around the NHL/AHL/ECHL without having to clear waivers, so he was the obvious choice to be cut. (Now here comes the confusing part.)
Instead of sending him to Wilkes Barre, they chose Wheeling mainly because of its close proximity to Pittsburgh in case Tangradi needs to come back on short notice. Now Pittsburgh has 13 forwards already so even if Asham is unable to play, Tyler Kennedy should fit in his spot. But, if someone else gets hurt right before gametime, then the Pens will be in need of another forward and Tangradi will be able to come back up to Pittsburgh without penalty while whoever is injured gets put on the IR.

That's just my theory because I find it hard to believe that Tangradi actually will stay in Wheeling unless he really violated team rules of some sort. Hopefully someone will clear this thing up tomorrow.

*note: Simon Despres was the final cut (until the Tangradi fiasco) of camp and was assigned back to his juniors team in St Johns.

Hot Seat

2010-11 will be an important year for all the Pens, but let's take a look at a few that will be watched a bit more closely. Yes, the 2010-11 edition of the "Hot Seat."
1. Tyler Kennedy
As if there wasn't already enough pressure on TK, the Pens front office decision to keep Tangradi multiplies that by 3. This means that there are now 14 forwards (including Godard) on the roster and there will be 15 once Staal comes back. Unless somebody is sent to WBS soon, it means that Godard and one other will need to sit out each game (or 2 when Godard plays). The ones nominated for that role will likely come down to either Talbot, Letestu, Tangradi (assuming he stays in PIT), and TK. Letestu seems like a lock to play, and Bylsma wouldn't keep Tangradi around unless he planned to use him. The bottom line is that TK is probably already looking at limited starts, and that number could dwindle even more unless he improves on last year. I certainly don't think the management would go as far as sending him to WBS, though that option is still on the table as well. On a positive note, he has held his own thus far in camp and could get back to his 2008-09 form.
2. Kris Letang

Tanger must not have trusted the Ice Crew last year, because he used more of his shots as a means to test the strength of the plexiglass backstop than he did testing the opposing goalie. His situation is a bit more favorable than TK's, as he has his contract and roster spot locked up for a while but he is at risk of losing his top 4 slot and some TOI if his shots don't start hitting their mark. The turnovers will also be scrutinized heavily this year, but if he can fix both of those things than his "hot seat" may start to cool off a bit.

Pens Powerplay

Perhaps the biggest glaring failure of last season was the powerplay. Despite having the more talented guys on the ice about 95% of the time, the Pens struggled with time management and simply were not able to generate enough QUALITY shots with the man advantge. With Mike Yeo gone now, the powerplay is expected to have a different "revamped" feel to it last year lead by new PP QB Alex Goligoski (replacing Gonchar).

*yes I know Reirden really won't be in charge of the PP, but the picture is still pretty good.

My Thoughts on Russell, And His Replacment

I didn't write anything about this yesterday because, quite frankly, I wanted to sleep on it. The Pirates firing of Russell came as no surprise to anyone who follows the team. Someone has to go down after three seasons like we have seen, and Russell really gave no indication he was a big league manager.

His ingame decisions were often baffling (pulling Duke up a ton with 2 out in the 9th), the constant bunting over of guys on second base with no outs, relying too heavily on veterans who have proven they aren't worth the time (Ryan Church, Tyler Yates), and really not understanding how to properly platoon players. These are just a few examples, I know everyone has their favorite JR moment but really this isn't about that.

Russell was a fall guy and, while he deserved to take the fall, the light shouldn't be taken off the FO. After all they gave him this team, and tasked him with doing the impossible. It's very hard to keep good bench coaches like Perry Hill when you are constantly blowing up his work, and I think it showed in the defense this year. Some of the defensive woes come from guys like Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker learning the game, but some of it is just stupidity and a lack of concentration, see Lastings Milledge.

The Pirates relied on a lot of things to go perfect this season and for the most part they all went wrong. Is that the fault of JR? I doubt it. Was it realistic for us to expect Charlie Morton to become a one or two pitcher? I doubt it. At the same time I don't think it was realistic to expect him to be as bad as he was. And that's where I think Russell's firing is also justified, these guys didn't really correct their mistakes, and when they failed to meet expectation it wasn't just by a little bit. I think you can put that on the manager.

What do I want from a new manager? I want fire, they don't have to be Lloyd Mclendon, but I want to see them stand up for their players. I want new ideas, while batting the pitcher 8th was a bit different JR seemed to only go half way with his "innovations", in the end he was still playing small ball on a team that couldn't win by a run or two.

So what names have been kicked around early?

Bob Walk - I can't believe people are seriously considering Walk for this role. He is a small ball guy too, and really seems pretty much in tuned with the old way of doing things.

John Wehner - Wehner seems like a good guy and he, like Walk, is knowledgeable about the game. Sadly it's much easier to make calls like they do in the booth with even that little amount of hindsight they have. John Wehner has shown nothing to suggest he could handle running a major league team.

Eric Wedge - This guy is probably the favorite at this point in time. If for nothing else than the fact that he managed an Indians Organization that Neil Huntington was part of. We are following largely a model that the Indians do, so he would be comfortable with the young players, and deadline deals. He has been pretty successful with the Indians, although he only had one postseason appearance. A former manager of the year he brings instant credibility and a ton of experience into the young locker room.

He is also a great community guy, and would fit nicely with the large focus the organization puts on it's Pirates charities wing.

Ken Macha - Macha really interests me. First he has had a ton of success at the ML-Level. Second a lot of that success was with the A's organization. The A's do things a lot different and Macha's time there coincided with their changing of the game. He also has interviewed with the Pirates before so I'd have to assume he has at least been open to coming here.

His problem, for me at least, was his time with the Brewers. His staff was horrible, and the clubhouse was a mess. The Brewers became one of the most underachieving and immature teams in the league on his watch. I'm not sure how I feel about a guy coming in and basically letting the players act like the Brewers did.

Bobby Valentine - Valentine has been named as a possible manager for about every team needing one thus far. I want nothing to do with him. This team doesn't need a celebrity type manager, they need someone to teach fundamentals and deal with rebuilding. Don't know if that's the type of gig Valentine wants anyway.

Wally Backman - Backman is one of my favorite candidates. He is a guy chomping at the bit for a second shot at the big leagues. He has a Pittsburgh connection (which really shouldn't matter), and has been very successful in the minors. He has shown an ability to teach young players, and had a short lived job with the D'backs.

The problems with Backman are all personal ones. He was accused of assault, was arrested for DUI, and failed to pay his taxes. All of these problems occurred ten years ago, but it's very hard to put a guy with those sort of skeletons in charge of a big league team. That said the guy has apparently been on the straight and narrow for ten years and deserves another chance.

From that list I would hire either Wedge or Backman. There will be plenty more names over the next few weeks, so this is just a very small one for now.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. BAL (Week #4)

John Russell Fired; Walker Wins Clemente Award

The Pirates have officially fired John Russell. Names already being thrown around for the next Pirates manager are Eric Wedge, Ken Macha, and more hilariously, Bob Walk. No, no and no. They should hire my choice.

Also today, Neil Walker won the Roberto Clemente award from members of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Oct 3 vs Red Wings

Lookin good...
Penguins- 5
Mike Comrie (Michalek, Malkin) 1-4:19
Chris Kunitz (Malkin, Letestu) 1-7:40
Mike Comrie (Goligoski, Kunitz) 1-19:46
Alex Goligoski (Michalek, Malkin) 2-4:35
Evgeni Malkin (unassisted) 3-2:43
W- Fleury
Red Wings-2
Pavel Datsyuk (Zetterberg, Lidstrom) 1-10:24
Mike Modano (Datsyuk) 3-3:22
L- Osgood
RECAP
It was a very good tune-up Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena as the Pens took home yet another win (finished pre-season at 5-1) and looked very cohesive. They started "most" of their NHL line-up, with notable exceptions being Sid (hip), Orpik (groin), and Asham ("upper body"). Detroit started pretty much their entire NHL line-up, or at least the major players. Mike Comrie and new line-mate Evgeni Malkin lead the way offensively for the Pens, with Comrie scoring two markers in the 1st period and Geno adding a goal and 2 assists of his own. Chris Kunitz and Alex Goligoski got the other two tallies for the Pens, while Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Modano scored for the Wings. The Pens limited their mistakes, and looked like they were in regular-season form. Fleury also looked better, seeing the puck well and quick in the crease. (22-24)

3 Big Points

-Anyone else getting a bit concerned about this "hip flexor" thing? I know it's probably just a precaution, but still...

-The Pens just shellacked the full Red Wings squad without Sid. Yeah, I think they're ready for the regular season.

-I think Disco just found Geno his new partner. He and Comrie looked really good together, and the score sheet reflects it. Comrie is solid down the middle, and allows Geno to be a bit more free and creative on the ice.

Steelers vs. Ravens Inactives (Game 1)

Steelers Inactives

DT Chris Hoke
CB Crezdon Butler
RB Jonathan Dwyer
OG Trai Essex
WR Emmanuel Sanders
LB Thaddeus Gibson
OT Tony Hills
CB Keenan Lewis

Ravens Inactives

OT Jared Gaither
CB Josh Wilson
DE Corey Redding
CB Prince Miller
LB Tavares Gooden
LB Edgar Jones
DT Arthur Jones
WR Donte Stallworth

Dennis Dixon is going on IR, that will end his season. Neither Hoke or Essex being inactive is a surprise. In fact there are really no surprises on the Steelers list and, like usual, most of these guys are depth.

The Ravens will be without Starting DE Corey Redding, but other than that it is depth guys for them as well.

PSU @ Iowa Gameday

Penn State Gameday

TV: ESPN, 8
Series: Tied 11-11, last meeting Sept. 26, 09 ... Iowa 21 PSU 10
Line: Iowa by 7

Ricky Stanzi is still the QB at Iowa??? It seems like he's been there for 10 years. Conference play starts with a bang in Iowa City. It should look cool on TV anyway. I am a fan of the Black and Gold but don't mess that up Iowa fans.

The Hawkeyes are 3-1 with their only loss at Arizona, which was a great game. I think Iowa will end up giving OSU a run for their money in the B10 this year.

Evan Royster had a career high 187 yards last week vs Temple. If he does it again, PSU may pull the upset. Iowa has a great D-Line and Penn State's Offense isn't that good so he needs to.

Prediction: Iowa 24 Penn State 10

October 1 vs Blackhawks

Can't win em all...
Blackhawks- 5
Fernando Pisani (Bolland, Bickell) 2-4:20
Patrick Sharp (unassisted) 2-13:47
Marian Hossa (unassisted) 3-:18
Patrick Kane (Sharp, Keith) 3-5:56
Marian Hossa (Seabrook, Scott) 3-18:59
W-Crawford
Penguins- 2
Alex Goligoski (Rupp, Hutchinson) 3-10:40
Craig Adams (Dupuis, Goligoski) 3-18:42
L-Fleury
RECAP
Ok, so the Pens pretty much got romped by Hossa and the Hawks but just remember that it's just pre-season and that they were without stars like Crosby, Malkin, Orpik, and Michalek. Fleury played 2 periods and didn't look too bad, and the Johnson came in for the last period. The Pens made a lot of mistakes with the puck today, and this lead to scoring chances for the Hawks. The real news from this game for both teams were the injuries. Arron Asham left the game in the first period and would not return due to an upper-body injury. Hawks defenseman Brian Campbell had a similar fate, and also left the game with an undisclosed injury.

3 Big Points

-Upper body injury? That could mean anything from a minor bruise to broken ribs to a season ending injury. Asham is to be re-evaluated tomorrow so we have to wait until then to really know how serious.

-If you looked at the lineup card, it would be an utter shock if the Hawks didn't win. They started almost their full team (Kane, Toews, Hossa) while the Pens elected to bench Crosby and Malkin.

-Engelland saw a lot of TOI tonight though Despres and Hutchinson also saw their fair share. I think Deryk has 7th Dman locked up but never underestimate young talent.

Next Game
The Pens wrap up their pre-season Sunday at the Joe vs Detroit.

*note- WBS won 4-3 in a shootout over Hershey today

This Week In Real Pirateball - Week 25

Greg Mercer makes funny Pirates videos on the Internet. Check them out and follow him on Twitter. Here is his latest one. Week 25 and now we start to post them. TiGO sucks.

Sept 28 vs Blackhawks

Roster taking shape.
Penguins- 4
Evgeni Malkin (Tangradi, Comrie) 1-12:21
Dustin Jeffrey (Adams, Rupp) 2-3:46
Nick Johnson (Talbot, Martin) 3-8:25
Mark Letestu (Kunitz, Martin) 3-11:13
Blackhawks- 1
Kyle Beach (Bickell, Seabrook) 2-8:53
RECAP
Evgeni Malkin lead the way for the Pens on Tuesday's preseason game against the Blackhawks, scoring the games first goal and looking to be in solid form for the rest of the game. He and the rest of the Pens rolled to a 4-1 win vs the Hawks, though they did receive some help from Brent Seabrook. Seabrook seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time throughout the final period, with both of the Pens' goals going in off of him. The lineup tonight for the Pens featured mainly NHL starters and some AHL guys fighting for a spot. (like Letestu, Jeffrey, Johnson, Sterling, Tangradi). Sid, Fleury, Orpik and others were scratched while Simon Despres saw some TOI tonight. Perhaps this is something to consider because the organization must be serious if they are still playing him.

3 Big Points

-Mark Letestu is really close to an NHL spot. He seems like the top choice to fill in while Staal recovers.

-I guess Disco gave them all a little talk about why it isn't prudent for star-caliber players to be throwing down in the pre-season. Much cleaner game.

-Ok, the Pens are 4-0, but it's the pre-season. Take a few steps back and realize what the pre-season is really about...rosters.

Next Game
Friday the Pens return the favor and face the Hawks at United Center. It is the all important next-to-last pre-season game, and should be crucial in determining the lineups for the opener.

*note: I will also try my best this year to keep up to date with the happenings of the WBS Penguins, who opened their pre-season schedule tonight with a 7-6 shootout loss to the Syracuse Crunch. I find it pointless to write any seperate post about it today, though, because most of their team is still in Pittsburgh.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. TB (Week #3)

Windows

While recently leafing through ESPN the Magazine's NHL preview issue, I came across an article that just struck me as fascinating. It seems the folks over at ESPN (who aren't always on the up and up when it comes to hockey) had devised a system to rank a team's chances not only this year but on the overall picture. It's called the window theory and it goes something like this:
There are three categories of teams. There is the group before the window that are teams that are building towards the goal but not quite there yet. As you advance through this category closer to the window, the teams get a little bit better and become greater immediate threats. Then you hit the second category of teams (this year's main cup favorites) that are in the window. Now, within this window there is also a ranking because the teams closer to the beginning of the window have a greater chance of staying there while those further down the list are at risk of falling out of the window. They would join the third class of teams, who either had been in the window and simply are waiting for some prospects to reload or just completely skipped over the window entirely after a group of prospects just didn't work out and are waiting to start over. If that was too much for you to read at once, here is a simpler version.
The goal of the teams before the window is to gradually work their way into the window. The goal of the teams in the window is to contend for cups and stay there as long as possible. The goal of the teams past the window (though some of the teams that are just past the window still have a chance this year) is to get some prospects and work their way back into the group waiting to reach the window.

Here is how ESPN had them ranked. (window teams bold)
Panthers
Islanders
Blue Jackets
Lightning
Hurricanes
Thrashers
Rangers
Sabres
Avalanche
Blues
Canadiens
Coyotes
Predators
Bruins
Kings
PENS
Blackhawks
Capitals
Canucks
Flyers
Sharks
Red Wings
Devils
Ducks
Flames
Senators
Maple Leafs
Stars
Wild
Oilers

So, according to their model the teams with the best shot this year are the Canucks, Flyers, and Caps while the Kings, Pens, and Hawks are better off in the long run. They think Oilers and Wild fans are going to have to wait longest for a winner while Boston, Nashville, and Phoenix are right on the brink of success.

So now that you get the idea here is my model:

Thrashers: I'm putting this team on the right side of the window, but just barely. They do have a bit of promise with guys like Bogosian and Kane but they still have some work to do.

Oilers: With two potential superstars in the system, the Oilers certainly are moving in the right direction but what they need to do now is to find them a supporting cast.

Panthers: They are here not because of who they have on their team but who they have behind the front desk. Tallon has shown that he wants to steer this team in the right direction, and he is already off to a good start drafting Gudbranson.

Islanders: John Tavares is a superstar coming into his own, and though the rest of the team is not yet up to par, he may keep them afloat (or at least from totally going under) until they get things together.

Sabres: I like what I saw from this team in the regular season last year. Playoffs, not so much... That's ok though, as it shows there is lots of talent there and they just need to work out some kinks.

Maple Leafs: Surprise. Some key offseason additions like Versteeg and Armstrong as well as the maturing of young guys like Luca Caputi will supplement "window players" (players who have reached peak of their career) like Phaneuf to make Toronto at least competitive this year.

Predators: This team is actually moving a bit in the wrong direction, but I still think their future is still ahead of them. They better be careful they don't jump the window though.

Blues: It's almost your time St Louis. This is a team that has obviously committed themselves to success in the near future (as seen by Halak trade) that believes that it's time is coming.

Lightning: Silently building an offensive juggernaut behind Stamkos. This team can be good way sooner than anyone expects them to be.

Coyotes: Phoenix is a team that found success not through superstar talent and blockbuster trades but rather through acquiring solid players and surrounding them with solid leadership. If they keep this up, they could find themselves in/near the window for a long time.

Avalanche: Most people would say that I am putting them too high, but I really loved what I saw from this team in the playoffs last year and they were not too far away. If they could put it together this year, they have the potential to stay in the window for at least 3-5 years.

PENGUINS: I'm sure I'm not the only Pens fan that is already starting to get nervous for those ominous years when Sid/Geno/etc contracts expire, but the truth is that that day is still quite a long way off. Until then, let's try to win a few cups.

Capitals: Basically the same situation as the Pens, and (as much as it kills me to say it) it is only a matter of time before they figure it out in May.

Bruins: Guys like Savard and Bergeron to lead the way now. Guys like Seguin and Lucic to lead the way later. What more can you ask?

Kings: I guess even I am going to have to jump on the "Kings are a legitimate contender" bandwagon. They look to be primed for a deep run for the next few years.

Canucks: I know we've all heard this one before, but I'm willing to give Vancouver one more year to impress me before I move them to the back of the window. Just a glance at the roster is all that one will need to automatically pick these guys to win the West. (or at least get #1 seed)

Red Wings: They have been about this place on the "window scale" for the last 5 years. They keep getting older, yet never show any signs of age. Why should this year be any different?

Flyers: Didn't lose that much from last year (although they still don't have a goalie) so you can't count them out. Young talent like Van Riemsdyke and Leino should keep the rest of those hooligans on the map for a couple more years.

Blackhawks: They got absolutely ripped apart after their cup last year, and almost need to start rebuilding again to find a supporting cast for Kane and Toews. Both of those guys currently at the top of their game should be enough to make this team a contender for at least a little while longer.

Sharks: They are right on the borderline of the back of the window, so I will be generous and include them. The talent is still there, just getting older.

Kovalchuks: Yeah, he's very good but it's nice to have a few other guys out there. It seems like guys like Parise are going to waste in that new system, and the loss of draft picks and cap space adds further to the chaos. Also, Marty isn't going to be around forever. Even though I have them outside, I'd say its now or never for this team.

Senators: Veteran leadership is a very good thing. But is there such a concept as too much of a good thing? Yikes, they may need to start distributing HoverRounds as contract incentives.

Canadiens: Was last year's playoff run a fluke? I guess we'll find out.

Rangers: They seem like they are starting to get the right idea, but I wouldn't say they are "rebuilding" just yet. I would expect maybe one more down year before they start to slowly work their way back up to the top. It is there, but it will take time.

Hurricanes: This team is tricky. I put them here really not so much because of their chances this year but their chances of being able to work their way into that "window." It won't take that long once they start rebuilding, it's just that they havn't really started yet.

Blue Jackets: Well, at least Nash will put up monster stats again.

Ducks: I'm with ESPNMag on this one. They need a D before they could really get back to business.

Flames: Bad trade after bad trade. They had their window a few years ago but were just unable to jump on it. Now it's time to take a step back and get back to building some pillars for a team.

Stars: Ok, they have a couple good young guys but the rest of the team really is pretty average. It's not like they will be the worst team in the league anytime soon, its just that they seem like they are destined for mediocrity for quite a while.

Wild: They had their window a few years ago and they totally skipped right over it. Whoops, back to the drawing board.

So there you have it. It's not often that I really get inspired by an NHL piece done by ESPN, so I felt the need to post it.

Steelers/Bucs Inactives

Steelers

QB Dennis Dixon
CB Crezdon Butler
RB Jonathan Dwyer
G Trai Essex
WR Emmanuel Sanders
LB Thaddeus Gibson
T Tony Hills
CB Keenan Lewis

Buccaneers

QB Rudy Carpenter
LB Niko Koutouvides
RB Kareem Huggins
CB Myron Lewis
DE Michael Bennett
C Ted Larsen
WR Maurice Stovall

No shockers on this front. Antonio Brown will dress today and be fielding kickoffs once again and ARE is expected to handle punt return duties.