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

Game 9: Blues 1, Pens 0

Halak'd....again
Blues- 1
Erik Johnson (Oshie, Backes) OT-0:50
W- Halak (31-31)
Penguins- 0
L- Johnson (23-24)
RECAP
This will probably be the shortest recap of the season on here. Ready...Johnson was exceptional, Halak was perfect. Both goalies held shutouts into overtime, and then Erik Johnson capitalized on a turnover to score. The rest of the game was just dominated by physical play, solid checking, and more spectacular goaltending. That's about it.

Game Changing Play
In the final 2 minutes of regulation, the Pens put an incredible barrage of shots on Halak and he fended them all off.

Grades

Offense- B Yea, so they didn't score but they still looked decent hence the decent grade.
Defense- A- Looked great up until the overtime.
Johnson- A He should have had a shutout too.
Powerplay- C They had their chances, but couldn't convert.
Penalty Kill- A- Well they killed them all off, so I guess that is deserving of a good mark.

3 Big Points

-Ok, so Johnson played and he played great but one still wonders why Fleury didn't get the start...

-Overtime losses aren't all that bad vs Western teams. I'll take that point.

-Sid and Geno were together a lot. I wonder if this trend will continue once Staal and Asham return.

My 3 Stars (note that although they do conincide this time, these will not always be the official game's 3 stars, but rather my own)

1. Jaroslav Halak
2. Brent Johnson
3. Erik Johnson

AHL Game 6: WBS 2, Binghamton 1

For lack of a better title, "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"For most of the game, the feeling in Wilkes Barre was that they would surely get their 6th win of the season and stay undefeated, but then that all changed, and then changed back again. It was an emotional roller-coaster for the fans in WBS on Saturday night as they saw a sure win slip away in the final seconds of the game when Corey Locke beat Curry and tied the game up for the Senators with 10.6 seconds remaining in the game. The Pens rebounded nicely, and then won a marathon shootout to get that 6th win, and keep their place atop the AHL. Dustin Jeffrey and Kevin Veilleux enjoyed shootout success as well as Ryan Keller and Mike Hoffman of the Sens, but it was Chris Conner's deke around Barry Brust's poke check that found the twine and gave the Pens yet another perfect weekend. Steve Wagner's powerplay goal early in the 3rd was the Pens' lone regulation tally. Kevin Veilleux looked good again, and even mixed it up early in the 2nd much to the excitement of the fans. Jesse Boulerice also dropped the gloves for the Pens. Brett Sterling missed yet another game, so hopefully he will be good to go soon as well. Wow, this is starting to get surreal for the Pens. 12 points in 6 games, 1st in the AHL, let's keep it going.

Penguins Gameday #9 (Blues)

Penguins (5-3-0, 10 pts)
Blues (2-1-2, 6 pts)
Where: Scottrade Center
When: 8:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT

This seems like a great break by the schedule-maker for the Pens. The Blues are coming off a hard fought win last night vs the Blackhawks and they may just be a little gassed. More importantly, our buddy Halak started last night so it is unknown whether he will be good to go tonight. Also, the Pens are looking to join their farm team WBS with a 5 game winning streak. (although hopefully it will be 6 tonight for WBS)

3 Opponents to Watch:

Goaltender- Ok, so we all know about Halak, but it's important not to forget that his back up Ty Conklin (yes, that SHOULD also sound familiar) is a solid goaltender and in either case it will not be an easy game.

Erik Johnson- Legit scoring threat from the blue line.

David Backes- Yes, his play style is "Ingliourious" (if you've heard the nickname) but he is usually the best blue jersey on the ice every shift he plays. He can score, he can deke, and he can hit.

Notes:

-As of latest info, Brooks Orpik is playing tonight.

-No idea on the Pens goaltending situation tonight. I would guess Fleury, and if it is Marc between the pipes, he will be going for his 150th win.

-Unless something drastic changes, No Staal, No Asham, No Michalek

-Only injury I see listed for STL is Janssen.

AHL Game 5: WBS 3, Hershey 2

Still Undefeated! For the past few years Hershey has been an unstoppable machine. Beat em' once, you're just plain lucky. Beat em' twice...well, that's just plain crazy talk. But this is a new season, a new team, and new goals. Oh, and did I mention that the Pens still haven't lost. Wilkes Barre/Scranton moved to 5-0-0 Friday night with a 3-2 win over the Hershey Bears to preserve their undefeated record and move into #1 in not only the division but the entire AHL. Perhaps equally important, they picked up their second win of the season and another 2 points on Hershey in a race that every point will likely count once February and March roll around. Much like Tim Wallace Sunday vs Charlotte, this was Joe Vitale's game. Vitale put the Pens up 2-0 with a pair of goals late in the first and early in the second to give the Pens the upper hand despite being outplayed for the most part by Hershey. Hershey finally found the goal late in the 2nd with a goal from Boyd Kane, but WBS answered back quickly with a powerplay blast from Robert Bortuzzo to hold their 2 goal advantage in the intermission. From there is was Brad Thiessen's game to lose, and was he ever sharp. In the third period alone, he was peppered with 14 shots (just one less than the Pens mustered all game) and though he did let one past, he was rock solid when it counted most to preserve a very important win for his team. Andrew Gordon was the one who did score for Hershey, with a very late goal that cut the deficit to one and made things very interesting, but they could get no further success on Thiessen. Much like the first game, general consensus was that the Bears played like the better team but also like the opener the Pens were the ones walking away with 2 points. (in fact it was even better this time because Hershey got 0) They may not have gotten very many shots on our old friend Dany Sabourin, but the ones they did were quality shots and they made them count. So, to those that may be concerned with the Pens lack of shots and the multitude of shots Hershey was able to put on Theissen, I will answer with a quote from football coaching legend Vince Lombardi. "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" Binghamton comes to town tomorrow, Let's Go Pens

Game 8: Pens 4, Predators 3

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
Penguins- 4
Evgeni Malkin (Comrie, Letang) 2-0:54
Sidney Crosby (Kunitz, Hutchinson) 2-13:51
Sidney Crosby (Malkin, Letang) 3-12:56
Kris Letang (Crosby, Kennedy) OT-3:49
W- Fleury (21-24)
Predators- 3
David Legwand (Tootoo, Ward) 1-0:53
Cody Franson (Bouillon, Erat) 2-8:03
Patric Hornqvist (Wilson, Erat) 3-5:08
L- Rinne (34-38)
RECAP
A defining game can happen at any time in a season, even in October. The saying goes that great teams can win games without ever holding the lead. And that is precisely how the game went for the Penguins. They were ahead for exactly 0.0 seconds, yet it took them only 53 to fall behind. Each time Nashville scored the Pens had an answer. Evgeni Malkin scored the first for the Pens with an alert rebound that tied the game up early in the 2nd. After Franson put the Preds up again, Sid took things into his own hands with a beautifully place wrist shot from the side of the net that snuck past Rinne and into the net. Sid answered again with a laser shot late in the third on a play that Geno set up with some great stick work. This all culminated into one of the most exciting overtime periods any hockey fan could ever hope for. The Pens started out fast and Malkin logged almost a 2 minute shift at the beginning of the OT. Then things got really interesting when JP Dumont fired a shot off the post that dropped behind Fleury and just seemed to hang there for an eternity. The net was wide open and all Nashville would have needed to do was poke it home, put Pascal Dupuis came to save the day with a diving clear to prevent disaster. The Pens would roll from this momentum, and it would eventually set up Kris Letang's game winning blast that sent the Pens into a wild celebration and their first win in Nashville in the last 7 tries.

Game Changing Play
There are so many, but the dive by Dupuis was probably the most noticable because it directly saved the game winning goal.

Grades

Offense- B+ Good pressure for most of the night and the key players were making plays.
Defense- B- Not their greatest performance and too often they left Fleury out to dry, but they weren't horrible.
Fleury- A- Ok so his GAA won't be all that great but he made some incredible breakaway saves in the closing minutes of the game (and throughout) to preserve his first win of the season.
Powerplay- C Too inconsistent. Looked good, then slacked off.
Penalty Kill- C+ Overall they looked solid but they did let a goal past so that's a negative.

3 Big Points

-The Preds had Goligoski marked all night (although Alex did finish +2) so that freed up guys like Letang and Martin to make plays. Depth can really be a useful tool.

-This win does more for Fleury's confidence than anything. He was on fine form, and staked his claim to his team.

-Engelland is such a helpful guy to have out on the ice, because he defends his teammates (another fight tonight) and still plays solid D. But Lovejoy is good too..... Wow, I would say this is a photo finish position race.

Penguins Gameday #8 (Predators)

Penguins (4-3-0, 8pts)
Predators (3-0-2, 8pts)
Where: Bridgestone Arena
When: 8:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT

The Pens look to continue their hot streak and get their western conference play off to a good start. West games are fun because these teams only play each other once this year so nobody will be holding anything back. They're also a bit more forgiving to overtime, because the points out West mean nothing to Pittsburgh. Expect some hard-fought games, starting with today in Nashville. The Preds are also off to a good start, and have yet to not pick up at least a point in each of their 5 games.

Opponents to Watch:

Shea Weber- If you thought that Gonchar has a slapshot, you should see this guy. To put it into perspective, he once shot the puck so hard that it went through the net. Also a solid defender.

Steve Sullivan- He already has 4 goals and an assist this season, and is on a 2 game point-less streak. I'm sure he will be gunning.

JP Dumont- He's the one dishing out to Sullivan. Don't play him too softly, though, or he can also burn with his shot.

Notes:

-There is a potential that the Pens may get Orpik back for this one. He will be making the trip with the team, and HCDB classified him as day-to-day. Michalek, Staal, Asham out.

-Tangradi left practice early yesterday and many are speculating that he will be the one out. It is important to note that he has not yet been sent down and did make the road-trip to Nashville.

-HCDB also said that Fleury would be in net.

-Nashville will be without world class defenseman Ryan Suter. He is a crushing loss to the Preds, and I wish him all the best on a speedy recovery.

Live Notes:

Puck Chatter

Ok, so everything I post is usually about the Penguins (and it will continue to be) but I figured that maybe there are a few people that may read this blog that are Pirates/Steelers fans but maybe not Pens fans. So, to accommodate them (and mainly just because I like talking hockey and the Pens are off) I figure that every now and then I will talk about some of the non-Pens stories going around the NHL.
Ondrej Pavelec
Ok so this is a scary one. I'm sure you've all heard it by now but one of the top stories that surrounded opening weekend last week was the sudden collapse of Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec. The strangest part of it was that there was no warning of the incident in advance and the next thing you know...he's unconscious. Doctors are saying now that its a fainting spell and that he should be playing again soon.
Bag Skates
Yea I spared you from a picture on this one. Yep, they are not too happy right now down in Minnesota and Columbus. It seems to be working though, as the Wild look much better against the Nucks.
Instigator Fine
NHL means business on enforcing that instigator in last 5 min rule as they have already dished out a 1 game suspension to Leblond of the Devils as well as a fine. I'm not sure I agree with the suspension, but I do agree with the penalty/fine.
Here are a few other controversial incidents:
Hjalmarsson Hits Pominville
Yep this was a pretty flagrant backside hit by Hjalmarsson. Pominville had his back turned to Hjalmarsson and he did not have the puck yet Hjalmarsson still plowed into him. The suspension shouldv'e been longer if you ask me.
Wisniewski Signal to Avery

Ok James, I don't like Sean Avery either but do you have any idea how many 8 year olds went home and asked their parents what that gesture meant? Class it up man.

Doan Hit Sexton

Shane is lucky he doesn't get more considering he also had a run-in with Cam Fowler in that same game. It was a clearly blindside hit, and deserves the punishment.

Boynton Gesture

Boynton was actually right in the original dispute but you keep it to yourself and then call someone out after the game rather than put on a display like this in front of your fans.

BEST FIGHTS

Engelland-Orr was my #1, but here's 2 more.
MacIntyre vs Ivanans

1 punch TKO by MacIntyre. Check this figtht out on Youtube if you get the time.

Kovalchuk vs Green

Ok, so the fight looked more like 2 helicopters taking off, but still it was a fight between 2 superstars.

BEST GAMES

- Oct 12- Red Wings vs Avalanche

Great game. Avs rallied twice from a deficit to bring the game into OT when Brandon Yip won it in the 6th round of the shootout.

- Oct 11- Blues vs Ducks

Blues dominated them but the real fun started after the game got out of hand. Fists flying everywhere.

INDIVIDUALS

Steven Stamkos- Already off to a great start with 5 goals and 4 assists.

Marian Hossa- 7 goals already, wow, he's on record pace.

Top Ten Most Hated Teams - #10 Cincinnati Reds

Nothing really going on today so I figured it would be a good day to start this series of posts. I'm counting down my personal ten most hated teams across sports. We start this off with the Cincinnati Reds.

There are a lot of things to dislike about the "Queen City"; Carson Palmer, it's stupid nicknames, the fact that it is basically Kentucky, their favorite pastime is corn-hole, but for me it's mostly the Reds.

The Reds and Pirates have been playing each other basically forever. Their first game was in 1882 (The Pirates/ Alleghenys won that game 10-9). Since then it seems like these guys have just been a thorn in the Pirates side.

The 1970's saw the "Big Red Machine". I hear so much about the stupid Big Red Machine that I want to vomit. Very little is said about the Pittsburgh Lumber Company in comparison. The Pirates won as many division titles and World Series in that time span, but all you ever hear about is that gambling clown Pete Rose and that annoying homer Joe Morgan.

You know what else I hate about the Reds. Tony Perez, it sure is a shame that he hit the first homer in Three Rivers Stadium. Why does it seem like someone from another team always does that!?

The worst thing about the Reds? Game 5 of the 72' NLCS. Winning on a Bob Moose wild pitch is nearly as bad as Barry Bonds not being able to throw out slow ass Sid Bream (don't worry we'll get to that).

Another thing about the Reds, their "fans" or lack thereof. How in god's name can you be having such a good season, in such a great race and only sell out 60.5% of your home games? In contrast the worst team in baseball (who will go unnamed dammit) sold out 51.9%.

Pete Rose getting the 73 MVP over Stargell? A joke.

Best moment in Pirates vs. Reds history? This excerpt sums it up best,

Perhaps Ellis’ most startling act occurred on May 1, 1974, when he tied a major league record by hitting three batters in a row. In spring training that year, Ellis sensed the Pirates had lost the aggressiveness that drove them to three straight division titles from 1970 to 1972. Furthermore, the team now seemed intimidated by Cincinnati’s "Big Red Machine." "Cincinnati will bullshit with us and kick our ass and laugh at us," Ellis said. "They’re the only team that talk about us like a dog." Ellis single-handedly decided to break the Pirates out of their emotional slump, announcing that "We gonna get down. We gonna do the do. I’m going to hit these motherfuckers." True to his word, in the first inning of the first regular-season game he pitched against the Reds, Ellis hit leadoff batter Pete Rose in the ribs, then plunked Joe Morgan in the kidney, and loaded the bases by hitting Dan Driessen in the back. Tony Perez, batting cleanup, dodged a succession of Ellis’ pitches to walk and force in a run. The next hitter was Johnny Bench. "I tried to deck him twice," Ellis recalled. "I threw at his jaw, and he moved. I threw at the back of his head, and he moved." At this point, Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh removed Ellis from the game. But his strategy worked: the Pirates snapped out of their lethargy to win a division title in 1974, while the Reds failed to win their division for the first time in three years.

source: http://www.baseballreliquary.org/ellis.htm

One Nice Thing About the Reds: I will close these posts by saying one nice thing about the team covered. For the Reds, Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame.

Game 7: Pens 5, Senators 2

Three-headed monster!
Penguins- 5
Mark Letestu (Comrie, Martin) 1-8:39
Sidney Crosby (Goligoski, Malkin) 1-13:53
Evgeni Malkin (Comrie, Letestu) 1-17:03
Pascal Dupuis (Lovejoy, Crosby) 2-10:07
Kris Letang (Rupp, Adams) 2-10:32
W- Johnson (32-34)
Senators- 2
Daniel Alfredsson (Gonchar, Kovalev) 2-5:40
Chris Campoli (Spezza, Ruutu) 3-4:19
L- Elliott (17-22)
ND- Lehner (7-7)
RECAP
It seems like every game that Pens commentators Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey are making a reference to the "two-headed monster" of Crosby and Malkin, but is it time to add another head? Ok, so lets not get carried away but Mark Letestu has been playing at the caliber of Sid and Geno for the last few games and this one was no different. Letestu lead the way with the game's first goal as well as an assist and was elected as the game's first star. How about the "two-headed monster"? Ironically, Sid and Geno both contributed a goal and an assist each and put the Pens up 3-0 at the first intermission. Letestu's goal started things off on the right foot when Mark shot a laser past Brian Elliott on the powerplay to put the Pens on the better end of the scoreboard. Crosby continued the momentum when he stuffed in a rebound, which was also on the powerplay. Malkin's goal may have been one of the best of the year, as Geno tracked the puck perfectly after a botched faceoff by Jason Spezza and then dove to the ground while lifting the puck over Elliott and into the twine. Daniel Alfredsson tried to put the Sens back into the game with a powerplay goal early in the 2nd, but the Pens put that notion to rest a bit later in the period with goals from Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang that were just 25 seconds apart. Chris Campoli would score later in the 3rd to cut the lead to 3, but Johnson made sure that it got no closer. There are a few interesting things to note about this game. Deryk Engelland had another fight, this one with Chris Neil, that went the distance and had no clear winner. Neil was not done with his usual shenanigans, and received a misconduct later in the game for a scuffle involving Ben Lovejoy. Mike Rupp also dropped the gloves with Matt Carkner.

Game Changing Play
There was really no need to change the game because Letestu got it off to a great start with his goal in the 1st.

Grades

Offense- A Put up a 5 spot midway through the 2nd and then all they needed to do was coast the rest of the way. I'd call that a success.
Defense- A- Another really solid performance. Also it must be noted that the defensemen are becoming a key part of the offense, starting and joining rushes as well as putting shots on the net.
Johnson- B+ Another 30+ save day and now he's 4-0. He must really not like having to sit and watch Fleury play.
Powerplay- A- Wow, they looked spectacular today. An improvement from Saturday and a total 360 from Friday. So the pieces are in place, it's just a matter of consistency.
Penalty Kill- B- Ok, so they gave up 1 goal but still weren't bad overall.

3 Big Points

-So the Pens took my advice (though I'm sure I wasn't the only one giving it) in going after our old friend Sarge. He did tally up a point on Alfredsson's PP goal, but was on the ice for every single one of the Pens' goals and finished -3.

-Interesting situation forming on defense. With Orpik's return possibly pretty soon and Michalek also not too far off, the question arises as to who will sit out. Hutchinson will go back to WBS, but the 6th spot will be a contest between Lovejoy and Engelland. Lovejoy was the clear favorite for the job when the season began and he has been very solid, but Deryk has been equally solid and has also contributed to the team with his physical play and underrated fighting ability. It's a good problem to have, but nonetheless still a tough decision on the horizon for HCDB.

-Anyone saying that Sid and Geno aren't the best dual threat in hockey has obviously never watched it before. Combine this with a 3rd line on a mission and deceptively talented 4th and you have one of the most potent attacks in the NHL.

Yinz Luv 'Da Stillers!, PIT vs. CLE (Week #6)

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.