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Posts Tagged Evgeni Malkin

James Neal added to NHL All-Star Game roster

Jan 25

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

In a move that should have been a no-brainer from the beginning, Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal was deservedly added to the NHL All-Star Game roster today as a replacement for Alexander Ovechkin, who decided yesterday that skip this year’s All-Star Game festivities because of his suspension.

Neal will join teammates Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang as representatives for the Pittsburgh Penguins at the festivities this weekend in Ottawa, which kick off this Thursday at 8 p.m. with the NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft and continues Saturday night with the Skills Competitionand the All-Star Game on Sunday afternoon.

This will be the first All-Star appearance for the 24-year-old Neal, who was traded from Dallas to Pittsburgh last season. However, this will be Neal’s second appearance at the NHL All-Star Weekend as he played in the YoungStars Game in 2009 in Montreal.  

Neal should have been on the roster from the get-go thanks to a season that will certainly end with personal bests in nearly every stat category. With 27 goals on the season, Neal has already tied his personal best in goals and will likely surpass his personal best in assists and total points within the next month. He currently ranks second on the Penguins in points, behind only Evgeni Malkin, and ranks 13th in the league in points with 47 and third in the league in goals.   

It will be interesting to see if All-Star captains Daniel Alfredsson or Zdeno Chara attempt to draft both Malkin and Neal in order to give their team a competitive advantage by having two players on a line together who already have chemistry.

 

 

 

 

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NHL Photo of the Day

Jan 16

Posted by EB in Media, News, NHL Photo of the Day | No Comments

AP Photo/Brian Blanco

Pittsburgh Penguins’ center Evgeni Malkin shows a little love to Penguins’ fans after he scores against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period to put his team up by one. Malkin continued his dominance as he scored two more goals in the period to complete his hat trick. Malkin ended the night with 3 goals and 2 assist for 5 points out of the 6 goals scored by the Penguins. The Penguins beat the Lightning 6 – 3.

On a different note, is that Brooks Orpik’s twin brother in the baby blue Pens jersey?

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Pittsburgh Penguins Plagued with Injuries

Jan 11

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | No Comments

The currently falling in the standings Pittsburgh Penguins look to be at a fork in the road. The team, who have gone 4-6-0 in their last 10, needs to muster up some confidence and chemistry if they wish to make the playoffs.

The Penguins entered the season with one of the best teams on paper. Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and team Captain and leader Sidney Crosby. Well, they still look good on paper, and even good on the ice, yet injuries have hit the team hard. To date, Jordan Staal sustained a knee injury and will be out 4-6 weeks. Kris Letang has been diagnosed with a concussion and his return date is unknown. And Sidney Crosby is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. Will the injuries ever stop?

The team has faced such adversity before as last season the team went without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for lengthy period of time. The team responded to the pressure, ending second in their division and fourth place overall within the Eastern Conference with a 106 point count. This season however, the team seems to be folding under the pressure.

Defenseman Brent Orpik, a voice of the locker room emphasizes the team’s need for accountability. ”The accountability in this room has to be a lot better. We aren’t reacting to adversity very well right now. You can’t feel sorry for yourselves.”

The team will look to rebound in the coming month of January but with a tough schedule ahead of them. The month brings games against unexpectedly good Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs; all teams who are currently in playoff spots. Surprisingly “easier” match-ups will be against the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and the still undecided Washington Capitals.

If the Penguins end this month out of a playoff spot, the long climb back might be too much for this team to handle.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 2

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Steve Sullivan

Key Offseason Losses: Max Talbot, Michael Rupp, Alex Kovalev

Last Season Ranking: 4th in the East

Offense: The Penguins showed resiliency last year despite an injury-riddled season and it appears as if the team will start the season shorthanded again without center Sidney Crosby. However, many forget that Evgeni Malkin was plagued with injuries last year finally resulting in knee surgery that ended his season in February. The good news is that Malkin looks strong and healthy and appears eager for the upcoming season. And the Penguins will need him.

Without their heavyweights, the Penguins still managed to finish 4th in the East but experienced an early playoff exit without heavy firepower. This season, the team will look to Malkin to lead the charge, but he’ll get help from healthy teammates in Jordan Staal, who played in just 42 games, and Chris Kunitz, who could have posted career-best numbers had he not been limited to 66 games. If Kunitz can continue where he left off, he will be a huge asset to the Penguins this season.

Tyler Kennedy had a career year last season and showed how much depth the Penguins have on offense. A healthy Kennedy is an asset to this club and they will look for Kennedy to continue moving forward with his play and become a vital component to this team’s success.

Two forwards to watch this year will be Mark Letestu and newcomer Steve Sullivan. Letestu, who will be playing his second full year in the NHL, will have a chance to prove himself as an NHL forward and an asset to the team’s offense if he can reach the 40-50 point range. Sullivan, an NHL veteran, is questionable thanks to his long history of injuries. If he can play 75 games or more, Sullivan could post good numbers in the 50-60 point range. However, Sullivan has only played in 60 or more games twice in the last seven years.

The Penguins showed last season they have depth, but their long-term succes hinges largely on Crosby and Malkin’s offensive output. Look for Malkin to shoulder a big portion of the offense until Crosby returns.

Defense: Last season, the Penguins finished with an average of 2.39 goals against per game – good for 7th best in the NHL. The Penguins play a good all-around game and back check effectively, something that will be to their advantage again this season. And as with the team’s offense, a healthy blue line makes the Penguins even better.

Paul Mara proved to be a solid addition and performed up to par with expectations. He provides steady coverage in the defensive zone and if he can get back up to the 30-40 range this season, it will only benefit the team.

Perhaps the biggest surprise last year was Kris Letang, who had a breakout season offensively and contributed 50 points and was plus-15. Letang will be looked upon to provide more of the same this season and see if 50+ can be a new norm for the young defender or just a fluke.

Ben Lovejoy responded to increased playing time with 17 points in 47 games and a plus-11 rating. Keep an eye on Lovejoy as he continues to get more playing time and will look to expand on last season’s success.

Goaltending: The Penguins have a solid tandem in goal headlined by Marc-Andre Fleury, who posted some of the best stats of his career last season and emerged as one of the best goalies in the NHL. A good start to the season will go a long way, but Fleury is mentally tough and technically strong. There isn’t much more to say besides the fact that Fleury, who posted a 2.32 goals against average last season, is a top-end netminder and the undisputed number one in Pittsburgh.

Behind Fleury is backup netminder Brent Johnson. This is the type of backup that every team covets – a steady goalie who makes the saves he’s supposed to make when he’s supposed to make them. Johnson had some consistency issues last season, but more often than not when Johnson gets the call, he’s ready to go and puts in a solid effort.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff bound.

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Malkin Suffers Torn ACL and MCL

Feb 5

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

In his first game back after missing five games with a injured left knee, Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin is now out for the immediate future when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL against Buffalo Friday night. Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said “This is a difficult injury for him. It was kind of a fluke situation going into the boards with a guy. That’s a tough injury for Geno. We have dealt with games without him. We’ve managed to find our way without him. That’s what we’re going to have to look at now.”

 Malkin won the Art Ross and Conn Smythe awards during the Stanley Cup season in 2009, but has been slowed by injuries over the last two seasons. He’s played in 43 of Pittsburghs 53 games this season, registering 15 goals and 37 points. Currently Pittsburgh is one point in the division and conference standings behind Pennsylvania rival Philadelphia.

The Penguins has suffered various injuries to key players this season including forwards Jordan Staal, Sidney Crosby, and goalie Brent Johnson.

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Picture Caption Needed

Nov 21

Posted by EB in Media | 4 Comments

It is said that, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This is indeed true for this little gem of Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin and Sydney Crosby celebrating after a goal. Those words though, need to be generated by you the fan. Let’s see what funny little dialog or statement you can come up with by posting a comment.

Malkin Crosby

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 3

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Key Offseason Losses: Bill Guerin, Sergei Gonchar

Key Offseason Additions: Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek, Arron Asham

Last Season Ranking: 4th in East

Offense:

Boston+Bruins+v+Pittsburgh+Penguins+JQKJBWrNI-glThe Penguins will again be anchored by the offensive production of team captain Sidney Crosby and winger Evgeni Malkin with secondary scoring coming from Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal. However, in the off season the Penguins again failed to address the pressing issue of finding a suitable right winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby, prompting many to believe that Malkin and Crosby could end up together on the top line this season. Such a move would extremely hinder the offensive depth of the Penguins. A more likely scenario will see Staal moving up to the second line where he will center Malkin, which should benefit both players immensely and put Malkin back up to 90-100 points this season. Players like Pascal Dupuis and Maxim Talbot may be called upon to help provide more offensive depth while players like Eric Tangradi will need to show that they deserve a consistent spot with the big club this season.

Whatever Pittsburgh lacks in offense they make up for with grit. Tough guy Arron Asham signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh where he will have good company in fellow tough guy Eric Goddard, who accumulated 76 penalty minutes in 45 games last season, and super pest Matt Cooke. Asham may even get an opportunity on the wing of Jordan Staal on Pittsburgh’s second line, which would be beneficial for Pittsburgh if Asham can create space for the other scorers.

Defense:

Pittsburgh lost a lot of skill on their power play with the departure of Sergei Gonchar, who was the team’s third-leading scorer with 50 points last season. But the team hopes that defenseman Alex Goligoski will help fill the void left on the point by Gonchar’s departure. The additions of Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek will also help solidify the Penguins’ blue line and make the team difficult to play against. Martin has twice been plus-20 or better in his past three seasons and could have career highs in points with a more offensive-minded team like the Penguins.

Goaltending:

Marc-Andre Fluery and Brent Johnson will again handle the workload in net. Fluery had a solid season last year with 37 wins and a 2.65 goals against average along with a .905 save percentage. Expect more of the same from Fluery this year as the Penguins will need to him to steal a few games along the way. While Fleury will handle the majority of the workload, Johnson is more than capable as a backup and could get himself 15-20 starts and around 10 wins again this year.

Season Outlook:

Any team that boasts the likes of both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is dangerous offensively, but the Penguins will need to be good on defense this year too. The loss of Sergei Gonchar will hurt the team, especially on the power play, but the additions of Martin and Michalek will certainly help fortify the team’s blue line and make them tough to score on. Expect the Penguins to definitely be playoff contenders come next April.

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Oh no Geno!

Oct 29

Posted by EB in News | 6 Comments

Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks from the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup due to a shoulder strain.

Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks from the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup due to a shoulder strain.

All Star Evgeni “Geno” Malkin will be out of the lineup for 2-3 weeks with a shoulder strain.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently are in first place within the Atlantic division posting a league leading 10-2-0 record, will have to find scoring from a few other players in his absence. Malkin currently leads the team with 14 points, 4 goals and 10 assists.

Malkin’s greatest contribution thus far is on the power play, as out of his 14 points, 3 of his goals and 5 of his assists come from being one man up.

With solid play from Sidney Crosby, Alex Goligoski and the rest of the team, the absence will be missed, but not a severe detriment to the team. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is on fire currently with a 9-1 record, posting a mere 2.07 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

Look for the Penguins to take advantage of this loss by switching up the lines and creating even more deadly combinations from their offensive powerhouse that will benefit them later in the season.

Keep your money on the Penguins for the time being, they are not going anywhere but staying on top of the pack.

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Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 3

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 2 Comments

After coming out on top in a game seven nail-biter against the Detroit Red Wings this past June, the question on the minds of many hockey gurus is whether or not the Pittsburgh Penguins can repeat this season as Stanley Cup Champions. Despite very few free agency losses, the Penguins will need to tighten up defensively as a team and play with more consistency if they are to repeat as champs again this year.sidney-crosby-stanley-cup-kiss

On the plus side, the Penguins have a strong core of last year’s championship team returning this season, including two of the most potent offensive threats in the NHL. Last season, 22-year-old captain Sidney Crosby posted 33 goals and 70 assists for a grand total of 103 points. This was second on the team to 23-year-old Evgeni Malkin, who tallied 35 goals for a whopping 113 points. Neither of these two slowed down much in the playoffs where they notched 31 points and 36 points respectively. These two lead an all-star cast of young talent that also includes forward Jordan Staal and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

However, a budding offense might have to overcome a lackluster defense this year if the Pens hope to repeat. Veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar is back to man the blue line, but the Penguins lost key defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi to free agency in the offseason, which means that many new and young faces will be called upon to pick up the defensive slack. How well these new faces come along could greatly influence how Pittsburgh performs this year.

Marc-Andre Fleury will also need to step up his consistency and have a good regular-season run in addition to a great post-season performance. Fleury has a tendency to be inconsistent during the regular season but has bounced back the past two years with stellar playoff performances.

Keep an eye on Alex Goligoski this season as he is primed to step into the shoes left by departed free agent defenseman and help this team in a big way. In 45 games with the Penguins last season, Goligoski tallied 20 points and was plus-5. Look for him to build upon that success this season. Chris Kunitz was a great addition at the trade deadline last year and should continue his success into this year. The big-bodied forward doesn’t mind playing hard and produced 18 points in 20 regular season games with the Penguins and another 14 points in 24 playoff games. Kunitz should excel on the wing for either Crosby or Malkin. And don’t count out veteran right wing Bill Guerin. Even at age 38, Guerin has something still left in the tank and will benefit from playing the wing for Crosby.

The Penguins have the offensive prowess, but it remains to be seen if the departed free agents on the blue line will hurt their cause. Regardless, this is a young team and they are hungry to continue to prove themselves. Playoff-bound at the very least, but anything beyond that is anybody’s guess.

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