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Posts Tagged Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL Photo of the Day

Mar 8

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

Associated Press

Big things are happening to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mario Lemieux had a statue released of him in front of the CONSOL Energy Center. The team also beat the Toronto Maple Leafs last night 3-2, continuing to crush the hopes of Leafs fans and a playoff spot. Pascal Dupuis picked up 2 goals and an assist on the night and Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist. Always nice when your depth is scoring. And the final big news is that team leader Sidney Crosby was cleared for contact. It is still unknown the timetable for his return, but most would think relatively soon. Some critics are a bit upset, feeling the Penguins have milked this a bit, only to bring in Crosby come playoff time. Truth be, he’s hurt and the organization is doing the right thing to protect their star player from potentially having career ending injuries / life injuries. So, the Pens are starting to look pretty good come playoffs; now only if James Neal can pick me up a goal for fantasy.

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Sidney Crosby cleared for contact

Mar 6

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby appears to be symptom free and ready to make his long-awaited return to the ice for the second time this season.

Doctors gave Crosby the go-ahead to participate in contact drills with the rest of his teammates this afternoon after nearly three months on the shelf with concussion-like symptoms. This is the first time Crosby has participated in a full-contact practice with his teammates since getting sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms back in December.

“Contact is the big step,” Crosby said following his first contact-permitted practice since Dec. 7. “It’s nice to be symptom-free, but it’s not as fulfilling as when you’re out there (playing). I just want to make sure that I take the right steps here and get back out there soon.”

Crosby has been dealing with concussion-like symptoms on and off since Jan. 2011. He initially returned from a concussion on Nov. 21, 2011, where he scored two goals and added two assists in his first game in nearly 11 months. However, Crosby was again sidelined shortly after his return with concussion-like symptoms again and hasn’t played or participated in a full practice since Dec. 7, 2011.

It was later revealed by neck specialists that Crosby suffered a soft-tissue in his neck in addition to the original concussion he suffered in January.

“There were a lot of bumps. As soon as they knew I could get contact, I was getting a lot of bumps, even in drills,” Crosby said. “The lineup was a dangerous place to be today. It was fun to be out there with them and hopefully it’s a regular occurrence.”

The Penguins won’t comment on an exact return date, although the team, and Crosby himself, left the possibility open for returning this Sunday against the Boston Bruins.

“No sooner than Sunday, I would say, but I’m not going to sit here and put a date on it,” said Crosby, who expects to take part in game-day morning skates Wednesday and Friday and full practices Thursday and Saturday. “It would be total guesswork. I just want to make sure I get through these days fine.”

The Penguins certainly won’t rush Crosby’s return. The team sits comfortably in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 83 points, four more than the fifth place Philadelphia Flyers. Evgeni Malkin has taken the reins in Crosby absence, leading the team with 38 goals and 81 points on the season, allowing the team to keep Crosby away from game action until they are certain his body can sustain the rigor of an NHL game.

“Today wasn’t extensive in terms of getting a lot of contact. He had some extra drills after practice with some contact,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. “We’ll see over the next few days before we decided on when there might be a date.”

The Penguins would love to get Crosby in the lineup soon, though, and get him up to speed in some regular season games before the playoffs roll around in the second week in April. Pittsburgh has 17 regular season games remaining, but if Crosby’s first return to action back in November is any indication of how long it will take him to readjust to the speed of the game, it shouldn’t take long at all. After all, with 12 points in eight games earlier this year, Crosby still leads the league in points per game – followed closely behind by Malkin. What a dangerous team the Penguins could be if Crosby comes back healthy and strong for the playoffs.

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Penguins Go After Nystrom After Letang Hit- When Will Head Shots Stop?

Feb 29

Posted by Eddie in Behind the Bench | 6 Comments

Two consecutive days, two controversial hits to the head. When will this s*it crap end? We all know hockey is a dangerous sport and players will bang their head on the ice or have freak collisions like the one below and the one posted earlier today. This time around it involved a team missing the face of not only their franchise but the entire league because of concussion-like symptoms.

This isn’t going to be another Sidney Crosby post, but rather an example of a play that was made on the ice and a review of what the officials called in the heat of the moment.What was seen in tonight’s Pittsburgh-Dallas game was a collision between Eric Nystrom and Kris Letang.

Letang of Pittsburgh, already suffered one concussion this season at the hands of Max Pacioretty. And for those keeping score at home, it was Pacioretty who was on the receiving end of a nasty injury at the hands of Zdeno Chara March 8, 2011 where Pacioretty suffered a concussion and a fractured vertebra. It appears to be one long chain of several wrongs trying to make a right.

After watching the hit, I don’t blame every player who was on the ice for the Pens going after Nystrom. With what already happened previously to Letang and Crosby, they have had enough of the head shots and appear to take things into their own hands. Don’t be surprised if a line brawl occurs after a hit of this magnitude before Gary Bettman hands someone the Stanley Cup in June.

From playing the greatest game on ice for close to 20 years now, I understand how physical it  gets as I suffered what I can now say was a concussion 10 years ago during a collision at the net. If that happened to me now, I would have been pulled out of the game and maybe held out of practices. But because it was before concussions became spoken out of parents and coaches mouths more often than ESPN mentions Jeremy Lin during SportsCenter, nothing was done as I simply shook it off and continued to play goalie.

All in all, I hope Brendan Shanahan and the league takes a good, hard look at this hit by Nystrom and will issue some sort of disciplinary action. Midway through the first period, Nystrom appeared to hit Letang in the chest or shoulder. This sent him straight to the ice. He left the game, and the Penguins announced early in the second period that he would not return. Nystrom was called for a two-minute roughing penalty on the play. While it looked like a freak accident where Letang was at the wrong place at the wrong time, it sure did not look pretty to the naked eye.

Check out the video below and feel free to share your opinion.

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NHL Photo of the Day

Feb 27

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

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Evgeni Malkin takes the spot for NHL Photo of the Day for his excellent weekend performance. The Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, or more so, pounded the Lightning. Malkin netted 3 goals and added an assist for a 4 point night along with a +3 rating and 4 penalty minutes. The scoring touch continued Sunday afternoon against the Columbus Blue Jackets as he netted another goal. Malkin has stepped up in the absence of Sidney Crosby. Some fans have felt his work ethic has not been there in the past, but this season for sure, he has come nightly to compete. Malkin has 37 goals and 41 assist for 78 points this season so far.

On a different note, Bauer gloves and APX skates, Warrior pants and an Easton Stealth RS stick… huh?

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Evgeni Malkin sick goal against Tampa Bay Lightning

Feb 25

Posted by Chris in Media | No Comments

It goes without saying that the Tampa Bay Lightning are thankful they no longer have to see the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. Today marked the last meeting between the two, and finished in a rout in favor of the Penguins. The 8-1 contest between the two was over in the first, long over in the second, and had become an embarrassment for Tampa Bay by the third.

So far in 2012, the Penguins have battled the Lightning three times, twice at home and once on the road. In each instance, however, one thing has proved constant: Evgeni Malkin’s domination.

Going back to January 15 in their first meeting of 2012, Malkin torched the Lightning with 3 goals and 2 assists in a 6-3 Penguins victory. It was Malkin’s second hat trick of the season, and part of a six-game goal scoring streak where he tallied 9 goals. Pittsburgh won the game 6-3 and was their second victory of an eight game win streak in January.

In their second meeting of 2012, on February 12th, Malkin was a bit more modest with his production. He finished with 2 goals and no assists as the the Penguins handed Tampa Bay another loss, this time 4-2.

Today, Malkin picked up right where he left off, contributing another hat trick, the ninth of his career, and added an assist for a four point afternoon. His second goal of the night is one that should make highlight reels everywhere (except ESPN, of course). Perhaps the highlight of the game, however, came when Malkin dazzled with an amazing dangle as he coasted with the puck from the Penguins’ blue line, through Tampa Bay’s defense and slid one past goalie Dwayne Roloson. Check out the slick move between the legs of defenseman Brett Clark to give himself a clear lane to the net. Poor Clark didn’t have a chance…

The Lightning can be thankful, that is certain. Malkin totaled 8 goals and 3 assists in the 3 games against the Lightning so far in 2012. Had the Penguins played any more against Tampa Bay, Malkin would have been a shoe-in for MVP.

Check out Malkin’s goal of the year candidate below and share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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Eric Staal Skating with Son for the First Time

Feb 23

Posted by EB in Media | No Comments

Bauer Hockey, major producer of all things hockey and sponsorship of Carolina Hurricanes Eric Staal, videotaped Eric’s first skate with his son. The video below shows the experience which is pretty cool to see. Brothers and also NHL players Marc and Jordan Staal came to skate as well. Their littlest brother, Jared who plays for the Charlotte Checkers, did not attend or at least was not videotaped.

Eric and the Hurricanes are doing pretty bad. Currently last place in the Eastern Conference, the team is hopefully looking for a good draft pick. Eric has 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 60 games played. Roughly averaging 70+ points in a season, it may seem he is not on pace to meet his norm, yet with 7 goals and 6 assist in the last 30 days, he might just make it.

Jordan, of the Pittsburgh Penguins, currently has 19 goals and 8 assist in 40 games played. Playing more of a two-way forward, Jordan as well as sitting because of a sprained left MCL, his production is down. Still, Jordan has 6 points in his last 6 games.

Lastly Marc, the only defenseman of the bunch, sits on top of the Eastern Conference with the New York Rangers. Only being able to play 22 games to date due to concussion symptoms, Marc only has 2 points in 22 games. Last year Marc led the team in average time on ice with 25 minutes and 44 seconds a game. If he continues to stay healthy, Marc will be back to form and a highly depened upon defenseman come playoff time.

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NHL Photo of the Day

Feb 20

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

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

A lot of stuff happened over the weekend, including a big payday for James Neal of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Neal, who has 30 goals and 57 points on the season, agreed to a six-year, $30 million extension. Neal has continued to be a solid goal scorer for the Penguins, all in the absence of his supposed-to-be line-mate Sidney Crosby. Crosby is rumored to return sooner-than-later; Neal fantasy owne hope this rumor is true.

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HWB Eastern Conference Playoff Spot Predictions

Feb 14

Posted by EB in Soap Box | No Comments

Nearing three quarters of the season played so far, here is a list of predictions for Eastern Conference teams to either make or not make the playoffs.

Atlantic Division

Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images

Skimming right from the top, four of the five Atlantic division teams, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils will make the playoffs. The only team among the list that could be shaky is the Pittsburgh Penguins; yet with the return of star Sidney Crosby that some are guessing to be sooner than later, this will solidify their playoff spot.

The Rangers are a lock as they are currently and will lead the Eastern Conference at the end of the season. Marian Gaborik leads the charge while net minder Henrik Lundqvist continues to play solid in net. The only concern come playoff is the John Tortorella curse if they face the Washington Capitals.

Flyers have been struggling but the team has enough depth and grit to right the ship. Goalie woes continue to pile up but with a slight cushion of 7 points between them and 8th spot, the Flyers have some breathing room to work out the kinks. Jaromir Jagr has been a pleasant surprise in the beginning of the season; let’s hope he has enough juice come playoffs.

Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images

The Devils of new have transitioned form a defense first team to an offensive minded mentality. Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Patrik Elias are the top 3 point getters for the team, all of which are around the 50 point mark and should end up with at least 70 points per player. Veteran goalie Martin Brodeur is getting some rest, whether he likes it or not, that will aid in the team’s playoff chances of going far.

The Penguins on paper and on ice are one of the best teams in the league, which is of course if they are healthy. Star and Captain Sidney Crosby has gone through a whirlwind of media attention with his concussion filled season. Sources are expecting Crosby to return sooner than later; the return will ignite a fire under the team that could see them locking out 4th spot with ease.

Northeast Division

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

It is tough to rival the Atlantic Division, but early on the Northeast definitely put up a fight. Today however, the division is led by defending Stanley Cup Champions the Boston Bruins and followed up by a mash up of Canadian teams who string wins together as often as they string a bunch of losses. Then there is the Buffalo Sabres, who under new management promised the moon and the stars; one spot out of the last place in the Eastern Conference was as close as that promise has come.

Bruins in with only one more team from the Northeast to make it… the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Defending Champs Boston Bruins have showed they are not suffering from the Stanley Cup hangover. Having the best goals for a game average with 3.36 as well as fourth best goals against average with 2.24, the team is once again, a well balanced team. Playoff spot is without a doubt, and many would have them repeating last year’s success.

Paul Bereswill/Getty Images

It was a toss-up between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams have had impressive seasons to date, both having good runs earlier in the season. The Senators however are beginning to show signs of fatigue, going 2-6-2 in their last ten; the decline is expected to continue. This is due largely in part by riding one goaltender, Craig Anderson, who to date has started 50 games. Sure, playoffs you need only 1 solid goalie, but you need to make the playoffs.

Toronto has surprised everyone, except those that are firm believers in General Manager Brian Burke. Burke is a God, never you forget that. While General Manager for the Vancouver Canucks, Burke drafted and signed Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, all contributing to the successful team that they are today. He moved to the Anaheim Ducks and in his second season as General Manager, Burke won a Stanley Cup. Today he is working his magic on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a club who has not seen the light at the end of tunnel for some time; today that light is near. Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Dion Phaneuff and two goalies competing hard for the number one spot, Jonas Gustavsson and James Reimer; the Leafs have a very talented team.

What is there to say about the Montreal Canadiens that has not already been said? The team from the top down needs a makeover. It is understood that your organization values a Head Coach that can speak French-Canadian, but have we forgotten that the goal of every team in the NHL is to win? If I had an option to have a coach that appeals to the fans or a coach that wins me games, I’m choosing the latter. The team is small, overpriced and lacks heart. Maybe once they stop looking into pressing legal charges against players and start focusing more on building a good team, maybe then they will be a competitor again. Save the argument of most Stanley Cup wins by a team, we live in today, and today they are currently a disgrace to an Original Six team.

Southeast Division

Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

Two spots left and not a lot of talent to choose form. The Southeast is the dumping grounds of the Eastern Conference this year. Regardless, one team has to make it, Florida Panthers who are currently leading the division and will be at the end of the year, and the second will be the Washington Capitals.

The Florida Panthers have surprised many fans this year in not only having a winning record but leading a division with two powerhouse teams; the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning. They will make the playoffs but probably won’t go far as their goals for a game is lower than their goals against a game. How does that work with a 27-17-11 record?

Did you seriously think the “new” Winnipeg Jets would make the playoffs? The fact remains they still have the make-up of the Atlanta Thrashers without Ilya Kovalchuk. Moving to Canada does not turn you into a winning team; regardless of how much the fans want them to be. I’m happy for Jets fans to have a team again, but they are a few years out before making the playoffs.

In part the Tampa Bay Lightning deserves their own paragraph for merely being the Tampa Bay Lightning, but today they will share with the Carolina Hurricanes. Both teams have so much more potential than what they are putting forth. Steven Stamkos is leading all goal scorers with 37 this season and is on pace for 50 goals, one of the few if not the only one. But newer General Manager did not address the needs of a net minder and rode one trick pony Dwayne Roloson who needs to retire. Unfortunately Matthieu Garon has not filled the shoes of a number one goalie either. Speaking of goalies, Carolina Hurricanes have a solid one in Cam Ward, but lack the offense needed to help him out. Only 147 goals for a game this season is pretty bad. You could argue 175 goals against, but let’s be honest, if you’re facing a bunch of shots and your team cannot put any in, it’s tough to stay focused and keep everything out of the net. Eric Staal and teen heartthrob Jeff Skinner we expect more out of you.

Greg Fiume/Getty Images

So I picked the Washington Capitals to make it, yep, I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. The Capitals fired their Head Coach to be replaced by former player Dale Hunter. Hunter deserves it, but it really was not Bruce Boudreau’s fault. May we have a moment of swearing in his honor? The team has a real work ethic problem, superstaritis. Hunter seems to be working on that right now, benching the wrong players, but he is working on it. Going 3-4-3 in their last 10 will not help my cause of them making it, still, I have faith. If they make it they will most likely face the New York Rangers and hopefully knock them out of the playoffs who have done so the last two Ranger’s playoff appearances.

There you have it, my picks for the playoffs as well as a little bit of dissing on some Eastern Conference teams. Agree, disagree, and let me hear it. Minnesota Wild fans can save their comments for the second installment coming in a few days. Oh yeah, Minnesota will be a target of scrutiny.

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New Jersey Devils are Playoff Contenders

Feb 10

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils have begun to show their true skill, going 7-2-1 in their last 10, the Devils will be tough playoff contenders.

The Devils currently sit 6th place within the Eastern Conference with a point total of 65. In five of their last six games the team has won, beating the likes of Atlantic Division rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers twice. Last night the Devils lost in overtime to Western Conference St. Louis Blues who are currently in 4th place.

The Devils of old, with the names of Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and a younger netminder Martin Brodeur were known for their defensive play style. Head Coach Jacques Lemaire, with his defense first mentality and neutral zone trap style, lead the team to their first Stanley Cup Championship in 1994-1995. Lemaire moved on and the team eventually won another Stanley Cup in 1999-2000 and most recently in 2002-2003 under the late Pat Burns.

Today however, of those four divisional foe wins, the Devils outscored their competition 16 to 9. In a “new” league that is built upon speed, the Devils are showing good signs.

The team is led by a superstar cast, both young and old. Captain Zach Parise is coming off of a knee injury that took him out for the majority of last season. This year he has picked up where he left off, totaling 47 point in 53 games played. Thirty-five year old veteran Patrik Elias is on pace for 81 points this season. Last time he hit that mark was in the 2003-2004 NHL season. If that is not enough firepower up front for you, don’t forget superstar Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk came to the Devils two seasons ago at a monstrous contract. Most fans felt it was insane, turning into a NBA team who signs one star and has no supporting cast. Well, the Devils proved fans wrong and Kovalchuk has been solid. To date, he has 50 points in 48 games played and a team high 191 shots on goal. Also, he now has a Gordie Howe Hat Trick to add to his resume.

The saying, “defense wins championships” comes to mind for any team to be considered a playoff contender. In the middle of the pack when it comes to goals against, the team still has some defensive firepower in Adam Larrson and Kurtis Foster, but more importantly, the team has Martin Brodeur as goalie. Brodeur is getting older, 39 to be exact, but is a veteran and don’t you forget that. Typically starting 70+ games in a season, this year he has seen a lighter load. Currently started 35 games, backup netminder Johan Hedberg has seen 19 starts. Sure it may not seem like much for a backup, but sitting the iron-man Brodeur any amount will pay dividends come playoffs where he normally is spent.

You don’t have to take my word for it, wait and see, but the New Jersey Devils are going to be one heck of a playoff contender this season. A team that can put the puck in the net, a veteran netminder and a solid defensive core all around, the Devils are going far.

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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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