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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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Fantasy Friday

Dec 30

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | 1 Comment

The Hot List:

Evander Kane (forward): Kane has had a huge week with three goals, one assist and 11 shots on goal. Kane appears to have found his groove and is poised to easily surpass his career point totals and could top out at the 60-point mark. Take a second look at the Winnipeg forward if you need extra scoring help.

Jason Arnott (forward): Two goals and two assists over the past seven days with points in seven of his last 10 games. He now has 20 points in 34 games and will easily surpass his points total from last season. The Blues are trending upward and so is Arnott.

Tyler Kennedy (forward): Kennedy seems to be on a hot streak in the second half of December with seven points in his last five games. He scored a career-high 45 points last season and will likely settle around the 50-point mark long term this year.

Mikko Koivu (forward): Although sidelined for a few games in mid-December, Koivu has 19 points in his last 15 games played – including a streak of points in nine straight contests. He’s owned in 76 percent of Yahoo fantasy hockey leagues. If he’s available in yours, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be on your roster.

The Cold List:

Sergei Gonchar (defenseman): Gonchar has cooled off considerably with only three points in the last 30 days, and none on the power play.

Vinny Prospal (forward): Only one point in his last five games. However, Prospal has 13 shots on goal during that same span, so it’s not for lack of effort.

Between the Pipes:

The Chicago Blackhawks are set on riding the hot hand this season, and the current flavor of the week is Corey Crawford. Winner of two-of-his-past-three, Crawford has allows just four goals on 97 shots in those three games. However, backup netminder Ray Emery had been the winner of five straight before suffering a 3-2 loss against Pittsburgh last week that relinquished his starting duties. Eventually the Blackhawks will need to choose a starter to prepare for a long playoff run. Until then, expect the back and forth to continue.

Crosby Update:

The Penguins finally released an update concerning superstar center Sidney Crosby – and the outlook isn’t good. After exploding for 12 points in eight games after initially returning from a concussion, the team confirmed that Crosby is again sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. However, high ranking Penguins officials have privately stated that they do not believe his symptoms are as bad this time around and are confident that he will play again this season. Until then, toss Crosby on the IR and wait patiently for his return.

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Three more concussions confirmed today for NHL players

Dec 27

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Concussions continue to ravage the NHL as another three players were announced to be suffering from concussions or concussion-like symptoms today.

Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber and Los Angeles Kings forward Simon Gagne will both sit after being diagnosed with concussions while Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John-Michael Liles was placed on the IR with concussion-like symptoms.

It’s unsure how long any of these players will be sidelined, although in every situation the team and players are hopeful that it won’t be for a significant amount of time.

Weber will likely be the biggest loss of the three. Not only is he team captain, but he also leads the Predators in points with 29 in 35 games to go along with his team-leading plus-14 rating.

“There’s no official timetable for his return, but he’s feeling better and I’m hoping there’s a chance for him to return Friday,” head coach BarryTrotz said. “But we’ll see.”

Weber apparently suffered his concussion after taking a hard hit from Mark Fistric this past Friday when the Predators took on the Dallas Stars. Weber appeared fine after the game but left practice early on Monday and missed Nashville’s game against the Red Wings Monday night. The team confirmed today that Weber was suffering from a concussion and will be monitored on a daily basis.

Similarly, Liles suffered his injury after a big hit from Buffalo’s Paul Gaustad last Thursday. After visiting the dressing room following the hit, Liles returned to finish the game but missed the following contest on Friday against the New York Islanders. The Leafs placed Liles on injured reserve after he was unable to skate with the team on Monday or Tuesday at practice.

“We’re shutting him down for a few days,” said Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson. “He was better today, but not ready to go and if we run into a crisis we’ve gotta have another defenceman available – in case of illness or another injury.

Liles has been one of Toronto’s most consistent defenseman with seven goals and 17 assists in 34 games this season. He has averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time per game.

Simon Gagne was injured during the first period of the Kings victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night. Gagne left the ice during the first period and returned in the second, but he ultimately left the game during the third period and did not return. While the team referred to the injury as an “upper-body” injury, TSN.ca has reported that Gagne indeed suffered a concussion.

Weber, Liles and Gagne are just the latest in a string of concussions to hit the NHL recently. Sidney Crosby is back on the shelf with concussion-like symptoms with no time-table for a return while Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux recently returned from a four-game absence thanks to a concussion sustained on Dec. 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was also reported today that New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has been cleared to practice with contact nearly 10 months after being sidelined by a hit delivered by his brother Eric of the Carolina Hurricanes. This is a positive step in Staal’s recover, although a timetable for his return is still up in the air.

 

 

 

 

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Crosby return appears imminent, doesn’t rule out Friday return

Nov 9

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby appears to be on the verge of returning to NHL action for the first time in over 10 months, although both Crosby and the Penguins organization remain hesitant to state an actual return date.

“We are not waiting for an epiphany to make a decision,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. “He’s progressing. He’s going down that road. I’ll reiterate to you again, there is not a timetable or a date right now that we know and you don’t. He’s continuing to practice with the team. He got back out there (on the ice) after the weekend, and he’ll to continue to practice with the team this week.”

The Penguins are in the midst of a five-day break before playing back-to-back games this weekend at home against Dallas on Friday and on the road at Carolina on Saturday. Many believed that this break would give Crosby time to practice with the team, take a few good hits and see how he responds. And for the first time since his concussions in January, Crosby isn’t fully ruling out a possible return.

“That’s a possibility,” Crosby told NHL.com when asked he would suite up this weekend against Dallas. “Everyone else’s guesses are as good as mine.”

Crosby flat-out stated he would not play last weekend in the team’s road games against San Jose and Los Angeles, so at least he is leaving the option open to dress this weekend.

After playing back-to-back this Friday and Saturday, the Penguins enjoy another short break before hosting the Avalanche at home on Tuesday. The team then basically plays every other night with road games against Tampa Bay (11/17) and the Panthers (11/19) on the docket for next week.

The Penguins have been red-hot this season, starting off with a 9-3-3 record – good enough for first place in the Eastern Conference. Their stellar play affords the Penguins the opportunity to be patient with Crosby and not rush his return. And when he does return, it gives the team the opportunity to ease him back into the fold by limiting his ice time or sitting him out a game here or there. Even if Crosby plays in Dallas on Friday, it’s highly unlikely he will play again in Carolina on Saturday.

Still, for your Fantasy owners, keep an eye on this situation over the next few days. It appears as if Crosby’s return is imminent and you don’t want to miss the chance to have him in your lineup. Even if he doesn’t play this weekend, a good bet is that he hits the ice sometime next week for sure.

HWB is participating in “Movember” to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Make a difference, make a donation.

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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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Peter Mueller expected to return from injury

Aug 27

Posted by Chris in Fantasy, News | 1 Comment

After sitting out all of last season with a concussion sustained during the first pre-season game of the season, The Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Peter Mueller appears to be healthy, fit and ready to play.

“I’m excited to be a hockey player again,” Mueller said Wednesday. “Obviously, I’ve had concussions in the past and it’s something I have to deal with, but right now everything is in the right direction. Everything is pointing forward. I’m excited that it’s all behind me.”

The 23-year-old has been skating regularly and will partake in team physicals in mid-September for on-ice clearance. As long as all goes well, Mueller should be back in the lineup for the Avs when they open their season on Saturday, Oct. 8 at home against the Detroit Red Wings.

Mueller will also take extra precautions against sustaining another concussion this season. He will sport the new Easton S19 Z-Shock, a one-piece hockey helmet that Easton claims exceeds minimum safety regulations by as much as 40 percent. Mueller will also sport a tinted visor to help minimize the effects that bright lights can have on concussion victims.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m in ‘Top Gun’ out there with the tinted visor, but it’s been great and a very comfortable helmet to wear,” Mueller said of the new Easton helmet.

While news of Mueller’s imminent return should pay dividends for the young and highly talented Colorado Avalanche squad, it will also come as good news for Fantasy Hockey players looking for a quality sleeper this year.

Mueller never really seemed to live up to his full potential with the Phoenix Coyotes, who drafted him 8th overall in 2006, but he showed that potential after getting traded to the Avalanche in 2010 where he promptly posted 20 points, including nine goals, in 15 games before being sidelined with the first of two concussions that kept him off the ice for the better part of a year.

Several players around the NHL are still sidelined by concussion symptoms – most notable David Perron of the St. Louis Blues and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Will Sidney Crosby be ready for training camp?

Aug 23

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

Will Sidney Crosby be ready for the start of training camp in just a few short weeks after missing the latter half of last season thanks to a concussion sustained in early January?

It’s still too soon to tell.

According to TSN, reports surfaced out of Halifax that Crosby cancelled on-ice training sessions at a local rink due to a recurrence of concussion symptoms, prompting many to believe that Crosby was forced to stop training until symptoms subsided. Crosby’s agent, Pat Brission, said that this was not true.

“Sidney hasn’t been shut down by anyone,” Brisson said. “He has simply adjusted his summer program accordingly to the different needs for the appropriate recovery.”

Amidst rumors that Crosby will not be ready to play by the start of training camp, Brisson stated that it’s still too early to tell.

“Training camp is in three weeks from now. It is too premature to speculate all kinds of deliberate information at his point,” Brisson said. “Sidney will address the media at the appropriate time in order to give everyone an update. As far as I know, training camp hasn’t started yet.”

This is the second time in a week that Crosby’s health status has been questions. Last week, Penguins GM Ray Shero responded to similar allegations about Crosby when NHL Home Ice radio producer Josh Rimer tweeted, “Also hearing from 3 sources now that Sidney Crosby won’t b ready 2 start season. I hope its not true because the NHL needs its best players!”

Shero responded to claims and stated that Crosby was experiencing some concussion symptoms, but nothing that forced him to stop training. Shero reiterated that Crosby was cleared to train without contact and that clearance to train with contact would not be sought until at least a week before training camp begins on September 16.

Sidney Crosby isn’t the only player who could miss training camp or the start of the season this year thanks to concussion symptoms. David Perron of the St. Louis Blues has alrady been ruled out for training camp and the start of the season thanks to lingering symptoms. There has been little to report about Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins as well as he battles concussion symptoms.

With Crosby’s health and playing status coming into question twice in a week’s span, the answers to those questions seem very non-committal. The truth may be that nobody knows what Crosby’s status is and when he will return. That’s one of the frustrating aspects of concussions, they simply take time to heal and get everything back to normal. At this point, these are merely rumors and speculation regarding Crosby’s playing status. Like Brisson said, Crosby will address the media with these issues at the appropriate time. Until then, Crosby needs to focus in getting himself healthy and putting his safety before hockey.

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David Perron to Miss Training Camp

Aug 18

Posted by Matt in News | 1 Comment

David Perron

David Perron will not be ready for the start of the 2011-12 NHL Season

While a lot of focus this off-season has been put on whether or not Sidney Crosby will return from his concussion, we forget that there is another talented youngster who has been sidelined since last November due to concussion symptoms. David Perron was on the receiving end of a blindside hit from Joe Thornton on November 4th, which caused the concussion. Perron continued the game, even contributing a goal in the Blues 2-0 victory, but missed the following 72 games of the season.

On August 3rd, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong announced that Perron would not only miss training camp, but the start of the 2011-12 regular season as well, due to his ongoing concussion symptoms. He has made improvements, however, which is a great sign with something as serious as a concussion. The talented young winger “took a big jump a few months ago,” Armstrong said of his progress.

David Perron was expected to take on a large role with the Blues last season, after netting 20 goals and adding 20 assists in the 2009-10 season. In the 10 games Perron did play last season, he posted seven points on five goals and two assists. Expectations for him will be just as high once he returns to action. However, the Blues took some action this off-season by adding Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Jonathan Cheechoo to the line-up.

While Blues fans continue to patiently wait for Perron to make his return, Bruins and Penguins fans do the same with Marc Savard and Sidney Crosby, respectively. Savard is still experiencing concussion symptoms from separate hits by Matt Cooke and Matt Hunwick. Crosby, on the other hand, has returned to the ice to skate and train by himself, but has not been cleared for contact drills.

The seriousness of these long term concussion injuries really brings to focus, once again, the extent of punishment for blindside hits to the head. Should the hitter sit just as long as the injured player, or is a shorter suspension more appropriate? Companies such as Reebok can enhance the levels of head protection like they did with their new Reebok 11k helmet, but when someone takes advantage of you with an unnecessary hit to the head, there’s only so much even the best helmets in the game can do.

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Zach Parise Agrees to Terms; Top Fantasy Pick

Jul 31

Posted by EB in Fantasy, News | 5 Comments

The New Jersey Devils and winger Zach Parise have come to terms. After what seemed to be a a guaranteed arbitration hearing, both sides have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract.

The 26 year old Minnesota native was one of the hot topics of the off-season. Parise, who was a restricted free agent, had the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent if the bargaining between the two sides went sour. Had Parise become an unrestricted free agent, Parise could have been approached by other NHL team with contract offers. The talented young player would have definitely had his pick of the litter.

Parise is coming off of an injured 2010-2011 NHL season. He injured his knee during off-season training, opting to play through the pain. Unfortunately hockey is a rough sport, and to his disliking, Parise missed the majority of the season due to exploratory arthroscopic surgery.

The winger broke into the NHL in the 2005-2006 season with the devils and posted a respectable 32 points in 81 games played. Over the next 4 seasons, Parise totaled 303 points in 326 games. His high, only to this point in his career, was 45 goals and 49 assists totaling 94 points in 82 games played. Simply put, Parise is the real deal.

As noted earlier, the Devils and Parise have avoided arbitration and have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract. In looking at this, the length of the contract, I do not believe Parise will play with the Devils beyond the 2011-2012 season. For Parise, this means that the upcoming NHL season is a season where he needs to not only prove his worth, but play to a caliber that would warrant a big contract. For you as a fan and a fantasy player, this means Parise is going to be putting up big points, upwards of 90+ points. So who might he rival next year? Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and yes, Alexander Ovechkin will return to the mix of scoring leaders. Oh, one more guy would be a healthy Sidney Crosby.

Parise has one more year as a Devil and he’s jumping ship. If you are sitting in the third to seventh spot in your draft, Parise would be a good option to take.

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The Not so Playoff Beard

Apr 23

Posted by EB in Soap Box | 1 Comment

With the regular season ending and playoffs starting, players have put down their razors in an attempt to carry on the tradition of the playoff beard. This tradition though is being challenged with the baby faced younger players within the NHL such as Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Patrick Kane. In an attempt to rival those of the young guns, I put my razor down and my facial hair to the test.

A little bit of history: The playoff beard began with the New York Islanders dynasty in the 80′s. Players would not be able to shave during the playoffs, not until they won the Stanley Cup or were knocked out of the playoffs. The beards were believed to bring good luck and the Islanders beards won them 4 consecutive Stanley Cups.

Today the NHL has seen a movement to younger players. With this movement, some players are not capable of growing the historical playoff beard, but instead are left to their own attempts and creativity. Here are my competitors:

Sidney Crosby attempted the playoff beard only to be ridiculed. Looking more like a scene from the movie Jackass, Sidney’s beard did bring him good fortune as the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009.

Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightining is in his first NHL playoff appearance. Looking more like a child of an elf and dwarf from Middle Earth, the beard has let him down. With only 1 assist, 5 shots and a -1 rating in 4 games; first rule of playoff bird history: if it is not working you may shave it off.

Patrick Kane acknowledged his inability to grow a beard and improvised with a playoff mullet. Not stopping there, Kane included 1990′s razor cut accents. It is nice to remember the good ‘ol days but mocking MC Hammer is never the thing to do.

So, after 10 days where do I stand? Looking more like Dr. Evil’s Sphynx cat with a few hairy patches , I have opted to take to my razor once again. For now, I swallow my pride, but maybe next year I can follow in Kane’s footsteps with the playoff mullet.

Have any playoff beard pictures you want to share? Send them to EB@hockeyworldblog.com and I’ll post them on the site.

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