Pens Nation

Bye Bye Blogspot....

2011-02-03T23:23:00.002-05:00

You may be redirected back to the blogspot site because of server lag... it shouldn't take too long.

Malkin Returns Tomorrow,Letestu Out 4-6 Weeks

2011-02-03T14:08:00.000-05:00

-Evgeni Malkin will be returning to the Penguins lineup tomorrow night for their game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Consol Energy Center. Malkin has missed the last five games because of a banged up knee as well as a sinus infection. Malkin will be expected to give the offense a big lift with Sidney Crosby still sidelined.

-It seems that every time we hear good news, bad news comes with it. Mark Letestu, coming off a strong season so far, will have to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery for a meniscus injury that he suffered in practice on Tuesday. He is expected to miss four to six weeks. Tough injury to have, but it will give Dustin Jeffrey a nice opportunity to show what he's got.

-The Sidney Crosby mystery continues as he will now temporarily leave the team to visit his parents. There is still no timetable for Crosby to return. He is suffering from a concussion. Arron Asham is listed as day to day, according to Dan Bylsma.

Game 52 Recap (2/2/2011)

2011-02-02T22:55:00.011-05:00

Game 52 of the season went out with a bang – literally – as Penguins goalie Brent Johnson met New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro in the Islanders zone and dropped the gloves in the dying minute of the game. The scrum would end with DiPietro on his back and Johnson earning his second shutout of the season. (The shutout is actually shared between the two goalies given that Fleury finished the game, but, let’s be honest, there were only sixteen seconds left when Fleury was sent in to guard the pipes. That was more than enough time for the Islanders to net at least one goal, but with the momentum the Pens had built up as a result of the scrum and Max Talbot’s empty-net-slump-breaking goal, it’s highly unlikely the Islanders would have capitalized on any chance they happened to get.) This is the second time in the last week and a half that the Penguins have shutout the Islanders.

The first goal of the evening came with 11:52 left on the clock in the first period as Tyler Kennedy, earning his ninth of the season, ripped a shot from the right of the face-off circle past DiPietro. (Apparently Kennedy and HCDB engaged in a heart-to-heart this morning during practice and it would appear that whatever was said in that conversation was just the fuel Kennedy needed to step up his game tonight. Here’s hoping it lasts. Oh, to have been a fly on the ice during that conversation…) A little over five minutes later, Chris Kunitz would slide a back hander past the Isles goaltender and the Penguins would end the first period up 2-0. The second period would remain goalless and the third and final goal of the game would come with 0:41 left on the clock. Max Talbot would score the 50^th goal of his career and earn his 100^th game point banking in on an empty net (and was there anyone on that ice who deserved it more? I think not – especially after the pinball action of an earlier shot whereby he was robbed by the goal posts!) Paul Martin would lead the team in assists, earning points on the first two Penguins goals.

It would not be the goal scoring that would be the highlight of the night, however, or even the eminent shutout. With 0:16 left on the clock, following some pushing and shoving around Penguins winger Matt Cooke, Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson left his crease, throwing down the gloves and tossing his helmet aside in an attempt to challenge Rick DiPietro. The Isles goaltender would go toe-to-toe with Johnson but would be knocked on his back with one impressive left hook. Both goalies would be ejected from the game. To quote Max Talbot, “If no one knew he [Johnson] was a lefty – in the league – they know now.” Johnson, according to the man himself, is in fact not a lefty but just pulled off “a lucky shot.” Whatever it was, there is almost a guarantee that the net-minder has earned himself a spot in Penguin folk-lore.

The victory tonight is the fourth in a row for the Pens who have won seven of their last eight. It was also home win number 18, which now gives the Pens the most home wins in the NHL. They were fortunate to learn that the NHL had rescinded the automatic one-game suspension of center Jordan Staal after he was ejected from Tuesday night’s game for delivering a gloved-punch to Rangers forward Brandon Prust. Had the league not rescinded the suspension, the Pens would have been without Staal, Crosby, Malkin, Letestu and Asham (and Comrie – he should get an honourable mention at the very least.) Asham is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury while Lestestu is waiting on the results of an MRI. Malkin is progressing well and could return to the line up on Friday. Crosby is continuing with his light workouts.

In the past 21 meetings with the Islanders at home, the Penguins have gone 17-2-2 and have gone 13-1-2 in the last sixteen alone. The Penguins penalty kill remains number one in the league.

The Penguins gear up to meet the Sabres on Friday night.

Three Stars of the Game:

1. Brent Johnson

2. Chris Kunitz

3. Max Talbot

As a special feature for this recap – given the epic spectacle that was tonight’s game – we would like to present you with the PensNation three stars of the game.

Andy's Three Stars of the Game:

1. Brent Johnson

2. Max Talbot

3. Paul Martin

Meg’s Three Stars of the Game:

1. Brent Johnson and his left fist

2. Max Talbot

3. Whomever edited BeeJ and DiPietro’s Wikipedia Pages.

Dan’s Three Stars:

1. Brent Johnson

2. Max Talbot

3. Tyler Kennedy

Honourable mention: Johnson’s fist.

Nick’s Three Stars:

1. Brent Johnson

2. Johnson’s Fist

3. Rick DiPietro’s Nose

Ashley’s Three Stars:

1. Brent Johnson’s wicked left hook.

2. Max Talbot (50^th career goal, 100^th career point and whole heck of a lot of swagger.)

3. Rick DiPietro’s goal posts (because, face it, without those posts, the goal differential would have been MUCH greater)

At least around here we can all agree that Brent Johnson was the star of the night!

Here's Johnnnnnnny! Beej vs. DiPietro

2011-02-02T22:14:00.001-05:00

It's almost a lock that DiPietro will be out for the remainder of the season after this fight... Seriously. Beej rocked his face and the dude is frag-eeel-eee.

After watching that fight, you have to wonder if he has ever taken a punch to the face... he looked waaaay too happy to throw down.

Gameday With Dan - New York Islanders

2011-02-02T14:16:00.003-05:00

When: 7:00pm
Where: Consol Energy Center
Watch it on: Versus, FSN
Listen on: 105.9 The X, pittsburghpenguins.com

News and Info: Eric Tangradi as been recalled from WB/S and will be in the lineup. The NHL reviewed Jordan Staals major penalty and he will not be suspended and will play tonight. Didn't we just play the Islanders?

Player to Watch: New York Islanders
PA Parenteau: On the season PA has 13 goals, 19 assists and 32 points. He played alongside Marc-Andre Fleury at the 2003 World Junior Championships. What the hell kind of name is PA anyway?

Player to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
Eric Tangradi: In his first game back in Pittsburgh this season, Big Dog will eat tonight against the Islanders. He has been on fire in the American League, representing the East and the WB/S Penguins at the All-Star Game. Rumor has it his wanted to be recalled because of the Steelers logo at center ice.

Islanders Lines: (Per Empty Netters)
Matt Moulson - John Tavares - PA Parenteau
Michael Grabner - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo
Blake Comeau - Josh Bailey - Jeremy Colliton
Matt Martin - Zenon Konopka - Rob Schremp

Andrew MacDonald - Travis Hamonic
Radek Martinek - Jack Hillen
Bruno Gervais - Dylan Reese
Rick DiPietro

Pens Lines: (Per. Empty Netters)
Chris Kunitz - Dustin Jeffrey - Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Mike Rupp - Maxime Talbot - Chris Conner
Eric Godard - Craig Adams - Arron Asham

Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek
Alex Goligoski - Deryk Engelland
Marc-Andre Fleury
Brent Johnson

This is the last Gameday post on Blogspot! It's been a short, but great ride! Danny Boy, out!

Go Pens!

Game 51 Recap (2/1/2011)

2011-02-01T23:34:00.010-05:00

For just the second time this season Penguins fans found themselves wondering just how many times the commentators on Versus were going to remind them that Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal and New York Rangers defenceman Marc Staal were brothers. (Admit it – it was a nice change in pace from being constantly reminded that the team remains without its captain.) In the end, it is very likely that fans on both sides lost count but after the final buzzer AND five minutes of sudden death overtime AND seven shootout attempts, Jordan would, once again, have yet another victory to bring to the family dinner table. (We won’t get into the fact that Jordan’s role in the victory was drastically reduced following a match penalty and subsequent game misconduct following a “scrap” with Rangers winger Brandon Prust – that is an entirely different subject on which opinions may vary.)

The Rangers were the first to get on the board, opening the scoring with 16:08 remaining in the first period as Brandon Prust banked in on a rebound. The Rangers would go on to score the second goal of the evening less than two minutes into the second period when Artem Anisimov picked up a mid-air pass from Brandon Dubinsky. The Pens would retaliate with three unanswered goals courtesy of Dustin Jeffrey (14:30), Mike Rupp (9:24) and Chris Kunitz (5:48) before Ryan Callahan (in his first game back after having missed 19) tied it up with twelve seconds remaining in the second. The third would see a lot of back and forth action, but both teams would be held scoreless. Following five minutes of sudden death over time, the game ended in a shootout with Dustin Jeffrey finally beating Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the seventh round as Marion Gaborik proved to be no match for Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Penguins were without center Mark Letestu who had moved up to replace Sidney Crosby on the top line, centering Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. Letestu left practice early this morning with a lower body injury and returned to Pittsburgh for further evaluation. Crosby remains sidelined with a “mild” concussion (although he has been cleared for light workouts) while center Evgeni Malkin continues to recover from a knee injury and a sinus infection. Winger Arron Asham left the game during the second period and is reported to have suffered from an upper body injury while center Jordan Staal was, as mentioned, given a game misconduct after coming to blows with Prust late in the second period. Staal may face a suspension (decision pending) but Malkin may return Wednesday night when the Penguins face the New York Islanders.

Prior to tonight’s game, Pittsburgh had owned the league’s top penalty-killing unit, having gone six consecutive games and ten out of the last eleven without allowing a power-play goal. They had been successful on 21 straight short-handed situations, 19 of which were faced on the road. (One has to wonder if the success of the penalty kill is directly related to the amount of time the team spends in the penalty box – then again this could very well be pointing out the obvious considering the increasing familiarity the team seems to be having with it *hint: that was a joke*.)

The Penguins return to Pittsburgh where they will face the New York Islanders for the second time in a week and a bit. Their last meeting occurred on January 25 and resulted in a 1-0 victory for the boys in black and Vegas gold.

Three Stars:

1. Dustin Jeffrey

2. Ryan Callahan

3. Chris Kunitz

For some, the jury is still out. I have my own opinions but for the sake of avoiding an uprising, I'll keep them to myself.

Gameday With Dan - New York Rangers

2011-02-01T14:13:00.002-05:00

When: 7:30pm
Where: Madison Square Garden (aka. The Dungeon)
Watch it on: FSN
Listen on: 105.9 The X, PittsburghPenguins.com

News and Information: Evgeni Malkin made the trip but will not play tonight, Mark Letestu suffered a lower body injury in the morning skate when his foot got stuck in a rut on the ice. He has been flown back to Pittsburgh. Eric Godard will dress tonight, as will Dustin Jeffery

Player to Watch: New York Rangers
Mats Zuccarello-Asen: After playing for Norway in this past Olympics, he is now piling up the points for the Blueshi(r)ts. On the season he has 3 goals along with 8 assists for 11 points. Look for him to possibly make an impact in a mostly AHL game tonight.

Player to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
They're all on the F***ing IR!

NYR's Lines (Per. Empty Netters)
Sean Avery - Artem Anisimov - Marian Gaborik
Wojtek Wolski - Derek Stepan - Ryan Callahan
Mats Zuccarello - Brian Boyle - Brandon Prust
Evgeny Grachev - Kris Newbury - Chris Drury

Marc Staal - Michael Sauer
Ryan McDonagh - Matt Gilroy
Michael Del Zotto - Steve Eminger
Henrik Lundquist

Pens' Lines (Per. Empty Netters)
Chris Kunitz - (no idea) - Pascal Dupuis
Tyler Kennedy - Jordan Staal - Eric Godard
Mike Rupp - Maxime Talbot - Chris Conner
Craig Adams - Dustin Jeffrey - Arron Asham

Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek
Alex Goligoski - Ben Lovejoy/Derek Engelland
Marc-Andre Fleury

Go Pens!

Around the NHL- Week 18

2011-02-01T11:12:00.001-05:00

Who Stole the Cookies From the Cookie Jar?

Last season the Chicago Blackhawks came away as the Stanley Cup champions after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in six games, to the relief of many Penguins fans. Buffalo native (yeah!) Patrick Kane scored the (rather odd) game-winning goal in overtime for the Hawks. The puck that Kane scored the goal with has been missing ever since.

A Chicago businessman, Grant DePorter, CEO of Harry Caray's, has offered a $50,000 reward for finding the puck that gave Chicago its first Stanley Cup win since 1961. The FBI is also involved in the search.

From what I've been able to gather, the only "person of interest" in the investigation is Chris Pronger.

Versus Viewership (ASG)

Versus set a new viewership record for the 2011 All-Star Game. It was the most watched ASG in Versus history, averaging 1.5 million viewers, earning as many as 2 million viewers around 7:00 pm. Overall viewership was up 36%. Whether you loved or hated the new format, it accomplished what it was supposed to.

Malkin Practices

Evgeni Malkin took part in practice with the Penguins yesterday. While he will not play tonight against the Rangers, Geno will make the trip to New York with his teammates said that his knee is feeling much better. There is still no timetable for his return but he remains listed as day to day.

Meanwhile, Dustin Jeffrey has been recalled from the Baby Pens for tonight's game.

Speaking of the Rangers...

Malkin was not the only one who benefitted from the extra rest the All-Star Game offered. The Rangers are set to see a slew of injured players return to the lineup this week.

Alternate captain Ryan Callahan is set to return against the Penguins tonight. There is a chance that Brandon Dubinsky may be back for the Blueshirts as well; his status right now is "possible". He was one of 13 Rangers who took part in this morning's optional skate and his x-rays looked good.

Vinny Prospal and Erik Christensen will miss Tuesday's game, but they will be back this week. Prospal could return as early as Thursday and Christensen by Saturday. Ruslan Fedotenko, on the other hand, will miss roughly 10 more days before he can play again.

TooToo is Clean and Clear

Predators forward Jordin Tootoo has not taken part in a game or practice in December 27th. That was the day that Tootoo voluntarily entered both substance abuse and behavioral health programs.

After missing more than a month of action, Tootoo has been cleared by the NHL and the NHLPA to begin practicing again. He will continue to undergo outpatient care while practicing, but has not been cleared to play in games or travel with his teammates on road trips.

Tootoo, who is not allowed to state why he sought help, is grateful for all the support he's received throughout treatment:

"With the support I've gotten from my teammates, my family, the fans of Nashville, it has been unbelievable. Without their support, I probably couldn't have done it. I think the bottom line is it's something I needed to do and at the same time, I'm just happy to be back and thankful."

Future Shot-Blockers?

Congratulations to Devils' defenseman Anton Volchenkov, who's wife is due to give birth to twins in a little less than a month's time!

Volchenkov and his wife already have a son, but apparently he wants a large family so the twins could only be the beginning...

Tampa Bay's New Unis

The Lightning released their new uniforms and logo yesterday afternoon. Thoughts?

CBC Poll Results

2011-01-31T18:50:00.007-05:00

Hockey Night in Canada and the NHLPA polled over 300 NHL players about a variety of topics, ranging from which rink had the best ice to whether fighting should be banned in the NHL. The poll yielded some interesting results and the Penguins as a whole did very well.

There were five categories: Arenas/Teams, Coaches, On-Ice Topics, Player Opinions and Skills. The full results can be found here, on CBC's website, but I wanted to take some time for a little more in-depth look at some of the results in all five categories.

Arenas/Teams- No Real Surprises Here

Canadian teams' rinks have the best ice. Southern teams have the worst. Everyone wants to play for Detroit. No one wants to play for the Islanders. Nothing out of the ordinary here. The only thing that some found to be remotely surprising is that the Sabres made the list in teams that players would least like to play for. After all, they were a playoff team last year and are still in the postseason hunt for the second half of this season.

However, as someone who grew up only an hour away from Buffalo, I can tell you that this result isn't surprising. It's not about the caliber of the team. It's about the city itself. Buffalo is a generally depressing city, the weather would make even Gary Roberts cry, and nothing happens there. Brooks Orpik and Patrick Kane would tell you the same. No one wants to live in Buffalo.

One of my professors even said last week that there's nothing to do in Buffalo except cry, drink, and beat up Canadians. Not necessarily in that order. (Her words, not mine. I love her classes though.)

Coaches- Blame HBO

This category, on the other hand, had lots of good stuff. I was pleasantly surprised to find our own Disco Dan voted as the coach that players would most like to play for. Given how well Bylsma came across on "24/7", maybe I shouldn't be surprised. I discussed this briefly with my editor at Chicks Who Give A Puck and she said that she personally thought Bylsma was the star of the show and that everyone she talked to agreed. She also pointed out to me that for West Coast fans like herself, it was really the first up-close look at Bylsma that they'd ever gotten because the Penguins don't play West Coast teams very frequently. It's not unrealistic to think that many NHL players tuned into "24/7" and that West Coast players who did so thought the same.

It was also interesting to note that Bruce Boudreau was voted the coach that players thought was easiest to play for (f-bombs notwithstanding). Bylsma and Dave Tippett also made this list, yet they both were on the list of coaches that players would most like to play for. Boudreau was not. Bylsma and Mike Babcock were also on the list of coaches that demand most from their players, but Babcock joined Bylsma on the list of coaches players would most like to play for. John Tortorella, to no one's surprise, was voted the most demanding coach and was also one of the coaches players would least like to play for.

The moral of the story here? The most popular coaches can be demanding and/or easy to play for, as long as they aren't too extreme in either direction. Balance is key. As is not wanting Häagen-Dazs at ten in the morning.

On-Ice Topics- Say What?

As CBC noted, this category had the question with probably the most surprising result. It's been thought that players want to do their own "policing". We all assumed that the current instigator rule, which was established in 1992, was unpopular. That cheap shots are becoming more common because cheap shot artists don't have to worry so much about answering to enforcers. Even my dad, who is not a frequent hockey viewer, said he remembered back in the day when no one would dare take a run at a team's superstars because of guys like Bob Probart and Dave Brown. We all thought that, when asked, players would want to get rid of the instigator rule.

We thought wrong.

The players were asked if they thought the instigator rule should be abolished. A large majority (66%) said no. I'd like to see CBC go further with this question and ask players not just if they think the rule should be kept or abolished, but why they think so. It would be very interesting to find out exactly why so many players answered the way they did. Also, Sean Avery needs to be forced to answer this question. I would pay money to read his response.

Player Opinions- Everybody Loves Sidney

It's no surprise, considering how dominant a season he was having before his concussion, that Sidney Crosby faired well in these categories. Crosby was voted the toughest forward to play against, the best active player to start a franchise around, and the best role model. He won the player to start a franchise around question by capturing an overwhelming margin, capturing 69% of the votes. In second place? Nik Lidstrom...at 6%. I normally don't put too much faith in statistics but that one doesn't lie.

I also found it hilarious that 15% of players voted no one as the best NHL referee, which ended up in the top spot. I guess players like the refs as much as fans do. Yet another reason why I would never want to be a referee in any sport. It seems like a very thankless job.

Skills- More Dominance From Sid

Once again, Crosby did very well in these categories. He was voted toughest player to play against and the smartest player, and second best skater, most difficult player to stop, and most difficult player to take the puck off of.

I thought CBC made a good point about the toughest player to play against question. Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk and Zdeno Chara were the top three in this category (Datsyuk and Chara tied for second) but they're all tough to play against for different reasons. They're all highly skilled players and are among, if not the, best at their respective positions, but they all excel at different aspects of the game. CBC speculates that players may have varied definitions of "toughness", which is a distinct possibility. It can't be denied that Pavel Datsyuk and Zdeno Chara have very different kinds of toughness. For example, it is almost impossible to knock Datsyuk off a puck. Chara, on the other hand, is almost impossible to knock over.

As CBC also pointed out, Ovechkin was top five in four categories, but first in only one of them (which player is most difficult to stop, for goalies only). Crosby, on the other hand, is top five in ten categories and only in one of those categories is he not in the top two. Hmmm.

Gameday With Dan - NHL All-Star Game

2011-01-30T13:31:00.002-05:00

When: 4:00pm
Where: RBC Center
Watch it on: Versus
Listen on: pittsburghpenguins.com

News and Information: Tonight will be the first All-Star game not using the East/West or North America/World format. People in North Carolina only care because NASCAR is in the off-season.

Player to Watch: Team Lidstrom
Marc-Andre Fleury: While he'll only play one period, he will make an impact as he will try to tame the firepower that is the ASG. That's really all I can say about a goalie in an offensive game.

Player to Watch: Team Staal
Jeff Skinner: He is in his first season, and first ASG (only because Sid and Geno are out), he will be good in this game. This game means nothing after all.

No idea on the lines, its a flipping ASG!

Go Fleury! Go Letang!

Gameday With Dan - NHL SuperSkills Competition

2011-01-29T15:34:00.003-05:00

When: 7:00pm
Where: RBC Center
Watch it on: Versus

News and Information: Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang will be on opposite teams for tonights competition and tomorrow game. Each team's rookie group will also take part.

Player to Watch: Team Staal
Alex Ovechkin: As much as it hurts me to say, keep a watchful eye on Ovie tonight. He is the defending Breakaway Challenge winner (with help from Malkin). Look for more from the man in the spotlight in NASCAR country tonight.

Player to Watch: Team Lidstrom
Marc-Andre Fleury: In his first All-Star game, look for Flower to come up big in the goalie challenges as well as in tomorrow nights game. He is the one of the two best goalies in Carolina this weekend.

SuperSkills Events: (From NHL.com)
Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater
BlackBerry NHL Breakaway Challenge
McDonald's NHL Accuracy Shooting
G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay
XM NHL Hardest Shot
Discover NHL Elimination Shootout

Event Participants: (From NHL.com
Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater - Order determined on the ice

Team Staal
Michael Grabner – New York Islanders
Mike Green – Washington Capitals
Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks
Ryan Kesler – Vancouver Canucks
Marc Staal – New York Rangers
Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins

Team Lidstrom
Duncan Keith – Chicago Blackhawks
Taylor Hall – Edmonton Oilers
Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche
Martin St. Louis – Tampa Bay Lightning
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning
Keith Yandle – Phoenix Coyotes

BlackBerry NHL Breakaway Challenge

Team Staal
P.K. Subban – Montreal Canadiens
Corey Perry – Anaheim Ducks
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals

Team Lidstrom
Evgeny Dadonov – Florida Panthers
Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
Henrik Sedin – Vancouver Canucks

McDonald's NHL Accuracy Shooting - Order determined on the ice

Team Staal
Rick Nash – Columbus Blue Jackets
Daniel Sedin – Vancouver Canucks
Eric Staal – Carolina Hurricanes
Logan Couture – San Jose Sharks
Patrik Elias – New Jersey Devils
Ryan Kesler – Vancouver Canucks
Passer: Dan Boyle – San Jose Sharks
Passer: Paul Stastny – Colorado Avalanche

Team Lidstrom
Brad Richards – Dallas Stars
Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs
Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks
Martin Havlat – Minnesota Wild
Derek Stepan – New York Rangers
Passer: Nicklas Lidstrom – Red Wings
Passer: Danny Briere – Philadelphia Flyers

G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay

Team Staal
Group 1
Zdeno Chara – Boston Bruins
Eric Staal – Carolina Hurricanes
Daniel Sedin – Vancouver Canucks
Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
Dan Boyle – San Jose Sharks
Tyler Ennis – Buffalo Sabres
Paul Stastny – Colorado Avalanche
Corey Perry – Anaheim Ducks

Group 2
Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
Mike Green – Washington Capitals
Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
Patrik Elias – New Jersey Devils
Jamie McBain – Carolina Hurricanes
David Backes – St. Louis Blues
Marc Staal – New York Rangers
Jeff Skinner – Carolina Hurricanes

Team Lidstrom
Group 1
Nicklas Lidstrom – Detroit Red Wings
Brad Richards – Dallas Stars
Loui Eriksson – Dallas Stars
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Phoenix Coyotes
Henrik Sedin – Vancouver Canucks
Martin St. Louis – Tampa Bay Lightning
Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks

Group 2
Shea Weber – Nashville Predators
Dustin Byfuglien – Atlanta Thrashers
Phil Kessel – Toronto Maple Leafs
Keith Yandle – Phoenix Coyotes
Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
Martin Havlat – Minnesota Wild
Kevin Shattenkirk – Colorado Avalanche
Danny Briere – Philadelphia Flyers

XM NHL Hardest Shot - Order determined on the ice

Team Staal
Zdeno Chara – Boston Bruins
Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
David Backes – St. Louis Blues
Tyler Seguin – Boston Bruins
Rick Nash – Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrick Sharp – Chicago Blackhawks

Team Lidstrom
Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning
Dustin Byfuglien – Atlanta Thrashers
Brent Burns - Minnesota Wild
Shea Weber – Nashville Predators
Cam Fowler – Anaheim Ducks

Discover NHL Elimination Shootout
Team Staal vs. Team Lindstrom

Go Letang! Go Fleury! Subban Sucks.

NHL All-Star Draft Results

2011-01-29T01:07:00.002-05:00


Capt.	F. Eric Staal	D Nicklas Lidstrom

Alt.	D Mike Green	F Martin St. Louis

Alt.	F Ryan Kesler	F Patrick Kane

1	G Cam Ward	F Steven Stamkos

2	F Alex Ovechkin	D Duncan Keith

3	F Daniel Sedin	F Henrik Sedin

4	D Zdeno Chara	D Shea Weber

5	F Rick Nash	G Tim Thomas

6	G Henrik Lundqvist	F Danny Briere

7	D Marc Staal	D Dustin Byfuglien

8	F Patrick Sharp	F Jonathan Toews

9	D Dan Boyle	G Marc-Andre Fleury

10	G Carey Price	G Jonas Hiller

11	F Jeff Skinner	F Brad Richards

12	D Kris Letang	D Keith Yandle

13	F Claude Giroux	D Brett Burns

14	D Erik Karlsson	F Martin Havlat

15	F Corey Perry	F Anze Kopitar

16	F Patrik Elias	F Matt Duchene

17	F David Backes	F Loui Eriksson

18	F Paul Stastny	F Phil Kessel

(More after the jump...)

Story Lines

For a non-competitive game, this All Star Game has a few fun story lines. Teammates are pitted against each other for the first time in many cases.

Letang vs. Fleury will be an exciting matchup for Pens fans to watch. You know that Flower will be doing some trash talking.

Former teammates reunited and it feels so good...

Current Blackhawks Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith will be playing on Team Lidstrom with former teammates, Dustin Byfuglien and Martin Havlat.

Dallas Stars forward, Brad Richards will also be reunited with former longtime teammate Martin St. Louis. Those two played together in Tampa Bay from 2000-2008.

Separated at Birth.... (errrr, I mean) Draft.

Vancouver Canucks forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin will be playing on separate teams for the first time since the womb.

Mr. Irrelevant

Phil Kessel was picked last overall... but it wasn't all bad news for Kessel as he received a Honda car and $20,000 for his favorite charity... I wonder if Brian Burke will trade the Honda for draft picks?

Crosby Progresses; Resumes Workouts.

2011-01-28T17:09:00.001-05:00

Penguins' fans get some long awaited good news regarding Captain, Sidney Crosby this afternoon. Crosby has begun to work out and do rehab for the first time since being sidelined on January 5th with concussion symptoms.

Until now Crosby has not been permitted to take part in any physical activity since the being diagnosed. However, he will need to remain symptom-free in order to rejoin his teammates at practice after the All Star Break.

A healthy Crosby is definitely one of the Penguins highest priorities. Don't expect Crosby to resume practice with his teammates until he has been reevaluated and is symptom free.

Crosby has been sidelined for nine games and his NHL goal scoring lead and points lead has been overtaken by Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos. Don't get too comfortable, Steve.

Gameday With Dan - NHL All-Star Draft

2011-01-28T15:12:00.003-05:00

When: 8:00pm
Where: RBC Center
Watch it on: Versus

News: Tonight is the first ever fantasy draft to determine the teams for Sunday's NHL All-Star Game and Saturday's NHL SuperSkills. Both Team Staal and Team Lidstrom will have 15 rounds to select they're players. This means, of course, that Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury could end up on opposing teams. Team Staal will wear home Red jerseys while Team Lidstrom will wear Away Blue.

I'm opening a twitter contest out to our readers on this draft:

1. Get a twitter account if you don't have one
2. Send your prediction on the FIRST PICK of the draft to @PGHPensNation as follows...

The winner will recieve a iPod Touch Pittsburgh Penguins theme (pictured below)

Go Staal!

NHL Trade Deadline Nearly A Month Away

2011-01-27T15:39:00.005-05:00

UPDATE: Islanders RW Matt Moulson has signed a three year extension worth $3.1 million per season with the Islanders. He was apparently a player that the Penguins may have targeted at the trade deadline. Also, Alex Semin signed a one year deal with the Capitals worth $6.7 million
-The NHL trade deadline will be officially a month away tomorrow at 3 PM. The deadline is set for 3 PM on February 28, 2011. For some teams, it is like Christmas, but for others, it's a fire sale. The Penguins obviously will not be having a fire sale after recording 66 points in the first fifty games of the season. That puts them in second place in the Atlantic division, five points behind Philadelphia. The Penguins are expected to be in trade talks for a scoring winger once again this year. The Fourth Period listed the Penguins being interested in the following players:

LW Alex Tanguay, Flames
Tanguay has already passed his goal total from last season when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. His best season came in 2006-07 when he scored 22 goals and recorded 81 points. With a relatively low contract, Tanguay can't be ruled out. Stats in 2010-11: 12 Goals, 25 Assists, 37 Pts, -4. Cap Hit: $1.7 million
LW Jarkko Ruutu, Senators
Ruutu spent 2006-07 and 2007-08 with the Penguins and was a fan favorite because of his ability to enforce. He has had over 100 penalty minutes the last six seasons.
Stats in 2010-11: 2 Goals, 7 Assists, 9 Pts, -1, 55 PIM. Cap Hit: $1.3 million

Of the Penguin players that have been linked to trade talk, Alex Goligoski is one name that has been speculated as a player being on the move. However, TIOPS reported yesterday that he is an untouchable and will not be traded this season. That really does not mean anything, since it is not the best source to say the least. The 25 year old defenseman is enjoying his best season in the NHL so far scoring nine goals and recording 26 points in 50 games played. His 21 plus-minus rating is ranked seventh in the NHL. Although his value is high, he has a low cap hit of $1.5 million this season. Stay tuned for the latest trade rumors here on Pens Nation!

Game 50 Recap (1/25/2011)

2011-01-25T22:10:00.008-05:00

A 1-0 victory over the New York Islanders gave Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury his 18^th career shutout, bringing his numbers to 22-5-2 in his last 29. Those are impressive stats if one considers the rocky start to the season for the Penguins number one net-minder. However, watching his performance tonight there is absolutely no doubt surrounding his selection to the All-Star festivities taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina this weekend. Flower, it would appear, will always come up roses. (Yes, it is another terrible pun!)

After a scoreless first period and an equally goalless second period, Craig Adams would get the first of the night with 11:24 remaining in regulation. It would be the only goal of the evening with assists going to both Dustin Jeffrey and Arron Asham. It was Adams third of the season. The Penguins outshot the Islanders 31 to 29, registering 14 shots on goal in the second period. Maxime Talbot and Kris Letang led the team with shots on goal, registering five a piece.

For only the third time since the 2006-07 season, the Penguins were without both Crosby and Malkin (hey – if every other media source can remind you of this, why should we be any different?) and are now 5-3-1 without Sid and 2-1 without he and Geno. The Penguins penalty kill remains number one in the league having successfully killed off 37 of the last 39, including three tonight. Tonight’s victory marks the Pens tenth consecutive win against the Islanders at home since December 21, 2007. (Pittsburgh is now 25-8-6 against the Islanders since the 2004-05 lockout.)

After a week off, the Penguins will return to regular-scheduled play when they face the New York Rangers next Tuesday in New York before returning home to meet the Islanders once again. We wish Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang all the best this weekend in Raleigh where they will represent the team at the All-Star Game. As for the rest of the guys, they are headed for a much deserved week of rest and relaxation.

Three Stars:

1. Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Kevin Poulin
3. Craig Adams

(I know - a less than thrilling recap - next one will be better.)

Gameday with Dan - New York Islanders

2011-01-25T13:49:00.004-05:00

When: 7:00pm
Where: Consol Energy Center (I'll be there)

News and Information: Both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby will miss the "All-Star" game. Cooke, Kunitz, Letang will all play tonight.

Player to Watch: NY Islanders
Matt Moulson: He has been the Penguins killer as of late against Pittsburgh, he has also been carrying the Isles offense the last three games. He has 17 goals and 29 points, which is second on the team. His last name is also a beer in Canada..wooo!

Player to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
Pascal Dupuis: He scored the game winner against Carolina on Saturday. He is picking up the slack for Sidney Crosby in the last two games with 2 goals and 1 assist. His speed will also play a part in tonight's game.

Islanders' Lines
Matt Moulson - John Tavares - PA Parenteau
Michael Grabner - Frans Nielsen - Kyle Okposo
Blake Comeau - Rob Schremp - Josh Bailey
Matt Martin - Zenon Konopka - Jeremy Colliton

Andrew MacDonald - Travis Hamonic
Radek Martinek - Jack Hillen
Dylan Reese - Bruno Gervais
Rick DiPietro

Pens' Lines
Matt Cooke - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Chris Kunitz - Mark Letestu - Pascal Dupuis
Mike Rupp - Maxime Talbot - Chris Conner
Craig Adams - Dustin Jeffrey - Arron Asham

Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek
Alex Goligoski - Ben Lovejoy/Derek Engelland
Marc-Andre Fleury

Go Pens!

Game 49 Recap (1/22/2011)

2011-01-22T22:40:00.006-05:00

The first relevant battle of the Staal brothers this season for Pens fans resulted in yet another victory for Jordan to bring to the dinner table next week when the family re-unites in North Carolina for the All-Star Game. (Come on, did you seriously think I’d dodge the “Staals are Brothers” reference following tonight’s game? And yes, while Jordan will not be participating you can bet he'll in Raleigh cheering on - and possibly antagonizing - his older brothers.) The Penguins held on to a one goal lead late in the third period and emerged victorious as they rallied over Carolina 3-2.

After a scoreless first period, it appeared that the Hurricanes would be the first to go on the board when right-winger Erik Cole blasted a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury. However, the shot was deflected by the crossbar, prompting Flower to pat the bar down in appreciation. Less than a minute later, Dustin Jefferey opened the scoring with a rocket of a shot, banking his second of the season with 2:58 remaining in the period. The goal came as the result of a four-on-four situation; the result of an interference call on the Canes Jamie McBain and a goaltender-interference call on Chris Conner.

The third period would see an increase in scoring action from both teams. The second goal of the night came from Mark Lestestu who picked up a pass from Chris Kunitz and banked it over a diving Cam Ward. (17:38) (It was a nice change of pace to see the boys make something of the power play – that is, to see it used as something more than passing practice.) Five minutes later (12:32), Pascal Dupuis would score a short-handed goal, bringing the game to 3-0 in favour of the Penguins.

The Hurricanes, however, were not quite done. With 4:25 remaining in regulation, Carolina’s Sergei Samsanov put the Canes on the board ending yet another shutout bid for Fleury. (Don’t worry Marc, you’re bound to get another one sooner or later.) Eric Staal would score the second goal for Carolina with 0:57 left on the clock as the Canes held a six-on-five advantage having pulled Ward in favour of the extra-attacker. Despite some intense seconds as the clock wound down and a lot of traffic in front of Fleury, the Pens managed to hold on to the lead.

For only the second time since 2006-07, the Pens were without superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and while they are no doubt missed by fans and teammates alike, their absence has provided a wonderful opportunity for Jordan Staal to show his quality as a leader and an asset to the team. As some of my fellow PensNation writers and I have discussed (I’m looking at you, Meg) you’d never know Staal’s return was but three short weeks ago. It would appear as though we can expect nothing but good things from Jordan during the second half of the season.

The Penguins outshot the Hurricanes 31 to 26 with five of the Canes shots registered in the last five minutes of the game (which undoubtedly resulted in some anxiety given the previous two occasions whereby they’ve given up two-goal leads late in the period resulting in last-minute losses.) The victory brings Marc-Andre Fleury to 21-5-2 in his last 28 and denied the Hurricanes of their 1000th franchise victory. (Sorry Eric but we were rooting for Jordan.) In addition, tonight’s win was number 95 for our very own HCDB. The win ties Bylsma with Scotty Bowman for third in all-time wins for Penguins coaches. Congrats Disco!

The Penguins have improved to 11-2 against teams from the South East Division.

The Penguins will face the New York Islanders Tuesday night in Pittsburgh before breaking for next weekend’s All-Star Game.

Three Stars:
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Jordan Staal
3. Eric Staal

Gameday With Dan - Carolina Hurricanes

2011-01-22T11:34:00.002-05:00

When: 7:00pm
Where: Consol Energy Center

News and Information: Pittsburgh will be without Crosby and Malkin for the second straight game. Pittsburgh will be wearing the blue thirds tonight. Malkin also has a sinus infection. The Staals are brothers.

Player to Watch: Carolina Hurricanes
Eric Staal: He currently has 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points on the season. His style of play will be handy against a Pens team hurt by injuries. He has also been named a captain of his all-star team along with Nick Lidstrom on Jan 30th at RBC Center.

Player to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
Chris Kunitz: Without Crosby, Kunitz has been one of the Pens better players recently. He was riding a three-game goal streak before the Pens loss to New Jersey. Pittsburgh is 10-2-1 when Kunitz puts the biscuit in the basket.

Hurricanes' Lines
Sergei Samsonov - Eric Staal - Erik Cole
Jeff Skinner - Tuomo Ruutu - Chad LaRose
Jussi Jokinen - Brent Sutter - Patrick Dwyer
Jiri Tlusty - Ryan Carter - Troy Bodie

Tim Gleason - Joe Corvo
Joni Pitkanen - Andrew McBain
Jay Harrison - Ian White
Cam Ward

Pens' Lines
Matt Cooke - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Chris Kunitz - Mark Letestu - Pascal Dupuis
Mike Rupp - Maxime Talbot - Chris Conner
Craig Adams - Dustin Jeffrey - Arron Asham

Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang
Paul Martin - Zbynek Michalek
Alex Goligoski - Ben Lovejoy
Marc-Andre Fleury

"Whoops"

The Islanders Finally Beat the Red Wings at Something

2011-01-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

Nabby Claimed Off of Waivers

Nabokov left the KHL about a month ago, wanting to play again in the NHL. Instead, as things stand right now, he'll be playing for the Islanders. Nabby had signed a one-year, $570,000 contract with the banged-up Red Wings. It was a win-win situation: the Red Wings will be without goalie Chris Osgood for another six weeks or so and at age 35, Nabby is a spring chicken by Detroit standards. Nabokov would once again get to play in the NHL and for a contending team. Everyone's happy and all the hockey fans got to point out the irony of Nabokov being claimed by the Red Wings, who he helped beat in the playoffs as a member of the Sharks last year, while the Sharks, who were beaten in the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, signed Antti Niemi, who helped Chicago beat San Jose.

There was only one little snag- Nabby had to clear waivers before he could play for Detroit, which meant that another team had a chance to claim him. That team ended up being the Islanders, so no playoffs for Nabokov this year. But look on the bright side Nabby- you said you wanted to play for a team where you had a chance to contend for the starting job, and since Rick DiPietro will soon be our for the season when he inevitably tears his groin by stepping onto the ice for practice, your wish will come true.

Reminder- Nabokov cannot be assigned to the AHL because he was signed after December 15. Also, if the Isles want to trade him (as there has ALREADY been talk of), he would have to clear waivers again, which would just give another team a chance to snatch him up without giving up anything, so I think it's highly unlikely. But we'll see.

As If the Avs Weren't Banged Up Enough Already...

Forward Tomas Fleischmann's first season in Colorado has come to an abrupt and unfortunate end. Flash will miss the rest of the 2010-11 season with a pulmonary emboli. He will have to be on blood thinners for several months.

Losing Flash is a big blow to the Avs and not just because they're rivaling Detroit for most injured team in the NHL. Fleischmann, who was traded to Colorado from Washington earlier this season, had tallied 21 points in 22 games with the Avalanche. Any team in the NHL would miss that kind of production from their lineup.

Best of luck to Flash on his recovery.

Speaking of the Avs

Peter Forsberg has apparently decided he wants to take Chris Chelios' title as "Brett Favre of the NHL" (minus the dong pictures, of course) and is going to practice with the Avalanche starting today. He says that he wants to see what kind of physical shape he is in and what better way to do so than by practicing with actual NHL players?

At least he's practicing with his old team so his comeback isn't going to be with a division rival like the Canucks or the Wild or the Vikings or anything. (See what I did there?)

All-Star Alternate Captains Named

Patrick Kane, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Kesler, and Mike Green were named alternate captains for the All-Star game. Kesler and Green will the alternates if Eric Staal is unable to play, and Kane and St. Louis will be the alternates for Nicklas Lidstrom.

I know a lot of Penguins fans are either confused or laughing until they cry over Mike Green being named an All-Star, much less an alternate captain. Don't worry, fellow Pens fans- the All-Star game means about as much as the Presidents' Trophy. And we all saw how well that worked out for the Caps last year.

Game 48 Recap (1/20/2011)

2011-01-20T23:36:00.017-05:00

Bear with me everyone - this is the first one of these I have done in a long time. I have a tendency to be rational and sarcastic when it comes to hockey and what better way to begin one's affiliation with PensNation than with a game like tonight's!

Veteran goalie Martin Brodeur continued to add to his impressive resume of career shut-outs, capturing number 114 as the Devils downed the Penguins 2-0 in New Jersey.

The Devils first goal came less than two minutes into the first period (1:22) when Brian Rolston ripped a slap shot past goalie Brent Johnson. The only other goal of the game came less than eight minutes later (9:51) after former-Devil-turned-Penguin defenseman Paul Martin banked a shot off the boards which was intercepted by Nick Palmieri . The rookie had no problem beating Johnson with a backhander, bringing the score to 2-0 where it would remain for the rest of the game. (If we must find a sliver lining, at least the goal disparity didn’t get any greater. I’m trying to be optimistic here!)

The loss snapped a three game winning streak for the Penguins who were without both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the first time since the 2006-2007 season (because, hey, hearing it one hundred times today just wasn’t enough.) It also ended a three-game scoring streak for the recently-returned Jordan Staal.

The Penguins seemed to come alive as the game wound down, outshooting the Devils 10 to 3 in the third period and overall 23 to 20, but the last minute push just wasn’t enough.

Perhaps one of the biggest stars of the game (all personal biases aside of course) came in the form of fan favourite Maxime Talbot. Talbot, who played with his hockey-heart on his jersey sleeve (excuse the bad pun) won 90% of his face-offs and led the team in penalty minutes on some questionable goalie-interference calls and one fighting major. (Someone once told me officiating was all about perspective but sometimes you really do have to wonder exactly where that perspective is coming from.) Interestingly enough, Matt Cooke was given a free pass after engaging in a shoving match with Brodeur late in the second period. I’m sure I wasn’t the only fan in PensNation who found this slightly amusing. Face it – in any other game he’d have been called simply for being Matt Cooke.

The Penguins penalty kill still remains ranked as one of the highest in the league with the team having successfully killed off 21 straight road-game penalties including the four faced tonight.

You can bet the boys will be looking to rebound on Saturday when they meet the Hurricanes on home ice at the Consol Energy Center. This game will mark the first time this season that brothers Eric Staal and Jordan Staal meet on the ice. *Cue Staals are Brothers!*

Three Stars of the Game:

Martin Brodeur
Brian Rolston
Nick Palmieri

Gameday- New Jersey Devils

2011-01-20T14:21:00.011-05:00

When: 7:00 pm

Where: Prudential Center

Storyline:

Despite the Devils residing in the NHL's basement, they have been playing much better of late and have won three of their four last games, earning points in all of them. (Their only loss was in OT to Florida.) They have also scored 18 goals in those four games, with 11 different players chipping in offensively. Goalie Martin Brodeur has benefitted from a higher level of play and is 3-0-1 in his last four starts. He will get the start in net tonight for the Devils.

The Penguins, of course, will be missing both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin due to injury; the first game in 437 games where they have not had one or the other in the lineup (counting the playoffs). The last time both were missing in action was February 2nd, 2006, with Crosby hurt and Malkin not yet a member of the team. The Penguins lost that game to the Senators, 7-2. Let's hope history does not repeat itself.

A win for the Penguins tonight would see Dan Bylsma tie Scotty Bowman for third all-time in coaching wins with 95. Eddie Johnston (232) and Michel Therrien (135) are the only coaches in Penguins history who have more wins than Bowman.

Player to Watch: New Jersey Devils

Patrick Elias. The lone All-Star for the Devils is on a bit of hot streak, with eight points in his last eight games (3G, 5A). Elias has 57 points (22G, 35A) in 66 games against the Penguins, making him the franchise's all-time leading scorer against Pittsburgh. That's as good a reason as any to keep an eye on him.

Player to Watch: Pittsburgh Penguins

Dustin Jeffrey. The call-up from WBS with Crosby and Malkin hurt, this is his big chance to prove once and for all that he is a top-6 caliber NHL player. Jeffrey will get time on the top line as well as on the second PP unit. This could very well be a defining game for him.

Devils Lines:

Kovalchuk-Zajac-Palmieri

Rolston-Elias-Zubrus

Zharkov-Arnott-Tedenby

Pelley-Sestito-Clarkson

White-Greene

Volchenkov-Fraser

Tallinder-Fayne

Brodeur

Penguins Lines:

Kunitz-Jeffrey-Dupuis

Cooke-Staal-Kennedy

Rupp-Talbot-Conner

Adams-Letestu-Asham

Letang-Orpik

Martin-Michalek

Goligoski-Engelland/Lovejoy

Johnson

Chris Kunitz has scored more goals than Ilya Kovalchuk at about 1/1000th of his cost. Go Pens.

Once Again, the St. Louis Blues Have Been Screwed Over By the Waiver Wire

2011-01-19T12:50:00.003-05:00

Let the Fat Jokes and Bad Puns Commence!

The Sharks have been one of the most surprising teams in the NHL this year. They’ve been a playoff regular and Cup favorite for the past few seasons, but have been hovering near the bottom of the Pacific Division all year. In an attempt to add some, uh, grit to the lineup, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson sent a fifth round pick to the Thrashers for Ben Eager. (I will not make a bad eager pun, I will not make a bad eager pun, I will not make a bad eager pun…)

Wilson also decided to join in the “everyone steal from the Blues” party and snatched up (not literally of course, otherwise he’d be hospitalized) Kyle Wellwood off of waivers a few days after he signed a two-way deal with St. Lous. In unrelated news, I hear that the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes has increased in the San Jose area. (Wellwood fat jokes are ALWAYS funny!)

Cammalleri Hurt

Mike Cammalleri separated his shoulder in last night’s game against the Sabres and will miss two weeks of action. Supposedly he separated his shoulder when he went to check Tyler Myers and hit the bony part of Myers’ knee, but don’t quote me on that.

Habs short jokes are also always funny.

Holtby Recalled

Apparently Neuvirth and possibly Varlamov have lower-body injuries, so Braden Holtby has been recalled from the Hershey Bears as a precaution.

Not touching the lower-body jokes. I’ll leave those to your imagination.

You Put Your Left Foot In, You Put Your Left Foot Out…

Dan Bylsma has just reported that Malkin will miss Thursday’s game against New Jersey with an undisclosed injury. There has been speculation that Malkin’s offensive output has been suffering this season because he hasn’t been 100%, and this certainly adds fuel to that fire. Now there is potential (nothing has been confirmed or even mentioned, just more speculation on my part) that the Pens could hold Malkin out of the All-Star game. Being voted an All-Star is nice but being healthy for the actual season is far more important.

Kyle Okposo, who suffered a preseason shoulder injury, will play for the Islanders for the first time this season tomorrow night against the Caps. Just in time for the Islanders to start their playoff push!

Iggy Out

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Jarome Iginla will miss the All-Star game because his maternal grandmother is sick. Danny Briere will take his place in the lineup. Best of luck to Iginla and his family. Keep him in your thoughts/prayers.

Penguins Sign Mark Letestu to Two Year Extension

2011-01-18T23:47:00.002-05:00

-Ray Shero made another smooth move today by signing C Mark Letestu to a two year extension worth $625,000 a season. The 25 year old has worked his way up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton up to the NHL this season and has already tallied nine goals and ten assists. Letestu earned a spot in training camp and has certainly impressed many Penguins fans. Shero now has committed around $52 million already for next season. Letestu was scheduled to become a restricted free agent after this season.

-Also, we would like to welcome Ashley Langlois to Pens Nation, as she will be writing game recaps after each game. Welcome, Ashley!

Woah, We're Halfway There....

2011-01-18T14:25:00.006-05:00

With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hitting the halfway point of their season this past week, let’s reflect on the first half of the season.

At 32-9-0 WBS’s record speaks for itself. The Penguins jumped out of the gate swinging to start the season and they have hardly cooled off since. Thus the Penguins overall record has been nothing short of staggering. Their 64 points are tops in the East Division, Eastern Conference, and the American Hockey League. The next closest team, Manchester, has 57 points.

Offensively

Forward Dustin Jeffrey leads the team with 41 points on the season, which is good for seventh in the AHL. Jeffrey has a jaw dropping five shorthanded goals midway through the season.

Nick Johnson (14G, 14A) and Brett Sterling 13G, 15A) are tied for second on the team with 28 points.

Eric Tangradi is third on the team with 25 points and has come on strong as-of-late after a sub-par start to his AHL season. Tangradi is currently the team’s leading goal scorer despite the slow start with 16 goals, while only playing in 35 out of the 41 games.

The Pens have scored 135 goals thus far, which ranks them fourth in the East Division, seventh in the Eastern Conference, and ninth overall.

Defensively
The Penguins have been nothing short of fantastic on defense, allowing the fewest goals in the AHL with 94 goals against this year.

Steve Wagner and off season pick-up Corey Potter lead the Baby Pens defensemen in scoring with 18 points each.

Robert Bortuzzo and Brian Strait have played well in their second year with the team and rookie Carl Sneep has also played smart hockey this year and is a +11.

Andrew Hutchinson has only played in 17 games but figures to be an important piece of the puzzle offensively as a defensemen hasn’t played a game since December 1st, but he looks close to being able to return.

Goaltending
This may very well be the Penguins strong point of the year. Both Brad Thiessen and John Curry have been phenomenal. The Penguins have split time between the pipes and both men have earned their respective playing time.

Thiessen is 18-4-3 with three shutouts and boasts a 2.12 GAA and .918 save percentage.

Curry has bounced back from a below average 2009-2010 season and has put together a 14-5 record, a 2.31 GAA, and .913 save percentage. Curry also has a shutout on the season.

Both keepers are in the top 10 in the AHL in wins. Thiessen is ranked first and Curry is ranked fifth.

Gameday With Dan - Detroit Red Wings

2011-01-18T14:18:00.002-05:00

When: 7:00pm
Where: Consol Energy Center

News: The Wings are depleted by injuries, including both goaltenders. Sidney Crosby remained sidelined, and will not play tonight.

Player to watch: Detroit Red Wings
Every player is injured...so they have no one to watch really.

Player to watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
For the Pens, watch Jordan Staal. He has only been back for a few games, however he has already made an impact. Starting with the Winter Classic, he has 1 goal and 6 assists on the season so far. With a Wings lineup falled by injuries, look for Gronk to tally a few points in tonights game.

No idea on the lines, go to hell.

Staal Making Impact in Crosby's Absence

2011-01-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

-When Sidney Crosby went down with a concussion, Penguin fans said "It's time for Evgeni Malkin to step up." Crosby has missed the team's past five games and is still out indefinitely. The team has gone 2-2-1 in that span. Malkin has scored two goals and recorded two assists for a total of four points in the last five games. Jordan Staal, who missed the team's first 39 games with a foot and a hand injury, is on a hot streak.
Staal has scored a goal in the past two games which have resulted in Penguins victories. Both were the game winning goal. The 2nd overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft has also recorded three assists in the last two. It seems the more Staal plays, the more productive, which makes sense with his injury problems this season. Staal was also the first star of the game the past two games. With Crosby's return timetable uncertain, the Penguins will be looking for more of the latest production from Jordan Staal.

Gameday with Dan - Boston Bruins

2011-01-15T00:25:00.004-05:00

When: 1:00pm
Where: TD Garden

News: Didn't we just play them? Marc Savard is a pussy. People in Boston don't like Matt Cooke, go to hell.

Player to watch: Boston Bruins
Look out for Zedano Chara (how can you miss him). With his great point shot, and the fact that he is the size of the Great Kahli, he is a weapon on the blue line for the Bruins.

Player to watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
For the good guys, it's gotta stay with Evgeni Malkin. I don't know if he will keep up his play with Sid the Kid (Man?) out, as he is known to be steaky. If he controls where he is going with the puck and uses his shot to his advantage the Penguins will win this game.

Lines are the same as last game (actually, im completely guessing, but its 12am, fuck off)

Let's Go Pens and on an unrelated note Let's Go Steelers..wooo

Gameday with Dan - Montreal Canadiens

2011-01-12T13:14:00.003-05:00

When: 7:30pm
Where: Bell Centre

News: The Penguins Eric Godard has been placed on the IR with a broken orbital bone, Sidney Crosby remains sidelined, PK Subban sucks

Player to watch: Montreal Canadiens
For the Habs, watch out for Brian Gionta. He is Montreal's leading goal getter (15) and has a powerful shot. He is the only one on the team that isn't a douchebag.

Player to watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
For the Pens, watch out for Marc-Andre Fleury. He had a bad third period against the Bruins Monday, look for him to bounce back against the Habs in Montreal.

Habs Lines:
Eller - Plekanec - Kostitsyn
Pacioretty - Gomez - Gionta
Pouliot - Desharnais - Darche
Moen - Pyatt - Halpern

Gill - Subban
Hamrlik - Wisniewski
Spacek - Weber
Price

Pens Lines:
Kunitz - Malkin - Dupuis
Cooke - Staal - Kennedy
Conner - Talbot - Rupp
Adams - Letestu - Asham/Jeffery

Orpik - Letang
Martin - Michalek
Goligoski - Engelland
Fleury

Rozsival-Wolski Trade

2011-01-10T17:46:00.007-05:00

Go West, Young Man

After finding out yesterday that winger Alex Frolov was done for the season, it went without saying that the Rangers would have to make a move to help fill the void.

GM Glen Sather decided that actions speak louder than words, so he traded defenseman Michal Rozsival to the Coyotes in exchange for left winger Wojtek Wolski.

The trade helps fulfill a need for both teams. The Rangers need scoring depth, especially with Frolov done for the year. The Coyotes are still feeling the absence of Zbynek Michalek from their blueline, and need all the help they can get defensively.

The Rangers are extremely deep along the blueline, so Rozsival has become expendable, especially with the emergence of newcomer Ryan McDonagh. The trade also gives the Blueshirts some much-needed cap space.

This Just In- Eaton Done for the Season

Islanders defenseman Mark Eaton has a hip injury that will require season-ending surgery.

Gameday With Dan - Boston Bruins

2011-01-10T13:21:00.002-05:00

When: 7:30pm
Where: Consol Energy Center

News: The Penguins have recalled Dustin Jeffery for tonights game due to an Arron Asham illness.

Player to watch: Boston Bruins
For tonight's game, keep an eye on Marc Savard. Not for his play on the ice really, just because he can't keep an eye on himself, and ya know, with Matt Cooke running around, we wouldn't want anything to happen. pussy.

Player to watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
For your Penguins, keep an eye on Brooks Orpik. His physical play (free candy if you will) will have to be present tonight against the B's. With him, the Penguins have a stingy 2.3 goals against as a team. His eyes will have at least 3 points tonight.

Pens Lines
Kunitz - Malkin - Dupuis
Cooke - Staal - Kennedy
Rupp - Letestu - Conner
Jeffery - Talbot - Adams

Orpik - Letang
Martin - Michalek
Goligoski - Engelland
Fleury

Boston's Lines
Lucic - Savard - Horton
Wheeler - Krejci - Ryder
Seguin - Bergeron - Recchi
Marchand - Campbell - Thorton

Seidenburg - Boychuk
Chara - Kampfer
Ference - McQuaid
Rask

Go Pens!

Kostopoulos Suspended and Frolov Injured

2011-01-09T21:30:00.003-05:00

Boom! Headshot

Tom Kostopoulos of the Calgary Flames has been suspended for six games after his hit to the head during last night's game against the Detroit Red Wings. Kostopoulos will forfeit $29,569.92 in salary.

Stuart, who broke his jaw as a result of the hit, will have to undergo surgery and miss six to eight weeks- a factor that surely played into the league's decision. The suspension is likely shorter if Stuart wasn't going to miss such an extended period of time. Stuart was also not in possession of the puck when he was hit by Kostopoulos.

Interim GM Jay Feaster was not happy with the league's decision, questioning whether Kostopoulos even deserved to be suspended, much less for six games.

To see the hit and judge for yourself as well as get full quotes from Colin Campbell and Feaster, be sure to read Puck Daddy's post on the hit.

Frolov Done For the Season

Rangers left winger Alex Frolov is done for the season after being injured in the team's 2-1 win over St. Louis last night.

Frolov underwent an MRI which revealed that he has a second degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament, a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a second degree and a medical meniscus tear, all in his right knee. Translation: his right knee is more shattered than the Devils' playoff hopes.

He will undergo surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the season.

Ben Eager Suspended and Trade/Signing Updates (Updated. Yes, I Know That's Redundant)

2011-01-08T20:49:00.006-05:00

Ben Eager of the Atlanta Thrashers has been suspended for four games after sucker punching Toronto Maple Leafs winger Colby Armstrong during Friday night's game. Toronto went on to dismantled the Thrashers 9-3.

(I have Pavelec on my fantasy team and when I saw he was playing the Leafs, I laughed and expected a big performance out of him. He was in net for all nine Leaf goals. Karma was against me.)

Eager will forfeit a total of $20,752.68 in salary. As per normal, the money will go toward the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He will be able to return to the Thrasher lineup on January 20 against the Lightning.

Now for some trade and signing updates per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun:

-Word on the street is that Jack Johnson will sign a multiyear extension with the Kings. It could be announced as early as Sunday or Monday. Expect the deal to be six or seven years long and pay Johnson anywhere from $4-4.5 million per year. Good move by L.A.

This just in-

Jack Johnson has officially signed an extension with the Kings. The L.A. Kings Insider confirmed that Johnson has signed a seven year deal with L.A. Starting next season, Johnson will make $3.5 million for the next three years and then $5 million for the last four, an average cap hit of $4.3 million.

-Speaking of the Kings, if you bought a Jarome Iginla Kings jersey in response to the "Iginla to the Kings rumors", you've been ripped off. Interim GM Jay Feaster of the Flames said that Iggy will not be traded.

-Mason Raymond is not on the trading block either. Supposedly the Canucks wanted to ship him in order to create some cap space, but that turned out to be have as much merit as Kyle Wellwood's promise to get in shape.

-After Blue Jackets d-man Mike Commodore cleared waivers, GM Scott Howson stated that he is planning on trying to trade Commodore. (He is signed through the 2012-13 season with a cap hit of $3.75 million.) If Howson is unable to arrange anything, Commodore will be assigned to the AHL.

Gameday with Dan - Minnesota Wild

2011-01-08T11:31:00.004-05:00

When: 7:00pm
Where: Consol Energy Center

Player to watch: Minnesota Wild
For the Wild, keep an eye on Cal Cutterbuck (I love that name). He currently is tied for the lead on the team with 12 goals along with Brett Burns. His nack for the enforcer end of the game is no secret, and he leads the team with 186 hits. Fun Fact: He grew a mustache in the month of November, it was so good it earned it's own Twitter feed and interview on NHL.com

Player to watch: Pittsburgh Penguins
For your Penguins, watch Evgeni Malkin, he currently has 34 points (15+19) on the season and is a plus 1. He left the ice early at today's morning skate with knee issues after he was taken down by Scott Gomez vs. MTL. He may play a smaller amount of minutes because of the knee and may not be 100%. Without Sidney Crosby, this is a bigger story and Geno needs to step up his game in his absence.

Pens Lines
Kunitz - Letestu - Dupuis
Cooke - Staal - Malkin
Conner - Talbot - Kennedy
Rupp - Adams - Asham

Orpik - Letang
Martin - Michalek
Goligoski - Engelland
Fleury

Minnesota's lines:
Brunette - Koivu - Kobasew
Bouchard - Brodziak - Havlat
O'Sullivan - Cullen - Clutterbuck
Nystrom - Madden - Staubitz

Zanon - Stoner
Burns - Schultz
Barker - Scandella
Backstrom

Go Pens!

HBO and the NHL to Capitalize (No Pun Intended) on the Success of "24/7"?

2011-01-07T19:27:00.006-05:00

The final ratings have not yet been calculated for HBO's "24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic", but most hockey fans have been able to agree that the mini series was a smashing success and they'd like to see HBO work with the NHL again in the near future.

It appears that HBO has a similar desire.

The Globe and Mail reported that chief operating officer Jeff Collins has expressed an interest in working with the NHL again, this time to give fans an inside look at the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The full-access look at the inner workings of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals was well-received by NHL diehards, casual and non-fans alike. It was a spectacularly well-done series that has many speculating (including us here at Pens Nation, if you listened to our latest podcast) that HBO could see an Emmy nomination in the future. NHL fans and writers alike have mentioned that they would love to see HBO do a follow-up during the NHL postseason.

It looks as if that hope could become a reality. (Gah, again with the puns. I apologize.)

In addition to Collins, HBO Sports President Ross Greenberg mentioned that he would be interesting in working with the NHL again and it's unlikely that the league would turn down such an opportunity for additional exposure, especially given the outstanding success of "24/7".

Nothing official has been decided yet. It's all talk so far. No negotiations or anything of the sort have ben brought up. But the fact that HBO insiders have said that they would like to work with the NHL again is in itself a positive sign for the league and those who enjoyed "24/7" (a.k.a. all of us).

Be sure to read the full Globe and Mail article here for full details and quotes.

Pens Nation Podcast 1-6-11

2011-01-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

Nick, Andy, Meg, and Dan talk Pens hockey with Inside Penguins Hockey host, Steve Mears.

Steve Mears to Appear on Today's Podcast

2011-01-06T09:25:00.000-05:00

-We will be recording a podcast later on today with Steve Mears as our guest. Mears is the host of the radio show "Penguins Live" on Penguins Radio HD2 as well as Inside Penguins Hockey on television. He can also be seen doing intermission reports on the scoreboard at the Consol Energy Center. Look for the podcast sometime later tonight.

Seen Stamjoke?

2011-01-05T20:37:00.005-05:00

Gameday With Dan - Tampa Bay Lightning

2011-01-05T11:36:00.003-05:00

Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00

Player to watch - Pittsburgh Penguins
Keep an eye on Jordan Staal, in his first game back against the Capitals in the Winter Classic he looked like the Staal of old. Look for him to keep that up today on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Tyler Kennedy. I look for him to get some time on the penalty kill tonight with roughly 24:00 minutes of ice time. Skating with Geno and TK will get him comfortable with Dan Bylsma's system again. Let's Go Gronk.

Player to watch - Tampa Bay Lightning
For the bolts, make sure to have a watchful eye on Steven Stamkos. He hasn't gotten on the scoresheet much in the past couple of games, but he is still one of the best players in the league. He is second in the league in goals (31) and points (56). He gets most of his points on the Tampa power play with 13 of his 31 goals coming on the mad advantage. He is also a plus 12 on the season.

Pens Lines
Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis
Malkin - Staal - Kennedy
Cooke - Letestu - Conner
Rupp - Talbot - Adams

Orpik - Letang
Martin - Michalek
Goligoski - Lovejoy
Fleury

Tampa Bay's Lines from Hockey Utopia
Gagne - Stamkos - St. Louis
Malone - Moore - Purcell
Harju - Ritola - Bergenhein
Hall - Thompson - Tyrell

Ohlund - Lundin
Jones - Kubina
Clark - Hedman
Ellis

Go Pens!

Four Penguins Selected to All-Star Game

2011-01-04T18:42:00.000-05:00

-The Pittsburgh Penguins will be well represented in the 2011 All-Star Game in Carolina. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Marc-Andre Fleury were the top three vote getters, respectively. Crosby had the most votes with 635,509. Evgeni Malkin was given the final forward spot after having the sixth most votes. Malkin will join Crosby, Letang, and Fleury as four of the total of six players guaranteed a spot on the All-Star pool. The other two spots were given to Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews, of the Chicago Blackhawks. The entire roster will be revealed later this month. This shows that Pens fans are the best in the NHL.

Engelland Extended

2011-01-03T14:04:00.003-05:00

- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that Deryk Engelland has signed a three year, $1.7 million extension. He will have a cap hit of $566,700 starting next season. He was scheduled to become a free agent after this season. The 28 year old defenseman has been rewarded for his season so far. Engelland has recorded five points (two goals and three assists) so far this season. He is ranked 16th in the NHL in penalty minutes with 76. He has made himself known through fighting and defeating fighter such as Colton Orr and Taylor Pyatt. With this move, the Penguins have every member of their current defense signed through next season.

Winter Classic Under The Lights

2010-12-31T17:11:00.000-05:00

-The NHL has announced that the 2011 Winter Classic will now start at 8 PM ET instead of 1 PM. Rain is in the forecast for most of the day.If you are going to the game, there are new times for the stadium. Look below:

Gates to Heinz Field will now open at 5:30 p.m. (ET)
Pre-game entertainment now begins at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Heinz Field Parking Lots will now open at 2:30 p.m. (ET)
Spectator Plaza will now open at 3 p.m. (ET)

Three Years Makes Quite A Difference in Penguins Roster for 2011 Winter Classic

2010-12-27T19:59:00.000-05:00

On January 1, 2011, it will be exactly three years from the first ever Winter Classic in 2008 where the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in a shootout. It seems like yesterday when Sidney Crosby scored that famous game winning goal in the shootout. Three years may not seem like a long time, but the Penguins roster has changed dramatically since then. Only 8 of the 23 players remain on the Penguins currently. That includes players that were injured in 2008 as well as right now. Let's take a look at the 2008 Winter Classic roster:
D Rob Scuderi

D Darryl Sydor

C Jordan Staal

LW Ryan Malone

C Erik Christensen

RW Petr Sykora

LW Adam Hall

D Ryan Whitney

RW Colby Armstrong

RW Georges Laraque

G Dany Sabourin

G Ty Conklin

LW Jarkko Ruutu

C Jeff Taffe

D Brooks Orpik

RW Tyler Kennedy

D Sergei Gonchar

D Kris Letang

LW Evgeni Malkin

C Sidney Crosby

G Marc-Andre Fleury (Injured)

C Max Talbot (Injured)

D Mark Eaton (Injured)

2011 Tentative Roster:

G Brent Johnson

D Alex Goligoski

D Zbynek Michalek

D Deryk Engelland

D Ben Lovejoy

D Paul Martin

RW Pascal Dupuis

C Mark Letestu

LW Chris Kunitz

C Mike Rupp

RW Chris Conner

LW Matt Cooke

C Max Talbot

RW Craig Adams

RW Eric Godard

G Marc-Andre Fleury

D Brooks Orpik

RW Arron Asham

LW Tyler Kennedy

D Kris Letang

C Evgeni Malkin

C Sidney Crosby

C Jordan Staal (Injured)

C Mike Comrie (Injured)

The eight players that were on that 2008 roster were Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Max Talbot, and Tyler Kennedy. At least seven of them will likely play in the 2011 Winter Classic. Staal is battling a hand injury and could miss the game, but he has not ruled it out just yet.

Where Are They Now? A Look at the 2008 former Penguins who participated in the Winter Classic:

Rob Scuderi: Signed a four year deal with the Los Angeles Kings in 2009.

Darryl Sydor: Retired

Ryan Malone: In the summer of 2008, he signed a seven year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Erik Christensen: Playing for the New York Rangers after they claimed him on waivers.

Petr Sykora: Playing for the Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Adam Hall: Currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ryan Whitney: Currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers after he was traded there from Anaheim.

Colby Armstrong: Signed a three year deal this summer with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Georges Laraque: Retired

Dany Sabourin: Currently playing for the Hershey Bears in the AHL.

Ty Conklin: Currently playing for the St. Louis Blues.

Jarkko Ruutu: Currently playing for the Ottawa Senators.

Jeff Taffe: Currently playing for the Rockford Icehogs in the AHL.

Sergei Gonchar: Left the Penguins this summer to sign a three year contract with the Ottawa Senators.

Mark Eaton: Left the Penguins this summer to sign a two year contract with the New York Islanders.

Around the NHL- 12/26

2010-12-26T13:12:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! (Or Happy Holidays if you don't celebrate Christmas- we want to be politically correct after all!) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and got everything you wanted, especially if you asked for Penguins and/or hockey related merchandise.

The Penguins are rolling, Crosby and Fleury continue to dominate, Malkin is back, and HBO's 24/7 is better than any of us could've hoped. I'd call that a pretty good end to the year. Not to mention the Winter Classic and Alumni Game are just around the corner. Is there a better way to close out 2010?

Christmas Day Games-

None.

Boxing Day Games-

7:00 pm

Toronto Maple Leafs @ New Jersey Devils

Montreal Canadiens @ New York Islanders

Washington Capitals @ Carolina Hurricanes

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Atlanta Thrashers

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks

Nashville Predators @ St. Louis Blues

Detroit Red Wings @ Minnesota Wild

7:30 pm

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Ottawa Senators

8:00 pm

Phoenix Coyotes @ Dallas Stars

9:00 pm

Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks

Anaheim Ducks @ L.A. Kings

Injury Report-

-Here's the exciting news for Pens fans- via Mike Colligan of TheHockeyWriters.com, Jordan Staal stated that he did NOT suffer a second break in his hand. He also hinted that he could be back in time for the Winter Classic! If he returned before or at the WC, THAT would be the best possible way to close out 2010/welcome 2011. Staal skated today in Ottawa. He didn't skate with any Penguins lines at practice but he took part in some drills and one-on-one work with the coaches.

-Injury news in Buffalo is not nearly as exciting for Sabres fans. Derek Roy, Buffalo's leading scorer, is done for the season with a torn left quadriceps tendon courtesy of Panthers' defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. Roy will undergo surgery sometime this coming week. His estimated recovery time is four to six months. This is a just a small dose of the misery Buffalo fans experience after season. Count your blessings, Pens fans.

-Red Wings fans didn't get off much better. Pavel Datsyuk broke his hand last Wednesday against Vancouver and will miss four weeks.

-Marian Hossa, who has not played since November 27 for Chicago, has been activated from IR, so we will see him in the lineup tonight against Columbus. Someone got their Christmas wish! Patrick Kane has taken Hossa's place on IR so he will not play, despite practicing this morning. He could return Tuesday, according to Joel Quenneville.

-Speaking of the Blackhawks, goalie Corey Crawford is sick and will not play tonight. Marty Turco will make his first start in net since December 13 against the Blue Jackets tonight.

-Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith will miss another week (at least) with a sprained ligament. This may not be a #DanEllisproblem, but it sure is a #TampaBayLightningproblem.

-Taylor Pyatt has been placed on IR after sustaining an upper body injury after fighting Deryk Engelland on December 20th. Even worse news for the Coyotes is that Vezina finalist Ilya Bryzgalov is still out, also with an upper body injury.

Trades/Signings-

None.

Other News-

-The underachieving New Jersey Devils dismissed head coach John MacLean and brought back a former New Jersey head coach; Jacques Lemaire. Three times the charm, I guess.

-Milan Lucic will not be suspended for his role in a scrum in the Bruins-Thrashers game last Thursday, which resulted in a match penalty. Following Lucic's disciplinary hearing, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli stated that Lucic will be fined $3,500 ($2,500 for a punch thrown during a scrum and another $1,000 for an obscene gesture aimed at Atlanta's bench. He will travel to Florida with the team and be able to play Monday against the Panthers.

Happy Boxing Day everyone! Go Pens.

Happy Holidays from Pens Nation!

2010-12-25T08:47:00.000-05:00

-On behalf of all of our writers, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We appreciate all of our readers as we hope to continue to do more for this blog. Stay tuned for more podcasts and more for the new year!

Malkin Coming Alive

2010-12-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

For much of last season and the start of this season, Pittsburgh Penguins fans were saying that Evgeni Malkin was underachieving. After battling through injuries to his shoulder and knee, Malkin has missed a decent amount of games. Malkin played in a career low 67 games last season and had his lowest point total of his NHL career. He also had the highest amount of penalty minutes in his career last season. With enormous expectations each year, fans began to worry whether they would see the “Geno” they are used to seeing. The 24 year old Russian has already won an Art Ross trophy as well as a Conn Smythe trophy, both in 2009 when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. After being selected by Pittsburgh as the second overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, Malkin did not make his NHL debut until the 2006-07 season since he played in Russia. There was a large transfer dispute that prevented Malkin from coming to the United States. When he came to Pittsburgh, he made an immediate impact by winning the Calder Memorial trophy, given to the league’s top rookie.

This season, Malkin has shown flashes of his talent, but it seemed like he could not get a break. After the first 26 games of the season, he had a total of 22 points, far from what fans expect of him. The Penguins center has been bothered by a sore knee and it may have been affecting his performance. After sitting out four games to let it heal, Malkin has been lighting the lamp quite a bit. After a career high five point performance in the Penguins 6-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday, he has reached 30 points. Therefore, he has recorded eight points in his last three games. Five of those eight points are goals, which puts his goal total at 13, which is 24th in the NHL. Many people have noticed his recent surge, including fans of other teams. While the Penguins fans have been supporting their team for the NHL All-Star Game, Malkin picked up a total of 31,152 votes last week to move past Steven Stamkos for the third position among forwards. His teammates center Sidney Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang are the top two vote getters thus far. Even Max Talbot, who has played on Malkin’s line this season has been voting for him. “Everyday. That’s all I do. Six votes a day I’m allowed to,” Talbot said. While the Penguins fans and players try to get Malkin into the All-Star Game, Malkin hopes his recent surge continues as Pittsburgh is gearing up for a game against the Florida Panthers tonight as well as a date with their rival, the Washington Capitals tomorrow night. The entire hockey world will be watching the highly anticipated Pittsburgh-Washington matchup, which is a perfect time for “Geno” to shine.

Pens Nation First Live Radio Show

2010-12-17T15:48:00.003-05:00

Did you miss the first Pens Nation live radio show? Listen to it below! Big thanks to Joe Depto for coming on as well as Meghan, Dan, and Nick.
Click here to listen
Listen to it on your iPhone or iPod!

Lemieux Returns To Ice In Staff Scrimmage

2010-12-15T17:31:00.000-05:00

-In anticipation of the Penguins-Capitals Alumni Game on December 31st at Heinz Field, Mario Lemieux, Brian Trottier, and Phil Bourque all took part in the staff scrimmage today to get some practice. Those three former players will participate in the alumni game. Lemieux showed that he can still play scoring three goals and recording an assist. The Penguins roster currently includes Lemieux, Trottier, Bourque, Ron Francis, Bob Errey, Rob Brown, Bill Guerin, Craig Simpson, Rick Tocchet, Jay Caufield, Dave Hannan, and Paul Coffey, according to Faceoff Factor. The Capitals roster only includes Peter Bondra, Mike Gartner, and Rod Langway at the moment. Full rosters should be announced soon.

Here is a video of Marios's performance today:

Penguins-Flyers Live Blog

2010-12-14T11:47:00.002-05:00

As I hope you all know, the Penguins take on the Flyers tonight in Philadelphia with both their winning streak and Crosby's point streak on the line. Not to mention first place in the Atlantic Division.

In honor of the occasion, we have decided to host the first-ever Pens Nation live blog. Tune in tonight at 7 pm and you can join Andy, Josh, Dan, Nick and myself in discussing the game as it happens!

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

(Warning: I will be monitoring everyone's comments so try not to say anything *too* offensive if you want to take part. We'd like to try and maintain a modicum of dignity/professionalism, after all.)

Penguins and Capitals To Play Alumni Game at Heinz Field

2010-12-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

-Mario Lemieux is returning to the ice once again....for one day at least. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that an alumni game between the Penguins and Washington Capitals will be played on December 31, 2010 at Heinz Field. Lemieux will join Bill Guerin, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, and Bryan Trottier for Pittsburgh. The only Capitals player that was announced was Peter Bondra. The entire roster will be announced later. After the 9:30 AM game, the Penguins will hold a practice on the outdoor rink.

Around the NHL- 12/9

2010-12-07T13:41:00.004-05:00

It's official- Bill Guerin has retired from the NHL after 18 years in the league. As I'm sure you all saw, he officially retired as a Penguin in a ceremony before Monday night's game against the Devils, the other team with whom he won a Cup. (Coincidence? Or not?) The Penguins handled the whole situation like the world-class organization they are, with a collage (pictured above) and video dedicated to Guerin. Oh and they gave his family a paid vacation to Hawaii. Still wondering why players are so willing to waive their no-trade clauses to come to Pittsburgh?

It says a lot about the organization that Guerin choose to retire as a Penguin. He was drafted by and won his first Cup with the Devils and also played for the Oilers, Bruins, Stars, Blues, Sharks and Islanders. He was with the Penguins for only a season and a half yet his time with the team definitely left a lasting impression. He clearly loved playing in Pittsburgh.

We, as fans, returned that love. Much like Gary Roberts before him, Guerin became a fan favorite in a short period of time. His sense of humor and the leadership role he filled on and off the ice endeared him to Pittsburgh fans. Look no further than the "one more year!" chants from the Stanley Cup championship parade in 2009. A good number of fans have said that Guerin in one of their all-time favorite Penguins, which is saying a lot.

As for his future, Guerin is still weighing his options. He said for now he's content spending time with his family, but it's safe to say the hockey world hasn't seen the last of him. There are rumblings that Ray Shero will give him a front office position with the Penguins. There's also been talk of Guerin going into hockey broadcasting. Whatever he chooses to do, we wish him the very best of luck. Enjoy that trip to Hawaii, Billy G, and be sure that your son's awesome Ogie Ogilthrope hair isn't eaten by sea turtles.

Last Night's Games-

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs found out the difference between the Pens and the Caps. The Penguins had a comfortable 4-0 lead, only to fall asleep in the third period and let Toronto score two successive goals. Fortunately, MAF was working overtime and held down the fort with a number of key saves. Mark Letestu netted his second goal of the game (his first two-goal NHL game) to make it 5-2 Pens.

The Penguins have now won 11 straight games. Sid scored two goals last night to keep his scoring streak alive at 17 games. Kevin Burgundy of Stay Classy fame pointed out that Sid alone has more goals and points than the Senators top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Alex Kovalev. Crosby has 26 goals and 50 points; Alfredsson, Spezza and Kovalev have 21 goals and 47 points.

San Jose Sharks vs. Philadelphia Flyers

This was a hilarious game for Pens fans. The Flyers had a 3-0 lead only to see the Sharks come back and send the game into OT with a 4-4 score. Mike Richards scored what would've been the game-winner in overtime... except that it crossed the line 0.1 seconds too late. The Sharks then went on to win 2-0 in the shootout for a final score of 5-4.

How good is Logan Couture? He hasn't been getting a lot of media attention, but in my mind he's one of the leading Calder nominees right now.

Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings

This was a game that the Predators desperately needed to win. They've been on a bit of a skid of late and have been struggling score goals. A signature win over what has been the NHL's signature franchise for the past 10 trillion years was just what the doctor ordered. The Preds took an early 2-0 and rookie goaltender Anders Lindback (filling in for the injured Pekka Rinne) never relinquished that lead. The Preds ended up winning 3-2. Detroit is actually in a bit of a slump themselves, this being their third straight loss, a franchise record. Detroit fans are in a panic, not used to all this losing. Islanders and Leafs fans have no sympathy.

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars

Despite Chicago being extremely banged up right now and missing two of their best players (Hossa and Kane), they found a way to beat the Pacific Division leading Stars, 5-3. Even though Chicago lead the entire game, it was extremely close and back-and-forth. The final score probably should've been 4-3; Patrick Sharp wristed an empty-netter with about two seconds left to play. Mike Richards hates him for that.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Anaheim Ducks

For the second straight game, the Ducks found themselves in a shootout. Unfortunately, Cam Fowler wasn't enough in this shootout as the Canucks won 5-4 after coming back from behind twice in regulation. The Ducks scored first, only to have the Canucks score twice. The Ducks then scored three unanswered goals to make it 4-2. Vancouver, bolstered by Ryan Kesler's heroics, scored another two goals to tie it 4-4 and Jeff Tambellini's lone shootout goal was enough to win it for the Canucks.

Tonight's Games-

7:00 pm

New York Islanders @ Boston Bruins

San Jose Sharks @ Buffalo Sabres

Philadelphia Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs

Florida Panthers @ Washington Capitals

7:30 pm

New York Rangers @ Ottawa Senators

8:00 pm

Columbus Blue Jackets @ St. Louis Blues

9:00 pm

Minnesota Wild @ Phoenix Coyotes

10:30 pm

Calgary Flames @ Los Angeles Kings

Injury Report-

-Malkin is probably still a few games away from returning from his knee injury. Still no word on when we can expect to see J. Staal back in the lineup. Mike Comrie shows no sign of recovering from the suck bug (see our podcast).

-Andy McDonald of the St. Louis Blues is out indefinitely with a concussion.

-Patrick Kane is going to miss a maximum of three weeks with a lower body injury.

-The Blackhawks also placed Marian Hossa on IR to clear up roster room. Rob Klinkhammer and Jeremy Morin were recalled in his absence.

-Willie Mitchell, who's been out with a broken wrist, could return to the Kings lineup any day now.

-Vinny Prospal is skating with the rest of the Rangers for the first time since his knee surgery. He should be back in the lineup sometime after Christmas.

-Dion Phaneuf will return to the Leafs lineup tonight against Philly.

Trades/Signings-

-Nothing official, just a rumor that Shero is talking to Pascal Dupuis and his agent about a deal to keep him in Pittsburgh. Dupuis is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Other News-

-Michael Del Zotto will be a healthy scratch for the Rangers tonight. Matt Gilroy will play in his place.

-Jere Lehtinen, a 14-year veteran, has decided to join Guerin in retirement. A three-time Selke winner and one-time Cup champion, Lehtinen spent his entire NHL career with the Dallas Stars. Best of luck to him.

-Congratulation to Flyers defenseman Matt Walker and his wife Kate on the birth of their daughter and first child Georgia Isabel. She was born this morning at 5:32 a.m. Mom and baby are doing well.

-For my fellow Twitter addicts out there: Matt Duchene of the Avs is officially on Twitter. You can follow him at @Matt9Duchene.

The Penguins have only four games over the next 13 games. Stay strong everyone. Go Pens.

PensNation Podcast 12-4-10

2010-12-04T17:29:00.002-05:00

Around the NHL- 12/3

2010-12-03T17:38:00.004-05:00

If you spent last night watching LeBron's return to Cleveland instead of one or more of the numerous hockey games that were on, may God have mercy on your soul and save you from the fires of hell.

That is all.

Last Night's Games-

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Atlanta Thrashers

Sid. What a beast. That pretty much sums up the game right there.

The Penguins beat the Thrashers 3-2, extending their winning streak to eight straight. Crosby scored all three Penguin goals for his seventh career hat trick and his first natural hat trick. (For those of you who don't know what a natural hat trick is, shame on you. You call yourself a hockey fan! Kidding, kidding. A natural hat trick is when the player who scored said hat trick scores all three goals in a row. No one else has a goal in between their three.) The Penguins now lead the Atlantic Division (the Flyers were idle last night) and Crosby is now tied for the NHL lead in goals (21) and is the overall leader points (44). I can't say anything about him that hasn't already been said, so I'm not going to bother. Be grateful for what you have, fellow Pens fans. We're extremely privileged to be able to watch a player like Crosby night in and night out.

Brian "Chicken" Little and Nik Antropov scored the goals for Atlanta.

(Funniest moment of the night- I forgot exactly who brought it up, but at some point it was said that the Thrashers "would love to win over the fans there [in Atlanta]." Whoever said that clearly has no idea that the Thrashers do not, in fact, have fans.)

Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Marc Savard returned from the dead last night and apparently his resurrection was contagious. The Bruins' offense sprang to life, putting up 8 goals on the Lighting for an 8-1 win. David Krejci had two goals for Boston and the other six were scored by Milan Lucic, Dennis Seidenburg, Shawn Thornton, Mark Recci and Blake Wheeler. (Interesting sidenote- when Milan Lucic scores a goal this season, the Bruins are 9-0-0.) Victor Hedman had Tampa's lone tally. Goalie Mike Smith got pulled after the Bruins' fifth goal and was replaced was Dan Ellis, who didn't fare much better. A 3.02 GAA and .888 save percentage are just two more #DanEllisProblems.

Also, Stamkos had now been held without a goal for four straight games.

San Jose Sharks vs. Ottawa Senators

Possibly the biggest hockey story of the night, Dany Heatley returned to Ottawa for the first time since demanding a trade and being send to San Jose. Even though Ottawa fans are usually much more placid than the average NHL crowed, but even they were extremely angry and gave Heatley a very rude homecoming. There were the usual signs, the boos, an old Heatley Sens jersey was thrown on the ice in protest, etc. One Senators fan went above and beyond even bitter Cavs fans, placing miniature Heatley figurines placed in the urinals in the men's bathroom. (Well played, sir.) This didn't seem to deter Heatley- he was determined to show-up his former team and actually played with effort. You had to see it to believe it. Kevin Burgundy of Stay Classy wondered via Twitter how Heatley had any saliva left, he was playing so hard. (You all know my theory- he had saliva to spare because he wasn't demanding a trade for once.)

Oh yeah, and the Sharks won 4-0. Logan Couture had two goals, Patrick Marleau had one and Justin Braun had the other. Heatley had two assists on the night.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Cheer up, Sens fans- you weren't the only ones who were shutout last night. The Oilers beat the Maples Leafs 5-0 in Khabibulin's return from a groin injury. (Ontario hockey is looking grim this season.) Taylor Hall notched two goals, Jordan Eberle had one, Sam Gagner had one and Ryan Jones had Edmonton's final tally.

Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils

At the beginning of this season, who would've predicted that the Thrashers would be a better team than the Devils? The Canadiens, who lost a tough one on the road the night before, took out their frustration on the Devils, who didn't exactly put up much of a fight. The Habs beat New Jersey 5-1. Five different Habs contributed on the scoresheet, team captain Brian Gionta, Lars Eller, Tom Pyatt, Scott Gomez and Benoit Pouliot. (Expect maybe, MAYBE for Gionta, I guarantee none of you have any of those guys on your fantasy teams.)

Jason Arnott ruined Carey Price's shutout bid about halfway through the 3rd period. A shutout would've tied Price for NHL lead in shutouts. He is also tied for most wins (15) in the NHL. Maybe the Canadiens management knew what they were doing when they traded away Halak after all...?

New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders

One of the more underappreciated rivalries in the NHL (mainly because the Islanders suck) saw a very bizarre game last night. The Rangers and Islanders both scored over two goals, Marty Biron was replaced by Henrik Lundqvist instead of the other way around and Sean Avery played on the Rangers first line. Think about that. Let it really sink in for a moment. Sean Avery played on the top line. Even stranger was that, well, it worked. In this crazy back-and-forth, seesaw-esque game, the Rangers came out on top 6-5, even after blowing a two-goal lead. Twice. Marian Gaborik had his second hat trick of the season (including the game winner) with Avery on his line for the first time. Bizarre. Erik Christensen, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Prust also had goals for the NYR. Zenon Konopka (who?), Matt Moulson, Rob Schremp, Michael Grabner and Blake Comeau all tailled for the Isles.

Good news for the Islanders- defenseman Andrew MacDonald was back in the lineup last night. He'd missed 15 games with a broken wrist. Bad news for the Islanders- their power play is now 0-for-30. Yikes.

Dallas Stars vs. Washington Capitals

This was a surprisingly entertaining game, although Caps fans might use a different word for it. The Stars got extremely lucky late in the third period. John Carlson appeared to have tipped in a game tying goal with literally 7.6 seconds left to play, but it was ruled that Ovechkin, who was tangled up with Dallas d-man Karlis Skrastins, had interfered with the goaltender. (Both Ovechkin and Skrastins crashed into backup goalie Andrew Raycroft, who was laid out on the ice when Carlson's shot when it.) Apparently Bruce Boudreau's face turned that spectacular shade of red only Bruce Boudreau's face can reach. And then his head exploded.

Dallas ended up winning 2-1. Mike Ribeiro scored first for the Stars. Mike Knuble tied it in the third, only to have Brandon Segal score what turned out to be the game winner on Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth. Although he did get assisted by the disallowed goal, Raycroft certainly deserved the win, stopping 37 shots for the Stars.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Florida Panthers

The Kings, who had adopted Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" as their new team song after a two-week losing skid that saw them drop 10 spots in the Western Conference, finally pulled out a win last night. They beat the Panthers 3-2, thanks mainly in part to Anze Kopitar's late wrist shot. It was the Kings first full 60-minute effort in over two weeks. Jared Stroll gave L.A. the early lead but the Panthers tied it up with back-to-back goals from Michal Repik and David Booth. With Jonathan Quick holding down the fort, the Kings scored two unanswered goals, the first by Peter Harrold and then Kopitar's game winner.

Tonight's Games-

7:00 pm

New York Islanders @ New York Rangers

Colorado Avalanche @ Carolina Hurricanes

7:30 pm

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Buffalo Sabres

8:00 pm

Calgary Flames @ Minnesota Wild

8:30 pm

Vancouver Canucks @ Chicago Blackhawks (I'm benching Luongo tonight in fantasy)

10:00 pm

Detroit Red Wings @ Anaheim Ducks

Injury Report-

-Max Talbot took a shot to the leg in practice and had to be helped off the ice. (Yet a Dustin Byfuglien slapshot in the face left him unfazed.) He will make the trip to Columbus with the team and be reevaluated before Saturday night's game.

-Malkin and Orpik both missed practice today. Apparently Malkin was "banged up" yesterday against Atlanta and took a maintenance day. Orpik was out due to an illness. He probably caught whatever Arron Asham had.

-Pekka Rinne has an undisclosed lower-body injury and will miss at least one game for the Predators.

-Evander Kane did not play against the Pens last night (to Matt Cooke's relief) with a leg injury. There is no official word on his status, but he did skate this morning with the team.

-Steve Downie sprained his ankle and is out indefinitely. Remember, no matter how dirty or how much of a cheap shot artist a guy is, you never want to see a guy get hu.... oh, the guy I'm playing in fantasy hockey this week has Downie on his team...

-Aaron Voros has the flu and will miss tonight's game against the Red Wings. Matt Belesky has been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch to take his place.

-Colby Armstrong is set to return to the Leafs lineup on Saturday.

-This just in: Habs defenseman Andrei Markov will undergo knee surgery on December 8th. The Canadiens official site is saying that he's done for the season.

Trades/Signings-

-Yesterday, it was reported that the Bruins had traded left winger Marco Sturm to the Kings for a conditional draft pick, but both Bruins' GM and the L.A. Kings' insider reported that there was no done deal. Sturm, who is rehabbing from a knee injury, would have to pass a physical first. So there is no trade as of yet, but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future.

Other News-

-Very cool story involving the Winter Classic. During the week leading up to the WC, an outdoor, NHL-sized public rink will be built adjacent to Heinz Field. It will be open to the public starting December 24th up until January 2nd. And get this- the boards and Zambonis from Civic Arena will be used in the rink!

The NBA still sucks. Go Pens.

This Week In Pens Nation-First Time for Everything!

2010-12-03T13:52:00.007-05:00

Hellooooooo Nation, this week I will have a special post, so with 2010 winding down, here are the first's for CEC in 2010!

Consol Energy Center firsts August-December 2010

First Event: Paul McCartney-August 18, 2010

First Game: September 22, 2010 (PIT vs. DET)

First Anthem Singer: Jeff Jimerson

First Goal: Pittsburgh, Mike Comrie

First Fight: Jesse Boulerise vs. Aaron Downey

First Sellout: September 22, 2010 (18,087)

First Overtime: October 15, 2010 (PIT vs. NYI)

First Win: September 22, 2010 (PIT 5 DET 1)

First Regular Season Win: October 15, 2010 (PIT 3 NYI 2 F/OT)

First Shootout: November 19, 2010 (PIT vs. CAR)

First Hat Trick: November 27, 2010 (Crosby vs. CGY)

First College Hockey Game: October 17, 2010 (RMU vs. Air Force)

First Basketball Game: December 1, 2010 (PITT vs. DUQ)

First WWE Event: December 27, 2010 (Friday Night SmackDown!)

First Harlem Globetrotters Game: December 26, 2010

First AHL Game: December 30, 2010

It's been a great half-year for Consol Energy Center, and I will get get better (except for Justin Bieber, yikes)

Merry Christmas. Go Pens.

Around the NHL- 11/30

2010-11-30T15:15:00.001-05:00

Hello again Pens Nation! After not posting for awhile (not counting my pictures from the other day), I finally decided on a new format for my posts. I've also decided to change "NHL in a Nutshell" to the much less creative "Around the NHL". The new format will include a brief summary of games from the night before, a list of games taking place that day/night, injury and trade updates and any other hockey news I find important. I will also (for real this time!) be including player features once a week. But fear not loyal readers- the format may have changed but I will still have the same cutting-edge wit and hilarity you've become accustomed to!

Last Night's Games-

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers:

The Pens won their 7th straight game 3-1 over their Atlantic Division rivals. Max Talbot, Kris Letang and Chris Conner scored for the Penguins and Marian Gaborik added the Rangers' lone tally. (An unconfirmed rumor from MSG says that he pulled his groin celebrating and will be out for two weeks.) Sidney Crosby assisted on Letang's goal, keeping his scoring streak alive at 13 games. He now has 27 points in 13 games and leads the NHL in points with 41. He clearly sucks.

Crosby was also accused of slewfooting Ryan Callahan early in the first period (no penalty was called), leading Ranger center Brandon Dubinsky to complain that Crosby is a dirty player. If you haven't seen the play, visit Faceoff Factor to take a look and vote for yourself. Also, be sure to check out Crosby's postgame comments about the play. For the first and probably last time, he actually shows emotion in an interview.

Another fun fact- Chris Conner now has 3 goals in 5 shots against Henrik Lundqvist.

Dallas Stars vs. Carolina Hurricanes:

So much for my preseason prediction that the Stars would be one of the bottom dwellers in the NHL this year. They grabbed the lead in the Pacific Division last night with a 4-1 over the Hurricanes. James Neal had two goals and Jamie Benn and Steve Ott added the other two goals for Dallas. Eric Staal scored his third goal in four games for Carolina's only score.

It was only the second win in Raleigh in the history of the Stars franchise. Think about that for a second. Let it really sink in.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Ottawa Senators:

If Martin Gerber was out for revenge against his former team last night, he got it. In only his second NHL game after being recalled from Oklahoma City in the AHL, Edmonton's goalie made 22 saves for the Oilers in their 4-1 come-from-behind win over the Senators. Nick Foligno put a backhand shot behind Gerber in the first period for the Senators first and only goal. The Oilers tied it late in the second, with a slapshot from Tom Gilbert, and third period goals from Andrew Cogliano and Gilbert Brule put Edmonton on top for good. Taylor Hall got the empty netter, the sixth goal of his rookie season.

Calgary Flames vs. Minnesota Wild:

Mikka Kiprusoff looked anything but soff last night. (I'm sorry. I couldn't resist.) In fact, he shutout the Wild 3-0 last night, snapping the Wild's three-game winning streak in Calgary. Jarome Iginla and Jay Bouwmeester, who had time to focus on something besides trying and failing to slow down Sidney Crosby, each had a goal for Calgary. Niklas Hagman rounded out the scoring on a late Flames power play.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings

How much longer until we start hearing about "the Battle of California" when these two teams play each other? It's always a good game. Jonas Hiller got his first shutout of the year in a 2-0 victory over the suddenly-struggling Kings. Cam Fowler and Jason Blake both scored on wristshots for the Ducks. Even though the Kings lost the game, their official Twitter page was calling this game "the duck roast" throughout. I thought that was a clever touch. Please tell me I wasn't the only one.

Tonight's Games-

7:00 pm

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Toronto Maple Leafs

8:00 pm

Phoenix Coyotes @ Nashville Predators

St. Louis Blues @ Chicago Blackhawks

10:00 pm

Atlanta Thrashers @ Colorado Avalanche

10:30 pm

Detroit Red Wings @ San Jose Sharks

Injury Report-

-Mike Modano of the ~~Stars~~ Red Wings had surgery on his wrist and is out indefinitely. Modano has both nerve damage and a sliced tendon in his right wrist, a result of getting cut by a skate blade against the Blue Jackets.

-Right wing Joffrey Lupul of the Ducks may be close to returning to the NHL. Lupul, who contacted an infection from back surgery last December, is finally back on the ice with Anaheim's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. He could return to the Ducks lineup either this week or next, though there is no official timetable for his return.

-The Islanders' Bruno Gervais fractured his left cheek bone and did not practice on Monday. He did complete his normal workout yesterday and is scheduled to practice today. He is officially listed as day-to-day.

-Bad news for the Avalanche. Their top scorer, Chris Stewart, broke his left hand on Saturday against the Wild and is out indefinitely. He is the sixth player the Avs have had to place on IR this season.

-Marian Hossa is hurt- again- after colliding with teammate Nick Boynton in practice and had to be immediately helped off the ice. Boynton was unhurt. Hossa is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a lower-body injury. Even when he finally wins a Stanley Cup, this guy is still cursed. The Blackhawks called up forward Jeremy Morin to fill in for Hossa while he's out.

-Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin took part in practice for the first time since injuring his groin. Khabibulin said his groin is feeling fine and he expects to return to the lineup any day now.

-Pierre-Marc Bouchard will play for the Wild tomorrow night. It's been over a year since Bouchard has seen an NHL action. I think it was a result of post-concussion syndrome.

-Speaking of which, expect to see Marc Savard back with the Bruins any day now. And have fun watching the Bruins frantically try to clear up enough cap space to bring him back. Woohoo!

-Cody Franson of the Predators, who was day-to-day with an injury, is expected to play tonight.

Trades/Signings-

-The Avalanche and Bruins traded defenseman. Matt Hunwick is now with Colorado and Colby Cohen is with Boston.

-The Avalanche have been busy making trades of late (that's what happens when you have six guys on IR I guess). Just this afternoon, they traded veteran defenseman Scott Hannan to the Capitals in exchange for Tomas Fleischmann. Pierre LeBrun reported that the Avs and Caps have actually been working on this deal since August. So it wasn't that the Caps didn't try to upgrade their blueline over the summer, it just took them forever to pull the trigger!

Other News-

-Congrats to Patrick Elias and his wife Petra on the birth of their daughter Sophia on Sunday. Both mom and baby are reported to be doing well.

-Pat Burns' funeral was held yesterday in Montreal. Appropriately, Burns' ashes were placed in an urn shaped like a miniature Stanley Cup. I don't think he would've wanted it any other way. RIP, big guy.

-Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer, who is looking to buy the Coyotes, had hoped to get a deal done by Christmas, but it looks like that isn't happening. The deal is progressing, however, so it looks like the Yotes will get to remain in the desert.

-Brace yourselves; Chris Chelios may be coming out of retirement. Darren Dreger of of TSN confirmed the report that Vityaz and another unnamed KHL team have reportedly contacted the 10,000 year old veteran about playing for their team. Safe to say that Chris Chelios is the NHL's version of Brett Favre. Or am I being too harsh?

Penguins are on a roll. MAF is back, Sid is an absolute freak right now, Letang has us all wondering why we were wanted Gonchar back, and the revamped defense is finally living up to expectations. Hopefully they can keep it up on Thursday when they play the Trashers, er, Thrashers, who surprisingly don't suck right now.

Go Pens.

'Tis the Season

2010-11-27T16:23:00.009-05:00

The Christmas season is upon us, the season of love, giving and sharing. In honor of this wonderful time of year, I decided that I would share the pictures my roommate Marianna and I took on our first visit to Consol Energy Center on Novemeber 12th against the Lightning.

Consol Energy Center in all its shining glory

The Mario Mosaic!!!!!

Giant scoreboard

The view from our seats. There is not a bad seat in the house at CEC

Marianna and I (it was her first ever Penguins game)

National Anthem

Flower

Geno chilling on the bench

Marianna wearing her brand new Malkin t-shirt (he's her favorite)

My new Brooks Orpik t-shirt

Iceburgh

An Oilers jersey at a Pens-Bolts game? Wtf?

You can't really tell from this picture, but her jersey actually said "Icebitch". I kid you not

Penguins win 5-1!

Victory

Announcing the three stars of the game

Max Talbot was the second star

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. Consol is every bit as beautiful and amazing as advertised. It was a little strange at first, because CEC is very different from good ol' Mellon Arena. But it was absolutely incredible, as was the atmosphere. Flower had been struggling up until to that point (that seems so long ago doesn't it?) but the crowd had his back right from the start. At the beginning of the game, before the puck dropped, everyone was chanting "Fleury, Fleury, Fleury!" And that night he played what was his best game of the year up to that point. He made some incredible clutch saves. The only goal he let in was a Steven Stamkos shot that Patrick Roy himself couldn't have stopped. Stamkos has a nasty shot. Engelland also scored his first NHL goal in that game. I was thrilled that Marianna got to see such a dominant performance from Pittsburgh in her first ever Penguins game and she had the time of her life. We're already planning a return trip. I hope you all get a chance to attend a game at CEC sooner rather than later!

Everyone enjoy your holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2010-11-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't written anything here in awhile. School has been taking up most of my time. I have a good article that I am currently working on that will be up soon.

Today is a day that we all celebrate what we are all thankful for. I'm pretty sure we can all agree on that there are many things in Penguins hockey that we are all thankful for as fans. Like a certain lottery ball falling our way in 2005 or our Canadian savior saving this franchise not once but twice.

I'm sure I speak for all of us here at Pens Nation when I say Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers. We would never be able to do this without all of you. The readers are what truly make a blog great. We are all thankful for you.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Eat, drink, and enjoy this wonderful holiday and the upcoming holiday season.

Tomorrow it's back to business. Go Pens!!

Career Year For Crosby?

2010-11-24T20:17:00.000-05:00

Sidney Crosby has already accomplished many things in his short career. Currently in his sixth season in the NHL, Crosby has won a Stanley Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. In addition, he has won an Art Ross Trophy, the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Mark Messier Leadership Award, the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Rocket Richard Trophy. He has appeared in three All-Star games.
Crosby will never be satisfied with everything in his career. He always thinks he can do better. Each summer, he works on aspects of the game that he feels he can improve in. Last season, Crosby improved his faceoff ability by winning 55.9% of his draws compared to 45.5% in 2005-06. He also had his highest goal total last season with 51 goals, which tied Steven Stamkos for the league lead. Many people have questioned what Crosby will improve this season.
Through 22 games this season, Crosby has scored 15 goals and recorded 20 assists for a total of 35 points. He and Stamkos are tied for the league lead in points. The scary thing is that Crosby is on pace for his best season in the NHL. He has scored at least a point in each of his past nine games, which is a career best. With that said, Crosby is on pace to score around 55 goals and around 130 points. That would also be a career best. If the Penguins can win a Stanley Cup with Crosby recording 109 points in 2008-09, imagine what they could do if he records 130 and continues his playoff success. The Penguins will be getting Jordan Staal back possibly in the next month, which will provide a huge boost for Pittsburgh, who is already second in the division without having Staal a single game.
While Crosby has impressed many hockey fans already, we may have not seen the best of him yet.

RIP Pat Burns

2010-11-20T14:51:00.003-05:00

Sad news for the NHL yesterday. Former NHL head coach and Stanley Cup champion Pat Burns died after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer. He was 58 years old.

Burns coached the Bruins, Maple Leafs, Canadiens and Devils during his 14 year coaching career. He guided the Bruins to two playoff appearances, led the Maple Leafs to the conference finals in 1992 and 1993, made it to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Canadiens, and finally won the Stanley Cup in his first season with the Devils in 2003, defeating Anaheim in seven games.

Known by NHL fans for his blue-collar toughness, Burns is the only coach in NHL history to win the Jack Adams award three times, and with three different teams no less. (Montreal in 1989, Toronto in 1993 and Boston in 1998.) Burns finished his career with a record of 501-353-165 (.573) in 1,019 games including 11 playoff appearances.

Burns was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004 and liver cancer in 2005, forcing him to retire. He thought he'd made a complete recovery, only to have the cancer spread to his lungs in 2009. The cancer was deemed incurable and he decided to forgo any further treatment.

Burns himself stated in April of this year that he was not expecting to live much longer. We all knew the odds were that he would not live out this year, but it does not make his death any less sad. A hockey arena at Stanstead College in Quebec is being built in his honor. It should be completed in 2011. Thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Line, his son Jason, his daughter Maureen and the rest of his family and friends

RIP Pat Burns. Best of luck in that giant hockey rink in the sky. You're Hall of Fame in our books.

Down on the Farm... Note Book 11.18.10

2010-11-18T14:38:00.004-05:00

Going into the season, goalie depth was one of the much talked about issues. The Pens system has been stocked over the summer, leaving much discussion about who would get playing time. Thus far in Wilkes-Barre, both John Curry and Brad Thiessen have played very well with Thiessen playing lights out hockey.

Thiessen is 8-0 with a 1.74 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Curry has also been phenomenal but to a slightly lesser degree with a record of 4-2 with a 2.64 GAA and a .902 save percentage.

Goaltending has been a strong suit of the Nailers this season thus far as well. Patrick Killeen started his professional career of with a bang going 6-0. Although Mattais Modig has not been great, he has not been horrible either, but one could tell that he’s still getting use to the North American style of play. He also hasn’t received a ton of offensive help when he has been in net.

With Chris Conner up with Pittsburgh and both Nick Johnson and Brett Sterling hurt, the AHL Pens are relying on guys like Keven Veilleux, Chris Collins, Geoff Walker and Bryan Lerg to put in more ice time.

With the injuries happening in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Nailers’ forward Joey Haddad has been recalled to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pens. Haddad registered 10 points (4G, 6A) in 12 games played for Wheeling thus far this season. Haddad also played 29 games with the WBS Pens last season.

After starting the year as-hot-as can be, the Wheeling Nailers have found themselves losers of the last 3 out of 4 games and now sit 7th overall in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference 7-6-0 through 13 games.

Andrew Lord has been named the Nailers’ team Captain, while Kris Vernarsky, Andrew Orpik, and David Urquhart have all been selected to don the “A.” Lord was Wheeling’s Capitan last season so it should come as no huge surprise.

Nailer forward, Nick Peterson has been tearing up the ECHL since being sent down in late October. Peterson has notched 7 goals in 8 games.

This Week In Pens Nation - Ice Ice Guerin

2010-11-18T13:05:00.005-05:00

Hellooooooo Nation, it's been awhile but im back and here's what's happening in Pens Nation.

- Opening Faceoff
I'll start this one off with on ice news. Time to give my little rant about the play of the defense (excluding last night's game). Here's my question to all of you in the Nation. Why can't the players buckle down and fill the void that Staal leaves behind, like they did whenever Sid/Geno were out with their injuries? I don't have an answer to that, so if you do please comment below. As far as the recent Mike Comrie/Chris Conner situation, well, it's simple, Bylsma is giving another fringe player a chance at success as he did with Letestu. HCDB is playing the fringe players, because that's the type of player he was. Sure, Comrie has been a bust, but hell, he's still gotta play, even if it's only on the 4th line.

- Annnndddd Nooooowwww Fannnnnssss
Now to ice issues, yes, actual ice issues. The complaints are about the ice surface at CEC are flooding into the media and to the Penguins front office more then Hurricane Katrina about this. Just relax, new buildings always have problems with the ice in the beginning, keep in mind that the operations staff at CEC also worked in the Mellon, a 50+ year old building, so I don't expect greatness just yet. Just. Relax.

- Shootout
Breaking news into the Nation today was that Bill Guerin is expected to announce his retirement from the NHL after Thanksgiving, but wait there's more, he is also expected to become a member of the Penguins staff sometime in 2011. From all of us in Pens Nation Congrats Billy G on a great NHL career and enjoy your retirement.

That is all for this week (and probally until after Thanksgiving) so until next time remember 3 Ass=1 Goal

Happy Turkey Day. Go Pens.

Pens Nation Invades The Pensblog

2010-11-13T13:20:00.002-05:00

Friday night following the Pens/Lightning, I was on the Pensblog Podcast and I brought Pens Nation with me...Audio is a trainwreck

Pensblog Podcast - 11.13 (Feat. Pens Nation)

Go Pens

All-Stars and Kovalchokes

2010-11-11T23:58:00.003-05:00

The biggest news in hockey this week is, of course, the adjustments to the All-Star game starting in 2011. The short and short of it is that fantasy hockey will become a reality. Instead of the East vs. the West, the two captains (selected by the players) of the All-Star game will get to choose the rosters. They will pick from a pool of players selected by a combination of fans and the NHL Hockey Operations Department. Following the Fantasy Draft (yes, it's actually being called that), teams will pick 12 rookies picked by the NHL Hockey Operations Department for the SuperSkills competition. Important dates for the 2011 All-Star Game:

Fan balloting- November 15th-January 3rd

2011 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft- January 28th

SuperSkills Competition- January 29th

2011 NHL All-Star Game- January 30th

Whether or not this new format will actually improve the game remains to be seen but it is a creative concept and not a bad idea to take advantage of the popularity of fantasy sports. Give credit to the NHL/NHLPA for working hard to make these changes. Also, for those of you who have Twitter, be sure to take a look at @BizNasty2point0's selections for the All-Star fantasy lineup. Even if he chose Ron Hextall as one of the goalies (ick).

A quick injury update:

-T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues is out 3 months. He broke his left ankle in the third period of the Blues' game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. St. Louis has been one of the early surprising teams this year, currently second overall in the Western Conference. Losing one of their signature offensive stars in Oshie will be a chance for St. Louis to prove they're the real deal.

But with Jaroslav Halak as the second coming of Patrick Roy/Ken Dryden, anything is possible, right? I still have no idea what the Habs were thinking when they traded him.

-Vincent Lecavalier was hurt in last night's game against the Washington Capitals. He left the ice early in the first period with a broken right hand. Apparently the break is close to the knuckle of his right index finger. Lecavalier returned to the game in the second period and played the rest of the night. Head coach Guy Boucher has since stated that he does not know if the injury will require surgery or not. Lecavalier is expected to miss 3-4 weeks, so we won't be seeing him when the Lightning come to CEC tonight.

-As I tweeted yesterday, Pens fans have another reason to be grateful we're not Devils fans (besides the obvious). Click here to see Kovalchuk's epic fail in the shootout against Buffalo. I almost choked myself (pun totally intended) from laughing so hard when I saw this video for the first time. It wouldn't have been half as embarrassing if Kovalchuk wasn't being paid so much money. If you're getting paid $100 million, you better AT LEAST get that shot off.

(I also find it hilarious that Jhonas Enroth didn't seem to realize that the game was over after Kovy's gaffe.)

Once again, I feel the need to remind everyone that I'll be at tonight's game!!!! (And I'll likely post some pictures.) Hopefully the Penguins can get it together so Marianna can see a win at her first game! Go Pens!!!!!

Catching Up

2010-11-08T14:40:00.008-05:00

Hello Pens Nation! I apologize for my lacks of posts this week. It's been hectic here in NY. I will try and be more on top of things from now on.

This most exciting news of the week is... I AM FINALLY GOING TO MY FIRST GAME AT CONSOL ENERGY CENTER THIS FRIDAY! I know you're all thrilled to hear it and life as you know it will never be the same. But can you blame me for being excited? It's also a momentous occasion for another reason. One of my roommates is also a Penguins fan (courtesy of yours truly) and Friday will be her first ever Penguins game! What, no one care but me? Fine then.

Here is the real news you all came to read:

On-Ice-

-Latest injury updates from around the NHL:

Anaheim Ducks: Joffrey Lupul (back surgery/infection), Dan Sexton (broken nose/surgery) and Matt Beleskey (concussion) are participating in on-ice workouts again. It's unknown when any of them will actually be able to play although head coach Randy Carlyle said Lupul could see action around Thanksgiving. Possibly.

Boston Bruins: First-line center David Krejci will miss at least a week with a mild concussion. The Bruins top players just can't catch a break, can they? (Except Chara, but that's because he's 6'9" and no one wants to/can reach high enough to hurt him. Unless you're T.J. Oshie.) Good news for Boston is that Marc Savard (post-concussion syndrome) and Marco Sturm could see ice time in the near future, though the team will not give a timetable for either player's return.

Buffalo Sabres: Goalie Ryan Miller (sore leg muscle) is back in practice. He will definitely miss Wednesday's game against New Jersey (as if they needed him) and likely miss Thursday against the Rangers but could be back Saturday against the Capitals (then they might need him).

Carolina Hurricanes: Defenseman Joni Pitkanen (upper body) is still day-to-day. He took part in practice today wearing a no-contact jersey. His status for tomorrow night's game against Edmonton is unknown.

Colorado Avalanche: Goalie Craig Anderson (knee) could be back in 1-2 weeks. (Colorado fans: "ONLY 1-2 MORE WEEKS OF PETER BUDAJ! THERE IS A GOD AFTER ALL!")

Detroit Red Wings: Brian Rafalski (knee surgery) will be back in the lineup for Detroit tonight.

New Jersey Devils: There's good news and bad news for the Devils. Good news: Martin Brodeur (elbow) should be back against Buffalo on Wednesday night, despite missing Sunday's practice. And they're within one point of the Islanders in the Atlantic Division. Bad news: Zach Parise is still out for 3 months. And they're still terrible.

New York Rangers: Marian Gaborik ( ~~groin~~ shoulder) is skating again and could be back as early as this weekend. But no one's noticed because they're all too stunned that, thanks in large part to Brandon Dubinsky, the Rangers are actually scoring goals without him in the lineup.

Phoenix Coyotes: Captain Shane Doan out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, has been ruled out for Phoenix's mini road trip to Detroit and Chicago and will not travel with the team. Officially listed as "day to day".

Toronto Maple Leafs: Captain Dion Phaneuf's leg laceration surgery was a success and he's going to miss 4-6 weeks. How will the Leafs be able to go on without him?

-Joe Thornton was suspended for two games for his hit to the head on David Perron of St. Louis. He will have to sit out one more game (tomorrow night against the Ducks) and be back Thursday against the Islanders.

-The Flyers extended Claude Giroux's tenure in Philly for another 3 years at a cost of $11.25 million.

Off-Ice-

-It's been confirmed via Puck Daddy that ESPN is serious about going after the NHL's TV rights. I can't wait to see how this bidding war plays out.

-This year's Hockey Hall of Fame inductees received their Hall of Fame rings today, leading to many people (myself included, I admit) to restart complaining/debating about why Ciccarelli was inducted this year but guys like Pat Burns and Adam Oates were snubbed.

I'll likely be putting up some pictures from the game Friday and look to start working on player features starting this week. For real this time. I promise!

Go Pens.

Pens Nation Twitter Contest - Coyotes

2010-11-06T13:52:00.003-04:00

Taking a page from our friends at The Pensblog, we will be having a twitter contest for tonight's game.

If you don't have a twitter account, get one first.
Then tweet a message saying when the first penalty of the game will be taken (i.e. 11:21, 2nd Per)

Winner will get a chance to visit the Mellon Arena and try and hold back tears with me, and a few other Pens fans*

*Providing we get in, if not, request what you would like as a prize

Go Pens

Election Day (Updated)

2010-11-02T12:55:00.005-04:00

-I know around this time of year there are a lot of germs getting passed around and everyone gets a cold, snuffles, the flu, etc, but it looks like the injury bug is the one making its way around the NHL during the past few days. Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, Zach Parise, Jacob Josefson and Milan Jurcina have all been bitten.

As mentioned in the last post, Jordan Staal has a broken hand and will be out six more weeks, just as he was looking strong in practice and ready to return. He underwent surgery for it this morning. I feel partly to blame for this cruel irony. Not only did I post last week that he might've been able to return last Friday but I'm going to the Penguins-Lightning game a week from Friday with one of my roommates (a Pens fan who has never been to a game) and the day before he broke his hand, I very excitedly told her that Staal would be back in time for us to see him play. Whoops.

But not all the news is bad, Pens fans. Coach Bylsma said that he believes Malkin (knee), Letang (upper body) and Goligoski (undisclosed), who are all listed as day-to-day, will be able to play against Dallas on Wednesday night. We should also expect to see defenseman Zbynek Michalek in the lineup against the Stars.

-One thing I know I'll be (even more) thankful for this Thanksgiving is that I'm not a New Jersey Devils fan. The current Atlantic Division bottom dwellers are on pace for 44 points this season- 18 less than the Oilers had last year. Ouch. The team is already injury-riddled: Anssi Salmela (torn ACL), Bryce Salvador (concussion) and Matthew Corrente. Add Zach Parise and Jacob Josefson to that list. Parise, the one player the Devils really couldn't afford to lose, has to undergo exploratory arthroscopic knee surgery after being injured Saturday against the Kings and is out indefinitely. To add injury to injury to injury, rookie Jacob Josefson underwent surgery to repair a detached ligament in his hand and is out 6-8 weeks.

UPDATE: It was just announced that after his arthroscopic knee surgery, Zach Parise is going to miss 3 months. Horrible news for the Devils, who are already having trouble scoring goals (and don't have their usual defensive prowess to lean on). It's up to you, Kovy!

-According to PensUniverse, Matt Cooke has replaced Pascal Dupuis as mustache boy this month.

-Danny Briere has been suspended three games for cross checking Frans Nielson of the Islanders. Briere was apparently "shocked" at the suspensions and that it "clearly wasn't a cross check". Whatever you say, Danny.

Although if I were Rick Dipietro I wouldn't have been so eager to get into the scrum, what with the injury bug ready to strike at any moment. A guy who's so injury-prone that he could break a jaw biting into one of the Islanders' new cupcakes shouldn't push his luck. Especially if Chris Pronger gets involved.

-Speaking of the Islanders and the injury bug, Milan Jurcina is out 2-4 weeks with an injured hamstring.

-Brian Campbell returned to the lineup last night for the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks. Too bad they still gave up 3 goals to the Gaborik-less Rangers.

-Those of you who are 18 and older, don't forget to vote today! In the spirit of election day, our friends over at The Pensblog created a survey for their readers. Click here to take the survey. Also, everyone be sure to read their Wilkes-Barre blog. The AHL matters too!

Penguins Banged Up

2010-11-01T23:37:00.000-04:00

-The Penguins have been dealing with injuries since the beginning of the season and it is not getting much better. Jordan Staal, who has not played in any games this season because of a foot infection, has been practicing the last few days in an effort to make his season debut in the game against Dallas Wednesday night. At practice today, a puck hit Staal's hand and he instantly knew something was wrong. It turns out that Staal now has a fractured right hand and will undergo surgery tomorrow. This is a big blow to the Penguins as the Selke finalist last season may be out until after Thanksgiving. Evgeni Malkin, who did not play in the 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night, is listed as day-to-day. He did not practice today. Kris Letang is also listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. Letang was absent from practice as well. Alex Goligoski, who is having a good season so far, left practice after fifteen minutes and he is also listed as day-to-day. The only good injury news for the Penguins is that Zybnek Michalek is expected to return Wednesday night after missing about ten games with a shoulder injury. Arron Asham has played in the last three games after missing the first nine with a shoulder injury. The Penguins are showing their depth with a 6-5-1 record while dealing with so many injuries. Mark Letestu, Goligoski, and Letang all have exceeded expectations thus far and the Penguins hope that keeps up to go along with Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

This Week In Pens Nation - Civic Arena Update

2010-10-29T22:27:00.004-04:00

As if the Pens losing to the Philly wasn't sad enough, Danny Boy's here with a Civic Arena update...

From the looks of the one picture that I was able to obtain from inside of the Civic Arena, it seems like crews are in the beginning stages of stripping the building before demolition. This only shows one section at ice level, but its enough to make you shed a tear or two. This is the first I've seen of the arena since my last game there. With the way this home season is going, I wish like hell we could have it back..just once. The other pictures in my possession show that the Zamboni's have not been touched nor driven since their last cut (which you can watch below..with Pizza Hut ad still painted on. There are talks that the boards, glass, and Zamboni's will be bought by Robert Morris University and used at the RMU Island Sports Center on Neville Island. So without further adu...here they are..

Winter Classic Jersey Unveiled

2010-10-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

-The Penguins have just unveiled the jersey for the 2011 Winter Classic. It was announced following today's practice. Everyone on the team skated in practice including Zybnek Michalek and Jordan Staal.

NHL in a Nutshell- Staal to Return Friday?

2010-10-28T11:13:00.004-04:00

-There is no official confirmation (and knowing Bylsma, there probably won't be one until gameday) but I heard a rumor that Jordan Staal, who has reportedly been looking very strong in practice, MIGHT be in the lineup against the Flyers on Friday! Again, this is just something I heard last night, so don't get too excited yet. Staal was expected to be out until sometime in November, but as we know he is a quick healer. I do hope, however, that he isn't rushed back into the lineup too soon. There's still a long way to go in the season and it's better off in the long-term that Staal be as healthy as possible when he does return.

-The Penguins are set to unveil their Winter Classic jerseys after practice today! Finally, after months of waiting and dozens of rumors and pictures, we'll finally know which jerseys will be worn on Heinz Field on New Year's.

-Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson has been placed on IR and is out indefinitely with a knee injury he suffered during warm-ups before a game against the Canucks. The team had no comment on the exact nature of Anderson's injury. He will need to undergo some rehab and treatments but the good news for the Avs is that the injury will not require surgery. Peter Budjai, the regular backup, will probably be the main starter while Anderson is out. The team also recalled John Grahame from the AHL to be the new backup until Anderson returns.

-Marian Hossa was hurt in the Blackhawks win over the Kings last night. It is officially being described as an "upper body injury" and there is no word yet on his condition. I'll have an update on that when word gets out.

NHL Injury Update

2010-10-25T19:46:00.002-04:00

-The Kings have placed Drew Doughty on IR. Doughty left Wednesday's game against the Hurricanes in the first period after suffering an apparent concussion. The Kings are officially calling Doughty's injury an upper-body injury. Doughty will be unavailable to play for L.A. this week, since a player on injured reserve is not allowed to return to action within seven days. The Kings have called up defenseman Jake Muzzin for the Manchester Monarachs while Doughty is recovering.

-Blues d-man Roman Polak is going to miss the Blues' next game. Polak has a laceration on his right wrist after his wrist was accidently cut by Sidney Crosby's skate in the second period of Saturday's game. Head coach Davis Payne confirmed that the Czech-born defenseman is out for Thursday's contest against Nashville and will officially be listed as day-to-day after that. St. Louis has not called up any new players, so it looks as if Tyson Strachan (a healthy scratch for six of the last seven games) will take Polak's place on the roster until he returns.

NHL in a Nutshell- Charity Work, Broken Bones and an Extension for Jack Johnson?

2010-10-24T20:31:00.018-04:00

Greetings, Pens Nation! It's a bit strange writing a post on a Monday afternoon but as I said Friday, I'm trying to post the news as it comes, not saving it until Friday, for this week. We'll see where it goes from here. Admittedly, not all of this is brand-new news so I'm playing a little catchup here.

-Great news for the Penguins. Zbynek Michalek (I still have to double check and make sure I'm spelling his name right) practiced with the team for the first time since being injured against New Jersey on October 11th. He says he's not 100 percent yet but is improving quickly and is happy to be practicing with the team again. No official word on when we can expect him back in uniform.

-On the other hand, we can expect to see Arron Asham in the lineup against Tampa Bay on Wednesday. His return, along with Brooks Orpik returning against St. Louis on Saturday, lead to Ray Shero announcing that Eric Tangradi and Andrew Hutchinson have been re-assigned to Wiles-Barre. Yes, the Big Dog is going back to the kennel. He's been decent, but not spectacular, so far at the NHL level and might benefit from playing an (almost) full season on the first line in the AHL, considering he spent last year mostly on the third line. Think of how stacked the Baby Pens are now. They're already 6-0 and Tangradi and Hutchinson make them even better.

-Rumor is circulating that the L.A. Kings and Jack Johnson are working on a three-year extension. No word on potential monetary terms.

-Via his agent, Allan Walsha, Ondrej Pavelec has been officially activated from the IR and is ready to go for Atlanta. Great to hear that he's back on the ice, even if we never find out exactly why he fainted in the game against Washington.

-The Kings and Avalanche took part in a very interesting Twitter-inspired charity on Saturday night. The two teams, who faced off Saturday night, induced a "hashtag battle". During the game, whenever someone tweeted #GoKings or #GoAvs, the team donated $1 to a local cancer-related charity of their choice. #GoKings received 29,374 mentions and #GoAvs got 13,876, which means that $43,250 total was raised as a part of Hockey Fights Cancer month. (#GoKings and #GoAvs were also the number one and two trending topics in America and Canada and ended up trending worldwide.) This was a very creative and fun way to use social media to raise money for cancer-related charities. Kudos to both the Kings and Avalanche.

-More charity work recently came out of the NHL. Scott Hartnell's Carrot Top-esque hair is no more. On Saturday, the Philly winger got a haircut for the first time in three years and showed some class in the process, donating his shorn mane to "Locks for Love". "Locks for Love" is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children who're financially disadvantaged and suffering from medical hair loss, such as cancer. Look at how different he looks:

I'm having a flashback to 2004 when Johnny Damon left the Red Sox to sign with the Yankees and had to get a trim. Like Damon, Hartnell is almost unrecognizable without his infamous locks. In other news, Head coach Peter Laviolette reports after today's practice that Hartnell speed has almost doubled since Saturday for some strange, unidentified reason.

-The Bruins lost more than the game Saturday night against the Rangers. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk suffered slight fracture in his left forearm in the first period of the game and will miss roughly a month of action.

-According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Kovalchuk missed a team meeting on Saturday morning which led to his being a healthy scratch that night against Buffalo. (Kovy declined to comment when asked if he had missed the meeting.) McKenzie also reported that the Russian sniper balked at playing right wing because he prefers the left side, but supposedly that has nothing to do with his being a healthy scratch.

And It Ends...

2010-10-24T14:41:00.002-04:00

Hellloooo Nation...this is somewhat of a somber post. The Pens Nation Mobile App has somehow been deleted. I had no part in this, I apologize to all that may have downloaded it.

NHL in a Nutshell- Out of This World

2010-10-22T12:21:00.007-04:00

Hello again Pens Nation. I hope you all enjoyed the Penguins-Predators game last night. It was definitely one of the most entertaining games so far this season. It *almost* had a playoff feel to it, no?

Before I move on to the hockey news of the week, I just want to let everyone know that I'm going to try a new system for NHL in a Nutshell. Instead of compiling NHL news and writing a piece once a week about it, I'm going to try reporting the news as it comes. I'll try that system for a week or so and see how it goes. Also, starting next week I'll be doing a weekly player feature, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.

There is some very good news for Penguins fans this week regarding injuries, bad news for Rangers fans, an update on the Coyotes' ownership, more suspensions and a hockey jersey going into orbit.

On-Ice-

-Very good news for Penguins fans. All Penguins players, except for Zbeynek Michalek, are skating and practicing with the team again! There is still no timetable for Jordan Staal's return but we can expect Brooks Orpik back for Saturday's game in St. Louis and Arron Asham back no later than Wednesday against the Lightning. Michalek will be out for another week at best and three more weeks at worst, but the good news is that he has been skating (before practice). The Pens are slowly getting healthy again and should be at full strength sometime next month.

-The injury report for our Atlantic Divison rival New York Rangers is not as good. Their most potent offensive player, Marian Gaborik, is out for two to three weeks with ~~groin injury~~ separated shoulder and captain Chris Drury re-broke his finger in a different spot and is out six weeks.

-The season may have just begun but things are already off to a great start for Jumbo Joe Thornton. Earlier this month he was named as the San Jose Sharks' captain and now he's been given a three-year contract extension with the team, worth $21 million. The contract has a no-movement clause and will pay Thornton roughly $7 million a year, giving him leeway to continue his disappearing act in the playoffs for another three years without fear.

-This just in: Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien had his hearing in NYC this morning after being suspended indefinitely for getting into a scrum with a Minnesota Wild fan on Tuesday. (Click here to watch the fight if you haven't seen it yet.) Rypien has been suspended for six games and by league policy the Canucks will be fined $25,000. His time off will not only give Rypien plenty of time to think about what he's done but he'll also be able to focus on deflecting the lawsuit of the fan he attacked.

-Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes has also been suspended by the league. Doan has been suspended for three games due to a blindside hit to the head of the Ducks' Dan Sexton on Sunday night. Time to go adjust my fantasy roster...

-Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie has been assigned to the AHL after claiming Brendan Mikkelson off of waivers. This is mainly notable to Pens fans because Brodie was the player who had the audacity to wear Mario's number 66. TSN's Bob McKenzie defended Brodie in this regard, saying that #66 was the number the Flames had assigned him during training camp. But no more will any NHL player wear the sacred number of Mario Lemieux.

Off-Ice-

-A Nashville Predators jersey is being launched into orbit. Colonel Tim Kopra, a crew member of Space Shuttle Discovery's final mission, is going to bring the a Pekka Rinne jersey with him into space. Kopra's brother-in-law in a Preds season ticket holder and he was the one who suggested that Kopra bring the jersey along. He recommended a Rinne jersey because Kopra is of Finnish decent and Rinne, as well all know, is Finnish. You can read more details of the story here.

-The potential buyer of the Phoenix Coyotes has been officially revealed; Chicago businessman Matthew Hulsizer. Hulsizer told ESPN.com on Friday that he had come to a principal agreement with the city of Glendale on a lease for Jobing.com Arena, where the Coyotes play. Hulsizer would not discuss the details of the lease but he did attend the Coyotes home opener and is hoping to reach a deal with NHL to buy the team at the league's asking price, which has not been revealed. It looks like there may be an end in sight for the long ownership saga in Phoenix and the hockey team will remain in the desert. I can hear the cries of the citizens of Winnipeg from here.

Pens Nation Moblie Now Avalible...Kinda!

2010-10-22T11:01:00.001-04:00

Its here faster then expected

Go here on your iPhone/iPod Touch, or Android now!

App will be in Apples iTunes Store soon!

This Week In Pens Nation - MAS*H 44-45-11

2010-10-21T15:40:00.005-04:00

Hellooooooo Nation! This Week in Pens Nation I will be talking about the Penguins Goalie Problems, as well as the the fact that their ain't no shuffle like the 3rd-line shuffle (more on that horrible parody later). As well as a special surprise you don't wanna miss!

Opening Faceoff
As I was driving back and forth from school to my house, I was tuned to the Fan 93.7 and Mark Madden on 105.9, and other then the James Harrison fine talk, most of the buzz was over the Penguins goalie situation. I must be honest, I'm tired of this, I mean its a simple problem that isn't getting a simple answer. That answer is (in my opinion) to let Brent Johnson play until he loses (or needs rest). I know, they will be on a 8 game road trip and eventually Fleury will have to play, but until then let the goalie with the 4-0 record stay hot. Ride Em' Till It Hurts (that's what she said)
is what I've been saying all along, and for the love of all things not from Philly, just say it already.

Annnddd Nowwwwww Fannnsssss!
Another story surrounding the team this week was our injury situation, with Asham, Orpik and Staal all still on the shelf. With at least Orpik returning Saturday, the question now becomes "who stays, who goes?" That is a very brain-bursting question, and the answer is not as simple as who should play in goal. With the return of Orpik, the defensemen on the chopping block are (again in my opinion) Andrew Hutchinson, and Ben Lovejoy. Hutch is the obvious choice because he was the one called up when Free Candy went down. Lovejoy (top ten last name, bank it) is a little tougher, I love his game but he doesn't bring what Brooks can. Engelland is a lock to stay, so are all the other regulars, so figure out the D situation for yourself. As far as Asham and Staal, there are a number of choices to give the boot. My choices for Asham would be Godard, only because Asham brings everything Gods does, but with more talent for scoring. For Gronk however, It's a toss up between Kennedy and Dupuis or even Tangradi. Tangradi is the 1st choice not just on his offensive production (or lack there of) but because he does not have to clear Waivers, the others do, so for the purposes of this post, I'm going Tangradi.

Sudden Death
I mentioned in the teaser that there is a surprise not to miss. Within the coming weeks or so, be sure to check iTunes if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, for...wait for it...The Offical Pens Nation Mobile App! With all the articles from this site, along with PensTV and even the latest Twitter posts from myself, Andy and Meg! Stay Tuned!

Penguins vs. Maple Leafs

2010-10-18T12:08:00.003-04:00

After picking up their first win of the season, the Pens came back home to the CONSOL Energy Center to take on the surprising Toronto Maple Leafs.

What ensued was 60 minutes of torture.

The Leafs, with their parade route already planned, have been the surprise team of the early part of the season.

However, we're like 4 games in.

1st Period

Pretty nice pace to start things off.

However, about five minutes in, Colton Orr decides to step in front of the net. A shot from the point deflects off him and by Fleury.

1-0 Queefs.

Pens go on the Powerplay a few minutes later. Malkin takes a slapper. Deflection. Kunitz. Goal.

1-1.

Pens score on the PP. Holy balls.

With a couple minutes left, Pens use some nice forechecking and create a turnover right on the doorstep, which Max Talbot pokes home past Jonas Gustavsson.

2-1 Pens.

2nd Period

Of course no lead is safe with the Pens and, a couple minutes into the 2nd, Clark McArthur takes a cross-ice pass on the PP and finds the open net behind Flower.

2-2.

Couple minutes later, Pens crap their pants again as Francois Beauchemin slaps one by Fleury off a faceoff win by Toronto.

3-2 Leafs.

At this point, you're starting to think... maybe the CEC wasn't a good idea.

Then, the highlight of the night comes for the Pens as Deryk Engelland decides to scrap with Colton Orr, one of the biggest heavyweights in the game.

Orr gets the upper hand in the fight. But then Engelland does this:

I was at a local watering hole watching the game and as soon as he hit him the entire place goes...

"BOOOOOOOOOM!"

They kept doing it on every replay too. Great stuff.

Then Clark McArthur scored again off a great feed from behind the net. Unreal

4-2 Toronto.

Pens miss some point blank chances.

Malkin, of course, misses a penalty shot.

I love Geno. He's a great player. But the dude sucks at Penalty Shots. Has no confidence in that situation for some reason.

Right before the end of the period. Sid.

He takes a great pass from Goligoski to the front of the net. Goes backhand right by Gus.

4-3 Leafs.

3rd Period

Poop.

Gustavsson stands tall.

Pens lose.

...

What we learned:

Fleury is 0-3 and took some more Osgood-esque angles on some shots.

Pens are 0-3 at home.

Still early.

Don't worry... too much.

BOOM!

Mike Richards Making a Fool of Himself.

2010-10-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

Pretty comical video of Flyers Captain Mike Richards and his comments in the locker room following their 5-1 to the Pens on Saturday night. It's pretty much him trashing Matt Cooke and blaming the Pens for taking cheap dives. Enjoy.

Young Penguins Off To Fast Start

2010-10-16T21:22:00.000-04:00

After scoring the game winning goal last night to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders, Alex Goligoski is the man being talked about around Pittsburgh. Goligoski, a 25 year old defenseman, is off to a fast start scoring three goals and recording six points through the team’s first six games. On a team that has elite talent like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Crosby, Goligoski and fellow defenseman Paul Martin lead the team in points this season. Evgeni Malkin has four points. The beginning of Goligoski’s season is almost a replica of last season. He scored six goals and recorded thirteen points in the first fifteen games. In mid-November, Goligoski suffered a lower-body injury and never returned to form after he returned. He went on to score only two goals and record 24 points in the other 54 games he played in. Penguins fans hope that Goligoski can play the way he has been consistently throughout the season. If that happens, the Penguins will be a tough team to beat when everyone is healthy. Malkin and Crosby will also need to start producing more as the team is already without Jordan Staal and Arron Asham due to injuries. Goligoski’s goal on Friday night clinched the first Penguins victory at the Consol Energy Center. Fans in Pittsburgh hope that this is only the beginning of a good season for Goligoski, who is hoping to replace veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who signed with the Ottawa Senators on July 1st as an unrestricted free agent.

Centre Mark Letestu is another player who is performing above expectations this season. Letestu, who has spent the last four seasons mostly in Wilkes Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, has scored three goals and recorded five points thus far. Letestu earned a spot on the roster this season after impressing the coaching staff during training camp. He is filling in for Jordan Staal, who is recovering from a foot injury. Left winger Eric Tangradi, who has been considered one of Pittsburgh’s top prospects in the past, scored his first NHL goal last night. The Penguins hope that these young players will continue to develop into the players that fans want them to until Staal and Asham get healthy.

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