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Penguins February Preview and Predictions

In my January Preview, I predicted that the Penguins would have a very strong January, with the potential to go 8-3-2 and pick up 18 of 26 available points on the month.  In fact, the Penguins finished the month going 8-3-2 and picked up 18-points.  This was the second consecutive monthly preview in which our projection nailed the outcome exactly.  It is now time to look forward to see what the month of February has in store for the Penguins. 

What I didn’t predict for January was that the Penguins injury woes would mount and that they would lose several more key players.  Midway through the month, the number of Penguins players on the injured reserve list grew from 3 to 6 players, as Sidney Crosby (ankle), Tyler Kennedy (mono) and Adam Hall (groin) all were added to the list.  While not on the IR list, the Penguins lost the services of Colby Armstrong (Hip/Flu) for several games.  Yet, despite the continued adversity, the Penguins still found a way to win 62% of the games in January and picked up 69% of the available points to arrive within a point of both the Atlantic Division lead and 2nd place in the Eastern Conference.  Unfortunately, the IR list will continue to be a challenge for the Penguins in the coming month. 

So what lies ahead for the Penguins in February?  The Penguins will play 14-games for a possible 28-points.  Unlike January, the majority of the games (8) will be played at home, with 6 being played on the road.  Of the 14-games, the Penguins play just 4-games against Atlantic Division rivals in February when they face off against the Devils on the road, the Flyers at home and 2-games against the Islanders (1 at home, and 1 away).  They will play the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins twice each during the month (1 at home, 1 away).  Five games will be played against teams that are currently above them in the Eastern Conference Standings (Senators, Flyers, Hurricanes (x2), and the Canadiens) and 7 will be played against teams that are currently below them (Islanders (x2), Bruins (x2), Sabres, Panthers, Devils).  The other 2-games will be played against the Western Conference when they host the West’s #2 San Jose Sharks and the #15 Los Angeles Kings. 

As far as the schedule, here is the February layout for the Penguins (28-19-4), 60-points:

2 Feb:  Carolina Hurricanes (25-24-4) - 54 points 
4 Feb:  @ New Jersey Devils (28-19-3) - 59-points
7 Feb:  New York Islanders (24-21-6) - 54 points 
9 Feb:  Los Angeles Kings (20-29-3) - 43 points
10 Feb:  Philadelphia Flyers (28-16-5) - 61 points
13 Feb:  Boston Bruins (26-19-5) - 57 points
14 Feb:  @ Carolina Hurricanes (25-24-4) - 54 points
17 Feb:  @ Buffalo Sabres (23-21-6) - 52 points
19 Feb:  Florida Panthers (22-25-5) - 49 points
21 Feb:  @ Montreal Canadiens (27-15-8) - 62 points
23 Feb:  Ottawa Senators (32-15-4) - 68 points
24 Feb:  San Jose Sharks (28-16-7) - 63 points
26 Feb:  @ New York Islanders (24-21-6) - 54 points
28 Feb:  @ Boston Bruins (26-19-5) - 57 points

February starts with 5 of the first 6 games at home.  The schedule gets rough towards the end of February with 4-games coming in 6-nights (2 at home and 2 on the road). 

Last season, after coming into their own in January by going 8-2-2, the Penguins kept rolling by going 9-3-1 in February, 12-3-2 in March, and 2-1-0 in April.  By comparison, the Penguins are ahead of last season’s performance through January with 60-points (28-19-4) in 51-games this season vs 56-points (24-17-8) in 49-games last season.  I think it is unlikely that the Penguins will be able to maintain the similar level of success in February this season, given the key injuries to the their line-up.  To be successful, the Penguins will need to find offense from the remaining lineup and contributions from their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton call-ups.  They may also need to find a quality offensive player via trade to keep the Penguins in the playoff hunt in the extremely tight Eastern Conference until they can get Sidney Crosby and Gary Roberts back in the lineup.   

I think that the Penguins fortunes in February will be mixed, but they will stay slightly above 0.500.  I am projecting a February record of 7-6-1 with the Penguins picking up of 15 of the 28 available points.  This will require consistent offensive output from Malone, Gonchar, Sykora, Malkin, and Staal, and continued good play in net by Conklin.  If the Penguins can find ways to win without some of their top players in the lineup, it should bode well come playoff time (assuming the top players can find their way back onto the ice by mid-March).   

Lets Go Pens!

Penguins Fall to Thrashers 4-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Atlanta Thrashers 4-1 on Wednesday, one night after beating the New Jersey Devils 4-2.  The Penguins outshot the Atlanta Thrashers 30-27, but were only able to put 1 (legitemately) past Kari Lehtonen on a chip shot by Ryan Whitney midway through the 3rd period.  Despite giving up 4-goals and being replaced by Dany Sabourin after letting in 2 early in the 3rd, Ty Conklin made some great saves to keep the Penguins in the game through the first 40-minutes of play.  

In the 1st period, the Thrashers scored twice,  The first goal came during even strength play on a backhand shot by Bobby Holik at 7:08.  Assists went to Chris Thorburn and Eric Boulton.  At 16:42, while Jeff Taffe sat for 4-minutes on a high stick infraction, the Thrashers scored again on a slapshot by Ilya Kovalchuk.  Steve McCarthy and Marian Hossa picked up the assists.  The Penguins outshot the Thrashers 9-7 in the first, but found themselves down 2-0.  Pittsburgh was 0-for-1 on the powerplay and gave up a goal during the double-minor penalty. 

Early in the 2nd, Jarkko Ruutu made knee-on-knee contact with Ilya Kovalchuk as he was trying to finish a check along the boards by the Thrashers’ bench.  Kovalchuk fell to the ice in pain.  Steve McCarthy objected to the hit and jumped Ruutu and began punching him repeatedly.  Ruutu never dropped his gloves or threw a punch, but somehow was called for a 5-minute fighting major.  He was also given a 5-minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct.  “I meant to finish my check,” Ruutu said. “He ducked away and I barely hit him. I didn’t change direction. I just went for a hit.  I got five minutes for fighting and I didn’t even throw a punch. I had my gloves on the whole time.”  McCarthy picked up a fighting major, a 2-minute instigator, and a 10-minute misconduct.  Kovalchuk went to the locker room, but returned to skate a single shift before leaving the game for good.  Late in the period, a goal by Nathan Smith was disallowed after an extended video review concluded that he directed the puck into the net with a slight forward movement of the skate, which was ultimately determined to be a kicking motion.  The goal would have been Smith’s first NHL tally, and could have likely altered the outcome of the game by getting the Penguins back into it before the star tof the 3rd.  But it wasn’t meant to be.  Shots were even in the 2nd at 10-apiece, with the Penguins going o-for-2 on the man advantage.  The Penguins managed to killed-off 7:20 in short-handed play in the 2nd period.

In the 3rd, the Thrashers got an early unassisted, short-handed goal by Eric Perrin at 1:32 to give the Penguins a 3-goal defecit.  They followed it up with another goal at even strength at 3:46 to put the game firmly out of reach for the tired and injury-riddled Penguins.   Mark Recchi assisted on the Jim Slater backhanded tally that beat Ty Conklin and sent him to the showers early in favor of Dany Sabourin.  At 8:42, the Penguins did manage to finally get one by Lehtonen when Ryan Whotney chipped a shot over his glove hand.  Erik Christenden and Max Talbot got the assists on the lone Penguins goal.  The Penguins outshot the Thrashers 11-10 in the final frame, and were 0-for-1 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
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The Penguins return to Pittsburgh where they will take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night before heading back to New Jersey for a game against the Devils on Monday night. 

Penguins Come From Behind Twice to Beat Devils 4-2

The injury-riddled Pittsburgh Penguins continued their strong play without several key players as they came from behind twice to roll over the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Tuesday night.  With Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Gary Roberts, Mark Eaton, Colby Armstrong and Tyler Kennedy all out of the lineup, the Penguins got some much needed offensive production from Ryan Malone (2G), Erik Christensen (1G, 1A), Jordan Staal (1G), Maxime Talbot (2A) and Petr Sykora (2A) to beat the Devils and edge them in the standings.  The win advances the Penguins record to 2-1-1 since Sidney Crosby left the lineup with a high-ankle sprain, and keeps them just 1-point out of the Atlantic Division lead behind the surging Philadelphia Flyers.  Despite the injury and illness depleted roster, the Penguins have gone 8-2-2 in January and recorded 18 of 24 possible points on the month so far. 

In the 1st period, the Penguins came out ready to play and had the Devils on their heels for the early part of the period.  However, Jordan Staal took a high-sticking penalty at 6:56 and the Devils capitalized with just 2 seconds left on the man-advantage to go up 1-0.  Mike Rupp put a wrist-shot past Ty Conklin for the power-play goal.  Assists were credited to Dainius Zubrus and Patrik Elias.  The Penguins killed off their second penalty of the period, an interference call against Jarkko Ruutu at 17:30.  The Devils outshot the Penguins 11-8 in the first and were 1-for-2 on the power-play.  The Penguins had no man-advantage play in the period.

In the 2nd, the Penguins rebounded early on a goal by Jordan Staal at 1:26, his 6th of the season to make it 1-1.  Staal walked the puck out from behind the goal line and was the beneficiary of a lucky bounce as the puck bounced off a Devils player and between the legs of Martin Brodeur.  Maxime Talbot and Erik Christensen picked up the assists.  At 13:49, the Devils got a lucky bounce of their own as Mike Rupp got his 2nd of the night (and the season) as he threw the puck towards the net just after the faceoff in the Penguins zone.  The puck hit Laraque’s stick and then deflected down off from Kennedy’s chest surprising and beating Ty Conklin.  Rod Pelley, who had won the faceoff, was credited with the assits.  But the Penguins scored less than a minute later to tie it up 2-2, as Max Talbot and Erik Christensen broke up a routine clearing attempt by the Devils.  Maxime Talbot picked up the puck on a botched behind-net pass by the Devils, and threw it to Christensen in front of the net.  Christensen used a nifty backhand shovel to beat Martin Brodeur as he moved across the goal mouth.  Then, less than 2-minutes later, Ryan Malone netted his 12th of the season to put the Penguins up 3-2.  Petr Sykora and Evgeni Malkin picked up the assists on the play.  The Penguins outshot the Devils 10-9 in the 2nd, and were 0-for-2 on the powerplay.  The Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box in the period. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins power-play cashed in with a goal at 5:21 as Sergeio Brylin sat for a hooking call.  Ryan Malone picked up his 2nd of the night to give the Penguins a more comfortable 2-goal lead.  Petr Sykora and Sergei Gonchar got the assists.  The Penguins outshot the Devils 9-5 in the 3rd, and were 1-for-2 on the powerplay.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty of the period, a slashing call to Maxime Talbot.  The penalty to Talbot shortened their 2nd power play and provided some 4-on-4 hockey.  Despite pulling Martin Brodeur for the final 1:16, neither team was able to score again.  Ty Conklin made 23-saves and picked up his 11th win to advance his record to 11-2-2. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters 
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The Penguins travel to Atlanta to take on the Atlanta Thrashers on Wednesday night, and will be looking to pick up their 20th point of the month to pass the Flyers and regain the Atlantic Division lead. 

Inside Penguins Hockey - Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy

Each week, Comcast presents a 30-minute show entitled “Inside Penguins Hockey” that airs on FSN Pittsburgh.  The show provides an exclusive inside look at the Pittsburgh Penguins from game strategies to behind the scenes action.  One of the best elements of the show is the Q&A with various players.  Episode 8 of Inside Penguins Hockey originally aired on January 12th and featured rookies Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy.  The video is being streamed over at Pittsburgh Penguins.com and is provided below for your viewing pleasure. 

CLICK HERE FOR EPISODE 8

Prior Episodes can be viewed below:

• Episode 7:  Aired Jan 5th - Dany Sabourin and Rob Scuderi 

• Episode 6:  Aired Dec 29th  - Special Guest Penguins GM Ray Shero

• Episode 5:  Aired Dec 22nd - In-depth look at Penguins western Canada road trip

• Episode 4:  Aired Dec 15th - Erik Christensen and Petr Sykora

• Episode 3:  Aired Dec 8th, 2007 - Ryan Whitney and Brooks Orpik

• Episode 2:  Aired Dec 1st, 2007 - Georges Laraque and Ryan Malone

• Episode 1:  Aired Nov 24th, 2007 - Mark Eaton and Jarrko Ruutu

NHL All-Star Weekend Underway

Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar will participate in the 2008 NHL All Star Game and activities this weekend at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.  Neither Malkin or Gonchar were on the original All-Star ballot.  Gonchar was overlooked, but later added during the final selection process.  Malkin was named earlier this week as a replacement for Sidney Crosby, who will miss the festivities due to his recent ankle injury.  Rookie defenseman Kris Letang will partake in the 2008 NHL Young Stars game on Saturday night.  Rookie forward Tyler Kennedy, who was also named to the NHL Young Stars team, will miss the action due to his current illness (mononucleosis).

• VIDEO:  2008 NHL All Star Starters (original starters)
• Current NHL 2008 Eastern All Stars Roster
• Current NHL 2008 Western All Stars Roster
• Atlanta Thrashers NHL All Star Event Page

All Star festivities started on Thursday night with a Bud-Light NHL All Star Concert and an NHL Alumni Wine Series Launch, and continued on Friday with a Junior NHL All-Star Youth Hockey Tournament, a Diversity Luncheon celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Willie O’Ree, and an Evening With Wyclef Jean, hosted by Usher. 

The action continues on Saturday morning with the NHL Rockin’ Skate 2008 from 9-12:15 AM at Philips Arena.  The teams will practice while an All-Star lineup of performers and celebrity hosts take the stage.  The Jonas Brothers will perform and Usher, Taylor Kitsch and Alyssa Milano will emcee the festivities. 

On Saturday night from 7-9PM, the NHL SuperSkills Competition will take place along with the NHL Young Stars game.  The NHL All Star Game will be played on Sunday at 6PM, and will be broadcast on Versus, CBC, RDS and NHL Radio. 

Laraque Ejected as Penguins Lose 4-3 to Flyers

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night by a score of 4-3.  For the Penguins, it was just their 2nd regulation loss since December 23rd.  Ty Conklin got the call for the Penguins and made 29-saves on 33 shots to move his record to 10-2-2.  The Penguins (27-18-4) have lost all 4-meetings with the Flyers this season, after sweeping them in 8-games last season.  With 59-points, the Penguins are still just 1-point behind the Atlantic Division leading Devils and Flyers (1st place tie).   

In the 1st period, Georges Laraque and Riley Cote mixed it up with a fight at 2:19 to set the tone for the game, with each player getting a 5-minute major.   Laraque pretty much beat the tar out of Cote.  The Flyers got on the scoreboard first on a goal by R.J. Umberger, his 9th of the season, at 9:34.  Jason Smith and Daniel Briere were credited with the assists.  The Penguins evened it up at 16:37 on a backhanded goal by Evgeni Malkin, his 27th of the year, after the Penguins went down 9-1 in shots earlier in the period.  Jarkko Ruutu and Darryl Sydor picked up the assists.  The Penguins were outshot 12-8 in the period and were 0-for-1 on the 30-seconds of power play time at the end of the period before Ryan Malone took a goaltender interference call with 4 seconds left in the period to even it up. 

In the 2nd, the Flyers scored just after the expiration of a power play advantage on a shot by Randy Jones at 12:59 into a yawning net.  Scott Hartnell and R.J. Umberger got the assists on the play.  The Penguins evened the score at 17:54 on a power play goal by Petr Sykora who redirected a hard shot by Sergei Gonchar.  Ryan Whitney picked up the other assist.  With 3 seconds left in the period, Georges Laraque was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for hitting Steve Downie from behind into the boards.  Downie went head first into the boards and lay motionless for a few moments, but was able to leave the ice under his own power.  He subsequently rejoined the game.  While the hit from behind was a penalty, it did not appear to be an intent to injure by Laraque. 

In the 3rd, the Flyers scored at 3:53 while still on the extended power play as James Vandermeer got his 3rd of the season from R.J. Umberger and Jeff Carter.  But the Penguins bounced right back on a quick short-handed goal by Ryan Whitney at 4:51 to tie it back up 3-3.  The Whitney goal, assisted by Jordan Staal and Ryan Malone, was reviewed by the league as Staal fell into the net and it came off from its mounts during the play.  The video review revealed that the puck had crossed the line before the net came off from its moorings, and it was ruled a goal.  The Flyers wasted no time before striking back and regaining the lead as Mike Knuble attacked the net and forced the puck past Conklin at 5:25.  Less than 10-seconds later, Ryan Stone and Steve Downie went for a fight, with Stone getting the worst of it after his jersey was pulled up over his head.  Downie may have won the fight, but took a 10-minute misconduct for failing to have his jersey tied down.  Perhaps it came undone when Laraque pasted him to the boards?  The Penguins were unable to find the back of the net again and the Flyers picked up the win 4-3.  The Penguins were outshot 12-11 in the 3rd, and were 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.  The Penguins did not get any man advantage in the 3rd. 

• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
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• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Roster
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With the loss, the Flyers move into a tie for first place in the Atlantic with New Jersey with 59-points, just 1-point ahead of the Penguins.  New Jersey lost to Montreal to stay put with 59-points.  Elswehere around the Division, the Islanders lost to Boston and the Rangers beat Atlanta 2-1 in a shootout.

The game was the final Penguins’ outing before this weekend’s All-Star game in Atlanta.  Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar will make the trip to the All-Star game to represent the Penguins.  Kris Letang will be playing in the Young Stars game on Saturday.  The Penguins will return to action against the Devils on Tuesday in New Jersey.   

Crosby Out 6-8 Weeks; Malkin Selected as Sub for All-Star Game

Sidney Crosby was re-evaluated by team doctors on Tuesday and they confirmed the high-ankle sprain injury.  Unfortunately, the prognosis for recovery is worse than originally projected with Crosby now expected to miss 6-8 weeks of play.  That would put his return in early to mid-March, at best.  That means that the Penguins will have to try and maintain a playoff position without the help of their best player.  If they can keep their playoff hopes alive, Crosby should return just in-time to help the final push and prep for the first round. 

“I was hoping 3-4 weeks would be the most.  It doesn’t look like it’ll be like that.  We’ll see how fast I heal,” said Crosby. “This is probably something that’s tougher mentally than anything I have probably had to deal with.  I don’t think you want to get caught looking at a date and then you get to that date and you’re not ready to go.  That can definitely hurt the way you feel about things.  For me, I am just going to take it a day at a time, that’s the best way to do it and make sure I am doing everything possible to get back and hope that my body heals as fast as possible.”  So he will focus on those things that he can do to make his re-entry in 6-8 weeks as smooth as possible.  He noted that coming back too soon could be detrimental, whereas a tweak could put him back at square 1 in terms of recovery time, and noted the troubles that Max Talbot has experienced.       

Crosby inidcated that he will likely wear a cast-like air-boot for the next couple of weeks to eliminate stress on the injured ankle.  He also plans to work upper body and core strength exercises to maintain his strength, and will work on puck handling skills to maintain his “feel for the puck”. 

As expected, the injury will result in Crosby missing Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta.  He was the leading vote-getter amongst fans for the 2nd straight year.  Today the NHL announced that Evgeni Malkin will replace Crosby in the All-Star line-up, righting what many fans felt was an oversight in not previously selecting Malkin.  Malkin has the most points of any non All Star selectee.  In a statement released by the Penguins, Malkin said “I am honored to be selected to the All-Star Game and have the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the NHL.  It is unfortunate that Sidney will not be able to participate, however, I look forward to playing in the game and representing the Penguins organization.”

Pens Lose to Caps 6-5 in Shootout, But Regain 1st Place

The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered an overtime shootout loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday night in a spirited high scoring affair.  Despite the score, the Penguins were outshot 30-15 by the Capitals and were fortunate to pick up a point on the night to move them back into 1st place in the Atlantic Division.  Goaltender Dany Sabourin started in net for the Penguins, but was chased out after 4-goals in favor of Ty Conklin.  Conklin gave up 1-goal in regulation and 2 in the shootout, which cost the Penguins the additional point.  Evgeni Malkin (2G, 1A), Ryan Malone (1G, 2A) and Sergei Gonchar (3A) all had a great game and picked up 3-points each on the night.

In the 1st period, the Penguins got on the board first with a goal by Max Talbot at 4:30, his 8th on the year, as he walked out from behind the goal line and stuffed one in between Olaf Kolzig’s pads.  Jordan Staal and Erik Christensen were credited with the assists.  At 10:43, the Capitals struck back with a goal by Tomas Fleischmann, with assists by Boyd Gordon and Alexander Semin.  The Capitals found the net again at 16:04 as Viktor Kozlov beat Dany Sabourin.  Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom picked up the assists.  Just 45 seconds later, Evgeni Malkin scored his 25th on the year to even the game at 2-2.  Ryan Malone was credited with the lone assist.  During the period, Alexander Ovechkin rushed in and tried to level Evgeni Malkin as Malkin came around the back of the Caps’ net with the puck.  Ovechkin was only able to clip Malkin and sent himself back first into the boards.  Malkin let him know he didn’t appreciate it by bumping Ovechkin at the end of the shift.  The Penguins were 0-for-2 on the power play, and were outshot 9-6 in the first frame.  Jarkko Ruutu picked up a 2-minute unsportsmanlike penalty at the end of the period, giving the Capitals a power play to start the 2nd period.

At the beginning of the 2nd, Washington capitalized on the Ruutu penalty as Alexander Ovechkin chipped the puck past Dany Sabourin at 1:48.  Tomas Fleischmann and Nicklas Backstrom were credited with the assists.  At 3:34, with Washington’s Laich in the penalty box, Evgeni Malkin got his second of the night to tie the game at 3-3.  Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar were given assists on the play.  Then at 6:13 with Alexander Semin in the box, Petr Sykora scored a goal on a beautiful cross ice pass from Ryan Whitney to make it 4-3.  Sergei Gonchar got the other assist.  A little over a minute and a half later, Washington tied it again at 4-4 as Alexander Ovechkin picked up his second of the night, with assists by  Nicklas Backstrom and Milan Jurcina.  After the goal, Coach Michel Therrien pulled Dany Sabourin from net in favor of Ty Conklin.  The Penguins were outshot 10-5 in the second, but made hay with their powerplay, going 2-for-3 on the man advantage. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins put the power play to work again as Ryan Malone scored on the man-advantage at 5:04 to make it 5-4.  Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin picked up the assists.  But the lead wouldn’t last as the Caps, operating on the power play with Staal in the box (holding the stick), picked up the tying goal from Viktor Kozlov.  Matt Pettinger and Nicklas Backstrom were credited with the assists.  The Penguins were outshot 11-3 in the 3rd, but managed to hold on to the 5-5 tie to force the overtime.

In the overtime, the Penguins were given a golden opportunity as two Caps players took penalties giving the Penguins a rare 5-on-3 man-advantage in the sudden death.  But the Penguins were unable to score, and only managed 1-shot in the 5-minute overtime to force the shootout.

The Penguins put up Christensen, Letang and Ruutu for the shootout, while the Capitals countered with Kozlov, Ovechkin and Semin.  Kozlov, Christensen and Letang all missed on their shootout attempts.  As the second shooter for the Caps, Ovechkin scored.  Ruutu followed as the Penguins 3rd shooter and scored to keep the Penguins alive.  But Alexander Semin was the final shooter for the Caps and beat Ty Conklin to win the game. 

• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Shootout Details

The Penguins have a few days off before traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers on Thursday night.  The game against the Flyers is their last before the All-Star break. 

Penguins Face Uphill Battle as Injuries Mount

Since the beginning of December, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been dealt their fare share of adversity.  Despite injuries to key elements of their lineup, they managed to overcome the struggles and put together a 16-6-1 record since December 1st.  They put together this impressive run despite losing their #1 goaltender, their #1 veteran, their #2 defenseman, and a number of other key members of the lineup.  Now they face a defining moment in their season as their leader, Captain, and arguably the best player in the league will be sidelined for an undetermined period of time with a high ankle sprain.  How do you compensate for the loss of a player like Sidney Crosby, especially with other key players still out of the lineup?  That is the challenge that the Penguins face going forward.

It all started in early December with the loss of #1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.  Despite a lackluster start at the beginning of the season, Fleury was hitting his stride on December 7th when he fell akwardly with his leg underneath him in a game against the Calgary Flames.  At the time of the injury, he was coming off from 4-straight wins, giving up just 4-goals in that timespan.  The injury was a high ankle sprain, and the prognosis was 4-6 weeks.  It has now been 6-weeks and his return is still unknown as his rehabilitation has been slower than projected.  He has yet to be able to move vertically in the crease without difficulty.  For many, Fleury’s injury was viewed as a death knell for the Penguins season, as there was little faith in their depth in net.  However, Dany Sabourin and Ty Conklin took it as an opportunity to prove their worth and they both overcame the adversity to push the Penguins to a 1st-place tie in the highly competitive Atlantic Division.

Then on December 8th against Vancouver, Max Talbot left the ice after aggravating his own high ankle sprain that he incurred in mid-November.  Although not a top-line forward, Talbot was off to a career best season and was the Penguins leading goal scorer in the early season.  Talbot was out for a month, returning to action on the 10th of January. 

On December 23rd against the Boston Bruins, the Penguins lost one of their best defensemen when Mark Eaton left the ice with a torn ACL.  The news got worse when the team learned that he would have season-ending surgery to repair the injury. 

A few days later, on December 29th against Buffalo, the Penguins lost their veteran leader Gary Roberts to a broken leg.  The Penguins hope to get him back before the end of the season, but no timeline has been set for his return. 

Sidney Crosby’s injury was on the 18th of January against Tampa Bay, a game which the Penguins lost 3-0.  It was their first regulation loss in 11-games.  Despite the shutout loss and losing Crosby, the team came back the next night to not only beat Montreal, but to shut them out 2-0.  Unfortunately, the Penguins suffered another loss early in that game when Colby Armstrong went hard into the boards and left the game with a bruised hip.  The team has also lost forward Adam Hall with a groin pull that will sideline him at least a week. 

Add to all of the injuries a flu-like illness that has been working its way through the roster and sidelining players like Tyler Kennedy and Erik Christensen, and the level of adversity the team has struggled through has been pretty remarkable. 

Despite it all, the loss of Sidney Crosby will be the biggest hurdle the team has faced.  Crosby leads the team in points, assists, plus/minus and, perhaps most of all, determination.  With Crosby gone, the team will need to find offense from other places within the lineup.  Evgeni Malkin has stated that he wants to lead the team, and will likely be able to do so as well as anyone else on the ice for the Penguins.  He was a tour de force in the game against Montreal, but will be unable to do it alone.  Aside from the offensive leadership and contributions that Crosby provided on-ice, his leadership off the ice will also be missed.  It is unfortunate that veteran Gary Roberts is also out of the lineup.  It seems clear that Sergei Gonchar is a likely candidate to step up into that leadership role with Roberts and Crosby both out. 

The Penguins have called up some players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to help fill some of the holes in the lineup and to try and provide some depth to the roster.  On Saturday, Ray Shero announced the recall of forwards Chris Minard, Tim Brent and Jonathan Filewich from the American Hockey League affiliate.  Minard has 31-points (17G, 14A) in 39 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Brent leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 35-points (7G, 28A) in 39 games.  Filewich has 17-points (7G, 10A) in 37 games.

Only time will tell if the Penguins can overcome the current adversity it faces.  The schedule is not going to be forgiving with some key divisional games coming up in the next 30-days.  With the Flyers, Devils and Penguins caught in a 3-way tie for the Atlantic Division lead, there is no room for mediocrity.  If they can find ways to win and keep themselves in the playoff hunt, the Penguins will be a team to be reckoned with come April.  If any team can do it, it is this Penguins team.  

Go Pens Go!        

Sabourin Shuts Out Montreal, Penguins Grab Atlantic Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins won their 1st Sid-less game in the Crosby Era on Saturday night as they shutout the Canadiens 2-0 in Montreal.  Pittsburgh netminder Dany Sabourin picked up his 2nd career shutout as turned aside 31 shots in his first start in the last 12 Penguins’ outings (since Dec 21st).  His first career shutout came earlier this season against the New Jersey Devils on November 5th.  The win elevated the Penguins into sole possession of 1st place in the Atlantic Division and 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the New Jersey Devils.  It was also the first time the Penguins have posted a win without Crosby in the lineup, improving that record to 1-2-2.

Just 14 seconds into the 1st period, Penguins forward Colby Armstrong was checked by Roman Hamrlik, fell to the ice and slid hard into the end boards in the same manner and location that Sidney Crosby did the night before.  Armstrong immediately left the ice in pain, but returned for a brief stint later in the game.  After returning to the game, he played a short shift and then left the game for good with a reported bruised hip.  At 6:14, Jeff Taffe scored his 2nd goal of the season after taking a Georges Laraque pass from behind the net and wristing it over the shoulder of Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet.  Jarkko Ruutu was credite with the other assist.  The Penguins killed off the only penalty of the period (Laraque, elbowing), and were outshot 9-6. 

In the 2nd, the Canadiens poured it on and outshot the Penguins 17-9.  However, Montreal was unable to get one past Sabourin, who played a near perfect game.  The Penguins were 0-for-2 on the power play and killed off their only short-handed situation.  Neither team scored on a 2-minute 4-on-4 as Streit (holding) and Ruutu (diving) were given matching penalties. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins regained the momentum and offensive edge as they outshot the Canadiens 11-5.  However, the Penguins were unable to beat Huet.  With 1:11 left in the game, Montreal pulled their goaltender to try and get the equalizer.  Evgeni Malkin threw the puck at the empty net from his own blueline and hit the post with about a minute to go, but failed to get the insurance marker.  The with 12.4 seconds left in the game at the end of a long shift, Malkin out-hustled a Canadien player to chase down a cleared puck and backhanded it into the empty net from a sharp angle to seal the victory.  Petr Sykora picked up the assist.  The goal was was only fitting for Malkin, who played one of his most dominating games of the year and proved that he was the on-ice leader for the Penguins in Sid’s absence.  What he couldn’t communicate to his teammates in English, he demonstrated in his level of play and determination.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights 
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play 

Sidney Crosby didn’t travel with the team to Montreal and was examined Saturday by the team’s medical staff.  No prognosis for Crosby’s return will be made until the swelling subsides sometime next week.

The Penguins return to Pittsburgh where they will host the Washington Capitals on Monday night at Mellon Arena. 

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