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Penguins March Preview

In my February Preview, I projected that the Penguins fortunes would be mixed and that they would stay just slightly above 0.500 for the month.  I projected a February record of 7-6-1 with the Penguins picking up of 15-of-28 available points (0.536).  Boy was I wrong!  They completed February with an impressive 8-3-3 record and recorded 19-of-28 possible points (0.679), putting them just 1-point out of the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division lead.  The February surge was largely due to the play of Evgeni Malkin and Ty Conklin, although Petr Sykora, Ryan Malone and Jordan Staal all stepped up their games as well.  Although Malkin only scored points in 1 of his last 4 games, he scored 26-points (9G, 17A) in the 14-games during the month of February to take over the NHL scoring lead.  Ty Conklin went 6-2-3 in February and his 0.930 save percentage now leads the league.  It is now time to look forward to see what the month of March has in store for the Penguins as they head into the final push for the playoffs. 

So what lies ahead for the Penguins in March?  The Penguins will play 15-games for a possible 30-points.  The Penguins will play 7 of the games at home, while 8 will come on the road.  Of the 15-games, the Penguins play 8-games against Atlantic Division rivals in March, including the last 6-games of the month.  They will face the Devils twice (1-road, 1-home), the Rangers three times (2-road, 1-home), the Islanders twice (1-road, 1-home) and the Flyers once (home).  The other 7-games are all against Eastern Conference teams, to include road games against the Senators, Lightning, Panthers and Capitals, and home games against the Thrashers, Sabres and Lightning.  They open the month with back-to-back games against the Senators and Thrashers, have back-to-back games against the Islanders and Devils late in the month, and close the month with back-to-back, home-and-home games against the Rangers.  Of all the teams they will face, only the Devils (80-points) have more points than the Penguins (79-points) at the outset of March. 

As far as the schedule, here is the March layout for the Penguins (36-22-7), 79-points:

• 1 Mar:  @ Ottawa Senators (36-23-6) - 78 points 
• 2 Mar:  Atlanta Thrashers (29-31-5) - 63-points
• 4 Mar:  @ Tampa Bay Lightning (25-31-7) - 57 points 
• 6 Mar:  @ Florida Panthers (28-30-8) - 64 points
• 9 Mar:  @ Washington Capitals (30-27-8) - 68 points
• 12 Mar:  Buffao Sabres (31-24-9) - 71 points
• 16 Mar:  Philadelphia Flyers (32-25-7) - 71 points
• 18 Mar:  @ New York Rangers (33-24-8) - 74 points
• 20 Mar:  Tampa Bay Lightning (25-31-7) - 57 points
• 22 Mar:  New Jersey Devils (37-22-6) - 80 points
• 24 Mar:  @ New York Islanders (31-27-7) - 69 points
• 25 Mar:  @ New Jersey Devils (37-22-6) - 80 points
• 27 Mar:  New York Islanders (31-27-7) - 69 points
• 30 Mar:  New York Rangers (33-24-8) - 74 points
• 31 Mar:  @ New York Rangers (33-24-8) - 74 points

March starts with a flurry with the first 4-games coming in just 6-days.  Also, 4 of the first 5 games come on the road.  The schedule gets rough at the end of March with 5-games coming in just 8-nights (2 at home and 3 on the road).  Last season, the Penguins had a phenomenal run by going 9-3-1 in February, 12-3-2 in March, and 2-1-0 in April.  By comparison, the Penguins are just slightly ahead of last season’s performance through February with 79-points (36-22-7) in 65-games this season (0.608) vs 75-points (33-20-9) in 62-games last season (0.605). 

With Marc-Andre Fleury back in the lineup and Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa both likely to return soon, the Penguins will look to benefit from the infusion of fresh league talent.  The big intangible for early March will be what the changeup in lines will ultimately do to team chemistry and timing.  With a couple of new players coming into the lineup and learning a new system and new linemates, there is significant potential for some rough edges, especially with opponents playing hard for a playoff spot.  To be successful in March, the Penguins will need to find their chemistry and timing quickly, and significantly improve their defensive play over what they have demonstrated in the last several games. 

I think that the Penguins will continue their winning ways in March.  I am projecting a March record of 9-3-3 with the Penguins picking up of 21 of the 30 available points and hitting 100-points by month’s end.  The Penguins will benefit from strong offensive output by Malone, Sykora, Malkin, Crosby, and Hossa, and continued good play in net by Conklin and Fleury.  The biggest liability will be in the Penguins defense, which will continue to allow far too many shots on net.  The big unknown is whether the Penguins will fare well enough to stake sole claim to the Atlantic Division or the Eastern Conference by month’s end.  Only time will tell!

Lets Go Pens!

Hossa Injured in Debut as Penguins Lose to Bruins 5-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost a road game to the surging Boston Bruins on Thursday night 5-1.   Goaltender Ty Conklin gave up 3-goals on just 13-shots before being replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury at 2:21 of the 2nd period.  Fleury, who made several good stops went on to save 16-of-18 shots thrown at him.  New acquisitions Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis and Hal Gill all played, but Hossa left the ice in the 2nd period after a knee-on-knee collision with Glen Murray and did not return.  Initial reports indicate that Hossa’s injury will keep him out of the lineup about a week. 

Boston’s Marco Sturm scored the first 2-goals of the game and picked up his 200th NHL goal.  Zdeno Chara, P.J. Axelsson and David Krejci also scored for Boston, which has back-to-back victories over two of the top three teams in the East.  Ty Conklin gave up 3-goals on 13-shots after posting a career high 50-saves against the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.  Marc-Andre Fleury was called in relief, making it the first game he has played for the Penguins since leaving the ice on December 6 with the high ankle sprain.  The lone goal for the Penguins came late in the 3rd period from newcomer Pascal Dupuis.  Jeff Taffe and Tyler Kennedy were credited with the assists.   

Marian Hossa had completed just 13-shifts when the injury occurred.  “It was an accidental hit, knee-on-knee,” said Hossa, who could miss about a week. “This is disappointing. I was trying to get comfortable with my linemates. But injuries happen, and this is the tough luck of the business we’re in.”

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

The regulation loss was the first for the Penguins in 7-games.  They completed February with an impressive 8-3-3 record and recorded 19-of-28 possible points (67.9%), much better than expected with Captain Sidney Crosby out of the lineup.  The surge can be largely credited to the play of Evgeni Malkin and Ty Conklin.  Although Malkin only scored points in 1 of his last 4 games, he scored 26-points (9G, 17A) in the 14-games during the month of February to take over the NHL scoring lead.  Ty Conklin went 6-2-3 in February and his 0.930 save percentage leads the league. 

The Penguins travel to Ottawa next for a matinee against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon, and then back to Pittsburgh for a Sunday matinee against the Atlanta Thrashers. 

   

Ty Conklin Stops 50-Shots as Penguins Beat Isles 4-2

The Pittsburgh Penguins capped an emotional trade day by beating the New York Islanders 4-2, despite being undermanned in the early going and being outshot 52-20.  Ty Conklin had a stellar night in net as he turned aside 50 shots while Marc-Andre Fleury looked on from the bench.  The Penguins appeared to be playing with a Hossa hangover for much of the game, giving up numerous chances to the Islanders and committing 10-penalties.  But it was the Penguins special teams that had the edge by scoring 2 power play goals and killing off 9-of-10 short-handed situations.  With Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen out of the lineup and on their way to Atlanta, the Penguins started the game 2-players short while they waited on call-ups Connor James and Jason Smith to arrive at the arena from Wilkes-Barre.   

In the 1st, the Penguins got on the board first as Evgeni Malkin scored his 36th goal of the season from Petr Sykora and Jeff Taffe at 10:50.  Malkin managed to circle around from behind the net to low circle and lifted the puck over Rick DiPietro to make it 1-0.  While on the power play at 17:52, Jeff Taffe picked up his 4th goal of the season as he poked in a rebound that was lost between the legs of an Islanders’ defenseman to the right side of the net.  Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang were credited with the assists.  Despite leading 2-0 at the end of the period, the Penguins were woefully outshot in the 1st by 23-6.  The Penguins were 1-for-3 on the power play and killed off 4 of their own. 

In the 2nd, the Islanders got back into the game on a goal poked in by Frans Nielsen at 10:26.  Assists were given to Jeff Tambellini and Frederick Meyer.  The Penguins were outshot 11-4 in the 2nd, as they successfully killed off 4-penalties.  The Penguins had no power play opportunities in the period.

In the 3rd, it was Jordan Staal who finally converted on a chance as he picked up his 9th goal of the season on a beautiful feed from Evgeni Malkin at 12:55.  Petr Sykora picked up the other assist.  Then at 16:58, all the way from Wilkes-Barre, it was Connor James picking up his first NHL goal on the power play after taking a dead-on saucer pass over the stick of an Islander defenseman from Ryan Whitney.  At 17:03, a fiesty Tyler Kennedy took on Mike Comrie in a short bout in which Kennedy appeared to finish with the upper hand.  Finally, at 18:43 with Evgeni Malkin in the box for a tripping call, the Islanders’ Ruslan Fedotenko put up the final goal from Josef Vasicek and Trent Hunter to make the score 4-2 Penguins.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• BONUS VIDEO:  Ray Shero Trade Press Conference
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play 

The win capped an emotional day for the young Penguins who lost 2-close friends and teammates to the trade just prior to the deadline.  It was a likely distraction for the team as they didn’t have a great deal of time to adjust to the news before having to take the ice.  Despite the lack of offensive dominance, the Penguins took advantage of their chances.  Evgeni Malkin returned to the scoring sheet by picking up 2-points (1G, 1A) and regaining the league lead.  Petr Sykora netted 2-assists before leaving the ice late in the 3rd with an unspecified injury.  Jeff Taffe picked up 2-points (1G, 1A), extending his scoring streak to 3-games.  The Penguins extended their February record to 8-2-3, picking up 19-of-24 available points so far, and drew within 1-point of the Eastern Conference leading New Jersey Devils who picked up a point in an overtime loss.  The Penguins overtook the Ottawa Senators by a point tonight as the Senators lost to Boston. 

The Penguins travel to Boston on Thursday night to take on the Bruins.  New acquisition Marian Hossa is expected to join the team for the game.  “I’m really looking forward to joining this group,” he said. “You look at the centermen and you have Sid, Malkin and (Jordan) Staal. They are some really strong, great young players. They have good goaltending and good moving defensemen.  They create lots of offense. I am really looking forward to playing with these guys.”  It is presumed that Hal Gill and Pascal Dupuis will also be joining the team on Thursday. 

Hossa Trade Analysis

Ray Shero and the Pittsburgh Penguins certainly surprised many of us with the last minute deal today, especially given the pre-trade day belief that the Penguins were not looking for a blockbuster deal.   It would be hard to refute that snatching Marian Hossa, one of the league’s top wingers, to play alongside one of the league’s most talented centers is anything but a blockbuster deal.  The Penguins also got left winger Pascal Dupuis in the deal that sent Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a 1st round draft pick to Atlanta.  But will it be a good trade?  Have the Penguins given up too much for what some consider to be a short-term rental in Hossa?  In June will it be viewed as a great trade, or a bust?  Only time will truly tell.

According to Shero, this deal wasn’t even on the plate at 1PM this afternoon, just 2 short hours before the deadline.  There were other unstated deals being considered, but none of them panned out.  Ray Shero was looking at the prospect of finishing the trade day without pulling the trigger on anyone.  But somewhere late in the day the deal came through, sending Hossa to Pittsburgh instead of Ottawa or New Jersey.  The Penguins also picked up giant, stay at home defenseman Hal Gill from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2nd and 5th round pick. 

While I am still not sure what to think about the Hossa deal in terms of the long run, it is a bold move by the Penguins in the short run.  In terms of on-ice assets, they gave up Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen.  We were likely to trade at least one of them away regardless of this deal.  Christensen has been great at the shootout, but pretty inconsistent outside of that.  Armstrong has been a physical presence, but has also been inconsistent on the scoresheet.  On most accounts, both players are 3rd line talents.  The biggest concern with losing them (especially Armstrong) is an indeterminate impact it may have on the intangible element of team chemistry.  It is no secret that Colby Armstrong has helped lighten the load for Sidney Crosby in the locker room.  It is unclear what his loss may do to team chemistry.  The Penguins also lost Angelo Esposito in the deal, a highly regarded, but yet unproven prospect whose capital may have lessened over the past several months, as well as a first round draft pick.  Given the high performing youth that the Penguins already have on the roster, I don’t view this as a critical concession for the immediate future of the team. 

So what does Marian Hossa bring?  Talent, and plenty of it.  He is the poster child of a scoring winger that many have said this team needs to complement the talent of Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.  He has scored 80+ points in each of his last 4 seasons, and had a career high 100-points (43G, 57A) last season.  This season,  he has 56-points (26G, 30A) in 60-games for Atlanta.  Most people expect that a Crosby/Hossa combination will be an explosive pairing.  It would give Sidney Crosby a world class natural winger that may be able to more readily take advantage of his speed and creativity.  It also frees up Evgeni Malkin to continue his domination as a natural center.  But what will happen after the season ends?  I guess it will depend upon what happens through the remainder of this season and into the playoffs.  It is very possible that Hossa’s stint with the Penguins may only last through the post season.  One could easily see the Penguins having difficulty trying to retain a trio of top forwards under the current salary cap restrictions.  These are thechallenges that the Penguins will face down stream.

In the short run, this trade is a big win for Pittsburgh.  Aside from the obvious upgrade to the Penguins offense, it gives the Penguins a leg up in the wide open Eastern Conference.  In my opinion, more importantly than adding Hossa to the Penguins lineup is the fact that it prevented Ottawa or Montreal from adding him to theirs.  In a Conference where the top 3 positions are separated by just 2-points, this can only be seen as a huge advantage for Pittsburgh.  The only potential near term downside is the affect it will have on team chemistry by taking Colby Armstrong out of the lineup.  Add to the trade a decent winger in Pascal Dupuis, and I find it hard to argue with this bold move by the Penguins.  It is definitely a trade focused on this season, and not necessarily the long run……but isn’t that what trade day is all about?  Good job Ray Shero!

Penguins Trade - Hossa/Dupuis/Gill in…Armstrong, Christensen, Esposito out

BREAKING TRADE NEWS

TRADE DEALS JUST ANNOUNCED…..the Pittsburgh Penguins and Atlanta Thrashers have completed a trade with less than an hour to go to before the deadline. 

To the Penguins:  Marian Hossa and Pascale Dupuis

To Atlanta:  Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a 1st Round Draft Pick

• Marian Hossa:  6′1″, 210#, Right Wing, Shoots Left - 56 Points (26G, 30A) in 60 games

• Pascale Dupuis:  6′0″, 200#, Left Wing, Shoots Left - 15 Points (10G, 5A) in 62 games

Also announced, a trade between the Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs:

To the Penguins:  Defenseman Hal Gill for a 2nd and 5th round pick. 

• Hal Gill:  6′7″, 250#, Defenseman, Shoots Left - 20 Points (2G, 18A) in 63 games.

More to come.

Penguins Battle Hard, But Lose to Senators in OT

The Pittsburgh Penguins missed an opportunity to move into 1st place in the Eastern Conference as they lost to the Ottawa Senators with just 3.2-seconds left in ovetime on Saturday afternoon.  Despite outshooting the Senators 17-8 in the 1st period and building a 3-0 lead through the fist half of the game, the Penguins played a little sloppy late in the 2nd and allowed the Senators to battle back and pick up 2 goals and then one early in the 3rd to send it to overtime.  It looked like the game was destined for a shootout when Daniel Alfredsson scored the game winner with just seconds left on the clock to make it 4-3.  Red hot Evgeni Malkin played like a beast, but failed to put up any points, ending his 10-game points streak.  Despite the loss, the Penguins played a very strong game.

In the 1st period, the Penguins came out and man-handled the Senators with the help of 4-power play opportunities.  Petr Sykora cashed in on the first opportunity just 1:47 into the game.  He was assisted by Ryan Whitney and Ryan Malone.  The goal was Petr Sykora’s 20th of the season, marking the 8th time in his career to reach the 20-goal plateau.  The Penguins were unable to notch another power-play goal in the first, despite some fabulous opportunities.  The Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box.

In the 2nd, it looked like it was going to be all Penguins as they continued to dominate through the 1st half of the period.  At 4:09, Colby Armstrong came down the right wing and blew a shot to the top of the net above Ray Emery to make it 2-0 on his 9th goal of the season.  Max Talbot and Rob Scuderi were credited with the assists.  Then at 10:20, it was Jeff Taffe who gathered some trash to the right side of a flailing Emery and lifted it into the net.  The goal, Taffe’s 3rd, was assisted by Jordan Staal and Darryl Sydor.  But at 12:47, a misplay by Ty Conklin led to a Cory Stillman goal that put the Senators on the scoreboard and ignited some fire in the lifeless team.  Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette picked up the assists.  Less than 5-minutes later, the Senators scored again as Dany Heatley picked up his 29th of the season with assists by Cory Stillman and Wayne Redden.  The Senators ended up outshooting the Penguins 11-7 in the 2nd, despite being short-handed twice.  The Penguins were 0-for-2 on the power play and again managed to stay out of the penalty box. 

In the 3rd, it was Dany Heatley again, notching his 30th goal at 6:09 from Randy Robitaille and Jason Spezza to tie it at 3-apiece.  It was the last goal to be scored in regulation as both teams put 7-shots on the board.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty and had no more power play opportunities.  Through 3-periods, Evgeni Malkin had 7-shots on goal but was unable to put one home. 

The Penguins had more opportunities in the overtime frame, missing on 4-shots, including one by Ryan Malone that hit both the left and right goal posts but failed to go in.  Malone, who thought he had scored raised his hands in jubilation, but it wasn’t meant to be.  Play continued as the clock ticked down to 3.2 seconds when Daniel Alfredsson managed to put a backhander past Conklin for the win.  Andrej Meszaros was credited with the assist. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews w/Ryan Malone, Colby Armstrong, Ty Conklin
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline Show
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins picked up 1-point in the standings, to fall 2-points behind the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference race.  The New Jersey Devils won their game this afternoon against the New York Islanders, to put them 1-point ahead of the Penguions in the Atlantic Division.  Early in the 2nd, the Montreal Canadiens were losing 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Penguins have an opportunity to bounce back on Sunday as they host the San Jose Sharks in another 3PM matinee game. 

Gonchar Scores 600th Point as Pens Beat Habs 5-4

The Pittsburgh Penguins  traveled to Montreal on Thursday night and picked up their 3rd straight win by beating the Canadiens 5-4, despite falling behind 4-3 early in the 3rd period.  Sergei Gonchar scored the game winning goal midway through the 3rd to pick up his 50th point of the season, and 600th of his career.  Evgeni Malkin picked up 3-more points (1G, 2A) to extend his lead to 4-points over Alexander Ovechkin in the Art Ross scoring title race.  Malkin has surged to the top by scoring 41-points in his last 21-games.  He now has 82-points (35G, 45A) on the season.  The win puts the Penguins back in a tie with New Jersey for the Atlantic Division lead, and just one point behind the Eastern Conference leading Ottawa Senators who lost in a shootout on Thursday. 

In the 1st period, the Penguins came out strong and outshot the Canadiens 15-8.  In the barrage, the Penguins managed to beat Cristobal Huet twice.  The first goal came at 6:46 as Ryan Whitney picked up his 12th of the year from Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora.  The 2nd goal came late in the period as Jarkko Ruutu gathered up a Canadiens’ turnover and beat Huet at 18:47 to give the Penguins a 2-goal lead.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the powerplay and committed no penalties of their own. 

In the 2nd, the Canadiens got back in the game on an early goal by Saku Koivu at 3:27.  Sergei Kostitsyn and Ryan O’Byrne were credited with the assists.  At 6:59, Ryan Malone restored the 2-goal lead by picking up his 20th of the year, a power play goal.  Ryan Whitney and Petr Sykora contributed with assists.  Late in the 2nd, the Canadiens drew within one again as Christopher Higgins tipped in a pass from Alex Kovalev while Jarkko Ruutu sat for hooking.  Andrei Markov was credited with the other assist.  The Penguins outshot the Canadiens 8-7 in the 2nd, and were 1-for-1 on the man advantage but gave up a goal on a lone penalty kill. 

In the 3rd, it looked like the Canadiens were going to build off from their recent come from behind victory as they quickly put up 2-goals to take the lead from the Penguins.  The Canadiens tied up the game just 21-seconds into the period when Michael Ryder put a wrist shot past Dany Sabourin.  Mark Streit and Josh Gorges had the assists for Montreal.  Then at 3:25 while Tyler Kennedy sat for a hooking call, Roman Hamrlik scored his 4th of the season to put the Canadiens ahead.   Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev were credited with assists on the go-ahead goal.  However, after serving a high-sticking penalty, Evgeni Malkin emerged from the penalty box and loitered in the neutral zone where he took a long up-ice pass from Ryan Malone and steamed in on Huet to beat him 5-hole and restore the tie.  The goal was Malkin’s 35th of the season.  At 10:58, just 36-seconds after the Malkin goal, Sergei Gonchar lit the lamp with a power play goal, his 50th point of the season and 600th of his career.  The play was set up by Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Whitney.  It would prove to be the game-winning goal as the Canadiens were unable to get another one past Sabourin.  The Penguins finished the 3rd outshooting the Canadiens 7-6, and were 1-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Whitney each picked up 3-points (1G, 2A each).  Ryan Malone had 2-points (1G, 1A) and Petr Sykora had 2-points (2A).  The Penguins improved their record to 35-21-5 for 75-points.  The only team in the Eastern Conference with more points is the Ottawa Senators who have 76-points.  Two Western Conference teams have more points than the Penguins…..the Dallas Stars with 79-points and the Detroit Red Wings with 89-points.  The Penguins are now 7-2-1 in February, picking up 15 of 20 possible points on the month.

The Penguins head back to Mellon arena for two weekend matinees.  They will host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 3PM for a chance to pull ahead of them in the standings, and possibly into the Conference lead.  Then on Sunday at 3PM, they will host the San Jose Sharks.  After that, they will head to the Island on Tuesday and Boston on Thursday to close out the month of February. 

  

No Montreal Return for Sidney Crosby

Despite rampant speculation earlier this week that Sidney Crosby would make his return to the ice tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens, it looks like fans will have to wait until AT LEAST Saturday when the Penguins host the Ottawa Senators in Pittsburgh.  Sidney Crosby has been out of the lineup since January 18th when he left the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a high ankle sprain that was projected to keep him out 6-8 weeks.  To date, he has missed 14-games in which the Penguins have posted a remarkable 8-4-2 record.  The Penguins have thrived in Crosby’s absence on the play of goaltender Ty Conklin and forward Evgeni Malkin.

Speculation of his imminent return has been fueled by comments made during Sunday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres and promising news reports and video clips of Crosby participating in full team practices on FSN Pittsburgh during Tuesday night’s game against the Florida Panthers.  On Sunday, a Buffalo announcer declared that he had spoken to Crosby during the 2nd intermission and that he said he might return on Tuesday against the Panthers.  Pittsburgh announcer Bob Errey added fuel to the fire when interviewed on the same Buffalo broadcast and made the comment that Crosby was traveling and skating with the team and would be back “inside of a week”.  During the Penguins/Panthers coverage on Tuesday night, FSN Pittsburgh showed video of Crosby participating in Monday’s full team practice.  The video showed Crosby skating hard, making tight turns and fast stops with no apparent ill effects.  It certainly added credibility to the feeling that Sid would soon be in the lineup, although, the official Penguins website continued to maintain that his return would be within the original 6-8 week projection. 

On Wednesday, however, it was reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that Crosby did not participate in practice with the team, and that it could delay his return to the lineup.  This morning, the Trib followed up by reporting that Crosby was given the day off from practice by the coaching and training staffs, and that he won’t be traveling with the team to Montreal tonight.  It also went on to say that it is not an indication of a setback, and that his recovery time remains within the 6-to-8-week range initially projected by the team.  That forecast has been consistent from the outset, despite the fact that Crosby is practicing much earlier than expected.  On Monday, Crosby noted that he’s comfortable on the ice because he’s been out there practicing for awhile, “but other than that there hasn’t been a huge improvement at this point.  It’s just going to take time.”  He went on to state, “I have expectations of trying to improve every day and hoping it does improve every day, but that’s not always the case, especially with this.  Some days are worse than others.”

The Penguins staff did the right thing by giving Crosby a day off.  They need to make sure he takes the time to heal appropriately.  Only Sidney Crosby truly knows about the progress of his recovery, but one would expect him to be chomping at the bit to get back into the game.  The training and medical staff needs to make sure he doesn’t get too anxious.  Given how well the team has played in his absence, it would be foolish for him to come back early and risk a re-injury that could jeapordize the remainder of his season and possibly his availability for the playoffs.

I don’t expect Sidney Crosby to return to the lineup before the 1 March trip to Ottawa.  Given that he is not making the trip to Montreal, I would be surprised to see him in this Saturday’s game against Ottawa, or Sunday’s game against the Sharks.  I suspect that he will join the team for next week’s road trip to New York (Islanders), Boston, and Ottawa, but will likely not play until at least the end of the road trip against Ottawa on the 1st.  Regardless, it is good to see him practicing and it is nice to know that the team has stepped up and produced points in his absence.  I can’t think of a better circumstance than having a healthy and hungry Sidney Crosby return to the lineup just in time for the final playoff push. 

Penguins Beat Panthers 3-2 as Malkin Grasps NHL Scoring Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins clawed back from a 2-0 deficit in the 3rd period to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 in regulation on Tuesday night, keeping them firmly in the hunt for the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles.  Evgeni Malkin picked up 2-assists in the game to push him a point ahead of fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin in the race for the NHL’s scoring title.  Malkin now leads all NHL players with 79-points (34G, 45A), after an amazing February surge in which he has picked up 21-points (7G, 14A) in just 9-games.  In the 14-games since Sidney Crosby was injured, Evgeni Malkin has accumulated 27-points (11G, 16A) and has been the backbone of the team’s offensive production.  The win improves the Penguins’ record to 34-21-5 and a seemingly improbable 8-4-2 with Crosby out of the lineup.  Penguins’ MVP contender Ty Conklin had another very good game in net, advancing his record to 16-4-3;  his 0.932 save percentage leads the league.   

In the 1st period, the Panthers got on the board first with an even strength goal at 16:24 by David Booth, his 18th of the season.  Kamil Kreps and Bryan Allen picked up the assists on the Pathers’ goal.  The Penguins found themselves short-handed 3-times in the 1st as Brooks Orpik (tripping), Colby Armstrong (tripping) and Tyler Kennedy (roughing/cross checking) were called for infractions.  Kennedy’s double-call came on a quick fight with Panthers’ left winger David Booth for which the officials handed out matching roughing penalties.  Kennedy was assessed an additional 2-minutes for a cross check that preceeded the mini-fight.  The Penguins successfully killed off all 3 short-handed situations, but failed to convert on 1 power play chance of their own.  The Panthers outshot the Penguins 12-10 in the period.

In the 2nd, the Penguins inability to score on the power play became that much more costly when they turned over the puck to Brett Mclean at 12:18 and he skated in on Ty Conklin to score an unassisted short-hander to make it 2-0.  Despite being given 4-chances on the power play in the period, the Penguins were just unable to convert.  The Panthers effectively forced the Penguins to dump and chase on the power play, and then beat them to the corners to clear the puck.  The Penguins managed to stay out of the penalty box in the 2nd, and outshot the Panthers 11-7. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins pulled within a goal on a blast by Colby Armstrong that beat Tomas Vokoun with a 34-foot slapshot.  An ever-hungry Evgeni Malkin picked up his 44th assist on the play by feeding Armstrong with another perfect pass.  With just 3:20 left in the game, the Penguins tied it up as Ryan Malone redirected a blast by Ryan Whitney for his 18th goal of the season.  Evgeni Malkin got the other assist on the play that was reviewed to confirm that the puck was not kicked into the goal.  With 1:05 left in the game, Jay Bouwmeester was called for hooking Evgeni Malkin as he skated along the blueline and attempted to take a pass.  The Penguins, determined to take advantage of this man-advantage, finally converted on a power move to the net by Ryan Malone with just 23-seconds left in the game.  Malone carried the puck wide and then pulled up in front of Vokoun while trying to move the puck from his backhand to his forehand.  Although he lost the puck off his backhand, he managed to find it again between Vokoun’s pads and poked it in just as he was bowled into Vokoun by the Panthers’ defense.  Ty Conklin and Sergei Gonchar were credited with the assists.  The goal put a bold punctuation mark on the Penguins come from behind victory.

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO: Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews w/Ryan Malone, Ty Conklin, Evgeni Malkin
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The Penguins (5th in the East) travel to Montreal on Thursday to take on the Canadiens (4th in the East) in a battle between two top teams in the tight Eastern Conference.  There is plenty of speculation that Sidney Crosby may make his return on Thursday, but there has been no official confirmation of that plan.  Video highlights shown during Tuesday night’s game of Crosby in practice with the team on Monday showed no apparent ill effects of the high ankle sprain.  If not Thursday, it appears that Crosby’s return is fast approaching. 

Penguins Rattle Sabres 4-1, Regain Atlantic Lead

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Sunday night to regain the Atlantic Division lead alongside the New Jersey Devils.  After 59 games, the Penguins and the Devils amazingly share the exact same record (33-21-5) with 71-points, just 2-points behind the Eastern Conference leading Ottawa Senators.  Penguins goaltender Ty Conklin had another superb night in net as he turned aside 36-shots on goal to claim the game’s 1st star, and kept the Penguins in the game despite an offensive onslaught by the Sabres early on.  Red hot Evgeni Malkin continued his surge as he picked up 2-more points (1G, 1A) to pull within 1-point of Alexander Ovechkin for the NHL scoring lead.   

In the 1st period, it was all Buffalo as they outshot the Penguins 17-6.  Despite the lopsided play, Ty Conklin stood on his head, kept everything out of the net and kept the Penguins in the game.  The rest of the Penguins team continued their lackluster play of late throughout much of the period.  Aside from failing to keep their feet moving, they made some bad passes that resulted in turnovers.  As a result, the Sabres had the Penguins chasing the play through much of the period.  The Penguins managed to weather a lone penalty kill when Georges Laraque took a questionable roughing call at 3:05. 

In the 2nd, the Penguins got on the board first with a breakaway chance by Jarkko Ruutu as he emerged from the Penalty box at 7:28.  At the expiration of his 2-minute hooking call, Ruutu stepped onto the ice and skated to his own blueline before wheeling around towards the Sabres net and taking a long up-ice pass from Ryan Malone for the breakaway on Buffalo netminder Ryan Miller.  Ruutu made a couple of moves and then beat Miller on the backhand.  Rob Scuderi picked up the other assist.  Just 2-minutes later, Petr Sykora scored a power play goal on a 2-on-1 break with Evgeni Malkin to put the Penguins up 2-0.  Malkin attempted the shot, but it was deflected by the lone Sabres’ defenseman and bounced in front of Sykora who whacked it out of the air and into the net behind Miller.  At 14:45, Buffalo drew within one when Thomas Vanek wristed a power play goal while Colby Armstrong sat for an unsportsmanlike conduct call.  Derek Roy and Jason Pominville were credited with the assists.  The Penguins were outshot 10-6 in the 2nd and were 1-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. 

In the final frame, Evgeni Malkin picked up his 34th goal of the season at 8:13 as he drove the net hard and poked in a rebound as Max Talbot and Petr Sykora crashed the net.  Malkin’s momentum carried him into the net with the puck after the goal was scored, but the hungry scorer was quick to come back out with a fist pump and a bounce off the glass to celebrate.  Talbot and Sykora were credited with the assists.  Trailing by 2-goals, the Sabres pulled Miller with 57-seconds left to go in the game.  Colby Armstrong took advantage of the open cage by flipping the puck past two defenders from the blueline, with the puck finding its way right into the middle of the net.  Ryan Malone was credited with the assist, his 2nd of the night.  The Penguins outshot the Sabres in the 3rd 13-10 and were o-for-1 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the kill.

• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

“Certainly we had to weather a bit of a storm early, but I think we got our legs under us as the game went on,” said Conklin, now 15-4-3. “We capitalized on our breaks.”  Coach Therrien was quick to credit Conklin on his play, “When your goalie’s giving you the performance like Ty gave us, it gives your team some confidence.  He’s a big part of the reason why we had success.”  One has to hope that the Penguins have awoken from their brief slumber over the period of 2 and a half games and will regain their momentum from the win over the Sabres. 

During the game, a Buffalo announcer stated that he had spoken with Crosby between periods and he had indicated that he could be back as soon as Tuesday when the Penguins host the Panthers.  However, the Penguins official website noted on Sunday night that Crosby is still expected to be out through the end of the month.  Nonetheless, the fact that he has started full contact practice with the team is very encouraging news.  It was also stated that Gary Roberts could be back within a week, although, one has to wonder if he will spend any time at WBS getting back into game shape.

The Penguins are back on the ice Tuesday night as they take on the Florida Panthers at Mellon Arena. 

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