A Date with Destiny
Stanley Cup Finals (2008)…
The Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves like Cinderella at the ball, in the Stanley Cup Finals facing the storied and formidable Detroit Red Wings. For me, it might as well have been USA versus USSR in the 1980 Olympics, it was that gut-wrenching.
We all felt the overwhelming crush of the first game and then the second when our boys found themselves slapped around the ice much like they were in the first round against the Senators the previous season. We stood behind them, willing them to fight to stay alive, and out of sheer will they scratched and clawed to make it a brave game.
We stayed up through the multiple overtime sets when Petr Sykora joked during an intermission that he’d score the sudden-death game-winner–and did.
Maybe, like me, you were one of the ones who got an interesting e-mail the next day from a friend with a doctored photo of Babe Ruth calling his shot superimposed by Petr Sykora at the plate, signaling with his hockey stick. It was inspiring.
Our boys had a chance.
Back in the ‘burgh, home ice, for Game 6 and a chance to even the series at 3 apiece. I never felt sicker than when that final horn blared the death knell of one hell of a season. It was hard to watch them, stunned, drained, shredded, slumped on the ice, backs against the boards. An epic denouement. Lord Stanley’s Cup was in our house but not in our hands. The photo of Evgeni Malkin standing alone near the Stanley Cup Finals ice stamp was a haunting and compelling image. The scene as all those whited-out Penguins faithful, with class, stayed and stood for the victor as the Red Wings relished in holding the Cup. We felt the sting as if we had been in those skates and sweaters, too.
And we vowed we’d be back.
Stanley Cup Finals (2009)
The path this year began in a high-powered, promising way with one of the best starts in franchise history, and then like that, the bottom fell out. Through 82 games of soul-searching, fumbling, struggling, but never saying die, they pulled themselves up by their skate laces. If nothing else can be said about this team (from the first to last guy), it is one seriously cohesive unit.
In the face of critics and nay-sayers and hand-wringers, they have managed to let it all roll off of broad, matured shoulders. Old souls in young bodies.
At last season’s end, fans and pundits worried out loud about the loss of Hossa, Roberts, and Malone, but as Mark Madden pointed out in his radio talk show on Friday, if Hossa stayed, we might be looking at key players with much shorter contracts and the possibility of Malkin going to another team.
Instead, the loss has paid dividends thanks to Ray Shero’s shrewd dealing:
- To join Sidney Crosby (who when his contract was due took less to make room to keep others in the future), contracts of 4 or more years for Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury completed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, giving the Pens a solid corps, and defensive insurance in Brooks Orpik.
- Add to that the late season acquisitions of Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, and Craig Adams.
- What you find is depth from 1st line to last, especially as the prodigal son Miroslav Satan arose from AHL purgatory to show some of his best work all season in the playoffs.
Let’s not forget that every guy who played this year contributed mightily whether for every game or for a short stint.
- When Gonchar was down, Goligosky answered the bell. Philippe Boucher continues to sniper with a Howitzer.
- Cooke and Kennedy meshed with Jordan Staal to become one of the best shut-down third lines that could generate a spark with their grinding cycle work.
- Max Talbot and Pascal Depuis played anywhere they could be of service, getting time on every one of the four lines and contributing mightily in penalty-kill situations. An unfortunate injury sidelined Mike Zogomanis, but when healthy, he is one of the deadliest in the face-off circle.
- Eric Goddard and Paul Bissonnette enforced when it was needed, but they made skilled contributions as well.
- Ruslan Fedotenko has come on to be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and worked throughout the season to try to keep the team sparked and competitive.
- Kris Letang has grown in confidence and skill. He is fearless, and not to be outdone is Mark Eaton whose defensive skill has also morphed into an offensive threat.
- Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill have developed into a strong defensive pairing, facing the likes of Ovechkin and Eric Staal with little difficulty.
It’s scary just how calm and loose this year’s Pittsburgh Penguins team really is. And maybe it’s a little maddening for the reporters who try to get some juicy tidbit out of them in interviews. In the hopes of a spark, they ask about the re-match, feelings about Hossa, the adversity, back-to-back games or too much time between games, and always, they are left a little diappointed.
These players are even keeled, unflappable, and take it all in stride. It’s good to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. They don’t think too much about the rivalry or how Hossa left. The adversity has made them stronger, and they know what they can do and the kind of character that’s in the locker room. Each knows he has a specific role to play and plays it with 110% intensity, stressing time and again the need to “play the right way.” Back-to-backs are the nature of the beast. They faced many during the regular season, faced them in the playoffs already. Not a big deal. And too much time? They’re glad it’s not a 10-day lay-off because, well, they’d rather be playing hockey.
They are a better, healthier, and more psychologically ready team than the Penguins of 2008, but they needed the early play-off spanking in 2007 to prepare them for the 2008 run, and they needed the 2008 finals defeat to prepare them for this run.
Yeah, that’s still hard to say (as a fan), but if we are going to be honest with ourselves as the Penguins have been with themselves, then we have to agree. This is going to be one hell of a series.
![[Bloglines]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[MySpace]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Twitter]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Email]](http://nhlpens.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
One in the Can: Pens 3 – ‘Canes 2
Game 1 in a playoff series is always a little surreal. Both teams come out sizing each other up, testing the waters, getting a feel for how they will set the tempo they want to set and executing. Given the hellfire and brimstone of Pittsburgh’s first two series versus the Flyers and Capitals respectively, Monday night’s game against the Hurricanes seemed a little tame by comparison.
This is not a complaint, and knowing how the ‘Canes got to this point, they are masters of illusion. As long as the Pens do not become mesmerized, they can dominate and succeed.
What Went Right
- Goaltending–First and foremost, Marc-Andre Fleury made it known early (and more often than some would like) that he was on his game and not to be trifled with. When the players in front of him were on assignment, he saw the puck and made the saves from any distance or lack thereof. There’s a lot of highlight reel footage.
- Keeping the puck north-south–Play moved swiftly up the boards and into the offensive zone. Dump-ins were controlled and forechecks were strong.
- Spreading it around: a winger, a center, and a blueliner–Right off the bat, the Penguins got goals from a diverse group. Miroslav Satan, whose play has continued to improve since about Game 4 of the last series, brought his game up to another level with a goal and some very active play. Evgeni Malkin continued to roll with a goal of his own, and defenseman Philippe Boucher joined in by contributing the team’s only powerplay goal. This is a good omen.
- Separation–All Pens players were on a mission to separate a ‘Canes body from the puck. When the Penguins did this, they won the puck, made the necessary transition up ice (from their defensive zone) or made a play to the net (in their offensive zone) with speed. While the hits were dead even between the Pens and ‘Canes, those of the home team were more memorable and jaw-jarring with the exception of Eric Cole’s longtime-coming payback hit on Brooks Orpik.
- Controlling the neutral zone–Penguins dominated the neutral zone, forcing the ‘Canes to slow down and try to break through into their own offensive end. When the Pens played a tightly controlled game, they virtually shut the the ‘Canes down. Their 12 shots in the first period were cut in half for the entire second period, and they were relegated to 7 shots in the third.
- The power play–After a dismal season and early playoff series on the power play, who would have thought that coming into this game, the Penguins’ power play would be a shade over a blistering 30%? After this game, with the help of blueliner Philippe Boucher, the Pens have registered a power play goal in each of the last seven playoff games. At this point, it is better to encourage it rather than to question it. They have weathered this particular storm at a time where the power play is crucial for a successful run deep into the playoffs.
Room for Improvement
Coming out with the win is key, and now the Pens have two days to look at the film and make adjustments. They might find that they are, in many ways, looking at mirror images of themselves. A few times, there were breakdowns where ‘Canes forwards were able to get behind the defense and buzz the net. They like to bring bunches to the front of the net, so Pens defensemen need to keep the path clear for Fleury.
The Penguins need to play smarter to decrease the number of giveaways–they had 9 tonight versus Carolina’s 2–and to increase takeaways–Pens and ‘Canes were nearly even at 2 and 3 respectively. Faceoffs could have been better, particularly in the defensive end, though the stat sheet shows both teams even at 50% apiece.
Lastly, the Penguins cannot let the Hurricanes hang out for long periods of time in their defensive end. Five-on-five and on the power play, the Hurricanes pass quickly and look for odd bounces anywhere in the zone, not just in tight to the net. If they are not alert, the Penguins could get burned on this, and because of this style of play, it is even more imperative that Fleury have a clear line of sight at all times. Communication and gap control are crucial.
Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker
The big story line in this series so far aside from Cam Ward versus Marc-Andre Fleury is that of the Brothers Staal, Jordan and Eric, literally squaring off against each other in this series. Again, Game 1 may have shown some nerves, but in looking at the entire game, Eric appeared to have been neutralized by the Penguins, and Jordan appeared to continue to be his dominating defensive self, anchoring the ever-consistent 3rd line. While of the same gene pool, Eric and Jordan have decidedly different styles, but it is still interesting to check in on the match-up during this series and compare how they fared in their previous series.
- Goals/Assists/Points: Jordan (0/0/0), Eric (0/0/0)–In their previous series, Jordan had 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points while Eric had 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points. They are just getting warmed up. The Pens did a good job keeping Eric away from the net, and the one time he got close, he was robbed by Fleury literally on the doorstep. For Jordan’s part, in the series against Washington, he was getting some decent numbers in the shots category, registering 3-4 shots on net. The ‘Canes kept him away from the net as well.
- Plus/Minus: Jordan (even), Eric (-1)–In their previous series, both were in the minus with Jordan at a -5 as his line was regularly matched up against Ovechkin who still managed to get on the board. If Eric is kept in check by Jordan’s line, then Jordan’s numbers should remain even or better.
- Penalties: Jordan (0), Eric (1, 2-minutes)–In the previous series, the numbers were reversed.
- Total Ice Time: Jordan (18:39), Eric (22:42)
- Shifts/Average Shift Time: Jordan (24 at :46), Eric : (25 at :54)–In the previous series, Jordan averaged about 25 shifts with a shade more ice time, and Eric averaged 29 shifts.
- Shots on Goal: Jordan (0), Eric : (3)
- Hits: Jordan (2), Eric (2)
- Giveaways: Jordan (1), Eric (0)
- Takeaways: Jordan (0), Eric (1)
- Blocked Shots: Jordan (1), Eric (1)
- Faceoffs Won: Jordan (6), Eric (14)–It was interesting to note that Jordan was getting kicked out of the faceoff circle regularly in this game when he was set to draw against his brother.
- Faceoffs Lost: Jordan (8), Eric (8)
- Faceoff Percentage: Jordan (43%), Eric (64%)–In general Jordan is usually pretty strong on the faceoff, averaging 47% in the last series with a number of games over 50%. His average of 43% in this game is one of his lowest. He will settle in and get to know the styles of those he draws against, so his percentage should bounce back up again. Conversely, Eric averaged 43% in his last series, and this game’s 64% is his highest.
All in all, the Penguins are off to a good start. With continued tweaking and shoring up, they are in good shape to take the series. The Hurricanes are a tenacious, proud team who remember hoisting the Stanley Cup three seasons ago. In the last two seasons, they missed the playoffs entirely, so to be here again, they, too, can smell the shiny metal of the final round. This series will heat up, starting with Game 2 Thursday night. Stay tuned.
The Hockey Gods Must Be Crazy
In my short blogging career, I’ve refrained from writing in 1st person, but on Game 7 Eve, I find myself feeling the pull of the fan side of me just as much as the analyst side. Driving in my car after work today, I knew hell had frozen over and pigs were flying because, for once, I was in complete agreement with both local sports commentators, Mark Madden and Rob Rossi, as they talked over the impending Game 7 on Madden’s radio show.
Here’s what made sense:
- Rossi–The key to the game is TRUST. The Penguins have to trust in themselves, trust in the system, and trust in the coaches. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be a monster in this game. While he has been criticized for the occasional soft goal, when going over his body of work, especially in big do-or-die situations, he rises to the occasion and gets it done just about every time. This will be such an occasion. He also has the ability to bounce back big after less-than-stellar performances.
- Madden–Chris Kunitz is not making the impact that he needs to and that he was brought onto the team for as one of Sidney Crosby’s wingers. While the hits have been spectacular, he often puts himself out of position–such a situation led to a Caps goal in Game 6. Jordan Staal is a big body that could more than adequately fill a Ryan Malone role; he needs to believe that and start utilizing his size and strength in front of Caps goalie Varlamov–a lot.
- Madden’s Line-up
Fedotenko–Crosby–Malkin
Kunitz–Staal–Guerin
Kennedy–Talbot–Cooke
Adams–Satan
The Malkin-Crosby pairing makes sense in that Ovechkin would eventually be overwhelmed trying to go head-to-head in a line against them. Malkin and Fedotenko can both handle Sid’s passes, which can be key in front of the net on tip-ins and weird bounces. Vice-versa, Sid’s no slouch in front of the net either as he’s proven in this series. Fedotenko has the hot hand right now, and this threesome could make for a pretty formidable line.
Staal centering Guerin and Kunitz is also a good choice. When Kunitz first arrived, Sid was out hurt, so he was put on a second line centered by Staal while Malkin centered the first line. Instantly, the chemistry was there and both Kunitz and Staal were very productive. That reunion could be the spark that gets Kunitz on the board–he’s due. Bill Guerin is another guy who knows how to play in front of the net and has shown some success doing that in the playoffs.
Talk about an energy line–Talbot centering, flanked by Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke is literally high-octane as all three are very similar in tenacity and style of play. Talbot has had a great series, and his efforts helped to spark Malkin. He has given 110% to the best of his ability. While Kennedy and Cooke have struggled, it is not out of the realm of possibility that one or both of these guys could figure in scoring in this game.
One change I would make, however, is to come back to four full lines of forwards rather than double-shifting one of the three centers with Adams and Satan. This would require reactivating Pascal Depuis, another hardworking energy guy, and having to go back to six defensemen. Craig Adams has had a solid series, playing a physical role and working hard on the boards. Miroslav Satan had his best two games of the entire season in 5 & 6, adding a rarely seen physical element to his repertoire.
It involves making a choice between the veteran Philippe Boucher with his explosive slapshot and the young Alex Goligoski’s offensively-minded defensive playing style. In agreement with Madden, running seven defensemen throws off the forwards’ rotation cycles and was the cause of a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, something the Penguins rarely did all year. That’s a penalty that can be ill-afforded in a series like this where one mistake can literally cost a team the game, and in this game’s case–the series.
Coach Dan Bylsma’s decision to use seven defensemen was a necessity. The team was in a back-to-back game situation, and the fact that Sergei Gonchar was lost so early in the previous night’s contest, caused Bylsma to have to roll his remaining five defensemen for a ton of minutes. They needed the burden of the next night to be shared in order to regain their own legs, particularly in the event of a Game 7 situation. It would not hurt to resume the make-up of 12 forwards and 6 defense.
Rob Rossi believes this team will win Game 7, that they have another level in them, and it is true. They need to stick to their plan and play for 60 minutes. The 2nd period has been make-or-break for them, and they are well aware of it. If they keep their shifts to 40-45 seconds instead of 1:05 or more, they will be able to sustain their energy and their tempo because when they play at that level, they dominate.
No time like the present.
Malkin Wins Scoring Title
After the last puck was dropped on the NHL regular season on Sunday, Pittsburgh Penguins’ Alternate Captain Evgeni Malkin officially became the winner of the 2009 Art Ross Trophy having scored more points than any other NHL player this season. It is the 13th time in the last 21 seasons that a Pittsburgh Penguins player has won the scoring title. Malkin finished the year with a career best 113-points (35G, 78A), 3-points ahead of last year’s winner and fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin (56G, 54A). Last season, Malkin came in 2nd in the scoring race just 6-points behind Ovechkin. Malkin is the 8th-player in the past 8-seasons to be awarded the Art Ross Trophy, joining Jaromir Jagr in 2001, Jarome Iginla in 2002, Peter Forsberg in 2003, Martin St. Louis in 2004, Joe Thornton in 2006, Sidney Crosby in 2007 and Alexander Ovechkin in 2008. Just 22-years old and playing in his 3rd season, one has to wonder how many times he may win the award. Malkin has proven that he is one of the most elite and productive players on the ice today.
While both Malkin and Ovechkin hail from Russia and have finished #1/#2 in the scoring race for the past two seasons, they are noticeably two very different personalities. While Ovechkin has demonstrated a flair for the flamboyant (see his All-Star appearance and this season’s 50th goal celebration for two recent examples), Malkin is much more reserved publicly with perhaps even an over-abundance of humility. “It’s my third year playing in the NHL and I understand how to play here,” said Malkin after Saturday night’s win against the Canadiens. ”My English is a little bit better and my game is better.” Referring to Ovechkin’s end of season drive in the points race, Malkin stated, “Alex is a good player, and in the last five games he played awesome. Every game he had three or four points. It made for a good scoring race, but it was better for me.”
While understated in his recognition of his own accomplishments, Malkin understands the importance of meeting his goal of winning the scoring title. ”All season I’ve wanted to win it,” Malkin said. “I had a good summer working out and felt great all season. I started well and now here I am. I feel great. Thanks to my team and coach who helped me all season,” said Malkin. “I was nervous the last five games but I won. It’s my life and a good day today.” The significance of Malkin’s accomplishment wasn’t lost on Sidney Crosby, either. “In the last 20 years how many guys from Pittsburgh have won it? It’s pretty amazing,” Crosby said. “Now he can put his name on that list, it’s a special accomplishment and well-deserved. It’s nice to have it in Pittsburgh.” Malkin also led the league in assists (78) and takeaways (91), and was named as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
Malkin is also a potential candidate for the Hart Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player, although he himself expects it may be difficult to dethrone last year’s winner Alexander Ovechkin. Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby thinks Malkin is deserving. ”He’s done a great job all season long,” noted Crosby, “Consistency is a big thing for any player, especially for one who wants to be recognized for an award like that. To show the consistency he has, he’s right up there.” Malkin has shown great consistency through the season, scoring at least one point in 64 of 82 games played, and never going more than two straight games without a point.
The trophy will be presented at the 2009 NHL Awards, to be held for the first time in Las Vegas on Thursday, June 18. The NHL Awards will be broadcast live from the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas on VERSUS in the United States and CBC in Canada.
Comment on this post: - (1) Posts
Pens Beat Caps 2-1: Game Recap
It was a rowdy night at the Verizon Center in the nation’s capital on Saturday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Washington Capitals in front of a sellout crowd of 18,277, many of them Pittsburgh Penguins fans. From where I sat in Section 116 behind the net, I would estimate that 60% of the fans around me were Penguins fans (including a busload of great people from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that came down to see the game).
For the Caps fans, the focus of attention was Pens’ Captain Sidney Crosby whom they booed whenever he carried the puck. The Pens fans in attendance returned the favor in kind by booing Caps’ star forward Alexander Ovechkin whenever he had the puck. The jeering underscored the rivalry that exists (at least in the fans’ minds) between two of the league’s leading stars. Alexander Ovechkin was the #1 draft pick overall in the NHL 2004 Entry Draft, while Sidney Crosby was the #1 draft pick overall in 2005. However, because of the lockout, both players officially hit the ice as rookies in the 2005-06 season. Ovechkin, who scored 106 points that year, was crowned rookie 
of the year and edged out Crosby (who finished with 102 points) in one of the few honors that has not been bestowed upon him in his short career. Last season, however, Crosby won the league MVP and the scoring title with 120 points in 79 games, while Ovechkin put up 92 points in 82 games. Despite the rivalry, both players are phenoms in their own right having reached 200 career points faster than any other current active players. But when it comes to team play, Pittsburgh clearly has the bragging rights as they have now defeated the Washington Capitals in 8 of the 9 matchups that the teams have had in the Crosby/Ovechkin era. The Penguins also kept Ovechkin from getting a goal or an assist last night, the only game this season that he has been kept off the scoresheet. This is the third straight matchup in which the Penguins have kept Ovechkin off the scoresheet. Perhaps in frustration, Ovechkin put a hard check on Crosby in the third period, that nearly resulted in an on-ice brawl amongst their teammates. “That was a good hit,” Crosby said. “He’s a strong guy. He plays a complete game. I don’t expect him to take it easy against anybody – especially me.” Crosby did his job, however, picking up an assist on the game-winning power play goal by Ryan Whitney.
Despite all of the attention paid to Ovechkin and Crosby, the real star of the night was Marc-Andre Fleury, a player who was overdue and in need of a strong performance in net. He delivered. Fleury only let in one goal on 31 shots in a game where the Penguins were outshot 31-22. After a bench-warming session in the game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, Fleury came out and appeared more focused, calm, and played a style of game that was more reminiscent of the Fleury of last year. Despite the fact that the Caps were on a 3-game skid, they came out flying in the first period and doubled up on shots against the Penguins 12-6, and put a lot of pressure on Fleury. He gave up the lone Caps goal to Brian Pothier, an even strength tally through traffic at 13:45 from Nylander and Backstrom. After that goal, he shut down the Caps who went 0-3 on the man advantage. Fleury went on to stop 30 shots, was named the #1 star of the game, and advanced his career record to 6-0 against the Capitals. “The guys helped me out,” Fleury said. “They didn’t let (Ovechkin) get in front of me.” Although Fleury still needs to improve his game, his positioning for this game was much improved and hopefully he can use this good win as a confidence builder.
In my game preview, I had pre-declared that it would be the “night of the Gronk”. Little did I know that Jordan Staal would not only score his first goal of the season, but would also tangle in his first NHL fight. Staal’s goal, which tied the game 1-1, came at 3:58 of the second period. The wrister, assisted by Mark Recchi and Brooks Orpik, found its way past Caps goalie Brent Johnson. It was a good reward for Staal, who has been playing very well on the second line, centered by Evgeni Malkin. Staal’s fight started near center ice at 6:21 of the third
period against Capitals player Matt Pettinger. I have to admit that I was surprised to see the Gronk drop the gloves, and I didn’t see what started it, but I could see enough to know that Jordan was pretty mad. After some tussling and missed swings, Pettinger took Staal down to the ice and the refs stepped in and sent the two off for 5-minutes. The Staal-Pettinger fight came about 4 minutes after a fight between heavyweights Georges Laraque and Donald Brashear. Laraque, playing his first game after missing 3 due to a groin injury, was really taking it to Donald Brashear until Brashear was finally able to respond with a hard shot to Laraque’s head that dropped him to the ice.
The game winning goal came on the power play at 17:59 of the second period on a slapsot by Ryan Whitney, his 100th career point. Whitney converted on a nice cross-ice pass from Sidney Crosby. Ryan Malone picked up an assist on the goal, as well.
The Penguins held off the Caps in the third period, despite being outshot 11-5 to put up their first back-to-back wins of the season. “I don’t think we can afford to look too far ahead. We’ve made some pretty good steps here the past couple of games,” Crosby said. “We have to build off it.” Certainly, tonight’s game was played well and should help build the team confidence as one of their best played games of the season. Not perfect, but definitely improved.
- Click Here for the Offical NHL Game Rosters
- Click Here for the Official NHL Game Summary
- Click Here for the Official NHL Boxscore
- Click Here for the Official NHL Play-by-Play
- Click Here for the Pittsburgh Penguins Rink Rat Report with Mike Lange
- Click Here for the Pittsburgh Penguins Post Game Hotline with Bob Grove
The Pittsburgh Penguins return to the Mellon Arena to host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, October 23rd. We will be here with a comprehensive game preview on Monday, and live in-game chat on Tuesday night.
