Penguins Send Sydor to Dallas for Boucher
In terms of salary, the trade is a wash as both players are getting $2.5M this season. However, there are contractual advantages for the Penguins by moving Sydor. Specifically, Boucher’s contract is not bound by a no trade clause and he could be waived by the Pens if necessary to free up additional cap space later in the season. This could become a key factor for the Penguins as the trade deadline nears and Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar return to the team from their extended injuries.
While Sydor has appeared in under 50% of the Penguins games this season, Boucher has skated all 16 of the Stars’ games before last night. Boucher and Sydor were both healthy scratches last night due to the pending deal. Boucher has been a mainstay for the struggling Stars, averaging 21:43 in ice time per game this season. Sydor has averaged just 14:23 in ice time per game in his 8 appearances. So far this season Boucher has 3-points (3A) in 16-games and is a -4. Sydor has 2-points (1G, 1A) in 8-games with a +5 rating.
Boucher has posted 20-or-more points in five of the last six seasons and 30-or-more points in three of his last six overall. Boucher recorded career highs in all offensive categories during the 2006-07 season, registering 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists), along with a career high 104 penalty minutes. His 19 goals tied the Dallas Stars franchise high for goals by a defenseman, while finishing third overall in the NHL among defenseman. Originally selected by Buffalo in the first round (13th overall) of the 1991 Entry Draft, he missed the majority of last season due to shoulder surgery.
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Penguins Lose 2-Goal Lead in 3rd Period, Lose in Shootout
October 25, 2008 by Paul
Filed under Highlights, News
After playing a very strong 40-minutes of play, the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled another 3rd period disappearing act on Saturday night. The Penguins allowed the Rangers to outshoot them 18-2 in the final frame and score 2-goals, including the game tying goal with just 9-seconds left. After skating a scoreless 5-minute sudden death overtime, the game was settled by a shootout where Fredrik Sjostrom netted the only goal and won the game for the Rangers, 3-2. It was the 5th overtime appearance for the Penguins in just 9-games played this season, and 2nd shootout. The Penguins have won 3 and lost 2 of their overtime opportunities.
In the 1st period, the Penguins outshot the Rangers 10-8. While the Penguins failed to score on their lone powerplay opportunity, they found the net just 3-seconds after it expired. Darryl Sydor let a slap shot go from the high circle area that deflected off from the legs of a Rangers’ defensemen and into the net behind Henrik Lundqvist. Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang picked up the assists on the play. The Penguins played a very disciplined first period and took no penalties.
In the 2nd period, the Penguins struck again at 15:59 as Sidney Crosby whacked home a puck that had trickled between the legs of Henrik Lundqvist following a shot by Alex Goligoski. Evgeni Malkin also got an assist on the play, which extended both his and Crosby’s scoring streak to 5-games. The Penguins got into penalty trouble shorthly thereafter, however, as Brooks Orpik (slashing) and Mike Zigomanis (interference) took simultaneous minors at 16:36. Marc-Andre Fleury and the Penguins penalty kill were outstanding, and they shut the door on the Rangers and killed off the 2-minute 5-on-3. The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the powerplay in the period.
The 3rd period caught the Penguins looking too comfortable with their 2-point lead, especially as the Rangers came out looking hungry and aggressive. The Rangers proceeded to outplay the Penguins for the final 20-minutes of the game, outshooting them 18-2. The Rangers first goal came at 5:09 on the powerplay as Jordan Staal sat for a hooking minor. It took the inefficient Rangers powerplay just 7-seconds of man advantage time to score, as Marcus Naslund took a Scott Gomez feed from behind the net and quickly beat Fleury to make it a 1-goal game. Chris Drury picked up the other assist on the powerplay goal. The Penguins continued to hang on through the remainder of the 3rd, and had an opportunity to score on the empty net, but Sidney Crosby’s backhand bounced wide of the net. With the Penguins’ forwards in the offensive zone looking for the empty net insurance goal, Marcus Naslund quickly moved the puck up ice and found Nikolai Zherdev who unleashed a quick shot that flew over Fleury’s shoulder and into the net with just 9-seconds left. The goal tied the game at 2 and sent it into overtime.
In the overtime frame, the Penguins put pressure on Lundqvist, but came up empty despite outshooting the Rangers 4-2. In the shootout, Kris Letang, Petr Sykora and Sidney Crosby were all stopped by Lundqvist. Marc-Andre Fleury, who played very strong all night and gave up 2-goals on 44-shots, stopped Nikolai Zherdev and Nigel Dawes before Fredrik Sjostrom connected on a goal that slipped in under his pads. The loss was surely a disappointing one for the Penguins who had a 3-game wining streak going and were riding a 2-0 lead going into the 3rd.
- VIDEO: Game Highlights
- PHOTOS: Game Photos
- Rosters
- Game Summary
- Faceoff Summary
- Shots Summary
- Play-by-Play
- Shootout Details
Ruslan Fedotenko led the Penguins with 5-shots on goal, while Sidney Crosby and Mike Zigomanis followed up with 4-each. Evgeni Malkin had 2-attempts go wide of the net and didn’t record a shot. Maxime Talbot continued his mastery of the faceoff winning 5-of-8 for a 63% win %. Mike Zigomanis went 5-for-9, or 56%. Jordan Staal (6 for 12) and Sidney Crosby (7 for 14) both won 50% in the faceoff circle. Brooks Orpik continued to be the hitting machine, with 6 hots and Kris Letang followed up with 5. Ruslan Fedotenko added 3 hits of his own.
The Penguins continue their road trip on Tuesday when they face the Sharks in San Jose, CA.
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New NHLPens.com Poll Regarding Pens Defense
With our top 2 defensemen are sidelined for an extended period of time, it is time for a new poll:
Loading ...Place your vote. We will see how the results come in.
Gonchar Opts for Surgery, Will Miss 4-6 Months
The Pittsburgh Penguins officially announced this morning that Defenseman Sergei Gonchar has opted to undergo arthroscopic surgery on Thursday to repair his dislocated left shoulder. The injury was the result of a hit by Tampa Bay forward David Koci during the Penguins’ first pre-season game against the Lightning on September 20. Gonchar concluded that surgery was necessary after seeking opinions from three separate orthopedic specialists. The surgery to be performed by UPMC physician Dr. Mark Rodosky will repair cartilage and ligament damage to his left shoulder. Unfortunately for the Penguins, the recovery time for returning to a contact sport is projected at 4-6 months.
Undoubtedly the team’s leading defenseman, the Penguins will definitely miss Gonchar in the lineup. The gravity of his loss is underscored by the fact that Defenseman Ryan Whitney is already out of the lineup for the first 3-4 months of the season as a result of recent foot Surgery. Together, Gonchar and Whitney were the top-2 D-men for the Penguins last season. Gonchar finished 4th in scoring with 65-points (12G, 53A) and Whitney was 7th with 40-points (12G, 28A). Gonchar also led Penguins D-men in +/- with a +13, and has been a highly effective quarterback of the Penguins’ power play. The loss of Gonchar could also have an impact on Evgeni Malkin who has relied on him to help cross the language barrier.
In Gonchar and Whitney’s absence, the Penguins will have to rely on their defensive depth to step up and fill the gap. While the Penguins do have good depth when it comes to capable defensemen, they lack the offensive punch that Gonchar and Whitney provided. The most likely candidate to step up into that offensive role would be Darryl Sydor. With 1-year remaining on his 2-year contract and little opportunity to be in the top defensive pairing, Sydor was rumored to be asking for a trade going into this season. Now that Gonchar and Whitney have been sidelined, Sydor will be a critical asset to the Penguins. At age 36, he is 2-years older than Gonchar and has played offensive D-man role before for the Dallas Stars. In 7-full seasons with the Dallas Stars, Sydor posted 292-points (60G, 232A) averaging 42-points per season. His offensive production has dipped in the past few seasons, likely the result of age, position and ice time. With the Penguins, he has not yet had the opportunities afforded to the top defensive pairing. This could well be his opportunity to regularly play alongside the team’s elite players and regain his role as a top defenseman in the NHL.
Aside from Darryl Sydor, the Penguins existing options for scoring defensemen starts to diminish rather quickly. Mark Eaton, Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi are all strong defensively, but will not fill the void when it comes to scoring. Hal Gill is probably good for 15-20 points, but his size limits his speed and will prevent him from effectively moving up on the rush. Sophomore Kris Letang had a strong season last year and will likely be called upon to increase his offensive production. However, it remains to be seen if he can significantly improve on his 17-point (6G, 11A) production from last season. Rookie Alex Goligoski, the only prospect defenseman that is still with the team, will likely get an opportunity to contribute in the regular season. After a 38-point (10G, 28A) contribution in Wilkes-Barre last season, he is an exciting prospect. However, these kinds of numbers do not routinely translate from the AHL to the NHL.
Bottom line, the extended loss of Sergei Gonchar will be a big, noticeable loss for the Penguins. If the Penguins are unable to find the right amount of offense out of the remaining defensive corps, Ray Shero could find himself looking at possible early season trade options. While it is too early to speculate much more on that, it is something for Penguins fans to keep in the back of their minds as the season gets underway this weekend.
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Shortened Penguins Roster Arrives in Sweden
The Pittsburgh Penguins arrived in Stockholm, Sweden, at about 3:30 AM this morning (Pittsburgh time) after a tiring 10.5 hour flight (including a refueling layover in Ireland). Despite the lengthy trip, the team got checked into their hotel, met for a team meal, and then hit the rink at Hovet Arena in Stockholm for practice. The goal for today is for the team to get adjusted to the 6-hour time change by staying awake through the evening and getting a good night’s sleep tonight. According to Max Talbot, most players managed to get some sleep on the plane so that fatigue was not much of a factor in this morning’s practice. The Penguins’ schedule is part of a program put in place by the training staff to help the players adjust to the change.
The 10-day trip to Sweden comes on the heels of Friday night’s 5-4 pre-season win against the Leafs in Toronto. Despite playing from behind most of the night, the Penguins won the game late in the 3rd period on goals by Kris Letang and Matt Cooke. Sidney Crosby, Mark Eaton and Janne Pesonen also scored in the win, advancing the Penguins pre-season record to 3-0-1. Sidney Crosby picked up the game’s 1st star with 2-points (1G, 1A) and Ruslan Fedotenko got the game’s 3rd start with 3-points (3A). The Penguins will officially complete their pre-season play on Thursday, October 2nd, playing against the Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League in Helsinki, Finland.
Before boarding the 5PM flight to Stockholm, the Penguins skinnied their roster down to 25-players through assignments to the AHL and injured reserve. Forward Connor James and defenseman Danny Richmond were both assigned to the Penguins’ AHL-affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday. Injured defensemen Sergei Gonchar (dislocated shoulder) and Ryan Whitney (foot surgery) have been assigned to the injured reserve and will not make the trip. The Penguins will have to make one more roster cut by Friday, October 3rd, to get down to a 24-man roster before the season-opener in Sweden on October 4th. The Penguins will ultimately need to make an additional cut after October 5th to get down to the 23-player roster required by the league for the rest of the regular season. The league made an exception and allowed 24-players to be on the roster for the games in Sweden, so that the team would have an extra player in-country in case of injury.
The Penguins remaining 25-man roster for the Sweden trip is comprised of 15 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goaltenders. This includes forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora, Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, Matt Cooke, Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Godardm Jeff Taffe, Janne Pesonen, Bill Thomas, and Paul Bisssonnette. The defensive corps consists of Brooks Orpik, Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill, Mark Eaton, Darryl Sydor, Kris Letang, and Alex Goligoski. The goaltenders are Marc-Andre Fleury, Dany Sabourin, and John Curry.
After arriving in Stockholm early this morning, the Penguins went to Hovet Arena for practice at about 8AM Pittsburgh time. The Hovet Arena is located alongside the Globe Arena where the Penguins will practice for the rest of the week, and where the Penguins will face off against the Ottawa Senators next weekend. After practice, Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury and Max Talbot spoke to the press. The following videos of practice and those interviews are courtesy of PittsburghPenguins.com:
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Penguins’ Training Camp – Roster Cut by 9
With the shortened training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects are getting very little time to show their skills as they contend for the few potentially available spots on the roster, most likely 2 or 3 wing positions and possibly a defenseman. This afternoon, following Day 3 of training camp, the coaching staff made 9 cuts, sending 6 players to the AHL and 3 more to the juniors. The cuts whittled the training camp roster down to 42 players as the team prepares for the first pre-season game on Saturday night at Mellon Arena against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Heading to Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, the WIlkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, are forwards Luca Caputi (LW), Joey Haddad (LW), Dustin Jeffrey (C), Nick Johnson (RW), Mark Letestu (C), and Defenseman Jonathan D’Aversa (D). The Penguins sent 2 players to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Defensemen Alex Grant (D) was sent to the Saint John Sea Dogs and forward Keven Veilleux (C) was sent to Rimouski Oceanic. Finally, forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel (C) was sent to the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Jesse Marshall over at the Faceoff-Factor has done a tremendous job of putting out detailed daily reports from training camp, and the Penguins website provides nice video coverage of daily scrimmages, practice, and locker room interviews. You can use the following links to track the progress of the team through camp:
- Training Camp Day 1 – Wednesday, 17 Sep 08
- Report: Faceoff-Factor Report
- On-Ice Video: Scrimmage, Group A Practice, Group B Practice
- Locker Room Interviews: Miroslav Satan, Jordan Staal, Sidney Crosby, Ruslan Fedotenko, Hal Gill, Marc-Andre Fleury
- Training Camp Day 2 – Thursday, 18 Sep 08
- Report: Faceoff-Factor Report
- On-Ice Video: Scrimmage Video, Group A Practice, Group B Practice
- Locker Room Interviews: Dany Sabourin, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Goddard, Sidney Crosby, Sergei Gonchar, Darryl Sydor
- Training Camp Day 3 – Friday, 19 Sep 08
- Report: Faceoff-Factor Report
- On-Ice Video: Group A Practice, Group B Practice
- Locker Room Interviews: Max Talbot, Sidney Crosby
The first round of cuts leaves 42 players in camp, to include 24 forwards, 14 defensemen, and 4 goaltenders. The current roster includes the following players (by natural position, not necessarily the position they are being played)
- Left Wing
- Center
- Right Wing
- Defense
- Goal
On Thursday night, the Penguins held a Town Hall for Season Ticket Holders that included a Q&A session with several players (Orpik, Malkin, Whitney, Fleury, Talbot, Crosby). It was covered in a video over at the Penguins website on Pens TV.
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Gonchar Redeems Himself as Pens Rally to Beat Caps in OT
The Pittsburgh Penguins managed to pick up a win in overtime at home on Thursday night against the Washington Capitals, after battling from behind and scoring a late 3rd period goal to tie the game and force the extra play. Sergei Gonchar scored the game winner in overtime, after a unsavory performance in which two of his misplays resulted in goals for the Capitals.
The first period started with an early bout between Georges Laraque and Donald Brashear at 3:18. Despite a lot of tussling and dancing, there were no real significant punches thrown and the fight ended in a non-decision and matching fighting majors. At 12:01, the Penguins got on the board on an awesome play by newcomer Jeff Taffe to beat Brent Johnson. From within the Penguins own defensive zone, Taffe chipped the puck past a defenseman at the point and took it from his own blueline all the way to the Capitals’ net where he slapped the puck past Johnson high on the stick side. Assists went to Jarkko Ruutu and Darryl Sydor. Then at 15:24, the Capitals tied it up when Sergei Gonchar tried to pass the puck behind the net, but mis-judged the angle and ended up putting the puck back out in front of the net. Donald Brashear found the puck and buried it past Conklin. At 17:53, the Penguins got a lucky bounce when Colby Armstrong threw the puck on the backhand from behind the goal line and caught Johnson’s feet which redirected the puck into net. Ryan Whitney and Sidney Crosby were credited with the assists. Johnson was injured on the play when he fell awkwardly back on his leg and sprained his knee. He left the game and was replaced by Olie “the Goalie” Kolzig. The Penguins outshot the Capitals 9-5 in the first.
In the 2nd period, Pittsburgh stopped skating and it was all Washington as they outshot the Penguins 12-6 and netted 2-goals for the 3-2 lead. The first came at 5:23 as Brian Pothier was left uncovered in the high slot area by Petr Sykora. Pothier buried the puck behind Ty Conklin with authority. Nicklas Backstrom and Viktor Kozlov were credited with the assists. Then at 18:26, Sergei Gonchar gave up the puck to Nicklas Backstrom on an easy play behind his own net who then skated from behind the net and put the puck on the stick of Alex Ovechkin who beat Ty Conklin with a quick wrist shot to give the Capitals a 3-2 lead. There were no penalties called in the 2nd.
In the 3rd period, the Capitals were unable to convert on their only power play chance at 4:23 as Colby Armstrong sat 2 for intereference. The Penguins got a break late in the period as the Capitals were called for roughing at 15:48. Trailing by a goal, the Penguins power play converted on a goal by Darryl Sydor with just 4 seconds left in the man-advantage to tie the game at 3. The goal was Sydor’s first as a Penguin and his 2nd point of the night, doubling his season point total and earning him the game’s 3rd star. “They were trying to shut things down, but we got a big goal there from Syd (Sydor) to keep us in it,” Crosby said. “Every game isn’t going to have three solid periods and a perfect ending. This is what you have to do sometimes, find ways to win when you’re not playing your best.”
The Penguins outshot the Capitals 11-8 in the 3rd and forced the overtime frame. Alex Ovechkin only played about a minute of the 3rd period before leaving the game for stitches to repair a cut on his leg.
In overtime, Sergei Gonchar redeemed himself for giving up 2-goals by blasting a shot past Kolzig from the circle on a nice feed from in front of the net by Crosby. “I had a couple of mistakes, and I didn’t feel great about this one, but I scored a goal and I feel a lot better now,” Gonchar said. “Sid made a great pass. When he started skating toward the net, both defensemen are paying attention to him and not even looking at me. I had a wide-open net.” It was Crosby’s 2nd assist of the night and it earned him the game’s first star. Colby Armstrong picked up the other assist, his second point of the night. Ty Conklin captured his 3rd straight win with 22 saves. He is now 3-0, despite a 0.892 save percentage and 3.5 GAA.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Additional Game Coverage:
- VIDEO: Post Game Press Conference
- VIDEO: Post Game Locker Room Interviews
- PHOTOS: In-Game Photos
- AUDIO: Mike Lange Highlights
- AUDIO: Rink Rat Report
- AUDIO: Post-Game Hotline
- NHL OFFICIAL: Game Rosters
- NHL OFFICIAL: Game Summary
- NHL OFFICIAL: Boxscore
- NHL OFFICIAL: Play-by-Play
With the win, the Penguins advance to 19-6-2 and are 2nd in the Atlantic Division and 6th overall in the Eastern Conference. Just 10-points separate 2nd and 15th place in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins now head into a back-to-back series with Buffalo, with the Sabres coming to Pittsburgh on Saturday night before hosting the Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium on New Year’s Day for the Winter Classic.
Pens Turn the Tide, Beat Isles
The Pittsburgh Penguins notched their first win in 5-games on Thursday night against the New York Islanders by a score of 3-2. The long overdue win came with an altered lineup as veterans Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor were healthy scratches. In their place on the ice for the Penguins (and looking good) were Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang. Colby Armstrong was also a healthy scratch. Marc-Andre Fleury had a very good night in net for the Penguins with 26 saves on 28 shots.
In an all too common occurrence, the opposition got on the board first with an even strength goal at 14:17 of the first period by the Islanders’ red hot Mike Comrie. Standing in front of the net, Comrie picked up his 6th goal of the season by deflecting a Brendan Witt shot from the point past Fleury. Trent Hunter was also credited with an assist. Four minutes later, Sergei Gonchar scored on a blast from the point while the Jordan Staal put up a screen by tussling with two Islanders’ players in front of goaltender Rick Dipietro. Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury were credited with the assists, but Staal gets our honorary assist for his work in front of the net to keep Dipietro in the blind. Malkin’s assist extended his point streak to 12 consecutive games. The goal tied the game at 1 at the end of the first, with the Penguins outshooting the Isles 10-6.
In the second, the Penguins quickly scored a 5-on-3 powerplay that carried over from the first period. Sergei Gonchar threw the puck against the wall to Dipietro’s right and it bounced toward the net and onto the stick of Evgeni Malkin who tried to jam it into the net. Dipietro was able to stop Malkin’s attempt on the goal line, but was unable to prevent Petr Sykora from poking the puck the rest of the way across the line on the follow-up. The goal came at 0:58 while Satan and Hilbert sat for holding and hooking. The goal was Sykora’s 8th of the season from Malkin and Gonchar. At 8:51, the Islanders responded with an even strength backhand goal by Josef Vasicek as Fleury was caught laying across the goal mouth. Bruno Gervais and Sean Bergenheim were credited with the assists. At 16:45, however, Georges Laraque chipped the game winning goal over Dipietro’s shoulder on a superb pass by Sidney Crosby. The goal was Laraque’s first goal in 40-games and his first as a Penguin, and was celebrated by jumping against the glass and then lifting a jubilant Crosby into the air. With the assist, Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to 18-games and advanced to 2nd place in league scoring with 28-points, just 1-point behind the current leader Vincent Lecavalier. Shots were tied at 12 apiece in the second.
The Penguins held onto the lead in the third despite being outshot by the Islanders 10-5, and killed off a late hooking penalty to Tyler Kennedy. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stood tall in net and kept out some excellent chances by the Islanders to maintain the advantage and the win. The Penguins had two excellent chances on the empty net insurance goal, but failed to connect. The first was at the expiration of Tyler Kennedy’s penalty as he came out of the box, but tried to make a passing play instead of shooting on the empty net as it appeared he did not notice Dipietro had left the ice. The second came on an attempt by Sidney Crosby that just missed the net and bounced off the left post. Sergei Gonchar had a great game, possibly inspired by the attendance of newly inducted Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey. He picked up the game’s 1st star with a goal and an assist. Georges Laraque picked up the game’s 2nd star with his inspired play and his game winning goal. Marc-Andre Fleury picked up the game’s 3rd star with his play in the third period to keep the game in the win column for the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin, who didn’t like quite as dominating as he has in recent games, still played a very good game and came away with 2-assists. The Malkin-Crosby 12-game concurrent scoring streak is the longest in team history. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr never had a concurrent streak longer than 11-games.
- Click Here for the Official 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
- AUDIO: Click Here for Paul Coffey’s Hall of Fame Induction Speech
The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to get back in a groove and extend their winning play as they host the New York Rangers at the Mellon Arena on Saturday night.
