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Who You Callin’ an Old Man?

 

Conversation has perennially buzzed around the topic of who Ray Shero can get to play with Sidney Crosby, over and over, ad nauseum. Hockey talking heads felt semi-optimistic about the acquisitions of Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin, but it always seemed that these guys were what could be obtained for now; after all, Guerin was in his waning years, 38 at the time he picked up and moved off the Island to the southwest corner of the Keystone State.

Even at the end of a fairy tale Stanley Cup-winning season, speculation was whimsical regarding Guerin, given his age. He played his 1,200th NHL game against the Anaheim Ducks a little over a month ago, just 6 days shy of his 39th birthday.

Well, “The Old Man” has proven to this point that he can not only “hang” with the young guns, but do it with relish night in and night out. In the last handful of games, he has begun to develop a nifty passing style that has helped Sir Sid net a few pretty goals. He breaks the plane of the offensive blue line and quite beautifully slides a pass with not too much speed but just enough on the tape of Sid’s blade. It’s a subtle move, almost mesmerizing to watch as it happens. Keep an eye out for it.

Does he have the legs? You betcha. He’ll tear off up ice in a foot race to try to negate an icing against his team. He’ll haul “ice” to jump in an odd-man break like he’s Tyler Kennedy.

What about his eyesight and his reflexes? Sharp as a tack and spry as a spring. Case in point: the game-winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers where Sergei Gonchar broke out of the Pens’ end with a blistering tape-to-tape stretch pass to an already flying Sidney Crosby, and who should be coming on strong along with the Pens’ captain, doing his version of the Center Drive? Big Billy Guerin. Sid’s slapper disappeared under netminder Brian Boucher’s pads, but as Guerin’s momentum carried him across the front of Boucher to the left post, he caught sight of the puck and with lightning reflexes, beat Boucher to scoop the puck into the net.

OK, so exciting prose is fine, but what about the stats to appease the skeptics? Hold on to your hat:

• Tallied 6 points in a recent 8-game-stretch (2G-4A), posting his 8th goal of the season against the home game against the Flyers.
• In 51 regular season games with the Penguins, he’s accumulated 33 points (13G-20A).
• Currently ranks among the top 15 in the league with game-winning goals, his latest against the home Flyers game.
• As of the New Jersey game, he is 3rd in scoring on the team (9G-13A for a +7) behind two of the Four Horseman: Crosby and Malkin, and in a footrace with the third, Jordan Staal.
• His (22 points, 9G-13A) just nudged him ahead of Staal (21 points, 10G-11A for a +6) in what seems to be a friendly, healthy, informal competition between these two. Who better to help a young center along in his development?
• He’s posted 5/11 goals-attempts in games that went to a shoot-out with one of those goals deciding the game in the Pens’ favor.

And then there are the intangibles. Pittsburgh fell in love with the eccentric, crocodile-eyed, health nut Gary Roberts not so long ago. Talk was that Roberts was the grizzled veteran needed in a locker room of youthful, inexperienced guys, but Roberts’ disposition could only go so far. Roberts’ exuded the presence of a tightly-strung guy. Guerin brings a nice balance of experience and even-keeled temperament that perfectly nurtures a young captain without smothering him. Guerin simply looks comfortable in his own skin and content with his role on this team. It’s not what he says so much as it is how he carries himself.

Evidence of this is his steady pace of point production and the more obvious feel that he’s at a point in his playing relationship with Sid that they are now reading each other much like Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy. Guerin and Crosby are now in concert with each other where it is natural and no longer academic. Guerin is also doing more in front of the net in both even-strengthed and man-advantage situations. Guerin keeps Sid loose and the rest of the team follows. Cementing that bond is the fact that “The Old Man” thinks nothing of dropping the gloves and making an impressive showing to the defense of his team mate, whoever he is.

The prediction here is that Bill Guerin has found a home where he can see himself finishing his career with his head held high. Anyone who was either at the Stanley Cup parade on that sunny June day or was watching it on a TV, could hear the chants of the crowd at the end of the line when Guerin took his turn at the podium. It was a very clear, resounding, emphatic repetitive chant of  “One more year!!” It will be a year-to-year, season-to-season evaluation, but as much as Pittsburgh fell in love with #13, he too seems to have fallen in love with the ‘burgh, gaining a new lease on hockey life as he told WTAE’s Sally Wiggin on parade day, “My heart said I want to come back here.”

Turning Up the Heat in a Hot Kitchen

by Chaiwoman
Pittsburgh Penguins’ radio color analyst Mike Lange is fond of saying “…to take the heat out of a hot kitchen” during harrowing defensive stands, but he may have to amend that slightly as the Pens and their opponents are fighting fire with fire.

Penguins 6–Devils 1: The Pens cranked up the heat on the New Jersey Devils, and while one would think they could take it, it was no April Fool’s joke. The Devils clearly did not look like themselves that night, and the Pens, by contrast, looked possessed. Six guys figured in the goal scoring: Matt Cooke (11), Bill Guerin (20), Evgeni Malkin (34), Sidney Crosby (30), Jordan Staal (21), and Chris Kunitz (23). On top of that, 12 players assisted in those tallies with defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Hal Gill leading the way by contributing two assists each. Not to be outdone, even netminder Marc-Andre Fleury had an assist, his first of the year, on the Guerin goal.

The confidence of the defensive corps of the Penguins is evidenced in their plus/minus rating. The tandem of Gill and Rob Scuderi posted a +4. This is an outstanding improvement for the pair considering that in days of yore (pre-Bylsma), at the best of times they looked mediocre and at the worst of times shell-shocked. Many were the games when plays in front of Fleury by those two created incredible anxiety for the fans and heart failure for their netminder whose own confidence was shaky. The insecurity was palpable and hard to watch. Fast-forward to present day, and Gill and Scuderi have been reborn. They are as in sync as Siamese twins, playing the way many believed they could play, and Fleury has felt the effects translate to his own crisp game.

Penguins 2–Hurricanes 3 (OT): “Kickin’ it up a notch,” the Pens went into Carolina Saturday night. From the first puck-drop to the goal horn in the OT frame, it was such a firestorm of speed, shots, hits, and break-aways that FSN’s Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey never had a chance to talk about anything anecdotal except during commercial breaks and intermissions. They were nearly out of breath as they tried to match their play-by-play calling with the speed of the game.

Crosby and Malkin were picking pockets like Fagin’s street urchins, generating chances. Tyler Kennedy had yet another solid game, which at least merits an honorable mention to the 3 stars of the game–all Hurricanes. Malkin’s failing to score on the penalty shot he was awarded was a bad break. However, Guerin’s disallowed goal was a result of a bad Kunitz penalty, which hearkens back to what Bylsma said days ago. It’s not so much about how many penalties they take, but the kind they are and when they occur. This was not a good penalty as without it, Guerin’s goal would have counted, and Jordan Staal’s goal, then, would have been the game winner.

A Hurricanes-Pens playoff round match-up would make for an exciting, heart-stopping, nail-biting, teeth-gnashing series. These two teams are about as evenly matched as any two could be, including their season-long ups and downs and the fact that each possesses an outstanding young goalie in Fleury and Cam Ward, energizing stars, and, oh yes, a Staal brother. Pens fans seem to travel well as the crowd appeared to cheer just as loudly for the Penguin goals as the home team crowd did for the ‘canes, showing some Pittsburgh faithful in attendance.

Penguins 2–Panthers 4: After a strong first period, notching a hefty 19 shots on netminder Tomas Vokoun, the second period saw the Pens experiencing fatigue. No doubt this was a result of the supercharged, all-out slug fest in Carolina just 20 hours earlier. It did not help that a flukey goal came off a misplayed puck by Hal Gill that popped up strangely and could not be cleared out. Add to this the fact that neither Crosby nor Malkin registered a point in this game or in the Carolina game, and both were a -2 at Carolina and -1 at Florida.

However, Coach Dan Bylsma has recognized the power of the Staal-Kennedy duo, putting just about every winger he could think of on the line to try to generate something. It worked for Pascal Depuis, and Staal was also part of the unit that netted Eaton’s power play goal.

While rest can renew tired legs and focus weary minds, it is still unacceptable that the power play produces so few chances on net.  The Pens had 4 power play chances and registered only 3 shots with Mark Eaton scoring the sole power play goal. If they are not putting at least 5 shots on net per power play, then it is powerless. If not correctly quickly, such a situation will not bode well for a deep playoff run, let alone a Stanley Cup final. It cannot be stressed enough that Crosby is best working the end boards behind the goalie, forcing the goalie to split his attention to account for him. As soon as he is slides up on the half wall, he has much too much ice to play around with, and 99% of the time, he elects to pass.

The Therrien-era power play reared its ugly head in this game: the passing was excrutiatingly slow, and the player in possession of the puck held it entirely too long. The Panthers’ PK unit loved this because they hardly had to move. They could have killed a 10 minute penalty without a line change at that rate. So few shots on net leaves guys like Kunitz and Guerin with nothing to do, negating one of the biggest reasons they were acquired. Bottom line: Sid, more than any of them, must shoot.

All is not lost though. This team has proven time and again over the past three seasons that it has the collective intestinal fortitude to grind it out and push through a new growing pain. They are in position to have a date with destiny, to get back to where they were last season–maybe to avenge some unfinished business. The road is long and hard, and it will be a test for them and for their new coach, but as Bylsma said, going into the Hurricanes game, he put to them this question: “What mindset do we want to have going into the game?” How they respond 60 minutes at a time will determine their outcome.

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Post Season Within Reach

As the clock winds down on the 2008/09 NHL regular season,  the Pittsburgh Penguins post season hopes are looking up.  Just a little over one month ago, the Penguins’ prospects were not so good as they meandered outside of playoff position.  However, since bringing in a new coach, a new philosophy, a healthy veteran defenseman, and some experienced wingers, the Penguins have had a tsunami-like surge and could conceivably finish as high as 4th place in the east.  While we are doubtful that the Penguins will be able unseat the gritty Philadelphia Flyers for a home-ice advantage, the Penguins chances of finishing the season in 5th – 8th playoff postion are very good;  the Penguins would have to stumble significantly in the final 7-games to drop out of playoff contention.  With that in mind, Penguins fans like myself are looking at the potential first round playoff matchups for the ideal foe.  I have taken a look at a number of factors that are influencing my thoughts of late and thought I would share them with you. 

Momentum, the Mighty Mo’:  I am a firm believer that you have to have momentum going into the playoffs to be successful.  You can’t limp into the post-season and expect your fate to change overnight once you get there.  We can get a pretty good assessment of momentum by looking at a teams’ last 20-games.  The Penguins, having gone 14-3-3 and won 70% of their last 20-games, have developed the most momentum down the stretch of any team in the East.  While the current top-4 teams in the East have all had great overall seasons, what kind of momentum are they bringing as we head down the final stretch into the playoffs? 

• Boston:  7-9-4, or 0.35 winning percentage
• New Jersey:  13-6-1, or 0.65 winning percentage
• Washington:  11-7-2, or 0.55 winning percentage
• Philadelphia:  12-7-1, or 0.60 winning percentage

As a result of their late season slump, the once unstoppable Boston Bruins are carrying the least momentum heading into the playoffs.  With nearly a week’s rest on their side since their last game, the Bruins will be looking to turn that momentum around in their final 9-games.  One team not currently in the top-4 that we should all keep an eye on, however,  is the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Canes are riding a 5-game winning streak and have gone 14-4-2 in their last 20-games, practically matching the Penguins.  The Hurricanes could end up overtaking the Flyers for a home ice position, and a Penguins-Hurricanes matchup in the first round is still in the realm of the possible. 

Playoff-Experienced Goaltending:  Great goaltending is a “must have” for the playoffs.  Most teams that make it into a top-4 playoff position have done so with great goaltending on their side.  As we all know, playoff hockey is much more intense than regular season hockey and the pressure affects players differently.  That is why you hear the term “playoff proven” used to signify players that have been able to maintain their high performance levels in competitive post season play.  As with any player, the pressure cooker environment of playoff hockey can take the luster off from a goaltenders’ regular season shine.  That is why having a playoff-experienced and proven goaltender is so important.  So how do the current top-4 teams stack up in terms of playoff-experienced goaltending?

• Boston:  Fernandez/Thomas combined have 1,001 playoff minutes and 6-8 record
• New Jersey:  Brodeur/Weeks combined have 10,987 playoff minutes and 98-77 record
• Washington:  Theodore/Johnson combined have 3,390 playoff minutes and 24-32 record
• Philadelphia:  Biron/Nittymaki combined have 1,110 minutes and 9-8 record

While Boston’s Tim Thomas leads all NHL goaltenders in regular season Save Percentage (0.931) and Goals Against Average (2.11), the 34-year old 5-year veteran of the NHL lacks playoff experience.  Will he be able to continue his level of performance in the pressure cooker of post season play?  While I don’t discount what he has been able to do in the regular season, his lack of playoff experience could be a risk for the slumping Bruins.  Similarly, Philadelphia lacks significant playoff experience in net.  The Washington Capitals have more playoff experience in Jose Theodore and Brent Johnson.  However, the surging New Jersey Devils’ Martin Broduer brings the most to the table in terms of playoff-experience and should be the most feared goaltender in the Eastern Conference playoffs.  The Penguins combination of Fleury and Garon bring 1,550 minutes of playoff experience and a 15-10 record, with Garon having only 12 minutes of playoff time.  As we saw last season, Marc-Andre Fleury can be lethal when he is on his game, and his play of late suggests that he is getting in the groove at the right time, just as he did before last season’s amazing run through the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Goal Differential, Offensive/Defensive Strength:  A complete team is one that combines both a strong offense and a tight defense.  If you have too much of one and not enough of the other, the imbalance can be a team’s undoing.  A good measure for evaluating a team’s combined offensive/defensive strength is to look at their goal differential, or their goals for (GF) versus their goals against (GA).  A larger goal differential demonstrates a better combined offensive/defensive strength for a team.   The following is the offensive/defensive strength of each of the current top-4 teams as demonstrated over their last 20-games. 

• Boston:  58 GF – 54 GA = +4 Goal Differential
• New Jersey:  59 GF – 50GA = +9 Goal Differential
• Washington:  59 GF – 61GA = -2 Goal Differential
• Philadelphia:  64 GF – 52GA = +12 Goal Differential

While Boston has the NHL’s most impressive goal differential over the entire season (+72), over the past 20-games the Bruins have faltered and rank 3rd amongst the current top 4.  The Philadelphia Flyers lead the pack with +12 differential in the last 20-games.  Washington has struggled the most amongst the top 4 with a -2 differential in their last 20-games.  By comparison, the Pittsburgh Penguins have 68 GF and 54 GA for a +14 Goal Differential over their last 20-games, which is better than any of the top-4 teams in the East over that timeframe.

Summary:  While I have not addressed special teams, my early assessment is that a matchup against the Boston Bruins or the Washington Capitals would be more favorable to the Penguins in terms of being able to take advantage of momentum, goaltending experience, and goal differential over the last 20-games.  It is those same factors that would make a match up against the New Jersey Devils less favorable, while the Philadlphia Flyers momentum and goal differential make them less favorable, as well. 

In terms of exciting rivalries, a Penguins/Flyers matchup never disappoints and a Penguins/Capitals matchup would be a close second!  Let’s hold on for the next couple of weeks and see where it all ends up! 

 

 

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Penguins Drop to Devils in Overtime

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave up a late 2-goal lead on Friday night against the New Jersey Devils to send it into overtime, before losing with 1-minute left in the extra frame.  The Penguins’ 2-goal lead was broken midway through the 3rd period after Petr Sykora took a double minor (hooking/unsportsmanlike), and the Devils converted just 4-seconds into the powerplay on a blast by Brendan Shanahan.  The Penguins hung on to cancel out the 2nd minor, but gave up the game tying goal with just 31-seconds to go in regulation as Jamie Langenbrunner beat Fleury to send it into overtime.   Marc-Andre Fleury was strong in net for the Penguins stopping 39-shots on goal, but had no chance on the OT game winner by Jamie Langenbrunner.  The Pittsburgh Penguins managed to grab a point out of the game, but really needed both as they continue their quest to claim a playoff seeding.

The Penguins got the early advantage in the game, despite being outshot 19-7 in the first period.  At 9:33 of the period, Max Talbot recorded his 6th goal of the season as he deflected a Ryan Whitney slapshot past Scott Clemmensen to make it 1-0.  Rob Scuderi picked up the other assist.  The goal came just after the killing off the second penalty of the period.  The Penguins pounced on that momentum and immediately cashed in by scoring 20-seconds later on the next shift.  This time it was Sidney Crosby taking an excellent pass from Evgeni Malkin and sending a stifling backhand shot past Clemmensen to make it 2-0.  Petr Sykora also assisted on the play.  At 11:21, the Devils fought back with a sneaky goal by Bobby Holik that quickly found its way between the pads of Marc-Andre Fleury to make it 2-1.  The Penguins went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the powerplay in the first.

The second period was marked by a much tighter defensive style with the Devils outshooting the Penguins 7-6, but neither team managed to get on the scoresheet.  The Penguins went 0-for-2 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill in the period, and managed to take a 2-1 lead into the 3rd. 

In the 3rd, the Penguins looked as if they got the insurance goal at 8:35.  In a tremendous defensive play along the boards, Sidney Crosby stopped the puck and moved it up to Evgeni Malkin who powered into the Devils zone and launched the puck past Clemmensen to trickle across the goal line.  The goal was Malkin’s 20th of the season, and 100th of his young career.  With the score 3-1, the Penguins tried to tighten up the defense to protect the lead.  At 11:55, however, Petr Sykora took a hooking penalty near the Penguins’ blue line, and then must have said something that angered the referee who slapped Sykie with the extra 2-minutes for unsportsmanlike.  The Devils immediately pounced on the opportunity as Brendan Shanahan collected the puck off from the ensuing face-off and launched it past Fleury just 4-seconds into the powerplay to make it a 1-goal game.  The Penguins defense redoubled their efforts after the goal and managed to kill-off the back half of Sykora’s double-minor, but it now became a much different game.  With just 31-seconds left in regulation and Clemmensen pulled from the net in favor of the extra attacker, Jamie Langenbrunner threw a backhander from the side of the net that deflected off from the skate of Ryan Whitney and past Fleury to tie the game.  The Penguins then missed on a 2-on-1 scoring opportunity in the final seconds of the game to send it into overtime tied at 3-3.  The Devils again peppered the Penguins goaltender in the 3rd period as they outshot them 13-3. 

In the overtime frame, it appeared as if the Penguins might be able to hold on for the shootout, but a late barrage and offensive zone pressure by the Devils paid off with the game winner.  Skating out from the right boards, Travis Zajac fed a cross-ice pass to Jamie Langenbrunner who unleashed a quick shot that caught goalie Marc Andre Fleury out of position. It was Langenbrunner’s 14th goal of the season and second overtime winner in two games, as he had the OT winner against Boston on Thursday night. 

 

• PHOTOS:  Game Photos
• Game Rosters
• Game Summary
• Boxscore
• Shots Summary
• Faceoff Summary
• Pittsburgh TOI Report

The Penguins head to Toronto on Saturday where they will face off against the Maple Leafs and look to get one back in the winning column.

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Fleury Stands Tall in Net, Penguins Prep for Habs

The Pittsburgh Penguins found a way to win a tough post-Christmas road game in New Jersey on Friday night as Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 37-shots to post his first shutout of the season.  Ruslan Fedotenko got the lone Penguins’ goal on a feed by Evgeni Malkin.  The goal was Fedotenko’s 9th of the season, while Malkin picked up his league leading 44th-assist and 59th point.  Malkin has established an 11-point lead in assists and 12-point lead in points and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.  The Penguins will be back in Pittsburgh tonight as they host the Montreal Canadiens at Mellon Arena.  Last night’s win put the Penguins a point ahead of New Jersey, while a regulation win tonight would put the Penguins 2-points ahead of Montreal.  The Penguins will be looking to build momentum for home-and-home games against the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins on Tuesday and Thursday.

Rob Rossi’s Trib Total Media Minute

Coach Therrien Game Day Interview

Hal Gill Game Day Interview

Paul Bissonnette Game Day Interview

Sidney Crosby Game Day Interview

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Pens Look to Conquer Their Demons (and the Devils)

The Pittsburgh Penguins hit the road on Wednesday night eager to put their struggles behind them as they head to New Jersey thirsty for a win against the Devils.  After a tremendous start, the Penguins (15-8-4) have struggled in their last 8-games, posting a 3-4-1 record.  The Devils, on the other hand, have lost just once in their last 8-games in a 4-1 defeat to the Penguins.  Against the Devils, the Penguins are 1-0-1 on the season and 5-0-1 in their last 6-matchups. 

The Penguins have struggled to find consistency lately and have been riddled with injuries, particularly in their defensive lineup.  Normally feared for their unstoppable powerplay, a double threat powerplay unit that includes the NHL’s top-2 scorers in Crosby and Malkin, the Penguins are simply middle of the pack so far this season on the man advantage.  In the 4-3 loss to Buffalo on Monday night, the Penguins went just 1-for-8 on the man advantage, including three 5-on-3 scenarios.  On the injured list are 4 of the Penguins’ top defensemen.  Having started the season without their top-2 defensemen in Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, the Penguins made a move to bring in Philippe Boucher in trade for Darryl Sydor.  However, Boucher’s services have been lost for the past several games due to an unspecified injury.  More recently, the physical presence of Hal Gill has been sidelined for 2-4 weeks with a shoulder injury.  This has increased the burden on the young Penguins’ defense as Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, and now call-up Ben Lovejoy are being called upon to rapidly develop their defensive skills.  In addition to the defensive challenges, the Penguins have been playing without the services of #1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as he has been sidelined for several games with an unspecified injury.  Fortunately for the Penguins, backup netminder Dany Sabourin has played very well and posted a 2.13 Goals Against Average and a 0.923 save percentage. 

Adding to the Penguins injury woes is a lack of offensive consistency on the wings.  After starting the season on fire, Miroslav Satan has posted just 2-goals in his last 14-games.  Peter Sykora and Pascal Dupuis have also struggled.  Sykora has just 4-goals in his last 14-games and Dupuis has just 1-goal in his last 18.  Coming off from a 2-goal performance, Ruslan Fedotenko could be starting to develop some chemistry on the Malkin line with 3-goals in his last 3-games, but he has totaled just 5 across his last 14-games.  After a brief period of productivity, Max Talbot has also dried up with no goals in his last 12-games.    Fireplug Tyler Kennedy is out of the lineup with an injury which has led to a round of call-ups.   

New Jersey suffered a huge blow in early November when franchise goaltender Martin Brodeur’s was sidelined until at least March 09 for elbow surgery.  Before Brodeur’s early exit to the injured reserve list, he led his Devils to a 6-2-2 record.  With Brodeur out of the lineup, the Devils struggled mightily as they dropped 5 of the first 6-games without him.  But the Devils have since found what it takes to win without Martin Brodeur in the lineup as they have gone on a 7-1-0 tear in their last 8-games.  The Devils have cashed in on their tight defensive play and the stonewall backstop of Scott Clemensen.  Clemensen has posted a 6-3-0 record this season with 2.32 goals-against average and 0.922 save percentage.  “He’s having an opportunity to play on a regular basis, which has obviously helped him.  He played very well in the American League last year, when he was playing.  It’s a combination of all those things.  He’s a confident person, he’s very calm.  He doesn’t get rattled very much,” noted Devils’ coach Brett Sutter. 

The Penguins will have their work cut out for them as they face off against the red hot Devils.  Unless the Penguins can get some jump out of their wingers and crisp outlet passes by their defensive corps, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin alone will be hard pressed to break through the stifling New Jersey defense.  Pittsburgh has been frustrated by teams that employ the trap, and the New Jersey Devils are masters at that tight defensive system.  Unless the Penguins can find a way to get through the neutral zone, expect that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be hemmed in all evening.  Because of the tight defensive game that the Devils play, the Penguins will need to keep their feet moving to try and draw penalties and then find ways to convert on their powerplay chances.  With the New Jersey penalty kill falling in the bottom 5 of the NHL, it could be the deciding factor for the Penguins and an opportunity to get their special teams back on track.  When all is said and done, I think we can expect a low-scoring, defensive juggernaut between these two teams. 

What better way for Satan to dump his scoring funk than to find a way to beat the devils.

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Sidney Crosby Hat Trick Bedevils New Jersey

The Pittsburgh Penguins bounced back from Friday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres by posting a 4-1 win against division rival New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.  Team Captain Sidney Crosby netted 4-points (3G, 1A) and proved that he is returning to form by scoring his second career hat trick, his first on home ice.  In the last few games, Sidney Crosby has been playing with the fire and intensity that hasn’t been evident since before he went down last season with the high ankle sprain.  In the words of Devil’s goaltender Scott Clemmenson, Crosby is an elite player who is “scary good” when he outworks everyone on the ice.  Crosby has exploded for 9-points (6G, 3A) in his last 3-outings, and is ranked 2nd in the league with 34-points (13G, 21A) behind Evgeni Malkin who has 39-points (10G, 29A).  Improving their record to 14-6-3, the Penguins are in 5th place in the league with 31-points. 

In the 1st, it took just a little over a minute for the Penguins to get on the board.  AFter splitting the defense, Sidney Crosby eluded a poke-check and backhanded the puck through the Devils’ netminder Clemmenson to take the 1-0 lead.  “The guy never gives up on the play, that’s for sure,” Clemmensen said after the game.  Miroslav Satan and Hal Gill picked up the assists on Crosby’s goal.  The Penguins went on to outshoot the Devils 16-12 in the first period, but went 0-for-2 on the powerplay.  They managed to kill off penalties to Petr Sykora (high stick) and Mark Eaton (holding). 

In the 2nd period, the Penguins finally managed to convert on a powerplay opportunity at 12:34.  After keeping the puck in at the blueline, Evgeni Malkin moved the puck up to Tyler Kennedy who made a tremendous blind pass between his legs to Sidney Crosby.  Crosby dished a pass over the sticks of 2 New Jersey defenders onto the tape of Petr Sykora who was posted on the empty side of the net.  Sykora popped the puck into the net, beating Clemmenson.  Then at 11:29 while skating 4-on-4, Evgeni Malkin blocked a cross-ice pass in front of the Devils’ net and then in a diving play poked the puck to Sidney Crosby on of the side of the net.  Crosby stopped the puck with the back of his stick, moved it to his forehand and chipped it into the net to make it 3-0.  The Penguins again outshot the Devils 12-8, were 1-for-2 on the power play, and 1-for-1 on the kill. 

In the 3rd period, the Devils picked up their game and tried to put pressure on the Penguins.  With the Penguins a bit sloppy in their own end, Mike Rupp took advantage of Rob Scuderi’s mishandling of the puck in front of his own net and laced into the corner of the net, beating Dany Sabourin.  Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta had the assists.  But that was all that the Devils were able to get past Dany Sabourin.  With Clemmonson pulled early for the extra attacker, Sidney Crosby again split the defense and fell to the ice while getting hooked from behind as he steamed towards the empty net.  He still managed to use on hand on his stick as he was sliding down the ice on his stomach to redirect the puck into the empty net for the Hat Trick and the final 4-1 tally.  It was one of the more spectacular empty net goals I have seen.  “It’s nice to do it at home,” Crosby said after the game. “It’s something that you don’t know when it’s going to happen again, so it’s nice.”  Evgeni Malkin and Mike Zigomanis had the assists on the play.  The Penguins were outshot 10-7 in the final frame. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Crosby Post-Game
• VIDEO:  Sabourin Post-Game
• VIDEO:  Orpik Post-Game
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Penguins Hotline Show
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• Game Rosters
• Game Summary
• Boxscore
• Shots Summary
• Face-off Comparison
• Penguins Ice Time Report

Tyler Kennedy led all players with 7-shots on net.  Sidney Crosby had 6-shots on goal and netted 4-points (3G, 1A).  Petr Sykora had 5-shots on net and 1-goal.  Evgeni Malkin picked up 2 more assists and had 4-shots on net.  Dany Sabourin stopped 29-of-30 shots for an impressive performance with a 0.967 save percentage.  Evgeni Malkin led with 22:54 of ice time across 23 shifts.  Sidney Crosby had 20:14 in ice time and 23 shifts.  Kris Letang led all defensemen with 21:53.  Mike Zigomanis was once again impressive in the faceoff circle winning 11 of 14 for 79% effectiveness.  Pascale Dupuis was a healthy scratch, while Phillipe Boucher and Marc-Andre Fleury were out with injury. 

The Penguins will take a few days off before hitting a 3-game road trip with back to back games against the New York Rangers on Wednesday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, before heading to Ottawa to take on the Senators on Saturday.

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Fleury Helps Steal a Point in Dismal Opener

The Pittsburgh Penguins came out blazing early in the first period and then utterly collapsed with the exception of goaltending through the following two periods plus overtime.  The New Jersey Devils peppered the Penguins with 49 shots on goal, while the Penguins managed just 15 of their own, 8 of which were in the first period.  Marc-Andre Fleury was on fire for the Penguins, and was solely responsible for the point that the Penguins managed to get in the 2-1 overtime loss to the Devils.  Extremely efficient in net, Fleury was pitching a shutout until the Devils got a lucky bounce of the puck off from Hal Gill’s skate and into the Penguins’ net. 

In the first period, things were looking up as the Penguins powerplay connected on their first man advantage of the night.  Miroslav Satan scored his first goal in a Penguin uniform on the powerplay as he collected a rebound and put it past Martin Brodeur to make it 1-0.  The Penguins cracked their powerplay woes by putting Evgeni Malkin and his blistering shot at the blueline in the place of a missing Sergei Gonchar.  Malkin unleashed a heavy shot through traffic that resulted in a scrum near the paint that Satan converted on.  Along with Malkin, Jordan Staal was credited with an assist on the play.  Eric Godard and Mike Rupp went for a dance early in the period that ended without too much action.  At the end of the period, Patrick Elias was given a roughing minor for some after the buzzer action near the Penguins net.  The Penguins were outshot 10-8 in the 1st period, but were 1-for-2 on the powerplay and had no penalty kill time.  The Penguins looked aggressive in the first and did a tremendous job of moving the puck up the ice.

Despite getting the early power play in the 2nd, the Penguins came out extremely flat and gave the Devils a chance to find their offensive game.  At 6:42, Hal Gill and David Clarkson squared off and walked away with fighting majors.  Despite being vastly outsized, Clarkson held his own with neither side really getting in any significant licks.  The Devils proceeded to outshoot the Penguins 15-4 in the 2nd period team, dominating the play and taking the Penguins largely out of the game.  The Penguins finished the period 0-for-1 on the powerplay and 2-for-2 on the Penalty Kill. 

Through the third period and despite the Penguins horrendous play, Marc-Andre Fleury continued to be very strong in net and it looked as if they might steal a win.  However, at 17:31 Patrick Elias centered a puck from the sideboards that deflected off from Hal Gill’s skate and into the far side of the net past Fleury.  The goal was unassisted.  Although it was a lucky bounce, it was a reward for the Devils hard work through the 2nd and 3rd periods.  The Penguins hung on by a thread in the 3rd period as the Devils outshot them by a punishing 20-2.  The Penguins did manage to kill off 2-penalties in the 3rd, but were afforded no powerplay opportunities. 

In the overtime period, it looked as if the Penguins might get a chance to redeem themselves in a shootout.  However, with 38 seconds left in overtime and the Penguins working a 3-on-2 break, Travis Zajac came up with the puck and made a long lead pass to Zach Parise, who streaked down the left-wing boards and beat Fleury for the game winner.  The Devils outshot the Penguins 4-1 in the OT period. 

• VIDEO:  Postgame Press Conference (Therrien)
• VIDEO:  Postgame Interview (Fleury)
• VIDEO:  Postgame Interview (Satan)
• VIDEO:  Postgame Interview (Crosby)
• PHOTOS:  Game Photos
• Game Summary
• Boxscore/Player Stats
• Play-by-Play

The only other side note to tonight’s game was the fact that Darryl Sydor played left wing on the 4th line as Michel Therrien played Gill, Eaton, Orpik, Scuderi, Letang and Goligoski on Defense.  The Penguins will get a couple days off to recoup before taking on the Philadelphia Flyers at Mellon Arena on Tuesday night.

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Penguins Shutout Devils, Clinch Playoff Spot

The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled to New Jersey and shutout the Devils 2-0 on Tuesday night to clinch a spot in the playoffs and extend their lead over the New Jersey Devils for the Atlantic Division title to 4-points.  The Devils have a game in hand against the Penguins.  The Penguins are just 1-point behind the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference lead with 5-games remaining for both teams.  Marc-Andre Fleury was 1st star of the game as he stopped all 31-shots, including 16 in the final period, for his 4th shutout of the season and 11th of his career.

In the 1st period, the Penguins took advantage of a Patrik Elias interference penalty to make it 1-0.  Ryan Malone beat Martin Brodeur with a quick release as Brodeur pushed off from the post to notch his 27th goal of the season.  Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney picked up the assists on the play.  The Penguins were outshot 9-7 in the period, were 1-for-1 on the man advantage and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. 

The 2nd period started out with 2-minutes of 4-on-4 as Brooks Orpik and Dainus Zubrus picked up coincidental cross-checking minors at the 20-minute mark of the 1st period.  The only other infraction called in the peirod was at 15:26 when Ryan Malone took a tripping penalty.  The Penguins managed to kill off the penalty and keep the game at 1-0 through 2-periods, and outshot the Devils 7-6 in the period.  It looked as if the Devils tied it midway through the period on a goal by Sheldon Brookbank, but the goal was waived off by the officials as incidental contact by Arron Asham prevented Marc-Andre Fleury from making a play on the shot.  The Devils’ bench argued the call, but the replay confirmed that the referee had made the right call. 

In the 3rd, the Devils poured on the pressure and outshot the Penguins 16-6.  Marc-Andre Fleury was equal to the task, however, as he turned aside every shot, including a few excellent chances.  Both teams were 0-for-1 on the powerplay as Geroges Laraque took a tripping call and the Devils took a bench minor for too many men on the ice.  In the end, the Penguins capitalized on the empty net as Marian Hossa put up his 28th of the season to put the game out of reach at 19:18.  Marc-Andre Fleury held on for the shutout despite being peppered with shots. 

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

Evgeni Malkin failed to record a point, but was part of the play on the Malone goal.  Alexander Ovechkin picked up a point in Carolina tonight to extend his NHL scoring lead to 5-points over Malkin.  The Penguins played yet another game without Sidney Crosby as he remained sidelined with remnants of the high ankle sprain.  The Penguins expect him back soon, however.  Red hot Pascal Dupuis has missed the last 2-games to be with his family as his wife has just given birth to a new daughter. 

The win gave the Penguins the advantage in the season series against the Devils and guarantees that the Penguins will win a tie-breaker should both teams end the season with an equal number of points and wins.  The Penguins head back to Pittsburgh to host the New York Islanders on Thursday night and then the New York Rangers on Sunday.  The Penguins will be looking for a better performance against the New York Islanders than they put forth on Monday night.  The Islanders, out of a playoff spot, are playing for pride and could spoil the Penguins’ ambitions for Division and Conference titles. 

Penguins Explode in 3rd, Bury Devils 7-1

The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for 5-goals in the 3rd period to bury the New Jersey Devils 7-1 and take over 1st place in the Atlantic Division.  Evgeni Malkin broke the 100-point mark as he picked up 3-points (2G, 1A) to pull back within 4-points (102) of Alexander Ovechkin (106) for the NHL scoring lead.  Ryan Malone had 2-points (2G), Marian Hossa had 3-points (3A), Pascal Dupuis had 2-points (1G, 1A), Petr Sykora had 3-points (1G, 2A), and Sergei Gonchar had 2-points (2A).  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 24-of-25 shots to notch a win against the Devils.  The Penguins trail the Montreal Canadiens by 1-point for the Eastern Conference lead, but have a game in hand against the Habs. 

In the 1st period, Jarkko Ruutu put the Penguins on the board first at 1:30 as he scored his 5th goal of the season, and 3rd goal in his last 3-games.  Marian Hossa and Darryl Sydor picked up the assists.  At 9:04, the Devils got the equalizer as Brian Gionta beat Marc-Andre Fleury on a short-handed opportunity to make it 1-1.  John Madden picked up the lone assist.  The Devils outshot the Penguins 13-8 in the first.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty and were 0-for-2 on the powerplay, but did give up the short-hander.  

In the 2nd period, Ryan Malone put the Penguins back in the lead as he took a beautiful feed from Pascal Dupuis and beat Martin Brodeur with a short-handed goal of their own.  Brooks Orpik picked up the other assist.  Both teams picked up 7-shots in the period.  The Penguins were 0-for-1 on the power play and successfully killed off 2-penalties as they picked up a short-handed goal.

In the 3rd period, the Penguins put the hurt on the Devils by scoring 5-goals.  The Penguins chased Martin Brodeur from the net after scoring 2-goals on 4-shots in the 3rd before peppering back-up goaltender Kevin Weekes and scoring 3-goals on 9-shots.  The first goal came on the powerplay at 3:00 as Ryan Malone deflected a Sergei Gonchar blast to score his 26th of the season and 2nd of the night.  Marian Hossa got the other assist.  Less than 2-minutes later, Pascal Dupuis got his 12th goal of the season as he sent Martin Brodeur to an early shower.  Marian Hossa got his 3rd assist and Sergei Gonchar got his 2nd assist of the night.  Then at 8:24, Evgeni Malkin scored his 43rd goal of the season and notched his 100th point and beat Kevin Weekes on the man-advantage.  Kris Letang and Petr Sykora assisted on the play.  Then at 11:21, Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora connected as Malkin beat Weekes again to make it 6-1.  But Sykora and Malkin weren’t done with Weekes as Petr Sykora took a Malkin feed at 18:18 to put an exclamation point on the Penguins offensive explosion.  Ryan Whitney was credited with the other assist.  The Penguins outshot the Devils 13-5 in the 3rd and were 2-for-3 on the power play, despite failing to score on a 5-minute boarding major to Travis Zajac after he pummeled Sergei Gonchar head first into the boards. 

• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Locker Room Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-GamePhotos
• 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 travel to New York to take on the Islanders on Monday night before reuniting with the Devils for a rematch in New Jersey on Tuesday night. 

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