A Date with Destiny

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Tags: AHL, Alex Goligoski, Alexander Ovechkin, Bill Guerin, Brooks Orpik, Chris Kunitz, Craig Adams, Dan Bylsma, Detroit Red Wings, Eric Goddard, Eric Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Gary Roberts, Hal Gill, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury, Marian Hossa, Mark Eaton, Mark Madden, Matt Cooke, Maxime Talbot, Mike Zigomanis, Miroslav Satan, Pascal Depuis, Paul Bissonnette, Petr Sykora, Philippe Boucher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ray Shero, Rob Scuderi, Ruslan Fedotenko, Ryan Malone, Sergei Gonchar, Stanley Cup Finals 2008, Stanley Cup Finals 2009, Sudney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy

Manhandled!! Pens Sweep Series 4-0

May 27, 2009 by Chaiwoman
Filed under Analysis, Features, Highlights, News, Opinion

They got it done.

The Pittsburgh Penguins did it differently this year in many ways, including allowing themselves to touch the Prince of Wales Cup.

So did Mario Lemieux all those years ago–twice–and they went on to win the big one–Lord Stanley’s Cup.

The Penguins bought into a system and a new coach’s philosophy and with each win, that buy-in rooted deeper into the soul of the team. The Carolina Hurricanes played with a lot of heart and a lot of tenacity, but the Penguins also kept coming like any one of the Terminator movies. It was at once an awesome and frightening thing to behold.

Tuesday night’s game in Raleigh, NC showed the almost bottomless depth of the Penguins and their newfound love of the road, destroying the spirit of opponents on their ice. Malkin and Crosby were double- and at times triple-teamed, and still, scoring came in the forms of Ruslan Fedotenko, Maxime Talbot, Bill Guerin, and Craig Adams. Talbot and Adams both proved that no goal is an ugly goal, and every shot is an opportunity to score. This particular game was frenetic in its pace and bone-crunching in its physicality end to end.

Series Notables that Will Serve Well in the Stanley Cup Finals

Solid goal-tending–Netminder Marc-Andre Fleury played his most complete game in this series, making the key saves he needed to make, managing the puck well, and staying sharp in his positioning in front of the net. However, he came up big in each of the four games.
Scoring from 10 of their 18 position players (sans goalies)–Goal contributions came from Malkin (6); Crosby (4); Guerin, Fedotenko, Talbot, and Adams (2 each); and Kunitz, Kennedy, Satan, and Boucher (1 each). It’s hard to account for so many potential scorers, and while the defensive scoring was not as high as it was in earlier series, it exists and could rear up again in the finals.
Defensemen in on the offense–Pens’ blueliners accounted for 24% of the shots on net, led by Kris Letang who had 11, followed by Hall Gill (6), and Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik (5 shots each).
Defense with the reflexes–Like a well-oiled machine, the Pens’ blueliners have become sharper and quicker with their feet and with their sticks. None has shined better in the latter category than Rob Scuderi whose poke-checking has been like a hot poker, serving to frustrate rushes into the Pens’ defensive zone. Whether it’s six defensemen or seven in the line-up, these guys work so fluidly in tandem that one would swear they are psychic. This kind of teamwork in the defensive zone makes for a very secure and composed Marc-Andre Fleury, and such sympatico will be critical in the final series.

Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker

Despite Eric Staal’s best efforts, “little” brother Jordan (all 6′4″, 220 pounds of him) was equally a man possessed, matching Eric’s intensity and surpassing it, attempting to hit everything in sight with a Hurricane logo. Jordan was not without his own scoring opportunities, having had two good chances and a handful of scrums in front of a nervous Cam Ward–just to keep it interesting. Eric was fast and wily, managing the Hurricanes’ lone goal early on a thread-the-needle kind of stuff of the puck between Fleury’s skate and the post on a wrap-around.

For the final time of the season, here’s how the Brothers Staal shaped up in Game 4:

Goals/Assists/Points–Jordan (0/0/0), Eric (1/0/1)
Plus/Minus–Jordan (even), Eric (-1)
Total Ice Time–Jordan (19:33), Eric (22:30)
Shifts–Jordan (24), Eric (30)
Average–Jordan (:48 per shift), Eric (:45 per shift)
Shots–Jordan (2), Eric (5)
Hits–Jordan (5), Eric (0)–Jordan combined with Chris Kunitz (5 hits) and Brooks Orpik (4) hits for a total of 14 of the team’s 25 hits on the night (56%).
Giveaways–Jordan (0), Eric (0)
Takeaways–Jordan (1), Eric (1)
Blocked Shots–Jordan (1), Eric (0)
Faceoffs Won/Lost/%–Jordan (6/6/50%), Eric (13/10/57%)

Rumor has it that if the Chicago Blackhawks go gentle into that good night on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, the Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 could start as early as Saturday, May 30.

The “Date with Destiny” draws closer.

Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins

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Tags: Bill Guerin, Brooks Orpik, Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Chris Kunitz, Craig Adams, Detroit Red Wings, Eastern Conference Finals, Eric Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Game 4, Hal Gill, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mario Lemieux, Maxime Talbot, Miroslav Satan, Philippe Boucher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Prince of Wales Cup, Rob Scuderi, Ruslan Fedotenko, Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby, The Stanley Cup, Tyler Kennedy

Git ‘er Done

May 26, 2009 by Chaiwoman
Filed under Analysis, Features, Highlights, News, Opinion

By all accounts, no matter what Pittsburgh Penguin is interviewed, the message is the same: focus on the game at hand, play the right way, and get it done tonight. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Pens and the Carolina Hurricanes, the Penguins know that the ‘Canes have battled adversity and won before, and they have the potential to do it again tonight.

Here’s Why: Game 3

The stats show that the two teams were fairly evenly matched, except in a few categories:

Shots–Pens (40), ‘Canes (34)
Takeaways–Pens (9), ‘Canes (9)
Faceoffs Won–Pens (28), ‘Canes (30)
Faceoffs Lost–Pens (30), ‘Canes (28)

Paul Maurice, coach of the ‘Canes, noted in his press conference that 41 of their shots were either attempts that were blocked or missed shots. They simply were not getting through. Eric Staal and Ray Whitney have been kept fairly quiet, and for the most part, the Penguins have methodically forced play to the boards, limiting good open ice chances. In addition, the Pens’ forecheck has become so aggressive that it forces ‘Canes defenders to back deep into their defensive zone, leaving little visibility for netminder Cam Ward who is rumored to be playing hurt. Coach Maurice downplayed it reminding inquiring minds that at this time of year, everyone plays a little hurt.

Where the Pens had the edge was in their shot distribution through periods (16/15/9) versus the ‘Canes distribution (8/8/18), showing the machine-gun work of the Pens in the first 2 periods that got them the lead they needed while keep the ‘Canes shots in the single digits. it also showed the ‘Canes 3rd period desperation as they tried to rally something.

A surprising statistic is in the Hits department where the ‘Canes dominated, laying on 40 hits to the Penguins’ 24. Erik Cole led the way with 7 hits, followed by Patrick Eaves and Dennis Seidenberg with 5 each. Matt Cooke took first place honors with 5 hits, followed by Philippe Boucher and Ruslan Fedotenko with 3 each; another 6 Penguins put in their two hits’ worth. Another critical factor is that the Penguins’ power play continues to improve as they scored on two of four man-advantage opportunities for 50% in the game, scoring twice on four shots.

Brothers’ Keeper: The Staal Tracker

The brothers Staal continue to fight to cancel each other out, and the effect is more devastating on the ‘Canes side because Eric is relied on as a more offensively-minded forward whereas Jordan is a shut-down forward, and he is shutting it down.

Goals/Assists/Points–Jordan (0/0/0), Eric (0/0/0)
Plus/Minus–Jordan (-2), Eric (-3)
Total Ice Time–Jordan (18:10), Eric (22:17)
Shifts–Jordan (25), Eric (31)
Average–Jordan (:43 per shift), Eric (:43 per shift)
Shots–Jordan (3), Eric (6)
Hits–Jordan (2), Eric (2)
Giveaways–Jordan (0), Eric (1)
Takeaways–Jordan (0), Eric (1)
Blocked Shots–Jordan (0), Eric (1)
Faceoffs Won/Lost/FO%–Jordan (6/7 for 46%), Eric (5/13 for 28%)

The Hurricanes will muster up every last ounce of will and determination to make this a knock down, drag out fight. The Penguins have to keep to their game plan, which they are getting better and better at doing, and as Brooks Orpik said, the Pens can’t let the ‘Canes get back into this series because a win will give them something to build on.

That being said, they need to “git ‘er done.”

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Tags: Brooks Orpik, Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes, Dennis Seidenberg, Eastern Conference Finals, Eric Staal, Erik Cole, Game 3, Game 4, Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke, Patrick Eaves, Paul Maurice, Philippe Boucher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ray Whitney, Ruslan Fedotenko

One in the Can: Pens 3 – ‘Canes 2

May 19, 2009 by Chaiwoman
Filed under Analysis, Features, Highlights, News, Opinion

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.

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Tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Brooks Orpik, Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes, Eastern Conference Finals, Eric Cole, Eric Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Game 1, Game 2, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, Miroslav Satan, Philadelphia Flyers, Philippe Boucher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup, Washington Capitals

The Hockey Gods Must Be Crazy

May 12, 2009 by Chaiwoman
Filed under Analysis, Features, Highlights, News, Opinion

Like gambling junkies sitting at the one-armed bandits in Vegas, the Hockey Gods simply had to go just one more time. They were unable to let the arguably frenetic series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals end in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

If Game 5 had been weird enough as Tom Poti watched helplessly, his defensive effort going wrong, netting the OT game-winner in favor of the Penguins, it got weirder still in Game 6 as Maxime Talbot’s stick had an untimely breakdown, and he watched helplessly as David Steckel’s shot in overtime netted the game-winner for the Capitals.

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.

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Tags: Alex Goligoski, Alexander Ovechkin, Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, Craig Adams, Dan Bylsma, David Steckel, Eastern Conference Semifinals, Evgeni Malkin, Game 5, Game 6, Game 7, Hockey Gods, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Madden, Matt Cooke, Maxime Talbot, Miroslav Satan, Pascal Depuis, Philippe Boucher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Rob Rossi, Ruslan Fedotenko, Ryan Malone, Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby, Simeon Varlamov, Tom Poti, Tyler Kennedy, Washington Capitals

Malkin and Fleury Shine in 6-3 Win Over Thrashers

December 19, 2008 by Paul
Filed under Features, Highlights, News

The Pittsburgh Penguins returned from a 4-day layoff to beat the Atlanta Thrashers 6-3 as they were powered by the offensive prowess of Evgeni Malkin and the excellent netminding of Marc-Andre Fleury. Malkin picked up 4-points (2G, 2A) to continue his dominating lead in the league scoring race, while Fleury made several highlight reel saves as he stopped 28-of-31 shots in his first action since November 15th. Malkin’s 4-point night gives him 53-points (14G, 39A) in 31-games, or 1.71 points per game, putting him on pace for a 140-point season. He is 7-points ahead of Sidney Crosby who is 2nd in the scoring race, and 10-points ahead of 3rd place Alexander Ovechkin. Despite beating a team near the bottom of the league standings, the Penguins relished the much needed win after losing 4 of their last 5 games. Although the win was decisive on the scoreboard, the Penguins were outshot 31-20 in the game and were a bit sloppy in their own end as they gave up 7 turnovers. Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding in net and showed no signs of the groin injury that has kept him out of the lineup for over a month.

In the 1st period, the Penguins hopped out to a quick lead as they scored at 5:32. Taking advantage of a Thrashers’ player who broke his stick on a shot, the Penguins moved the puck quickly out of their zone and up the ice. Jordan Staal moved the puck to call-up Tim Wallace who found Matt Cooke streaking toward the blueline with a nice cross ice pass. Cooke protected the puck as he skated into the Thrashers’ zone and let a quick snap shot that beat Ondrej Pavelec on the short side. Then at 9:40, Evgeni Malkin embarrassed Todd White as he just walked right through him by the side of the goal to put the puck into the empty side of the net. Petr Sykora assisted on Malkin’s 13th goal of the season to make it 2-0. At 19:21, however, the Thrashers cut the lead in half as Marty Reasoner was credited with a goal that caromed recklessly off from sticks and bodies to beat Fleury. Ilya Kovalchuk and Chris Thorburn were credited with the assists that made it 2-1 after one. A scuffle in front of the net ensued after the goal as Brooks Orpik and Sidney Crosby roughed it up with Boris Valabik, who had fallen awkwardly onto Orpik’s leg during the play. The 2-on-1 scuffle led to a pair of penalties to the Penguins to send them into the 2nd period shorthanded. The Penguins were outshot 9-6 in the period and were 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. Despite being outshot, Marc-Andre Fleury made a number of beautiful saves including a great glove save on Colby Armstrong to keep the Thrashers in check.

In the 2nd, the Penguins managed to kill off the carryover penalties to Orpik and Crosby before getting a man advantage of their own just 3-minutes into the period, thanks to a holding call on Joseph Crabb. The Penguins needed just 31-seconds on the powerplay to score on a blast by Evgeni Malkin that appeared to deflect into the net off from Jordan Staal’s leg to make it 3-1. The powerplay goal was originally given to Malkin, but then later changed to Staal with assists by Malkin and Crosby. Then at 4:27, former Penguin Colby Armstrong got called for high sticking Evgeni Malkin. Although it appeared that Malkin showed the referee that there was some blood, Armstrong was assessed a 2-minute minor. With a little over 30-seconds left on the powerplay, Miroslav Satan found himself all alone in front of goaltender Pavelec and on the receiving end of a beautiful centering pass by Jeff Taffe. Satan moved the puck to his backhand and easily beat the netminder to make it 4-1. Ruslan Fedotenko picked up the other assist on the poweplay goal. At 7:32, with Mark Eaton in the penalty box for hooking, the Thrashers again cut the lead in half as Bryan Little wristed a shot past Fleury to make it 4-2. Todd White and Vyacheslav Kozlov made the assists on the powerplay goal. However, just 32-seconds later, the Penguins stole it back on a blistering slapshot by Philippe Boucher to make it 5-2. Evgeni Malkin picked up his league leading 39th assist on the play along with Petr Sykora. The goal ended up chasing Pavelec out of the net in favor of former Penguin netminder Johan Hedberg. The Penguins ended the period being outshot by the Thrashers 10-9, were 2-for-3 on the powerplay and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill. Fleury was again fabulous in net and made a beautiful kick save and glove save on Eric Perrin with 7:07 left in the period.

Into the 3rd period, the Penguins had to hold off a surging Atlanta Thrashers team as they were outshot 12-5 in the final frame. The Thrashers came within 2-goals of the Penguins after Miroslav Satan errantly passed the puck to Colby Armstrong loitering all alone in the Penguins zone at 14:55. Armstrong picked his spot and beat his former teammate Fleury with a slapper to make it 5-3. But that was the closest they would come as Fleury went on to shut things down despite seeing plenty of rubber in the period. Late in the period, the Thrashers pulled Hedberg out for the extra attacker but were unable to get one by the Penguins. With 27-seconds left on the clock, Rob Scuderi moved the puck to Sidney Crosby up the wall who had the chance to put the puck into the empty net, but dished off to Evgeni Malkin instead who easily skated it into the open goal mouth to make it 6-3. Scuderi and Crosby picked up the assists on the final tally of the game.

Evgeni Malkin picked up 4-points (2G, 2A), while Jordan Staal (1G, 1A), Sidney Crosby (2A) and Petr Sykora (2A) each had 2-points. Matt Cooke (1G), Miroslav Satan (1G), Philippe Boucher (1G), Tim Wallace (1A), Ruslan Fedotenko (1A), Jeff Taffe (1A) and Rob Scuderi (1A) all contributed with a point. Petr Sykora led the team with 4-shots on net, while Evgeni Malkin and AHL call-up Ryan Stone each had 3-shots. Jordan Staal (13/22) led all Penguins with a 59% faceoff win percentage, but collectively the team was outplayed in the faceoff circle winning only 44% of the draws. The Penguins out-hit the Thrashers 23-17. Evgeni Malkin led all players with 24:23 of ice time and Rob Scuderi led all Defensemen with 24:00 in ice time. The active Penguins defense blocked 15-shots on net.

The Penguins return to Mellon Arena on Saturday night where they will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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Tags: Atlanta Thrashers, Evgeni Malkin, Game Recap, Highlights, Jeff Taffe, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, Matt Cooke, Miroslav Satan, Petr Sykora, Philippe Boucher, Photos, Pittsburgh Penguins, Rob Scuderi, Ruslan Fedotenko, Sidney Crosby, Tim Wallace, Video

Dupuis and Sykie Both Get Tricky as Pens Blowout Isles 9-2

December 12, 2008 by Paul
Filed under Features, Highlights, News

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The Pittsburgh Penguins exploded for 9 goals on Thursday night as they buried the troubled New York Islanders 9-2 at Mellon Arena. Petr Sykora netted his first career hat trick after going 44 multi-goal games without one, the longest such streak in NHL history. Pascal Dupuis also cashed in on his first career hat trick, uncorking his dry spell to double his season total in just one game. Philippe Boucher, playing in his first game after missing 6 to injury, also scored for the Penguins as did Evgeni Malkin and Miroslav Satan. In all, 9-Penguins players had a multi-point night and the team collectively had a +25 rating. John Curry had another good night in net as he stopped 24 of 26 for a 0.923 save percentage.

In the 1st period, the Penguins jumped to a decisive lead as they outshot the Islanders 19-5 and outscored them 4-1 on the board. Pascal Dupuis kicked it off with his 4th goal of the season after taking a cross-ice pass from Miroslav Satan and getting off a hard blast from the top of the circle that trickled through Islanders’ netminder Joey MacDonald. Sidney Crosby followed the puck into the net for good measure. Miroslav Satan and Rob Scuderi picked up the assists on the goal at 6:25. The Islanders then got into severe penalty trouble as they took 4 sequential penalties, 3 coming in a span of less than 2-minutes to set up some 5-on-3 time for the Penguins. Playing with a 2-man advantage at 13:49, Miroslav Satan collected a cross-crease pass from Sidney Crosby and quickly moved it to his forehand to wrist it into the net to make it 2-0. Matt Cooke joined Crosby on the assist. Then at 16:54, Matt Cooke went off for a tripping call and the Islanders converted on a hard slap shot by Mark Streit through traffic. Doug Weight and Trent Hunter collected the assists on the powerplay goal. The Penguins bounced back just 11-seconds later as Petr Sykora collected a cross ice pass from Evgeni Malkin and blasted a slapper past MacDonald to make it 3-1. Ruslan Fedotenko combined with Malkin on the assists. Then at 18:19, Philippe Boucher scored his first goal as a Pittsburgh Penguin as he launched a slapshot through traffic from near the blueline that deflected off from an Islanders defender. Sidney Crosby and Miroslav Satan picked up assists on the Boucher goal. The Penguins outshot the Islanders 19-5 in the period, went 1-for-4 on the powerplay and 0-for-1 on the kill.

In the 2nd period, the Islanders started with Yann Danis in goal to replace Joey MacDonald, but he too would would soon fall prey to the hungry Penguins. At 2:12, Evgeni Malkin fed Alex Goligoski who fired a hard wrister and then Evgeni collected the juicy rebound and beat Danis from the side of the net to make it 5-1. Petr Sykora joined Goligoski on the assist as Malkin collected his 12th goal of the season. The Penguins kept rolling after Bill Guerin took a slashing penalty at 7:07, as Petr Sykora took a feed from Alex Goligoski and wristed a shot past Danis from between the circles to make it 6-1. Max Talbot collected the other assist on Sykora’s powerplay goal. Then, a few minutes later it appeared that Petr Sykora had finally scored the elusive first hat trick after 44 multi-point games as the puck was clearly poked into the net before the whistle sounded. However, the referee waved it off saying he had lost sight of it and was preparing to blow the whistle before the puck went in. The video replay showed that had it counted, it was probably scored by Ruslan Fedotenko. After receiving some condolences from his teammates, Sykora finally picked up his first career hat trick on the powerplay at 15:42 as he wristed the puck into the net from between the circles again on a laser pass from Sidney Crosby to make it 7-1. Jordan Staal joined Sidney Crosby on the assist. At 19:29, an ever-hungry Pascal Dupuis picked up his 2nd goal of the night as he came streaking into the zone late and took a beautiful wrap pass from Jordan Staal and drove it into the net. Rob Scuderi picked up the other assist as the Penguins finished the 2nd period leading 8-1. The Penguins outshot the Islanders 14-10 in the 2nd and were 2-for-4 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the kill.

In the 3rd period, the Penguins had to be careful as the Islanders started to get a bit chippy with the game fully out of reach. At 11:33, Evgeni Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko got into a scuffle with Andy Hilbert and they all sat 2-minutes for roughing with the Islanders getting the benefit of a powerplay. At 12:55, however, Doug Weight got called for hooking to even the advantage for some 4-on-4 play. The Islanders finally found some offense with the open ice at 13:06 as Andy Sutton found a way to beat John Curry to make it 8-2. But it was far too little, and far too late for the Islanders. At 16:48, Pascal Dupuis took a beautiful feed from Matt Cooke and drove home his 3rd goal of the night to join Petr Sykora for his first career hat trick. Brooks Orpik joined Matt Cooke on the assist, and the Penguins won the game 9-2 amid the crowd chanting “We Want 10, We Want 10!”. It was an electric night at the Mellon Arena! The Islanders ended up outshooting the Penguins in the final frame 11-5,

VIDEO: Game Highlights
VIDEO: Coach Therrien Post-Game Press Conference
VIDEO: Petr Sykora Post-Game
VIDEO: Sidney Crosby Post-Game
VIDEO: Pascal Dupuis Post-Game
VIDEO: John Curry Post-Game
AUDIO: Mike Lange Highlights
PHOTOS: In-Game Photos
Game Rosters
Game Summary
Boxscore
Shots Summary
Faceoff Summary
Penguins Ice-Time Report

Petr Sykora picked up 4-points (3G, 1A), while Pascal Dupuis (3G), Miroslav Satan (1G, 2A) and Sidney Crosby (3A) all had a 3-point night. Evgeni Malkin (1G, 1A), Matt Cooke (2), Alex Goligoski (2A), Jordan Staal (2A) and Rob Scuderi (2A) all had 2-points. Philippe Boucher (1G), Max Talbot (1A), Brooks Orpik (1A) and Ruslan Fedotenko (1A) each collected a point and rounded out the 13-Penguins players to find their way on to the scoresheet. Pascal Dupuis led the game with 6-shots on net, while Petr Sykora, Kris Letang, Miroslav Satan and Sidney Crosby each had 5. Evgeni Malkin fired 4 on net. Tim Wallace and Mark Eaton each connected for 3-hits. Kris Letand led all Penguins with 23:53 in ice time, while Sidney Crosby led all forwards with 21:33.

The Penguins head to Philadelphia on Saturday for a 1PM matinee game. The Flyers posted a 6-5 come from behind victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night after falling behind 5-1.

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Tags: Alex Goligoski, Brooks Orpik, Evgeni Malkin, Game Recap, Hat Trick, Highlights, John Curry, Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke, Max Talbot, Miroslav Satan, New York Islanders, Pascal Dupuis, Petr Sykora, Philippe Boucher, Pictures, Pittsburgh Penguins, Rob Scuderi, Ruslan Fedotenko, Sidney Crosby, Video

Penguins Come Up Short in Buffalo

November 29, 2008 by Paul
Filed under Highlights, News

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave up 2-goals in the 3rd period and posted none of their own as they lost to the Buffalo Sabres on the road on Friday night 4-3. John Curry’s first start in goal for the Penguins didn’t go the way he wanted it, despite a couple of spectacular saves late in the game. He ended up stopping 28-of-32 shots for a 0.875 save percentage. But don’t pin the blame on Curry. The Penguins’ defense failed to keep the front of the net cleared, and most of the Sabres’ goals came from the traffic in close. The Penguins faltering power play resulted in numerous missed opportunities as they went 0-for-7 on the night.

The Penguins were first to get on the scoreboard at 10:29 of the 1st period as Tyler Kennedy took a cross crease pass from Matt Cooke and popped it into the net. Rob Scuderi picked up the other assist. The goal was Kennedy’s 6th on the season and it was Cooke’s 7th assist. Less than a minute later, however, the Sabres tied it up at 1-1 as Drew Stafford wristed a puck past John Curry. Maxim Afinogenov and Jaroslav Spacek picked p the assists on the play. The Penguins went 0-for-3 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the kill as they outshot the Sabres 12-11.

In the 2nd period, the Penguins’ defense took a blow when Philippe Boucher left the game after one shift due to an unsepcified injury. He didn’t return. The Buffalo Sabres took the lead at 12:21 as they scored on the power play while Brooks Orpik sat for an interference call. Paul Gaustad picked up his first goal of the season on the tip-in, with assists from Drew Stafford and Mark Mancari to make it 2-1. Just 34-seconds later, however, Sidney Crosby tied it back up at 2-2 as he collected a rebound off from Evgeni Malkin’s shot and whacked the puck out of mid-air and into the net. Then at 19:04, Evgeni Malkin created a Buffalo turnover and sent Sidney Crosby streaking in on net. Crosby faked a slapper and then snapped the puck into the far side of the net, beating Ryan Miller to give the Penguins a 3-2 advantage. Evgeni Malkin provided the lone assist on both of Crosby’s goals. The 2nd period was the Penguins best offensive effort of the game as they outshot the Sabres 15-11, but the power play again came up empty on 4 attempts. The Penguins penalty kill was 1-for-2.

In the final period, the Penguins offense withered as they only managed to get off 3-shots on net while the Sabres fired 10-shots and connected for 2 goals. The Sabres tied the game just 3:11 into the third on Drew Stafford’s second goal of the game. Off the rush, Stafford redirected Thomas Vanek’s pass to beat Curry on the open side. Then at 16:36, Paul Gaustad redirected a Jason Pominville pass by Curry to put Buffalo ahead for good. There were no penalties called in the 3rd period.

Sidney Crosby picked up 2-goals and led the team in shots with 5. Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy each posted 4-shots, while Evgeni Malkin only had 1 shot on the evening. Evgeni Malkin did pick up 2 more assists to boost his NHL-leading points total to 37. He is 7-points ahead of #2 Alexander Ovechkin (30) and leads the league with 27 assists, 5 ahead of Boston’s Marc Savard. In the faceoff circle, Tyler Kennedy was 2/2 (100%), Max Talbot was 4/5 (80%) and Mike Zigomanis was 7/12 (58%). Ruslan Fedotenko and Mark Eaton were healthy scratches. WBS call-up Janne Pesonen skated 6:02 and had no shots on goal. Sidney Crosby led all players in ice time with 24:29, with Evgeni Malkin second at 23:25. Kris Letang led all defensemen with 23:14.

The loss was just the Penguins’ 2nd regulation loss in November. They return to Mellon Arena on Saturday to take on the New Jersey Devils.

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Tags: Buffalo Sabres, Evgeni Malkin, Game Recap, Highlights, Injury, John Curry, Matt Cooke, Philippe Boucher, Photos, Pittsburgh Penguins, Rob Scuderi, Sidney Crosby, Tyler Kennedy, Video

Injured Fleury Will Miss Wild Game, Listed Day-to-Day

November 17, 2008 by Paul
Filed under Analysis, News

Marc-Andre Fleury was injured late in Saturday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres and will not play on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild. The undisclosed injury was characterized by Michel Therrien on Monday as “not a major injury”. Therrien went on to state that they didn’t want to take any risks. Fleury is listed as day-to-day. If he isn’t healthy enough to backup Dany Sabourin on Tuesday night then they will recall a goalie from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The most likely candidate would be John Curry who has played 8-games for the AHL Penguins this season.

In other news, newly acquired Defenseman Philippe Boucher joined the Penguins’ practice on Monday. The veteran skated with several different defensive partners during the course of the practice session. At 35 years old, Boucher is now the oldest Penguin in the locker room with 723 career NHL games and 14 seasons under his belt. Boucher will join Kris Letang as the only right-handed defensemen to play on the Penguins blue line. “We have another right-handed (shooting) defenseman; they’re very rare in the NHL,” Therrien said. “Two years ago he was one of the best defensemen in the league. (He’s) gonna help the power play. He’s good on both sides of the ice. I believe it’s a good addition to the club.”

Philippe Boucher Post-Practice Interview

Michel Therrien Post-Practice Interview

Sidney Crosby Post-Practice Interview

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Tags: Marc-Andre Fleury, Michel Therrien, Philippe Boucher, Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby, Video

Penguins Send Sydor to Dallas for Boucher

November 16, 2008 by Paul
Filed under Analysis, News

The Pittsburgh Penguins officially announced this morning that they have traded defenseman Darryl Sydor to the Dallas Stars in return for right-handed defenseman Philippe Boucher. We added a “shout out” about the pending trade here late last night after the game but wanted to wait until it was officially announced by the team before posting the news. We see this as a very good move by Ray Shero to obtain a quality, experienced defenseman with no additional impact on the salary cap, and with the potential upside that Boucher could provide while Gonchar and Whitney are sidelined.

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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