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A Date with Destiny

Hearken back…

Stanley Cup Finals (2008)…

The Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves like Cinderella at the ball, in the Stanley Cup Finals facing the storied and formidable Detroit Red Wings. For me, it might as well have been USA versus USSR in the 1980 Olympics, it was that gut-wrenching.

We all felt the overwhelming crush of the first game and then the second when our boys found themselves slapped around the ice much like they were in the first round against the Senators the previous season. We stood behind them, willing them to fight to stay alive, and out of sheer will they scratched and clawed to make it a brave game.

We stayed up through the multiple overtime sets when Petr Sykora joked during an intermission that he’d score the sudden-death game-winner–and did.

Maybe, like me, you were one of the ones who got an interesting e-mail the next day from a friend with a doctored photo of Babe Ruth calling his shot superimposed by Petr Sykora at the plate, signaling with  his hockey stick. It was inspiring.

Our boys had a chance.

Back in the ‘burgh, home ice, for Game 6 and a chance to even the series at 3 apiece. I never felt sicker than when that final horn blared the death knell of one hell of a season. It was hard to watch them, stunned, drained, shredded, slumped on the ice, backs against the boards. An epic denouement. Lord Stanley’s Cup was in our house but not in our hands. The photo of Evgeni Malkin standing alone near the Stanley Cup Finals ice stamp was a haunting and compelling image. The scene as all those whited-out Penguins faithful, with class, stayed and stood for the victor as the Red Wings relished in holding the Cup. We felt the sting as if we had been in those skates and sweaters, too.

And we vowed we’d be back.

Stanley Cup Finals (2009)

The path this year began in a high-powered, promising way with one of the best starts in franchise history, and then like that, the bottom fell out. Through 82 games of soul-searching, fumbling, struggling, but never saying die, they pulled themselves up by their skate laces. If nothing else can be said about this team (from the first to last guy), it is one seriously cohesive unit.

In the face of critics and nay-sayers and hand-wringers, they have managed to let it all roll off of broad, matured shoulders. Old souls in young bodies.

They had to earn their way into a playoff spot–unlike last season where they shot to second seed in the conference and home ice.

They had to fight and rally through two physically demanding rounds–unlike last season where they sailed through the first three rounds.

They have progressed steadily but quickly under Dan Bylsma who has shown his ability to read his players individually and collectively, leaving them confident and well-prepared–unlike last season when they didn’t really know any better and really hadn’t an idea just what THAT level of hockey was all about. Detroit was only too happy to initiate them and maybe to their own present and future peril.

At last season’s end, fans and pundits worried out loud about the loss of Hossa, Roberts, and Malone, but as Mark Madden pointed out in his radio talk show on Friday, if Hossa stayed, we might be looking at key players with much shorter contracts and the possibility of Malkin going to another team.

Instead, the loss has paid dividends thanks to Ray Shero’s shrewd dealing:

• To join Sidney Crosby (who when his contract was due took less to make room to keep others in the future), contracts of 4 or more years for Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury completed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, giving the Pens a solid corps, and defensive insurance in Brooks Orpik.
• Add to that the late season acquisitions of Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, and Craig Adams.
• What you find is depth from 1st line to last, especially as the prodigal son Miroslav Satan arose from AHL purgatory to show some of his best work all season in the playoffs.

Let’s not forget that every guy who played this year contributed mightily whether for every game or for a short stint.

• When Gonchar was down, Goligosky answered the bell. Philippe Boucher continues to sniper with a Howitzer.
• Cooke and Kennedy meshed with Jordan Staal to become one of the best shut-down third lines that could generate a spark with their grinding cycle work.
• Max Talbot and Pascal Depuis played anywhere they could be of service, getting time on every one of the four lines and contributing mightily in penalty-kill situations. An unfortunate injury sidelined Mike Zogomanis, but when healthy, he is one of the deadliest in the face-off circle.
• Eric Goddard and Paul Bissonnette enforced when it was needed, but they made skilled contributions as well.
• Ruslan Fedotenko has come on to be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and worked throughout the season to try to keep the team sparked and competitive.
• Kris Letang has grown in confidence and skill. He is fearless, and not to be outdone is Mark Eaton whose defensive skill has also morphed into an offensive threat.
• Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill have developed into a strong defensive pairing, facing the likes of Ovechkin and Eric Staal with little difficulty.

It’s scary just how calm and loose this year’s Pittsburgh Penguins team really is. And maybe it’s a little maddening for the reporters who try to get some juicy tidbit out of them in interviews. In the hopes of a spark, they ask about the re-match, feelings about Hossa, the adversity, back-to-back games or too much time between games, and always, they are left a little diappointed. 

These players are even keeled, unflappable, and take it all in stride. It’s good to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. They don’t think too much about the rivalry or how Hossa left. The adversity has made them stronger, and they know what they can do and the kind of character that’s in the locker room. Each knows he has a specific role to play and plays it with 110% intensity, stressing time and again the need to “play the right way.” Back-to-backs are the nature of the beast. They faced many during the regular season, faced them in the playoffs already. Not a big deal. And too much time? They’re glad it’s not a 10-day lay-off because, well, they’d rather be playing hockey.

They are a better, healthier, and more psychologically ready team than the Penguins of 2008, but they needed the early play-off spanking in 2007 to prepare them for the 2008 run, and they needed the 2008 finals defeat to prepare them for this run.

Yeah, that’s still hard to say (as a fan), but if we are going to be honest with ourselves as the Penguins have been with themselves, then we have to agree. This is going to be one hell of a series.

The Hockey Gods Must Be Crazy

In my short blogging career, I’ve refrained from writing in 1st person, but on Game 7 Eve, I find myself feeling the pull of the fan side of me just as much as the analyst side. Driving in my car after work today, I knew hell had frozen over and pigs were flying because, for once, I was in complete agreement with both local sports commentators, Mark Madden and Rob Rossi, as they talked over the impending Game 7 on Madden’s radio show.

Here’s what made sense:

• Rossi–The key to the game is TRUST. The Penguins have to trust in themselves, trust in the system, and trust in the coaches. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be a monster in this game. While he has been criticized for the occasional soft goal, when going over his body of work, especially in big do-or-die situations, he rises to the occasion and gets it done just about every time. This will be such an occasion. He also has the ability to bounce back big after less-than-stellar performances.
• Madden–Chris Kunitz is not making the impact that he needs to and that he was brought onto the team for as one of Sidney Crosby’s wingers. While the hits have been spectacular, he often puts himself out of position–such a situation led to a Caps goal in Game 6. Jordan Staal is a big body that could more than adequately fill a Ryan Malone role; he needs to believe that and start utilizing his size and strength in front of Caps goalie Varlamov–a lot.
• Madden’s Line-up

Fedotenko–Crosby–Malkin

Kunitz–Staal–Guerin

Kennedy–Talbot–Cooke

Adams–Satan

The Malkin-Crosby pairing makes sense in that Ovechkin would eventually be overwhelmed trying to go head-to-head in a line against them. Malkin and Fedotenko can both handle Sid’s passes, which can be key in front of the net on tip-ins and weird bounces. Vice-versa, Sid’s no slouch in front of the net either as he’s proven in this series. Fedotenko has the hot hand right now, and this threesome could make for a pretty formidable line.

Staal centering Guerin and Kunitz is also a good choice. When Kunitz first arrived, Sid was out hurt, so he was put on a second line centered by Staal while Malkin centered the first line. Instantly, the chemistry was there and both Kunitz and Staal were very productive. That reunion could be the spark that gets Kunitz on the board–he’s due. Bill Guerin is another guy who knows how to play in front of the net and has shown some success doing that in the playoffs.

Talk about an energy line–Talbot centering, flanked by Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke is literally high-octane as all three are very similar in tenacity and style of play. Talbot has had a great series, and his efforts helped to spark Malkin. He has given 110% to the best of his ability. While Kennedy and Cooke have struggled, it is not out of the realm of possibility that one or both of these guys could figure in scoring in this game.

One change I would make, however, is to come back to four full lines of forwards rather than double-shifting one of the three centers with Adams and Satan. This would require reactivating Pascal Depuis, another hardworking energy guy, and having to go back to six defensemen. Craig Adams has had a solid series, playing a physical role and working hard on the boards. Miroslav Satan had his best two games of the entire season in 5 & 6, adding a rarely seen physical element to his repertoire.

It involves making a choice between the veteran Philippe Boucher with his explosive slapshot and the young Alex Goligoski’s offensively-minded defensive playing style. In agreement with Madden, running seven defensemen throws off the forwards’ rotation cycles and was the cause of a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, something the Penguins rarely did all year. That’s a penalty that can be ill-afforded in a series like this where one mistake can literally cost a team the game, and in this game’s case–the series.

Coach Dan Bylsma’s decision to use seven defensemen was a necessity. The team was in a back-to-back game situation, and the fact that Sergei Gonchar was lost so early in the previous night’s contest, caused Bylsma to have to roll his remaining five defensemen for a ton of minutes. They needed the burden of the next night to be shared in order to regain their own legs, particularly in the event of a Game 7 situation. It would not hurt to resume the make-up of 12 forwards and 6 defense.

Rob Rossi believes this team will win Game 7, that they have another level in them, and it is true. They need to stick to their plan and play for 60 minutes. The 2nd period has been make-or-break for them, and they are well aware of it. If they keep their shifts to 40-45 seconds instead of 1:05 or more, they will be able to sustain their energy and their tempo because when they play at that level, they dominate.

No time like the present.

Penguins Limp Towards Free Agency

With just a few days to go before the July 1st opening of the free agency market, the Penguins have so far failed to complete any of their post-season priorities.  It was no secret that the Penguins wanted to lock up a long-term deal with Marian Hossa, re-sign Brooks Orpik, and tender a trade prior to the draft to acquire a first round pick.  To help with the challenges, the Penguins filed for salary arbitration with Marc-Andre Fleury to buy some time on his contract talks to focus on getting the other deals done.  So far, the Penguins have nothing to show for their efforts aside from some public rejections from the players involved. 

Ray Shero and his team spent much of their pre-draft time and effort drawing up a long term deal for Marian Hossa.  The offer tendered by the Penguins was rumored to be in the 7-year and $50M range.  With Hossa’s post-playoff comments that he would be willing to accept less money to play for a great team, it was widely believed that this was a signal of his intent to stay in Pittsburgh.  Last week, rumor had it that Hossa would sign a deal before last Saturday’s draft.  However, on draft day Hossa rejected the offer and informed Shero that he was going to test the free agency market, noting that the Penguins were still at the top of the list.  It seems an obvious negotiating tactic on behalf of Marian Hossa and his agent to let the free market pressure ensure that they get the best offer on the table before making a decision.  Ray Shero noted however that the offer may no longer be on the table after July 1st.  It seems a low risk proposition for a player that is sure to command matching or better offers outside of Pittsburgh.

During the Hossa negotiations, the Penguins were also shopping potential pre-draft trade deals to trade away the rights of pending free agents in return for a first or second round draft pick.  The most notable was a rumored deal with Columbus to move Ryan Malone for a 2nd round pick.  At the last minute, however, Ryan Malone stated his intent to test free agency and that he would not be talking to any teams prior to July 1st.  This slammed the door shut on the Penguins hopes to get something in return for the blossoming power forward.  It seemed a fitting gesture from the budding power forward and local hero after the Penguins’ management opted to not make Malone’s re-signing a priority for the team.   As a result, the Penguins were not able to better their position for the draft. 

The Penguins then put the focus on defenseman Brooks Orpik, with the intention of signing him before next week’s free agency deadline.  The Penguins tendered an undisclosed multi-year offer rumored to be in the $3M per year range,  Yestderday, Brooks Orpik and his agent turned down that offer.  Orpik didn’t indicate that he intended to test out free agency, leaving open the possibility that a new offer and deal could be struck before Tuesday. 

In other disheartening news, wiley veteran Gary Roberts has indicated through his agent that he is parting ways with the Penguins.  “He very much enjoyed his time there,” his agent said. “But he understands that Ray has a number of items on his agenda that would take priority.”  Roberts reportedly wants to continue his NHL career at least one more season.

In the only bit of good news from the last 2 weeeks, the NHL’s salary cap for next season was announced yesterday and it has grown by $6.4M over last season to $56.7M.  League commissioner Gary Bettman had previously expected a $3 million increase.  The higher cap gives team’s more bargaining ceiling should the team’s ownership be willing to foot the bill.  The Trib reports that the Penguins ownership is believed to be willing to spend up to the cap, even though it would likely mean operating at a loss for the next 2 seasons until the Penguins move into their new arena.  It will be interesting to see if this affects the on-going negotiations with Brooks Orpik and whether it creates an opportunity for revisiting the Hossa offer.  It could also affect the post-July 1st negotiations expected between the Penguins and Evgeni Malkin. 

On Tuesday, the free agency market will commence and the Penguins could find themselves having to re-wicker their priorities and objectives if they can’t land Marian Hossa and/or Brooks Orpik.  I am sure this is not the scenario that Ray Shero wanted to be in at this point, but realistically it is probably the scenario that he expected to be in.  You can’t blame a player for trying to maximize his earning potential.  All we can do as fans of the game is hope for the best and hope that the majority of this special group of players remain intact for another run at the cup in the coming season. 

Let’s Go Pens!

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Off-Season Contract Activities Heating Up

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a lot of work to do in the off-season to attempt to keep their core team together with the constraints of the salary cap as 12-players head to unrestricted free agency in a little over two weeks on July 1st.  This week, Ray Shero started to set the table by prioritizing the difficult task ahead of him. 

Shero made the first move on Friday by filing for salary arbitration for Marc-Andre Fleury with the National Hockey League.  The league-managed arbitration hearings take place July 20 to August 4.  This allows the Penguins to retain his rights past July 1st, when he would have become a restricted free agent, and grants them time continue to negotiate his contract.  Shero noted that filing for salary arbitration gives the Penguins the extra time to continue to negotiate a contract with Fleury.  “As a result of the filing, Penguins’ fans are assured that Marc-Andre will be under contract to our club for next season,” stated Shero.  “We remain committed to negotiating a contract with him in the near future.”

According to Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, various players, agents and team officials have indicated off the record that a long-term contract for Marian Hossa is the #1 priority being pursued by Penguins’ management.  Hossa’s value on the open market is expected to be above $8M per year, but he indicated at the end of the season that he was open to taking less salary for the opportunity to play on a good team.  The Penguins are reportedly looking at a long term deal worth less than the $8M+ that Hossa might be offered outside of Pittsburgh.  Rossi reports that the offer from Pittsburgh is likely to be worth nearly $50 million over seven years, which would be slightly more than his current $7M per year salary and less than he would likely command on the open market.  The Penguins will need a quick decision on Hossa, as the outcome will likely affect their ability to close on other unrestricted free agents, to include Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik.  If the Penguins can ink a deal with Hossa, it is likely that they will only be able to retain one of the two.  Both Orpik and Malone have increased their market value over the last season, and it would appear that there won’t be enough room payroll for all three players (Hossa, Orpik and Malone) without serious concessions by the players. 

Evgeni Malkin made several encouraging comments for Penguins fans on Thursday night as he stated that he expects to sign a 5 or 6 year deal soon.  The Penguins cannot sign a deal with Malkin until after July 1st due to league collective bargaining rules.  Malkin stated that he would accept an annual salary less than the $8.7 million that Crosby will get over the next 5 seasons.  Malkin, a league MVP finalist, was named to the NHL All-Star First Team after a pehenomenal season in Pittsburgh this year.  “I’m an easy guy to deal with. I’d love to stay in Pittsburgh.”  It is encouraging to note that the players want to stay in Pittsburgh, and it is a testament to the potential of the team, the management, and the chemistry that exists amongst this unique group of talented hockey players.

 

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Penguins Beat Detroit in Triple-Overtime Thriller!

With less than a minute to go in regulation, it looked like the Stanley Cup would be skated around the rink inside of Joe Louis Arena.  The Detroit Red Wings had posted a come from behind rally and scored 2-goals in the 3rd period to put them 1-goal ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2).  But with their goaltender pulled, the Penguins’ last gasp attempt at survival paid off as Max Talbot scored the game-tying goal with just 35-seconds left on the clock to force overtime.  Then Marc-Andre Fleury took over, stopping 24-shots through almost 50-minutes of overtime play to give his team the opportunity to win.  And win they did, after Petr Sykora clinched the game-winner, a powerplay goal at 9:57 of the third overtime!  In a game that had almost everything, including injuries to Sergei Gonchar (upper body) and Ryan Malone (slapshot to the face), the Penguins found a way to win.

Image details: Pittsburgh Penguins v Detroit Red Wings – Game Five served by picapp.com
The Penguins came out in the first period and surprised a nervous Red Wings team as they put up an early 2-goal lead.  The first goal game at 8:37 as Marian Hossa slung the puck inside of the far post and beat Chris Osgood.  Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis had the assists on Hossa’s goal, his 11th of the post-season.  Then at 14:41, Adam Hall was credited with an unassisted goal after a botched Red Wings clearing attempt by Niklas Kronwall put the puck into their own net. Since Hall was the last Penguin to touch the puck, he was given the goal.  Shots were 8-7 Detroit and the Penguins were 0-2 on the powerplay and 3-3 on the penalty kill.

In the 2nd period, the Red Wings drew within 1-goal as Darren Helm took a feed from Kirk Maltby and snapped off a shot that beat Marc-Andre Fleury.  With 2:50 left in the period, the Penguins suffered a huge blow when Sergei Gonchar went awkwardly into the end boards at high speed.  Gonchar left game for the rest of the period, but returned briefly in the 3rd before leaving again.  He ultimately returned to the ice in the 3rd OT period, and skated his first shift on the game-winning goal.  The Penguins had another setback with just 1:22 left in the period, as Ryan Malone took a puck to the face off from heavy slapshot by Hal Gill.  The shot hit Malone on his broken nose, and he immediately left the ice bleeding profusely.  He ultimately returned in the 3rd period looking fully playoff tested with a gashed and swollen face, and gauze packed in his nose.  Shots were 12-7 Detroit in the 2nd and both teams were 0-1 on the powerplay.

Onto the 3rd period where Detroit made a full court press to win the Stanley Cup, as they outshot the Penguins 14-4.  At 6:43, the Wings got the tying goal on the powerplay as Tyler Kennedy sat for hooking.  Pavel Datsyuk picked up his 10th goal on a tip-in that beat Marc-Andre Fleury five-hole.  Assists were credited to Henrik Zetterberg and Brian Rafalski.  Then at 9:23 with momentum clearly on their side, the Wings scored the go-ahead goal on a wrister by Brian Rafalski, from Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg.  From that point on, it looked as if the Red Wings would finish it off and win the Stanley Cup.  NBC had rolled video of the Cup being removed from its case and getting polished.  With just 40-seconds left, the desparate Penguins pulled Marc-Andre Fleury from the net and threw all they could at Osgood.  Just 5-seconds later while champagne bottles were being prepped in the Red Wings locker room, Max Talbot stopped the anticipated celebration by banging home a puck behind Osgood to tie it up.

During the first Overtime period, Marc-Andre Fleury put on a clinic by stopping all 13-shots by the Red Wings.  The Penguins offense was largely ineffective notching just 2-shots on goal, despite having a 2-minute powerplay on a questioned goaltender interference call on Henrik Zetterberg.  In the 2nd Overtime, the youth of the Penguins started to pay dividends as they matched the Red Wings skating game and took an 8-7 edge in shots.  Each team was assessed a minor penalty in the 2nd Overtime, but neither team could capitalize.  Then in the 3rd Overtime,  Jiri Hudler took a double-minor high sticking call after cutting the face of Rob Scuderi with the blade of his stick.  The Penguins responded by putting the injured Sergei Gonchar back on the ice, along with Malkin, Whitney, Sykora and Malone.  After being largely absent throughout the entire series, Evgeni Malkin made a beautiful pass to Petr Sykora in the high circle area and he put it in the net to end the game at 9:57.  Sergei Gonchar was also credited with an assist.

Image details: Pittsburgh Penguins v Detroit Red Wings – Game Five served by picapp.com

• VIDEO:  Game HIghlights
• VIDEO:  Coach Therrien Press Conference – 3 Jun
• VIDEO:  Post Game Press Conference
• VIDEO: Post Game Locker Room Report
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

The win could prove to be a momentum swing in this series that should have ended tonight for the Red Wings.  The Penguins found a way to get the tying goal in the waning moments of the game, and then battle through the adveristy of injuries and being outplayed in the 3rd period and first overtime to eventually win it after a prolonged battle on the Red Wings’ ice.  Marc-Andre Fleury proved phenomenal in goal by stopping 55-of-58 shots for a 0.948 save percentage.  Marian Hossa had another spectacular game, picking up 2-points (1G, 1A).  Sidney Crosby padded his league leading post-season points by netting 2-more points (2A).  The Penguins take the series back to Pittsburgh trailing 3-2 with a chance to tie it up on Wednesday night.

The Penguins return home to Pittsburgh for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night, where they will look to win 1-more on home ice to send the series back to Detroit for a deciding Game 7. 

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Stanley Cup Finals Preview – Penguins vs Red Wings

This is it!  The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals will commence Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena as the Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings.  Finishing #1 in the league during the regular season with 115 points, Detroit has the home ice advantage over the #4 Penguins, who finished with 102-points.  The Penguins advanced to the Cup Finals by sweeping the #13 Ottawa Senators, beating the #9 New York Rangers in 5-games, and dispatching the #11 Philadelphia Flyers in 5-games.  The Red Wings advanced by beating the #17 Nashville Predators in 6-games, sweeping the #10 Colorado Avalanche, and finishing off the #8 Dallas Stars in 6-games.  The Cup Finals promise to be a highly-skilled battle of youth versus experience between two-teams that haven’t met since the pre-season, and have never met in the post-season.  So how do these two teams match up?  Let’s take a look.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been virtually unstoppable in the playoffs having lost just 2-of-14 games.  The Penguins continue to excel on the play of their special teams, their defense and stellar netminding.  Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been phenomenal in net in the playoffs, leading the league with a 0.938 save percentage, a 0.857 win percentage, and 3 shutouts.  He is also 2nd in goals against average at 1.70 behind Detroit’s Chris Osgood (1.60).  The Penguins lead the league in post-season goals per game at 3.64, as well as goals-against per game at just 1.86, and own the best power play of all remaining teams at 24.6%, second only to Calgary who was sent golfing in round 1.  The Penguins’ penalty kill has been highly effective at 87.3%, and is tied with Detroit.  The Penguins have found balanced scoring across all 4-lines with all 13 forwards recording at least one goal, and all 19 players scoring at least one point in 14 playoff games.  The Penguins’ star players have lived up to their expectations as Sidney Crosby (4G, 17A) leads the league with 21-points, and Evgeni Malkin (9G, 10A) and Marian Hossa (9G, 10A) are not far behind with 19-points each.  Of late, JOrdan Staal has come alive and has 7-points (6G, 1A) in 14-games.  The only significant weakness that the Penguins have exhibited in the playoffs has been their performance in the face-off circle, where they trail the league at 46.7%.  It hasn’t burned them yet, as they have won 12 of their 14 games and have outscored their opponents convincingly 51-26.  They will now be facing off against a more evenly matched Detroit team, who is the league’s leader in the face-off circle at 55.7%.

The Detroit Red Wings dominated the league throughout the regular season and have carried that tradition forward into the post-season, dispatching their opponents by winning 12-of-16 games and outscoring them 55-31.  The Red Wings have gotten balanced contributions from their lineup with 8-players scoring 10-points or more in the post-season, including 3 defensemen.  Henrik Zetterburg (11G, 10A) is tied for the league lead with Sidney Crosby at 21-points and Pavel Datsyuk (9G, 10A) has also been hockey gold scoring 19-points.  Both players are Selke Trophy finalists for this season’s top NHL defensive forward.  In the post-season, Zetterberg is a +15 and Datyuk is a +12.  Johan Franzen who has missed 5-games with concussion-symptoms still leads the league with 12-goals and will be a force to be reckoned with upon his return.  He has been given the green light to return to practice, but is unlikely for game 1.  The Red Wings also have 5-time Norris Tropy winner and 2008 finalist Niklas Lidstrom, who is paired with Brian Rafalski for a potent defensive combination.  The Red Wings goaltending job was handed over to Chris Osgood after a 2-2 start by Dominik Hasek.  Osgood leads the league with 1.60 goals against average over 12 starts, has a tremendous 10-2 record, and has been a major component of the Red Wings’ post-season success.   

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This series will be a battle of size and youth against experience.  The average age of the Penguins is 4.4 years younger than the Detroit Red Wings.  But along with the durability of youth comes inexperience.  The Penguins roster contains just 3-Stanley Cup winners to include Gary Roberts (Calgary 88-89), Darryl Sydor (Dallas 98-99 and Tampa Bay 03-04) and Petr Sykora (New Jersey 99-00).  The Red Wings have 10 players who have hoisted the Cup, some of them multiple times, to include Chris Chelios (2x), Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper (3x), Dominik Hasek, Tomas Holmstrom (3x), Niklas Lidstrom (3x), Kirk Maltby (3x), Darren McCarty (3x), Chris Osgood (2x) and Brian Rafalski (2x).  One has to wonder which stokes the fire of desire more….knowing the exhiliration of having hoisted the Cup before, or the desire to achieve one’s dream for the first time?  In addition to youth and experience, size may well become a factor.  On average, the Penguins outweigh the Red Wings by 13lbs and are nearly 1 3/4″ taller.  Height and weight could be an advantage for the Penguins if the game gets physical.  It could also potentially be a liability in terms of speed and agility, however, I think the Penguins youth would likely trump any limitations there.  Both teams are replete with skilled players, however, the Penguins have the edge in potential with 13 former 1st round draft picks in the lineup.  The Red Wings, with no shortage of proven talent, are playing with 3 former first round picks.   

The keys to this series is likely to be all about defensive play and goaltending.  If Marc-Andre Fleury can continue to play with confidence of steel, the Red Wings could get frustrated and start to feel snake bit.  He will need the help of the Penguins defense, though, to keep the traffic in front of him down to a minimum.  They will need to prevent mad scrambles in front of the net, the only scenario where Fleury has shown any real signs of vulnerability in the post-season.  The Penguins offense will also have to be masters of the backcheck to try and create turnovers and odd man chances.  It seems unlikely that the Red Wings will be caught in many defensive lapses, however.  On the other end of the ice, the Penguins will have to find a way to penetrate the Red Wings’ stingey defense and then solve a red hot Chris Osgood.  The Penguins certainly have the firepower, skill and depth in Malkin, Crosby, Sykora, Malone and Hossa, but they have have to fight for every inch of ice against this defensively superior Red Wings team.  The Penguins will need Jordan Staal to continue his offensive surge of late to add pressure to the Detroit defense, and will also need strong contributions from the energy line with Laraque and Ruutu.  While the penalty kills are equally effective for both teams, the Penguins have a noticeable advantage on the powerplay (24.6% vs 21%).  The Penguins may have to rely on their special teams to help crack the defensive advantage of the Red Wings.  If the Penguins can use their speed and size to their advantage, they may be able to pull the Red Wings into penalty trouble and make them pay, although I will note that it would be uncharacteristic of the Red Wings to do so. 

In summary, I believe that the Penguins will face their toughest challenge of the year in the Detroit Red Wings.  They will need to find a way to put youth and size to their advantage by playing a physical game against the Red Wings to try and wear the “old guys” down and create opportunities.  They will need to find ways to break through the stifling defense of the Detroit Red Wings, put a lot of pressure on Chris Osgood, and hopefully put a dent in his confidence.  The Penguins underrated defense will have to continue to perform like they did in game 5 against the Flyers and find ways to stop Zetterberg and Datsyuk from getting quality opportunities on net. 

This series could go either way, and I fully expect it to go the distance and be an exciting series.  I believe that the skill levels and depth are fairly even, making it hard to see a clear advantage for either team.  As such, I don’t see either team scoring a blowout in any game.  However, with bias, I am going to choose youth and size as the discriminator and pick the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup in 7 hard fought games.

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Let’s Go Pens!

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Penguins Shutout Flyers 6-0 and Advance to Stanley Cup Finals!

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the 2008 Eastern Conference Champions after decisively beating the Philadelphia Flyers 6-0 in game 5 on Sunday.  The Penguins maintained their perfect post-season home record.  In fact, the Penguins have won their last 16 home games, a streak that has been intact since February 24th.  Marc-Andre Fluery posted his league-leading 3rd post-season shutout and Sidney Crosby added 2-assists to his point total to regain the league lead in playoff points (21).  The Penguins are advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992, and will play the winner of the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars Western Conference Championship Series.  If the Stars manage to beat the Red Wings, the Penguins will get home ice.  Otherwise, the first 2-games will be played in Detroit.

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In the 1st period, the Penguins jumped out to a quick lead on a power play goal at 2:30.  The Penguins took just 12-seconds to score after Mike Knuble took a hooking call, as Ryan Malone tipped in a shot from the point by Sidney Crosby.  Marian Hossa also assisted on the goal.  At 9:50, the Penguins made it 2-1 on an even strength  goal.  After battling with Ryan Malone behind his net, Martin Biron lost his stick and had to quickly move back into position.  With the play still developing behind the net, Evgeni Malkin managed to recover it and pull it back around on the short side and deflect it in off from Biron’s leg.  Ryan Malone picked up the lone assist.  The Penguins finished the period 1-for-2 on the power play and outshot the Flyers 10-5.  The Penguins killed off their only penalty, but Ryan Malone took a high-stick call at the 20-minute mark that carried over in full to the second period. 

The Penguins started the 2nd period by successfully killing off the Malone penalty before dominating the Flyers in every aspect of the game throug the remainder of the period.  After the penalty expired, the game momentum tilted permanently in the favor of the Penguins after Marc-Andre Fleury stopped back-to-back shots by Daniel Briere and Mike Richards.  Briere threw a hard shot on net that Fleury kicked out with his pads onto the stick of Richards.  Richards attempt was then stoned by another flash pf the pads by Fleury, before the puck was cleared out of danger by Sergei Gonchar.  At 8:24, Sidney Crosby showed how he can dominate at both ends of the ice.  With the Flyers charging into the Penguins zone, a back-checking Crosby picked the pocket of the Flyers offense and reversed the direction of the play.  He then raced to the other end of the ice and made a picture perfect pass from the boards onto the stick of Marian Hossa, who buried the puck behind Biron for his 9th goal of the playoffs.  Max Talbot picked up the other assist on the play.  Then while on the power play at 11:42, Ryan Malone scored his 2nd of the night to make it 4-0 as he deflected a Sergei Gonchar shot past Biron.  Marian Hossa also picked up an assist.  Then, with just 8-seconds left in the period, Jordan Staal scored his 3rd goal in 2-games as he collected a rebound in front of the net and threw it over Biron’s shoulder on the backhand.  Shots were 9-8 in the period in favor of the Penguins, who were 1-for-1 on the power play.

In the 3rd period, the Penguins continued to press the Flyers and never let off the gas.  At 4:03, the Penguins put the final nail in the Flyers’ season as Pascal Dupuis deflected a Marian Hossa shot past Biron to make it 6-0.  Brooks Orpik and Marian Hossa had the assists.  The Flyers outshot the Penguins 8-6 in the final frame, but failed to convert on the lone power play as Hal Gill sat for hooking.

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• VIDEO:  Game Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Michel Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game 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

Both Marian Hossa and Marc Andre Fleury have silenced their critics who said before these playoffs that they would not be able to deliver the goods.  Quite the contrary.  Marc-Andre Fleury has posted a 12-2 record with 3-shutouts along the way.  He leads the remaining goaltenders with a 0.935 save percentage, second only to Dan Ellis of Nashville (0.938).  He has given up just 1.83 goals per game, second only to Chris Osgood who has a 1.65 GAA in 2-fewer games played.  What is more impressive is that he has been able to register this performance after a lengthy layoff during the regular season due to a high ankle injury.  As for Marian Hossa, he has put up 19-points (9G, 10A) in 14-games this post-season and he looks like he is just starting to blossom.  One might forget that he is playing on a line that had barely played together before the start of the playoffs due to injuries to both himself and Sidney Crosby. 

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Despite the critics, the entire Penguins team has excelled.  Their big players have played big in the playoffs and their often-criticized defense has shown just how under-rated they have been.  It is for these reasons that the Penguins find themselves with the best record in these playoffs having lost only 2-games, and the most shutouts at 3.  They are also the only team that remains unbeaten on their own ice in these playoffs.  It is certainly impressive and fun to watch this young group of talented players achieve so much as a team, so soon. 

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Penguins Take Game 3, Sweep in Sight

The Pittsburgh Penguins moved one game closer to a sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night as they won Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals by a score of 4-1.  Marian Hossa continued to prove his playoff worth by scoring his 7th and 8th post-season goals, including the game winner.  Sidney Crosby picked up 2-assists to move into first place in the post-season points race.  Marc-Andre Fleury extended his record to 11-1 as he stopped 17-of-18 shots for a 0.944 save percentage on the night.  With the win, the Penguins become the 4th team in NHL history to win 11 of their first 12 playoff games.  The last team to do so was the 1983 Edmonton Oilers.

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In the 1st period, the Penguins dashed the Flyers hopes early as they jumped out to a two goal lead on goals by Ryan Whitney and Marian Hossa.  At 5:03 with 30-seconds remaining on a Derian Hatcher hooking penalty, Ryan Whitney attempted a cross-crease pass to Sidney Crosby who was waiting at the far post.  The puck hit a Flyers defenseman instead and deflected into the net on the nearside as Martin Biron slid across the crease to thwart Crosby.  Sidney Crosby and Sergei Gonchar were credited with the assists on Whitney’s first goal of the post-season.  At 7:41, Marian Hossa made a beautiful move at the blueline to get around one defenseman and then shot the puck on net between the legs of the next defenseman.  The shot beat a surprised Biron who looked like he was anticipating a pass from Hossa to Crosby.  Sidney Crosby was credited with the lone assist.  At 10:59, the Flyers drew within 1-goal as R.J. Umberger picked up a rebound of off the post on a wrap-around attempt by Vaclav Prospal and beat Marc-Andre Fleury.  Vaclav Prospal and Daniel Briere were credited with the assists on the play.  The Penguins outshot an anemic Flyers offense 8-5 in the 1st period, converting on 1-of-2 powerplays and killing off 3-penalties.  In the 2nd period, the Penguins stifling defense shut down the Flyers.  In fact, in the 29-minute stretch from R.J. Umberger’s goal in the 1st period through the end of the 2nd period, the Flyers only managed 3-shots on goal.  The Penguins picked up 9-shots on goal in the 2nd, and were 0-for-1 on the powerplay.  Despite it all, the Flyers only trailed by 1-goal as they entered the 3rd period. In the 3rd period, the Flyers managed to get their offense moving a bit more as they outshot the Penguins 10-8.  But it was too little too late as Marc-Andre Fleury shut the door tightly on the Flyers.  At 9:58, Ryan Malone tightened the noose on the Flyers as he picked up his 4th goal of the post-season.  Evgeni Malkin turned over a bad pass by Steve Downie near the blueline and raced up ice.  Petr Sykora collected the puck after it was poked off from Malkin’s stick and fed a nice pass to Ryan Malone for the goal.  Right after the pass, Sykora was leveled by Steve Downie.  Sykora laid on the ice for a moment and was assisted off the ice, but returned in later shifts and appeared to be okay.  Evgeni Malkin picked up the other assist on the play to place him 2nd in post-season points at 18, 1-point behind leader Sidney Crosby.  At 19:06 with Martin Biron on the bench for the extra attacker, Marian Hossa took a feed from Hal Gill and deposited it into the empty net to seal the win for the Penguins.  There were no penalties in the 3rd period. 

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• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Sidney Crosby was the 1st star of the game with 2-assists, and Marc Andre Fleury was the #2 star.  Marian Hossa looked great on the ice again as he has silenced the critics of his post-season play by notching his 15th point in 12-games (8G, 7A).  With 1-assist on the night, Sergei Gonchar (10-points) is tied for 2nd among defensemen scoring in the post-season, just 1-point behind Niklas Kronvall of Detroit.  Gonchar made a beautiful sliding poke check to disrupt a Mike Richards’ breakaway chance in the 2nd period.  The Penguins are now just one win away from their first Stanley Cup Finals in 16-years, dating back to the 1991-92 season in which they won it all.   

The Penguins return to the Wachovia Center on Thursday night to try and finish off the Flyers in 4-games.  Detroit is also poised to finish off their series in 4-games against Dallas on Wednesday night in Dallas.  Should the Penguins meet up with the Red Wings in the finals, it would be the first time this year as the two teams did not meet in the regular season.  They did meet up twice in the pre-season. 

 

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Broken Foot No Problem as Talbot Scores Game Winner

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night to take a 2-0 lead in the series.  Max Talbot, playing his first game back since breaking his foot in Game 3 against the New York Rangers, scored the game winning goal midway through the 3rd period.  The Penguins have become the 8th team in NHL history to go 10-1 in a playoff season, and the first team to do so since the 1995 Detroit Red Wings. 

In the 1st period, the Flyers were dealt some adversity less than 2-minutes into the game when defenseman Braydon Coburn took a puck to the face.  Hal Gill launched a shot from the left point that deflected up off from Evgeni Malkin’s stick and hit Coburn near the left eye.  Coburn dropped to the ice with his hands over his face.  Coburn, obviously cut by the puck, ended up leaving the ice with the help of a trainer and never returned to the game.  After a break to clean some blood off the ice, play resumed for a short bit before Tyler Kennedy and Scott Upshall dropped the gloves at 3:49.  Kennedy looked like a machine as he unloaded some wild swings on Upshall.  After falling to the ice and getting back up again for a little more dancing, the linesmen stepped in an stopped the fight.  At 10:48, just seconds after the expiration of a brief 5-on-3 opportunity, Sidney Crosby threw the puck on net to score a powerplay goal and take the lead 1-0.  Sergei Gonchar assisted on Crosby’s 4th goal of the post-season.  At 16:41 while skating 4-on-4, Sidney Crosby appeared to get his second of the night as he poked the puck at the side of the net, before Martin Biron swept it out of the goal.  The on-ice officials called no goal, but went upstairs and to Toronto to see if the video replay conclusively showed the puck crossing the goal line.  While it appeared to me that the puck had indeed cleared the line, it was ultimately ruled no goal by the NHL.  The Penguins went 1-for-3 on the powerplay and 1-for-1 on the kill in the first period, with shots even at 9 per side.   

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In the 2nd period, the battle of the special teams continued as the Flyers evened the score on their 2nd of back-to-back powerplay attempts as Pascal Dupuis sat for interference.  Jeff Carter scores his 5th goal of the post-season from Joffrey Lupul and Jaroslav Modrey.  But at 13:43, the Penguins powerplay hit back as Marian Hossa swatted a rebound past Martin Biron for his 6th goal of the playoffs to restore the Penguins’ 1-goal lead.  Ryan Malone and Sergei Gonchar collected the assists on the play.  But while on the powerplay late in the period, Evgeni Malkin made an ill-advised cross-ice pass at the Flyers blueline that was picked off by Mike Richards, who skated it in on Fleury and beat him high on the glove side shorthanded to even it up at 2.  The Penguins outshot the Flyers 16-13 in the 2nd and were 1-for-3 on the powerplay, 1-for-2 on the penalty kill and gave up a shorthanded goal.  In the final period, the Penguins found a way to get it done 5-on-5.  The Penguins 4th line capitalized on a bobbled clearing attempt by James Dowd as the Flyers turned over the puck in their own end.  After the turnover, Georges Laraque took the puck and played keep away from a back-checking Sammi Kapanen before throwing it to the boards behind the Flyers net.  Gary Roberts raced in behind the net, collected the puck, and backhanded it into the slot onto the stick of Max Talbot who buried it in the net behind Biron.  Talbot’s goal at 8:51 from Roberts and Laraque ultimately proved to be the game winner.  The Penguins got the insurance goal at 19:31 as Jordan Staal put the puck into the empty net with Biron pulled in favor of the extra man.    Sidney Crosby and Sergei Gonchar were credited with the assists on the final goal.  The Penguins outshot the Flyers 134-10 in the final frame and were 0-for-1 on the powerplay. 
Image details: Philadelphia Flyers v Pittsburgh Penguins – Game Two served by picapp.com

• VIDEO:  Video Highlights
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Press Conference w/Coach Therrien
• VIDEO:  Post-Game Interviews
• PHOTOS:  In-Game Photos
• AUDIO:  Mike Lange Highlights
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Rink Rat Report
• AUDIO:  Post-Game Hotline
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Rosters
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Game Summary
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Boxscore
• NHL OFFICIAL:  Play-by-Play

Sidney Crosby (1G, 1A) and Sergei Gonchar (2A) each had 2-points on the night.  Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin now share the NHL post-season points lead at 17-points.  Coming off a 3-point performance in Game 1, Evgeni Malkin was held without a point in Game 2.  Marian Hossa (1G), Max Talbot (1G), Jordan Staal (1G), Ryan Malone (1A), Gary Roberts (1A) and Georges Laraque (1A) all finished the game with 1-point.  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 2-of-32 for a 0.938 save percentage as he extended this post-season record to 10-1.  His 10-wins is a league best, as are his 2-shutouts.  His 0.937 save percentage in the post-season is just slightly behind league leader Chris Osgood with 0.939.

The Penguins travel to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Tuesday night, where they will hope to steal at least one of 2-games played there before returning home (if necessary).  The Penguins have kept the possibility of sweeping the Flyers alive, but they will face a big challenge and an unfriendly crowd in the next two games in Philly. 

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Magnificent Malkin Scores 2 as Pens Win Game 1

The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their unbeaten record at home in these playoffs as they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night.  Evgeni Malkin was the star of the show as he picked up 3-points (2G, 1A), to include his first career short-handed goal.  With 17-points (8G, 9A), Malkin now leads all scorers in the NHL post-season.  Sidney Crosby, who picked up his 3rd goal of the post-season, is tied for second in scoring with 15-points (3G, 12A).  Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 26-of-28 shots for a 0.929 save percentage and extended his playoff record to 9-1 this season. 

In the first period, the Penguins struck first at 6:19 on a beautiful backhander by Petr Sykora that hog-tied Philadelphia netminder Martin Biron.  Working up the middle of the ice, Evgeni Malkin passed the puck to Ryan Malone on the left wing and continued to drive to the net.  With the defensemen backing up on Malkin’s drive, Malone fed a cross-ice pass through an open lane to Petr Sykora coming down the right side.  Sykora kept the puck on his forehand until Biron made a move, and then quickly shifted to his backhand and lifted the puck over Biron and into the net to make it 1-0.  But the Flyers battled back just a little over two minutes later as Mike Richards beat Marc-Andre Fleury on a scrambling wraparound that deflected off the back of Fleury’s leg and into the net.  The play was briefly reviewed after the referee lost sight of the puck to confirm that the puck went into the net before the whistle.  R.J. Umberger and Brandon Coburn were credited with the assists.  With the score tied 1-1, the Flyers continued to crash the Penguins net until it paid dividends at 12:50 as Mike Richards picked up his 2nd goal of the night by collecting the trash and whipping it into the net.  Joffrey Lupul and R.J. Umberger picked up the assists on the play to make it 2-1 Flyers.  At 14:11, the Penguins tied it back up on a beautiful redirect by Sidney Crosby off from a hard pass by Marian Hossa along the boards.  But the play of the period goes to Evgeni Malkin with just 6.9-seconds left in the period as he took a Ryan Whitney pass at the Flyers blueline and walked it in and picked the far corner of the net to make it 3-2.  The Penguins killed off the only penalty of the period, and were alightly outshot 12-11  by the Flyers. 

In the 2nd period, the game tightened up significantly over the 1st with the Flyers outshooting the Penguins just 7-6.  At 3:35, Brooks Orpik took a holding call behind the Penguins net to put the Flyers on the power play.  With about one minute killed off in the penalty, Evgeni Malkin got the puck and drove down to the Flyers net where he was pummeled into the boards by Mike Richards.  As the play moved back up ice, Malkin was slow to get up and trailed the play back to the blueline.  In the opposite end, Marian Hossa knocked Mike Richards off the puck allowing Sergei Gonchar to then make a long up-ice feed to Malkin who was still hanging at the blueline.  Malkin skated the puck in all alone short-handed in front of Biron and let a wicked slapshot go from 15-feet out that beat Biron mercilessly to make it 4-2.  It was the perfect answer to the hit placed on him by Mike Richards, and was particularly special as it was Malkin’s first career short-handed goal.  The Penguins ended the period 0-for-1 on the powerplay and successfully killed of their only penalty.

 

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Despite pressing in the 3rd period, the Flyers were unable to solve Marc-Andre Fleury as he turned aside all 9-shots thrown at him.  The Penguins, looking to protect the lead only managed 4-shots on net in the final frame.  At 18:32, there was a gathering near the Penguins end of the ice as one of the Flyers players put a late hit on Kris Letang.  Both teams mixed it up with pushing, shoving and face-washing.  In the end, it was Malkin for roughing, Hatcher for  roughing and Upshall for cross-checking and a game misconduct.  As a result, the Penguins played the last minute and a half on the powerplay. 

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

The Penguins and Flyers meet up again at Mellon Arena on Sunday night as the Penguins look to extend their home ubeaten record and take a 2-game lead over the Flyers.  In other news, Pittsburgh’s Wilkes-Barre team beat the Flyers’ Phantoms farm club Friday night to win that AHL playoff series in five games.

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