Sunday, February 28, 2010

USA vs Canada for "All the Marbles!"

No question that all my predictions went out the window during the very first week of the Olympics, but that goes to show you that (1) I either know nothing about hockey, OR (2) that being such a short tournament - similar to the actual game of hockey itself - situations can turn with the flip of the puck or change in momentum (and I'd really like to think I do know at least a little about hockey!)!! ; P

Yesterday, Finland and Slovakia played with the Bronze medal on the line. It was a pretty even start with Slovakia quickly catching onto Finland and scoring goals leaving them on top until the third period in which the Finns pulled out strong to finally earn the Bronze!!

My predictions were Russia (Gold), Canada (Silver), Sweden (Bronze) ... I KNOW, don't even start on me (I didn't even expect the USA to medal, but that was only because I was taking into account the youth and inexperience of most of the players, so HUSH!)!! I'm hoping that I can redeem myself somewhat by Canada losing against the USA and their getting the silver (and USA coming out on top). Anyway, both Russia and Sweden were eliminated quicker than [I had / a lot of people] expected and only lasted up until the elimination round.

Regardless of the outcome, this will be a pretty exciting game and one that I'm anxious to watch (neither team has anything to be asshamed of as they both did quite well throughout the tournament). And for those of you who believe that USA will defeat Canada with no problem simply because of the result of the last time these two played ... I say to you, that means nothing and they both are starting from square one today (Canada definitely got a wake-up call and they'll be better prepared for Team USA today ... mark my words!)!!

As an extremely touching tribute during today's game, Team USA will be honoring soldiers wounded in battle in either Iraq or Afghanistan for the Gold-Medal game. In a program they've called "Operation Homefront," all 23 players making up the team will be playing for an individual soldier. Penguins own defenseman, Brooks Orpik, has been teamed up with Pittsburgh native Staff Sergeant Shawn Barber (CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE).

“It's an honor,” Barber said. “Brooks Orpik is a strong, tough, hard-nosed player that leads by example, and is solid at his position – which is how I try to lead. Growing up in Pittsburgh we pride ourselves on our toughness and hard work and I can't think of a better player to represent me, the city of Pittsburgh, or the United States.”
Another interesting sidenote of today's game, not only will Team Canada be playing to earn the Gold, but they will also be playing to put their country in the Olympic record books as Canada currently has a total of 13 which has them tied for the most (Gold medals) for a nation in the Olympics.

And not that Americans really need pumped-up for this game, but here's a little something to get your blood pumping!!! ENJOY!!!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Canada BIG Among Yesterday's Winners

WHAT A GAME!!! It wasn't so much the nail-biter that everyone expected, but it was quite and old-fashioned butt-whooping Canada laid on Russia last night and they came at them hard from the start (and Russia continued to look like they'd been hit by a Mack truck for most of the game and never managed to recover scoring only 3 of the 7 goals they needed to make a "comeback"). Canada was ready for Russia and they looked like that didn't know what hit them ... or in Ovi's own words,

"I think how we start the game it's like small kids and big kids play against each other and big kids dominate," Ovechkin told NHL.com shortly after it was all over for Russia in these Olympics. "They got the puck deep, used their power and they scored goals. We had to at that time realize and bounce back, but it was pretty hard to when the score is 3-0. It's pretty hard."
But isn't that just like him? His talk is as big as his showboating and then he doesn't have much left for when the team really needs him to pull through (and he's SO one-dimensional) ... which is why seeing what the above picture portrays will NEVER get old for me!!

Here are the results:
  • USA - 2, Switzerland - 0 (RECAP)
  • Canada - 7, Russia - 3 (RECAP)
  • Finland - 2, Czech Republic - 0 (RECAP)
  • Slovakia - 4, Sweden - 3 (RECAP)

Friday's Semifinals schedule (no games today):
3:00 PM - USA (1) VS Finland (4) -- TV: NBC, CTV, V
6:30 PM - Canada (6) VS Slovakia (7) -- TV: CNBC, CTV, V

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Latvia, Belarus, Germany, and Norway Eliminated

Not really any surprises yesterday with the Swiss, Canada, Czech Republic, and Slovakia moving on to today's quarterfinals.

Ovi's hit on Jagr was obviously a bigger blow than Jagr had everyone believe as the big news from last night was his leaving in the first minutes of the game against the Czech Republic due to a sore neck. Jagr didn't return and his team barely made it past elimination without him. The team doctor said the injury resulted from Ovechkin's hit he sustained during the Sunday night game against the Russians.
"We hope he'll be available to play tomorrow," Czech coach Vladimir Ruzicka said after his team's great escape at the University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Arena. "We believe he will be ready. And obviously, we're hoping he can play the whole game."
Here are the results:
  • Switzerland - 3, Belarus - 2 (RECAP)
  • Canada - 8, Germany - 2 (RECAP)
  • Czech Republic - 3, Latvia - 2 (RECAP)
  • Slovakia - 4, Norway - 3 (RECAP)
Today's Quarterfinals schedule:
3:00 PM - USA (1) VS Switzerland (8) -- TV: NBC,V, SNET
7:30 PM - Russia (3) VS Canada (6) -- TV: CNBC, CTV,V
10:00 PM - Czech Republic (5) VS Finland (4) -- TV: CNBC, TSN,V
11:55 PM - Slovakia (7) VS Sweden (2) -- TV: CNBC, CTV, RDS

That's So MAF (the musings of a Penguins goalie) - Olympics Edition!

Fleury bought tickets to go watch alpine skiing yesterday, but couldn't go because Team Canada played Germany last night.


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Olympic Qualification Playoffs Begin Today

Today's schedule:

  • 3:00 PM - Switzerland (8) VS Belarus (9) @ Canada Hockey Place (TV: SNET,USA,RDS)
  • 7:30 PM - Canada (6) VS Germany (11) @ Canada Hockey Place (TV: CNBC,CTV,RDS)
  • 10:00 PM - Czech Republic (5) VS Latvia (12) @ UBC Thunderbird Arena (TV: CNBC,TSN,RDS)
  • 12:00 AM - Slovakia (7) VS Norway (10) @ Canada Hockey Place (TV: CNBC,CTV,RDS)
The big news for Team Canada is that Luongo will be starting in goal against Germany tonight. Everyone loves Brodeur and he is a good goalie, but sometimes he's just "off" and against the US I felt he was "playing the puck" too much for his own (or his team's) good. He was taking advantage of the difference in Olympic rules that allow him to do that more at the risk of winning (playing better). I honestly wish that they'd give Fleury a shot (and, YES, I am bias with that, but the kid deserves a chance ... he's clutch when it counts!)!!

A Special Olympic Edition of "Yinz Luv Da 'Guins!"



(Episode 4)

Monday, February 22, 2010

More Surprising Wins Yesterday: Russia, USA, Sweden

Russia and Sweden weren't that far of a stretch (although I'm sure no one expected the Swedes to blank the Fins and for it to be a more even matchup), but with the anticipated USA-Canada match-up, everyone was expecting the Canadians to come out on top (shamefully, that includes me too!). All the games were spectacular to watch, but the one with most interest was probably USA vs Canada and there was no disappointment with that as the two teams gave us some of the best hockey we've seen so far in this Olympics (almost like playoff hockey). I think my favorite goals were the first and the last both scored by the USA (Rafalski, Kessler) ... those were exciting!!! Could there be another "Miracle" in the making??? I can't wait to find out!!!

Here are the results from yesterday:

  • Russia - 4, Czech Republic - 2 (Malkin had 2 goals and an assist); RECAP
  • USA - 5, Canada - 3 (Crosby had a goal); RECAP
  • Sweden - 3, Finland - 0; RECAP
Today's schedule:
No games scheduled until Tuesday, February 23rd (Qualification Playoffs)
3:00 PM - Switzerland (8) VS Belarus (9) @ Canada Hockey Place
7:30 PM - Canada (6) VS Germany (11) @ Canada Hockey Place
10:00 PM - Czech Republic (5) VS Latvia (12) @ UBC Thunderbird Arena
12:00 AM - Slovakia (7) VS Norway (10) @ Canada Hockey Place

Friday, February 19, 2010

Yesterday's Winners: USA, Canada, and Slovakia

I don't know ... I may be wrong in my predictions ... Canada is playing well, but aren't outplaying their opponents by much, and a surprising loss last night for Russia against Slovakia (the picture above pretty much says it all after Ovechkin misses a shootout attempt; LOVE how it looks as though Slovakia is "heckling" him!). I predicted Russia winning the gold, silver for Canada and Sweden with the bronze (USA not medaling), but the way it looks now it may be all over the boards and nothing close to what I had thought. We shall see!!

Here are the results from yesterday:
  • USA - 6, Norway - 1 (Malone with another goal!); RECAP
  • Canada - 3, Switzerland - 2 (SO -- Crosby scored GWG); RECAP
  • Slovakia - 2, Russia - 1; RECAP
Today's schedule:
3:00 PM - Belarus VS Sweden (MSNBC)
7:30 PM - Czech Republic VS Latvia (CNBC)
11:55 PM - Finland VS Germany (MSNBC)

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Finland, Sweden, and Czech Republic Winners at Yesterday's Games

No surprises yesterday as Finland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic were all winners yesterday. I'm anxious to see what it'll look like the further we get into the tournament (all the teams are playing some really great hockey!)!!

I was anxious to see Jagr play, but I didn't get to see much since it was on so late but the Czech Republic did well in general ... I read that Jagr had a goal and played really well especially with how the Slovakians were checking him into the boards left and right. As a side note ... another one of my FAVS, Jarkko Ruutu, had a sweet deflection goal in yesterday's game against Belarus that happened to impress the NBC panelists yesterday (he always impresses me and I will always believe he's a much better player than anyone gives him credit for ... his reputation precedes him and the player he is!)!!

Here are the results:
  • Finland - 5, Belarus - 1
  • Sweden - 2, Germany - 0
  • Czech Republic - 3, Slovakia - 1
Today's schedule:
3:00 PM - USA VS Norway
7:30 PM - Switzerland VS Canada
11:55 PM - Slovakia VS Russiasee

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

USA, Canada, Russia all Winners Yesterday!

Team USA and Team Switzerland were the first to play yesterday afternoon followed by Teams Canada and Norway in the early evening and Team Russia and Team Latvia late in the evening closing in on early this morning. All the teams I'm rooting for (until it gets down to the wire ... then I must shed my Penguins loyalties and root for Team USA as a proud American!)!!

Here are the results:
  • USA - 3, Switzerland - 1 (Ryan Malone scores first goal at Olympic games by a Pittsburgh-native!)
  • Canada - 8, Norway - 0 (Sid had 3 assists)
  • Russian - 8, Latvia - 2 (Malkin scored one of the 8 goals and had 1 assist)
Today's schedule (CLICK HERE for TV schedule):
3:00 PM - Finland VS Belarus
7:30 PM - Sweden VS Germany
11:55 PM - Czech Republic VS Slovakia

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Men's Olympic Hockey Schedule

VISIT the Pens webpage for a schedule of the upcoming weeks' Men's Olympic hockey. ALSO VISIT the official Olympic site (it includes playoff rounds).

Keep track of the results of all the men's hockey teams HERE.

TODAY'S SCHEDULE:
12:00 PM (est) -- Men's Preliminary (USA vs Switzerland)
7:30 PM (est) -- Men's Preliminary (Canada vs Norway)
11:55 PM (est) -- Men's Preliminary (Russia vs Latvia)

Men's Olympic Hockey Coverage

Don't forget, I'll be covering the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as much as I can (now that there's no Penguins hockey to look forward to!)!!

Monday, February 15, 2010

It's a SAD DAY for Chiefstown!!

THIS IS SUCH A SAD SITUATION, but probably one that's been in the making since the day they started playing here!!!

Over 20 years in Johnstown (and the only charter member left in the ECHL) and the team officially announced yesterday that they will be leaving at the end of this season (READ MORE HERE) and heading to South Carolina.

I just really wish something more could be done or other possibilites / options could be explored and that the ownership would be more open to such possibilites. I believe Johnstown is in need of something and the Chiefs were a big part of that something for as long as they've played here ... Johnstown IS Chiefstown. We're just as big of a hockey town as Pittsburgh in relationship to the size of the area ... why can't we make this work? JOHNSTOWN WILL MISS THE CHIEFS in more ways than one!!!

CLICK HERE to read an article which echos the sentiments of most of the fans (and the city of Johnstown).

If South Carolina is doing so well as far as being a prime place for hockey, why don't they have an NHL team of their own and why hasn't the Carolina Hurricanes (closest NHL team to Greenville, SC - where the Chiefs will be relocating) done better in terms of attendance? The attendance is down 4 percent this season (25th in a league of 30 teams) which has been slowly declining since the 2006-2007 season. Something else to consider!

You may not think there's much left to do, and there may not be, but our voices still need to be heard!! SO PLEASE help by joining the "Keep the Chiefs in Johnstown" group on Facebook (which makes the suggestion on the basis of fan-ownership) then make sure to add the Chiefs as a Facebook friend so you can post a comment about your thoughts on keeping the team here in Johnstown on their wall!!!

This city is in bad shape and the Chiefs were one thing that helped. Losing this team means that another big domino in a long line of a quick-moving dominos trail has fallen and leading us closer to "the end." This has to be one of the final straws that will make Johnstown a ghost town before too long.

Let's all try to do what we can to get our voices heard and have them consider just ONE MORE OPTION so they can see how much this team really means to the city of Johnstown - it's truly worth a try!!

The Tribune-Democrat
Sports Editor, Eric Knopsnyder, 814-532-5080 (eknopsnyder@tribdem.com)
Sports/Johnstown Chiefs, Mike Mastovich, 814-532-5083 (mmastovich@tribdem.com)

COME BACK, CHIEFS - Johnstown needs YOU in it to be Chiefstown!!!

Orpik Wallpaper

Yesterday, the Pens webpage posted wallpaper of Olympic Brooks Orpik.


And check back to the Pens webpage later today for the Team USA wallpaper!!

AHL Players Re-Assigned

It's no surprise that Mark Letestu and John Curry were re-assigned to the AHL today. It's the Olympic break and hopefully all the players will have enough time to rest and nurse their injuries during this time to get back to the ice / Penguins lineup afterwards!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Pre-Game Notes (Nashville)

PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS
Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Dupuis-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Letestu-Adams

Gonchar-Eaton
Orpik-Letang
McKee-Goligoski

Fleury in goal

JOHNSON / CURRY
Curry was recalled yesterday by the Penguins as back-up Brent Johnson was hurt during Friday's game against the NY Rangers; Johnson didn't practice and isn't expected to take part in this afternoon's game (which is why Curry was recalled), but HC Bylsma has reported that Johnson's injury is not serious according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"I don't think it's serious. He probably needs a few days to get back over the [Olympics] break, and he'll be good," Bylsma said of Johnson, who left Friday during the second period of a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers because of what is believed to be a leg or groin injury.
BACK IN BLUE
the Penguins will be wearing their alternate baby blue uniforms today against the Predators

NASHVILLE INJURY / LINE INFO
Marcel Goc (F), upper-body injury - questionable for today, but pretty likely according to PREDATORS INSIDER blog
Jerred Smithson (F), foot injury - questionable for today
Cody Franson (D), broken rib - on injured reserve (IR)
UP NEXT: NASHVILLE PREDATORS
(32
-23-5, 69 points)
In net tonight: Dan Ellis (projected)

Nashville Predators webpage
Predators-Penguins Preview (02/13/2010)

The Tennessean
Predators have one game left before break (02/14/2010)
Predators at Penguins: Game at a glance (02/14/2010)
PREDATORS INSIDER blog
Yonkman likely headed back to Milwaukee (02/13/2010)
Goc back for Penguins; Ellis likely in net (02/13/2010)



Check back for updates throughout the day!!

On this Date in Pittsburgh Penguins History

2007
Evgeni Malkin scored a goal to give him at least one point in 13-straight home games, which broke the Penguins rookie record established by Mario Lemieux in 1984-85. Malkin had 20 points (5+15) in a 13-game span

2000
Goaltender J.S. Aubin stopped 37 shots from the Vancouver Canucks for his fourth shutout with Pittsburgh

1995
Jaromir Jagr scored three goals against the Boston Bruins for his second career hat trick

1990
Lemieux’s 46-game point scoring streak ended in New York against the Rangers as he left the game midway in the second period with a back injury. Lemieux missed the next 21 games before returning for the final game of the year

1989
In a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Mario Lemieux recorded his 18th hat trick for the Pens

Penguins Olympic Special

On Monday, February 15th, FSN - Pittsburgh will broadcast a PensTV Olympic Special hosted by Steve Mears and Rob Rossi. It will air at 6:00 PM (est).

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Curry Recalled

I called this one!! ; P

The Penguins recently announced that they recalled AHL goalie John Curry.

Still no word on Johnson, but it can't be good if they're recalling Curry or else they're just figuring they'll give him time to recover over the Olympic break.

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

Last night, the 2010 Winter Olympics officially kicked off with the opening ceremony in Vancouver last night.

If you're interested in updates and exclusive information on Team USA (not just hockey, but all olympic events that Team USA will participate in), then be sure to visit "Olympic Team USA" - the official webpage of the US Olympic committee. You can sign up for their news updates that you'll get directly to your email.

I've visited the site on numerous occasions and it really is a pretty complete picture of anything Team USA, so if you have the time, check it out!!

Brent Johnson

There's been no word yet on Brent Johnson's status / injury since last night's game against the NY Rangers when he did not return in the third period.

The Penguins webpage is reporting that he did not participate in today's afternoon practice.

Is it possible they'll be recalling Curry for tomorrow afternoon's game against the Florida Panthers to stand in as back-up? I'm sure if that's the case, we'll be hearing the news sometime today.

Friday, February 12, 2010

I've been lucky enough to stumble upon a "Pens insider" who is willing to share some stories but wishes to remain anonymous for a few obvious reasons, so I ask that you PLEASE be respectful of this (PLEASE do not email questions to me or for the anonymous source as we are unable to answer and I will not reply to such emails) - thank you for your consideration!!

Words from Washington and Quotes out of Quebec

As most people know, the Pens left for Montreal on Friday, and no one was quite sure about how the weather would affect their trip. They made it into Montreal just fine, but there was a lot of concern over how the weather would hold up.

At the Bell Centre on Saturday, the Pens faced another afternoon game which isn’t a player favorite. The game got off to an odd start, as anyone watching would know, with 2 goals scored seconds into the game. The mood was relatively solemn after the game especially going with the travel dilemma faced by the team. The guys were pretty laid back about all of the crazy-ness of the trip and they showered, packed up, and headed out to the airport. They had a little trouble taking off because of winds and such, but they got in the air okay. They landed in Newark about 9pm, and by this time, most of the guys were exhausted, but still in good moods. The bus trip started, and thanks to Gonch, none of the guys were too bored. They watched The Code, and The DaVinci Code. They did finally stop in Maryland at almost midnight for some dinner. They guys who normally eat healthily and focus on good nutrition were like kids in a candy store with the fast food options. Almost everyone had a milkshake in hand. There was a whole discussion over what kind of milkshake was better, chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. Although there was no definitive answer, everyone enjoyed their “junk food” When they got to the hotel after 2am, the players headed for bed pretty quickly. They knew they had little time to sleep before the game. The guys had a “brunch” because of the early game start. They cleaned up everything the hotel served, eggs, ham, sausage, toast, everything under the sun. They supposedly went through 15 gallons of orange juice that day.

When the Pens got to the Verizon Center later that morning, the locker room was quiet, until someone brought up about the fact that everyone was counting them out because of the long day and the road trip. Geno piped up, “We not out of game, they not drop puck. We beat them at home they did us that way.” Of course this got the guys moving.

Quotes from the trip:
“Captiol fans are loud but not like Flyer fans, they not throw things, but have loud noise”~ Geno
“Well I think that when you come into an arena like the Verizon center, there is a lot of emotion that goes into it. We just need to focus on playing our game, and do what we need to do on the ice. There is emotion that goes into the game, but we can’t let that get us off our game.” ~ Sid Crosby

LATE "Off-Day" News

I'm late getting this news on the blog ... I've been having a little trouble with my internet connection these past few days.

  • the biggest news is that yesterday the Penguins traded defenseman Nate Guenin to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Steve Wagner; this doesn't cause an immediate impact on the NHL roster as Wagner will be assigned the AHL to replace Guenin and has spent most of his career with St. Louis' AHL affiliate in Peoria after being signed as a free agent in 2007
  • Max Talbot and Billy Guerin did not participate in yesterday's practice
  • the Pens were fitted for their tuxes for their annual Skates & Plates dinner being held on March 9th at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh to benefit the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The Mario Lemieux Foundation

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Malkin Back to His Original Number

A few weeks ago, I was able to order my Malkin Olympics name / number t-shirt, but was perplexed to see it was #11 instead of #71.

Since then, I've been trying to find out exactly why he needed to wear a number other than the one he currently wears playing in the NHL, but haven't come across anything until yesterday in an article on the Penguins webpage.

It indiretly stems from the fact that #17 has been retired by the Russians in honor of Valeri Kharlamov ("legendary Soviet star"). Ilya Kovalchuk normally wears that number, so he chose #71 which forced Malkin to pick another number - #11.
Malkin actually chose that number because it was the one he wore when he was young.
“I wore No. 11 until my first game in the Super League when 11 was taken by an older player,” Malkin said. “I took 71 because it looked similar.”

On this Date in Pittsburgh Penguins History

2009
Bill Thomas scored his first goal for the Pens against the San Jose Sharks (with an assist from Jordan Staal - his 100th NHL point)

2004
Penguins traded Drake Perehowsky for Ric Jackman from the Toronto Maple Leafs

2000
Martin Straka tied the record for fastest two goals against the Edmonton Oilers (.07 seconds)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Could the 2011 NHL All-Stars Weekend Be at CEC?

Wouldn't that be nice? A whole new facility to enjoy with the Consol Energy Center and a weekend of the NHL All-Stars ... what could be better for a hockey fan (or the NHL)??!!!!

Well, there's now a better possibility as the Penguins announced today that the organization has submitted a bid to host the 2010-2011 NHL All-Stars.
“The new Consol Energy Center will give us the opportunity to bring many such events to Pittsburgh,” Penguins president David Morehouse said. “We think it can help make Pittsburgh a destination for big national and regional events.”

“We’re excited by the opportunity to bid for the 2010-11 NHL All-Star weekend and believe we have made a strong proposal to the NHL,” Morehouse said.
I AM TOO!!!

Monday, February 8, 2010

All Healthy??

The Penguins announced earlier this morning that they re-assigned Mark Letestu back to the AHL ... he was the last one still up to "fill in the gaps" left by injuries after Tim Wallace was re-assigned yesterday morning.

I'm hoping that means we'll see Talbot Wednesday against the NY Islanders (or maybe they're psyching us all out again and it just has to do with the salary cap!)!! I guess we'll see.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Another Sad Loss for the Hockey Community

The Toronto Maple Leafs released a statement last night regarding Brendan Burke, son of Leafs GM Brian Burke.
“On behalf of the entire Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Brian Burke,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burke family during this extremely difficult time.”
Brenden was involved in a car accident earlier in the day and passed away from injuries sustained from that accident. It was only a few months earlier in November 2009 that he had publically announced his sexuality in order to take on homophobia in the world of hockey (his hope was to have a career in hockey after college).

The passenger in Brenden's car, Mark Reedy, also died.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burke family at this difficult time.

Friday, February 5, 2010

AHL Players Recalled

The Penguins recently announced that they recalled AHL forwards Mark Letestu and Tim Wallace.

Both Kunitz and Talbot have been reported as out of the lineup tomorrow.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Ray Shero on NHL Hour with Gary Bettman

NHL Hour with Commissioner Gary Bettman now broadcasts live on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET on NHL Home Ice (XM Channel 204 and on SIRIUS Channel 208 as part of the “Best of XM” programming package) and NHL.com. The show will re-air on SIRIUS XM Radio, with archived shows available for ownload via podcast on NHL.com.

The show encourages fans to call in with questions for the Commissioner. To submit questions to NHL Hour call 1-877-645-6696.

Sid on SI Olympic Edition Cover (in Canada)

Off-Day Notes

  • Bylsma gave the players Tuesday as well as today off from practice
  • practice was held yesterday and everyone (except for Godard who is out 4-6 weeks due to a groin injury) including both Talbot and McKee who have been dealing with undisclosed injuries, but Talbot left 15 minutes into the practice (which HC Bylsma said wasn't a good sign in terms of his progression)
  • the practice was open to a few of some special fans from (about 10 kids each from) Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Children's Home of Pittsburgh, and The Children's; afterwards the Penguins hosted a luncheon for them at the Mellon Arena's Igloo Club where the players spent time with the kids and their families taking pictures and signing autographs
“We love to do it, and it’s a big thrill to us,” Bill Guerin said. “These events never get old because they always involve kids. It’s always about doing something special for a certain child. You never get tired of it.”

SEE VIDEO of the event BELOW
WPXI

On this Date in Pittsburgh Penguins History

2009
Miroslav Satan played in his 1000th NHL game

1997
Mario Lemieux scored his 600th career goal (against the Vancouver Canucks; Pens won 6-4); Lemieux became the second fastest (and seventh overall) to reach 600 career NHL goals

1995
The Penguins defeated Tampa Bay, 6-3, to tie a club record with their seventh consecutive victory from the start of the season (the strike shortened the season)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Both AHL Players Re-Assigned

Yesterday I posted that the Penguins re-assigned Mark Letestu; however, the Penguins webpage was later updated to announce that they re-assigned both Letestu and Nick Johnson.
I've been lucky enough to stumble upon a "Pens insider" who is willing to share some stories but wishes to remain anonymous for a few obvious reasons, so I ask that you PLEASE be respectful of this (PLEASE do not email questions to me or for the anonymous source as we are unable to answer and I will not reply to such emails) - thank you for your consideration!!

Words from Washington and Quotes out of Quebec

As most people know, the Pens left for Montreal on Friday, and no one was quite sure about how the weather would affect their trip. They made it into Montreal just fine, but there was a lot of concern over how the weather would hold up.

At the Bell Centre on Saturday, the Pens faced another afternoon game which isn’t a player favorite. The game got off to an odd start, as anyone watching would know, with 2 goals scored seconds into the game. The mood was relatively solemn after the game especially going with the travel dilemma faced by the team. The guys were pretty laid back about all of the crazy-ness of the trip and they showered, packed up, and headed out to the airport. They had a little trouble taking off because of winds and such, but they got in the air okay. They landed in Newark about 9pm, and by this time, most of the guys were exhausted, but still in good moods. The bus trip started, and thanks to Gonch, none of the guys were too bored. They watched The Code, and The DaVinci Code. They did finally stop in Maryland at almost midnight for some dinner. They guys who normally eat healthily and focus on good nutrition were like kids in a candy store with the fast food options. Almost everyone had a milkshake in hand. There was a whole discussion over what kind of milkshake was better, chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry. Although there was no definitive answer, everyone enjoyed their “junk food” When they got to the hotel after 2am, the players headed for bed pretty quickly. They knew they had little time to sleep before the game. The guys had a “brunch” because of the early game start. They cleaned up everything the hotel served, eggs, ham, sausage, toast, everything under the sun. They supposedly went through 15 gallons of orange juice that day.

When the Pens got to the Verizon Center later that morning, the locker room was quiet, until someone brought up about the fact that everyone was counting them out because of the long day and the road trip. Geno piped up, “We not out of game, they not drop puck. We beat them at home they did us that way.” Of course this got the guys moving.

Quotes from the trip:
“Captiol fans are loud but not like Flyer fans, they not throw things, but have loud noise”~ Geno
“Well I think that when you come into an arena like the Verizon center, there is a lot of emotion that goes into it. We just need to focus on playing our game, and do what we need to do on the ice. There is emotion that goes into the game, but we can’t let that get us off our game.” ~ Sid Crosby

On this Date in Pittsburgh Penguins History

2009
Luca Caputi scored his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift in a game against the Montreal Canadiens

2007
Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his sixth NHL shutout against the Washington Capitals (after facing 30 shots)

2001
The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Baby Penguins played a tribute game at the Mellon Arena against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. They wore Hornets jerseys and a banner was raised at the arena that celebrated the three Hornets’ Calder Cup Championships.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Letestu Back to AHL

The Penguins recently announced that they re-assigned Mark Letestu back to their AHL affiliate, WB / S Baby Pens.

Behind the Pens Bench

This is EXCITING (and something I hope can be a weekly thing here, but we'll see how it goes)!!! I've been lucky enough to stumble upon a "Pens insider" who is willing to share some stories but wishes to remain anonymous for a few obvious reasons, so I ask that you PLEASE be respectful of this (PLEASE do not email questions to me or for the anonymous source as we are unable to answer and I will not reply to such emails) - thank you for your consideration!!

With that being said, I give you this week's stories from "behind the Pens bench!"
  • As many know, the Flower is quite a prankster. Well apparently last night (Thursday, 01/28), he decided it would be fun to lace the shoes of Chris Connor backward. (Starting with the top so that the "tie" is at the very front of the shoe. Well Connor was quite perplexed post game and couldn't figure out why his shoes wouldn't loosen so he could get his foot it. Finally, he looked closely and started to laugh. MAF owned up to the prank and they both got a good laugh over it. Sid chimed in that "That's the reason we hide our shoes in our hockey bags. Flower is a sneaky little bastard." [They teased him] about getting "tied" [the rest of the night].

  • today (Sunday, 01/31) was the Pens vs Wings matchup and it was an afternoon game, unlike the normal 7 or 7:30 start. Well as many know, hockey players are superstitious as a group, and a few of the guys aren't wild about afternoon starts. The training staff was ready for the "afternoon apprehension" that was present this morning when the players arrived. The mood was quiet before the game, everyone was focusing on the task at hand.

    Well, of course, after the game, everyone in the locker room was pretty excited to beat the Wings again. Apparently there was a little too much excitement as a bit of a clothing war broke out. Jerseys, socks, and the ever popular pants were being tossed around with reckless abandon. The fun finally stopped when the media came in for their post game interviews. After all the commotion had subsided, a certain winger couldn't find his street socks. TK was looking everywhere and even asked MAF if he had hidden them. (He didn't). Finally someone had the brilliant idea to check the "dirty sock" bin, and there they were, still paired and folded over. Everyone started ragging him for using "non-standard" ammo. The running joke now is that TK was using the SuperSecretSock Grenade.

Monday, February 1, 2010

SHOTS ON GOAL:
Sabres - 12; Pens - 8

The Pens are on the board early with Letestu scoring a sweet goal in the first minute of the game, but the Sabres tie then lead with answering with two goals 42 seconds apart.

Penguins get the first penalty of the game handing the Sabres a one-man advantage. Pens aren't looking like they did yesterday. Fortunately the Pens kill the penalty.

Pretty fast-moving from that point on. Lots of good chances.


SHOTS ON GOAL:
Sabres - 11; Pens - 10

The Pens get another penalty right from the start. Staalsy had short-handed opporutnity, but no goal. Shortly after the penalty is killed, the Sabres score making it 3-1 (UGH!)!!

Pens gets their first man-advantage of the game with which Crosby capitalizes (3-2, Pens)!!!! Then with a littl emore than 5 minutes left of the period, Staalsy scores a sweet goal to tie the game! The closer to the end of the period, the hotter Sid gets ... one goal then ANOTHER for the HT (5-3, Pens)!!!! AWESOME!!! Only a minute left of the period.

FUN FACT of the period: a natural HT is three goals in a row (I DID NOT know that!) ... Crosby could've had one if Staal wouldn't have scored a goal in between his, but I think I'd rather be winning then worry about Sid's natural HT (I'm thinking they feel the same way)!!


SHOTS ON GOAL:
Sabres - 11; Pens - 13

Miller takes Crosby's feet out from under him giving the Pens a power play at the beginning of the period ... Sid's three goals must've really been eating Miller's ass!! Nothing comes of it though.

Towards the end of the game, the Sabres get their own power play on which they score. The ref, wanting to give the Sabres a fighting chance, calls a bogus penalty on Orpik giving them a man-advantage (PLUS 1 pulling the goalie) for most of the end of the period. Fleury comes up with some really key saves for how much traffic there was in front of the net!! The faceoff goes all the way down to the Sabres end with only 9.3 seconds left of the period / regulation (3 seconds left in the power play).


SIDNEY CROSBY


KRIS LETANG


THOMAS VANEK

Pre-Game Notes (Pittsburgh VS Buffalo)

As you have no doubt realized, I've been slacking on the blog and I apologize for that ... I actually had a really busy weekend focusing on things that I've been putting on the back-burner for longer than I should have, but hopefully I'm back on track now and that you were able to bear with me, so LET'S TALK HOCKEY!!!

OPTIONAL SKATE
the Pens held an optional morning skate this morning with only 10 players participating: Craig Adams, Mike Rupp, Chris Kunitz, Mark Letestu, Tyler Kennedy, Nick Johnson, Jay McKee, Alex Goligoski, Martin Skoula Kris Letang, and goaltender Brent Johnson.

STARTING GOALIE
Brent Johnson gets the not for tonight's game as the Pengs starting goaltender

PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS
Dupuis-Crosby-Guerin
Johnson-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Letestu

Gonchar-Orpik
Eaton-Letang
McKee-Goligoski

Johnson in goal

BUFFALO INJURY / LINE INFO
the Sabres are healthy and there's no one out of the lineup for tonight's game against the Penguins