Tough choice for Scuderi
Sunday, June 28, 2009
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari gives the best advice I've ever heard to players torn between staying where they are or going after the really big money with another team.
"If you want to do what's right for me and my family, stay," Calipari tells his guys. "If you want to do what's right for you and your family, go."
Makes sense, doesn't it?
An athlete's pro career is short. He has to grab for as much as he can for as long as he can. Forget loyalty. There is no such thing in sports anymore. It's all big business. As soon as the team finds a better option, that player is gone, anyway.
Calipari's advice really is sound.
That doesn't mean it's always easy to follow, though.
Ask Rob Scuderi.
He's Penguins' property, but maybe for just three more days, until the NHL free agency period starts Wednesday. He was terrific during their run to the Stanley Cup, so good that he's expected to get at least one blockbuster offer from another hockey club -- perhaps as much as $4 million per year, which would be an extraordinary number for a defensive defenseman and more than five times what he made this past season -- that the Penguins almost certainly won't be able to match.
"I know the type of player I am," Scuderi said late last week. "I'm not sure the market will be there like this for me again."
If you want to do what's right for you and your family ...
But it's not quite that simple for Scuderi.
"I've never been the type to just chase the money," he said. "I've seen too many guys go for the highest contract and end up in a bad situation and be completely upset for three or four years. I don't want that happening to me. It's no fun going somewhere and losing, especially after you've been spoiled playing here. That would be just miserable."
Former Penguins winger Ryan Malone is the poster boy for that. He left for the Tampa Bay Lightning after the 2007-08 season because the Lightning made him offer he couldn't refuse -- $31.5 million for seven years. But they missed the playoffs this past season and he had to watch his Penguins' buddies hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Miserable, indeed.
"If he had to do it all over again, he'd take a lot less to stay here," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said of Malone during the Cup odyssey. "I know at the trade deadline, he was begging to come back here. A lot of guys who left feel that way."
Scuderi knows. He has talked to Malone about that very thing. Scuderi also knows Orpik took less to stay with the Penguins after the '07-'08 season, not that $3.75 million per season for six years is chump change. "This is why I came back," Orpik said after he had his turn with the precious Cup after the clinching win in Detroit earlier this month.
No doubt, Scuderi has much to consider.
"By far, the best situation for me is staying in Pitt," he said. "I know how I fit in here. I know my role. And I want to be a part of another winner. Just because we won this year doesn't mean I'm going to shut it down. I want to win again. I know they can do that here for a long time. With the young core they have -- especially the centermen -- and the system they have and the way they run the organization, it's hard to imagine them not having long-term success."
Clearly, the Penguins would love to keep Scuderi. General manager Ray Shero is a big believer that defense wins championships. He has watched Scuderi, 30, grow from a mediocre young player into one of the NHL's top shutdown defensemen.
"When I first got here and found out he had a one-way contract, I was like, 'Are you kidding me?' " Shero said. "But he just kept improving. Now, I wish I had signed him for three years instead of two [after the '06-'07 season for a $1.425 million]."
Scuderi, for $725,000 this past season, was an incredible bargain.
"He's a very, very smart hockey player, and he has one of the best sticks in the league," Shero said. "He played against the other team's top player in every series of the playoffs -- [Jeff] Carter, [Alex] Ovechkin, [Eric] Staal and [Henrik] Zetterberg. He was kind of our glue back there on defense."
Added Hal Gill, Scuderi's defensive partner and another free agent-to-be on Wednesday: "You could always count on him."
The problem is the Penguins don't appear to have the wiggle room under the salary cap to keep Scuderi. They probably could go $2 million per season, but not much more. That would be quite the hometown discount from a $4 million-a-year offer.
Really, who could begrudge Scuderi if he doesn't give it to the Penguins?
One more time:
If you want to do what's best for you and your family ...
"We'll see what happens," Scuderi said. "I told Ray in our exit meeting that I'd give Pitt the last shot. I'll take him the offer I'm most comfortable with and say, 'How close can we get?' "
No matter what Shero says at that point, Scuderi will have a tough decision.
Doing the right thing for you and your family really isn't always easy, no matter how astronomical the money is.
Ask MaloneRead more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09179/980234-87.stm#ixzz0JmISVCDu&C

Pronger to Flyers-Mixed Feelings

Chris Pronger was dealt yesterday to the Philadelphia Flyers along with prospect Ryan Dingle and a third round pick for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, this year's first round pick and next years first round pick. At first glance, it was a trade that bothered me a bit as a Pens fan. Pronger is a big tough defenseman who hits with intent every chance he gets. In addition, he is a very good point man on the power play, and will make anybody who gets in front of Philly's net pay a price. He is a more talented version of Derian Hatcher for sure. The Flyers also dealt from a position of depth(forward) to address an area of need, rugged defenseman. However, as I digest that trade, I am not sure how I would feel if I were a Flyers fan for severeal reasons:

Prongers 6 million plus per year salary almost guarantees another move that will be made more with salary in mind than skills. Giroux will certainly step up and replace Lupuls point production, but the Flyers probably have to dump another salary/skilled forward to make room for Prongers salary. If so, it is likely to be another of their talented forwards, and they have already lost Upshall (in Carcillo trade), and Lupul in the Pronger trade. The obvious hope due to his huge salary and soft play is Briere, but I would think his contract would make him tough to move........Richards and Carter are untouchables, so my guess is that the Flyers may have to move Gagne to open up cap space. The strength of the Flyers to me had been the depth of scoring across their forward lines and that will be in jeopardy as a result of this deal. I understand the Flyers have 52 million of the 56 million dollar cap committed to 17 players..............the remaining 4 million dollars will not take them very far without a move like the one referenced above.

The upside of Luca Sbisa is tremendous. Sbisa played very well last year for the Flyers and at the age of 19 has the potential to be a top flight defenseman in the NHL for years to come. At age 34, and with only this year on his contract, Pronger is definitely more of a short term play. Though 34 is not over the hill, the miles on a 34 year old defensman who plays as physical as Pronger are not insignificant. He is another guy to go along with Carcillo and Hartnell apt to take penalties at inopportune times.

Giving up the two number one picks will have an affect on future depth. Number one picks are not the same in the NHL as they are in the NFL, where the expectation to contribute year one is present for one picked so high, especially picking late in the round as the Flyers are likely to do, but they are picks that should show up sometime in a 2-3 year window. The Flyers used their round one picks this year and next in return for the third pick. I like what Pronger can do for the Flyers from their perspective, but I think the price was too high, especially with regard to Sbisa. Timonen and Pronger give the Flyers two top notch shut down defensemen, but their age and the overall cost is too high. If the Flyers wind up hoisting the Cup and Pronger was front and center, then certainly this will have been a great move..........in my opinion, it is the ONLY way it is. Anything short of a cup this year and it is a regrettable move. If not, the Flyers have given up MUCH for a potentially one year run with Pronger................Time will tell.......Flyers fans, your thoughts??

Quality at 30th pick

Many experts said that Simon Despres was one of the best defensemen available in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
The Penguins obviously agreed, which is why they chose him last night when he was still available at the end of the opening round. Indeed, they had projected him as a middle-of-the-first-round selection.
What they do not necessarily go along with is the perception that he is strictly a defensive defenseman.
Not because they have any particular concerns about how Despres, who is 6 feet 3 1/2, 205 pounds, plays in his own zone, but because they feel he has untapped offensive abilities.
"I would hope that at some point he can chip in [offensively], and at least be a No. 3 or 4 defenseman at some point," said Jay Heinbuck, their director of amateur scouting.
Despres, who had two goals and 30 assists in 66 games with St. John in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2008-09, said flatly that, "I think I have offensive potential."
When asked what area of his game needs the most work, he responded: "I have to shoot more."
The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau ranked him the No. 8 prospect among North American forwards and defensemen, and Chris Bordeleau of Central Scouting offered this assessment of Despres:
"He's got the size and mobility. I've seen him many games, and he never seems to make a bad play. He's never going to get 100 points, but, definitely, when you want a guy to play defense, he's your guy. He does it all, he'll block shots and he moves the puck at the right time."
The Penguins sufficiently were impressed that they rejected several offers to trade the No. 30 pick, which they used on Despres.
"Our scouts really liked him and wanted to stick with the pick and take him," general manager Ray Shero said. "I actually tried to talk them out of it, just to make sure [the scouts] wanted him."
Even though the Penguins had been impressed by him for quite a while, Despres wasn't aware of just how interested they were in him until Shero announced that he was their choice.
"I met with them a couple of times, but you never know," Despres said. "In the draft, it's so unpredictable."
What he did know was that he liked the idea of ending up with the Penguins. Turns out he was something of a fan long before he became part of the organization.
"I was wanting them to win the Stanley Cup this year," he said. "Mario Lemieux and [Sidney] Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin and all those guys. It's a great honor, and I'm very excited."
Despres is the first defenseman the Penguins have taken in the first round since they claimed Ryan Whitney in 2002. Unlike Whitney, whose forte always was offense, Despres' game is built on his work in his own zone.
"He's not a big offensive numbers guy as of yet, but he's going to at least be a good first-pass defenseman who defends well," Heinbuck said. "He skates well for a 6 foot 4 kid and he's just [showing] the tip of the iceberg, physically.
"He's already a big boy, and he hasn't filled out yet. He has a chance to be a massive person."
Heinbuck said Despres was at less than 100 percent for most of the past season -- "He did play with a bit of a hip problem all year. A bruised hip, where every time you play, you bang it again" -- and suggested that might have been one of the factors that contributed to him still being available when it was the Penguins' turn to choose.
His modest offensive statistics might have been another.
"Maybe people thought he should have put up more offensive numbers, but he's been on Canada's national teams for his age all along," Heinbuck said.
He will not, however, be fast-tracked to the NHL. If he's able to contend for a job with the Penguins in three seasons, management will be delighted.
"He has another two years of junior eligibility," Heinbuck said. "If he takes some good strides in those years ... our philosophy is not to rush guys."Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09178/980340-61.stm#ixzz0JdYGIYLL&C

More Finals Pix

Mario

Madden, Special to The Times
Published: Sunday, June 21, 2009 11:43 PM EDT
As the Consol Energy Center rises across the street from Mellon Arena, plans for accessorizing the Penguins’ new digs should be forming.Even though it’s not his style, those plans must include a statue of the team’s greatest player and current owner, Mario Lemieux.As the euphoria of the franchise’s third Stanley Cup fades — and that’s going to take a while — we should never forget the gamble Lemieux took to keep the team in Pittsburgh and keep his sweater alive.Sure, his risk paid off handsomely: Purchased for $107 million, the Penguins were valued at $195 million by Forbes Magazine at season’s start.Forbes also calls the Penguins the NHL’s fastest-growing brand. They are on a string of 118 straight home sellouts.But Lemieux could have taken the easy way out.Lemieux got his share of the team in exchange for $29 million he was owed in deferred salary. He could have received a sizeable percentage of that, in cash, through bankruptcy court had the team been sold elsewhere.Lemieux could have then played one season for Montreal or the New York Rangers, made $20 million, and been ahead of the game with no further obligation, let alone the headache of owning a team.But if the Penguins had died, Lemieux’s legacy would have diminished. Peter Stastny is remembered in Quebec, but not revered.Lemieux rode out the uncertainty, kept the Penguins away from predators like Blackberry mogul Jim Balsillie, stared down politicians for a new arena, then focused on a business he knows: winning Stanley Cups. Pretty cerebral stuff for a kid from Ville Emard with no high school diploma.Lemieux is already in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player. He should be inducted again, someday, as a builder.Penguins fans should never forget what Lemieux did. Nor should they underestimate the role of co-owner Ron Burkle. Burkle isn’t just some guy in a golf shirt. His net worth ($3.5 billion), business acumen and reputation give the Penguins incredible stability.If Burkle could score goals, they would erect a statue of him, too.Lemieux’s status with the Penguins is unique. He’s the team’s best player ever, arguably the game’s greatest. He was pro sports’ first player/owner. He won the Stanley Cup as a player, then as an owner. Lemieux preserved the team’s existence on three occasions: When he joined the moribund club as a player in 1984, when he bought it out of bankruptcy in 1999, and when he won the new arena battle in 2007.It’s no exaggeration to say that, within the context of the Penguins, Lemieux is more ingrained than any other figure with any other team. Babe Ruth never owned the New York Yankees. Wayne Gretzky ditched the Edmonton Oilers. Heck, Michael Jordan ended his career with a scrub club.Gretzky and Jordan forgot how to win. Not Lemieux. Witness the well-documented inspiration he gave the Penguins during the Stanley Cup final.As a lifelong Penguins supporter, congratulating Mario on the ice at Joe Louis Arena after the Penguins won their third Stanley Cup is a mental image I will take to my grave.Now, about that statue: Maybe that time he scored right off the face-off could be immortalized.

Great Madden article

Published: Monday, June 15, 2009 11:49 PM EDT
Whoever trademarked “Hockeytown” should file a change of address form with the post office.Eleven Stanley Cups, Gordie Howe, Stevie Y, blah blah blah, ... none of that tripe makes much difference in light of the behavior on display during and after this past Friday’s Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena.The Detroit crowd quit when the Penguins led 2-0. The Pittsburgh fans in attendance outshouted the Red Wings not-so-faithful for most of the game, cleverly responding to “Let’s Go Red Wings” with “Let’s Go Pens” just a breath after. It was well-timed and impossible to drown out.The PA announcer didn’t even play Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” in the third period. Maybe because the home fans had stopped believin’.Then, when the Stanley Cup was presented to Sidney Crosby, I was shocked by the avalanche of boos. It was classless, and I don’t recall it happening when Detroit picked up the Cup at Mellon Arena last year. In fact, I recall respectful applause from a heartbroken crowd.Detroit had no inkling that the Red Wings could lose. Didn’t even consider the possibility. Arrogance disguised as complacence.The Penguins fans in attendance further distinguished themselves afterward by sticking around for the lengthy on-ice media scrum/team celebration that followed. Sheer joy all around. I was lucky enough to be on the ice for most of it, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.Then Red Wings forward Kris Draper complained because Crosby didn’t shake Nicklas Lidstrom’s hand after.Well, boo hoo.Crosby got to the handshake line late because he was doing interviews on network television. Was Crosby supposed to ditch live TV, sprint over on his bad wheel and grab Lidstrom’s hand to placate Draper?Notice Lidstrom didn’t complain. Just the has-been forward that piggybacked his way to a fistful of rings. Crosby didn’t complain when Draper inexplicably stole his spot on Team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Canadians, however, complained when their low-octane team lost in the quarterfinals.Detroit Coach Mike Babcock cited injuries. But what finalist hasn’t sustained injuries over the demanding two-month post-season grind? And didn’t a hobbled Crosby play just one shift in the third period of Game 7?Detroit fans have compiled lists of borderline calls that allegedly affected the series outcome. But when Johan Franzen hurt Crosby by ramming him into the boards, it was textbook interference. No complaints. I’ve been waiting for the NHL rulebook to be applied properly and consistently since Bill McCreary was teething on pucks in his crib. It’s not going to happen.It brings me back to my favorite sports truism: What could have happened, did.It goes back to Original Six conceit. When the Penguins led 2-0 in the third period, I thought the traditionalists on press row were going to weep. When Detroit cut the lead in half, hope sprang eternal.Then Marc-Andre Fleury slammed the door shut. It’s a shame it wasn’t on a Toronto hockey writer’s hand.Everyone who traveled from Pittsburgh to Detroit for Game 7 showed up ready to compete. Ohio State hockey player Sergio Somma, a Plum native, was in a Joe Louis Arena men’s room when an inebriated Wings fan, noting Somma’s Penguins jersey, drunkenly sloshed into him.Somma didn’t back down, nor did he overreact. “You check like Zetterberg,” he sneered.Pittsburgh beats Detroit again

I Won the Cup-Good stuff here!

Memories+

Crosby new SC commercial

Stanley Cup Celebration

City of Champs Video

Hosebag

Laughs

The joke jerseys of the defeated!

Motown Whine

There is still a fine whine coming from Detroit!

GENO

Finals Photos

Howard Stern show and the Pens

More Detroit Love

Watching Pavel Catpuke win the Lady Byng made me wanna lose my lunch....or visit the zoo.....anyone else see a cage and a banana when you see him? How about a fez? Would make a great organ grinder! At least that is what Draper says!

Good tribute video

great video

Party On Garth!

Dupuis Tattoo

Nice Tattoo for Pascal Dupuis.....wasted no time~

Goligoski signed

Pens sign Alex Goligoski to three year deal......I like this move a lot.......his cap hit of 1.8M is big, BUT he and Letang are the future of the offense from the Blue Line............get Tanger locked up, then deal with keeping some of the following guys: Guerin, Fedtotenko, Scuderi, Gill, Adams................I have to believe that unless Scuds gives a significant home town discount the Pens will not have a chance of signing him, but one can hope anyway. I really liked Feds, especially in the playoffs, and Guerin as well...............Guerin would definitely have to take less than his 4.5 M current deal.........but I think he would. I am a big fan of Craig Adams as a penalty killer and gritty fourth liner.........they may have to choose between he and Mike Zigomanis............I do not see anyway they keep Satan, and I am glad. I also cannot see them keeping Sykora, and I am SAD about that, though I understand it. We will see Luca Caputi on wing and Ben Lovejoy on defense get a real hard look at camp this fall, and both have a real shot at making the big club. Enough of that stuff........five days later the Cup victory feels as good as it did Friday night. Also, Sid says F%%K you to Kid Raper, and Henprik from Detroit........he also asked that they shake THIS or something like that!

how we got there

Lange and Bourque speech

Parade

Genos Playoff Goals 2009

Whiners!

More "love" for the whiny bridesmaids!

Some parade shots.....more to come

375,000 people came for the parade today? Where the f $$K is hockeytown?? It is right here in the 'burgh!

Love this!

It's revealed that Mario Lemieux sent a few text messages, first to Ray Shero, after the 5-0 loss in Game Five:"We are a family and in this together. We don't need anyone that is only with us WIN or TIE. I really think this is our year. Let's forget about tonight ... It happens. We will win Tuesday and win the Cup Friday."and then to Penguin players the morning of Game Seven:"This is a chance of a lifetime to realize your childhood dream to win a Stanley Cup. Play without fear and you will be successful! See you at center ice."

Champs Tribute

Great Tribute to our Champs

We are the Champions Tribute/Queen

Mike Langes Final Call for Championship

A Season to Remember!!!!

Regular season
After falling two victories shy of winning the Stanley Cup months earlier, the Penguins entered the 2008-09 season with high expectations but history against them.
Since 1967, only one team had ever won the Stanley Cup the year after losing in the Final, and that was the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers in 1984. And the last 11 Stanley Cup runners-up combined for only one playoff series win in the season following the trip to the Final.
Four teams failed to even make the playoffs, and after a torrid 12-4-3 start, by February it appeared the Penguins were going to make it five.
Playing long stretches without injured top defensemen Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar, coupled with the offseason losses of scorer Marian Hossa, who went to Detroit thinking it was his best chance to win a Cup, plus dressing room leaders Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts seemed to be taking its toll.
The Penguins were on a 15-20-2 slide since late November when they went to Toronto on Feb. 14, blew a two-goal lead and lost, 6-2, to the Maple Leafs. The next day, general manager Ray Shero fired coach Michel Therrien and promoted first-year AHL head coach Dan Bylsma from Wilkes-Barre as his temporary replacement.
At 27-25-5, they were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and five points out of a playoff spot.
With just 25 games to turn it around, the team flourished under Bylsma and his less-restrictive, more offensive style. Major moves included trading Whitney to Anaheim for Chris Kunitz and acquiring 38-year-old veteran Bill Guerin to play alongside Sidney Crosby at the trade deadline. The Penguins went 18-3-4 under Bylsma to end the regular season and finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference (45-28-9).
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
PENGUINS 4, FLYERS 2
After taking a 2-0 lead into Philadelphia, the Penguins dropped Game 3, 6-3, as the Flyers tried to battle their way back into the series. Game 4 saw an all-out barrage by the Flyers, but it also saw one of Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's finest performances. He turned away 45 shots in a 3-1 win to send his team back to Mellon Arena leading the series, 3-1.
But it still wasn't going to be that easy for the Penguins, who were shut out with a chance to clinch at home in Game 5, 3-0.
In Game 6, back on Philadelphia ice, the Flyers came out with everything they had. They went ahead, 2-0, in the first period and made it 3-0 early in the second. Then, Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo engaged Max Talbot in a fight, and just like that, the game turned.
The Penguins scored 14 seconds later, and again less than two minutes after that. Crosby tied it before the second period was over, Gonchar scored early in the third and Crosby added an empty-netter to dispatch the Flyers on their home ice and advance to the second round.
Bylsma was officially named coach, losing the interim tag, after the series.
Eastern Conference Semifinals
PENGUINS 4, CAPITALS 3
Bring on the Sidney Crosby-Alexander Ovechkin dream matchup, and renew the old rivalry. It was everything everyone had hoped for, with Crosby and Ovechkin so strong early on that they both — both! — recorded their first playoff hat tricks in Game 2.
But the Penguins returned to Pittsburgh for Game 3 down, 2-0, after a pair of one-goal losses to open the series in Washington. Capitals rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov was doing his best to steal the show.
The Penguins took the next three games, two in overtime, as Malkin picked up his game. They lost Gonchar after a knee-on-knee hit from Ovechkin in Game 4 and won on a lucky overtime bounce in Game 5 in Washington.
With Game 6 back in Pittsburgh and another chance for the Penguins to close the series on home ice, the Capitals rallied to win yet another overtime game.
Setting up what everyone bet was going to be the toughest game yet, the Capitals crumbled in Game 7 under the pressure of Crosby and company. The captain scored twice to bring his league-leading total to 12 in a 6-2 win in which Gonchar returned to the lineup and the Penguins shut down Ovechkin and chased Varlamov from net.
Eastern Conference Final
PENGUINS 4, HURRICANES 0
Four wins from a repeat trip to the Stanley Cup Final and once more with home-ice advantage, it was Malkin's turn to shine in this series. His hat trick in Game 2 helped give the Penguins a 7-4 win and a 2-0 lead on the series. With four of the Penguins' 10 goals in the first two games of the series, Malkin jumped ahead of Crosby for the lead in NHL playoff scoring with 25 points (to Crosby's 24).
Carolina defenseman Tim Gleason said after Game 2 — which saw the Hurricanes rally to tie the score three times and still lose — that it wasn't going to be a four-game series.
He was wrong.
The Penguins outscored the Hurricanes, 10-3, in two games on their ice, with Crosby and Malkin dominating and the Penguins' defense shutting down the Carolina offense. With a 4-1 victory in Game 4, the Penguins swept the Hurricanes and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row.
STANLEY CUP FINAL
PENGUINS 4, RED WINGS 3
The Penguins' quest for a third hockey championship got off to a rocky start.
Down two games to none after playing on back-to-back nights in Detroit, the Penguins returned home knowing that no team since the 1971 Montreal Canadiens had won the Stanley Cup after losing the first two games on the road.
They were up to the challenge.
By winning four of the final five games against the Red Wings, the Penguins brought the Stanley Cup home for the third time in franchise history and for the first time in 17 years.
The Penguins evened the series with a pair of wins on home ice, then found themselves trailing again after a lopsided loss in Detroit.
Goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury, yanked midway through the 5-0 drubbing in Game 5, was sensational in the final two games, consecutive 2-1 victories. The Cup clincher was back at Joe Louis Arena, where the Penguins had been stymied all series.
Max Talbot scored both goals for the Penguins in Game 7, and Fleury withstood a last-minute flurry from the Wings.
Evgeni Malkin finished with 36 points in the playoffs and earned the Conn Smythe trophy as postseason MVP.
A TIMELINE of the 2008-09 season
Aug. 14: The Penguins break ground on their new $290 million arena that will sit along Centre Avenue, featuring views of Downtown, state-of-the-art technology and possibly a nearby hotel. The arena is scheduled to open for the 2010-11 season.
Aug. 15: D Ryan Whitney, whose point total dropped from 59 in 2006-07 to 40 in 2007-08, undergoes surgery to correct a left-foot misalignment. Full recovery from the procedure, an osteotomy, is estimated at 3-5 months.
Sept. 20: D Sergei Gonchar injures his left shoulder in the Penguins' 5-4 exhibition shootout loss against Tampa Bay at Mellon Arena. The injury is diagnosed two days later as a separation and Gonchar is considered "out indefinitely" by general manager Ray Shero. Gonchar ultimately decides to undergo surgery to repair the injury and is expected to be sidelined until March.
Sept. 26: The Penguins announce they have signed RW Tyler Kennedy, 22, to a two-year contract extension. Kennedy, who had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the 2008-09 season, will earn base salaries of $600,000 in 2009-10 and $850,000 in 2010-11.
Oct. 4: D Rob Scuderi snaps a 120-game goal drought, including playoffs, at 3:56 of the third period to help the Penguins defeat the Senators, 4-3, in overtime at Globe Arena in the NHL Premiere in Stockholm, Sweden. RW Tyler Kennedy nets the game-winner, his second goal of the night, late in OT.
Oct. 9: The Penguins acquire C and faceoff specialist Mike Zigomanis from Phoenix for future considerations.
Oct. 11: G Marc-Andre Fleury's 47-save performance isn't enough to prevent the Penguins from losing their home opener to the New Jersey Devils, 2-1, in overtime. The Devils out-shoot the Penguins, 49-15.
Oct. 18: C Sidney Crosby scores his 100th NHL goal, earns his 200th assist and reaches the 300-point plateau in a 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. C Evgeni Malkin has four assists, pushing him over the 200-point milestone. RW Bill Thomas, a Fox Chapel High School graduate, plays his first regular-season game with the Penguins at Mellon Arena.
Nov. 11: C Jordan Staal produces his second career hat trick in the final 12 minutes of regulation, including a pull-even tally at 19:37, and the Penguins beat the Red Wings in Detroit, 7-6, in overtime. Staal adds the only assist on LW Ruslan Fedotenko's game-winning goal at 3:49 of the extra session.
Nov.15: D Darryl Sydor is traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for D Philippe Boucher. Sydor, 36, was in the final season of his contract that counted $2.5 million against the NHL salary cap. Boucher, 35, is also in the final year of his contract that costs $2.5 million against the cap.
Nov. 17: G Marc-Andre Fleury is deemed unavailable for a game against the Minnesota Wild and is listed as day-to-day due to an undisclosed injury. Fleury had been injured during a 5-2 win over Buffalo Sabres, but finished the game.
Nov. 29: C Sidney Crosby registers his second career hat trick and first at Mellon Arena to lead the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils.
Dec. 11: RW Petr Sykora and LW Dupuis tally their first NHL hat tricks in the Penguins' 9-2 victory over the New York Islanders at Mellon Arena. Sykora had amassed a record 38 two-goal games without recording an HT.
Dec. 15: The Penguins announce that Consol Energy Inc. has won the naming rights to the state-of-the-art arena under construction along Centre Avenue. The 18,087-seat venue will be called the Consol Energy Center.
Dec. 18: C Evgeni Malkin scores his 13th and 14th goals and adds two assists, upping his NHL-best point total to 53, and the Penguins down the Atlanta Thrashers, 6-3, at Philips Arena. G Marc-Andre Fleury wins in his first appearance since Nov. 15 after missing over a month with a groin injury.
Dec. 19: C Max Talbot, 24, and the Penguins agree to terms on a two-year contract extension through the 2010-11 season. Starting next season, the Penguins will pay Talbot $1.050 million per year.
Dec. 23: D Ryan Whitney (foot) returns to the Penguins' lineup in a 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay. Whitney had yet to play this season after undergoing foot surgery.
Dec. 30: The Penguins hold a players-only meeting after a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at Mellon Arena, the team's fifth loss in six home games and one that caps a 5-8-1 December.
Jan. 6: The Penguins snap a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers, but lose LW Ruslan Fedotenko to a broken right hand. Fedotenko leaves the game after a first-period fight with Atlanta's Colby Armstrong.
Jan. 16: G Dany Sabourin and RW Ryan Stone are traded to Edmonton for G Mathieu Garon.
Jan. 24: C Evgeni Malkin wins the NHL SuperSkills Accuracy Shooter Challenge during All-Star Game festivities in Montreal. Malkin becomes the fifth player in history to have a perfect score. He beats Ottawa's Dany Heatley, who registers the sixth perfect score, in a tie-breaker.
Feb. 14: D Sergei Gonchar makes his regular-season debut and LW Ruslan Fedotenko returns after missing 15 games with a broken hand, but the Penguins squander a 2-0 lead and lose, 6-2, at Toronto, falling to 1-7-1 in their last nine road games.
Feb. 15: General Manager Ray Shero fires head coach Michel Therrien and replaces him with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Dan Bylsma on an interim basis. Therrien departs five games shy of surpassing Ed Johnston's franchise-best 276 consecutive games as coach with the Penguins (27-25-5, 59 points) in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot, and with a record of 15-21-2 over their last 38 games.
Feb. 26: The Penguins trade D Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for LW Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi. Kunitz, 29, arrives having scored 16 goals and recorded 19 assists to go with 55 penalty minutes in 62 games this season with the Ducks and as a member of Anaheim's 2007 Stanley Cup team. He is signed through 2011-12 at an annual cap hit of $3,725,000 — just $275,000 less than Whitney.
March 4: General Manager Ray Shero acquires RW Bill Guerin (16 goals in 61 games) from the Islanders for a conditional draft pick and picks up F Craig Adams from Chicago on waivers. The Penguins also assign RW Miroslav Satan to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after he clears waivers.
March 8: C Sidney Crosby scores the decisive goal in a 4-3 shootout win at Washington that completes a 5-0-0 road trip for the Penguins (35-26-6, 76 points). The win moves the Pens three points ahead of ninth-place Buffalo for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
April 7: A 6-4 victory at Tampa Bay, the Penguins' 16th win in 23 games under interim head coach Dan Bylsma, clinches a playoff spot for the Penguins. At 43-28-9 and with 95 points, the Pens are assured of no worse than the No. 7 seed among an eight-team Eastern Conference playoff field.
April 11: C Evgeni Malkin scores his 35th goal and increases his point total to 113, a total that will stand as good enough to claim for Malkin his first NHL scoring championship, in a 3-1 win at Montreal.
April 25: The Penguins rally from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Flyers, 5-3, and win their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, four games to two.
April 28: The Penguins announce they have lifted the interim tag from head coach Dan Bylsma, giving him the job on a multi-year basis. Bylsma, 38, directed the Penguins to an 18-3-4 record in the final 25 games of the regular season and a first-round win over Philadelphia in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
May 13: C Sidney Crosby's two power-play goals sparked a 6-2 domination of Washington in Game 7 at the Verizon Center. In beating the Capitals in the second round, 4-3, the Penguins improved to 4-0 all-time in road playoff Game 7s and 7-1 in postseason series against the Capitals.
May 26: The Penguins win 4-1, their 30th victory in 42 games under head coach Dan Bylsma, and complete a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. The Penguins become the first NHL team since the 1984 Edmonton Oilers to reach the Stanley Cup Final after losing in it the previous season.
June 10: The Penguins stave off elimination with a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Mellon Arena, setting up the 15th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Final history.
June 12: Max Talbot scores the first two goals of Game 7 for the Penguins, before the Red Wings cut the lead to one in the third period. The Penguins then hold off a furious rally from Detroit to hoist the Cup

ECF GAME 3

My first experience watching Hacksaw Jim.......classic

Watch this slideshow!

Now this is funny.....Hacksaw Jim, Pens fan is hilarious! For those of you,who think I am a sicko, look at this dude!!

Eastern Conference Champs