Pens the best right now?

Some more Pens numbers to crunch.....they have not allowed a power play goal in 9 games...the record I am told is 12. They have not allowed a power play goal in the last 32 attempts......the record I am told is 52. This will give us something more to watch over the next couple of games, but I probably just jinxed it! Also, on Home Ice this am Bill Clement stated that he feels that the Penguins are the best team in the league right now. His logic was as follows: The Pens started today tied for the most points in the league despite the fact that Jordan Staal has not played a game yet, Malkin has not played very well yet, and Fleury was horrible for the first part of the season. He further stated that of the Penguins 10 losses, 7 were by a single goal, meaning they easily could have more points. (if you look at one goal wins the same way it sure does water that down). It was nice to hear Clement say that, and the Pens have been fun to watch thus far, BUT, prior to this streak they were pretty average, and had looked like a disaster after giving up 5 third period goals on November 10 against the Bruins. So nearly three weeks go by, and now they are the best? Three more weeks and they can look pretty mediocre again, so lets not get overly excited. If Crosby cools off and Malkin does not pick it up they could really struggle again. I would also say that I will be more excited if a streak like this closes out March and April. The Flyers and Capitals have something to say on this issue as well, trust me. That said, the defense is meshing, Letang looks like a bonafide upper echelon defenseman, the goaltending came around, Crosby is kicking ass, secondary scoring is there, the third line is hot, the penalty kill is awesome, Staal will be back in a couple of weeks, the Winter Classic is one month away.............ride it while you can, as the roller coaster that is an NHL season will have more peaks and valleys between now and the end of the year....remind me too when I lose my marbles over the next streak of losses.

Pens beat the Rangers

First off another great game to run the Pens' winning streak to 7 straight games and their record to 9-0-1 in the last 10 games. The 3 Penguins goals were scored by Max Talbot, Kris Letang, and Chris Connor. Crosby now has a 13 game point scoring streak, the longest in the NHL this season, and he was 74% in the faceoff circle tonight. Another solid nights work for Crosby. He has collected 18 points in his last 8 games, or 4 less than Malkin has collected all season! Kris Letang's goal tonight moved him ahead of Malkin for second on the team in scoring, and he is 3rd in the NHL among defensemen in scoring. Letang is on pace for 72 points which would surpass the best year (67) Gonchar had as a Penguin. The penalty kill was 3 for 3 tonight, remains first in the league, and has now killed 30 straight penalties.

Some numbers on the Pens from prior to tonights game(25 games in).
The Pens are 10th in goals for at 2.96 goals per game, and they are 5th in goals for at 2.44 per game;
The power play has "improved" to 16.4%, for 15th in the league while allowing 3 shorthanded goals good for 20th in the league;
The Pens are number one in the league in the penalty kill at 90.2%;
They are second in the league with 5 short handed goals;
The first goal is important to the Pens as they are 9-2 when they get it, and 6-8 when the do not;
Kris Letang is 2nd on the team in scoring with 23 points, one ahead of Malkin and 18 behind Crosby, while Letang also leads the Pens with a +11;
Malkin is third on the team in scoring, but has fallen under a point per game average. He also leads the team in takeaways (15), but in giveaways too(23);
Paul Martin leads the team in ice time at 23:25, and blocked shots at 42, while Zybnek Michalek is second with 40 despite playing 9 fewer games;
Alex Goligoski leads the team with 3 game winning goals;
Matt Cooke leads the team with 2 short handed goals, 4 short handed points, and 75 hits.

The Penguins top prospect, 6'4" 218 lb. blueliner Simon Despres has 19 points in 16 games and is a plus 19 for St. Johns of the QMJHL;

Take that Hulkster!

My poor technical abilities and a blown up laptop have lost some other game day photos, but Hulkster, dont make me come after YOU! LOL! Anyway, it did provide a reason for a walk down Memory Lane on SOME of my jobbing jersies......missing pictures of Smeliass for Patrick Elias of the Devils...... Good work Hulkster!

Is there room in this town for 2 jersey jobbers??

Nice sign Hulkster!

Pretty good stuff!

Someone needs to tell the Hulkster that he will NEVER top the original jobbing jersey dude, yours truly LOL..........Hey, I get the biggest kick out of the Hulkster at the games....he is truly a surly dude with enough self confidence to wear those white glasses, a Hulkster skull cap and a goddamn boa for christ's sake! How bad can he be, right? He always had funny signs as well, as you can see by this post, but Hulkster you are now stepping into MY domain with the jerseys.......I told myself that I would act my age this year, and that was made easier by the fact that I no longer have direct access to the opposition for purposes of razzing with my jerseys.....BUT if this dude keeps up the jumbotron seeking jersey jobbing, I MAY have to remind him who the main mutha$$CK$$ of jersey jobbing in Pittsburgh really is!! Cy Clark, hats off to you, but you may get me back in the game for some competition! Note,I have to hand it to Cy he has something for EVERY game! Well done sir! I may have to rejoin the fray!

P.K. Subban vs Zach Bogosian Nov 26, 2010

I am now thinking after watching this attempted turtle job and then "hang on for dear life" fight that we all know now what the first initial P stands for in PK Subbans name! PK Scissorskates sure looks like a deer in the headlights after Bogosian knocks his helmet off and asks PK to have a go.........watch it and laugh as you watch this guy take his runs on the ice. I would like to see more people call this cheap player out and expose him for what he is.......Too funny........

Pens win again......top of the Division and Conference in sight

One thing you (and I) have to remember during a long hockey season is not to get too low when they are playing poorly, and not to get too high when they are on a streak. I can tell you though that this trying not to get too high thing is a lot more fun than trying not to get too low! The Penguins continued their hot play today, as they defeated the Flames at home by a score of 4-1 in front of Brent Johnson, who notched his 7th win of the season a day after Fleury notched his 8th. On that note in 7 of the past 9 games the Pens have held their opponents to two goals or less, a good sign for a defensive unit that is really beginning to jell. Some other notes:

Chris Kunitz is playing his best hockey since becoming a Penguin, as he and Crosby seem to be in a zone together. Kunitz led the team today with 7 shots, and his play on Crosby's 2nd goal was just plain spectacular;

Deryk Engelland brings far more to the team as the 6th defenseman than Ben Lovejoy. His physical play, and toughness are far more valuable than another less talented puck moving defenseman. Engelland led the team in blocked shots today with 6;

The penalty kill went 4 for 4 today, leads the NHL at 90.2%, has 29 straight kills and is 47 for 49 in the month of December. It is tough to be much better than that;

The power play is still a weakness but it is improving with 6 power play goals in the past 5 games;

The third line of Connor, Letetstu and Kennedy has been fun to watch and very effective playing Bylsma's puck possession game and wearing the other team down;

I loved seeing Asham get back on the board today and still think that until Staal comes back the second line should be Asham, Cooke and Malkin, with Talbot back on the 4th line;

Michalek and Martin get more and more comfortable and effective with each game;

Kris Letang had 3 assists to take his season total to 22 points, which ties him for the NHL lead in scoring for defensemen. In addition his 22 points ties him with Evgeni Malkin for 2nd place on the team, and he is a plus 11. Finally, he is on a pace to eclipse the offensive production of Gonchar's best years as a Penguin, and he is far better defensively;

And what more can you say about Sidney Crosby right now. Jarome Iginla stated that he felt that Crosby is just the best player in the game right now given his scoring, faceoffs, and backchecking. Crosby's hat trick gave him his 199th, 200th, and 201st career goals and put in first place in the NHL in scoring with 40 points. He is also second in the league in goals with 18, just two behind league leader Steven Stamkos. Crosby now has 18 goals and 22 assists in 25 games, and he was absolutely dominant today;

The Penguins have been playing a lot like the team I thought they were lately, and it sure is fun to watch. After a rough start, the Penguins with 32 points are third in the entire league behind Philadelphia and Washington each with 34! I have to believe that Mike Comrie is pretty much finished as a Penguin, and that is as it should be. I hope we can pound the Rags in New York on Monday night, and I expect to see Engelland and the Boogeyman have a go so tune in!

Pens win 5th straight

The Penguins have been on a tear since being embarrassed in the third period at home on November 11 against Boston. Since then the Penguins have taken 15 of a possible 16 points, winning 5 in a row, 7 of the last 8, and going 8-2-1 in the last 11 games. They now sit at 14-8-2, and are in striking distance of the top of the division and the conference. The Pens are second in the Divsion trailing the Flyers by 3 points and 3rd in the conference, behind Washington and Philadelphia. During this stretch Sidney Crosby has scored in all 11 games, and Marc Andre Fleury has improved his GAA from 3.54 to 2.57 and his save percentage from around .841 to .905. Finally, while the PP is still up and down, and mired in the bottom third of the league overall, the PK is killing penalties at an 89.5% clip, good for third in the league, behind only Montreal at 90% and Boston at 90.5%. Let's rack up two more points tomorrow against the Flamers.

24/7 Pens/Caps: Interviews with Sidney Crosby and Max Talbot

24/7 Pens/Caps: The Enforcers with DJ King and Eric Godard

Pens win 1-0

Pens win to go 12-8-1

In a workman like performance the Penguins beat the Florida Panthers tonight on the road to get to 6-3-1 this year on the road. The penalty kill remains an elite unit going 5 for 5 tonight on the kill, and the power play actually made a difference going 2 for 3 with power play goals by Letang(the first for a Pens defeneman since 10/18), and Sidney Crosby who is tied for the league lead in points, and second in the league in goal scoring. Crosby now has 20 points in his last 9 games, and came into tonights game on pace for 55 goals and 129 points! Don't look now but Marc Andre Fleury is now 6-0-1 in his last seven games. Michalek was a shot blocking monster tonight. Connor found the back of the net for the game winner. See you in Buffalo!

24/7 reality series preview (2011)

A win is a win

The Penguins won a sloppy game last night, but two points is two points, and the Pens are slowly climbing into the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. Some numbers going into last nights game:

The Penguins PP was clicking at a lowly 12.8% good for 25th in the league.....given the talent they put out on the ice for the PP, that is a travesty;

The Penguins PK conversely was killing penalties at 88.2%, good for fifth in the league;

The Penguins entered last night leading the league in points from defensemen;

The team had also allowed the fewest shots per game in the league;

Crosby came into the game riding a seven game point scoring streak, and 5 points behind Stamkos for the league lead in scoring. He left the game with an 8 game streak, and his 4 point night put him only one point off of the league lead in scoring;

Evgeni Malkin recorded career points 399,400, and 401 last night;

On to the game itself, it had an ominous start with Fleury allowing a goal on the game's first shot, just 42 seconds in. The Penguins then took the lead 2-1, before the teams traded goals ending in a 4-4 tie in regulation. Crosby, well what can you say right now? He is all over the ice, creating offense, and dominating play. He easily could have added two goals last night, getting into great position and missing two huge semi empty net shots from close range. Malkin had another productive evening, but for the third game in the row made a VERY POOR decision late in a game leading to a turnover that could have altered the game, as it did against the Rangers. Fortunately his careless play with a lead did not cost the Pens the games against Vancouver and Carolina as it did that night against the Rangers. Kris Letang also continues to dazzle with great skating, solid hitting, good scoring chances, and an awesome shootout presence. He is also plagued with making one or two very bad decisions per game, and needs to focus more on details. Once he does, I am not sure you will find many better defensemen in te league. I am beginning to see what I had expected to see from Zybnek Michalek,and expect that by the time we hit December, we will see the shutdown, shot blocking machine Shero bought on July 1. Martin, remains a bit of a disappointment to me, but it may just take time. He comes in with a great pedigree, and again Gonch sucked most of his first year here, so it is early to get too worried about Martin. I thought Derek Engelland looked a little bit out of sync last night, and Brooks Orpik, maybe my favorite player does not seem quite right to me. I suspect some injury carry over for Orpik, as he is just not the soul crushing physical presence I am used to seeing right now. He will be when all is said and done though. Despite being written off this season, Tyler Kennedy seems to be contributing for the Pens, netting his fourth goal and providing some momentum swinging shifts on a very speedy third line that also includes Chris Connor and Mark Letestu. How about Chris Kunitz? Last night we saw a display of what he is capable of. He was blocking shots, finishing checks, keeping pucks in the zone, digging pucks out of the corners, and he scored two goals. We see the shot blocking, check finishing, corner busting puck retriever night in and night out, yet it is funny how much more THAT is appreciated when Coon manages to finish some of the chances he gets. If he can chip in 25 goals AND maintain the rest of his game, he will be viewed in an entirely different light in this town. I think that this is the year that he does that. My final observation is that the Penguins are heading in the right direction, but I still have some concerns with the team and how they are handled. The trend for all players, Crosby included to make sloppy, overly fancy plays like drop passes all over the ice annoys me. Letestu even tried a no look behind the back pass at the Canes blue line that was intercepted and almost put in the net. A guy of that caliber trying make that play at that juncture needs a message sent, but I am doubting that it will be. This team needs to simplify the play through the neutral zone, make simple plays to get the puck behind the D, get to their game which at its best is mind bending forechecking and a down low cycle. Then take the shots that are available and CRASH the net for rebounds. They cannot get to that game as the turnovers in the neutral zone do not allow the forwards to get through the zone with any speed. The same general message of simple play, getting shots on net and crashing it for rebounds would make a big difference there too. I hope they get the message in time to challenge for a top seed in the conference, as there is no reason that they should not. Also, another game with Comrie on the bench, and another win.

Impressive win

The Penguins rebounded nicely from a very disappointing loss the other night at home. They came out and played a solid, aggressive game tonight. The got out to a 3-0 lead, and held that lead, with Vancouver never really in it from there. The Penguins defense did a nice job against the top line of Burrows and the Sedin sisters. It was good to see Talbot continue his recent streak of strong play, he can be a very valuable energy player when he has game. Arron Asham continues to play very well with Malkin, and I thought he showed his underrated hands on the game's third goal. And Crosby, well he is one point behind league leader Steven Stamkos in points with 29 in 20 games, and third in the league behind Semin and league leader Stamkos with 13 goals. This pace would translate to 52 goals, and 116 points for the season. Not too shabby! Another interesting stat was that the Penguins penalty killing came into the game ranked 4th in the league, despite their best defensive forward not playing a single game. That bodes well for them, and it is a good thing because their power play is horrible. Marc Andre Fleury looked very solid in goal again tonight, and Malkin despite not showing up on the scoresheet played a very strong game tonight. This team is a different beast when they have 3 of the 4 mainstays playing up to or near their potential. I also thought Craig Adams played a very solid game tonight, and threw his body around all night long. Finally, Kris Letang continues to impress me with his grit and determination this season. He continues to make one big mental mistake per game, but he makes up for it with everything else. As he continuest to mature, he will be a blast to watch. Also, the only game that the Pens have not won in the past four games happens to be the only that Comrie played in......not hating, just saying! Well, maybe both.

Reopen the Mellon

Not sure about anybody else, but it is getting pretty goddamn old watching this team give away games on home ice. This one might have made me as sick as the third period collapse against the Bruins. This wasted come back highlights the issues on this team. After a brilliant comeback, the Pens have a power play and under 2 minutes to PROTECT A LEAD. So lets start with the dipshit behind the bench. Why not put out the equivalent of your penalty kill unit in that situation? Did they get more points if they win 3-1 v 2-1?????????? Nice move Bylsma.....but still, sorry the ass of the night award goes to Malkin. He ruined an otherwise excellent performance with a DUMB play throwing the puck toward the middle of the ice, towards the goal. Carry it deep, dump it in the corner and get BACK!! Well, it is picked off and the play turns up ice, and of course with the game on the ice, the flower WILTED. Then in OT, Michalek falls, Martin goes down faster than Hillary on Comrie, and Dubinsky and Callahan turn the Flower inside out!! Two points become one point just like that. Home ice my ass! 0 for 6 on the powerplay, with a game tying shortie given up with under 2 minutes left. In short, their season story, stupid coaching, lazy play from one of their "stars," power play is a weapon AGAINST, defense makes key mistakes, and the Flower wilts...........see ya Wednesday.

Who are we? Kristopher Letang

This 6'0" 201 lb defenseman is one of my favorite Penguins. He shoots right and was born on 4/24/87 in Montreal Quebec. Tanger was drafted in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, 62 overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played his junior hockey in the QMJHL for Vald'Or Foveurs. Letang made the QMJHL All Rookie Team in 2005, and was also a CHL All-Star in that same year. He also was a first team All-Star in the Q in 2006 and again in 2007. Tanger won three awards in the Q that season. They were the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the Best Defenseman, Paul Dumont Trophy as Best Personality, and the Kevin Lowe Trophy as Best Defensive Defenseman.

Letang made his NHL debut in the 2006-07 season, scoring his first goal in his third NHL game against the New York Islanders and Rick Depietro. After netting 2 goals in seven games, Tanger was sent back to the QMJHL, where he participated in the playoffs for Val d'Or, then appeared in the final series of that seasons playoffs for the WBS Pens after Vald'Or was eliminated. It is important to note that in addition to the awards that Letang won in the QMJHL, he also won Gold in both 2006 and 2007 as a member of Team Canada in the World Junior Championships, and was a World Junior All-Star in 2007.

Letang started the 2007-08 season in Wilkes Barre, but was recalled early that season. Letang recorded 17 points in 63 games, making him 6th among rookie defensemen, and participated in the 08 Young Stars game during the NHL All Star break. Letang got his first playoff experience as the Pens went all the way to the finals before losing to the Red Wings in six games.

In 2008-09, Letang's role expanded with the Penguins and he netted 10 goals and 33 points, leading all Penguins defensemen in the process, He got his expanded role as a result of an injury to Sergei Gonchar, and took full advantage of it. Letang played in his second NHL Young Stars game, but the best was yet to come. Tanger scored his first NHL playoff goal on 5/6/09 in OT in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals against the Washington Capitals. It will go down as one of the Penguins biggest goals in history, as it prevented the Caps from taking a 3-0 lead in the series. Given the fact that a 3-0 lead would have been almost insurmountable, and that the Pens ulitmately won the Stanley Cup, it was a HUGE goal! Letang was a vital part of the Stanley Cup run, and was ready to take on an even larger role as a member of the teams top defensive pairing and one of the quarterbacks of the power play. As a result on 3/30/10 Kris Letang signed a contract extension that will keep him a Penguin through 2013-14 at 3.5M per year.

It is hard to believe given his awards and NHL experience that Tanger is still only 23 years old. He has 235 NHL regular season games under his belt, recording 24 goals and 72 assists and a -1 during his career. Add to that 52 additional playoff games, with 9 goals and 13 assists and a +1 rating to his resume. Letang had a slow regular season in terms of goal scoring last season, only netting 3, but he earned the confidence of managment with a 5 goal performance in just 13 playoff games. Letang had also contributed 4 goals in 23 games during the Cup run, so he shows up in the big games.

All of this set the stage what for what so far has been a break out season for Letang. In 18 games this year, Letang has 3 goals, 14 assists, 17 points and is a +9! He leads all NHL defensmen in scoring! Letang will still make an occasional mental mistake, but his unbelievable skating, physical presence, and scoring touch make him one of the most valuable players on the team. Tanger has almost a point per game production, huge for a defensman, and is part of a shutdown pairing most nights with Brooks Orpik. On 10/21/10, Letang again won a game with an overtime goal against Nashville. The most exciting part of this for me is that fact that Letang is skating and shooting with confidence. At only 23, Letang despite an already impressive resume is only going to get better. As his decision making process catches up with his physical skills, Tanger figures to be a defenseman who could be in the discussion for the Norris Trophy for years to come. Letang, another value at 3.5M per year!

Nice win tonight

Tonights victory felt even better than last night's. We still may not be ready to plan the parade as some of the nimrods on-line would suggest though. I liked tonights win because we played a good Atlanta team in their building after we played last night and they were rested. I liked it because Fleury has now played two solid games in a row, and he weathered an early storm and an early goal against to log another solid win. I liked it because Evelyn made me look bad after writing a scathing post about him to log a 4 point night and a hat trick. I liked it because Crosby had another multiple point night, and the penalty kill came up big. Some notables from tonight's game:

Malkin had 3 goals and an assist;

Crosby had 1 goal and 2 assists;

Crosby has recorded 5 straight mulitple point games with 6 goals and 6 assists in that span;

Deryk Engelland recorded an assist and is hot now with 2 points in two games;

Geno has 4 goals and 3 assists in the last 4 games, largely due to tonights explosion;

Kris Letang recorded an assist and now is alone at the top of the league in scoring for defensmen;

The penalty kill was awesome again going 5 for 5;

Asham recorded another assist, and seems to have some chemistry with Malkin;

The last two games were needed in order to right the ship for two of the Four Horsemen, Fleury and Malkin. The Penguins still make too many fancy plays, and the power play at times is PAINFUL to watch, but there were plenty of good signs the past two evenings. Now it is time to string some wins together in November to get back in range of the top of the pack in the conference.

Who are we? Deryk Engelland

Deryk Engelland has made an impact on the Penguins this season. He is a 6'2" 202 pound right handed defenseman. He was born on 4/3/82 in Chetwyn, British Columbia, making him a 28 year old rookie. Engelland was drafted 194th overall in the six round of the 2000 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils and he made his professional debut in 2003 with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL. He was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007. Engelland became a fixture on the WBS blue line playing in 231 regular season games while recording 42 points(10G and 32A) and 405 penalty minutes while logging a +11 rating during those games. He added 6 points(1G and 5A) plus 27 PIMs during the playoffs in 2008, helping the WBS Penguins to the Calder Cup Finals. Engelland signed a one year extension that took effect for the 2010-2011 season, a two way contract paying him 500K at the NHL level. He was called up to the big club for a stretch last November, making his NHL debut on 11/10/09 against Boston, and recorded his first point, an assist on 11/16/09 v Anaheim. Engelland's steady play in WBS, along with his toughness(12 and 15 fights in his past two AHL seasons) made him one of four candidates fighting for the number 6 and 7 spots on the Pens blue line this season. Engelland, along with Ben Lovejoy, Andrew Hutchinson, and Simon Despres battled durng the preseason for the final two roster spots, and ultimately Lovejoy and Engelland won those spots. Despres will be a star in this league, and will take one of these spots next year, but Engelland seems to have made a name for himself on this team. Injuries to Michalek and Orpik made it necessary for Hutchinson, Lovejoy and Engelland to all play early in this season. Engelland distinguished himself by playing tough, steady defense and by adding an enforcer quality to the blue line that made Godard an option to sit on many nights. Engelland has now played in 15 of the Penguins 17 games, recording 1 goal and 1 assist, a -3 rating and six fighing majors. This leaves him tied for second i fighting majors in the NHL with Tim Jackman and Brandon Prust, and one fight behind league leader Zenon Kenopka. The Penguins as a team are tied for first in the league in fighting majors with Anaheim at 19 fights. Engelland made an early name by knocking noted tough guy Colton Orr flat on his ass in his first fight of the season, and by decisively beating and bloodying Jody Shelley of the Flyers. He has also fought Neil of Ottawa, Klein of Nashville, Bissonette of Phoenix and Parros of Anaheim proving he is game for all comers. According to voting on Hockeyfights.com, Engelland is 4-2, with victories over Orr, Shelley, Klein, and Neil, while losing to Bissonette and Parros. It is also worth noting that most of the damage to Engelland's plus/minus came in a poor showing v Phoenix where Engelland got beat and contributed to the two goals early in the game that got Fleury yanked. If you take away a few minutes in that game, this kid has been rock steady, physical, and has added an element of nastiness to a blue line that is mostly comprised of mobile, puck moving defensemen. I think Deryk Engelland is a valuable member of this Pens team IF Bylsma resists the temptation to make him more than he is. Let the guy play on the third pairing, log 12-15 minutes and do his thing. Engelland can make a long term home here if he can simply play solid defense, and make decent outlet passes out of the zone. If he can be responsible in his zone and make smart outlet passes, his toughness and ability to stand up for his team mates will make him a tough out as a 6th or 7th defenseman on ANY team.
On a final note, Engelland added his first NHL goal on 11/12/10 against Tampa Bay.