And the new guy

Classy guy....should fit in well in DC

Final Goodbye to BBQ Brucie

Penguins fall to Rangers 4-3 at The Garden

The Rangers had come off of consecutive victories against Washington and Philadelphia, and saw tonight's tilt against the Penguins as a measuring stick relative to Eastern Conference supremacy.  The Penguins, as is the norm these days found out late that neither Kris Letang nor Zybnek Michalek would be available to them.  This is essentially a # 1 defensive pairing out, to be replaced by two AHL defensemen, one of whom, Robert Bortuzzo was playing in only his 2nd NHL game. In addition, they did not even get to the Garden until the pregame skate.  The Penguins cannot seem to get a break on the injury front these days.  At any rate, the Pens opened the scoring at 17:56 of the first period when James Neal scored his 14th goal of the season on a power play, assisted by Crosby and Martin, the 8th assist for each of them.  That is how the first period ended, with the Pens leading 1-0.  At the 8:01 mark the Rangers' Ryan Callahan scored a power play goal to tie the game, and start a 10 minute stretch where the Rangers scored 4 goals including 2 power goals to take a 4-1 lead, the fourth, a power play goal by Marion Gaborik at 18:26 of period 2.  These two power play goals sandwiched goals by John Mitchell and Brad Richards.  Despite those lapses, Evgeni Malkin gave the Penguins hope when scored his 9th goal with 6 seconds left in the period to make the score 4-2.  He was assisted by James Neal, his 11th and Steve Sullivan, his 8th.  You just got that feeling that the Penguins had that magic tonight, and that they would take this game in the third. When Pascal Dupuis scored his 7th goal of the year at 3:39 of period three, that feeling was amplified.  This goal was assisted by Crosby (9), for his second assist of the night and Deryk Engelland (7).  Alas, it was not meant to be.  Dan O'Hallaran and crew nailed the Penguins in the third penalty, forcing them to kill two extended 5 on 3's, and a soft boarding call by Kunitz very late in the game, sapping the Penguins of much offensive time.  In fact, they only mustered 3 shots that period.   In the middle of all of this, the Pens had ANOTHER goal disallowed, this one by Matt Cooke.  I thought the officiating tonight was questionable, but the Pens did not lose a result of this. They lost due to a lack of discipline and a loss of focus in the second period in particular, and could not battle back far enough.  Some positive notes to take from this include the fact that Paul Martin again played a solid game, and is showing signs of life.  Crosby had another 2 point night, but was held to only one shot on goal, prompting Stan Fischler of the MSG network to ask Sid he had hit a wall.  Crosby answered, u, no.   11 points in 5 games, and that is a question?  Also, Deryk Engelland played a very solid game again, strong in his zone, big minutes on the PK and added a little offense to boot.  Engo has become a very versatile, steady defenseman.  Finally, Super Duper scored again, giving him 20 points in 25 games this year.   Add his PK time and the fact that Duper is a cap friendly 1.5M per year, and he is the best bargain in hockey.  Next up, the Craps and their new coach Dale Hunter.  My Cup of Hatred Runneth Over Already!

Karma is one big angry bitch!

Yes, the game winning goal came on a play that should have been blown dead.  No doubt about it, but it wasn't.........and frankly, justice was served.  The referees were a JOKE tonight, and part of the reason this great sport ranks behind NASCAR in the US.  There were phantom calls and missed calls all night.  How about the biggest POS in the league PK Scissorskates KICKING James Neal, with no call?  Or the elbow to the head on Letang, that somehow warranted no call.  Or two more goals taken off the board both by Kunitz who has had 3 of those this year.  So how about a collective FUCK YOU to the whiny Habs fans and Penguins haters!  What a bizarre, but entertaining game tonight.  The Penguins got on the board just 21 seconds in when the red hot Geno Malkin his 8th goal of the year, assisted by the Sonic HedgeHog Kunitz (5), and Sidney Crosby (6).   Unfortunately, the Habs rattled off the next 3 goals, the first of which came only 1:27 seconds later by Travis Moen.  The next two were scored by Max Pacioretty (10) at 7:57 of the first period.  Then Erik Cole notched his 7th goal of the year at 11:09 of the second period.  Then, at 16:40, Pascal Dupuis drilled a wicked shot past Carey Price for his 6th goal of the season, assisted by Paul Martin (7) and Matt Cooke (6).  The second period ended with the Penguins down 3-2, with two goals disallowed.  But at 15:30 of the third period, the third head of the three headed  monster, one Jordan Staal whipped a shot past Price for his 12th goal of the game, assisted by Evgeni Malkin (14).  Then the elbow to the face of Letang sends Letang to the locker room with a broken nose.  He passed the concussion test, and after having a pin put in his nose, Tanger is ready for OT.  Then Old Lady Karma rears her head!  After James Neal drives the net and Price makes the save and has the puck frozen under his glove, the referee does not blow the whistle, and Kris Letang fishes the puck out from under Price and puts his 3rd goal of the season past Price, with assists from Neal (10), and Deryk Engelland (6).  They teach you from the beginning to play to the whistle and Tanger did.  After the way the game was called, I will gladly take the even up dose of NHL stupidity and take the 2 points.  The Penguins outshot the Habs tonight 42-27, but the Canadiens took 63% of the faceoffs.  Kunitz was a beast tonight, though he only had one assist to show for it, as was James Neal who also had only one assist.  Jordan Staal continues to notch big goals, and tonight's was a sniper's goal for sure.  Staal has an amazing 24.5% shooting percentage, first among the league's leading goal scorers.   A couple of solid defensemen are worthy of mention tonight, Deryk Engelland whose helper on the game winning goal gave him 7 points on the year, and he is a plus 4.  Also, Matt Niskanen, who has been solid all year long has five points and is a plus 9 on the year.  He fits the Penguins system to a tee, and has found his game here.  The Penguins top 5 scorers are James Neal (13), (10), for 23 points, Evgeni Malkin (8), (14) for 22 points, Pascal Dupuis (6), (13) for 19 points, Kris Letang (3), (16) for 19 points, and Jordan Staal (12), (6) for 18 points.  Evgnei Malkin is averaging 1.29 points per game, second only to league points leader Phil Kessel's 1.30, and Geno only trails Kessel by 8 points despite playing 6 fewer games.   The Penguins have a ton of Eastern Conference games ahead of them in the next month, so it is a big stretch for them.  With 32 points, the Penguins lead the conference, but only 7 points separates them from 9th place New Jersey.   One had to be encouraged by the way they hung in there in a hostile building, fighting some phantom calls, and took this game when it was there to take.  The Pens are now 3-4-1 when trailing after two periods, those 3 wins are tops in the NHL in that scenario.   GO PENS!

Sidney Crosby - The Long and Winding Road Back (HD)

Great to watch this video

Pens beat Senators 6-3

The Penguins beat the Senators tonight 6-3 to remain atop the Eastern Conference with 30 points.  It sure did not start well, with Ottawa scoring at just 18:41 to take a 1-0 lead.  The Penguins have been falling behind early of late and playing catch up, but this time they answer just 27 seconds later when Engelland leads a rush out of the Penguins zone, finds Crosby who fakes a shot, then finds Kunitz who buries it to tie the game at 1-1.  It was Kunitz' 8th goal of the season, with assists by Engelland and Crosby.  Two seconds later Asham and Konopka square off in a spirited fight, I am sure as part of the carry over from the Islanders mess of last year.  Shortly thereafter, at the 16:35 mark, Tyler Kennedy got his third goal of the season, putting his own rebound off of Anderson from behind the net to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.  He was assisted by Paul Martin(5), and Fleury(1).  The Penguins continued their assault on the power play when Sullivan got his fourth goal of the season, and third in his past three games, assisted by Malkin (13) and Crosby (4).  The power play was unique in that it featured 5 forwards (Sullivan, Malkin, Crosby, Neal, and Kunitz).  Evgeni Malkin then gave the Penguins a 4-1 lead as he scored his seventh goal of the season right after another power play expired as he picked up a loose puck on his backhand, turned to the forehand and chased goaltender Craig Anderson to an early shower.  He was assisted on the goal by Letang (16) and Crosby (5).  The period ended with the Pens up 4-1.  In the second period at the 16:15 mark, red hot Pascal Dupuis scored his fifth goal of the season, assisted by Asham (5) and Kennedy (5).  The Pens were now up 5-1.  Jared Cowen cut the lead to 5-2 on a delayed penalty call, and the period ended 5-2.  At 8:52 of the third period Jordan Staal scored his 11th goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Kennedy (6), and Paul Martin (6).  The goal was significant as it got Staal back on the board, it marked Kennedy's third point of the night, and gave Martin 2 assists and a +2 for the evening.  Hopefully this will mark the beginning of a marked turnaround in the play of Martin!  At 3:31 of the third Ottawa scored again to make the game 6-3, which was the final.  The Penguins have 30 points, putting them atop the Eastern Conference, and they are now 7-0-1 in their past 8 home games.  The Penguins embark on a four game road trip that will seem them play Montreal, New York Rangers, Carolina and Washington, before coming home to play the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins on December 5th.  This looks like a key 5 game stretch for the Penguins against stiff eastern conference competition.  LETS GO PENS!

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20112012,2,319

Pens steal a point but lose 3-2 to St. Louis

Coach Disco said it best when he said that his team was not physically or mentally ready to play this game.  The Penguins looked horrid for the first 45 minutes of this game.  In short, there was very little they could right for the first two periods plus.  The Blues could only muster one goal despite the Penguins poor play due to the stellar effort between the pipes of Marc Andre Fleury.  The only goal came on yet another horrid Paul Martin play where he turned the puck over to Scott Nichol, then acted like a screen and ultimately deflected Nichol's shot past Fleury in the first period.  So after two of the worst periods I have seen this hockey team play all year, they were still only down 1-0, and I definitely felt like the Blues were going to pay for letting the Penguins hang around.  Sure enough Steve Sullivan(3) tied the game at 1-1 fairly early in the third on a power play goal assisted by Malkin and Kennedy.  Later in the period Martin again got caught floating around and puck watching, allowing his man to make a perfect pass to a player Staal left open in front of the net for the go ahead goal.  The Penguins fought back hard, and finally tied the game again at 2-2 on a goal by James Neal (13), assisted by Evgeni Malkin, whose two assists tonight marked his 6th multi point game of the season.  The Penguins then looked like they were about to take this game to a shootout, when the evening's king of turnovers Kris Letang inexplicably threw a no look pass in the defensive zone that led to the Blues retaining possession in the Penguins' zone, and Jamie Langenbrunner gunned home the game winner.  This game was not a good game for the Penguins.  Maybe they just had a bit of a hangover from the emotions of the game Monday night, but boy there are some habits that need broken from tonight's game.  Generally the team was too fancy, making passes that were not there, forcing pucks to 87, passing on shots, and just overall sloppy play.  Crosby took 3 penalties, 2 of which were real and needs to be more disciplined, and he knows it......and he will be as a result, I have no doubt.  Someone needs to surgically repair the current situation wherein Tanger has his head planted so far up his own ass!  He has Norris abilities, but needs to settle down and use his head consistently.  Paul Martin.......not sure what to say here.  I  know how good he has been at times, but man he is having a HORRID season.  I am not sure what you do here, but at some point he needs to get his act together.  Geno had a nice night tonight with 2 points and a 70% in the faceoff circle.  Fleury was outstanding, and Orpik was passing out the free candy tonight.  44 had 8 blocked shots and 9 official hits, including one where he took out two Blues on the same hit.  In short, tough to lose that late in OT, after surviving a horrible game during regulation but they did steal a point that they had no business taking.  I expect that we will see a much  better ready to play team on Friday.  GO PENS!

Bruce Boudreau Discusses 24/7

wow, please do not fire this fat piece of shit! he is a big reason the Craps NEVER win when it counts!

Crosby 2nd Goal

Crosby Goal and X crew

Pardon the language!

After 320 days and 61 games, Crosby returns

Sidney Crosby returned to action last night for the Pens as they smoke the New York Islanders 5-0, and Crosby dazzles with a goal on his first shot/third shift of the night.  By the end of the evening, Crosby had piled up 4 points, with 2 goals and 2 assists, delighting the crowd who had come to revel in the thought of this team actually playing a game or two with a full line up.  The highlights of the evening were many.  Obviously the fact that Crosby not only came back, but made it look like Kessel was merely keeping his seat at the top of the scoring race warm topped the list, but there were others.  How about Marc Andre Fleury posting a shutout, and looking sharp between the pipes?  What about unsung hero Pascal Dupuis piling up 3 assists to give him 17 points, tied for second on the team with Letang, behind team leader James Neal?  How about Z-man making his return after missing 10 games, and playing a very solid game on the blue line?  What about the balanced attack with 2 goals by Crosby, and goals by Malkin, Sullivan, and Orpik?  Or the fact that Chris Kunitz again showed his value even when he does not hit the scoresheet with his speed, puck retrieval skills and tenacious forecheck?  It was a great night for the city, the team, and of course for 87!  On a personal note, the night was great for us too.......it has taken a season and a quarter, but the Consol Energy Center is starting to feel quite a bit more like home, as Old Lady Mellon used to.  We had our own little party last night, and the Consol Energy Center now has an evening that will stand out in my spank bank of hockey nights, like some of our Mellon Arena nights.  Some of our favorite nights prior to last night included the Lemieux 5 points, 5 ways game, the opening game in the 1991-92 Finals where 66 buried it late to cap a furious comeback win, Games 4 and 6 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, the come back game to open the second round of the 2007-08 semi-Finals against the Rangers, and various other playoff games in the four seasons that the Pens have gone to the Finals.  I consider last night to be the first "signature" night for our family in the new building, and I am sure we will experience many more!  I hope that tomorrow night is one of them.  Go Pens!

A great piece by Stoosh of TPB

.. Nov 22 09:58AM Tuesdays With Stoosh 11.22.2011 Written by Stoosh


.



In which we've never been so happy to be lost for words.







I’m not even sure what to write after that game.



As sports go, this is an age where hyperbole is passed out like Orpik hands out hits and candy, and it’s still tough to put into words just how good the Pens looked tonight.



I guess it was JUST the Islanders, who are either an up-and-coming team in a tailspin or a team that has regressed a full year in the last 15 games. Yes, they threw some rookie goaltender to the wolves tonight in part because DiPietro can’t walk from here to the end of the block without injuring himself. So maybe we reserve complete judgment until a few weeks from now, once this all settles in and they’ve worked up better than a 60-minute sample as a healthy team. It’s a long season. Not too high, not too low.



But, still…



As Pens fans, we’ve been incredibly blessed, sometimes more than we realize and that’s probably why so many fans of opposing teams hate us. Some fans have had just a couple years’ flirtation with a game-changing superstar – Pavel Bure in Florida, for instance. Other fans’ teams have been defined by 35+ years of Maybes and Almosts and What Might Have Beens (mostly directed at our friends down the Beltway, but I’ve long been a fan of the Canucks as well as the Pens, and this one is heartbreakingly familiar).



Instead, the last 25 years have given Pens fans three Cups and a library of games in which we get to cheer on someone who is so much better than everyone else on the ice some nights, it’s almost not fair. Lemieux has shelves of games like that. I saw Jagr in that playoff series in ’99 against New Jersey, when he was playing at 50%, maybe 60% and was STILL the best player on the ice. Sid against Washington in 2009. Geno against Carolina. Sid against Ottawa in 2010.



Crosby has emerged as the best player in the NHL because he has evolved. There isn’t an elite player who is better in all three zones. He quickly worked his way into dominance in the faceoff circle – no small feat for a player of his age. Remember the old “overhyped Adam Oates” tag? That went away in 2009 when he realized he was pretty good at this goal-scoring game, too.



Then came last year, when he was on pace for 132 points and what would’ve been the best post-lockout season to date. He was making a mockery of the NHL scoring race when he was lost for the year to the concussion. Chalk up another What Might Have Been, this one the most heart-rendering of all, especially for player and team.



Thoughts of “What could Sid do this year” turned to “We just hope there’s a Sid to watch this year.” Cleared to practice. Cleared for contact. And while I think everyone tempered expectations, you couldn’t help but watch him at camp or in the footage of his practices, listen to those who saw him each day at practice, especially guys like Bourque and Errey – guys who know these things – and wonder if he was really going to be that dominant. Could he really top last year?



After tonight?



(NSFW, just in case.)









Go back and watch that reaction to his first goal scored last night.



Get beyond the expletive-laced reaction – the one that you probably repeated when you jumped out of your seat at Consol, off your stool at the bar or out of your couch at home.



That was a primal scream – a spontaneous combustion of nearly a year of frustration, confusion, anger and finally relief.



Go back to the numerous shots of him on the bench, or especially to the one that most stood out most – the extra few seconds he lingered on the ice, raising both hands and cracking a very noticeable & appreciative grin to the crowd after being named the game’s first star. The last time I remembered seeing a player react so genuinely to such an ovation was Lemieux’s farewell tour in 1997, when Mario soaked in the final ovations in his last regular season game and playoff game at home, knowing it was about to end.



Obviously, circumstances aren't quite the same with Crosby. But between the "eff yeah", the shots of him on the bench and the way he reacted to the crowd at the end, there seemed something beyond just savoring that moment. There was an appreciation for what he lost last year, perhaps very much fueled by the realization that he, like we, once took his career for granted.



If those reactions were any indication, we may be watching a Sidney Crosby that's no longer just pushing to improve some facet of his game like someone working on a project. We may now be watching a Sidney Crosby driven to play his best game for the most basic of reasons - the notion that something he loves, something that he has made such a defining part of him was nearly taken away.



We may be watching a player who is truly playing every game, every shift as if it were his last. And there may be no greater motivation for Crosby.



And that, friends, is a very frightening proposition for the rest of the NHL

Welcome Back Kid

welcome back sidney

http://www.benstonium.com/?p=546

[New 2011] The Super Sidney Crosby Show (HD)

Great 87 highlight montage!

Crosby=Beast

By now all of Penguins land knows that tomorrow night at Consol Energy Center, the best player in the NHL makes his long awaited comeback more than 10 months post multiple concussions ruining what looked like an historic season.  Just to recall, here are some facts about Crosby's season last year.  87 was running away with the scoring title before his season ended in early January.  For some perspective Crosby was clicking at 1.6 points per game, with 32 goals and 34 assists for 66 points and a +20 rating after 41 games!  To put that in perspective, he was in the top 32 in scoring despite missing HALF the season, and finished equal in points to players like Mike Richards and Rick Nash who each played full seasons, and with more points than noted scorers such as Dany Heatley, Phil Kessel, and Nicklas Backstrom all of whom played full seasons.  It is easy to imagine Crosby winning his second Art Ross, beating Daniel Sedin's 104 points, and his second Rocket Richard, beating Corey Perry's 50 goals had he remained healthy. He was on pace for 64 goals and 132 points!  But he did not, and the Penguins missed both he and Evgeni Malkin down the stretch before succumbing to Tampa Bay in the seventh game of their first round playoff series.  How good is Crosby?  Let me just remind you.  Athough this has been done before, timing is everything.  Before he was drafted by the Penguins with the first overall pick of the 2005 draft, Crosby had won the CHL Player of the Year Award two years in a row, and represented Canada in the World Junior Championships twice winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005.  He also led the Rimouski Oceanic to the Memorial Cup Finals.   Since he was drafted with that first overall pick, Crosby has played in 412 regular season games, scoring 215 goals, 357 assists, 572 points and an overall +65.   That is a 1.38 point per game average!  In the post season, Crosby has played in 62 games with 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points and a +22 rating.  This is 1.32 points per game in the post season.  You think 87 makes a difference much??  In his first season in the NHL Crosby notched 102 points with 39 goals and 63 assists and finished a close second to Alex Ovechkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.  In season two, the 2006-07 season Crosby improved to 120 points, or 36 goals and 84 assists to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.  He was the youngest player and ONLY teenager to EVER win a scoring title in ANY major North American sports league.  He also won the Hart Trophy as the league MVP as voted on by the Hockey Writers Association, and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league MVP voted on by the NHL Players Association.  He was only the 7th person in history to win all three trophies in a year.  In an injury shortened 2007-08 season, Crosby finished with 72 points in 53 games during the regular season, but tied eventual Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg in post season scoring with 27 points in the Penguins first run to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The next season, 2008-09 Crosby became the youngest captain to ever win the Stanley Cup, and finished with 31 points, or 15 goals and 16 assists, finishing second to teammate Evgeni Malkin for the Conn Smythe award. He finished the regular season with 33 goals and 70 assists as well.  The 2009-10 season saw Crosby win his first Rocket Richard tropphy as he tied Steven Stamkos for most goals in the NHL with 51 goals and a total of 109 points.  He then scored the game winning goal in overtime in the 2010 Winter Olympics to give Canada the Gold Medal over the United States.  Add all of this to the pace Crosby was on last year, and it is no surprise to see the excitement over the return of 87 to the lineup!  There is nobody like him when he is healthy in the game today.

AC/DC - Back In Black (Live)

This ones for you 87! Fuck YES

Staal's 10th

Pens winless in Florida

Hey, I am not going to jump off a bridge like some of my friends about the play of the Pens of late.  Yes, they dropped two games in a row in Florida.  Yes, they are now under .500 against the East at 5-6-1 despite their overall record.  Yes, Brent Johnson has lost 5 of 6 starts this year, and has given up 12 goals on 86 shots in his last 3 starts.  Yes, the Penguins are under .500 on the road, losing 7 of those road games at 5-5-2.   The formula is simple for the Penguins right now.  Their even strength play has not been stellar in terms of point differential this season, but the Penguins had soared into first place based off of special teams play.  Their PK had been first in the league for most of the season, and prior to this road trip their power play had been a surprising fifth in the league.  On this trip, they both shit the bed, and not surprisingly the Penguins did not win either of their games.  I am reading posts about the play of all people Fleury, and tonight about Johnson as well.  Listen, Fleury has been one of the best players on this team all season, and going there is insane.  Johnson has not been as solid as he has in the past, but he has played well enough to win in each of his starts.  The fact that both opposing goalies of the past two games had better nights on those particular nights in no way implies that goaltending is an issue for the Penguins. Sometimes they stand on their head!   In addition, and partly related, the Penguins top line of Malkin, Neal, and Sullivan were held pointless on this trip.  People are freaking out about Malkin and Sullivan as a result.  Listen, the Penguins needed more from this line on this trip, but it is a long season.  For the most part this line has been dominant for the Pens.   Every team has its peaks and valleys in the long grind of an NHL season, and the Penguins play over the past 4 games has left a lot to be desired except for the two big third periods they had against Carolina and Colorado.  Remember that this is the same team that a week ago was the toast of the NHL.  We have no reason to believe that the coaching staff of the Penguins, and their core players will get this train right back on track, probably as early Monday night at home.   I am not minimizing the fact that these guys need to regain some focus and "get to their game," I am just betting that they will sooner rather than later.  They will not be the first team in history to come back from a two game trip to Florida pointless, and they will not be the last.  That said, it is time to get the special teams back on track, and time for them to simplify the power play again and get shots to the net and track down the rebounds versus making that extra pass.  It is also time for the big names on the blue line to get their game together and tighten up the defensive zone coverage.......and that they will, one and all.  Lets Go Pens!  Before I go, let's not forget some props to some of the Penguins!  Staalosaurus Rex punched his 10th goal of the campaign home tonight, while Kuntiz potted number 7.  Pascal Dupuis had two assists and remains an unsung hero on this team.  Finally, I thought both Niskanen and Picard played solid games, and Niskanen got on the board with an assist on the Staal goal.

Crosby Year One

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122706/2/index.htm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122706/2/index.htm

Legends Of Hockey - Mario Lemieux

Pittsburghs greatest sports treasure

Mario Lemieux - Overcoming Injury & Illness

For my money the most inspiring sports story of my lifetime...........

Mario Lemieux 5 Goals in 5 Different Ways (NHL Classic)

I was fortunate enough to be here for this one........unreal to watch!

Pens fall to Lightning 4-1

I am not going to waste a ton of time on this one.  Roloson has now won his last 5 against the Penguins.  The trap did not kill the Penguins tonight, special teams and Roloson did.  The Penguins 5th ranked PP went 0 for 7, including another 5 on 3.  The Pens simply have to convert those.  Tonight, they got too fancy with the puck, Letang could not put the puck on Malkin's stick to set up his rocket of a one timer, and despite all of the good Sully does with zone time, tonight you saw his downfall which seems to be a repeated inability to finish plays down low when good chances arise.  Even the PK was off, surrendering two power play goals.  Tyler Kennedy got the only Penguins goal assisted by Martin and Staal.  Sometimes you have these nights.  Next.  Let's Go Pens!

Cody McLeod vs Arron Asham Nov 15, 2011

Pens storm back to beat Colorado 6-3

Something had to give tonight. It was a matchup between the number one power play in the leauge with Colorado clicking at better than 27% and the number one penalty kill in the league with Pittsburgh killing penalties at a rate of 94%.  In addition Colorado came into the game dominating their Eastern Conference opponents with a record of 5-0, and 4-0 on the road, while Pittsburgh came into the game at 5-0-2 against the Western Conference, and 9-0-4 in the past 13 games against the West.  As I said, something had to give!  Colorado jumped out to a 2-0 lead as the Penguins looked like they were sleep walking during the first period until Jordan Staal scored his 9th goal of the season at 1:27 of the first period to get back into the game.   Well, until :15 of the period when David Jones abused -11 Paul Martin to give the Avs a 3-1 lead going into the second period.  That -11 number for Martin has him ranked 692 out of 695 skaters in that category.  Things were looking bleak as the Penguins were playing poorly as a team, and Fleury even looked shaky for the first time in quite awhile.  But never fear, the Penguins do not go away.  At 8:59 of the second period Dupuis banks a pass of the boards to Arron Asham who ripped a shot at the net while Craig Adams crashed the net.  After Adams failed to hammer home the rebound, Dupuis following up on the play poked the loose puck in the net to get Pittsburgh back to within one goal of the Avs.  In the third, the Pens broke the dam wide open.  At 18:58 Brooks Orpik got his first goal of the season, a weird bouncing puck, assisted by Malkin and Neal to tie the game at 3-3.  This assist allowed James Neal to extend his scoring streak 7 games, tying the longest such streak of his career.  During those 7 games, Neal has netted 4 goals and 7 assists.  And then 15:15 Evgenin Malkin came out of corner off of a feed from Neal to beat Varlamov, giving Pittsburgh their first lead of the game at 4-3.  What a thing of beauty!  At 12:43, James Neal got a back breaker on the power play from Sullivan and Letang to give the Pens a two goal lead.  Finally, at 9:30 of the third, Kris Letang took a coast to coast ride a la Paul Coffey to put the final nail in the coffin of the Avalanche.  The goal was gorgeous, and it was the first even strength goal scored by Kris Letang in the last 72 games he has played.  That took the last bit of fight out of the Avalanche, and the Penguins sit atop the Eastern Conference again.  The Penguins big guns came out firing tonight with 4 Penguins notching multi point nights including Neal with 1 goal and 2 assists, Jordan Staal with 1 goal and 1 assist, Evgeni Malkin with one of each, and Kris Letang also with one of each.  James Neal is scoring more that a point per game as he has 12 goals and 8 assists in 18 games.  Kris Letang is also averaging a point per game with 2 goals and 14 assists in 16 games played.  Evgeni Malkin has 5 goals and 9 assists in 11 games played, giving the Penguins 3 players with a point per game or better average, and one (Jordan Staal) at just under a point per game with 9 goals and 5 assists in 16 games!  Staal now has 6 goals and 2 assists in his past 7 games.  Also, the power play was 1 for 7, and missed a chance to score on an extended 5 on 3 for the second night in a row.  However, when the game was on the line, James Neal scored his 6th power play goal to give the Pens a two goal lead.  So the timing of the goal was huge for Pittsburgh.  Fleury after a shaky start, made big saves when necessary in the second half of the game to help secure the win.  Finally, Richard Park played in his 700th career NHL game tonight.  See you Thursday night!

Stanley Cup Winning Goals (1990-2011)

Welcome to Engelland!

Watch this bottom video to get a sense for the road Engo took to get to and now stay at the NHL level.  Deryk Engelland a 29 year old right handed defenseman was drafted in the 2000 NHL entry draft in the 6th round, 194th overall.  He has toiled in the minors since 2003, and was signed as a free agent with the Penguins in 2007.  Engelland had a cup of coffee with the Penguins in 2009-2010, but played 63 games in the 2010-2011 season Engo contributed 3 goals, 7 assists, 128 penalty minutes, and gave the Penguins another physical player on the blue line, and the luxury to have a heavyweight in the lineup on a regular basis.  He was a healthy scratch during the playoffs for the most part, as Bylsma seemed to favor Ben Lovejoy's game positionally.  The Penguins signed the 6'2" 202 pound defenseman to a three year extension on 1-3-11 as a reward for his solid  play.  This season Engo has played in all 17 games, adding a goal, 3 assists, 16 penalty minutes, and has played to a plus 2.  His play has been solid and he has improved his positioning and decision making in the defensive zone, while adding the occasional goal.  My hat is off to a guy who took the hard road to the big league!  Welcome to Engelland!

Miller does not like Lucic

Steve MacIntyre vs Scott Jackson - Nov 9, 2011

Mac is a monster!

Matt Cooke Penalty Shot (HD) vs Dallas Stars 11/11/11

Penguins drop thriller 5-3

This game was one of the more entertaining games of the season, despite the wrong team on the winning side of the game.  The difference in the game was Cam Ward.  In the first period, he robbed the Penguins continuously robbing Sullivan, Kunitz and Malkin twice to keep the Canes up 1-0 after an early goal by Jeff Skinner.  The Penguins dominated much of the game, but between Ward's goaltending, and a few key lapses by the defense/backchecking forwards the Canes wind up winning an exciting battle.  Anyway, back to the game.  In the second period Tuomo Ruutu blew it open a bit with 2 goals to give Carolina a 3 goal lead, and given Ward's play, it appeared as if the Canes may have a relatively easy win within reach. But this Pens team does not quit. At 1:40 of period three Malkin makes a beautiful play to set up Jordan Staal who drills a one timer past Cam Ward to get the Penguins on the board.  The goal was Staal's seventh of the campaign, and the other assist came from James Neal giving him 6 on the year to go with his team leading 11 goals.  At 4:43 of the third the Penguins penalty killing unit strikes back.  On a beautiful feed from Matt Cooke, Staal gets a breakaway opportunity and buries it behind Ward for his 8th goal of the season.  Orpik picked up his second assist on the year, but the pass from Matt Cooke was a thing of beauty.  Now the Penguins were buzzing and Ward to make another show stopping save on the same power play on Richard Park to keep the Penguins from tying this game.  Then at 12:18 Chris Kunitz ties the game with a great shot off of a feed from Pascal Dupuis.  Justice for Coon, as he has been buzzing around the cage like a demon and had 2 goals disallowed Friday night.  I just knew the Penguins were going to win this one at this point.  It was an impressive push, and the Canes were reeling.  Alas, it was not meant to be.  At 15:26 Eric Staal pokes a puck out from under Johnson's glove to give Carolina the lead again, and Chad LaRose added the insurance marker at 17:30 from Staal to cement the 5-3 win for Carolina.  Some observations from the game:

Brent Johnson, a favorite of mine, is struggling a bit this season.  After a year here where he almost felt like a 1A goaltender v a number 2.  This season, between the stellar play of Fleury, and his own play being a bit off, he does not leave that same feeling.  BJ's record is 1-2-2 this season and his save percentage is .889.   They need a little more from him on Fleury's nights off.  Evgeni Malkin had 12 shots on goal tonight!  12!  The Penguins outshot the Canes 40-26 last night, but the difference in the net made all the difference.  The Penguins PK was stellar again killing off all 4 Canes power plays and adding a short handed goal.  The power play was 0 for 5 including a key extended 5 on 3.  Kunitz's goal was the 300th point of his career, congratulations Coon!  Finally, Paul Martin is struggling........He has 0 points in his last 7 games, he is a -8 in the past 5 games, and -11 on the year.  The Pens need much more from #7.  Now back to Crosby Watch!  I hope to see him Tuesday night as the Penguins host the Avalanche.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 5 vs. Hershey Bears 4 (Overtime) - Nov 11, 2011

Hang in until the end to see what we have to look forward to with Simon Despres. He now leads the AHK in Game Winning Goals with 3. Look at the tenacity, then the move, then the wicked wrister!

Steve MacIntyre vs Eric Neilson - Nov 12, 2011

Big Mac can throw 'em!

Arron Asham vs Bryan Allen Nov 12, 2011

Pens atop the NHL after beating Dallas 3-1

In tonights game the two teams with the most points in the NHL squared off in another East v West battle, and the Penguins came out on top 3-1 by playing a very disciplined game, allowing only 20 shots on goal against a high powered offensive team.  The Stars had only 12 shots through the first two periods, but Lehtonen kept them in the game.  The Penguins special teams were the difference tonight killing both Dallas power plays, and scoring on 2 of 5 power play chances even with 2 PPGs waved off.  In addition Matt Cooke froze Kari Lehtonen for some insurance on the first penalty shot of his career to give the Penguins their insurance goal.  The Penguins are now 5-0-2 against the Western Conference, and 5-1-1 at home on the season.  The Penguins are also atop the league in points with 23, boasting a record of 10-3-3.   Marc Andre Fleury is now 6-0-1 in his past seven game, allowing only 10 goals in that span.  Fleury stopped 19 of 20 shots tonight, including some big ones that could have changed the complexion of the game.  Kris Letang's assist has him on a five game scoring streak, and Neal's two goals give him a 5 game streak as well including 2 goals and 4 assists during that timeframe.  The scoring tonight is as follows.  Dallas took the lead 1-0 in the first despite being thoroughly outplayed when Eric Nystrom was all alone in front of Fleury and Radek Dvorak made a beautful pass that Nystrom buried behind Fleury.  The Penguins tied the game when James Neal connected on a power play goal from Kunitz and Sullivan to tie the game just 24 seconds after a very borderline call taking a goal that Kunitz scored off of a Malkin shot off the board.  The Penguins then took the lead when James Neal again connected for his 11th goal of the year, and second of the night from Malkin and Letang just 23 seconds after a second Kunitz goal was waved off.  Amazing tenacity from this power play unit.  The insurance goal came on a beautiful move from Matt Cooke on a penalty shot.  Some of my observations from tonight:

To those of you who question the contract of Kunitz, just think of tonight.  He had only one point, an assist, but he had 2 goals waved off, both of which  could have gone either way.  He created absolute havoc on the ice in front of the net ALL NIGHT LONG.  The man just battles......and battles some more.  Right now, it is scary what James Neal is doing.  He is getting to open spots on the ice, and using his release and powerful shot to keep himself near the top of the league in goal scoring with 11 goals, one off the top spot in the NHL.  The line of Malkin Sullivan and Neal just looks like it has scary chemistry.  One of my favorite humans, coach Disco has alluded to breaking this line up once all are healthy, loading up the top line with Kunitz and Neal centered by Crosby.  Disco, don't do it brother.  This line is dynamite, and remember the damage done by Crosby, Kunitz and Duper last year?  That leaves your third line as Kennedy and Cooke centered by Staal.......that is a scary three line monster if you ask me.  Also,  you continue to see the skill of Matt Cooke and his discipline tonight.  A very underrated hockey player and teammate.  It warmed the cockles of my cold black heart to see Cookie Monster turn Lehtonen inside out on his Penalty Shot.  Suck on that Buttman and Shanny. He is a very valuable piece of the Penguins' puzzle.  Matt Niskanen was again a very solid force at both ends of the rink tonight, and  he just looks comfortable out there.  It is looking like a little more  Shero magic that he was an add on to the Neal for Goligoski trade! I do like the Goose, always did, but Neal is just a beast when you give him some linemates, making it a good trade for Pittsburgh without Niskanen.  If Nisky plays like this all year, the trade is just sick in favor of Pittsburgh.  Another underrated, but typical  Shero move has been Steve Sullivan.  Yes, I know, he has one goal.  He has several assists as well, and does so many little things on the ice that help put Geno and my new man crush into position to crush the souls of our opponents.  He looks great bringing the puck up the ice, always gaining the zone, and getting the Penguins to set up shop,  and he seems to be the catalyst of a power play that now wins the Penguins games instead of costing them games.  The play he made that resulted in the second power play goal was a thing of beauty!  In Shero I trust that is for goddamn sure!  Finally, my man Engo laid Michael Ryder out, and quietly played yet another solid game for the Pens.  I love to see guys like Engo get the job done and enjoy some time in the spotlight after how long it took him to get here!  Finally, the point totals do not at all tell the tale of just how good Geno and Kunitz were last night.  Kunitz again is a sonic hedge  hog around the net, and Malkin just hammered some power play shots that should have yielded two more points.   Now off to Raleigh for the second part of a back to back weekend schedule for the Penguins.

Yinz Luv 'Da Guins!, PIT vs. DET (Game 7)

Letestu to Columbus for a 4th round pick

A good friend texted me to ask me if the trade of Letestu to Columbus for a 4th round pick was a good trade for the Pens.  After all Letestu was the surprise call up from last year's imitation of a MASH unit, and the undrafted free agent chipped in 14 goals as a rookie, showing some surprising touch.  Surely, you could get more for him than that right?  Well, no, actually all things considered that was a pretty good return for Teste.  First, and in simplest terms, Shero turned an asset that was an undrafted free agent into a 4th round pick.  The 4th round pick this year of Columbus no less, a pick likely to be at or near the top of the round.  That should net a quality player for the Penguins.  Second, Shero had NO leverage.  It is no secret around the league that the Penguins are very pleased with the work of Joe Vitale, who has been a gritty physical player who forechecks like a demon, and creates havoc.  Richard Park has played a valuable role as a penalty killer, and also plays a gritty Bylsma type game, while adding some occasional offense.  The other three centers need no introduction, so there was simply no room for Letestu at center.  He does not seem to have the gritty style that fits for the Pens in a third or fourth line role either.  Add in the fact that Dustin Jeffrey is healthy, and there was no room for Letestu to play.  Add to that, if the Penguins sent Letestu to WBS, he would have to clear waivers, and trust me somebody would have claimed a guy who netted 14 goals as a rookie, and the Pens would lose Letestu for nothing in return.  I hope that Mark Letestu flourishes in Columbus, because by all accounts he is a GREAT kid. And though he is sad today, in the long run, with the glut of centers on the top 2 lines and the grinders with speed on the bottom two, it was going to be tough for Teste to crack this lineup unless he was burying some pucks with a little regularity.  Columbus may be the perfect place for Teste to regain his game.  From a business perspective this was a very solid smart move by Shero to keep this deep system of the Penguins stocked with future Penguins.  Mark, thank you for a job well done last year when we needed it, and best of luck to you in Columbus

pittsburgh penguins mancave

Experimenting with my phone....pardon the lighting, the voice etc.

Pens win in shootout 3-2

What a game tonight in Los Angeles.  A very physical game, with end to end rushes, odd man breaks, and great goaltending for both teams.  The Penguins got a flurry of power plays in the first period, and finally Steve Sullivan who has been an asset to this team beyond his numbers got on the board with his first goal.  It was a power play goal from a wicked angle set up by Neal and Letang at 18:45 of the first period.  Neal and Letang continue to battle for the top spot in scoring for the Penguins, Neal with 14 points and Tanger now with 13.  The Kings tied the game on a bad turnover by Richard Park, who made a bad pass to Kris Letang, picked off by Matt Greene who turned a possible Pens 4 on 2, to a 2 on 1 for the Kings.  And Anze Kopitar cashed in with a wicked move to tie the game.  The game had everything, including a penalty shot, where Fleury stopped Mike Richards on a shot that at first appeared that Richards had missed the net.  The Penguins made a mistake in the third period when Asham came from across the ice, leaving Kopitar open in front of the net.  Kopitar found noted Penguin killer Simon Gagne, who made no mistake, giving the Kings a 2-1 lead.  The way Quick was playing, it looked kind of bad for the Penguins.  Enter Chris Kunitz, who tied the game on a feed from Jordan Staal.  This Penguins team does not quit!  Neither team scored in the overtime, though both had some glorious chances.  In the shootout, Kopitar made a nice move to beat Fleury to give the Kings a 1-0 lead in the shootout.  However, Kris Letang, who had gone cold in the shootout, missing 12 of his last 13, returned the favor with a nice move to beat Quick, tying the shootout.  After two big saves by Fleury, Chris Kunitz faked a shot, and put it through the five hole on Jonathan Quick to earn the Penguins two points tonight.  The Penguins are now 9-3-3 despite already being into their 10 defenseman, and having the third most man game missed.  And I assure the two teams with more man games lost, are not missing the type of players the Pens are.  The Penguins come back with 3 of 4 possible points from this west coast trip.  The Penguins are now 4-0-2 against the Western Conference.   The Penguins Power Play was iffy tonight given the amount of PP time they had, but they did get one goal.  The penalty kill was strong as usual, and I thought that both Alexandre Picard and Robert Bortuzzo played very well, Bortuzzo making his NHL regular season debut.  We had to hold our collective breath 3 times tonight as Moreau hit Kunitz into the boards, Neal got slewfooted, and Sullivan took a high hit away from the puck. All three players appeared to be shaken up, but Kunitz and Neal stayed in the action.  Sullivan appeared fine as well.  The Penguins now have 6 days off, and let's hope in that time we get 87 back, along with Niskanen and Kennedy.  It will also give Letang, Staal, and Martin some time to lick their wounds and get healthy I hope.  Lets Go Pens!

Fleury Shootout Before Winter Classic (HBO 24/7)

Great video......Fleury is hysterical

Twitter

https://twitter.com/makomanmazmania

Pittsburgh Penguins / Mellon Arena Tribute by Benstonium.com -- HBO's "T...

Arron Asham Skittles Commercial | Pittsburgh Penguins Parody by Benstonium

Pittsburgh Steelers / "Immortals" Trailer -- [vs. Baltimore Ravens 11-6-11]

Flock of Penguins killed in shark attack in CA

Wow, an interesting game to say the least!  The Penguins jumped on the Sharks EARLY with a goal by Deryk Engelland before you could even settle into your seats, then another by Evgeni Malkin a couple minutes later.  Just like that the Penguins were up 2-0, had chased Antti Niemi, and were now facing a backup goaltender in Greiss.  Well, it is amazing what a goalie change can do at the right time. Despite being dominated by the Penguins for the rest of that period, Greiss stopped the bleeding, and the Sharks came out of the first only down 2-0.  A late period beating by Winchester on Adams, then a pretty even bout between Engelland Clowe seemed to jump start the Shark, who dominated period 2, but only got one goal to close the lead to 2-1.  The Penguins answered with another goal by Geno, to take a 3-1  lead into the third period.  Somehow, though it just felt shaky.  Sure enough, the Sharks scored about 5 minutes into the period, the tied with about 5 mintues left to force overtime.  Nobody scored in OT, and Ryan Clowe scored the only goal in the shootout to complete a 4-3 comeback by the Sharks.  A game that seemed destined to not only get the Penguins 2 points, and end a 9 game winless streak dating back to 1997 at the Shark tank, wound up being the Pens' 10th straight loss there, and they gave away that second point.  First the negative viewpoint.  The Penguins have had difficulty protecting leads over the past couple of seasons, and again gave away a game in which they held two different 2 goal leads.  In addition, they lost another defenseman, Ben Lovejoy for 4 to 6 weeks due to a broken wrist.  The third line was invisible in the game, which is not the norm, and the defense was worn down and played a very spottty game, ultimately leading to the comeback.  The positive view is that again, a very depleted lineup travelled to the West Coast, played one of the top teams in the league to a draw through OT, and came out with a valuable point.  Also, the chemstry between Malkin, Neal, and Sullivan is amazing, with Geno getting his first 3 point or more night since December 20, 2010 with 2 goals and an assist.  Sullivan and Neal each had 2 assists, and don't look now, but Geno is now third on the team in scoring with 4 goals and 6 assists, behind Kris Letang, who had an assist, and now has one goal and 11 assists on the season.  They are both in striking  distance of team scoring leader James Neal, whose two assists gave him 9 goals and 4 assists for 13 points on the season.  Neal had 8 shots on the night, and some were just unreal in terms of the power.  Kris Letang played nearly 34 minutes despite being a game time decision, and the Penguins were without Crosby, Staal, Kennedy, and Michalek, and lost both Niskanen and Lovejoy for periods of time during the game.  Let's beat the LA Woman saturday night, with big Cy egging them on in LA.

Alex Ovechkin Drops F-Bomb on Bruce Boudreau (HD)

Cannot stand Ovagkin, but he is dead on on this one!