Steigerwald and Errey rip apart the New York Islanders

Pens clinch home ice with SO win

The Penguins clinched home ice advantage with a 4-3 shootout win against the Islanders on Shit Bay tonight. First, the good about tonight. The Penguins are guaranteed home ice advantage and at least a 4th place finish in the conference. In addition, they can still win the division on Sunday if Philadelphia would lose to the Islanders, and we would defeat Atlanta on Sunday. Mike Rupp was a beast all over the ice tonight. The Penguins broke a team record recording their 52nd point on the road this season. Zybnek Michalek scored his 5th goal in the past 14 games, a power play goal. Z looks like a threat on the point, which is necessary since somebody stole the real Kris Letang a couple of months ago. Tanger did notch his 100th career assist, and 50th point of the season tonight, but he looked horrible on many occasions was on the ice for all three Islanders goals, screening Fleury on the game tying goal, and getting hung out to dry on their second, leaving Blake Comeau alone in front of the cage. He whiffed on a couple of clearing attempts, and in general played like a liability much of the night. I get no joy from saying this, as Letang is one of my favorites, but his play of late is a concern. My other concern is just that though the Penguins are winning, they are struggling against bottom feeders, and ultimately winning in the shootout, as opposed to taking control of weaker teams. Out of the top teams in the east they have the least non-shootout wins, with 38, while teams like Philadelphia and Washington have 43. That aside, the Penguins can still take the Atlantic Division, which is no small accomplishment, I just worry about what they can do in the post season without bigger efforts from some of their key players.

Pens vs. Isles 4/8/11: Bury Gillies

Time to repay the favor?

I have spent a fair amount of time since the Pens-Islanders game thinking about the rematch tomorrow. In fact I had a wet dream about it. In my dream, Godard and Gilles fought, and on the way down to the ice, Godard's skate cut Gilles head off and I laughed so hard I pissed my pants. Now that was a WET dream! On the eve of the game, my thoughts have changed. If the Penguins beat the classless Islanders, and the Flyers lose in regulation to the Sabres, the Penguins go into Sunday in control of their own destiny in relation to winning the Atlantic Divsion title. That is far more important than slumming it with the trash on the island. Don't get me wrong, I have not suddenly become a peace loving liberal over night, I just agree with Mark Madden that the Penguins organization is far above the Islanders, and it is time to focus on a significant achievement, especially in light of the injuries this season. Winning the Atlantic with the issues faced this season would be a huge win for the Pens. Trust me, I am not saying that in the first Islanders-Pens game next season, that we should not remind them what happens when you kick the wrong dog, and I am not saying that Godard, Engelland, Asham, and Rupp should not ALL be in the lineup tomorrow night ready to punish any Islander who wants to cross the line, but the focus should be two points, the Atlantic title, and with that an increased chance that Disco Dan Bylsma takes home the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year that he so richly deserves. Retribution can wait, some of us have a LONG memory. Besides, the once proud Islanders are already a joke, I mean, consider this. Their owner (Charles Wang) has a name that is also slang for male genitalia, and would be far better at rolling sushi at Nakama than he has been at assembling a professional hockey team. In addition, GM Garth Snow, who could not even get Evgeni Nabokov to answer the phone to take a 7 figure job offer from him, was a sub mediocre goaltender who gave up the five hole more often than Paris Hilton does! Finally, they play their games in a dilapidated old building in a slum on the Island, "fill" the building with fewer fans than our Pirates, most of whom look like extras from the Jersey Shore. Come on, how much more can they be punished? They are a classic riches to rags story in every way you can think of.

Speaking of awards, there were a few significant awards given out to members of the Penguins organization this week. First, Coach John Hynes of the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins was awarded the Louis AR Piehl Memorial Award as the AHL Coach of the Year. This award is voted on by the coaches and members of the hockey writing media of the 30 AHL cities. He is the first member of the Penguins organization to be awarded this honor. In addition, despite his best players spending much of the season in Pittsburgh due to the injuries on the Penguins, Hynes, in his first year as a professional head coach guided the WBS Penguins to the MacGregor Kilpatrick Award, the NHL equivalent of the President's Trophy as the team with the most points(113 with 3 games left). The WBS Penguins posted a 56-20-1 record to date, with the 56 wins being the 3rd highest EVER posted by ANY team in the 75 year history of the AHL. Considering that the team's top 2 defensemen from the prior year made the big club, and as many as11 forwards and the top 10 scorers spent much of the latter half of the season in Pittsburgh (140 games), that is a HUGE accomplishment, and speaks to the depth of the Penguins organization.

In addition to that, top Penguins prospect Simon Despres, of the St. John's Seadogs in the QMJHL was awarded the Emile "Butch" Bouchard Trophy as the best defenseman in the Q! This is the equivalent of the Norris Trophy in the NHL. Depres posted 41 points (13G and 28A) in 47 games, and posted a +29 during this season in the Q. A big, fast defensman, who posted nearly a point per game, while winning the award as the league's best defenseman is another player to be excited about becoming a prominent member of the Penguins in the very near future. One scouting report compares Simon to Paul Martin, and calls him a steady, reliable player who rarely makes a mistake, and one of the rare 19 year olds who dominate in this league. Simon is now eligible to play in the AHL, as he has turned 19, but will likely be tied up in the playoffs with the Sea Dogs. He led them to the Finals before they lost last season! Look for big #47 in the Black and Vegas Gold as early as next season, though some time in the AHL may not hurt either. All in all, both awards are a testament to the quality and depth of the Penguins, and a glimpe into the bright future of our flightless birds. Does god love me enough to let the Flyers lose in regulation, the Penguins smoke the Islanders while sustaining 0 new injuries in addition to "career" ending injuries to Trevor Gilles and John Tavares? I doubt it, but one can dream, can't they?

Messages for the Islanders from yours truly

A bigger win than I thought

The Penguins won a pretty big game tonight in a way that felt good. Their pathetic power play, you know that abomination that was 3 for its past 65, and last in the league in thetime frame since Crosby's absence at 12.9%, yeah that one, actually scored a goal. Staal buried it with assists from Neal and Kovalev to put the Penguins up 1-0. They got big goals at big moments for the first time in a while. After NJ ties it, Dupuis quickly answers to put the Penguins back on top 2-1. Then after new dad Chris Kunitz scored his 23rd of the year to put the Penguins up 3-1, the Devils score again to close to within 3-2. Finally,after yet another late chicken shit call by the fuckwads in stripes, Dupuis closes it out with an empty netter short handed to seal the win, 4-2. Of note, oft maligned Pascal Dupuis now has 16 goals and 35 points and is +15 on the season, while "offensive juggernaut" Alex Kovalev has 16 goals and 33 points, while playing to a -6. Interesting statistic. Also, Philadelphia continues to struggle, losing its 13th of the past 19, thus leaving the door open for Pittsburgh to possibly still win the Atlantic Division. If Philadelphia loses its last 2 games in regulation and Pittsburgh wins one game, they get the title. If Philadelphia lose one game in regulation and wins the other, Pittsburgh can win the division by winning its final two games. The conference can be won only if Washington loses its final games in regulation and we win our final games. Other commentary and notes from tonight. Alex Kovalev played in his 1,300th NHL game tonight, only the 50th player in NHL history to do so. Jordan Staal, who had a rough stretch a week or so ago, now has 11 goals and 30 points in 41 games. That would equate to 22 goals and 60 points over a full season, despite coming off of multiple surgeries. He has 8 multi point games this season, and 5 points in the past two games. After a promising start, Niskanen looks shaky to me, enough so that I would give Engo a go, especially Friday night against the pond scum on the Island. Kris Letang continues to regress and that scares me a bit. They need some production from Tanger on the point, and far fewer stupid turnovers if they are going to be a post season force. Chris Kunitz now has 48 points, one fewer than Letang's 49 for second on the team behind Crosby. The Penguins have 102 points which is one better than last year with two games remaining. Finally, Fleury had another strong outing tonight making several big saves early.

An unimpressive win, but we will take it!

I am going to do my post early tonight, as this team bores me to death anymore. With about 9 minutes left, the Penguins are in a dogfight AGAIN with bottom feeding Florida. Their "power play" again fails them with a chance to do something big. I am going to issue an APB for the Letestu, Kovalev, Neal line as they did not arrive at the rink tonight, and I am getting worried about them. Listen folks, if this team cannot come out and kick the snot out of Florida after losing two in a row, with home ice and a 4th seed at stake, I am beginning to really worry. They have made the Panthers look like a top 4 seed now twice in week, bookending two unimpressive losses to Philadelphia and Tampa. At this point, winning this game will not impress me, losing it will nauseate me. I am happy for Tyler Kennedy, one player who has been consistently productive. He netted his 20th goal of the season tonight, his first ever 20 goal season. He now has 42 points to his name, congratulations to TK! As I type this, Michalek gives the Pens a lead on a delayed penalty call, with a nice assist from Staal, his second of the evening. Z, who had gone something like 92 games without a goal, now has 4 in his past 12 games! The game ends with Craig Adams getting an empty netter, with a 3rd assist from Jordan Staal, who had a strong game. The Penguins' win gave them 100 points for the 7th time in their history. I would like to see some playoff level hockey from this team in the next three games, and a little life from the power play, which is now 3 for its past 65 attempts. Also, it is way past time we see a couple of goals from James Neal, who has just 2 in his past 29 games. I would like to see what the next three games brings as far as key players getting ready to battle. Tuesday is the annual, Shirts off our Backs night, then a war with the Islanders on Friday, and the finale against Atlanta next weekend. This is a three game stretch against teams who have all been eliminated from the playoffs and final playoff positioning will be determined. The Penguins will be in dog fight with Tampa for fourth, as the Pens can finish with 106 points if they win out, and the Lightning can finish with 105 if they win out. Which team will blink? Also, the only team that could now catch Tampa for the 5th seed is Montreal, and that would take Montreal winning out, and Tampa not gaining one additional point in their final four games. So barring that, it is Pens v Lightning in the first round, home ice to be determined. On a final note, Johnson who may not start another regular season game this year was solid again, and ran his record to 12-5-3 this season. He finished the season with a 2.18 GAA and .920 save percentage, not bad at all!