Letang could be back by this weekend.

There are reports that Kris Letang could play this Saturday, but nothing is official.

Also, Ryan Whitney did not have any setbacks with playing any games with his surgically repaired foot, only some soreness, and hopes to be fine and continue playing.

Pens face Bruins tonight.

Hopefully everyone enjoyed a nice Holiday break, but if you are a Pens fan, hopefully you did not focus on them. The Pens still have not gotten back on the right track and continue losing and winning and alternating. I don't think I need to discuss the 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are a lot of excuses, and I have heard them all, but now I want to see results. We can not continue on a downward spiral like this and expect it not to effect us later.
The Bruins are currently on an 8 game winning streak and sit atop the Eastern Conference. They are one of the best teams in the NHL right now and this will be a good test for the Pens.

Notes:
Hal Gill will be back from injury.
Jordan Staal will become youngest player in NHL History to play 200 games tonight.
Sidney Crosby will be playing in his 250th game tonight.
Bissonnette has been sent back down to the Baby Pens

Crosby passes Jagr's All Star vote record.

Yesterday Sidney Crosby passed Jagr's record of 1,020,736 votes for the All Star game set in 2000. Voting continues until January 2nd. Evgeni Malkin is not so far from breaking Jagr's record as well, so Pens fans want to keep it going!

Also, news from over the weekend, Max Talbot inked a two year contract with the Pens. I was absolutely thrilled to hear this news because Talbot is a player that I love to have on the Pens with the energy he brings on and off the ice! Congrats Max!!

Oh, and also, one thing a reader of my blog pointed out to me (Yes, I actually have at least one consistent reader of this blog!) was that I failed to mention the fact that Bob Smizik, a writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has retired. In several blogs of mine, I have mentioned that I usually did not care for his writing though I acknowledged that he occasionally wrote some articles that were complimentary of Pens and their fans, but those were rare. So, farewell to Bob Smizik and I might just throw in a little Hooray too!

Pens play Buffalo Sabres tonight.

Well, after a 6-3 victory over Atlanta that did not showcase the Pens' best effort and then a disappointing 7-3 loss to Toronto the Pens will hope for a better performance for Christmas in the two games played before Christmas Eve. The Pens play the Sabres tonight and the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow. The Pens admit that they have not been playing all that well lately and some may suggest that the injuries to many players are starting to affect the team. Fortunately though, Ryan Whitney, who completed his one game conditioning assignment in Wilkes Barre, is supposed to play in his first game this season tomorrow night against the Lightning if all goes well. Also, Dupuis plans to be back tonight against Buffalo. Hopefully, these additions can boost the Pens. As the Pens have been going through a bit of a slump this month, many teams in the Eastern Conference are picking up, leaving the Pens to tumble. The Pens are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference, but not ahead by much. The Pens need to get back on track before they stumble too far.

Due to bad weather, the Pens took a bus to Buffalo for their game tonight, bringing back memories from years ago for many Pens players. However, all agree that this bus trip is a good thing for the team, especially after a disappointing loss to Toronto because everyone is usually more quiet after such a loss. Therefore, the bus will be another way for the Pens to "hang out together. "

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=399475

Pens and Crosby introduce "Little Penguins-Learn to Play Hockey Program."

Sidney Crosby and the Penguins have announced their Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program for children 4-8 years old. Reebok and Dick's Sporting Goods will provide the equipment for the children and there will be several participating rinks in the Pittsburgh area.
http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=398852

Pens face Atlanta Thrashers tonight.

The Pens had hard practices full of drills recently to get them back on track. The Pens hope to put their skills to the test tonight in Atlanta. Atlanta has the worst penalty-killing in the league and if the Pens can improve their power play numbers tonight, they will take every opportunity and use it wisely, hopefully. The Pens were not pleased with their game against the Flyers and they hope that a little break between games and some full practices will be exactly what they have been needing lately.
As reported yesterday, Talbot and Zigomanis will not be playing tonight.

Fleury starting against Atlanta tomorrow night.

Fleury will be in net for the Pens when they visit Atlanta tomorrow night. He has been out since November 15th with an injury.

With Talbot out and Zigomanis as well, the Pens recalled Jeff Taffe and Ryan Stone from the Baby Pens.

Ruslan Fedotenko will be in the lineup and was back at practice today after missing yesterday's practice due to illness.

New Arena name: Consol Energy Center.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=398194


The new Penguins arena will be named the Consol Energy Center. Consol Energy has a 21-year deal for the naming rights of the arena. The new arena is set to open in time for the 2010-2011 hockey season.

Will Crosby break Jagr's All Star vote record?

As of early this morning Sidney Crosby had 793,995 votes for the All Star game. Well former Penguin Jaromir Jagr set the record for votes in 2000 with 1,020,736 votes. Will Crosby be able to overcome that total and overtake Jagr's record? Only Pens fans can decide!
Not to mention, Crosby's teammate, Evgeni Malkin, who is second in voting currently has a chance to overtake Jagr's record also. As of early this morning, Malkin had 715,663 votes.
So keep voting Pens fans!

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=398380

Pens look to come out stronger after 4 days off.

The Pens carry a 1-4 record from the past 5 games into their current break. They hope to get in some good practices and get a little break from the heavy game schedule they have had lately. Hopefully good practices and a little rest make the Pens come back strong for their next game on Thursday against the Atlanta Thrashers. The Pens also hope to have some reprieve from some injured players as well. Fleury is expected to be the starter this Thursday if he does not aggravate his injury in the next few days. Whitney would like to get in a game before Christmas, but there are no guarantees.

I have to talk about the Pens win over the Islanders last Thursday. It was a great game when obviously the offense was clicking, winning 9-2! It was great to see Sykora FINALLY get his hat trick in the NHL after 38 two-goal games. Just as great was seeing Dupuis get his first hat trick in the NHL as well. It was a great game for the Pens and well needed after a 3 game losing streak. However, it is not great that it was followed by the Pens falling to the Flyers 6-3 this past Saturday.

Sykora was named 2nd star of the week for last week.

Boucher back tonight, Curry in net against Islanders.

Philippe Boucher will be back in the lineup tonight against the New York Islanders at Mellon arena.
John Curry will be in net. His first action this season was against the Islanders on November 26th when he went in after Sabourin was pulled. He had another game a few games later against the Sabres. Curry just wants to contribute a win tonight, he is well aware of how badly the team needs a win after the losses recently.
http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=397428

The Pens have sent Ben Lovejoy back to the Baby Pens today.

The Islanders are in a bit of a losing slump recently just like the Pens. Both teams will be desperate for a win. Joey MacDonald, the goaltender for the Islanders, has not been as dominant as of late so we will have to see if he has gotten back on track or if he is still on shaky ground.
I hope the Pens come out strong and just keep working to create chances. Their chances did not go their way last night in the loss to the Devils, but if they continue to work hard, the chances have to eventually go in the Pens' favor! The power play is where some of these chances need to happen for the Pens as it still struggles.

Crosby and Malkin now 1,2 in All-Star voting.

Thanks to Pens fans voting in a dramatic fashion lately, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin now lead in voting for the Eastern Conference. Pens fans need to continue to keep voting so we don't see these leads slip away! So, text PENS to 81812 or vote online!
http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=397191

To vote online: http://fanballoting.nhl.com/?intcmpid=ASFBPIT

Pens face Devils tonight.

The Pens are in New Jersey tonight to take on the Devils at 7:00. The Pens will try to improve on their power play that has been struggling for most of the games they have played this season.
The Pens won the last meeting against New Jersey 4-1 with the help of Crosby's hat trick and 4 point night. The Pens will have to battle hard again and try to break the Devil's tough style of play.

The Pens recalled Jeff Taffe and Tim Wallace from the Baby Pens yesterday.
http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=397092

Gill out 2-4 weeks, Pesonen re-assigned.

Defenseman Hal Gill will be out of the lineup for 2 to 4 weeks with a shoulder injury.

Janne Pesonen has been sent back to the Baby Pens.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=397004

Sabres stage comeback to beat Pens.

The Pens have done it numerous times this season, make a comeback and win a game either in regulation time or going into overtime. However, the Pens have also been the team to give up leads as well and that is exactly what happened last night at Mellon Arena. The Pens had a 3-1 lead and ended up losing to the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. A disappointing loss and even more disappointing was not scoring on the 2 minute 5-on-3 the Pens had when they were leading. Getting a goal on that 5-on-3 may have been what the Pens needed to win. Ruslan Fedotenko had a 2 goal night and Kris Letang finally got his first of the season last night, too bad they came in a loss.
The Pens face the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night.

Fleury returns to practice.

Fleury was cleared to practice with the team today, but there is still no timetable for his return.
Fleury's healing is essential due to the fact that his injury is one that could be made worse and prolong his time out of the lineup with a return too early.

Crosby now leads in Eastern Conference All Star Votes

Sidney Crosby has taken over the lead for forwards in the Eastern Conference All Star Voting.
Crosby, as of earlier this morning, had 551,401 votes and Alexei Kovalev of the Montreal Canadiens had 513,842 for second place.
Malkin is also gaining votes and inching nearer to that 4th place.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=396833

Pens host Sabres tonight

Coming from a frustrating loss to Ottawa, the Pens will be looking to rebound tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. The game will be on versus and air at 7:30. The Pens lost the last game against Buffalo this season, giving even more motivation to the Pens to earn a win. The last game was a comeback win for the Sabres, something the Pens have been doing quite a bit this season. However, the Pens have also been the culprit of giving up leads quite a bit as well. Something for the Pens to avoid in the future.
Hal Gill will not play tonight after suffering an undisclosed injury and Ben Lovejoy has been recalled from the Baby Pens to take his spot.
Tyler Kennedy is out 4-6 weeks and Zigomanis will not play tonight either.

Kennedy out and Zigomanis 'probable.'

Both Tyler Kennedy and Mike Zigomanis suffered undisclosed injuries in last night's game against the Rangers. It has since been determined that Kennedy will not play tonight against the Hurricanes and Zigomanis is listed as probable.
With these injuries, the Pens decided to call up Chris Minard and Janne Pesonen from the Baby Pens.

Pens fall to Rangers in shootout.

The outcome was the same the last time the Pens visited the New York Rangers this season. A 3-2 shootout loss. The Pens played a stronger game, but could not hold on to their 2-0 lead. Both goaltenders played a strong game, especially Lundqvist who robbed the Pens of many chances that would have almost guaranteed a win. When it came to the shootout though, Sabourin fell short, to say the least. While he has not been bad in the shootout this season, Sabourin could not stop any of the Rangers' shots. It is a frustrating loss, but the Pens will be looking to rebound tonight in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Pens go head to head with Atlantic division leader Rangers.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be in Manhattan tonight to face the New York Rangers at 7:00. The New York Rangers are currently leading the Atlantic Division with 36 points, however they have played 4 more games than the Penguins have. The Pens sit in second place with 31 points.
The Pens are 0-0-1 so far this season against the Rangers, losing a shootout on October 25th.

Kris Letang has reverted back to a stick he used to use, as it was strongly suggested by the coaching staff. “We strongly suggested that he change his stick,” Therrien said with a smile. “Maybe sometimes it’s a matter of confidence.” Letang has not scored a goal in 33 games.

Two-headed monster? Isn't there a better name?

When asked for a nickname for both Malkin and Crosby, Crosby said, "That’s for you guys to decide. I’ve never made a nickname for myself. I’m not going to start now. I’m sure whatever they come up with is fine.”
The "they" he was referring to was that of Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey. The name they have dubbed this duo with is "The two-headed monster." Really? That's the best? Well, these are the announcers that often mistake players during the game as well as saying words that are not even words. I think there could be a much better name out there. Dynamic Duo has been seen across signs in the arena for so long now, but perhaps they need an even better name. I don't have any GREAT ideas, but I will try and think of some!
Whatever the nickname people choose to give them, there is no denying how well the two of them have been playing as of late. They currently lead the NHL in points, Malkin first with 39 points and Crosby second with 34 points and they put on quite a show nearly every game. Nickname or no nickname, I can not wait to see more of what these two magnificent players have to offer!

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=395537

Crosby and Malkin closing in on All Star votes?

Since polls have opened for the All Star game, the Montreal Canadiens have represented every leader in the Eastern Conference. Many have been wondering if Montreal fans are tampering somehow to get all these votes. Well, according to NHL. com, Pens fans are not going down without a fight! Crosby and Malkin continue gaining and if we all start voting more, I am sure we can make it happen!!

Article: http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=395639

To vote online: http://fanballoting.nhl.com/?intcmpid=ASFBPIT

Staal and Cooke named alternates for December.

Coach Therrien announced at practice today that the two alternate captains for the month of December will be Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke.

Malkin was given the day off today to rest. Boucher is "week to week" and Fleury continues to work with conditioning coach Mike Kadar before practices and Ryan Whitney is getting a skate fitted to his foot that was operated on.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=395661


Also, the Pittsburgh Penguins brand ranks number 8 out of 122 teams in professional sports. They were number 20 in 2007. "Turnkey surveyed fans from teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB and asked them to rate local teams in 21 different categories. including entertainment value, commitment to winning, ticket value, likeability of the players and ownership."

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=395613

Crosby named NHL first star of the week. Malkin named 2nd star of the month for November.

Crosby was the leading scorer this past week with 9 points (6 goals and 3 assists) making him the NHL's number one star of the week.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=395434

Malkin was second among leaders of points for the month of November, registering 23 points. (7 goals, 16 assists) Making him the NHL's second star for the month of November.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=395472

Pens to start another road trip.

After a little holiday break, I am back!
The Pens, during my break, had a mix of results. They won last Wednesday against the Islanders 5-3. Oh, and surprise, surprise, it was a comeback win!! Malkin's hat trick seemed to help out quite a bit. This game Crosby and Malkin were excellent playing together!
Then that Friday we lost to the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. The Power play seemed to be the culprit of this loss. Everyone became aware that it needed to improve.
That brings us to the last game, this past Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. The Pens won 4- 1 and Crosby recorded his second career hat trick, his first one at Mellon Arena. The Power play was more effective this game and hopefully the Pens can keep it up.

The Pens will now begin a road trip taking them from New York to play the Rangers, to Carolina for the Hurricanes, and then to Ottawa for a matchup against the Senators before they are home on the 8th to play the Sabres.
As most players say, road trips are important to stay on task and focus on each game. The schedule not only includes this road trip, it also features a number of back to back games, which the Pens just completed their second such sequence this past weekend for the season. The Pens will play back to back games on this upcoming road trip and will have another 3 sequences like that just in the month of December. December may be a tougher month with the schedule, but the Pens seem to be getting more and more on track.

Speculation: Fleury out 3-5 weeks.

There have been some rumors going around that Pens goalie Marc Andre Fleury could be out 3-5 weeks. Everyone is being quiet about the injury itself and the recovery time. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Don't Forget!

Make sure to celebrate this Thanksgiving Pens style!
FSN is airing both the Winter Classic from last season and Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit.

"The first-ever NHL Winter Classic from New Year’s Day 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo will air at 11 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. The Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres on Sidney Crosby’s shootout goal before the largest crowd ever to watch an NHL game.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, which the Penguins won in triple-overtime, will air at 2 p.m. and again at 8:30 p.m. Max Talbot tied the game late in the third period and Petr Sykora scored in the third extra session as the Penguins won one of the most dramatic Finals games in recent memory."

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=394351

Pens to begin road trip.

The Pens will be away from home 5 out of their next 6 games. The players look forward to just focusing on one game at a time and getting into a road routine.
Road trips can serve as good momentum if they are successful and that is exactly what the Pens plan on doing, make this road tip a success.
The players also agree that road trips are a time to bond. Some players are spending nearly all day with each other on road trips. Road trips can boost the chemistry of a team, and in Pittsburgh, we know that the Pens have great chemistry and we know that it is important to a team playing and performing well.
Hopefully this road trip can be positive in every aspect.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=394383

Pens players deliver turkeys.

Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, and Eric Godard distributed holiday turkeys to underprivileged families today in the Hill District. The Pens were happy to help out and all agree that it is nice to put smiles on people's faces and makes them feel better. Brooks Orpik described the event as "humbling" and says it helps him to be more thankful and not take anything for granted.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=394205

Pens have disappointing loss against Canucks.

The Pens lost to the Vancouver Canucks this past Saturday 3-1. The game started interesting enough with 3 little skirmishes, some fights, about 25 seconds into the game. However, Matt Cooke was ejected from the game for a second fight and therefore could not play a game he said would be filled with a little more emotion due to the fact that he was once a Canuck. The fights did not seem to get either team going. Another thing that did not get going for the Pens was the power play. The power play that has gone 1 for 12 the past 3 games. Therrien is calling the power play a small concern right now and he says we get no energy from a power play. If the Pens look to win more games they will have to focus more on better power plays and also not resting on the fact that they have come from behind to win many games. Perhaps the Pens were thinking that this Saturday, but this time, they could not manage a comeback to force a win or even overtime.

Saturday's game also saw Luongo, the Canucks captain and starting goalie, go down with an injury.

Pens faceoff against Atlanta tonight.

The Pens will look to get back on track with their game against Atlanta tonight. They hope to improve their record at Philips arena, which since the lockout is 1-3-2. People expect tonight's game to be more open since the Thrashers style of play resembles the Pens' in some ways. Atlanta plays a much more open game than our Tuesday opponent, the Minnesota Wild, that's for sure. Many players say they will have to keep an eye on Ilya Kovalhcuk tonight and his shot.
Fleury, who did not make the trip down to Atlanta, obviously did not practice with the team today, missing his 4th in a row.

Fleury misses practice again.

Marc Andre Fleury missed practice again today and will not play tomorrow night against Atlanta. This Saturday's game status is "up in the air."

Pens face some familiar faces in Atlanta.

We all know the trade that sent Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, among others, to the Atlanta Thrashers last season. Therefore, no need to mention the details.
I was sad when Colby and Crusher were traded. Yes, I was well aware of the talented Hossa and knew that he would be a great asset to the team, but that does not change the fact that I was sad two of my favorite players had to go. I still dream of a day when at least Colby will be back in a Pens uniform. Though I miss Christensen, I thought he would be better off on another team for him personally. Though, he really has not developed a consistency in Atlanta yet either, but it is Atlanta. (They have been doing a little better recently though)
It will be nice to see them both tomorrow night when the Pens visit Atlanta, but it would be even better if they were playing for us.
Crosby says he still stays in touch with Colby, as they were close friends. Crosby also says that any inside dirt or antics Colby tries to pull and says about Crosby tomorrow night will not work. Crosby will just find it funny and "would be laughing inside."


http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=393295

Pens lose to Wild in shootout.

Many expected it to be a low scoring game, and it was. The Wild beat the Pens in a shootout 2-1 last night, ending the Pens win streak at 6 games. The Pens could not generate much offense and then no shooters could get anything past goaltender Backstrom in the shootout. The Pens still gained a point, that is how I am looking at it, but it is still a little upsetting. The Pens did not capitalize on the power play which many thought needed to be done in order to win. However, the Wild are one of the best teams on the penalty kill and have allowed not third period power play goals, where the majority of the Pens power plays fell. Though there should be no excuses.
The Pens will look to get back on the winning track tomorrow night against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Contract soon for Staal?

It's been rumored for quite a while that Staal will soon sign a deal with the Pens. Well, those rumors are saying that it seems to happen sooner rather than later. The contract is said to be done before the new year. The rumors also say that the deal will be shorter than the long-term ones Malkin and Crosby have been signed too.
It's also rumored that Sykora wants to sign with the Pens, but it says he is looking for a three-year deal. Well, Shero is not really into giving three-year deals to anyone other than "star" players. We'll see how it ends.

Pens vs. Wild tonight.

The Pens will host the Minnesota Wild tonight.
With Fluery out due to injury, Sabourin will be in and the Pens called up John Curry from the Baby Pens as back-up.
The Wild have a strong system and have been playing well so far this season. The Pens will need to capitalize on their power play chances tonight against a system like the Wild's.

Fleury out for Tuesday's game.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=392900


Fleury has an undisclosed injury that was sustained late in the Sabres game. Fleury will miss Tuesday's game against Minnesota and is listed as day-to-day. Therrien says it is not a serious injury, but are being cautious with it.

Sydor to Dallas for Boucher.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=392770

Something felt weird to me when I saw Sydor on tv between periods of the Sabres game with Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey. No, it wasn't the fact that I felt sorry for him having to be next to Steigey. Something about Sydor said something was not the same. Well, I was right. It was that night Sydor was traded to Dallas for defenseman Philippe Boucher. Boucher brings with him the same salary cap hit as Sydor had, but a right shot. Boucher is excited to play for the Pens just as much as his two children are.

Pens keep the intense games coming.

The Pens continued their span of close, exciting, comeback wins with a 4-3 shootout win over Philadelphia and a comeback 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

They did have a 3-0 advantage in the Flyers game, but that soon changed especially giving up two shorthanded goals. They Flyers soon had a 4-3 advantage, but nothing can stop the Pens. The Pens pulled the game into overtime with a tying goal by Crosby. Sabourin turned aside all shootout attempts, while Gologoski scored for the Pens.

The Buffalo Sabres game, the Pens trailed 2-1 going into the third and then exploded with 4 goals in a span of the final 9 minutes. Staal getting two of those goals, continuing his hot streak. The Pens came out victorious again!

Pens vs. Flyers tonight.

The Pens will be back in action tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. Pens fans hope the Pens can carry the energy and momentum from Tuesday's incredible win over the Red Wings into tonight's game. Every game against the Flyers proves to be a game full of emotion and action, hopefully the majority of that goes in the Pens' favor tonight!

Scuderi will be a game time decision tonight.

Scuderi injury

Rob Scuderi left during the first period of last night's game after blocking a shot. Therrien said, "It could have been a lot worse. He'll skate tomorrow morning. We'll see how he feels."
The Pens also have no plans of bringing any defenseman up from the Baby Pens.

What a game!

The Pens played their most exciting game of the season so far last night in Detroit. The Pens defeated the Red Wings 7-6. With Jordan Staal's hat trick and the Pens determination to win, the Pens prevailed.
Jordan Staal has been lighting up the scoreboard more and more recently, and last night's hat trick gave the Pens a win and his assist on Fedotenko's game winning goal in overtime didn't hurt either!
Last night's games was one of the best Pens games I have ever watched and the fact that we did it against the Red Wings in the Joe, made it a bit more sweet. Honestly though, I think a victory like this would have been sweet no matter the opponent.
This will be a game I know I will be talking about for A WHILE.
Hopefully the Pens can carry the momentum they gained from this spectacular win over to tomorrow night's match-up with the Flyers.

Pens and Detoit come face to face again tomorrow night.

The Penguins will play the team that eliminated them from the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since that series tomorrow night in Detroit. Everyone knows that not only did the Red Wings defeat us, they also went on to sign Free Agent Marian Hossa who played for the Pens the last stretch and the playoffs last season. We all know that Hossa chose Detroit's offer over the Penguins, but it is time to move on. He decided on another team, which he had every right to do. Yes, people in the organization got the vibe from Hossa that he would be back here and Hossa saying that he wanted to play for the team that had the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup all stung a little bit and added some salt to the wound. However, that is over, all in the past and this is this season. I am not saying that I wouldn't love to see the Pens get a little revenge over Detroit, because that is exactly what I want. That revenge would be a win, and I go into every game wanting a win, so this is no different than any other game, right? Well, it may stir up some strong emotions and some bad memories. I may want a win a tad more than usual and a win might be a tad more satisfying against the Red Wings this season, but none of it will change the outcome of last season. We'll just have to wait and see what this season becomes...

Pens beat Islanders in shootout.

The Pens made for an exciting game this past Saturday when they defeated the Islanders in a 4-3 shootout victory. Sabourin was in net for the Penguins and came up big with some great saves, including the save on the Islander's third shooter in the shootout. It was clear that there was no puck in the net, but where could it be? Sabourin reaches into his pads and throws out a puck and immediately raises his hand as if he were saying, "I didn't do it, I got it." The Penguins immediately started celebrating because Sabourin had made stops on all 3 shooters and Sykora had already scored for the Pens. However, the save would come under review to see if Sabiourin's pad had come over the goal line and if you could see where the puck was positioned and if it crossed! Finally it was ruled not to be a goal. It was indecisive where the goal was and there was no evidence to supprt a goal and the Pens win.
Like my sister said, "It's like the end of the Mighty Ducks movie."

"We Won, but..."

The Pens have been giving up leads a lot this season but none after building a 5-0 advantage. Though it came close to happening Thursday night against the Oilers. The Pens built a 5-0 lead and it looked like smooth sailing ahead. However, the Pens possibly got a little too comfortable with that much of a lead because the Oilers fought back with 4 goals.
Luckily, the Pens were able to hold the Oilers off from getting that 5th tying goal, but the Pens learned once again this season the lesson of protecting a lead by sticking to what you were previously doing. Who knows how many more times the Pens will let leads slip by this season, but they sure have had enough games to learn from their mistakes.

Pens vs. Oilers.

Dupuis will be back in the lineup tonight and is expected to be on the second line along with Malkin and Sykora.

The game starts at 7 tonight.
The Oilers have been struggling on the Penalty kill this season and the Pens should try to take advantage of that. However, Edmonton knows they have been doing poorly and have been working on it!

Michel Therrien had a response to the comments Washington Capital Alexander Semin made about Sidney Crosby last week. You know, the comments that started with "What's so special about him [Crosby]?"
"Is he talking about the youngest guy to get 100 points in the history of the National Hockey League? Is he talking about the youngest guy to win the Hart Trophy and lead the league in scoring? Is he talking about the youngest captain in the National Hockey League to bring his team to the Stanley Cup Final? That’s all I have to say.”
Well said Therrien!

FSN to show Pens programs on Thanksgiving.

FSN will show the Winter Classic again and also the exciting game 5 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. These programs are to commemorate the spectacular 2007-2008 season.
They will begin at 11:00 am and each will be shown twice.

News from the NHL.

Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils will be out of the lineup for up to four months to have and revcover from surgery.

Former Penguin, Michel Ouellet was not claimed off of waivers by any team by the deadline today and now is heading up to the Canucks due to various injuries the team has sustained.

Dallas Stars sign free agent Mark Parrish.

The Montreal Canadiens lead the way in the number of players on the All-Star Ballot.
The Pens have 5 members on the ballot including, Marc Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Whitney, and Sergei Gonchar.

Pens win in St. Louis!

The Pens' road trip ended on a high note with a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. The road trip all together, however, was not a high note for the Pens. With 3 straight losses and all coming in bad fashion with letting go of leads, poor offense, and low shot totals, the Pens needed a pick-me-up. They got one with a high scoring exciting game against the St. Louis Blues.
Jordan Staal got his first goal of the season, an empty-netter. All thanks to Malkin. Maybe we can see an outburst of scoring from Staal now that he remembers what it feels like!
Hopefully, this winning trend for the Pens will continue even with a 4 day break. The next game is home against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

New A&L Motors Commercial.

The new commercial is quite humorous. However, to me, it is not quite as funny as last season's version. That one will always be the best to me!
Enjoy this one!

'>http://

Pens vs. Phoenix Coyotes

All Pens fans are hoping for a better game than the 2-1 loss to the Sharks against the Coyotes tonight. The Pens need to generate some offense, cycle the puck better and tally more shots than they have been.
Hal Gill and Max Talbot will be back tonight, but Dupuis is out with an undisclosed injury.
Chris Minard was called up today and will be in the lineup tonight.
The Pens adjusted their lines: Ruslan Fedotenko-Sidney Crosby-Tyler Kennedy; Matt Cooke-Evgeni Malkin-Petr Sykora; Minard-Jordan Staal-Miroslav Satan; Talbot-Zigomanis-Eric Godard.
Though these lines could be changed at any time, as we well know.

Pens recall Chris Minard

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=389466

The Penguins have recalled Chris Minard from the Baby Pens. He leads the Baby Pens in points with 13 points over a total of 7 games.

Malkin and Crosby no longer together on top unit.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=389299

Therrien shuffled lines in practice today following the upsetting loss to the San Jose Sharks.
Sidney Crosby will now be skating with Dupuis and Fedotenko. The second line will consist Malkin skating with Sykora and Cooke. Third line will be Tyler Kennedy-Jordan Staal-Miroslav Satan, and the fourth line :Paul Bissonnette-Mike Zigomanis-Eric Godard.
I am happy to see Malkin and Sykora back together, hopefully they can add the firepower they have had in the past. We need it!

Gill practiced with the team, but status for tomorrow night's game against the Phoenix Coyotes is still unknown.
Talbot did not practice with the team today and his status is also unknown.

Frustrating loss to Sharks.

Well, the Pens changed their game last night in San Jose, this time they decided to take the first two periods off and then most of the third as well, instead of just letting go in the third. The Pens showed up with less than half of the third period remaining. That is when Ruslan Fedotenko scored his goal.
Last night's game was disappointing and frustrating. I don't even have to say that the Sharks had the advantage in shots, it is pretty much a given with the current Pens that the opposing team out-shoots us. The shots were 34 to 11. Again, it was our goalie that kept us in the game, this time it was Dany Sabourin. The Pens need to play a FULL 60-minute game and figure out their system. These games are beginning to become grueling to watch, these are not the Pens I know!

Sabourin in net, Talbot and Gill out of lineup against San Jose.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=389089

Dany Sabourin will get his second start of the season tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
Max Talbot will not play tonight due to an undisclosed injury. Hal Gill practiced with the team today, though is not ready for game action. He is still listed as "day to day."

I hope to rebound from the disappointing loss in New York tonight. San Jose is one of the better teams right now, but that hasn't stopped us in the past of coming out strong and winning. Hopefully the Pens come out strong and don't back down the entire game.
Being a West Coast game, it is a late one starting at 10:30 here. Little longer wait than usual.

The Sarah Palin Curse?

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/19196-THNcom-Blog-The-Palin-curse.html

Adam Proteau, of the Hockey News, brought up the idea of a "Sarah Palin Curse" in his latest blog entry on thn. com.
She dropped the puck for the Flyers- they lose 6 straight.
She dropped the puck for the Blues- Manny Legace trips over red carpet for Palin and is injured.

I just thought this was a little humorous. However, I do not like mixing politics with sports all too much, so that is all I will say on the matter.

Pens sign Haddad and Grant to entry-level contracts.

The Penguins have signed forward Joey Haddad to a three year entry-level contract. They re-assigned him to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Pens also signed defenseman Alex Grant to a three year entry-level contract. He is currently playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Pens lose lead in the third... again.

The Pens lost to the New York Rangers Saturday night 3-2 in the shootout. At least we salvaged a point from this third period letdown. The Pens carried a 2-0 lead going into the third period and let it slip by. The Rangers tied it with seconds left in the third to lead it into overtime and then eventually the shootout. This is not the first time the Pens let a lead slip away this season.
Fleury made 42 saves but it was not enough to keep the Pens from losing.
The Pens better learn quickly how to keep a lead. They need to stay on their game and not get away from what has been working the first two periods. They should not let up at all.
I hope the Pens do correct this soon and I have confidence that they will. I hope, because I can not take too many more losses when we had the lead going into the third. They are not so easy to take for me or for many Pens fans.

Pens Vs Carolina Hurricanes tonight.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight.
The Pens will be without Matt Cooke again and Hal Gill will also be out tonight. They both hope to play Saturday against the Rangers and are listed as "day to day."
The new defense pairings will be Brooks Orpik-Rob Scuderi, Kris Letang-Mark Eaton and Alex Goligoski-Darryl Sydor.
Tonight is a special Student Rush night. 600 tickets were set aside for student rushers. I wish I was one of the people in line, however I doubt I would have showed up at 6:30 p.m. yesterday and slept outside like a group of fans did. If it were possible, I would get there early in the morning. Though, I commend that group of fans who slept outside and will wait about 24 hours for tickets. They wanted to be guaranteed tickets, I think that did it! They will also be there for the "special surprise." For the past couple years this has been several members of the Pens showing up in line with pizza!

Crosby named one of Askmen.com's "Top 49 Influential Men."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=387784

Sidney Crosby has been named one of the top 49 Influential Men according to Askmen.com. He ranked 45 on the list, his second year in a row being on the list. Viewers of the website were asked to vote for people who had influenced them the most during the year of 2008.
Congrats Sid!

Pens beat Bruins in shootout.

The Pens have had their share of overtime games already this season, but last night's game against the Boston Bruins was the first to head into a shootout. The Pens came out with a victory after 5 rounds of shooters. Dany Sabourin was great in net as he saved 35 shots last night and stopped 4 shooters in the shootout. The Pens shooters who scored were Petr Sykora and Evgeni Malkin, Malkin getting the deciding goal.
It was an exciting game filled with some scuffles, including Sidney Crosby getting into something with Marc Savard. Who knows what it is about the Boston Bruins with Sid. His first fight of his career was last season against Andrew Ference of the Boston Bruins.
Well, it was a great win for the Pens and Sabourin, who kept the Pens in the game. The next game is at home for the Pens against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Sabourin in net against Bruins.

Dany Sabourin will get his first shot in net this season tonight against the Bruins.
Matt Cooke did not make the trip to Boston.
Bissonnette will take his place in the lineup.

Pens vs. Bruins tonight.

After a miserable loss to the Washington Capitals, the Pens redeemed themselves Saturday night with a great win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. This win came with a milestone hat trick for Sidney Crosby and also included a milestone for Evgeni Malkin. Crosby recorded his 100th career goal, his 200th career assist and therefore his 300th career point. Malkin added his 100th assist. Both had a four point night. Though many fans do not agree with Therrien putting Malkin and Crosby on a line together, and I do not especially like it either, but there is no doubt that it was effective for Saturday's game. It was just nice to see something working for the Pens.
Now we are set to face the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. tonight. I am not sure what Therrien has in mind for his lines, but I hope we put in another 60 minute effort!

Cooke possibly out against Caps.

Matt Cooke missed his second day of practice to an "unspecified" injury. If he decides he is not ready to play tonight, it will be a game time decision who will fill his spot. Bill Thomas or Paul Bissonnette could be in, or Therrien may opt to put in Defenseman Darryl Sydor as a winger.

Pens vs. Caps tonight.

Coming off of an overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, the Pens are now set to face the Washington Capitals tonight at Mellon Arena. Of course, when it is the Pens vs. Caps, what else do you expect to hear except, "Crosby vs. Ovechkin." They are two of the best NHL players at the moment and the NHL will keep promoting these games between the two teams with this title. However, both teams have other stars on their roster that can prove to be lethal. A game against the Capitals used to be a game controlled by the Penguins and occasionally Ovechkin got some points, but now the Caps are a team that is taking a path similar to the one the Pens have taken just a short time ago. They made it to the playoffs last season and now have a good team that boasts Mike Green, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, just to name a few. They are a team that should be taken very seriously. This season so far, their offense has not been struggling as much as the Pens has.
Now, of course, the Pens also have a number of players to brag about including, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc Andre Fleury. I am hoping that tonight's game the Pens finally find their scoring touch and I hope it is an exciting game!

Sykora to play tonight against Flyers.

Petr Sykora will be in the lineup for the first time this season tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. He will skate on a line with Malkin and Staal.
Pascal Dupuis will rejoin Crosby on the first line, replacing Fedotenko.
With Sykora's return, Tyler Kennedy will be on the third line along with Fedotenko and Max Talbot.

Also, the Pens will debut their "classic" blue jerseys, similar to the ones worn in the Winter Classic against the Buffalo Sabres, on November 15th. A game at Mellon Arena against the Sabres. The Pens will wear the uniforms at several other home games throughout the season.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_593157.html?source=rss&feed=8

Ryan Whitney plans to start skating next month. That does not mean that his recovery is going faster than the original diagnosis. However, it may be before his worst-case scenario of not playing until January. Whitney says it is painful at the moment but looks forward to skating next month.

Pens play host to the hated Flyers tonight.

Tonight is the first game against the Pens and Flyers of the season. It is a game where the energy is usually higher and the fans a little rowdier, at least I hope it is. When the Pens play against the Flyers, it is sure to be an exciting game for the players and the fans. There is nothing like a good rivalry to get things going. Perhaps a game against the hated Flyers will charge the Pens tonight to finally overcome the scoring shortages and all the other flaws apparent in the first 3 games.
I expect the fans to be louder, I expect the players to be ready and prepared to battle. I hope that is what I see from my Pens tonight.

NY Rangers Prospect Cherepanov dies during KHL game.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=252547&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

The New York Rangers selected Alexei Cherepanov in the first round, 17th overall in the 2007 draft.
He died today in the third period of a KHL game. He collapsed on the bench and died a short time later. He was 19 years old.
I remember Cherepanov so well from the draft and knew he was going to be a great player. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

Smizik writes one of his rare, good articles.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08286/919426-61.stm

Bob Smizik, as I have stated before, rarely writes an article that I enjoy reading. However, in this Sunday's Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Smizik wrote an article that I agree with full-heartedly.
Smizik said that the loyalty of Pens fans is like no other in this town. No, not even the Steelers fans. Smizik recognized how large of an event the opening of the hockey season at home is. To me, it should be considered a holiday. I wait long grueling months with much anticipation for the start of a new hockey season and I know I am not alone, I am accompanied by thousands of loyal Pens fans.
Smizik asked where else would the grandmother's of a player be welcomed with such great applause? Well, all Pens fans know that Sidney Crosby's grandmas were in attendance for the first time in Pittsburgh. When they were shown on the jumbotron, it was like Crosby himself was shown. Smizik also mentions how we greet the great Jeff Jimerson when singing the National Anthem. I know I cheer, who else do you want to hear at Mellon Arena singing the National Anthem? Pens fans know Jeff and they expect him to sing the National Anthem.
Although Smizik often writes articles that I despise and do not agree with, Smizik got it right this time. I am happy to know that he realizes that Pens fans are like no other and that we appreciate things fans in other sports or even other NHL markets may not even notice.
Be proud of yourselves Pens fans and also take advantage of reading one of Smizik's better articles.

Pens lose Home Opener against New Jersey.

Someone sitting next to me at the game made a statement that all Pens fans wish were true. It came with about 5 or more minutes left in the third: "I wish this game would just end now!" If only it did. At that point the Pens were winning 1-0 and we had compiled a measly 2 shots on net the entire period so far. Maybe with a win, it would have been easier to take the huge slant in shots. New Jersey 49, Pittsburgh 15. I don't know how many games you can expect to win like that.
When Marc Andre Fleury was named the #1 star of the game, he did not even come out on the ice or even make any appearance at all. I don't blame him. He is the reason we salvaged a point out of that game. The Pens know they did not play well and they better work fast to correct their problems before Tuesday night's game against the Flyers.
You can sense frustration in many of the players when things are going poorly. Most noticeably Saturday was none other than Captain Sidney Crosby. He was visibly upset after ever missed opportunity and when nothing would generate from a pass or any play. Well, many of the fans are right there with ya, Sid! The first period was not terrible, but after that, Brodeur might as well have taken a nap. Now, it is still early in the season, however, this will not be an excuse for playing poorly. It may be one for needing time for certain lines to achieve chemistry, but lets hope they form it in the very near future!

Sarah Palin to drop puck for Flyers home opener.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=385590

Well, if I needed another reason to dislike Sarah Palin, here it is. She will drop the puck for the Flyers home opener. We all know her "hockey mom" comment and since Philly is sponsoring a search in the city for the best hockey mom, they invited Sarah Palin. Hey, it's in Philly, there is no better city for her to do it in. I do not like the Philadelphia Flyers and if I had to choose a team that Palin would drop the puck for, I would pick the Flyers! They mix perfectly!

Some say Palin has brought more attention to the sport of hockey. Well, personally, I don't think we need that kind of attention. I doubt people will become more involved or become die-hard fans because Sarah Palin has proclaimed herself as a "hockey mom." Flyers founder, Ed Snider, called Palin "the most popular hockey mom in North America." Really? Most popular? I like to think there are better hockey moms out there than Sarah Palin, in fact I am sure there are. Most popular? Maybe we should say "Most heard of." Maybe that statement would fit more appropriately. Whatever it is, I don't think Sarah Palin has had or will have any impact on the NHL.

Pens acquire Mike Zigomanis from Phoenix.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=385721

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Forward Mike Zigomanis in exchange for future considerations. He is to be used on the Penalty Kill. Also, in 06-07, he was ranked 7th in the NHL in faceoff percentage, at 56.2%.

Taffe cleared waivers today as well.

Updates.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_592322.html?source=rss&feed=8

John Curry was sent down to the Baby Pens and we are already aware that Janne Pesonen was sent down as well.

Jeff Taffe was placed on waivers and Kris Beech was placed on unconditional waivers. It has been reported recently in the past weeks that Beech has an interest in playing in Europe.

Sykora is expected to miss Saturday's game, according to coach Michel Therrien.

Before you hit the panic button...

And so it has begun! Not only has hockey season gotten underway, but so has the panic people have when the Pens lose the first game of the season. Yes, it is true, I have seen and heard people express worry about the Pens already.
Here is some advice: We have played two games, and yes, neither was a perfect game for the Pens. Therrien is juggling lines like crazy already. Satan doesn't seem to be capable of being a 30-goal scorer like people expected on Crosby's line. Yes, we did go 1 for 14 on the power play in these two games, but these people need to calm down. These worries people have expressed need to be taken into perspective. It has only been two games and one loss. Maybe some of you are still in playoff mode, when losing a game is a bit more lethal and hard to take, but you have to remember, this is the regular season now and only the beginning. Therrien always switches lines until he finds something he likes, and he is the coach, so we have to trust him. The Pens will do their best and work out the kinks that were part of their games this past weekend, just like the Pens do after every loss.
So to all those worried fans out there: Relax, it is only the beginning, we are nowhere near the end yet.

Pens split games in Sweden.

The first game was an exciting 4-3 overtime win that was close to a shootout. Tyler Kennedy had a great night with two goals, including the game winner in overtime. Scuderi had a great night getting a goal, and for Scuderi, that's rare.
The second game was not as exciting to watch for Pens fans, as we lost 3-1. Alex Goligoski got his first NHL goal with about a second left in the game to end Auld's bid at a shutout and it is a shame it could not have been happier for Goligoski. However, Goligoski's goal did end the Pens drought on the power play. The first two games, the Pens are just 1 for 14 on the powerplay. Now, we knew the Pens would miss Gonchar and Whitney on the power play, but I don't know if I thought it would be this bad. Is it just because we are down Gonchar and Whitney that we are doing so poorly on the power play? Well, if it is, let's hope the Pens can figure something out and work on it before the home opener this Saturday. This early in the season, I don't worry. It is the first two games, nobody expects things to be perfect. Things will get better, though we have a while before we can get this sour taste out of our mouth.

Pens Season begins TOMORROW!

It may not be Christmas Eve, but with the excitement of a new season starting tomorrow, it sure does feel a lot like Christmas Eve. The Pittsburgh Penguins get the new season underway tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators, the team that killed us in the playoffs in 2007 and also the team we crushed in the first round of the playoffs on our way to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Needless to say, both the Senators and the Penguins are different teams now. Not to say that either team forgets the playoff exits each have dealt each other. However, those days are in the past now and it is a new season.

Most analysts and columnists are predicting the Pens to take a few steps back from what they accomplished last season. Many say the blow of losing Whitney and Gonchar has severely crippled our defense and that we will struggle greatly for it. Yes, it will be a struggle, we our down our top two defensemen, but have the Pens ever let an obstacle get in the way of reaching their goal? Their goal is to win and the Pens will not let their injuries on defense be an excuse to lose. This is the team that lost their number one goalie last season for months. This is the team that was without the league's top player for 28 games. Did we let those misfortunes get in the way of our goal? No, and in the end, I believe it made the Pens stronger. Ty Conklin did a superb job in net while Fleury was down and Conks is now gone, but the impact he made on Fleury could have been the extra thing Fleury was missing all along to make him an even better goalie. Obviously, Fleury proved what he is capable of in the latter part of last season and especially in the playoffs. In Crosby's absence, the player we all expected and needed to step up did so and it was of course Evgeni Malkin. If Malkin comes out strong like he did in Crosby's absence, he may very well be on Crosby's heels in point production. Even without Gonchar and Whitney, the Pens have a lineup that many teams would be jealous of.

I don't care how many people say that we won't be as good this season, that we'll make the playoffs but duck out a lot earlier than last season, and the curse of the Stanley Cup Final losers. These people may be correct, but they most certainly can be wrong as well. I am an optimistic person and I always believe the Pens will be one of the best teams. One thing is a guarantee with these Pens though, they will always play their hardest and do their best. In the end, that's all I can ask for.

Pens win final Pre-season game against Jokerit.

The Penguins won their final pre-season game today 4-1 against Jokerit. Malkin, Fedotenko, Kennedy, and Dupuis scored for the Penguins. Dupuis had an empty-netter with 13 seconds left. Crosby added 3 assists. Jokerit's Janne Lahti scored on a penalty shot in the third after being upended by Brooks Orpik.
Fleury and Sabourin split playing time.
This means that the next game action will be Saturday, when the regular season opens against Ottawa in Sweden! I am extremely excited for this season to get underway.

Talbot out with "sore leg" against Jokerit.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=384287

Max Talbot has a "sore leg" and sat out practice today and will also sit out tomorrow's final preseason game against Jokerit. He will be re-evaluated before the season opener on Saturday against Ottawa.
Petr Sykora returned to practice this morning.

Malkin will wear A, will Orpik too?

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_591060.html?source=rss&feed=8

Malkin has said that he will be wearing an "A" this season, but for the first month. He said they will be rotating. The team has not made an official announcement, but said one will be made this weekend. Malkin also says there will be "no problem" with him speaking to officials, something only a captain and alternate captains can do during a game.
It is also a possibility that Orpik will be wearing an "A" this season, perhaps permanently or rotational, for his leadership skills in the locker room.
I believe Malkin can handle being an Alternate captain and do I see him speaking a lot to the officials? Probably not, because he may not wish to at times and yes, he may be a little uncomfortable with some of the English. However, the truth is, without Gonchar helping him with translating now, Malkin will need to be speaking English even more and this can only help him to become more comfortable speaking English and more confident when speaking it as well.
As for Orpik getting an "A," I believe it is great! He is a great candidate because of his character and leadership and him signing the long term deal this summer showed his dedication to Pittsburgh and the Penguins and that dedication can be turned into an "A" on his jersey.

Fedotenko to play Left Wing on Crosby's line against Jokerit.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_590781.html?source=rss&feed=8

Ruslan Fedotenko may not start the season on the first unit with Sidney Crosby and Miroslav Satan, but it will be that way Thursday in Finland against Jokerit for a preseason game. Of course, nobody expects to see great chemistry on a new line but if things go well, who knows? Fedotenko says being on a line with Sidney Crosby, or any line for that matter, is not something you can go "home and study." It is a "play and see" arrangement. So, let's just wait and see for ourselves.

Sykora is still out with a sore throat and other flu-like symptoms and he also did not take part in the scavenger hunts that took place today. He is expected to be back to practice Wednesday though.

Scavenger Hunt in Sweden.

The Pens have had a rushed preseason schedule and that also means less time for team bonding. However, Pens management found a way of fitting it into their cramped schedule. What better way than team scavenger hunts in Sweden?
http://fans.nhl.com/groups/Bridgestone_NHL_Premiere_2008__Stockholm/blogs/21091
The link is a blog from an NHL.com writer about his adventure with "Team Volvo," which consisted of Hal Gill, Evgeni Malkin, Eric Godard, and John Curry. They finished well behind the other groups, it took them over 4 hours to complete the hunt! However, Gill made sure it was not boring. Cracking jokes and carrying around a viking horn made the journey that much more fun for this group! It was also great for sightseeing, as part of its purpose other then bonding, and they were all over taking a bus ride and a boat ride and of course walking.
Here are some links for photos from "Team Volvo's" journey and other teams as well from NHL.com and feel free to look through more on NHL.com.

http://fans.nhl.com/groups/Bridgestone_NHL_Premiere_2008__Stockholm/photos/89757
http://fans.nhl.com/groups/Bridgestone_NHL_Premiere_2008__Stockholm/photos/89758
http://fans.nhl.com/groups/Bridgestone_NHL_Premiere_2008__Stockholm/photos/89759
http://fans.nhl.com/groups/Bridgestone_NHL_Premiere_2008__Stockholm/photos/89760

Gonchar out 4-6 months?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3616704

According to a source of ESPN, Gonchar will need surgery on his shoulder and could be out 4-6 months. The team is expected to make an announcement on Tuesday.

To me, this is devastating news. Gonchar is one of the elite defensemen of the NHL and this length of time out could hurt the team. David Koci better get a beating from the Pens every time we verse him and the Lightning.

Former Pen Noah Welch will donate brain to concussion research.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=250661

That's right, you heard correctly. Former Penguins player, Noah Welch will donate his brain after his death to the new Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, a joint program between the Boston University School of Medicine and Sports Legacy Institute. The reason is for concussion studies. Noah Welch is not alone, there are 16 other athletes who will also take part. Welch, however is the only NHLer to take part. The studies are meant to inform people that concussions should not be handled lightly, possibly find ways of preventing concussions as well as discovering many other things in regards to side effects and so on.

Isn't that nice of your former Pens player to give his brain to research?

Penguins Reduce Roster

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=383068

13 players have been sent to the Baby Pens leaving the Pens with a 29 man roster.
The 13 players include forwards Kris Beech, Ryan Stone, Adam Henrich, Aaron Boogaard, Tim Wallace, Jonathan Filewich, David Gove and Christopher Minard; defensemen Deryk Engelland, T.J. Kemp, Ben Lovejoy and Joey Mormina; and goaltender David Brown.

Malkin being considered to be Alternate Captain.

Malkin may say he is not ready to be an Alternate Captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins because his English is not up to par quite yet, but what better way is there to lead than to lead by example. Malkin did just that when Captain Sidney Crosby went down last season with a high ankle sprain. Malkin became the leader we all knew he was. Most of the team says that Malkin should be given an "A" this season and I agree. There are a number of worthy candidates and Malkin said there were "older" candidates that should be considered before him, but Malkin has the ability to be a Captain of a team. Just because he is a little harder to understand, Malkin with an "A" on his jersey and all of his talent left out on the ice every night is every bit capable of leading the Pens to a victory by example.

2nd pre-season game tonight against Tampa Bay. Malone in line-up.

It is well known that a handful of former Penguins now play for the Tampa Bay Lightning. One of the most popular being Ryan Malone. A player born and raised in Pittsburgh and who came to be a fan favorite. I knew Malone would be leaving once I heard that he was the last one in his stall with his uniform still on and crying after the loss in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. He knew his time in Pittsburgh was over and therefore, so did I. Now, he says that he would have taken less money to stay here and that he was sure a deal could have been done a long time ago. Yes, Shero was holding out on a few players to see what would be best for the team and Malone may have been brushed to the side a little bit. However, I do not blame either side for the split. Malone apparently had offers he could have accepted, whatever the reason behind it, he did not. Shero was holding out hope for Marian Hossa to sign here and was wondering how much money it would take to do so. Then, the business side of hockey came in, a deal could not be reached between Malone and the Pens and Malone's rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with Gary Robert's, another fan favorite. It would be easy to pin the blame on Shero or Malone for this matter, but there is no point in doing so. These things happen and I wish Malone the best of luck with his career and I will always be a fan of his. He had his best season last season on a line with Evgeni Malkin, and I am sure he is gracious for that opportunity and his time here in Pittsburgh.


However, I do hope that the Pens have an exciting pre-season game tonight and I hope the outcome goes in our favor. Tonight's game will not be filled with the Pens best players, that is to be expected in pre-season games though. This is a game where many players looking to make the final roster will have to give their best skill to make the decision hard. Whoever does not make the team, it is their own fault.

Gonchar injured in first pre-season game.

A couple seasons ago, hearing that Sergei Gonchar was injured would have made some fans happy. Now, word of Gonchar's shoulder injury suffered in Saturday's preseason game against Tamp Bay is bad news. I was never one of those people who booed Gonchar and I knew then that he would fill the role that he has since filled. Gonchar is one of the elite defensemen in the league and it is a mystery as to why he was not a candidate for the Norris Trophy last season. Now, I hope Gonchar makes the quickest recovery because he is an asset to this team. Our power play would suffer a great deal if he were out for an extended period of time, he is one of the best in the league at what he does. Now, down both Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar, this is a time for other defensemen to step up and fill the roles. Good thing we kept Darryl Sydor!

Crosby working to improve his shot.

Though a shorter off season and not much time to try new training methods, Sidney Crosby still managed to work on improving his shot over the summer. Crosby may even used a curved stick this season, something he admits he is not used to. However, Crosby was well aware how his average of goals per game has dropped every season and he wants to change that. Not only to bolster the number of goals he gets though. "I want to keep opposing teams on their toes a little bit more," Crosby said, "and be a bit more of a dangerous shooter."
Crosby who says that he thinks of passing first will have to look more at the net and for a shooting lane this time around if he wants to improve. He will have to get adjusted to these new actions but I am sure Crosby will excel at whatever he wants to achieve. I look forward to seeing some spectacular goals and also some of those old familiar passes that are simply amazing.

Is it time for Stone and Filewich to make the Big Club?

There aren't that many spots on the team and training camp will be a deciding factor for many players. Will it be the Baby Pens or the Pens? Ryan Stone and Jonathan Filewich are going to be monitored closely on how well they perform in camp. The team is interested to see how well they perform. A spot could be theirs to make or break. Other players the team will be looking at closely could be, Jeff Taffe, Kris Beech, Bill Thomas, Janne Pesonen, Dustin Jeffery, and Chris Minard. It will be interesting to see how well camp goes for this group of players and who will make the Pens starting roster!

Chemistry will come in time.

Some fans say that we may have trouble finding chemistry with our new team. Well, yes, that's true, but every NHL team has to get used to some new faces at the beginning of a season. However, the Pens have always been praised by local media for their chemistry, but we still have the young core of our team intact and chemistry will come no matter who joins. So, yes, it may take a little while for some new lines to gel, some new players to fit in and find their role, but it will happen. New players on a team mean new oppurtunities. I, for one, am anxiuos to see what the new additions will do. It seems most new players that come to the Pens excel on a team that is captained by Sidney Crosby and has a slew of other players teams would kill to have! So to all those wary fans out there, be patient, the chemistry will come in time!

One Game at a Time.

Many have pegged the Penguins one of the top teams in the East for this upcoming season and with that many wonder: Will the Pens make it back to the Finals? Can they defy the odds? Since 1996 only one team that lost in the Cup Final the previous season won a playoff series the next season.
Well, for me, I say just to take it one game at a time. Like I said in an earlier post, no one can predict what will happen this season to any team. The Pens need to focus on having a good season and not look to the Final just now. Focusing on the season and taking it game by game will give the Penguins the success they need. No doubt that everyone wants to make it to the Finals and there is nothing wrong with wanting it, but don't let it become the focus. It takes work and commitment throughout the season to get there and that requires dedication and focus. Long road trips, divisional games, a busy schedule, these are things that the Pens will need to focus on to achieve their goal. So, looking at every game as a chance and step to their goal, who knows what the Pens will achieve. My guess is success. Now, let's just see how far they can go with their success this season! I look forward to finding out!