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.