Pens face off against Stars.

Happy Leap Day to you all!

An extra day of the year, and what better way to celebrate this extra day than with a Pens game?

The Pens are in Dallas tonight to take on the Stars. The team that Matt Niskanen and James Neal came from in a trade last season for Alex Goligoski. Well, the trade has payed off for both teams, but Niskanen says it will be really weird playing in Dallas for the first time since the trade and that he wants to prove to his former team what they're missing.

Niskanen, and the rest of the Pens for that matter, should be prepared to face a team that has won 4 straight games including a great game against the Vancouver Canucks a short time ago. The Stars are in the eighth place in the Western Conference, but are only a few points behind their Pacific division leader. If they reach their division leader, the Phoenix Coyotes, they could jump all the way up to one of the top spots in their Conference. They are a team on a mission, just as the Pens are and the Pens better come out tonight ready to complete their mission of reaching the Rangers and ready to battle against the Stars who will be playing their best to reach their goal.
It's the last stretch of the season and most teams are focused on reaching certain goals and the teams completely out of the playoff spots like to play spoiler, so the Pens will need to stay determined and focused and continue to play a strong team game if they want to catch up to the Rangers.
The Pens will need to fire a good amount of shots on net tonight to beat the Stars' goaltender, Kari Lehtonen, who has been playing great between the pipes as of late. The Pens should stick to their game in tonight's matchup and this can be a very good game.

More trade deadline.

Rick Nash had been the talk of the deadline this year and he is still a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yesterday's game against the Pens and Blue Jackets was talked about as the potential last game of the season for Nash in a Blue Jackets uniform. Losing 4-2 to the Pens yesterday, the Blue Jackets still have Nash on their team today.

Blue Jackets GM, Scott Howson, said today that Nash asked to be traded as well. There was considerable attention and plenty of discussions for Nash, but the price was high for the team captain and no deal could be reached.

Trade Deadline Day

Trade Deadline Day in the NHL is like a holiday. Some may even compare it to Christmas. A new acquisition can feel just like getting something new on Christmas Day, though the real test is when you get to put it into play following Christmas and the same goes for Trade Deadline Day. How will those players fare with a new team and how much of a difference can they make? It's a day all hockey fans are glued to multiple devices waiting for updates on their own favorite team or waiting to hear about the big deal of the day, whether it was involving their team or not.

Well, today's trade deadline day is almost like the Christmas that you did not get exactly what you wanted. I, myself, am pleased that the Pens remained intact. There wasn't much out there that could benefit the Pens and with speculation that Sidney Crosby will return this season and/or for the playoffs, that may just be the best acquisition a team could get.
However, I like to see some big blockbuster trades take place and there weren't really any HUGE deals. Vancouver and Buffalo were part of some big trades today though pretty close to the wire. Here's a look at all the trades that went down today:

*F = Forward
D = Defenseman

Vancouver acquires Andrew Gordon, F from Buffalo in exchange for Sebastian Erixon, D

Vancouver also acquired Zack Kassian,F and Marc-Andre Gragnani,D from Buffalo in exchange for Cody Hodgson,F and Alexander Sulzer, D.

Anaheim acquired Mark Fraser,D from Toronto in exchange for Dale Mitchell, F

Nashville acquired Paul Gaustad,F and 2013 4th-round pick from Buffalo in exchange for 2012 1st-round pick.

Rangers acquired John Scott, D from Chicago in exchange for 2012 5th-round pick.

Minnesota acquired Steve Kampfer, F from Boston in exchange for Greg Zanon, D.

Boston acquired Brian Rolston, F and Mike Mottau, D from the Islanders in exchange for Yannick Riendeau, F and Marc Cantin, D

Chicago acquired Johnny Oduya, D from Winnipeg in exchange for 2013 2nd-round pick and 2013 3rd-round pick

San Jose acquired Daniel Winnik, F, T.J. Galiardi, F, and 2013 7th-round pick from Colorado in exchange for Jamie McGinn, F, Michael Sgarbossa, F and Mike Connolly, F.

Ottawa acquired Matt Gilroy, D from Tampa Bay in exchange for Brian Lee, D.

Vancouver acquired Sami Pahlsson, F from Columbus in exchange for 2- 2012 4th-round picks.

Toronto acquired Carter Ashton, F from Tampa Bay in exchange for Keith Aulie, D.

Minnesota acquired Tom Gilbert, D from Edmonton in exchange for Nick Schultz, D

Tampa Bay acquired Mike Commodore, D from Detroit in exchange for a conditional 2013 7th-round pick

Nashville acquired Andrei Kostitsyn, F from Montreal in exchange for a 2013 2nd-round pick and a conditional 2013 5th-round pick.



News on the Pens had been light and while there was some chatter on players I have mentioned, the market was not one for the Pens this season and I am happy to see the Pens have a strong team and if they continue to build on their play and if they happen to get Crosby back, the Pens will surely be a scary team to go against in the playoffs.
Now, after these trades, we will have to see which ones turn out to be great or which ones are a bust for teams as we finish off the season and venture into the playoffs. Happy Trade Deadline Day and I think it should be a happy one for Pens fans!

On to the Blue Jackets.

Yesterday's game taught opposing teams, once again, why it is never good to make Evgeni Malkin angry. Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson threw a punch at Malkin while he was down and I am sure Roloson will think twice before doing that again. Malkin went on to score some amazing goals. After an exciting game against the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday with an 8-1 win featuiring a hat trick from Evgeni Malkin though, the Pens will need to focus on this afternoon's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Consol Energy Center. Hopefully, the Pens still have some goals left to score today.

The Blue Jackets have no chance of making the playoffs this spring and are making quite the run at finishing dead last in the NHL. They are well on their way to accomplishing that feat. With a dismal season, that started out with 8 winless games, they have been active lately in the trade market making some trades and their best player this season, who is having one of his worst seasons, Rick Nash, has been a trade deadline storyline for a good bit of time lately.
With an 18-36-7 record and no chance at making the playoffs, that makes the Blue Jackets a desperate team. After playing yesterday, the Pens are going to need to be focused and prepared to play an exciting game like they accomplished yesterday. They need to take the Blue Jackets seriously and complete another win today.
Goalie Brad Thiessen is starting in his first NHL game this afternoon as it has been reported that back-up Brent Johnson "tweaked" something in practice on Thursday. Thiessen, 25, has been a reliable goalie this season in the AHL for the Baby Pens, posting a 20-14-2 record and 2.88 goals-against average in 37 games. Just alst season the goalie had a career year for the Baby Pens, winning the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s top goaltender and teaming with partner John Curry to capture the Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award as the goaltending duo to allow the fewest goals in the AHL. We will see how he handles his first NHL game this afternoon. The Pens need to be sure to play a tight game in front of him and be a tough team to play against like they have been doing as of late.

With the trouble Brent Johnson has had this season, some are saying this could be the end for him with the Pens. Jack Johnson will make his Blue Jackets debut today against the Pens. Also, if the rumors and anticipation of Rick Nash are true, this could be his last game with the Blue Jackets this season.
This trade deadline has featured resignings of some players that were expected to be traded, with players like Ales Hemsky and Tuomo Ruutu, which shows that the market just is not that great and prices are high for others. Still, we have a little over 24 hours to see what happens in this year's trade deadline.

Pens host Lightning.

It was announced yesterday that Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal will be the next player profiled on the all-access series “NHL 36.” Cameras will join Neal this morning and follow him for the next 36 hours as he and the Penguins host afternoon games this weekend against the Tampa Bay Lightning and tomorrow against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
NHL 36: James Neal will air Wednesday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network. Then, NBC Sports Network will air the Penguins’ home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.



Another busy weeeknd for Pens hockey and today the Pens are taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Consol Energy Center in an afternoon game. The Lightning have been making trades trying to improve their team that is currently out of a playoff spot. However, they are 10-4-2 in their last 16 games. Steven Stamkos has been on a big roll lately and had a 3 point night against the Winnipeg Jets the other night and those 3 points put him in a tie with Evgeni Malkin for the scoring lead in the NHL. Stamkos leads the league in goals with 43 as well. The two players will certainly see a lot of each other today as they will most likely be matched up together for most of the game.
Steve Yzerman has been busy making some trades lately but he also picked a player off waivers on Thursday rather than making another trade. The Lighning claimed former Penguin Tim Wallace off waivers. He should be in the lineup for today’s game. Wallace has played in 31 games this season for the New York Islanders with one assist and six penalty minutes.
The Pens will have to play a strong game defensively and see if they can contain Stamkos' line as they did a few weeks ago. It will be a tough task and the Pens will also need to add some offensive flair to complete a win today. A strong, consistent game from the Pens is what they need and we will see which leading scorer comes out as the winner today.

Call-ups, practice, and trades.

Matt Niskanen was back at practice today after missing yesterday's due to sickness. However, Brent Johnson was not at practice today and apparently he may have tweaked an injury in practice yesterday. Therefore, Brad Thiessen was called up again and we will have to see who will be backup for tomorrow's afternoon game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Johnson is listed as day-to-day and so is Brooks Orpik with his upper-body injury.

A pretty big trade took place in the NHL yesterday, with the Los Angeles Kings acquiring three-time 30-goal scorer Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jack Johnson and a first-round selection in either the 2012 or 2013 NHL Draft. The Kings have not been doing so well offensively this season and they hope Carter can help to rectify that. They hope he can be better than he was with the Blue Jackets.
Jeff Carter was also part of a big off season trade from the Flyers that drew a lot of attention along with teammate Mike Richards. Richards and Carter were close friends on the Flyers team and were involved in some off-ice antics that were said to be bothering the Flyers and they were dealt. Carter went to the Blue Jackets while Richards went to the Kings and now his good friend Jeff Carter is joining him. Maybe now that they are on the same team again, Carter can step it up. People in the NHL have described Carter as a bitter person, so maybe being back with his friend will turn that frown upside down. Perhaps he was just suffering from some seperation anxiety.


The trade deadline has not brought us many huge trades at all this year, but there are still rumors around about Rick Nash and Dustin Brown and some other players. We will have to see what the weekend and and the early part of Monday bring in trades.

Updates.

Game day is still a couple days away for the Pens, but they were practicing this morning. Sidney Crosby was out there with the team for practice, but settle down... he was not in any contact drills.
Brooks Orpik was practicing and is slowly recovering from his upper-body injury but he says he is not sure if he will play this weekend or not. Brent Johnson was back in practice from his sickness but Matt Niskanen did not practice today due to illness.

The Pens sent Cal O'Reilly down to the Baby Pens. If we want to bring him back up at some point O'Reilly will have to clear waivers to rejoin the team.

That trade deadline keeps getting closer and closer. For the Pens, it is a different situation than most teams. Crosby's status and whether he will return this season or for the playoffs is unknown and if the Pens were to get him back, that would be just about the best move any team could ever make. Though, if Crosby does not improve, then the Pens might want to get someone to be a little extra help down the stretch. The uncertainty of the situation for Shero makes things a little tricky, but we have seen how good of a lineup the Pens have without Crosby certainly, so there is not a ton of pressure to pick up a player this year. While there doesn't seem to be as much going on as other years for the Pens, you just never know. The trade deadline always seems to bring some surprises, who knows what this year's deadline will bring to the Pens or other teams.

News around the NHL.

It was 32 years ago today that Herb Brooks gave his famous locker room speech during the America vs. USSR semi-finals game during the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980. I was not alive yet and many of us were not in the locker room, but the meaning is certainly not lost and the movie about the event, Miracle, is one of my favorite movies. The speech in the movie will always give me chills and the U.S Olympic hockey team went on to beat USSR and then won gold that year. The "Miracle on Ice" will always be a cherished part of U.S. History.


Now, I must apologize. I had a blog post all prepared for yesterday, but because of technical difficulties, that I just recently fixed, I was not allowed to post. Therefore, my post about the game against the Rangers could not be posted. It was a good one too. Not as good as the game last night itself though. The Pens played a great game against the Rangers, shutting them down and Fleury was great at shutting them out, 2-0. A spectacular win over the Rangers for the Pens. It's great to see such an effort against the Eastern-Conference leading team. The Pens still have quite the obstacle ahead of them if they want to reach the Rangers though in the standings. That would take a pretty decent record to finish out the season and a good bit of losses from the Rangers. Though, the Pens showed that they are a tough team to beat and that is exactly what they were last night: a tough team to beat.


Now, with the trade deadline less than a week away, some talks are heating up. People still wonder if Rick Nash will be moving and to what team and some are saying the Pens are in search for a center, perhaps a center to add some depth to the team because of Crosby's situation and the unknowns of his return. It is also being reported that the Pens are scouting the Blue Jackets heavily, which because of proximity is not an unusual thing. However, some talk over Blue Jackets' centerman Samuel Pahlsson is said to be getting some looks from the Pens.
The Pens are supposedly looking for a scoring forward and/or depth center as their main priorities. In this year's market, the Pens might not get those types of players. The trade deadline is all about waiting to see what happens.


The Phoenix Coyotes acquired a center from the Blue Jackets today, Antoine Vermette. The Blue Jackets got a pair of draft picks and goaltender Curtis McElhinney in return.

Pens recall Thiessen.

It was announced this morning that goaltender Brad Thiessen was called up from the Baby Pens.
Talks have been going on recently about the back-up goalie situation for the Pens as Brent Johnson has not had the best season as back-up and has been pulled in 3 of his last 5 starts.
Brent Johnson is not on the ice for practice this morning. Thiessen has not arrived yet and is not at practice either.

Thiessen may be getting a look at the NHL level with this call-up.
Thiessen has posted a 20-14-2 record with a 2.88 goals-against average. He is tied for 4th in the AHL with 20 wins.

Presidents' Day news.

Happy Presidents' Day to you. If you are one of the unlucky people who did not have off today, I am sorry.

Hockey fans are also aware that a week from today is the trade deadline day. I may have to take off this day; it should be a holiday just so we can all stay home and stay connected for all the updates.

Rick Nash, of the Columbus Blue Jackets, continues to be the biggest name thrown out there and it has been reported that the New York Rangers want him. However, the price for Nash is quite high and the Rangers have not given in. Some players the Blue Jackets look for in return are supposedly untouchables on the Rangers roster. We will have to wait and see if Nash will be traded to the Rangers or any team or if the Blue Jackets keep him.
The Detroit Red Wings could be in the market for a forward or defenseman to add depth to their already stellar lineup.
Toronto could use some help on defense and could be looking to add an elite defenseman.


The Pens called up Eric Tangradi today.

Tomorrow night the Pens will host the New York Rangers at Consol Energy Center. They have to be a lot better than they were in Buffalo yesterday against the Sabres if they want a win. The Rangers are one of the best teams in the league and yesterday the Pens did not play their best. The Pens lost 6-2 and the score reflects that the defense needs to be better. We can not play the way we did yesterday and expect many wins. Now, we put yesterday's game behind us and move on to the Rangers. We need all of our focus and attention on tomorrow night's game.

Weekend News.

Happy Hockey Day in America!

Amidst the trades that are taking place before the trade deadline on February 27th, it was announced today that James Neal has signed a 6 year contract extension with the Pens. This makes Neal a Penguin through the 2017-18 season with an average price about $5 million a year. Great news with this signing as we have all seen the positive effects of having Neal in the lineup and on a line with Malkin this season. I'm happy to see that Neal will be a Penguin for a while!

In yesterday's game, Jordan Staal was assessed a boarding penalty and it was announced after the game that Staal had been fined the maximum amount allowed, $2,500, for the hit against the Flyers' Braydon Coburn.

Yesterday's game was a different game to say the least. Missed calls and penalties that were questionable. Things that do not happen all the time that were a welcome sight: Matt Cooke scoring two goals and the Pens scoring two short-handed goals, one while down two players while the Flyers were on a 5-on-3. It was a game that was filled with excitement, which is guaranteed with a Pens-Flyers game. The Pens beat the Flyers for the first time this season with a final score of 6-4.

Now we are moving on quickly from the Flyers game and are moving right into an early afternoon game in Buffalo against the Sabres.
The Sabres are desperate for a win as they have lost the past 4 games and are currently sitting in the last spot in the Eastern Conference. They are not particularly strong in any one area this season. Their offense and defense do not have much to brag about and their power play and penalty kill are not much to brag about either. While Ryan Miller is one of my favorite goalies around the league, he is not having his best season, in fact, it is his worst season statistically of his career with a 16-17-4 record and a 2.82 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.
Those numbers and statistics certainly show that the Sabres are having a tough season, but it shows that they are a desperate team and a team not to be taken lightly this afternoon. The Pens need to continue to play a strong game and make another great weekend, a great Hockey Weekend Across America.

Trades and games

We know the trade deadline is fast approaching and while it has mostly been quiet so far, yesterday there was a trade involving Hal Gill and he is not coming back to the Pens as some reports were saying could happen. The Nashville Predators landed Gill and a conditional 2013 draft pick from Montreal in exchange for forwards Blake Geoffrion and Robert Slaney, plus a 2012 second-round pick.
Gill will bring some experience and size to the Predator's blueline and he will be an unrestricted free agent if not signed before July 1st this summer.

Oh, and those Detroit Red Wings won another home game, they are keeping that NHL record and adding to it. 22 home wins in a row.

Now, Hockey Weekend Across America is a great one for Pens because it includes a game against the Flyers today in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has not been on such a hot streak lately but they beat the Sabres 7-2 on Thursday and moved ahead of the Pens in the standings.

They have some offensive power, obviously with a 7-2 win, but some have been critical of their defensive work. That might explain why the Flyers acquired defenseman Nicklas Grossman from Dallas in exchange for a second and third round pick. Grossman is expected to make his debut in a Flyers uniform today against the Pens. Now, Daniel Briere left the game Thursday against Buffalo and practiced yesterday with a no-contact jersey so he is expected to be out of the lineup.
While the Flyers are down some players due to injuries, the Pens will have Arron Asham back in the lineup today after missing the past 14 games with concussion-like symptoms.

The Pens are 0-2 against the Flyers this season and they look to change that this afternoon. There is no need to say that this game will be an exciting one. It's a Pens-Flyers game, its already implied. I hope to see the Pens ready to take on the Flyers at full force this afternoon and we hope to get the offense clicking after a low scoring game on Wednesday. While offense is important, our defense needs to be strong as well against the Flyers. Max Talbot scored twice against the Sabres the other night, let's not let him do that against us.
Basically, the Pens will need to play a strong, consistent game and not let the Flyers reel us in for too many penalties. Let's hope this Hockey Weekend Across America goes like last weekend!

Hockey Weekend Across America.

What a weekend it will be! It is Hockey Weekend Across America and this sport deserves a weekend, a whole weekend! I never hide my love for the game of hockey and I share my opinions on why it is the best sport all the time and now is a time to celebrate it. I don't think many people do truly understand just how great the game of hockey is. That is their loss though. They can have their other sports with more commercials than action, or slow tempo, or where arrests of athletes are normal. I'll take my hockey any day.

Today, it was being promoted to wear your Hockey Jersey to get the weekend started and for Pens fans it surely will be a hockey weekend. Tomorrow the Pens will be in Philadelphia to take on the Flyers and then Sunday, Hockey Day in America, the Pens will be in Buffalo to take on the Sabres. Another hockey-filled weekend that is perfectly fitting for the occasion.

On a slightly different note:
Yesterday, I received my Hockey News Magazine and our Evgeni Malkin graces the cover with the title, "Malkin's Vast Power." (MVP)
I finally had the chance to read the article written by Ken Campbell today, entitled, "Emperor Penguin: With Sid on the sidelines, Evgeni Malkin is putting the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the NHL, on his shoulders."
It does not present any new information for Pens fans. It merely states facts that we are all well aware of. Pretty much that Malkin is the best player in the league right now and that he is playing the best hockey of his career. We are also aware that with Crosby out of the lineup, Malkin steps up his game and the article reflects that point as well. The article mentions that Malkin's work along the boards has improved and also that Malkin is becoming more comfortable in the spotlight. We see these things first-hand, during each game and every interview. We are lucky to have him on our team and lucky that his focus and determination and skill are paying off immensely.

The article does not mention how lucky we are to have this Russian superstar rather than the other Russian who is not having a superstar season, Alex Ovechkin, though the article could have. We are well aware of how lucky we are for that though.
However, there is something the article presented that I was not aware of though.
The article begins by mentioning the fact that Malkin sent Ray Shero a text last February 4th. Some may have forgotten that date from last year, but it was the night Malkin went into the boards awkwardly in a game against the Sabres along with the Sabres' Tyler Myers. We would of course learn that Malkin had suffered a torn ACL. The text was simple; it consisted of two words: "I'm sorry." Malkin apologized for being injured. That goes to show you once again how much Malkin wants this team to succeed and how he wants to be a big part of it. It also shows Pens fans how lucky we are to have Malkin on our team, but of course, we already knew that.

Happy Hockey Weekend Across America, celebrate the great game of hockey and celebrate just how great some of these hockey players are!

Close, tight scoring game.

The Pens have had their share of tight scoring games this season and last night's game did not fall in the Pens' favor. The Anaheim Ducks came out the winners last night with a 2-1 win over the Pens. To break away from the usual format of games most recently, the Pens scored first rather than going down 2-0. Jordan Staal had his 17th goal of the season to open the scoring, but it would be the only Pens goal of the night. The Pens had some times of strong play but others when things could have been better. It is all about keeping momentum and playing a 60-minute game. The Pens will be back at it this weekend in back to back games for Hockey Weekend in America.

I forgot to congratulate the Detroit Red Wings in my post yesterday on making a new NHL record with 21 consecutive home wins the other night. That is a pretty amazing streak. Seriously, not one team could beat them just once while in that streak so they wouldn't have something else to brag about??

Also, February seems to be passing by quickly and that means that the Trade Deadline is fast approaching. There have been some rumors that the Pens are looking into getting Hal Gill back and some questions are being posed as to whether or not we need another defenseman or a center to help with the absence of Crosby, or some may want us to find a scoring winger. Well, I don't like to go too deep into rumors because you never really know what will happen. With the trade deadline, you just have to wait and see. Only about 10 days left of waiting to see what the Pens will do at the trade deadline.

I mentioned earlier that it is Hockey Weekend Across America this weekend and that means you better sport your Pens gear tomorrow. Check out the Pens website to see what wearing your Pens gear to work or school can get you!

Pens host Ducks tonight.

The Anaheim Ducks are in town tonight in the middle of a long sretch of road games for the team to take on our Pens. The Ducks have 8 games in 15 days on this road trip and tonight will be their 4th stop. They played last night in Minnesota.

After having a bad start to the season, the Ducks fired their coach, Randy Carlyle, and hired a very familiar face, a little more familiar with barbecue sauce around the mouth, in Bruce Boudreau, the former coach of the Washington Capitals. Since the coach change, the Ducks have slowly been becoming a better team and were one of the best teams in January with a 9-2-1 record.

The Ducks have plenty of talent in the lineup and we must be up to the challenge. Going down 2-0 has not been detrimental to us very recently, but making a pattern of it surely is not on the list of things to do for the Pens. Not to mention that although the Ducks goaltender, Jonas Hiller, had a rough start to the season, he has been making up for it. In the past 17 games, the netminder has a .927% save percentage and has a 1.86 GAA. The Pens will have to be in control and look to start out better tonight and not give the 2-0 advantage to the other team. Our top line has been consistently strong as of late and some secondary scoring has been adding an extra bonus and has been a welcome sight. The Pens need to continue to be a strong team in every facet of the game and good things can continue.

Speaking of good things, Arron Asham skated with his teammates for the first time yesterday, with no contact. He says he hopes to play as soon as this weekend for the Pens.

Pens news.

What a great weekend it was for the Pens! With two wins and plenty of goal-scoring, it was a great weekend to be a Pens fan and also a great weekend for Adele fans as well as she scored big at the Grammys. Adele may have won a grammy for each of the 6 categories she was nominated for, but she is still second in my book behind the Pens for a great weekend.

First came an 8-5 win against the Winnipeg Jets. It featured some back and forth goal scoring, but the Pens then ran away with it topping it off with 8 goals. The best thing about that win may be the fact that those 8 goals came from 7 different scorers. For a team that has been featuring scoring from mainly one line as of late, that is welcome and wonderful news.

Then came a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night. Evgeni Malkin scored two to help us edge out the Lightning and Kris Letang had another goal last night to make it a 3 goal weekend for the defenseman.
Kris Letang had a great weekend not just offensively, but also defensively. Last night Letang, along with defensive partner Brooks Orpik, were matched up against Steven Stamkos most of the night. Stamkos leads the league in goals with 37 and Letang and Orpik held Stamkos and his line without any points in the game, certainly not an easy feat.

Things were clicking well for the Pens this weekend and the two teams did not make it necessarily easy on the Pens either. In both games, the Pens went down 2-0 before staging a comeback and winning both games. While going down 2-0 is not a trend we would like to continue, it is not such a large hole that the Pens can not get out of. However, that trend will not always end in the Pens' favor, so the team still needs to look to start games stronger. It is nice to know though that going down early in the game does not mean we can count the Pens out. They always prove to be exciting.

With such a great weekend, the NHL named Evgeni Malkin the second star of the week. The Phoenix Coyotes' goalie, Mike Smith, was named the first star of the week, as he has been doing some spectacular work over in Phoenix. The St. Louis Blues forward, David Perron was the third star of the week for his offensive work of the past week.

In other news, Mike Comrie, who was a member of the Pens last season, announced his retirement from the NHL today. It was not unexpected as he has had health issues, mainly with his hip, and has had 3 hip surgeries the past 5 years, most recently having a hip surgery two weeks ago. Retiring at the young age of 31 still must not be an easy decision though and I wish him and his wife, Hilary Duff, the best also wishing them luck with the upcoming birth of their first child.

The Pens have a couple days off before they take on the Anaheim Ducks at Consol Energy Center Wednesday night and then have a couple days off before another busy weekend for Hockey weekend in America. Don't forget to wear your Pens gear on Friday and into the weekend!

Finally some Pens hockey coming up.

I don't know about you, but I have been eagerly awaiting some Pens hockey these past few days. I am not used to these longer breaks and I am ready to see some Pens hockey.

Along with the welcome news of a hockey-filled weekend for the Pens at home, it is also accompanied by the news of the return of Jordan Staal this weekend. That's right, Jordan Staal will be returning to the lineup from his knee injury tomorrow against the Winnipeg Jets. Staal has missed the past 15 games and he was expected to be out 4-6 weeks and he is wrapping up his fifth week so the process was pretty much right on track.

The Pens play host to the Jets tomorrow afternoon and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night. Another weekend full of hockey, just like every other weekend for the month of February. Each weekend in February has the Pens playing two games and next weekend is Hockey weekend and has Hockey Day in America, Sunday February 19th. The Pens take on the Buffalo Sabres.

Tomorrow, the Pens will try to get back on a winning streak. It was a tough shootout loss Tuesday night but the Pens will need to be focused on beating a strong Winnipeg team. Hopefully a few days off will have them energized and ready to go, I know I am ready to see some Pens hockey. Some GOOD Pens hockey.

News on the Pens and from around the league.

After a tough shootout loss to the Canadiens Tuesday night (which featured an amazing shootout goal by Evgeni Malkin!), the Pens are focusing on a busy weekend of home games.

Coach Dan Bylsma was stressing today after practice that the Pens need to be more dominant in games after some losses. We need to get back to shooting more and capitalizing on power play opportunities. The low goal totals we have been seeing in some recent games is just another reminder that we need more scoring down the lines and we can not always count on the top line to provide our offense. Hopefully, we see these factors in the upcoming games this weekend.

Another injury the Pens are familiar with is a high ankle sprain and it was announced that Tyler Kennedy has fallen victim to the injury and will be out approximately 4-6 weeks.
Jordan Staal was the unfortunate victim of an accidental stick to the face this morning at practice and needed some stitches. Luckily, it was nothing too serious and he will be fine.


After rumors have been floating around for quite some time now about the location of the 2013 NHL Winter Classic, it was confirmed and announced today that the 2013 Winter Classic will be played in Detroit at Michigan Stadium, where the Universoty of Michigan football team plays. The game will be played between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was also announced today that Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers play, will be home to the Hockeytown Winter Festival. This will be a week long event leading up to the Winter Classic featuring games and festivities.

Michigan Stadium will draw the biggest crowd for an NHL Winter Classic yet to date with 115,000 tickets being available in the large venue.
I was a little sad to hear the rumors about the venue a while ago because I enjoyed knowing that I attended the first official Winter Classic in Buffalo that had the largest attendance yet to date. Though, I still was able to attend the first official Winter Classic between the Pens and the Buffalo Sabres and the memories I have from that game are special and I will cherish them for the rest of my life.

Also, the trade deadline is fast approaching as it comes on February 27th. Not too much has happened yet around the league, but this may be the calm before the storm. We'll have to wait and see if the Pens will be involved in some trading or if it will be a quiet trade deadline for us.

Game against Montreal Canadiens tonight.

The Pens had a day off from game action since their 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Now, tonight against the Habs, it is time to get back on track, preferably, the winning track.

The Habs are not having that great of a season and with a 3-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets this weekend, they were able to move up out of the last place of the Eastern Conference, but they have a long road ahead of them if they want to see a number near a playoff position. If they continue at this rate, they'll be sitting out after early April. A coaching change and a trade have seemed to make little change and no real effect.

Though, just because they have had their difficulties this season does not mean that this will be an easy game tonight. The Canadiens have a strong penalty kill that ranks number one in the league and can still play well. Also, the Habs might show up strong in net as they did in their shutout against the Jets this past weekend. The Pens will have to be on top of their game tonight and get back to starting a new winning streak.

Jason Williams was called up from the Baby Pens and in order to do so, the Pens put Arron Asham on the IR list. Tyler Kennedy will be out for tonight's game and perhaps longer as he is back in Pittsburgh to be evaluated for an injury that occurred late in Sunday's game.
Yesterday, Simon Despres and Jordan Staal returned to practice, both rehabbing knee injuries.

Hockey in class of its own.

By now, you surely know that I believe hockey to be the best sport there is. I make it quite obvious the way I feel. I have shared many reasons as to why I believe this to be true and the excitement and tempo of the game are just part of the reason. Watching the Super Bowl yesterday was pretty boring to me. It did not grab or hold my attention. I think I can honestly say I have a slight idea of what it is like to have an attention deficit disorder now; I could not concentrate on that game much at all... except for the commercials.

I have always admired hockey players for their character and skill. The main thing that sets hockey apart from any other sport and any hockey player from any other athlete is their ability to skate. Athletes can usually play multiple sports, and Tom Thompson, of the Hockey News, discusses this in his recent column titled, "Skating skills separate hockey from all else."
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/44523-Tom-Thompson-Skating-skills-separate-hockey-from-all-else.html

In Thompson's column, he mentions the fact that Bo Jackson could excel in any sport he tried, except hockey and Michael Jordan, who attempted to play pro baseball after retiring from basketball also could not have played hockey. The main reason: They didn't know how to skate or at least did not know how to skate as well as hockey players do.

I have always said that to be a good hockey player, you have to be great at skating first. How many other sports require someone to learn how to do a completely different task and then learn skills and the concepts and fundamentals of a sport? Hockey players started out skating and then developed skill and game sense.
Any other sport you need to learn to run or walk basically, those are developmental stages that most people achieve at a very young age. Most hockey players learned to skate soon after learning to walk or run.

Some believe that skating is becoming better in earlier ages for hockey players than it has in the past and some are concerned that that might have a negative affect on the game for injuries. If that becomes the case, the game will adjust as needed, but we all know that skating is what makes hockey so unique. Thompson tells us not to take it for granted and I know I surely don't. It is just another reason I admire hockey players. Just add it to the long list.

Matinee feature against the New Jersey Devils.

The Pens got back on a winning track yesterday with their 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Fleury was strong in net against the Bruins and the Pens played a strong game.

Now, we must play another strong game today against the New Jersey Devils in New Jersey. If today's game is anything like New Jersey's game yesterday against the Flyers, then we will need to be strong in net again. The Devils beat the Flyers 6-4 yesterday. The Devils were sputtering just before the All Star break but have not lost since coming back to play afterwards. In their past 11 games, they are 7-3-1. The Devils have recently put together Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias, and Zach Parise together on one line and the results have been pretty good. They are putting up some good numbers and are a line that needs to be contained best as possible.

Overall, the Pens will need to play a strong game and be responsible defensively against this offensive team as well as getting enough shots on net to get past Martin Brodeur.


Yesterday I mentioned Cal O'Reilly making his debut in the Pens' lineup and yesterday he had a promising debut on a line with Tyler Kennedy and Steve Sullivan. He had a shot on net in his nearly 14 minutes of ice time. He saw some time on the second power play unit and won 4 of 8 faceoffs, though also had one giveaway.

In yesterday's afternoon game, Brooks Orpik had a highlight reel hit against Boston's Daniel Paille, sending him flying in the air a few feet. A nice clean, good hit like that is something to see. It will surely be added to Orpik's repertoire of great hits.

Pens take on Bruins today.

The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped the Pens' 8 game winning streak on Wednesday and now it is time for the Pens to start the next win streak today in Boston when they face the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins started this season looking like they were going to be making a run at a consecutive Stanley Cup with the way they were playing. Surely, we know that a season is long though and more recently the Bruins are having mixed results and winning a game and losing one in a pattern. The Bruins are 4-4-1 in their last nine. However, they are still a very strong team and a threat for sure. They sit second in the east and are on top of their Northwest Division.

The Bruins are a deep team that can score goals and though they have not been so strong defensively as of late, that does not mean they are not capable of being strong defensively. When the Bruins are on their game, they are a tough team to beat and when they aren't quite on their game, they're still not all that easy to beat. The Pens will need to play a full 60-minute game and some secondary scoring won't hurt in this game today.

The Bruins are a strong team at home as well and today's game should be an exciting one!

Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Simon Despres travelled with the team for their road trip that will take them to New Jersey tomorrow and then Montreal, though do not expect any of them to be in the lineup during the trip. Coach Bylsma did say though that Despres and Staal could join team practices this upcoming week.


In other Pens' news: The Pens have resigned forward Joe Vitale to a 2-year contract extension. The annual amount of this deal is about $550,000.
Also, on this trip, we'll get to see Cal O'Reilly, the Pens newest memeber.

What a game, and now a rematch!

Last night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is what some people love and others hate. For me, there is nothing quite like a nail-biting, on the edge of your seat, exciting game. Now, not every minute of last night's game was like that for Pens fans. I am sure there are some moments we would like to forget. Oh, and how easy they are to forget with a finish like that. The Pens were going into the third period being down 4-1 and were able to come back and win in a shootout 5-4. Late goals by players that we love chipping in on the offense and then of course, Malkin to tie it up with less than 7 seconds left in the game. Sure enough, Malkin was the only player to score in the shootout as well, securing the Pens' 8th victory in a row. It was a nice welcoming after the All Star Break and quite a way to start off a new stretch of games.

As much fun as last night's game was and how I would love to spend more time talking about, we can not forget that the Pens have a rematch against the Maple Leafs tonight in Toronto. Now, if the Pens were on the receiving end of that loss, I know they would come back fighting tonight, so the Pens must be prepared for a Maple Leaf team that will come out strong. Who knows what tonight's game will bring. Last night's game was a perfect example of why not to change the channel when your team is down.

Toronto is a strong team and they are a team that has had some secondary scoring chip in as of late and the Pens should be prepared for a tough game tonight, not that last night wasn't.
The Pens look to continue their winning streak tonight and we all know... 9 is better than 8.


NEWS: The Pens claimed forward Cal O'Reilly off of re-entry waivers from the Phoenix Coyotes today.
The 25 year old has 5 points in 22 games this season with Phoenix.


On the Crosby front, another press conference was held yesterday and it was announced that Crosby has a soft-tissue injury of the neck, in which the symptoms are related to those of concussion symptoms. He is being treated for this injury and we will have to see what happens.
Also, Tom Brady has said he has never met Sidney Crosby. Don't believe everything you hear folks!

Now, let's focus on the important thing: We have a rematch against the Maple Leafs tonight and if it is anything like last night's game, then it should be quite entertaining.