Hope for better game against Sabres tonight.

The Pens had a chance to redeem themselves against the New York Islanders in another meeting last night and the Pens surely fell short with another 5-3 loss to the Islanders. There were a number of things the Pens could do better and let's hope they correct them tonight against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres have been on a mission to make it into the playoffs and they have been battling with the Washington Capitals for that coveted last spot. They have been on a decent run and have even gone 7-0-2 in their last nine games. The last games the Pens have left are not against easy opponents and if the Pens continue to play the way they have been these past couple games, the playoffs will not last as long as some have been hoping and thinking they would. We know this team can be better and we have some injuries, but those are no excuse. We have the skill and power to take out any team and the Pens better show that skill and power tonight and throughout the end of the season and carry it into the playoffs.

The surging Sabres have gotten some secondary scoring down the stretch and Ryan Miller, who had a rough start to the season, has been returning to his old form and has only allowed 3 goals in his past 4 games. Therefore, the Pens will need another night of a good bit of shots and get some quality chances. We have been missing some good chances these last couple games and now is the time to capitalize on them.

Pens face off against Islanders for a rematch.

After a short break, I am back finally. Work and sickness got in the way, but I wasn't the only one feeling a little under the weather. I am sure most of the Pens did not feel right about their 5-3 loss to the Islanders Tuesday night. Luckily, we have a chance to correct our mistakes when the Pens take on the Islanders again tonight for a rematch. The Pens were not strong defensively as is proven with allowing the Islanders to score 5 goals against them the other night. The Pens need to be strong on the blue line.

With the loss Tuesday night and the Rangers winning, the Pens are now 5 points behind the Rangers in the standings and the Pens will look to close that gap tonight. Time to forget about the poorly played game Tuesday night and focus on tonight's game. While the Pens are trying to reach the Rangers and will try to make amends for Tuesday's loss in tonight's game, the Islanders are trying to postpone being eliminated from the playoffs. A loss tonight would do just that. Therefore, expect the Islanders to come out with power to win this game.
The Pens will need to be more consistent tonight and be stronger defensively. Limiting the amount of turnovers tonight will also be helpful.

Kris Letang and Matt Niskanen did not make the trip with the Pens who continue on a road trip to take on the Buffalo Sabres Friday night. Letang is listed as day-to-day. Joe Vitale, who has missed the past 5 games, participated in a full practice yesterday but is not quite ready to return to the lineup just yet.
Brad Thiessen was sent back down to the Baby Pens today meaning that Brent Johnson is healthy enough to reclaim his duties as back-up goalie.

Predators in town tonight.

The Pens had a recent return of a star player, Sidney Crosby, and the Nashville Predators will have Alexander Radulov returning to the lineup either tonight against the Pens or in their game Saturday. Radulov had been labelled as the best player not in the NHL.
Both returns have been discussed as huge boosts for the teams. Radulov, a friend of Evgeni Malkin, was playing in the KHL most recently for 4 seasons and is now returning to the Predators. The Pens are getting serious consideration to make another great run at the Stanley Cup this year from many people and the Nashville Predators are getting some consideration in that discussion as well and the return of Radulov has people talking even more.

The Predators are currently a team that does not have to worry about making the playoffs, though they are a team fighting to get home-ice advantage. They are currently tied with the Detroit Red Wings for 4th place in the Western Conference. The Predators are a strong team obviously and they are a strong team defensively. So, we may not see another 8-goal game like our 8-4 win over Winnipeg Tuesday night from the Penguins tonight. The Pens will need to take shots whenever available. Maybe Sidney Crosby will get his first goal since his second return tonight. Though, I am not one of those people who is worried by the fact that Crosby hasn't scored a goal yet. He has racked up the assists since his return and goals will come. It's Crosby after all.
Predators goaltender, Pekka Rinne, and Marc Andre Fleury are both tied for the most wins this season in the league with 39. Let's see who comes out the leader tonight.

Game night vs. the Jets.

Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Flyers was a tough one to take. It snapped our 11 game winning streak and we lost control in the third period. Also, it was an overtime loss, with just seconds left, nonethelss to the Flyers. Everything about that is bad. However, it's time to move on. It was still a good road trip for the Pens with 5 points out of a possible 6. Time to forget about the loss to the Flyers and focus on the Winnipeg Jets who are in town to face the Pens tonight.

The Winnipeg Jets are just 4 points behind the Washington Capitals for that 8th and final spot for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. We know what that means. The Jets are a desperate team and desperate teams are capable of many things. Plus, they are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Hurricanes in which they let the lead slip away from them. Add those things together and we have a team that is determined to win. The Jets have been an offensive team as of late and the Pens will need to be sure to contain them. The Pens want to get back on the winning track as well and to move on from the loss to the Flyers and they better be prepared and focused for tonight's game.
Brad Thiessen is in goal tonight for the Pens for his third start.

I'd like to wish my brother a happy birthday. If it were not for him, I doubt I would be as obsessed with hockey as I am and I would probably not have this blog.

Also, Happy First Day of Spring everyone, let's hope it ends happily as well!

Pens vs. Flyers

After a win yesterday against the New Jersey Devils, the Pens' 11th win in a row, the Pens face off against the Philadelphia Flyers today in Philly. A game less than 24 hours after the previous one. This means the Pens will need to be alert and ready to face the Flyers, who have been doing pretty well themselves lately. The Flyers are 7-1-1 in their past nine games and they are only 3 points behind the Pens currently in the standings. Flyers' goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov, is a big part of the recent climb as he has lost only once, a shootout loss against the Bruins yesterday, in the month of March. Over the past 8 games, he has had 4 shutouts as well. This means that the Pens will need to take advantage of any opportunity for shots. Though, with the Flyers playing yesterday, we may see backup goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in net today. Either way though, the Flyers have been strong defensively as of late and the Pens will still need to work to create some offense today to continue their win streak.

Yesterday's 5-2 win for the Pens could have easily been a higher scoring game for the Pens if it were not for Martin Brodeur in net. The Pens will need to be just as offensively minded today against the Flyers as well as strong defensively. The Flyers have some scoring power in the lineup that the Pens need to watch for. Therefore, the Pens will need to be sure to play an all around sound game and stay on their system.
It's a Flyers- Pens game and it is sure to be an exciting one, with two strong teams going against each other with such a rivalry all ready.

The Colorado Avalanche beat the New York Rangers last night, making it a little easier to reach our goal of surpassing the Rangers in the standings.

Big night in NYC.

Sidney Crosby's return to the lineup aside, Kris Letang is returning tonight as well after missing 5 games with concussion-like symptoms. However, put both of those returns aside, and tonight is a big game for the Pens. The Pens face the New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden, the team above them in the standings by 6 points leading the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with 95 points, while the Pens have 89 points.

The Pens have had a goal of reaching and even surpassing the Rangers in the standings for quite some time now. Winning 9 games in a row has certainly helped, but in order to accomplish their goal the Pens must beat the Rangers tonight and another win against the Rangers in the final regular season meeting between the 2 teams on April 5th would definitely help also.
Whether Crosby and/or Letang were returning tonight or not, it would still be a huge game. With Crosby and Letang back in the lineup for tonight's game, it's a tad bigger.

The Rangers recently lost a few games in a row, but seem to have returned to their form in a 4-2 win over Carolina the other night. The Rangers are an overall strong team and one the Pens must be prepared for and they should be. The Pens certainly know how big this game is tonight to reach their goal of taking over top spot in the standings.
Getting over a flu, Henrik Lundqvist, who sat out Tuesday's win, will not play tonight and Martin Biron will get the start in net for the Rangers.

With the return of Crosby and Letang, the Pens are on their way to getting back to a healthy lineup. What a great time of year for it to happen. Let's just hope it stays this way.
Tonight's game is a huge game and the excitement towards tonight's game is palpable.

Lineup changes.

I'm sure you have been hearing the phrase "good problem to have" a good bit recently. That is the phrase most writers and others associated in the media have been using to describe the situation the Pens are in now with the return of Sidney Crosby. They are correct, this is this Pens' big trade deadline acquistion. Getting Crosby back in the lineup is the only "move" we needed. Now that Crosby is returning tomorrow night against the Rangers in New York City, there are going to be some changes in the lineup, obviously. These changes are the good problem the Pens had.

So about those changes...
The Chris Kunitz- Evgeni Malkin- James Neal line will remain intact as well as the Steve Sullivam- Jordan Staal- Pascal Dupuis line.
Crosby will be centering a line with Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy; a little different than his last return in November. Starting out, Crosby won't get as much as time as he was used to before his concussion. This is to benefit Crosby and hopefully help to keep Crosby in the lineup for a much longer period of time this time around.

Crosby will get some time on the power play though. In practice on Tuesday, the power play had Crosby featured in a different role than what he is used to - playing the point.

The top power-play unit in Tuesday’s practice had Crosby and Kris Letang at the points, Malkin on the halfwall and Kunitz and Neal down low.

These are the lines that are planned going into tomorrow's game against the Rangers but we know there are plenty of opportunities and combinations. We'll have to see how these ones pan out and what happens from there.

He's back... again.

The moment we knew was coming has arrived. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that Sidney Crosby will be back in the lineup this Thursday in New York against the Rangers. What a game for the retun of Sidney Crosby. With the Pens fighting to catch the Rangers in the standings and Crosby's return, this game will surely be one not to miss. The Pens need to win both remaining games against the Rangers if they want to have a great shot at overtaking them for first in the Atlantic Division and first overall in the Eastern Conference.

While a good amount of people in the media and hockey world have been saying that with the addition of Crosby back in the Penguins lineup, the Pens are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year, I will not make any such comment. I will not take a chance in jinxing the team and one just never knows what will happen in the playoffs.

First, I would just like to see Crosby back in the lineup and stay in the lineup. I do not want a repeat of what happened last time, just like everyone else.
Though, I have to admit, we have an amazing team without Crosby playing, as we have seen as of late and with the addition of Crosby back... this team can be scary.
The potential of this team has me just as excited as I am at the start of a new season. In a way, if things turn out well and Crosby stays in the lineup with no symptoms, this can be like a new season in a sense.
Evgeni Malkin will hopefully stay at the same pace with Crosby back in the lineup and this team would be any other team's nightmare. Let's face it, the Pens can come out strong and knock a team down and when the Pens go down by a few goals, its not necessary to panic either because they have come out of holes to win some great games. While I will not say how deep this team will go in the playoffs, (And what does my opinion or lack thereof mean anyways?) I have to say that I am extremely excited to watch this team move forward and I hope that it is all what we are expecting. There's even a chance it will be better than we have been expecting.

With the sun shining and this warm weather, only the optimism is emerging, the glass is half full and all I am seeing are the endless great possibilities. The what ifs seem to go away; only worry about those if they happen. Now, it's time to think about this Pens team with Sidney Crosby back in uniform and adding him to an already stellar lineup. Right now, it's time to think of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin rising to the occasion. It's time to think of this Pens team and all that they can accomplish from here on out. I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited; Thursday can not come soon enough.

Pens defeat Bruins and a Cause to help.

With the Pens ninth win a row coming against the Boston Bruins yesterday afternoon, the gap between the Pens and the Rangers is getting smaller and smaller. If only the Rangers would have lost yesterday, the Pens would be within 2 points of them today, but instead the Rangers are 4 points ahead of the Pens in the standings. Though, our next game is this Thursday against the Rangers and will be a very important game if we want to overtake the Rangers for the first in the Atlantic Division and first in the Eastern Conference.

Some in the media are saying that Thursday's game against the Rangers would be a great game for the return of Sidney Crosby. He may play or he may not play against the Rangers, but one thing is sure, Crosby is close to returning and that means there are going to be some changes in the lineup. Of course, that is inevitable. Some would love to see the top line stay intact because they are one of the best lines in the NHL at the moment. Though, that may not be the case. We may see Chris Kunitz jump to Crosby's line along with Pascal Dupuis, the same line that was together when Crosby was on his way to having a career season last season. Then Malkin's line would still include James Neal and possibly Steve Sullivan. It will be tough to break apart that top line with how well they're doing and we will have to see the line combinations, but we will be getting Crosby back and that is quite the addition. The Pens are spectacular without Crosby at the moment and teams are surely aware of what the Pens can do with Crosby on the team as well. Let's hope though that Malkin doesn't let up when Crosby returns. When everyone is playing at their best, there's not much that can stop this team. That's something I love to see and something I will love to see going in the playoffs.


Now, my readers, I would like to ask you if you could just spare a moment and view this webpage. http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/1279173
My sister is a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and more than half of her class speak English as a second language. These families came to America looking for more opportunity and my sister is trying to make this classroom a home away from home for these children who do not have much. Supplies are not cheap and she is trying, through donorschoose.org, to raise money for some classroom supplies. This week, each donation will be doubled when the code word, BLOOM, is entered into the code box. Whatever people donate, the amount will be doubled by a generous donation. If you can not donate, please share the link through Twitter or Facebook. Thank you for your time and I am appreciative of you being a reader and my sister and I will be extremely grateful for whatever you can do to help the cause. Thank you!

False Expectations and matinee game.

As soon as the words came out of Sidney Crosby's mouth, it was established. These words inadvertently gave a target date for his return even though he adamantly said there was no date planned. Simply saying no sooner than Sunday would he return, immediately the rumors went wild stating that Crosby's return would be today against the Boston Bruins. With the schedule and practice schedule as well, I thought his return would be later than today and yesterday it was announced that Crosby's return will not be today. I am sure Crosby will think twice when choosing the way he phrases things when discussing his return because he realized the way people took what he said and ran with it. Media went wild and yesterday the story was that Crosby's return was "delayed." It was not delayed, there was no date set!
Don't worry, Crosby's retun is coming and I am sure we will know when it does. Let's not pick any more dates ourselves and set false expectations.

Now, today's game against the Boston Bruins has the chance to be a good one against the Pens and the Northeast Division leaders and second in the Eastern Conference Bruins. Even with some top players out with injury, the Bruins are still capable of scoring a lot of goals. Therefore, the Pens' defense needs to be strong today. Tuukka Rask, Boston's backup is currently in recovery that could last up to 4-6 weeks and therefore, the Bruins recently signed Marty Turco to a one year deal to back up Tim Thomas. There is a chance that Turco will be in the lineup today against the Pens. It would be his first NHL action since last February. This could be good or bad for the Pens. Either way, the Pens need to have a consistent game to continue our win streak this afternoon.

Pens take on Panthers tonight.

We're used to seeing the Florida Panthers pretty far down the list in Eastern Conference standings, but right now, the Pens just happen to be looking up at them in the standings. They don't have more points, but they currently lead the Southeast Division and sit in third place in the Eastern Conference. While the Panthers have made some great improvements, they have their problems and their motto might as well be, "Florida Panthers: Florida's longest roller coaster." The Panthers have been up and down with the wins and losses this season and they can not seem to gain consistency.
The Panthers have been on the lower end of the roller coaster track lately as they have lost three of their last 4 games. Scoring is a bit of a problem as of late as the Panthers have been shut out twice while letting in a lot of goals. A part of that is the fact that the Panthers are without their top scoreer, Kris Versteeg, due to an injury. Though being on the losing end does not mean that the coaster won't be making its way back up the track, so the Pens need to shut the Panthers down tonight at Consol Energy Center. The Pens need to continue trying to play a consistent game and they will look to do so as well as look to continue their win streak tonight against the Panthers.

Paul Martin is sick and may not play in tonight's game and Simon Despres was called up as a result. Kris Letang skated today before the team practice with Mike Kadar and while Brent Johnson has been back in practice, it is just another step in his recovery and he hopes it won't be much longer to heal his "nagging" injury.

Mario Lemieux and Game Day.

At the time of the Mario Lemieux statue unveiling today in front of Consol Energy Center, it was an appropriate 66 degrees in the city of Pittsburgh. Not only was it an appropriate temperature but the sun was shining as hundreds of fans and practically the whole organization was there for the unveiling.
Lemieux may not have wanted a statue of himself, but it is well-deserved. Mario Lemieux is the greatest hockey player and one of the best people to ever grace this earth. Some of you may think I am going a bit overboard there, but Lemieux has faced so many obstacles and has risen above them all, more like soaring above them, and also has saved the Penguins numerous times from multiple problems. Not only for his work with the team, Lemieux also has donated to many charities and has begun charitites that have been benefitting cancer and neonatal research. To put it simply, Mario Lemieux is one stand-up guy. I believe he is a person all hockey players should look up to as he handles himself with grace now off the ice just as he played with such grace on the ice. Not only should hockey players look up to Mario Lemieux, any person should look up to Lemieux. He is an idol of mine and Mario Lemieux is another reason why I love the sport of hockey; I believe he is everything a hockey player and human being should be.

With such an event taking place at Consol Energy Center today and the players being present, I hope they get a chance to now focus on tonight's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While the Leafs have not been doing so well lately, just like every team out there, the Pens need to take them seriously. Also because the Leafs have a record against the Pens this season of 2-0-1. The Leafs' defensive problems are still apparent under new coach Carlyle and they will surely be working hard in all facets of the game to turn things around. The Pens better be prepared for a team that is desperate for wins.

Been here before.

It's not exactly news that Sidney Crosby was cleared for contact, as it was announced today. He had been on the ice for a little while now with no contact and since we have been down this road before, we knew it was a step that was coming.

Just as the last time, there is no timetable for a return to game action for Crosby and there is no real use in speculating either. He will return when he returns and the Pens have been playing pretty well without him, so the Pens are not in absolute dire need of him returning, which is a good thing for the team and Crosby.
The Pens won their sixth straight last night against the Coyotes and though it wasn't our best played game, Fleury was strong in net and the Pens managed a 2-1 win.

It's good to hear Crosby has been cleared for contact as it is the next step in his all-too familiar recovery and we know that somewhere down the road, whether it be long or short, he will return to the lineup. And we will all hope that he stays healthy and gets back to his form in which he left the game, but that will most likely take some time, or maybe it won't... who knows.

The great thing in all of this is that Crosby will not feel the pressure to return to a team that is falling as the Pens have been strong as of late and are holding on to the top half of the Eastern Conference standings. That also means that we have a very strong team without Crosby in the lineup and with Crosby back, there will be some shake-ups on some things, but we will have arguably the best player back. Seems like a win-win to me, so let's keep this winning streak going and we'll have to wait and see when Crosby comes back. We can be patient though and that is one great thing.

Pens host Coyotes tonight.

A month ago, the Phoenix Coyotes were out of a playoff spot, a good four spots down from the playoff cutoff in fact. Then, the month of February happened to be a great month for the Coyotes. They went on a 11-0-1 roll and rolled right into 3rd spot in the Western Conference as a result. Most recently though, they have lost their past two games with one of the losses coming from last-place Columbus. Therefore, the Coyotes are looking to get back into the winning groove and they will certainly be looking to turn things around tonight in Pittsburgh. The Pens will surely be looking to keep their current winning streak going as well, but it may not be easy against the Coyotes. When the Coyotes are playing their best hockey, they have some great offense and are strong with special play and to top it off, they are strong in net with Mike Smith also.

The Pens have been strong as of late and they need to continue to play at that pace and work together and work well on the special teams as they have been recently. Tyler Kennedy, who has been recovering from a high ankle sprain is a game-time decision for tonight's game. Deryk Engelland will be out of tonight's lineup with an upper-body injury. Brian Strait was called up from the Baby Pens to take Engelland's spot in the lineup.
There has been no official update on Kris Letang and his concussion-like symptoms. Brent Johnson continues to ail from his upper-body injury, but it is not expected to be a long-term recovery.

Injury updates and more.

Last night's win against the Dallas Stars was an exciting one, as it took 4 rounds in the shootout to determine the winner and the Pens came out victorious, 4-3. The game had some back and forth scoring as well as some fast goals and the physical component of hockey surely was not missing in last night's game. However, that win and those two points came at a price. Kris Letang and Steve Sullivan both left the game last night due to injuries.

Coach Dan Bylsma said today that Kris Letang is experiencing concussion-like symptoms after his hit with Stars' Eric Nystrom. Letang will be further evaluated back in Pittsburgh once the current road trip has wrapped up. Nystrom will not face supplemental discipline for the hit.
Steve Sullivan is reportedly day-to-day with the lower-body injury he sustained in last night's win.

Tyler Kennedy practiced with the team yesterday with some contact, but there is no timetable for his return from a high ankle sprain.

It was announced this afternoon that the Pens have signed forward Adam Payerl to a three-year entry-level contract that will begin with the 2012-13 season. Payerl, 20, is currently in his third season with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League. Payerl is setting career highs this season: In 57 regular-season contests this year he has 20 goals and 44 points.