Hockey and the fans are back and a lot to look forward to.

After lockouts, one expects that some fans will not return and after such an embarrassing work stoppage for the NHL that officially ended this past Saturday, January 12, one may even expect the number of fans leaving the sport to be greater. It appears that is not the case in Pittsburgh. Practices during this past week during training camp have been well attended and it is expected home game sellouts at Consol Energy Center will continue.

Of course, Pittsburgh is a sports town, even more so when a team does well and has star players. We have yet to see how well the Pens will do, but we know for sure we are lucky to have some of the best talent in the game of hockey on our team. Maybe that's why there seems to be little fallout from the fans after the lockout. Or perhaps, fans have come back because of the attempts by the Penguins to show their gratitude to fans in the form of certain free concession items and 50% off merchandise for the first four home games. Or maybe it's the idea that you don't realize what you have until it is gone. Perhaps taking NHL hockey away for those months left a greater desire in most fans. I realized that I would miss NHL hockey and found ways to fill the void, but it wasn't always easy. Now, a fair amount of fans were realizing how much they missed hockey after the past Steelers' season ended and were left wondering what they would watch then. I have surely missed NHL hockey and can not wait for its return this Saturday. Maybe it's just a pure love of the game that brought many fans back.

Some may want to argue that this shortened season and the team hoisting the Stanley Cup towards the end of June will not be as impressive as if it were a full season. Quite the contrary. These 48 games will be a tad jam-packed into the next few months and while we only see opponents from our conference, there is quite a good bit of competition in our Eastern Conference. The Western Conference will be a good fight as well to the top. This season is sure to bring a lot of excitement.

Though it's the middle of January and not October, that does not change my level of excitment for a new season one bit. The endless possibilities of a new season do not change with a fewer number of games and a later start date. As Pens fans, we have a lot to be excited for:

We are all well aware of how well Sidney Crosby can play and people have been saying that he is back and better than ever from his injuries. If Crosby can get even better, and if there was one player who could keep excelling into even greater excellence, it would be him, then I am ready to see it happen.

Malkin was playing well in the KHL and should be in pretty good game shape already having played in the KHL. He also says he is determined to win the Stanley Cup.

The beginning to a new season means change. Gone is Jordan Staal and in is Brandon Sutter. We will be able to witness what Sutter can offer as a Penguin and I, myself, rather enjoy watching new players on the team show what they've got. With Crosby being back and new players, we won't be seeing the same lines as last year. For instance, for a few days, Eric Tangradi has been on a line with Malkin and James Neal and today, Beau Bennett filled Tangradi's role on that line. In the beginning of a season you see what clicks and what doesn't. The power play has had a new look in some practices with Kris Letang and Neal at the points and Chris Kunitz, Crosby, and Malkin up front.

With some new players and some old, familiar faces gone, new line combinations and special team shake-ups, comes the start of a fresh, new hockey season. While it may be a colder, later start to the season, I don't care about that any more. I'm excited for a new season to get under way and by the looks of it, so is the rest of Pittbsurgh.

Game 6

The Pens have brought this series to a game 6 with a focus on each game. They have been focusing on the task in hand, the one game directly ahead of them, and have not thought of the rest of the series. This focus and better goaltending and defense work have brought us to today, Game 6. The Pens need to remain focused on today's game and continue to improve as well. They need to stay disciplined as the Flyers continue to capitalize on their power play regularly. We can not afford to take stupid penalties or allow the Flyers to drag us into making choices that will cost us. Therefore, the Pens will need to be smart and careful. With the better defense and fabulous goaltending from Marc Andre Fleury, the Pens can stifle the Flyers again.

In game 5, our star players were not exactly the stars and other players have been stepping up. Tyler Kennedy had a strong game and Jordan Staal has been strong this entire series and with continued hard work from these players and our star players, the Pens can have a strong game. Over and over again, it has been said that the Pens are focusing on each game, each period, each shift. This is exactly what they need to be doing and it has been working. They need to continue with that process today. Another great game from Fleury would be another great boost for the team and though he won't have the Pens fans behind him today in Philly, he knows we will be cheering for him from home. We know that the Flyer fans are somewhat (or downright) hostile, but we also know that the Pens can win in that arena and the fans can sometimes just fuel our team's fire to win.

Remain focused, stay out of the box by being disciplined, take a lot of shots and block a lot of shots. These are key factors going into today's Game 6. The Pens are well aware of the fact that laying off their game could be detrimental and their season could end. Therefore, the Pens will give everything they have, just like they have been the past few games. They will be doing their best to bring this series back to Pittsburgh. Let's Go Pens!

Pens remain in series in high-scoring style.

The Penguins needed one win to stay alive in this series and they did just that, in great fashion. The Pens did not just win the game last night, they blew the Flyers away. The Pens scored 10 goals in a 10-3 victory over the Flyers to make the series 3-1. This series is like no other playoff series currently and is extremely rare in playoff hockey history. The amount of goals these teams are racking up are rare in a regular season game and in the playoffs, when hockey is known to be tighter and lower scores are expected, this Pens- Flyers series is throwing away all conceptions of playoff hockey. I must say that I prefer being on the more goals, winning side of things. Last night's win felt great. I knew the Pens were more than capable of winning in this series and last night proved what the Pens can do, even down a few suspended players. Now, the series moves back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 Friday night. I expect fans to be the loudest they possibly can be and I hope that everyone catches the believing spirit.

Now, while the Pens and Flyers have been featuring high-scoring games to go against the norm in the playoffs, another way the Pens hope to stray from what is expected is coming back from a 3-0 deficit. Last night was the first step. The series is now 3-1 and if the Pens continue to take each game one game at a time, one period at a time and come out with a game like last night's game, this series is bound to get interesting. While it will be difficult, this Pens team is capable of many things, as we witnessed last night.

Craig Adams and James Neal will be available for Game 5 Firday night after serving their one game suspensions last night, while Arron Asham still has 3 more games to serve, whether those come in this series or next season. The Pens need to remain focused on each game and playing each period. Last night it worked to their benefit and the Flyers lost their composure with several players taking cross-checks and hits against players. I expect some players will be having talkes with Brendan Shanahan about some of last night's activities.
The Pens need to keep moving on, taking one game at a time, one period at a time, one shift a time; continue to play their game, let the Flyers lose their composure and we can remain in this series. Last night's game proved that the officials are cracking down in this series and they don't want a repeat of Game 3 as they were calling nearly everything possible early on and throughout the game. Therefore, the Pens will need to be disciplined and strong defensively and scoring a lot of goals helps also. Seeinf Evgeni Malkin get some goals last night was a good thing to see as he has been quiet in this series. He will need to be present if we want this series to continue. Jordan Staal got a hat trick last night to lift the Pens and he has been strong in this series. We will need strong efforts from every player in the lineup to ensure this series goes past Game 5. We knew we were capable of beating the Flyers, but one game will not be good enough, we need to keep moving on and winning. We need one more win before we can focus on anything else. Let's focus on that next win Friday night.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Pens host Chicago Blackhawks tonight.

The Pens take on a tough task tonight against the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are currently the top team in the NHL with 46 points. They are on a 5-game winning streak and are 7-0-1 in the month of December. Plus, they have won their past 5 road games as well. That's a lot of good news... for them.
All lines of the Blackhawks are clicking as of late and are contributing, which the Pens can accomplish as well, we just have to be on the top of our game. The Pens are coming off a stellar 8-3 win over Buffalo and let's hope that momentum carries over to tonight's game. Ray Emery has been in net for a lot of the Blackhawks' success and will be in net for them tonigh against our Pens.

Injury update: (Oh how I wait for the day when there will be no injuries to update or report on!)
Sidney Crosby will not be in the lineup, shocker!
Jordan Staal and Craig Adams are game time decisions for tonight's game. Both say they feel ok and feel ready to go, they just need to talk to Dan Bylsma and the trainers and we will see if they will be in the lineup tonight.

Perhaps if we had our full team intact we would be experiencing success like the Blackhawks' current success. They have a pretty healthy lineup, something any Pens fan is jealous of right now. Take a look at the two teams' injured lists. We're not playing horribly and are doing ok most of the time, but we know that this team is a lot stronger with everyone healthy.

PENGUINS:
C Sidney Crosby, undisclosed
F Dustin Jeffrey, knee
D Kris Letang, broken nose and concussion
D Ben Lovejoy, broken wrist
D Paul Martin, lower body
D Zbynek Michalek, concussion
F Richard Park, fractured foot
F Jordan Staal, lower body

BLACKHAWKS
F Dan Carcillo, upper body

Pens take on Red Wings tonight.

It seems to be a recurring theme for the Pens: Injuries. The past few seasons have brought us a lot of different injuries and we usually rise to the occasion and show our opponents what skill we have even with so many players out with injury. The same will need to go for tonight's game. Crosby is out and Malkin is a game-time decision as is Jordan Staal. Jason Williams was called up from the Baby Pens for tonight's game. All souds too familiar. Though, that means that the Pens are used to it and know they have to play their best to get a win against a team that has consistently been a contender for years now, the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit has been playing well as of late, in fact they have managed to force the starting goaltender out of the game their past two games. Which reiterates that the Pens will need to be at their best tonight, but when do they not have to be? Again, the Wings power play is strong and the Pens will have to match with a strong Penalty Kill that has been getting away from them a bit the past couple weeks. Also, the Pens power play needs to be better and they need to keep it simple and get their chances.

While a game between the Pens and Red Wings is not quite like a game against the Flyers or the Caps, it still is a rivalry because of the two Stanley Cup finals in recent years between the two. Tonight's game could be an exciting one, so be sure to tune in!

Pens vs. Islanders tonight.

After a tough loss to the Flyers, the Pens are looking to get back on track against the Islanders tonight. It will be another game without Sidney Crosby and now Jordan Staal is out with a lower body injury. Richard Park is not playing tonight and is day-to-day as is Jordan Staal. The Pens called up Jason Williams to play tonight. Though, Deryk Engelland will be back in the lineup for tonight.



Any loss to the Flyers is a tough one, but our last game was especially tough because the Pens had a bad start to the game and came up with some goals later on, but it wasn't enough to beat the Flyers. We simply were not at our best.


Time to move on though; the Islanders are not the Flyers, but they have been on a surge lately. Therefore, the Pens still need to be at their best to ensure a win and get back on track and play better. Let's hope that the Pens start out strong tonight and rise above the injuries, as we have done countless times the past few seasons and show what we can do when we play our best.

What a game!

There is nothing quite like winning a game after being down by 2 goals multiple times, or any amount of goals for that matter. After being down 2-0 and 3-1, the Pens pulled off a spectacular 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche last night. We were lucky enough to see some amazing goals last night, from both teams and the talent and skill of these players never ceases to amaze me. The Pens had an overall team win last night with goals going to 6 different players: James Neal, Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin, Brooks Orpik, Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang. If you missed the game, you need to watch some highlights!

Some team news: Eric Tangradi was sent back down to the Baby Pens and the Pens recalled Steve MacIntyre from his conditioing assignment with the Baby Pens.
This may come as a shock to you, but Sidney Crosby will not be in tomorrow night's lineup for the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Pens are currently on their Dad's trip so the past shows that Johnson is most likely to start in goal tomorrow night.

The good, the bad and the ugly.

It wasn't that bad of a weekend for the Pens. They beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 Friday night with a 2-goal effort from James Neal who continues to keep scoring the goals that we had hoped he would bring when we signed him. Saturday night, the Pens fell a bit short in a 5-3 loss against the Carolina Hurricanes. Jordan Staal had a 2-goal game against his brother Eric, but it wasn't enough to bring a win. That loss is behind us now though and we can now look forward to hosting the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow night. That's the good and the bad, now here comes the ugly...

In case you were wondering, Coach Bylsma stated today that the status of Crosby has not changed and he reiterated that they are not keeping a secret from the media and they will notify them when they know Sid is playing. When asked what the doctors are looking for in order for Crosby to return, Bylsma stated that he is not educated in that area and does not know what the doctors are looking for. Well, join the club. It seems as if all the pieces are together for a return but apparently, the jigsaw puzzle still has some key pieces missing. It seems like we need another press conference with the doctors to understand what is taking so long after Crosby has been cleared for contact. I really hope it does not come to that though, that press conference was too long and there were too many similes for my taste.
I understand that concussions are extremely delicate injuries to recover from and we have too many examples in the NHL of how they can end a career, but it just seemed like things were looking optimistic for a while. I knew better than to get my hopes up though and I am thankful I did not. I am prepared for Crosby's return to take quite a bit more time. Just in case of course. I am sure my mind could quickly adjust to the idea of Crosby returning in the very near future though.

Pens face Sharks tonight.

The Pens are in San Jose to take on the Sharks tonight, which means a late start, 10:30 p.m.
Jordan Staal and Kris Letang are game-time decisions to play tonight and Alex Picard was called up from the Wilkes-Barre Sranton Baby Pens as a precaution. We'll have to wait and see who plays tonight.

Zbynek Michalek, who broke his finger a week and a half ago in a game against the Devils, skated today after the morning skate. His revovery was timed at 4-6 weeks.

The Pens haven't had much luck when playing in San Jose against the Sharks, so the Pens will be looking for a win tonight and also look to get back on track for their stellar penalty-killing, as it did not fare so well against the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

I am sure, like me, all of you are anxious to see the Pens play again. It was the longest break of the season so far for the Pens and I know some of you were uneasy waiting so long, but the Pens are finally back tonight. Don't fall asleep between periods though, or if you do, make sure you have someone or something waking you up, don't want to miss a second of any game action tonight!

Since it's Halloween...

Happy Halloween everyone!

It was a more happy Halloween for me because I saw a picture of Geno and Sid at the Pens Halloween party and got a good laugh. If you haven't seen the picture, I am sure you can find it online pretty much anywhere by this point in time, but I am not going to post it due to various reasons. Not quite sure what Geno is from his costume, could be a few options. Sid, though, dressed as a gladiator. Good to see that he had head gear as part of the costume. We want to make sure that he is taking precautions when it comes to his concussion and we don't want any setbacks coming from a Halloween party.

As for Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy, they dressed as Dumb and Dumber with the blue and orange suits that are iconic from the movie. I just wonder which one was dumb and who was dumber?

Now that is a Halloween party I would really love to attend. Maybe I can work on that for next year's party. Happy Halloween!

Pens vs. Islanders tonight.

After a few wins at home, the Pens are on the road again in New York for tonight's game against the New York Islanders.
Coming off of victories over the Montreal Canadiens and the New Jersey Devils, the Pens are looking to get the next win on the road tonight.
The Pens also could have Evgeni Malkin in the lineup tonight, he is a game time decision for tonight's game. It would be wonderful if Malkin were ready to play tonight. Though, we have been doing pretty well without the forward and also without Captain Sidney Crosby. The Pens have maintained a great Penalty-kill that began last year and have been receiving some goal-scoring from James Neal and Jordan Staal had a two-goal effort Saturday night against the Devils. The Pens are playing strong without some of our key players and I can not wait for the entire team to be healthy.

Tonight's game against the Islanders will probably not look like the debacle these two teams had last season mainly because the two teams played against each other after that game last season and settled any lingering problems then. I don't need to detail the way the game last season played out or reminisce on any of the events or even the score, it's a game many of us will never forget.

It's a new season and a new season series against the Islanders and the Pens are just looking for a win.

I'm back and the Pens are coming back too!

Well, after a two year hiatus, I decided I would come back to the blog world and do something I love about something I love: write about hockey! College got a tad busy and my blog went on the back burner. However, I have graduated and the job market allows me to dedicate a good amount of time on my blog now!

We all know the Pens season is just days away as we all have been waiting anxiously. The Pens were stellar in the preseason, going 5-1. Evgeni Malkin looked strong out there and with Sidney Crosby out with a concussion for who knows how long, it's great to see that Malkin is dedicated this season and worked hard in the offseason.

The Pens did extremely well last season under the circumstances with all the injuries. Remember, Malkin, Jordan Staal and Crosby played together for about 40 minutes. We made it to the playoffs only to be eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Our power play was atrocious during that round and was definitely something discussed and addressed. Enough about last season though, it's time for a brand new Penguins season to start and I know I am extremely excited for it to begin.

New hockey seasons bring a wide range of possibilities along for the ride. I love to see some surprise teams and players, whether it be a pleasant surprise or a disappointment. The Pens are getting high marks in a lot of different rankings, but I tend not to look at those too closely. With the players we have on our team, we are bound to end up high on most lists. And yes, I have heard that some are predicting that the Pens will win the Cup this season, but I am focused on just the beginning of the season and watching how the Pens shape up to be. One thing I am hoping for is that James Neal finds his scoring touch. He was not that stellar after coming over in a trade late last season, but I am hoping that we get to see his confidence and goal scoring go up.

The Pens 2011-2012 season starts this Thursday with a late start time for the East Coast at 10 p.m. as the game is in Vancouver. When that puck drops, anything is possible and all those possibilities of a new, fresh hockey season are why I love hockey and love this time of year! Let's go PENS!!!

Team Canada releases Olympic Camp Roster.

Soon after the USA Hockey group released their roster for the 2010 Olympic Camp, Team Canada has done the same. It is no surprise that Sidney Crosby is invited. He will be joined by teammates Marc Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal who were also invited to the camp. 46 players were invited and that list will need to be cut down to 23 by the end of December.

Those invited:
Goaltenders: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey; Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh; Roberto Luongo, Vancouver; Steve Mason, Columbus; Cam Ward, Carolina

Defensemen: Francois Beauchemin, UFA; Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary; Dan Boyle, San Jose; Brent Burns, Minnesota; Drew Doughty, Los Angeles; Mike Green, Washington; Dan Hamhuis, Nashville; Duncan Keith, Chicago; Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim; Dion Phaneuf, Calgary; Chris Pronger, Philadelphia; Robyn Regehr, Calgary; Stephane Robidas, Dallas; Brent Seabrook, Chicago; Marc Staal, New York Rangers; Shea Weber, Nashville

Forwards: Jeff Carter, Philadelphia; Dan Cleary, Detroit; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh; Shane Doan, Phoenix; Simon Gagne, Philadelphia; Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim; Dany Heatley, Ottawa; Jarome Iginla, Calgary; Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay; Milan Lucic, Boston; Patrick Marleau, San Jose; Andy McDonald, St. Louis; Brenden Morrow, Dallas; Rick Nash, Columbus; Corey Perry, Anaheim; Mike Richards, Philadelphia; Derek Roy, Buffalo; Joe Sakic, Colorado; Patrick Sharp, Chicago; Ryan Smyth, Colorado; Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay; Eric Staal, Carolina; Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh; Joe Thornton, San Jose; Jonathan Toews, Chicago

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=433240

Pens win game 6, force game 7.

The Pens knew what was on the line, knew that if they made any big mistake or small one for that matter, their season could be over. That would explain why Fleury played a spectacular game and had some assistance from Rob Scuderi who kept the puck out of the net last night as well. That would explain why Staal's line became a force last night, scoring both the goals. One from Staal and the other from Kennedy. We need the secondary scoring and we got it last night, which resulted in the 2-1 Pens win.
The Pens now move on to Detroit for game 7. The Pens have gone to a game 7 this year, in the series against the Washington Capitals, and they embarrassed the Capitals with a 6-2 victory. However, I don't think this game 7 will have the same result. No matter how much I wish it would. This is the Stanley Cup Final, game 7, where the entire prize is up for grabs. What most have waited their entire lives for, worked hard in the off season and all season long for, it comes down to this game 7. I don't think the Pens will need to be reminded of the motivation and neither does Detroit, they both know what is at stake. Should be a game to remember.

Pens begin Eastern Conference Finals tonight against Canes.

The Pens take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at Mellon Arena, beginning the Eastern Conference Finals. Most say there is no hatred at this point between these two teams, that it may take a little while before animosity between the two teams comes alive. Well, no, the Canes are not our rival the Philadelphia Flyers that we already got rid of, and no they do not offer a rivalry between two players who are battling out for the title to be the best like the Washington Capitals offered us, and we of course got rid of them as well. However, this series does have sibling rivalry, with the likes of both Eric and Jordan Staal. While they play differently, who knows, maybe Jordan will raise his game to another level in this competition. Though, this may be the only evident rivalry at this point in time, besides the Brooks Orpik and Erik Cole one, I have no worries that the Pens and Canes will develop a hatred for one another, that could only come from versing an opponent in the playoffs. That's just how the playoffs work. So, let the series begin!