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Showing posts with label Ryan Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Miller. Show all posts

Friday, March 30, 2012

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.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

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.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Pens blow the Sabres away!

I apologize for not posting in a few days, but it is that time of year when one can become quite busy.

After a tough loss to Ottawa, the Pens needed a strong game, a game with some goal scoring and great work on the power play and most of all, a win.

The Pens got exactly that in their 8-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night. It was a night of juggling goaltenders for the Sabres but neither goaltender in any of their attempts could stop the Pens Saturday night. They were determined and focused and it translated into scoring 8 goals. Now the Pens will have to ride that momentum into their game tomorrow night against the Chicago Blackhawks at Consol Energy Center.



Next,...

We are all well aware of the injuries that have been plaguing the Pens this season and the Pens' website has a new way of looking at the injuries and putting them into a different perspective: The salary cap effect. The Pens spend pretty close to the cap limit almost every season since the salary cap has been put in place and this season was certianly no exception.
Just from recent games, the Pens are missing around $28 million of player salary from the lineup. Our lineup Saturday would have a salary hit of a little under $39 million, that's a lot under the salary cap of $64.3 million and even under the cap floor, the minimum each team has to pay, of $48.3 million. Shows how many of our top players are missing from the lineup, as if we needed any other reminders.

For the rest of the article by Sam Kasan: http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=607234&navid=DL|PIT|home