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!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Health is first priority.
Crosby's update yesterday should not have been a surprise to many and I know it's not the focus any longer; we have a game tonight to concentrate on, but it is good to see a player take this seriously.
I read an article on pittsburghlive.com (link above again by clicking on title of this post) that made me realize that so many players just think it is better to play through whatever injury they have. Sometimes, I think it's ok. Hockey fans know how tough hockey players are. We know that it is not unheard of for players to suffer a big gash or cut or various other injuries and come out minutes later patched up and play like it never happened. It's a part of hockey that I find admirable because it just doesn't happen that often in other sports. Though, sometimes it may be better to sit out and concussions are an injury that need to be taken seriously.
We have all heard the people saying that Crosby is being a baby, that he should just play through the headaches and that players have played through a lot worse, but as Keith Primeau points out and talks about in the article written by Josh Yohe, Crosby is doing the right thing, which is a lot tougher to do than you may think. Keith Primeau has been through this road before and ultimatley retired because of concussions. He has worked on trying to stop the high occurence of concussions ever since and he believes Crosby is being a hero for how he is handling his recovery. "The fact is, Sidney had the courage to speak up when something wasn't right. Good for him. Maybe people don't realize it, but that's a true sign of courage. It really is."
While I am done talking about Crosby's concussion because it is being discussed nonstop, I thought I would bring this article to you, my readers, to see that Crosby is doing the right thing and putting his health first now and hopefully continues to do so, as if you didn't already know that. Now, let's focus on tonight's game.
Read more: Primeau: Pens' Crosby showing true courage - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_771752.html#.TuexjZOhp4Z.facebook#ixzz1gSJ4TXqV
I read an article on pittsburghlive.com (link above again by clicking on title of this post) that made me realize that so many players just think it is better to play through whatever injury they have. Sometimes, I think it's ok. Hockey fans know how tough hockey players are. We know that it is not unheard of for players to suffer a big gash or cut or various other injuries and come out minutes later patched up and play like it never happened. It's a part of hockey that I find admirable because it just doesn't happen that often in other sports. Though, sometimes it may be better to sit out and concussions are an injury that need to be taken seriously.
We have all heard the people saying that Crosby is being a baby, that he should just play through the headaches and that players have played through a lot worse, but as Keith Primeau points out and talks about in the article written by Josh Yohe, Crosby is doing the right thing, which is a lot tougher to do than you may think. Keith Primeau has been through this road before and ultimatley retired because of concussions. He has worked on trying to stop the high occurence of concussions ever since and he believes Crosby is being a hero for how he is handling his recovery. "The fact is, Sidney had the courage to speak up when something wasn't right. Good for him. Maybe people don't realize it, but that's a true sign of courage. It really is."
While I am done talking about Crosby's concussion because it is being discussed nonstop, I thought I would bring this article to you, my readers, to see that Crosby is doing the right thing and putting his health first now and hopefully continues to do so, as if you didn't already know that. Now, let's focus on tonight's game.
Read more: Primeau: Pens' Crosby showing true courage - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_771752.html#.TuexjZOhp4Z.facebook#ixzz1gSJ4TXqV
Monday, December 12, 2011
Crosby out of lineup again.
When the "Crosby Update" was announced today, we knew it wouldn't be a good one. And I knew exactly what was going to happen when he missed the past two games, I knew it would be longer. I wished it wasn't true but it is. Also, I don't want to be so pessimistic, but we know that this will plague Crosby for quite some time; and no, I am not talking a little bit more this season, more likely for many seasons to come, if not his whole career. We know that Crosby did not just have a minor concussion, he had a pretty serious one. We are all well aware of that because of the 10 months he has already spent recovering from his concussion.
Crosby said in his "update" today that he just didn't feel right after the game against Boston, though he did well on his ImPact test and he says he does not feel as badly as he did when suffering from his concussion last January. Sure, these are all good signs, but that does not deny the fact that Crosby will miss a number of games while getting back to 100% and that the risk of this happening again is quite high.
Needless to say, I am a huge fan of the Pens and that means that I am a fan of Crosby's, how could a Pens fan not be? However, I did see some things that I rather would not have seen when Crosby returned. The first couple games back for Crosby, it was evident that most opposing players were respectful of Crosby's situation and were doing their best to try and not hit him too hard. However, to gain respect, you have to earn it and by being Crosby, he earned some, but he quickly lost it when he went out there throwing hits and sticking up for teammates by giving hits out. Don't get me wrong, I am all for a strong, close team and sticking up for one another, but not in dicey ways that put the team and player's health at risk. That is what Crosby did. By going out and playing the way he did at times gave other teams a reason to hit him when they may not have due to his situation. I know that some hits are going to happen and I also know that sometimes you just can not avoid things and your emotions get the best of you, but let the people on the team that are there to give the hits and throw some punches take care of sticking up for players.
Crosby is a great player and the way he plays: emotions, intensity, skill and focus all included are wonderful, but it would be in his best interest and the best interest of this team if he were a little more careful and tried to control the hits he gives out. To get respect, you have to show respect for others.
Without Crosby, the Pens are still strong and we are a fine team without him, so we will just have to come together again and show the other teams what we are still capable of!
Crosby said in his "update" today that he just didn't feel right after the game against Boston, though he did well on his ImPact test and he says he does not feel as badly as he did when suffering from his concussion last January. Sure, these are all good signs, but that does not deny the fact that Crosby will miss a number of games while getting back to 100% and that the risk of this happening again is quite high.
Needless to say, I am a huge fan of the Pens and that means that I am a fan of Crosby's, how could a Pens fan not be? However, I did see some things that I rather would not have seen when Crosby returned. The first couple games back for Crosby, it was evident that most opposing players were respectful of Crosby's situation and were doing their best to try and not hit him too hard. However, to gain respect, you have to earn it and by being Crosby, he earned some, but he quickly lost it when he went out there throwing hits and sticking up for teammates by giving hits out. Don't get me wrong, I am all for a strong, close team and sticking up for one another, but not in dicey ways that put the team and player's health at risk. That is what Crosby did. By going out and playing the way he did at times gave other teams a reason to hit him when they may not have due to his situation. I know that some hits are going to happen and I also know that sometimes you just can not avoid things and your emotions get the best of you, but let the people on the team that are there to give the hits and throw some punches take care of sticking up for players.
Crosby is a great player and the way he plays: emotions, intensity, skill and focus all included are wonderful, but it would be in his best interest and the best interest of this team if he were a little more careful and tried to control the hits he gives out. To get respect, you have to show respect for others.
Without Crosby, the Pens are still strong and we are a fine team without him, so we will just have to come together again and show the other teams what we are still capable of!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
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.
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.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Flyers vs. Pens tonight.
It's a game that will attract more attention and viewers than most Pens games tonight, oh wait... there's a Steelers game tonight too, or so I've heard. Then no, this game will only have the regular viewers and the true Pens fans tuning in to watch the Pens take on the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Anyways, you may have heard that our Captain, Sidney Crosby, is not playing tonight or Saturday's game either. It's just a precaution. He took some hits in the tough loss to Boston and he had a headache, but don't worry, his imPACT test didn't show anything troubling. This is just what we will have to deal with. After missing 10 months of hockey due to a concussion, I guess one could be a little apprehensive when feeling a headache after taking some hits, so we will need to be patient as Crosby and the Pens want to take every headache seriously due to the seriousness of one for Crosby.
We've been without Crosby in the lineup plenty of times to know how to play without him. This game will be a tough test for the Pens with or without Crosby because the Flyers are on a bit of a streak right now and are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over Buffalo just last night after being down 3-0 in that game. Therefore, the Pens will have to be at their best tonight and stay out of the penalty box and step up on their power play.
Also, Steve MacIntyre was taken off of IR today for tonight's game and Zbynek Michalek was placed on IR retroactive November 26th, so he can be taken off at any time.
This is the first game this season between the two rivals and also the first time the Pens will be versing the Flyers with Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr as part of their team. We'll see what these former Pens do against us tonight.
Anyways, you may have heard that our Captain, Sidney Crosby, is not playing tonight or Saturday's game either. It's just a precaution. He took some hits in the tough loss to Boston and he had a headache, but don't worry, his imPACT test didn't show anything troubling. This is just what we will have to deal with. After missing 10 months of hockey due to a concussion, I guess one could be a little apprehensive when feeling a headache after taking some hits, so we will need to be patient as Crosby and the Pens want to take every headache seriously due to the seriousness of one for Crosby.
We've been without Crosby in the lineup plenty of times to know how to play without him. This game will be a tough test for the Pens with or without Crosby because the Flyers are on a bit of a streak right now and are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over Buffalo just last night after being down 3-0 in that game. Therefore, the Pens will have to be at their best tonight and stay out of the penalty box and step up on their power play.
Also, Steve MacIntyre was taken off of IR today for tonight's game and Zbynek Michalek was placed on IR retroactive November 26th, so he can be taken off at any time.
This is the first game this season between the two rivals and also the first time the Pens will be versing the Flyers with Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr as part of their team. We'll see what these former Pens do against us tonight.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
NHL Realignment
By now, we have all heard that the NHL Board of Governers approved the NHL alignment plan which means the NHL is in for a shakeup next season. The conferences have yet to be named which means they are now known as Conferences A-D. That’s right, the NHL will now have 4 conferences.
Conference “A” will consist of:
• Anaheim Ducks
• Calgary Flames
• Colorado Avalanche
• Edmonton Oilers
• L.A. Kings
• Phoenix Coyotes
• San Jose Sharks
• Vancouver Canucks.
Conference “B” will consist of:
• Chicago Blackhawks
• Columbus Blue Jackets
• Dallas Stars
• Detroit Red Wings
• Minnesota Wild
• Nashville Predators
• St. Louis Blues
• Winnipeg Jets
Conference “C” will consist of:
• Boston Bruins
• Buffalo Sabres
• Florida Panthers
• Montreal Canadiens
• Ottawa Senators
• Tampa Bay Lightning
• Toronto Maple Leafs
Conference “D” will consist of:
• Carolina Hurricanes
• New Jersey Devils
• New York Islanders
• New York Rangers
• Philadelphia Flyers
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Washington Capitals
You may have noticed that Conferences A and B have 8 teams and Conferences C and D only have 7 teams. In our seven-team conference, teams will play each other 6 times- 3 home and 3 away. Whereas, the 8-team conference teams will play each other 5 or 6 times in a season on a rotating basis. Also, each team will play one another at least twice a season, one home and one away with each team.
One thing that has not been decided is whether or not the Stanley Cup finals can be played with 2 teams from the east or west. We know that the top four teams from each Conference will make it into the playoffs and the first two rounds will determine which four continue on to the two semifinals. After that, it is unsure what will happen.
Therefore, it will take further meetings to work everything out.
For the Pens, our “conference” is not all that different from our current division but we do have the addition of some tough teams (If they are to stay relatively the same for next season.) We will have to travel more with having to face every team, but that was known to happen because this was done in part to rectify the excessive traveling some teams were doing in the current alignment. We will have to wait and see what the new alignment will bring and how this will further affect the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Conference “A” will consist of:
• Anaheim Ducks
• Calgary Flames
• Colorado Avalanche
• Edmonton Oilers
• L.A. Kings
• Phoenix Coyotes
• San Jose Sharks
• Vancouver Canucks.
Conference “B” will consist of:
• Chicago Blackhawks
• Columbus Blue Jackets
• Dallas Stars
• Detroit Red Wings
• Minnesota Wild
• Nashville Predators
• St. Louis Blues
• Winnipeg Jets
Conference “C” will consist of:
• Boston Bruins
• Buffalo Sabres
• Florida Panthers
• Montreal Canadiens
• Ottawa Senators
• Tampa Bay Lightning
• Toronto Maple Leafs
Conference “D” will consist of:
• Carolina Hurricanes
• New Jersey Devils
• New York Islanders
• New York Rangers
• Philadelphia Flyers
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Washington Capitals
You may have noticed that Conferences A and B have 8 teams and Conferences C and D only have 7 teams. In our seven-team conference, teams will play each other 6 times- 3 home and 3 away. Whereas, the 8-team conference teams will play each other 5 or 6 times in a season on a rotating basis. Also, each team will play one another at least twice a season, one home and one away with each team.
One thing that has not been decided is whether or not the Stanley Cup finals can be played with 2 teams from the east or west. We know that the top four teams from each Conference will make it into the playoffs and the first two rounds will determine which four continue on to the two semifinals. After that, it is unsure what will happen.
Therefore, it will take further meetings to work everything out.
For the Pens, our “conference” is not all that different from our current division but we do have the addition of some tough teams (If they are to stay relatively the same for next season.) We will have to travel more with having to face every team, but that was known to happen because this was done in part to rectify the excessive traveling some teams were doing in the current alignment. We will have to wait and see what the new alignment will bring and how this will further affect the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Pens vs. Capitals tonight.
Just days after the Washington Capitals fired their head coach, Bruce Boudreau, and hired Dale Hunter, they will be facing a team they have a bit of a history with, our Pens. The Capitals lost their first game under their new coach earlier in the week and are looking for his first win with the Capitals. Let's hope he has to search longer. The Pens-Caps games tend to always be exciting and keep the fans engaged as you just never know what will happen. (Except for that game 7 a few years ago in the playoffs where the Pens blew past the Capitals to take the series!)
I might also add that Bruce Boudreau was announced today as the Anaheim Ducks new coach, as he replaces Randy Carlyle. Didn't take him long at all to find a new job.
Anyways though, on to some Pens news. Simon Despres was called up from the Baby Pens today as Alex Picard was sent back down. Despres will make his NHL debut tonight, and what a team to make a debut with.
The fans get excited for Caps-Pens games and it used to be the Ovehckin vs. Crosby game. That may have died down a little, but these teams still offer a lot of skill and talent and that is why I get excited for these games. There's a rivalry, both teams get fired up to play each other and hopefully that means they play their best. When asked today about playing the Capitals, Captain Crosby said, "I think both teams bring out the best in one another. It should be another good one." If they do bring out the best of one another, let's hope the Pens show the Capitals who is the best.
I might also add that Bruce Boudreau was announced today as the Anaheim Ducks new coach, as he replaces Randy Carlyle. Didn't take him long at all to find a new job.
Anyways though, on to some Pens news. Simon Despres was called up from the Baby Pens today as Alex Picard was sent back down. Despres will make his NHL debut tonight, and what a team to make a debut with.
The fans get excited for Caps-Pens games and it used to be the Ovehckin vs. Crosby game. That may have died down a little, but these teams still offer a lot of skill and talent and that is why I get excited for these games. There's a rivalry, both teams get fired up to play each other and hopefully that means they play their best. When asked today about playing the Capitals, Captain Crosby said, "I think both teams bring out the best in one another. It should be another good one." If they do bring out the best of one another, let's hope the Pens show the Capitals who is the best.
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