Grind it out - Penguins 4, Blue Jackets 2

So what happened?

The Blue Jackets were intent on making this a hockey game.  They held the fort during the first period by limiting the quality of the scoring chances for the Pens, and Curtis Sanford, in his first game back from injury, didn't allow any second chances.

The strategy was working, as the Pens out shot the Jackets 15-5 during the first period, but were unable to score.  Things took a turn for the worse when Rick Nash scored on a shorthanded goal midway through the second to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead.

However, Geno got the Pens on the board with a power play goal late in the second, and then in the third, the cracks in the armor started to show for Sanford.  He just wasn't quite as fast or on top of his game as he had been earlier.  Shots that I think he would have stopped in the first period started to go in, and before you knew it, the Pens were up 4-1.  Vinny Prospal scored with less than 5 minutes left to make it mildly interesting, but the Jackets never really threatened after that.

Who scored?

Malkin (37), Dupuis (15), Letang (9), Vitale (4)

The Good?

• Another two power play goals - the Pens have six power play goals in just 13 chances over their past four games.  That's incredible.
• Thiessen was solid in his NHL debut.  The team insulated him well for the most part (other than the Nash breakaway while the Jackets were shorthanded).
• What more can you say about Geno?  He is the best player in the world right now.
• Faceoffs for Staal and Malkin were solid - both were over 55%.
• Great persistence for the Pens - the shots weren't going in early and they weren't getting any rebounds, but they didn't panic and just kept working.  It paid off.

The Bad?

• Letang was a -2, meaning he was on the ice for both goals against.

The Ugly?

• Nothing, really.  Just two points for the Pens.

Any Surprises?

• Again, pretty plain vanilla victory.  Nothing too surprising.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 36-21-5.

Who's next?

A quick road trip to Dallas and Colorado.  The Pens play Dallas on Wednesday night.

Game #62 - vs Columbus Blue Jackets

2011-12 Game 62

Columbus Blue Jackets (18-36-7, 43 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (35-21-5, 75 points)

Brassard leads the Jackets in points in the month of February

Why does it matter?

The Blue Jackets are terrible.  They're the worst team in the NHL by nearly any standard.  They've just traded away much of their offense.  Why does this make them dangerous to the Pens?  Because they have a bunch of guys fighting for jobs, and money talks.  Also, they'll have Curtis Sanford back, and his numbers are pretty decent.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Some luck early led to a laugher against the Bolts.
• Blue Jackets - They're 4-4-1 in their last nine, including some impressive wins over Anaheim, Minnesota (twice) and San Jose.

Questions to be answered

• Will the Pens be able to get up for this game?  The Blue Jackets are going to steal some points if the Pens keep having a slow start and keep going to the box.
• Will we see Brad Thiessen make his NHL debut?  Might not be a bad idea to give Flower some rest.
• What is up with Dustin Jeffrey?  He didn't seem to be playing all that poorly, but clearly there's something up since he's a healthy scratch.

Keys to the game

• Jump on them early.  The Bolts Blue Jackets have been sellers with trades, sending out Downie, Moore and Kubina Carter and Vermette.  That has to affect the morale eventually.
• Generate your own emotions.  Without some of the chippy guys on the other side, the Pens have a tendency to become cold and emotionless.  They need to find a reason to be fired up. 
• Take them seriously.  I know facing the Bolts Blue Jackets is a long way from the Rangers, but these two points are just as valuable.

Wow - it's almost like they're the same as the game against Tampa Bay...

Lucky - Penguins 8, Lightning 1

So what happened?

So the short version is that the Pens were the beneficiaries of some very lucky bounces in the first period that led directly to a 3-0 lead.  Kunitz deflected a shot off of Hedman, Cooke bounced on a rebound and Staal was granted a breakaway short-handed when the linesman ran interference on Hedman at the point.

Then the Bolts made the dumb mistake of getting Malkin angry.  How can teams not figure out that their smartest move is to let him try to get himself motivated?  One hat trick later, the game was completely out of reach (it may have been out of reach prior to that, but he completely buried them).  One of the goals was a highlight reel end-to-end rush going through or around three different Lightning.  It looked like Mario Lemieux was back on the ice.

Otherwise, the way this game started, the Pens were very lucky with how things turned out in the first.

Who scored?

Kunitz (17), Cooke (12), Staal (20, 21), Malkin (34, 35, 36), Dupuis (14)

The Good?

• The offensive output, including two power play goals and a shorty.
• Nice to see Cooke and Dupuis pick up goals to go with the big guys.
• Fleury absolutely dominated early in the game.  He made several amazing saves to keep the Bolts off the board.

The Bad?

• A slow start... again.
• Way too many penalties - the lack of discipline will cost them if it continues.

The Ugly?

• Roloson's two handed shove to the face of a prone Evgeni Malkin.  It was cheap, and Roloson is lucky he didn't bounce Geno's head off of the ice, because that would certainly draw the attention of the league.

Any Surprises?

• The top line (Geno, Neal and Kunitz) were all under 15 minutes of ice time.  I figured it would be lower than normal, but I was really surprised how much Bylsma was able to rest them in the third.  Should make things better for Columbus today.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 35-21-5.

Who's next?

A trip to Buffalo for a Sunday afternoon game against the Sabres.

Game #61 - vs Tampa Bay Lightning

2011-12 Game 61

Tampa Bay Lightning (27-27-6, 60 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (34-21-5, 73 points)

Somebody asked for a decent backup goalie?  Roloson is a UFA after this year and he would be cheap.

Why does it matter?

This is the last weekend of the weird month of back-to-back weekend games, all but one during the daytime.  The Pens need to beat a non-playoff team like the Bolts to keep pace with the Devils and Flyers.  Unfortunately, recent history against bad teams isn't good (see last Sunday in Buffalo).

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - The best overall performance of the season against the Rangers last Tuesday.
• Lightning - They had won three in a row at home against the likes of San Jose and Anaheim, and then they went to Winnipeg on Thursday and were down 4-0 after two periods.  They almost came back, but a terrible first few periods for them.

Questions to be answered

• Can someone slow down Steven Stamkos?  The man is on a tear, with 11 points in his last four games (6 goals, 5 assists).  He was held scoreless when he faced the Pens almost two weeks ago.
• Can the Pens take advantage of Stamkos?  He's only a +2 over those four games.  Four points came on the power play, so unless the Bolts allowed a shortie, the opposition has scored five times in four games while Stamkos is on the ice.
• Who will throw the sucker punch for the Bolts now that Downie is gone and Vinny is hurt?

Keys to the game

• Jump on them early.  The Bolts have been sellers with trades, sending out Downie, Moore and Kubina.  That has to affect the morale eventually.
• Generate your own emotions.  Without some of the chippy guys on the other side, the Pens have a tendency to become cold and emotionless.  They need to find a reason to be fired up. 
• Take them seriously.  I know facing the Bolts is a long way from the Rangers, but these two points are just as valuable.

Game #60 - vs New York Rangers

2011-12 Game 60

New York Rangers (38-14-5, 81 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (33-21-5, 71 points)

Richards has four points in three games against the Pens this year.

Why does it matter?

The Rangers are the top team in the East.  This is an important divisional game for the Pens.  They need to win more games in the Atlantic since 10 of their final 23 games are within the division.  This game is a good place to start.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Another split weekend, with a great Saturday followed by a nasty Sunday hangover.
• Rangers - Just rolling along with nine wins in their past 12 games.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens get back to their game?  The shot totals from the last three games (26,30,26) aren't looking good.  They need zone time to generate offense (and shots).
• Will Geno get things going again?  In his last three games, he has two points (both assists) and is a -3.
• How will Martin and Letang respond from their -4 performance on Sunday?  I think Letang will be flying.

Keys to the game

• Score three or more.  The Rangers have not won a game this year when their opponent scores 4, and their record when allowing three is also poor.
• Stay focused.  The Rangers don't score a ton of goals, and they count on converting on chances when they get them.  The forwards need to be especially aware in the defensive zone to help out.
• Initiate, don't retaliate.  Take it to them and be physical from the drop of the puck.

Since the game today was miserable...

This video really made me laugh.  I saw it right after the end of the Pens game, and I had a smile back on my face almost instantly.  The title is "Guilty cat".  If you've never lived with a cat, this may not be as funny to you, but it brightened my Sunday.

One Step Back - Sabres 6, Penguins 2

So what happened?

As well as things turned out yesterday in Philly, they turned out equally as bad today in Buffalo.

The short version (and I don't want to think about this one too much, so that's all I'm going to provide) is that Brent Johnson didn't have his best start.  The team started slowly in general and never really got things going.

The Pens had a few decent chances they couldn't convert on.  Geno had a breakaway that he didn't convert on, and there were several other good chances that fell by the wayside.

This was a missed opportunity.  Time to forget and move on to the next one.

Who scored?

Engelland (3), Staal (19)

What's their record now?

The Pens are 33-21-5.

Who's next?

Tuesday night the Pens will get the chance to improve their Atlantic Division record when the Rangers come to town.

Neal's Deal is Real - Pens extend James Neal

The Pens have re-signed James Neal to a six-year contract for $30 million.  He'll have a cap hit of $5 million per year.

A cap number of $5 million puts him in the same category as the following forwards:
Ryan Kesler
Mike Ribeiro
Tomas Plekanec
Brian Gionta
Martin Havlat
Patrice Bergeron

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd take any of those guys over James Neal at this point.  If they Pens didn't have Jordan Staal, then you could make the argument that you'd rather have Kesler, but other than that... no way, no how.

This was a great move by Ray Shero at a good cap number.

Game #59 - at Buffalo Sabres

2011-12 Game 59

Pittsburgh Penguins (33-20-5, 71 points) at Buffalo Sabres (24-27-7, 55 points)

Why does it matter?

No time for a proper preview - game time is 60 minutes away.  Let's just say the Pens need to avoid the letdown.  This is an excellent chance for the Pens to earn two points on the road against a poor opponent.

Exhilarating - Penguins 6, Flyers 4

So what happened?

Wow - I don't know where to start with this one.  Let's start by saying this may have been the worst effort by the Pens all season in terms of their discipline in staying out of the box.  While the refs were still blowing their whistles (which stopped after the second period), the Pens handed the Flyers multiple power play chances.  Some of them were mystifying, like the hooking call on Brooks Orpik, but most of them were just dumb, like the slashing call on Paul Martin.  The Pens were fortunate the Flyers were unable to capitalize more then they did (the Flyers scored just once on the power play).

Anyway, long story short (since the Pens play again in about 90 minutes in Buffalo), this was a heated rivalry kind of game that we've come to expect against the Flyers.  The Pens used two short-handed goals to keep themselves in the game (it was tied 3-3 going into the third period), and then scored three times at even-strength to blow the game open in the third.

The Flyers biggest problem was their play between the pipes.  Both Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky were terrible (Bryzgalov looked as bad as I've seen any goalie look all season on those short-handed goals).  It's nice to see the questionable decision to spend tons of money on Bryzgalov backfire to this point.

The Pens weren't really doing much in the first two periods, aside from killing penalties and scoring short-handed.  They managed just 15 shots through two.  Once the special teams play stopped in the third, however, the Pens simply dominated.  They out shot the Flyers 15-8 in the third and put the game out of reach, basically by the time Pascal Dupuis scored just 2:09 into the third.

This is one of the few games that actually had me yelling and cheering while watching.

Who scored?

Cooke (10, 11), Staal (18), Jeffrey (4), Dupuis (13), Neal (30)

The Good?

• See the other four names that aren't Malkin or Neal that scored goals?  That's really good.
• Zac Rinaldo was not in this game.  That's also good, because I think he would have tried to hurt someone.
• We found out that Scott Hartnell is afraid to fight Engelland.  Claude Giroux was leveled on a clean check by Deryk Engelland early in the first.  Hartnell immediately went up as if to challenge Engelland, but never dropped the gloves (which Engelland certainly would have done with Hartnell).  Scott didn't try to fight until late in the game when he managed to get close to Joe Vitale, who is about 3" shorter and 10 pounds lighter than Hartnell.  Vitale, I have no doubt, would have dropped them with Hartnell if the linesmen hadn't already been involved.  You want to know the problem with the Flyers?  When it comes right down to it, they're gutless.
• The PK scoring twice was great.  Cooke's goal was against a 5-on-3.
• Flower made several key saves when the Flyers were still in the game.  He wasn't great all day, but he did make the big saves when it counted.

The Bad?

• Bad decision to pinch by Kris Letang on the first Jagr goal.  He can't take those chances in a four-on-four situation.
• Lack of recognition by the Pens that Jagr likes to shoot that wrist shot from anywhere near the circle. I think anyone that has seen Jagr play more than a few times knew what was coming, and Jagr burned the Pens twice in a row with that shot.

The Ugly?

• The stupidity of the Flyers.  Coburn's cross-check on Malkin in neutral ice with the puck nowhere near?  STUPID!  JVR slash to the hands / wrists of James Neal after the whistle in the middle of everyone (and in response to a light shove from Neal)?  STUPID!  In fairness, Paul Martin's slash after taking a slightly late hit?  STUPID!  Discipline is key.

Any Surprises?

• The refs were surprising, and not in a good way.  They made some of the most bizarre calls against both teams, and the result was an inconsistent mess.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 33-20-5.

Who's next?

A trip to Buffalo for a Sunday afternoon game against the Sabres.

Game #58 - at Philadelphia Flyers

2011-12 Game 58

Pittsburgh Penguins (32-20-5, 69 points) at Philadelphia Flyers (32-18-7, 71 points)

Giroux is taking his place among the game's best players.

Why does it matter?

The Pens have a chance to take over second place in the division and the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a regulation win over the Flyers.  That would be a strong step towards earning home ice in the playoffs.  Oh, and winning in Philadelphia is always nice.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - The Ducks made road kill out of the Pens on Wednesday.
• Flyers - They've struggled lately, especially in the division, but they just blasted the Sabres on Thursday.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens start to win consistently in their own division?  They'll need to if they want home ice in the playoffs.
• Can any line other than the first one generate pressure?  That was non-existent on Wednesday against the Ducks.
• Will the Pens be able to shut down all of the scoring lines from the Flyers?  At least the top three lines are a consistent threat to score, and the Flyers are tops in the NHL in goals per game.

Keys to the game

• Use special teams to your advantage.  Buffalo game aside, the Flyers have been inept recently both on the power play and the penalty kill.  The Pens need to encourage them to return to those ways.
• Limit their chances.  The Flyers like to rack up the shots, but the Pens have had some success in keeping them in check.
• Make smart line change and match up well.  It will be important not to get the wrong line trapped out there against Giroux.

Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament

The fourth annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament is now up and running over at Sean's Ramblings.

Sean does this tournament every year.  It's an honor to be one of the 32 blogs selected, especially considering this is a small blog with light traffic.  Thanks to Sean for continuing to do this.

As usual, we're correctly seeded near the bottom of the bracket.  Unfortunately, we're also going up against those nasty mini ponies from PSAMP again.

We've managed a few upsets over the first three years, but haven't found a way to put down those mini ponies just yet.  My sense of optimism isn't very high for an upset this year.

At any rate, it's all in good fun, and a good way to discover some great Pittsburgh sports blogs that you may not have heard about.

Vote early, vote often.

Deflating - Ducks 2, Penguins 1

So what happened?

The Pens were unable to assert their style of play on the Ducks.  Instead, the Ducks were successful at taking away time and space from the Pens.  They didn't allow the Pens to set up shop in the offensive zone with any kind of consistency or regularity.  The one time the Pens were successful at zone time, they had two extended shifts, back-to-back, in the offensive zone.  Unfortunately, at the end of the second shift, they turned the puck over high in the zone and it led directly to the game winning goal by Selanne.

All told, you'd have to say this was a disappointing effort.

Who scored?

Staal (17)

The Good?

• It was nice to not put yourself into a hole by scoring first.
• Every Penguin had a winning record on faceoffs.  I don't know if that has ever happened.
• The first period was good - the Pens out shot the Ducks 13-7.

The Bad?

• The Pens managed just 13 shots combined for the second and third periods.
• The Pens should have been able to out work the Ducks, who had just played the night before and were essentially playing three lines (Parros and Pelley played just over 5 minutes each).

The Ugly?

• The slashing call against Kunitz at the end of the game.  No question it was a penalty, but it was also being ignored most of the night, especially on plays that weren't in a scoring zone (this was in the corner).  Why call it there?

Any Surprises?

• I was surprised how quickly the Pens went flat in the second two periods.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 32-20-5.

Who's next?

Another set of weekend games, both in the afternoon, starts on Saturday in Philly.

Game #57 - vs Anaheim Ducks

2011-12 Game 57

Anaheim Ducks (23-24-9, 55 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (32-19-5, 69 points)

Dan, we miss your twitter feed.

Why does it matter?

It's a rare visit from the resurgent Anaheim Ducks, and one of those all-bird games (Ducks vs Penguins).  Penguins can't fly, but ducks look absolutely comical trying to take off and land.  The Ducks also have a very familiar coach - Bruce Boudreau.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Jordan Staal returns and the Pens reel off two nice wins over the weekend.  Coincidence?  I don't think so.
• Ducks - In the middle of an eight game road trip.  They're 2-0-1 so far, and they almost ended Detroit's home winning streak.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens cool off the Ducks?  The boys from Anaheim were 10-22-6 after a loss on January 4th.  Since then they're a scorching 13-2-3.
• Will the Pens be able to get to their game?  The Ducks recent success has been built on defense, much like what Boudreau was trying to install with the Caps.  Limiting the chances against is key, and the Ducks have been doing a good job of that.
• Can the Pens take advantage of the big guns from the Ducks?  Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan have terrible numbers as far as +/- goes away from home this year.  Getzlaf has just two goals and is a -10 on the road.

Keys to the game

• Get Kunitz going.  He has been doing everything right for the Pens, and now it's time to show his former team they made a mistake in trading him.
• Special teams.  The Ducks are all over the place as far as the power play and penalty kill goes.  Convert your chances.
• Get traffic in front of Hiller, who is playing really well right now.  I guess we could see Dan Ellis, but I'd be surprised.