Penguins acquire Brenden Morrow

The Penguins traded Joe Morrow and a 5th round pick in 2013 to the Dallas Stars for Brenden Morrow and a 3rd round pick in 2013.

Draft picks aside, this is a heavy price to give up for what amounts to a rental player.

Ray Shero must feel pretty strongly about his team's chances for a run at the Cup, because Joe Morrow was the #1 defensive prospect in a system that is very deep in defensemen.

In Brenden Morrow, the Pens get a physical guy that will go to the net, hit people and shoot the puck.  He gives them their first true power forward (James Neal doesn't really count in that regard) since the arrival of Crosby and Malkin.  He should flourish in playing with either Malkin or Crosby.

The only disappointing thing here is that in exchange for a few months of Brenden, the Pens give up a really good prospect in Joe Morrow, who likely would have graduated to the Pens within a year or two.

This is why the Pens continued to build defensive depth over the last few years - it gives them the chance to acquire a player in what was an area of need.

Now what will this do to Beau Bennett?  Will he continue to play with Malkin?  If he does, does Morrow slide into a top 6 spot?  If so, who do you remove?

Playoff Atmosphere - Penguins 4, Stars 3 (SO)

So what happened?

This was one exciting hockey game.  There were huge momentum swings, big moments, huge goals and even bigger saves.  It felt like a playoff game to me.

Other than the part where it was decided by a shootout.

Both sides played hard and, for the most part, clean.  There were more hits recorded than shots on net (and there were 62 shots on net), if that gives you any idea of the effort being put forth.

The Stars had leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but the Pens used two quick goals early in the third to take a 3-2 lead.  The Stars scored shortly after that to tie the game at 3-3, and then the goalies stepped up.  Marc-Andre was especially good in helping to stem the tide, given that the Pens played shorthanded for the end of the third and almost the first two minutes of overtime.  He kept the Pens in a position to win.  He also stopped two different breakaway attempts.

Kris Letang was injured on an apparent hit to the head in the first period.  He didn't return.  Martin, Michalek and Orpik all played at least 25 minutes.

Steve Sullivan also missed the third period with an injury.  Geno and Staal both played big minutes.

Nice to see the Pens get two points out of it.

Who scored?

Sullivan (12), Adams (4), Kunitz (18)

The Good?

• Killing it on the shootout.  On a rare night when Flower allowed two in the shootout, Neal, Kunitz and Dupuis all cashed in.
• The team really played well in a hostile environment.  The arena was loud tonight.
• Great to see Adams get a dirty goal.
• Kunitz's goal was on a sick deflection.

The Bad?

• Both Letang and Sullivan left with injuries.
• The Pens put the Stars on the power play too much in the second half of the game.  The final three power play attempts belonged to the Stars.

The Ugly?

• For the love of God, Eddie Olczyk should be shot the next time he says "Pas-qwal" Dupuis.  I want to jump through the TV set every time I hear it.

Any Surprises?

• I was surprised the Stars didn't roll four lines, especially in the third period when the Pens were shorthanded because of injury.  The fourth line seemed to have some jump for them.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 37-21-5.

Who's next?

A Saturday night showdown with another team hanging around the fringe of the playoffs in Colorado.

The Real Deal - Penguins 3, Stars 1

So what happened?


The Stars were lucky enough to get the first goal on a defensive breakdown by Kris Letang.  He didn't cover Nystrom going to the net, and when Dvorak made a great backhand pass from a bad angle, Nystrom buried it. The problem was that the Stars then tried to win a 1-0 hockey game.  That works if you're late in the second or in the third period, but they were in the first.

The other problem the Stars had was taking dumb penalties, and the Pens made them pay for doing it.  All three goals were either power play goals or a penalty shot.  This was a winnable game for the Stars if they stay out of the box and push a little more offensively.  I'm glad they didn't do either one.

Who scored?

Neal (10, 11), Cooke (5)

The Good?

• James Neal on the power play with two goals.  Both were "hockey justice" goals in that the Pens had a goal disallowed twice (both by Chris Kunitz) and Neal scored shortly after each one.
• Matt Cooke scored on the first penalty shot of his career.  He certainly has turned things around this season, hasn't he?
• The defense for the Pens was great, holding Dallas to just 11 shots through two periods.

The Bad?

• Alex Goligoski leaving with an injury.  He played just 6:48.  That was disappointing - I hope he's not hurt seriously.

The Ugly?

• Joe Vitale drawing a penalty for goaltender interference when he was pretty clearly pushed into the goalie.  Eric Tangradi was cross-checked in the head by Souray on the exact same sequence.  Both were bad, but Souray's shot was cheap too.

Any Surprises?

• How on earth did they overturn the Kunitz deflection?  They ruled the puck was above the crossbar.  He's the problem - the puck deflected off of the TOP side of Kunitz's stick and still made it in under the crossbar.  How can a puck deflect off the top of a surface and then go down?  (answer:  it can't in any way that I can think of)  Really bad call by Toronto.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 10-3-3.

Who's next?

A quick trip down to Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Game #16 - vs Dallas Stars

2011-12 Game 16

Dallas Stars (11-3-0, 22 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (9-3-3, 21 points)

Benn leads the Stars with 18 points in 14 games.  He also doesn't realize a "signature" is usually more than your initials.

Why does it matter?

It's a match between the top teams in each conference.  It's also the return of Alex Goligoski to Pittsburgh, and the first time Neal and Niskanen will face their former team.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Three points out of four on the West Coast is good, but blowing that lead in San Jose still stings.
• Stars - The Stars have lost just three times all year, with two of those losses coming at the hands of the Kings.  They just blew past Washington in the third period on Tuesday.  They are very, very good so far this season.

Questions to be answered

• Will we see Raycroft in goal for the Stars?  Given that this is the first of a back-to-back for the Stars, with the other half being tomorrow night in Detroit, I'm thinking we might.  That would be good for the Pens - Raycroft is 0-2 so far this year (yes, Lehtonen is 11-1 so far - really amazing).
• How will Goose, Neal and Niskanen react to playing against their former teams?  I'd like to see Neal put a few in the net, just to show the Stars what they lost (hopefully Goose doesn't do the same).
• Will we see the return of Tyler Kennedy?  He's been labeled at "game time decision".  He would bring some welcome scoring punch back to the lineup.

Keys to the game

• Shake off the rust and start quickly.  The Pens have been off since last Saturday, which included some team building at Nemacolin during the week.  Get the legs going early.
• No Steve Ott.  That's a key - seriously - that eliminates one cheap-shot artist from the game tonight.
• Get traffic in front of the goalie.  If Lehtonen plays, use the screens with Kunitz and Neal, especially on the power play.  Lehtonen is out of his mind right now with the way he's playing.

Penguins acquire LW James Neal,D Matt Niskanen

The Pens traded away Alex Goligoski today in exchange for James Neal and Matt Niskanen.

Neal is the key to this deal. The Pens have him under control for this year and next with a cap hit of $2.875 M. He will play on the top two lines and can score. He had 21 goals in 59 games this year for Dallas, following up campaigns with 24 and 27 goals, respectively.

Niskanen is a bit of an enigma. He was taken as the Stars first pick in 2005 (right before James Neal) but has seen his playing time (and his +/-) decrease each year. This season he has been playing less than 16 minutes per game but is only a -1 on the year (-11 and -15 for the two years prior). If he can regain some of what he showed in his rookie year, he'll be a steal.

I'll be sad to see Goligoski leave. I think he didn't get the credit he deserved in Pittsburgh. Letang went through growing pains before he became the defenseman he is today - I think Goose was on the same path. Hopefully he succeeds with Dallas.

The really interesting part is that the Pens have set themselves up for trouble following this season. Goose for Niskanen is nearly an even move against the cap (Goose counted nearly $400,000 more against than Niskanen will). Neal will count $2.875 M next year. That means the Pens are either setting themselves up for a blockbuster trade, salary-wise, or they will be limited in how they can spend this summer (limited as in about $3 M left to sign 5-6 players).

For the remainder of this season, however, I like what I see. Niskanen isn't that much of a drop off from the role that Goligoski was playing (except maybe on the power play) and Neal is a definite upgrade at forward.

Stars 5, Penguins 2

So what happened?

The Pens were unprepared for the start of the game. They were down 2-0 by the time they had a 5-on-3 power play for about 1:40. They managed a single shot on net. There were some cheap shots and fights, and Talbot almost tied the game at 2-2, but really, the Pens didn't deserve to be in this game.

Who scored?
Kennedy (3), Cooke (3)

The Good?

• The team stuck up for each other in the second period, with Kennedy, Letang, Crosby and Kunitz all drawing fighting majors.
• Much of the second period was exciting, both when they were playing hockey and when they were fighting.

The Bad?

• The power play. Really bad. 5-on-3 - one shot from 42 feet. They tried three others that were all blocked.
• Geno was a -3 on the night.
• Brent Johnson made a few nice saves, but he was pretty bad too. He was a bit shaky early, and any time you allow 5 goals, you haven't played well.
• How were Rupp, Godard and Engelland in this game, yet Kunitz, Crosby and Letang wind up fighting? Those guys need to try harder to find a dance partner on a night like this.

Anything Ugly?

• Brendan Morrow, assuming he was aware of Letang's hand injury, gets the Cheapness of the Decade award for picking a fight with a guy who has an injured hand. If he knew about it, that should earn him a special place in Hockey Hell from the Hockey Gods. The Pens must not have thought Morrow knew, because no one went after him.

Any surprises?

• Johnson's poor play was surprising, but it had to happen sometime.

What's their record now? Any important move in the standings?

The Pens are now 6-6-1. They've lost four of their past five games and are two points behind Philly for the lead in the Atlantic.

Who's next?

Friday night in Anaheim. The Ducks are struggling as mightily as the Pens are right now (see what I did there?)

Game #13 - at Dallas Stars

Game 13

Penguins (6-5-1, 13 points) at Stars (6-4-0, 12 points)

Why does it matter?
Dallas is a good test for the Pens. The Stars have played well for much of the season so far.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Johnson stopped a three game losing streak with a shutout win on the road last Saturday.
• Stars - The Stars did exactly the same thing with the backup goalie (Raycroft) pitching a shutout to stop a three game losing streak on Saturday.

Questions to be answered

• The Stars have allowed lots of shots several times this season so far. Can the Pens dictate the pace of the game and take advantage?
• How long will the hot streak run for Brent Johnson?
• Who will sit on the blue line with the return of Michalek? If you think the game will be fast, I guess you sit Engelland.

Keys to the game

• Consistency is key for the Pens. The Stars are solid across the board. Even their PK, which is ranked horribly, has only played poorly in two games (they've allowed just two PP goals in the last 5 games).
• Sag in the defensive zone. The Stars only have two goals from the blue line this year, while the forwards have been dangerous.
• No matter which goalie plays for the Stars, get the puck deep and get traffic in front. Make the Stars play in their own end.

Game #65 - vs Dallas Stars

Game 65

Stars (28-23-12, 68 points) at Penguins (38-22-4, 80 points)

Why does it matter?
Dallas is clawing at an outside chance for a playoff spot, so the Pens need to be ready for the early wakeup call.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Thursday was about as dominating as a 5-4 win can be. Seriously.
  
• Stars - Losers of two in a row since the break with just two goals scored.

Questions to be answered

• Can the Pens impose their will? Dallas has been doing just enough to earn points this season, with an NHL-high 12 overtime losses. That means they stay in a lot of games.
  
• Which forward will sit if Guerin is able to return? My money is on Mike Rupp or, if they want to rest him, Max Talbot.
  
• I'm still looking for a shut out from a Pens goalie. Can they get one? (this question is staying here until they do)
  

Keys to the game

• Win the game at even strength. Most of the Stars regulars are minus players.
  
• Don't let them hang around. Despite their "winning" record, this is not a playoff team that is coming to the Igloo. This should be two points.

Penguins 4, Stars 1

This was actually a pretty boring game. There were only 44 shots for the entire game, and it didn't feel like there were that many.

The good news is that the Pens were able to get two points out of the deal and move into the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. That's a great turnaround for this team, given where they looked to be headed not too long ago.

The biggest thing to be happy about in this one is that the Pens did not come close to blowing a lead. They had a 2-0 lead after the first and added to that in the second. Granted, the Stars are not an offensive power house, but given the way the Pens have been blowing leads lately, I'll take it.

Staal, Letang, Satan and Malkin were the goal scorers for the Pens. Malkin played a tremendous game - much better than in Chicago on Friday night.

Fleury made a few great saves and stopped everything he should have.

Great to be back in a playoff spot. Time to build on success. The Pens are 7-3-1 since their dramatic comeback win over Tampa Bay. Let's see if they can keep it going.

Next up: Off to the Sunshine state to face the Lightning on Tuesday and those nasty Kitty Cats on Thursday.

Penguins acquire D Philippe Boucher

The Pens traded Daryl Sydor back to Dallas today for his third go-round with the Stars.

In return, they acquired Philippe Boucher.

I think this is a fantastic addition for the Pens. I know they're crowded on the blue line, and will become even more so when Whit and Sarge return, but Boucher is pretty good.

Philippe has some size (6'3"), is a year younger than Sydor and can put the puck in the net. He was hurt for much of last season, but he had 35 goals combined in two seasons prior to last year. He's also very familiar with the power play and is used to playing 20:00 per night.

This may take away some playing time from Kris Letang, the other resident right-handed defensemen, or Alex Goligoski, but I think it's an upgrade for the club as it stands today.

Nice move by Ray Shero.

Penguins 4, Stars 1

I keep missing most of these games. I guess I'll have to avoid watching since they're winning right now...

Gonchar had a strained groin, so Sydor got the start and had an assist.

Orpik had NINE hits on the night. Great work by Brooks.

Crosby scored twice, Malkin once. Army is really clicking since his return to the lineup. He has 5 points in 4 games and is a +6 over that span. The Pens are also 3-1 in that span. Coincidence?

Great game all around.

Next up: Saturday night in Toronto. Fun time.

Game #24 - vs Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars (13-8-4, 30 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (10-11-2, 22 pts)



The Pens have been playing better, there's no doubt. They're 3-1-1 in the past 5 games. This is a team that is still under .500 and is second from the bottom in the conference. They have been on a hot streak, but they've yet to prove it's anything more than a streak.

The Stars are a perfect model for the Pens to follow in their improved play. On Friday, November 2nd, they lost 5-0 at home to Phoenix (before Phoenix got Bryzgalov) to fall to 5-6-2. Since that point, they are 8-2-2, largely due to their defense and goal tending. They'll put up some scoring occasionally, but they mostly score three or fewer.

There's lots of talk about Mark Recchi and Daryl Sydor - I think this isn't the best thing to talk about right now. This team doesn't need any distractions - they need to be focused on building a nice long streak of consistently good play.

Stars blog - five for fighting
Aside from having a name that matches the one-hit wonder, Tracey is a beat writer covering the Stars. Good perspective on the blog. She's also surprised that it's windy here in Pittsburgh - it's always windy in the fall... something has to mess with me and my leaf blower!

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 4, Stars 3 (OT - SO - 1-0)

That was an amazing game. I'd say it looked like playoff hockey.

The game was back and forth. The Stars scored first on a goal by Zubov. It was a long shot from the point through all kinds of traffic, on the ice and to the far side of Fleury. He never had a chance to see it.

Staal and Recchi scored to make it 2-1 Penguins. Then the Stars scored twice to make it 3-2 Stars with about 10 minutes left in the third.

The Pens caught a break when Ryan Malone drew a high stick penalty on the Stars Jere Lehtinen. It was inadvertent, but that didn't matter. The Pens converted on the power play on Recchi's second goal of the game, and his 500th goal of his career. Congratulations to Mr. Recchi.

The game stayed tied thanks to some amazing saves (and luck) on the part of both Fleury and Turco. Ryan Whitney deserves special notice tonight for several fantastic defensive plays, saving goals at least twice (once out-muscling Eric Lindros when the puck was behind Fleury).

The overtime was back and forth, but neither team could convert.

For the shoot out, the Stars elected to shoot first and Fleury made a great save on Zubov. Christensen then scored on his turn and the Stars couldn't get anything past Fleury. Pens win.

I think this is the kind of game that can really kick start the rest of the season. I'm hoping we're looking back in a few months saying things like: "remember when Fleury stoned the Stars on the shootout" and "remember when Whitney kept the puck out of the net in Dallas?" These type of games can really ignite something.

A few notes:

• Marc-Andre Fleury played great for the most part, but he did seem to struggle a bit with rebound control.
• The Pens have a legitimate second line with Malkin, Staal and Ouellet (though Ouellet is less critical). Staal is really looking like he belongs, and Malkin was flying tonight.
• Having made that last point, if I'm Michel Therrien and I see teams falling into the habit of collapsing on Crosby, I sneak Malkin out there with him once in awhile. Let them all collapse on Sid and have Malkin make them look stupid for doing it.
• Mark Eaton played great in his first game back.
• The Pens weren't horrible on faceoffs (they weren't good either), but didn't it seem like they lost most of them? I was surprised to see they were only down 5.

One last thing - Dallas was extremely classy in stopping the game for Mark Recchi to honor his 500th goal. They seemed like a wonderful hockey town.

Next up: at Phoenix tomorrow night. Avoid the letdown! Think we'll see Thibault?

Game #47 - at Dallas Stars

Pittsburgh Penguins (21-17-8, 50 pts) at Dallas Stars (29-18-1, 59 pts)

The Pens haven't won in Dallas since 1995. Of course, it helps that they almost never go there to play, especially with the new schedule. Still, nearly 12 years is a long time to have no wins. Hopefully that will change tonight. The chances, however, aren't that great.

The Stars don't score very much (they're near the bottom of the league), but they also don't allow many goals. They've allowed the third fewest goals in the NHL. Couple that with a good penalty kill and decent power play, and you have a recipe for trouble.

The Pens need to keep the ball rolling. Getting three or four points between tonight and tomorrow would be a great way to start the second half of the year. Tonight is the night to go for two points. The Stars have only one loss in OT, and that was in a shootout. They're 17-2 in shootouts (5-1 this year), so the Pens need to finish this one off in regulation.

Sergei Zubov will be back tonight for the Stars. I always related Zubie to those "Beware the Penguins" commercials back in the 90s when he was here in Pittsburgh.

Stars blog - I'd love to point you to a good Stars blog that talked about tonight's game. Unfortunately, the only one that has a preview is for subscribers only. That's right - a hockey blog that wants you to pay to read the content. I'm not begrudging the guy anything - if he can make it work, more power to him. So instead, check out the blogs at DallasStarsForever. Nothing specific about tonight's game, but some decent writing.

I'm looking for a strong road effort with lots of energy to start the second half. These guys have to show that they want it. They playoffs are a legitimate goal for this team.

Let's Go Pens!