More Malkin Madness - Velichkin weighs in

According to an ESPN article (via Reuters), Gennady Velichkin, the general director of Metallurg, has weighed in on the absence of Evgeni Malkin from the Metallurg training camp. Velichkin blames the Penguins, along with Malkin's North American agents and most of the cast of Sesame Street for Malkin's apparent defection. Okay, maybe I was kidding on that last one... Velichkin promised that his team would be seeking compensation through the court system. This is slightly curious to me for two reasons:

1. Velichkin is assuming that Malkin is coming to North America. He's the only one that is stating that as a certainty, because as far as I know, no one is reporting on the whereabouts of Evgeni Malkin.
2. All Malkin would have to do it tender notice again and he'd be free of the one year contract he signed last week.

Here are some of the choice quotes, straight from Velichkin:

"We're all in shock. The players, coaching staff are also very upset because for four days Malkin was training with the team and suddenly he is gone without saying a word to anyone."

"We've put so much effort, resources and money into Malkin's development as a player. He was our gold diamond, our prize possession. He had a contract with us, we were building the whole team around him and now he is gone"

and my personal favorite:

"They all like to talk about democracy, the American way and then they shamelessly steal our best players. This is pure sports terrorism"

Of course, instead of saying they want their player back, as he is the person they "were building the whole team around", he instead had this to say:

"But don't think we'll just sit there and do nothing. We'll go to court to get what we believe is proper compensation."

"In soccer, a fee for a player of Malkin's caliber would be into tens of millions of dollars. He is a franchise player and we won't be satisfied with anything less."

So, in a surprise to absolutely no one, the Russians have made it clear they really don't care about Malkin as a person. All they really care about is getting what they deem to be enough money for him.

Somehow I doubt this will end anytime soon.

It seems to be official...

According to articles on both ESPN (via the AP) and TSN (via Reuters from a Russian news agency), Evgeni Malkin has indeed left training camp in Finland with his belongings and passport. The ESPN article speculates a bit more as to what is going on, but it seems clear (to me, at least) that the only reason to do this at all is that Evgeni wants to come to North America.

Evgeni Malkin... AWOL?

This is not really the most reputable source... but according to a Russian news source, via LetsGoPens.com, Evgeni Malkin has disappeared from the Metallurg training camp in Finland. He left with his belongings and travel documents.

This could get really intersting in a hurry if it's true. The only real reason I can think of for leaving is to come to North America and play for the Pens. Of course, Metallurg will do everything they can to prevent that from happening, but all Evgeni has to do is tender his two week notice again and stay here in Pittsburgh.

Time to hurry up and wait!

UPDATE - Malkin would seem to be headed for Canada, and then to the US to meet with the Penguins, if the Russian news article is to be believed. Check out the thread at LetsGoPens.com for more info.

Blackhawks sign Sebastien Caron

The Blackhwawks have signed SeaBass. He'll backup Khabibulin and Lalime, meaning he'll be playing in the AHL. That's probably worse than what he had going here in Pittsburgh, unless he's thinking that Khabibulin has a good chance of getting hurt.

I hope he does well. I always liked Caron. He wasn't the best goalie, but he seemed to play with heart.

Penguins sign Connor James

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed RW Connor James, formerly from the Kings organization.

James was drafted in 2002 and has played in the AHL for the past few years with some success. His main drawback, from what I can see, is that he is quite small - 5'10" and only 170 lbs. He made his NHL debut last year for two games with the Kings. I'd imagine he'll be one of those guys that gets a look in camp, but probably winds up filling out the roster in Wilkes-Barre.

Post-Gazette gets it's act together... sort of

So the Post-Gazette has three seperate hockey articles today. That's like a landslide. There's the one about the TV schedule, the one about Gary Bettman visiting Pittsburgh in the next month to view the proposed new areana location, and the national "notebook" which notes that the Penguins have signed Connor James.

Of course, being the Post-Gazette (especially lately), things are never quite as good as you might think:

• The TV schedule article, written by Smizik, makes a point of saying that it's the first time that exhibition games have been televised, but then gets the date wrong for the second game.
• The Bettman article isn't really news, but it contains a throwaway line that I think is bigger news - Dan Onorato has had several conversations with Sam Fingold about financing for the arena, but seeing as how Fingold has been trying to close the sale of the team, nothing has happened as of yet.
• Finally, I'd hope that a Penguins signing could at least earn an article written by a local reporter, maybe with a quote or two from Ray Shero, even if James is likely ticketed for Wilkes-Barre. It's disappointing to have your home team covered by a national wire release - I can read that anywhere. I'd rather see local perspective that might not see the light of day elsewhere.

Anyway, enough PG bashing for today. The Trib fares only a little better, due to the fact that they wrote their own two paragraphs about Connor James. They don't have any news about Bettman's visit, however.

Media update

Now for some slightly less bizarre news - here are a few bits about the local media that cover the Pens:

1. The Pens games on the radio this year will be on 105.9, instead of 94.5. This is a good move, as 94.5 is an oldies station, while the X (105.9) will reach a younger audience.
2. The Trib is still kicking butt over the Post-Gazette lately. This can only be good for hockey coverage in Pittsburgh, as the Post-Gazette seems more intersted in the Cleveland Cavaliers than they are in the Pens sometimes.
3. All 82 games will be televised this season, along with two preseason games. 71 will be on FSN, 7 on OLN and 4 on NBC. More good news!

Gonchar says Malkin to stay put in Russia

According to an article in the Trib (hat tip to Will, again), Sergei Gonchar has confirmed that Evgeni Malkin is staying in Russia this year. Here's the quote:

"He told me he's staying another year," Gonchar said by phone from his native Russia on Tuesday. "He said he has a reason to stay over. I don't know the reason, but he's staying now."

While there has been no official statement from the Penguins, this should end speculation as to whether Malkin can make it over here this season. Of course, you would have thought that speculation would have stopped several times already... and if for some reason a transfer agreement is signed, then look out.

The only game left to play now is the "why did Malkin sign a new contract" game. I'm putting my money on some pressure being exerted on the kid away from the hockey rink that might be... um... let's just say... slightly suspect.

The Murky Mess of Malkin

Thanks to Will for pointing out the Trib article from this morning. He's right - it has a nice timeline. I think the important points are:

• His current agents (Brisson and Barry) have confirmed that he did sign a new deal with Metallurg for one year, but that they did not broker the deal.
• He "wants to play in the NHL" in words, but clearly his actions speak otherwise. I will say that the article seems to hint that he's staying there this year due to other interests he still holds in Magnitogorsk.

I'm thinking that the chances are bleak that we'll see him in Pittsburgh this year, but you never know. Will having the possibility dangling there keep Shero from going after a more established player, in case Malkin would show up? I'd think not, but who knows what is really happening at this point...

Evgeni Malkin to stay in Russia

According to this Reuters article (via ESPN), Evgeni Malkin will remain in Russia for one more season. He did void his contract with Metallurg, and according to the article, signed an entry level contract with the Penguins. However, he signed a new one year deal with Metallurg, which will make him a free agent in the late spring of 2007.

The details are still sketchy. I'm sure more will come to light about this once the story has been more defined.

This is highly disappointing for the team this season, but this could give one more chance to some of the younger players like an Eric Christensen. I could also see Ray Shero going out and signing a decent second line forward.

Pens sign Marc-Andre Fleury

The Penguins have signed Marc-Andre Fleury to a two year deal. The first year is for approx $990,000 and the second year for $1.6 million.

It's good to have Fleury under wraps for two years. That's also a nice raise they gave him for the 2007-2008 season. I think he'll be worth it.

So what do you think? Are the Pens done with their roster? They've signed all of their own players now, and while they'll probably move to fill out the Wilkes-Barre roster, do you think they'll add to the NHL squad? If so, where?

Malkin Update - "We've given the appropriate notice"

Read the articles in the Post-Gazette and Tribune Review. According to his agent, Malkin has tendered his two week notice that is required by Russian labor law to leave his current job. This would allow him to come to America and play for the Pens.

Don't expect this to go entirely smoothly, however. The Russian Super League GMs were apparently the reason the transfer agreement wasn't signed, and they'll likely kick up as much trouble as they can to try to keep Malkin, or force the Penguins (and / or NHL) to pay as much as possible to get him.

All in all, however, things just became much brighter in terms of Malkin being here for the opening of training camp.

On a side note, the Trib is kicking the stuffing out of the Post-Gazette lately. They have the quotes from Don Meehan (Malkin's agent) saying that Malkin turned in his two week notice. The Post-Gazette has quotes from Meehan, but nothing about that. What happened Post-Gazette?

Russians won't sign transfer agreement

See this article, from ESPN (via Reuters). The long and short of it is that the Russians, after having ratified the trade agreement (actually, their executive board ratified it), can't get their member clubs to sign off on it. This put Malkin's arrival this season in jeopardy, along with the potential to disallow Russian NHL players from playing in the world championships next May (when they're held in Russia).

It's not a good day for the Pens - they're going to have to find another route to get Malkin over here, and with a minimum of trouble.

Pens sign Libor Pivko, Alain Nasreddine

The Penguins have signed Libor Pivko, acquired from Nashville, to a one year contract.

They have also re-signed Alain Nasreddine, presumably to fill out the Wilkes-Barre roster.

I like Nasreddine, and I liked what I saw from him when he was in Pittsburgh last season briefly (six games), but I can't see him cracking the lineup.

Pivko is expected to battle for a roster spot. See my recent article on the forwards for a little bit more on Libor.

Moore! Pens avoid arbitration with Dominic Moore

The Pens have signed Dominic Moore to a two year contract today, avoiding his upcoming arbitration hearing. This serves as a nice early birthday present for Dominic, who will turn 26 on Thursday (August 3rd).

Moore, who is still young, is entering just his second full season in the NHL. He has lots of upside, and is already an accomplished penalty killer. He should be fun to watch.

Let's play the Roster Game with the forwards!

In Bob Grove's latest Q&A on the Pens website, he goes with the first iteration I've seen this year of the roster game. Bob projects the four forward lines to start the season to be:

Ekman-Crosby-Armstrong
Malone-Malkin-Recchi
Ruutu-Moore-Petrovicky
Leclair-Talbot-Roy

He says that Pivko, Ryan Stone, Erik Christensen, Jonathan Filewich, Daniel Carcillo or Michel Ouellet could make some noise in camp and earn a spot as well.

I have to say, I agree with what he has there. I think Michel Therrien will find a spot for Michel Outllet, though I'm not sure who you'd drop from the roster to make that room. I know that dropping Andre Roy would be highly popular, but let's face it - if they were going to drop him, they would have bought out his contract. They seem to feel that he'll be a good part of the team.

Without Malkin (if he doesn't make it over here), then the second and fourth lines would look like this:

Leclair-Malone-Recchi
Someone-Talbot-Roy

With "Someone" being pretty much anyone from that list, though I'd give the early lead to either Pivko, Christensen or Ouellet.

The biggest thing I see is a third line that will be highly capable of stirring up trouble and chipping in with some points off of the turnovers they create. This is something that I think was highly lacking last year. They'll bring some much needed toughness to the team, if the reputations of the indivdual players are to be believed.

I'm almost optimistic about these lines. The top 6 forwards are all capable of scoring 20-30 goals, which would lead to a very balanced attack, and the power play could still be quite good.

Anyway, it's still early to be talking about this quite so much. Lots of stuff will happen between now and Ocrober 5th. It's still fun to talk about.

Let's Go Pens!

Malkin?

In the continuing series of ? posts, there is no indication of the status of the transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian folks. According to this article in the Post-Gazette, the Russians haven't indicated that they signed the agreement. This is somewhat troubling for the Pens, who desperately need to get Malkin over here. However, I don't think it's all bad news - the best quote of the article comes from Mr. Shero himself, who said:

"I'm not going out and getting a centericeman because I'm counting on having Malkin."

We are too, Ray.

Malone?

I haven't seen anything saying if the Pens are accepting Ryan Malone's arbitration ruling. If they do, he's in the fold for two years. If they don't, he's immediately an unrestricted free agent.

I have to assume they accepted it on the spot, because I haven't seen anything written anywhere else.

Fingold signs letter of intent to buy Penguins

Sam Fingold has signed a letter of intent to buy the Pens. This gives him 30 days of exclusive negotiating rights. My understanding is that if we get to the end of the 30 days, and the purchase isn't complete, it's because something has gone wrong. If all goes according to plan, then Mr. Fingold should be the new owner of the Penguins soon. The purchase price is believed to be around $175 million.

He has changed his stance on the location of the team. Previously, he was concerned with the ability to build a new arena here in Pittsburgh (evidentally he's familiar with our politicians), but he's changed that so it now seems that he wants the team to stay here in Pittsburgh. He is, however, closely tied with Kansas City, so if the city screws this one up, the team will be on it's way out.

For Pens fans, the biggest issue is how much of a payroll will the team be able to afford under the new management. I haven't read too much yet on the financial means of Mr. Fingold, but we can only hope that the Pens can move up closer to the league salary cap (as they're currently much closer to the league minimum than they are to the maximum).

At any rate, we may have a new ownership group in place by the time the season starts.

Russian Trade Agreement News

According to this article in the Trib, the NHL has set a deadline of Monday for the Russians to sign the transfer agreement that would allow Evgeni Malkin to join the Penguins painlessly.

Evidentally, the NHL has tired of the screwing around that has been going on. This deal was suppsoed to be completed by just after the Stanley Cup Finals, but never materialized. Evidentally, the main reason for that is that the member clubs in Russia are dragging their feet.

Obviously, this would make it more challenging to get Malkin over here, but certainly the article seems to indicate it can be done. That would be the wrong start to the season for the Pens, if they were to find out they had to go without Malkin.

Ryan Malone arbitration decision

Ryan Malone was awarded a two-year deal valued at $2.75 million - $1.3 for this season and $1.45 for next season.

This is not so drastic in terms of salary, when compared with the $5 million that Briere and Gomez were awarded in recent days. Obviously, Malone is no Briere or Gomez, but his $1.3 for this season looks like a downright bargain compared to those two.

The Pens have 48 hours to decide whether to accept it or make Ryan an unrestricted free agent. If it were me, I'd accept it. It seems to fit in well with the salary structure on this team. It really will come down to how much Ray Shero likes Ryan Malone as a player.

What would you do?

Mark Recchi returning to Pittsburgh

Accoring to TSN, Mark Recchi has signed a deal to return to Pittsburgh. As much as I'm not crazy about Recchi being back in the locker room, after all the rumors about him undermining Sidney Crosby, I have to admit that this does give the Pens the scoring winger they depserately need, and hopefully with a hometown discount. If he plays with the energy and hustle he did after Therrien became the coach last year, then he'll be a fine addition on the ice. Off the ice, well, let's just hope that the team is substantially different now (as it appears to be).

Penguins sign Ronald Petrovicky

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Ronald Petrovicky, 29, to a contract. No terms were disclosed.

Petrovicky is another winger who fits in the gritty style that Shero seems to like. He had 20 points last year (8 + 12), so he can chip in a bit offensively. He was second on the Thrashers in hits last year with 109 in 60 games.

According to the article I linked to on the Penguins website, we'll love his "blue collar style" (rough translation - he likes to hit people and skate fast). However, I particularly like this quote from Ronald:

"They want to make a new statement and bring young blood into the team and organization - to spark it up," he said. "I want us to be tough to play against - teams coming in have us on their minds a little bit. They won't be happy to play against us because we will be tough to play against and make them pay the price for the length of the hockey game."

In light of that last sentence, combined with the fact that he most recently played for the Thrashers, I'd like to make the following early request of Mr. Petrovicky: Please crush Ilya Kovalchuk. Make sure you point to him first, either right before the hit, or (preferrably) when he's in the penalty box, so he knows it is coming.

Taking a quick look at what Shero has done this offseason, it sure looks like he's building this team for Michel Therrien. Tough, hard-nosed players that play defense and like to hit fill the roster. Petrovicky is just another one of those guys, and he's not coming here to play in the minors - this is an accomplished NHL veteran. Should be fun to watch.

Pens sign D Matt Carkner

The Penguins signed defensemen Matt Carkner, formerly of the San Jose Sharks organization, to a one year deal at or near the minimum ($450,000). Carkner has only played one game at the NHL level (it was last season), but has had some success in the minors.

I'd guess this is someone that Shero believes could stretch beyond his current boundaries. He's not that old yet either - just 25. He has size (6'4") and toughness (over 200 penalty minutes last season in the minors) but also put up some points last year for the Cleveland Barons (10 + 21). If he can play his way onto the roster, then great. Otherwise, he'll provide some depth and eat up some minutes in Wilkes-Barre, where their roster is still kind of sparse. I hope he can play on the top level, but it's not usually a good sign when someone is the career leader in games played for an AHL franchise - it means he's been there for awhile.

Pens re-sign Brooks Orpik

The Penguins re-signed Brooks Orpik to a two year deal today. Terms were not disclosed.

I was really impressed when I looked at the article on TSN about the signing - I didn't realize Orpik had decent numbers last year (this was one of those things were you step back and say "wow!"...).

In only 64 games, Orpik averaged over three hits per game, and just under two blocked shots per game, leading the team in both categories. He also drastically improved his +/- (from -36 his rookie year to -3 last year) on a team that wasn't much better than the prior season.

I'm looking forward to seeing how he progresses this year.

Pens sign Wade Skolney

The Penguins signed Wade Skolney today. He had played in the AHL for the Flyers farm team, the Phantoms. He's a defensemen.

This can only be for depth at the AHL level, or as an Eric Cairns replacement. Anyone can play 2-3 minutes per night on the blue line, I suppose. This guy, in 56 games last year, took 197 minutes in penalties!!! Of course, that still pales in comparison to this guy.

Colby Armstrong signs deal

Colby Armstrong signed a one year deal with the Pens today. This was really only a formality, but it's great that Colby is solidly in the fold. I expect he'll play a big part on the team this season, especially since he seems to have that mental link with Crosby going.

Pens acquire Nils Ekman and Patrick Ehelechner

The Pens traded another draft pick in 2007 yesterday, this time to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Nils Ekman and goalie Patrick Ehelechner.

First off, Ehelechner is just a prospect, and will either stay in Germany, or play for Wilkes-Barre.

Now, more intriguing, Ekman played last year on a line with Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo. Nils recorded 57 points (21 + 36) and very responsible defensively. Sounds to me like someone that can play with either Crosby or Malkin. He's 30 and has average size.

I'm liking more and more the moves that Shero is making. The acquisition of Ekman, coupled with the prior trade for Moore, is making me think that this guy really knows what he's doing (or, at least has a very well defined sense of what he wants to do).

Arbitration Hearings Set

Accoring to the Post-Gazette, the arbitration hearings are set for Ryan Malone and Brooks Orpik.

Malone's hearing is Friday, July 21st, while Orpik will have his hearing on Monday, July 24th. Rulings will be announced 2-3 days after the hearings.

Malone is by far the more interesting case, given that he's still pretty far apart from the team in terms of salary, accoring to Shero. Given how he played the first half of last year, I'd be surprised if he is awarded anything huge. Half a season does not a superstar make, as Yoda might say.

Pens acquire Dominic Moore and Libor Pivko

The Penguins have acquired Dominic Moore and Libor Pivko from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a third round draft pick in the 2007 NHL draft.

Pivko plays LW, so that is a good thing, though he's never played more than one game in the NHL (he appeared once in 03-04 for Nashville). He's 26, has size (he's listed at 6'3"), and is coming off of a season where he achieved a career high in points, with 70 (12 + 58). Previously, he'd never scored more than 31 in any season. He just came over to North America prior to the 03-04 season. I'd expect, given the Pens current dearth of wingers, that he'll get a shot in training camp.

Moore is slightly more intriguing. He played in all 82 games last year for the Rangers, and is another penalty killer that can chip in occasionally, notching 18 points last year (9 + 9). He plays center, however, so that can't bode well for a player like Maxime Talbot. He's also young (25), and has average size (6'0").

Overall, considering the Pens got both of these guys for next to nothing, I'd say it's a good deal for them. Moore will probably fill a grinder role and be a big part of the PK (Shero sure has been beefing up the PK, hasn't he?), and if they can get anything out of Pivko, then it's a double bonus.

Shane Endicott signs with Nashville

Shane Endicott has signed with Nashville. His salary was undisclosed, but can't be too much above the minimum. I'm disappointed that the Pens didn't keep Endicott, who seemed to have size and speed. He was hurt most of last year, so I would have liked to have seen what he could do without the injury plaguing him.

Colby Armstrong and Marc-Andre Fleury news

Though it's not really significant, Colby Armstrong and Marc-Andre Fleury have turned down their qualifying offers. The reason it's not really significant is that their rights are still owned by the Pens, and the players have elected not to file for arbitration.

My understanding of this is somewhat limited, but I think it's just a way for the players to indicate that they'd like to be paid more. The players, while restricted, are pretty much at the liberty of the teams that own their rights. They'll sign and be in camp, I'm sure.

Malone and Orpik both have elected arbitration and will have hearings later in the month.

Update - check out this article instead, which does a better job of explaining what it means when the players turn down the qualifying offer. This article is from the Trib, which I usually don't follow, but the Post-Gazette has been so completely lax in their coverage of many events, and even more sparse in terms of talking about potential free agents and whatnot... I may have to switch.

The most important thing I took from it is that Orpik is likely to sign, but that they're pretty far apart with Ryan Malone. Hopefully they can get things worked out with him.

Because it's Friday... CATS!!

Via YouTube... I love stupid cat video compilations - they make me laugh. Here's one of the better ones I've seen...

A closer look at the Penguins roster

This post also known as "how would you spend $8-10 million dollars?"

First, take a look at the latest Q&A from the Pen's website, by Bob Grove. Specifically, read the first question and answer.

Read it? Good. Let's take a look at what he's detailed.

Basically, the Pens have (or will have) about $22 million committed to 19 players. The roster size for the NHL club is 24. Let's look at the breakdown of players by position on the Penguins currently (these are players under contract, as well as restricted free agents, who are highly likely to sign contracts, plus Malkin):

Forwards
C - Sidney Crosby
C - Evgeni Malkin
C - Maxime Talbot
C - Erik Christensen
W - John LeClair
W - Jarkko Ruutu
W - Colby Armstrong
W - Ryan Malone
W - Andre Roy
W - Michel Ouellet

Defensemen
Sergei Gonchar
Mark Eaton
Ryan Whitney
Josef Melichar
Eric Cairns
Rob Scuderi
Brooks Orpik

Goalies
Marc Andre Fleury
Jocelyn Thibault

First, let's deal with the players that we know are in the picture, from Wilkes-Barre. The only major one I haven't mentioned it Noah Welch, who certainly seemed NHL ready in his brief time here last year. If Welch makes the club, expect it to be at the expense of another defensemen, as the Pens already have 7 on the roster. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cairns, Scuderi or even Melichar not be here next season. Gonchar, Whitney and Eaton are untouchable, and I think Orpik is their best physical presence on the blue line. As a quick footnote, remember that the Pens signed Micki Dupont. He'll likely have a chance to make the roster too.

Talbot, Christensen and Ouellet certainly aren't guarenteed to make the roster, but I'd say all have a good chance, especially given the shortage of players up front right now.

Another wild card in all of this is Jordan Staal. He could have a strong camp and make the team either as a center or a winger. If it's as a center, it would probably spell doom for Erik Christensen (which is a shame, as I really like Erik).

So, what we're looking at is that the Pens have 4-5 slots to fill, and about $7-8 million to do it with, as the Pens will likely open the season with a payroll around $30-31 million. They'll probably pick up (through varying means) another 3-4 forwards, probably wingers, and maybe a defensemen, depending on what they think of Welch.

Having said all of that, who is currently available to be signed? Grove mentions Anson Carter as a potential candidate. Here are some other unrestricted free agents that are still out there... (I'm focusing mainly on wingers):

• Peter Bondra - too old?
• Brad Isbister - used to have a scoring touch - he's big (6'4") and you could get him cheap
• Mark Recchi - not sure I want to go back down that road again...
• Eric Daze - can certainly score, but he was hurt all last year (back problems) and has yet to prove he can play in the new NHL (he's huge - 6'6")
• Radek Dvorak - had one great season with the Rangers - after that... not so much
• Valeri Bure - good scorer - much injured - would have something to prove
• Jan Bullis - can chip in some goals here and there - not really a top two lines kind of guy
• Viktor Kozlov
• Martin Rucinsky - he's a bit older, and not really a prolific scorer
• Petr Sykora - will score - will be paid well - probably the best of the bunch remaining
• Oleg Kvasha - still relatively young - has scored sporadically - has size (6'5")

That's all I have tonight - more later in the week. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.

Penguins 2006-07 schedule released

The Penguins released their schedule for the 06-07 season yesterday. Here is a link to the entire schedule. Here is a Post-Gazette article highlighting what they think are the important points, and here is the writeup from the Penguins site.

Basic facts:

• Eight games against each member of the Atlantic division (Islanders, Devils, Rangers and Flyers).
• Four games against the other teams in the Eastern Conference.
• 10 games against the West - Five at home against the Central division (Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Blues and Predators) and five on the road against the Pacific (Ducks, Stars, Kings, Coyotes and Sharks)

Here are some quick thoughts on the schedule:

• I like that they open with 6 of the first 8 at home, in direct contrast to what I remember last year.
• I liked last year when the games against the West were all together in the schedule - this year they're sprinkled throughout the season.
• The Pens open with a tough stretch out of the chute - Philly, Detroit, NY Rangers and Carolina. Welcome to the NHL, Mr Malkin!
• 20 of the 41 home games are on weekend nights. Nice.

The regular season starts October 5th at home against Philly. Looking forward to it.

Let's go Pens!

Sale of Penguins coming closer

According to this article in the Post-Gazette, the Penguins are close to being sold to one of four or five groups. There isn't much to be said about this, other than to say how nice it would be to have an ownership group that would be willing to spend up to the cap. I get the feeling that between Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury (not to mention Whitney, Armstrong and a bunch of other guys), the Penguins are going to need some cash.

Andy Hilbert signs with Islanders

As ees was nice enough to point out in the comments, Andy Hilbert has signed with the New York Islanders. It's a one year deal, and I haven't found the financial terms yet. Given that the Pens could use guys on the wings that can score, he must be making a bunch more than the Pens were willing to give him. Here's a quote from Neil Smith, the new GM of the Isles:

"One of our goals is to provide opportunities to young players that our staff believes have potential and could be ready for a breakout," said Islanders Vice President and general manager Neil Smith. "We believe that Andy Hilbert is such a player."

Doesn't that sound exactly like what Shero has been saying? This one is kind of puzzling to me...

Pens sign Jarkko Ruutu

The Penguins signed Jarkko Ruutu away from the Vancouver Canucks today. Ruutu has played parts of 6 years in the NHL, mostly at forward, though he has played some defense. He's not much of a offensive threat (though he will get hot from time to time), but he's a fierce hitter and a great defensive winger. He'll fit in nicely on the third or fourth line. Ruutu played all 82 games last year, but only averaged about 12 minutes per game.

This guy has a reputation as a worker, and will give Michel Therrien the kind of guy he likes - one who gives 100% all the time, every night.

Pens sign Mark Eaton

The Pens have signed Mark Eaton, formerly of the Predators, to a two year contract. Eaton is 29 and has played over 300 games during six seasons. I don't know much about him, but he appears to be a defensive specialist, having lead the Predators in blocked shots and being a fixture on the penalty kill.

This is the guy that the Pens went after when Jay McKee became too expensive. He seems to be a steady presence on the blue line, which is exactly what the doctor ordered. He also doesn't take too many penalties, which can only help with the Pens.

It looks like the Pens are fairly well set on the blue line with the addition of Eaton. I have them with the following players:

• Gonchar
• Orpik
• Whitney
• Welch
• Melichar
• Scuderi
• Eaton
• Cairns

All of them are under contract, except for Orpik, who is a restricted free agent that you'd think they'll sign. I think we'll see at least one of those guys disappear before next season starts.

What do you think?

Players not tendered qualifying offers

According to this article in the Post-Gazette, the Penguins issued qualifying offers to six of their restricted free agents. They include:

• Colby Armstrong
• Ryan Malone
• Brooks Orpik
• Marc-Andre Fleury
• Jani Rita
• Niklas Nordgren
  

More surprisingly, the players they didn't tender offers to (thus making them unrestricted free agents) include:

• Andy Hilbert
• Konstantin Koltsov
• Tomas Surovy
• Andy Chiodo

along with players acquired via late season trades:

• Krys Kolanos
• Petr Taticek

and some minor leaguers:

• Ben Eaves
• Cam Paddock
• Drew Fata
• Alex Rouleau
• Andy Schneider

Now, what is noteworthy about all of this? Well, here are a few things I've come up with:

1. Any of the guys that were non-tendered could be back. The only thing this means is that they're unrestricted free agents and free to sign with anyone (including the Pens, should that be mutually agreeable).
2. I'm pretty surprised they're letting Hilbert and Koltsov go. Both of them seemed to really hit their stride late in the season, and Koltsov especially seems suited to the new NHL with his speed and tenacity. According to the article, Hilbert isn't against coming back.
3. Surovy didn't show too much while he was here, but he seemed to have a strong Olympics, and he is relatively young. Hopefully he'll come back, but his agent said he might go to Europe.
4. Some of the moves were admittedly because of financial constraints.
5. Most sickeningly (is that a word?), the Penguins have absolutely nothing left from the Mark Recchi and Ric Jackman trades. I know they tendered Nordgren, but from what I understand, he's playing in Europe. They probably tendered him as a formality to keep his rights. Craig Patrick really didn't do very well on his trade deadline moves.

Free agency is right around the corner. It will be interesting to see how things shake out. Don't expect the Pens to do much of anything early on, but if they see a chance, I wouldn't be surprised to see them jump at it. They have some definite holes on their roster to fill.

Shane Endicott, Sebastian Caron released

The Penguins bought out the contracts of Sebastian Caron and Shane Endicott for 1/3 of the value of the contract, per the NHL rules. Thibault could have been bought out as well (or instead of Caron), but it would have cost the team 2/3 of his $1.5 million salary for next year, or $1 million.

I'm disappointed to see them cut Endicott, since guys with size like his are hard to come by (though they just drafted a player with his size in Jordan Staal). The team is really solid at the center position, though, so I guess it's not that big of a loss.

Caron has proven that he is a capable backup in the NHL. I think he'll catch on somewhere. This could open the door to Sabourin to be the backup if Thibault doesn't return from his injury as expected, or repeats the performance of last year.

Penguins draft Jordan Staal

With the #2 pick in the draft, and a no-nonsense introduction (thankfully), the Pens picked Jordan Staal. From what I've heard, he'll likely not be in the NHL this season, but you never know with the way the Pens situation is at wing.

A few other things I noticed in the first round:

• Do all of the teams have to give those long winded introductions? They were old when the Blues were doing it at #1, and you still had guys in the second half of the first round trying to have something new to say... just make the pick, guys! Maybe the should have the commish announce all the picks like the NFL does.
• Did Kessel look pudgy to anyone else?
• One other thing on the teams - just send a representative or two to the podium - we don't need to see a bunch of guys standing up there - it just slows things down and really doesn't add anything of value that I can see.

I'm glad the Pens went with the obvious pick and took Staal. No reaching, and no trades (so far).

Will be interesting to see what kind of coverage this gets in the Sunday Post-Gazette tomorrow, since they've been horribly sparse in their articles for Sunday editions.

NHL Draft - Penguins style...

So what are the Pens likely to do tomorrow for their first pick in the NHL draft? Well, one rumor heard just about everywhere has the club trading the second overall pick to Carolina for last year's third overall pick, defensemen Jack Johnson. From what I hear about Johnson, this would be a steal for the Penguins. Carolina would then use the pick on Jordan Staal.

What if the Pens don't pull the trade (which I think is likely, because Carolina would be dumb to give up Johnson just to have the Staal brothers play together)? Then I'm hoping we'll see the Pens draft Kessel or Staal. Kessel has played some wing along with center, which is something that would benefit the middle-heavy Pens (they have Crosby and Malkin up the middle right now on the top two lines). If for some reason Erik Johnson is sitting there at #2, then it's a no-brainer - the Pens will take Johnson.

From what I've read, none of the top guys are ready for the NHL next season (which is not to say that some teams won't try to bring these guys in early). Look for whoever the Pens pick to crack the roster in 07-08. Let's hope the Pens are in Pittsburgh so we can watch them play then...

Ovechkin wins Calder trophy

Alexander Ovechkin has won the Calder trophy as the top NHL rookie.

This really isn't a surprise to me. I do think Crosby will be the better player in the long run, but both guys are going to be stars for a long time to come.

Let's see if Malkin can win the Calder this year - his competition certainly won't be as stiff!

Lots of Pens stuff in the news + player contract status!

Don't look now, but there was actually an article that was related to the Penguins in the Post-Gazette this past Sunday. It was about Erik Johnson, who will likely be the #1 pick in the NHL Draft. The Draft is taking place this Saturday night at 6:00. I hope to have a little more about that later in the week.

While we have an abundance of riches, I'll also mention that Dave Molinari had a great Q&A this past Friday. I'd recommend reading it - at the very least for his list of which players are under which contract status. I'll reproduce it here so we have it for posterity once free agency opens:

Players under contract for next season:

• Jocelyn Thibault
• Sebastien Caron
• Sergei Gonchar
• Ryan Whitney
• Josef Melichar
• Rob Scuderi
• Eric Cairns
• Sidney Crosby
• Erik Christensen
• Shane Endicott
• Maxime Talbot
• John LeClair
• Andre Roy
• Michel Ouellet
• Noah Welch
• Micki DuPont

Players who will be restricted free agents, provided the Penguins give them a qualifying contract offer by June 26th:

• Marc-Andre Fleury
• Colby Armstrong
• Andy Hilbert
• Konstantin Koltsov
• Ryan Malone
• Tomas Surovy
• Brooks Orpik

Players who are free agents:

• Eric Boguniecki
• Matt Murley
• Ryan VandenBussche
• Lyle Odelein

Players who have already signed to play in Europe:

• Lasse Pirjeta
• Jani Rita
• Niklas Nordgren

I'm a little bit surprised that Jani Rita left the NHL to go to Europe, though I guess not getting much playing time for the worst team in hockey (almost) is not a good sign for your career.

I can't see any of the potential restricted guys being let go, except maybe for Surovy. I guess guys like Koltsov aren't that hard to come by either, though he seemed to find his niche playing alongside Malone and Leclair at the end of the year.

The regular free agents probably won't be back, in my opinion. I guess the might bring back a few if they make some moves that open some holes, or some other guys get hurt, but I can't see any of them having much impact on what should be an improved team this season.

Some player news

According to an article by Dave Molinari in the Post-Gazette, Aleksey Morozov is going to play in the NHL this upcoming season, after playing quite well in the Russian Super League. The article doesn't really say anything new, other than Ray Shero has said that the Penguins are interested, but will be conscious of the cost. Morozov's agent, for his part, has said that they're not against playing for the Penguins, but they want to be paid.

Alskesy, in my opinion, is the kind of player that could thrive in the new NHL, providing he has worked out his issues with confidence and consistency. His results in the Super League would seem to indicate that he has. This could make him quite popular on the free agent circuit.

What does all of this add up to? Unless there is no substantial interest in Morozov, thus allowing his asking price to slip quite a bit, don't expect to see him in a Penguins uniform this season.

One other tidbit - the Pens signed someone named Micki Dupont, whose rights they held. I can't see this being anything other than another player for Wilkes-Barre.

Exhibition schedule announced

The Pens will play a seven game exhibition schedule, against Buffalo, Philadelphia, Ottawa and Washington. The games will be played starting September 19th and ending September 30th, including five games in the first six days.

Two of the games will be at the Mellon Arena - against Washington and Buffalo.

This pre-season figures to be interesting. The Pens are loaded at the center position, especially with Malkin seemingly on his way over here. They aren't so strong on the wings. There will be some good position battles, as Michel Therrien tries to put his stamp on this team from the outset. Of course, it's still too early to be talking about the upcoming season. After all, there are 97 days until the first exhibition game.

Evgeni Malkin on his way!!

So evidently those exhibition games with the Russians were a precursor to something bigger and better for those of us in Pittsburgh. According to this article by Dave Molinari, the Russian Federation has agreed in principle to sign the transfer agreement (it will be formalized next week), which will open the door to allow Evgeni Malkin to come over to the NHL.

Sergei Gonchar has offered to have Malkin stay with his family, as he (Malkin) speaks very little English.

This is terrific news for the Pens, and really bodes well for the season. We can't expect big things out of Malkin right away - he'll have some adjusting to do (unlike Crosby, who seemed totally ready to step right into the NHL). He'll have to learn the language and culture. He'll also have to adjust to a smaller rink size. I can't see that being too much of a problem for him, given how he performed at the Olympics and the World Championships.

Let's go Pens!

Russian exhibition games

According to this article, the NHL has agreed to play exhibition games against Russian Super League clubs. The article mentions that the Russians are considering signing the transfer agreement that would allow the Pens to get Malkin over here in time for the new season.

This can only be a good thing - anything to build momentum towards signing that trade agreement!

This one was for you, ees - ask and I'll try to deliver... (or something along those lines...) :-)

It's my new arena... No! It's MY new arena...

The lovely political infighting has begun. Accoding to this Post-Gazette article, Allegheny County Council has officially criticized the county Chief Executive Dan Onorato. What did Mr. Onorato do? He asked Gov Rendell to advance money to start the arena-building process now. Read the full article here.

My take on this is that if it's simply County Council trying to put the brakes on this to see where the slots license will fall, then that's great. However, I've seen too many of these types of things in the Pittsburgh area to think that it's anything other than a "mine's bigger than yours is" type of deal. This is going to drag into quite a little mess before anything gets built, if everyone has to try to take control of the situation. You'll have Mr. Onorato, Mr O'Connor, Pittsburgh City Council and Allegheny County Council all trying to show they have the grandest... er... vision (??) for the proposed arena. If you can keep calm, it might be kind of funny. In fact, since we're talking about funny things, and you've read all the way to the end of this article, I'll give you this link. It's the type of thing we tend to see a lot of here in Pittsburgh... (and if you're unsure of the implications of the article, just leave a comment and I'll be happy to spell it out more clearly - it's really quite funny).

No news is Pens news

How long has it been since the last post here? Seems like forever, but it's only been a week. Not much happening in Penguins land, or even in casino land for that matter.

Sure, there are a few stories in the papers about another Gaming Control Board member getting arrested, and about some residents of the Hill getting paid $15 (or not) to come to the rally when the GCB was in town. Nothing that is terribly earth-shattering (as bad as bribing Hill residents sounds, we're talking about a grand total of 80 people).

Dave Molinari has a Q&A today in the Post-Gazette, and he does have a few interesting things to say. Take a look if you like... I'll wait. Here are the main points I got out of it:

• Ziggy Palffy is thinking about playing in the NHL again, and he probably wasn't hurt when he "retired". The Pens would probably trade him, rather than have a quitter on their team, if public appearences are to be belived. Maybe the change of GM will have an effect here, but I can't see Therien reacting well to someone like Palffy wanting to come back.
• According to Dave, one of the most mystifying things about last season was stripping Leclair of the A on his jersey. I don't remember that being a huge deal at the time, but I can see how it would be for Leclair. I give him all the credit in the world for playing hard down the stretch, as well as stating that he would return for next season.

Other than those two little tidbits, it's been a whole lot of nothing (the Pens won't go after any big name free agents, the scouting department might have some turnover after the draft, Shero will likely have some leeway with the team's performance this year, blah blah blah).

Over the next month, we'll have the NHL draft, along with the opening of free agency. The Pens will also be able to begin negotiations with other cities. Should be interesting...

Stupid Casino Tricks

This would fall under the category of "you have got to be kidding me". The City of Pittsburgh has released a report that rates Harrahs / Forest City as the best plan for the city. Read the article from the Post-Gazette here.

So, you might think to yourself, why would the City of Pittsburgh release a report when Mayor O'Connor has said several times that he isn't endorsing any casino proposal, and that the report "is in no way to be a recommendation" to the gaming board. So why did they write it? The author, City Planning Director Pat Ford, said it was because the law required it. Okay - it's a legal requirement - I can go for that. Except that it's not a legal requirement. The spokesman for the Gaming Control Board, Nick Hays, said that it's not a requirement at all. Here's a passage from the article

Mr. Ford said he produced the report because state law required it.

The section of the slots law on municipalities' powers and duties, though, stopped short of requiring any such report, saying only that they "may make recommendations" to the board. That section of the law was struck down by the courts, Mr. Hays said.

Mayoral spokesman Dick Skrinjar said that even if the report wasn't required, it "provides a clinical, professional analysis on behalf of the citizens of Pittsburgh on ... issues that have tremendous impact on the quality of life of the city. ... If we don't do that, who would do it?"

So, it's not a requirement, and the local municipalities can "make recommendations". But this report "is in no way to be a recommendation". So, either the report was a total waste of taxpayer dollars, or it's meant to influence the decision of the Gaming Control Board. I think it's pretty clear that both of those are true.

To go further with this (and things will now get REALLY inflamatory, in case you haven't had your intelligence insulted enough yet), here's another quote from the article

Supporters of the Isle of Capri plan hissed when Mr. Ford told council that he did not consider that applicant's pledge to pay $290 million toward a new arena to be "guaranteed."

So, they don't believe Isle of Capri when they say they'll give $290 million upon receipt of the slots license. That's bad enough, but it gets better when combined with the following:

He also criticized the report's reliance on claims by the applicants, and its lack of "objective analysis" of the data. Isle of Capri has said that Harrah's has overstated the revenue from its proposed casino and understated traffic.

Mr. Ford said he did not second-guess the traffic projections, financial data, employment projections and building plans the three bidders provided.

So, Mr. Ford isn't second-guessing financial data, but he's SECOND GUESSING THE VERACITY of $290 million?!?!?!?!?! How do these guys say this with a straight face?

On top of that, why the heck would you take the numbers provided by the casinos at face value? If you're going to do that, then don't base findings in your report on the numbers provided. The incentive to inflate numbers becomes quite large when everyone just believes them and keeps reiterating them, especially when Harrahs has a history of inflating numbers (like in New Orleans).

The last part, more for humor after the exasperation of the previous few paragraphs, is this:

The most hotly contested estimate was the contention by Harrah's and Forest City that their casino would not cause a dramatic worsening of traffic on Carson Street. Councilman William Peduto said the companies must be assuming that slots players will come in kayaks.

Mr. Naparstek said Forest City plans to add new entrances to Station Square, build a pedestrian bridge from the Mon Incline, and better coordinate traffic lights.

So, for anyone who has been to Station Square when it's fairly crowded, or been to a concert at the Chevy Amphitheatre, what would a new entrance and pedestrian bridge do? I can tell you that from experience - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I'm not even going to acknowledge the "better coordinate traffic lights" because it's laughable.

In short, my opinion on this report from what I've read about it is that it's laughable. It's insulting to our intelligence, and a blatant attempt by Mr. O'Connor to make sure the fix is still in for Harrahs.

Any opinions?

Penguins to name Ray Shero as general manager

According to KDKA Radio, the Penguins will name Ray Shero as the new GM at a news conference this afternoon at 2:00.

The Post-Gazette has an article about Shero being one of the top two candidates in today's paper - it gives a bit of his background. He is currently the assistant GM in Nashville. He is considered one of the best young GM candidates in the league. His experience with small market teams bodes well for the Penguins.

Online survey for the Pens

There's an online survey put out by the Penguins. Go here to take it. It's some good feedback for them, and will put you into a drawing to win season tickets.

I had trouble choosing who my favorite Penguin was... had to choose between Armstrong and Talbot (didn't really consider Crosby, though he could probably qualify as well - maybe it's because of the last paragraph of this article)

Anyway, give the Pens some valuable feedback and go take the survey!

WHC Update - Quarters

So Russia and the US lost in the Quarterfinals. The US lost 6-0 to Sweden. Russia lost a shocker, 4-3 to the Czechs.

Canada is still going strong, and Crosby is tied for the overall points lead in the tournament, along with leading in goals scored. He has 7 goals and 6 assists in 7 games.

Malkin finished with 9 points (3 G, 6 A) and tied with teammate Ovechkin in point production. He was named one of the top three players for Russia.

For the Americans, Hilbert finished with three points (all assists) and was a -3, Malone with 4 points (2+2) and was -1. Hilbert and Malone were second and third in shots on the team. Orpik was pointless, but was also not a minus (he finished even in +/-).

For Slovakia, Tomas Surovy finished with four points (2+2) and led the team in shots. This is a great sign, in my opinion, for Surovy. He could use the boost in confidence. Let's hope that carries over to next season with the Pens.

So, I guess we should be cheering for Canada for gold. It would be great for Sid.

WHC update

Both Sid and Evgeni had good games in their team's respective games in the qualifying round.

Malkin had an assist as the Russians beat Ukraine, 6-0. This was a 1-0 game until the third period.

Crosby had a goal and an assist in the first period, as Canada destroyed Latvia 11-0.

The US is playing right now against Finland, and it is scoreless after one period.

The cream of the crop continues to be Canada and Russia, by far. That's really nice for the Pens, because the best Canadien player and one of the best Russian players are both in the organization.

World Championships update

The two most important Penguins in the World Championships are both playing quite well.

Sidney Crosby has 7 points (4 G, 3 A) in three games, leading Canada to a 3-0 record in their preliminary pool play. Both Canada and the US will get through to the second round. As of this morning, Crosby was leading all players in the tournament in scoring. How do the happy Canadiens feel about leaving him off the Olympic team now?

Evgeni Malkin is also playing quite well - he has 5 points (2 G, 3 A) in three games, helping Russia to a 3-0 record in pool play. He also has what may be the most spectacular goal of the tournament, leaping over the goalie and diving to put the puck in the net (reminding me, personally, of Jagr).

Team USA, featuring Hilbert, Malone and Orpik, has played well, going 2-1. Their only loss was to Canada, in a meaningless game once both teams knew they'd advance to the second round. Hilbert has two assists, and is tied for the tournament lead in taking 5 minor penalties in three games. Malone has an assist, and Orpik hasn't scored (though he has 6 PIM).

Tomas Surovy has a great tournament going, with 3 points in three games (2 G, 1 A). What would a good WHC do for his confidence? He certainly seems to have the talent - just not the consistency.

There's a nice article about Malkin and Surovy at the WHC here. It's discussing the matchup between the two in the game between Russia and Slovakia, a game Russia won today 4-3 (with both Malkin and Surovy scoring).

Overall, I'd say there is some good reason for optimism here, with both Crosby and Malkin playing extremely well.

No news is... no news?

I subscribe to the Sunday Post-Gazette. It's a ritual for me to wake up early on Sunday morning and read the paper. The last few weeks have been pretty disappointing as far as news about the Penguins. This week, there was an AP article about the world hockey championships, and not much else. You'd think that there might be some local write-up or commentary, given that Crosby and Malkin are, by most accounts, playing extremely well. You'd also think that such analysis might be well placed in the Sunday Post-Gazette. You'd be wrong, unfortunately.

There have been a few articles by Dave Molinari about some players in Wilkes-Barre. One was about Ryan Stone, and the other about Erik Christensen. Let's hope they continue - they are welcome offseason coverage of the Pens.

Unfortunately, there have also been no articles about the Baby Pens progress in the playoffs (they're now losing 3-0 in the second round series with Hershey - not looking good). Even the Pirates minor league affiliates get their relevant information in the paper... pretty depressing. We did, of course, get a great big article about how the lives of the Steelers have changed since 2-5-06 - the Super Bowl win, in case you weren't aware.... not that I'm bitter (previous disclaimer about being a big Steelers fan still holds).

For my part, I'm going to have to start with the player reviews from this season. Time to get off of my lazy butt...

Crosby named finalist for Calder Trophy

In case you hadn't heard, Sidney Crosby was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy. I think he's the better player between he and Ovechkin, especially with the way that Sid makes everyone around him better, while still possessing a scoring touch of his own. However, I don't think he'll win the Calder. I think that honor will go to Ovechkin, and probably should, given that Alexander topped the 50 goal plateau in his rookie year.

What will be interesting will be to see if Malkin can take a run at the trophy next year.

Ruff says Flyers played like "idiots"

Oh happy day. The Flyers were elminated in their playoff series against the Sabres.

In game 2, the Sabres kicked the stuffing out of the Flyers, 8-2. The Flyers seemed preoccupied with getting revenge on Brian Campbell for his great open ice hit on RJ Umberger. Never mind that the hit was completely legal and clean - the Flyers had it on their minds they were going to retaliate.

The money quote from Ruff:

"Use a different word if you want, but I thought they did," Ruff said. "The more they acted like idiots, the more we wanted to play."

What did the wonderfully classy Ken Hitchcock have to say? (for the obtuse, or any Flyers fans reading this, please note my dripping sarcasm)

"That's Lindy's opinion," Hitchcock said. "I've seen his teams do the same thing. So he ought not to talk about that."

He took just one more question and then stomped off like a little baby, swearing and crying that Ruff should mind his own business. See the article from NHL.com for the complete write-up.

So Coach Hitchcock basically admitted to the thuggery - "I've seen his teams do the same thing". This is exactly what the NHL needs to avoid, in my opinion. In the playoffs, you want to see speed, skill, hustle and grit - not guys delivering forearm shivers like Hatcher did (if you want that, go watch Ultimate Fighting Championships).

Of course, the best part, from the Pittsburgh perspective, is that the Flyers are getting beat up and Hitchcock is crying. Great that they didn't make it through to the second round!!

World Championships start Friday

The Penguins website has an article about the players going to the World Championship. It breaks down this way:
Crosby - Canada
Koltsov - Belarus
Surovy - Slovakia
Malkin - Russia
Malone, Hilbert and Orpik - USA

This will only be good for these guys. I'm hoping for superb individual performances for Crosby and Malkin, and a first place finish for Team USA (that's really dreaming big...)

Follow the schedule and scores on www.iihf.com

Pens in the news...

A few odds and ends -

The article that Will was nice enough to post in the comments of the prior entry has been basically rewritten for the Post-Gazette. I'm not saying plagerized - just that the information is pretty much the same, and the Post-Gazette's article appeared today and the Reuters article appeared yesterday... wonder why the Post-Gazette didn't simply pick up and publish the Reuters article?

Anyway, this is probably just a GM in Russia trying to get extra money since he can see as plainly as everyone else that there will likely be a transfer agreement in place in the near future. His demands don't really deserve any attention, in my opinion.

In other news, Ken Sawyer speaks up to remind everyone that the only guarentee for the team staying in Pittsburgh is if the Isle of Capri is granted the slots license. This is a direct response to Dan Onorato saying on the radio that he's confident the team will remain here, no matter who wins the slots license. The team can start talking to other cities this summer, just as they are also up for sale. If IOC doesn't get the slots license, I'd say just about anything could happen.

Baby Pens survive!

The Baby Pens won their first round series against Bridgeport, coming back from 2-0 and 3-2 defecits. This is actually a double bonus for the big club, as those young guys will again get a longer taste of playoff hockey, and perhaps more importantly, Marc Andre Fleury was the winning goaltender in both elimination games. Take a look at their website for more.

Of course, in the fine tradition of our local Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there was absolutely no news I could find on the Penguins or Baby Pens in the Sunday paper. The seventh game of the series was Saturday night. Of course, I'm not being fair - Saturday was the NFL Draft, and your beloved Steelers traded up to pick Santonio Holmes. There was no bigger news than that in Pittsburgh over the weekend. How sad. (disclaimer - I am a huge Steeler fan as well - I just get tired of the single-minded yinzers thinking that the Steelers have to dominate everything to do with sports around here)

Penguins news

First off, Ryan Malone, Andy Hilbert and Brooks Orpik will play for Team USA in the World Championships. This is great for the development of these guys. I'd imagine that depending on how the Baby Pens do in the playoffs, you might see Ryan Whitney added to this team.

Dave Molinari has a Q&A in the Post-Gazette today. It's not a bad read, but one person asks him who is working on getting Malkin over here since there is no GM currently, and Dave pretty much ignores the question and describes how the situation is more favorable to Malkin coming over, due to a new president of the Russian Hockey Federation. Useful information for sure, but not really an answer to the question...

Post-Gazette goes public with opinion on slots plan

Check it out here - the basics are that they think the Isle of Capri plan will do the most for the city of Pittsburgh. I have to admit - I usually don't read the editorials, which is probably why I didn't know about this one. I only have Bill Toland's excellent Casino Journal to thank for that.

mmmm - this crow tastes good - shame I seem to eating so much of it lately... (though this is for a good cause)

Quick Happy News

Nothing makes me happier than the Rangers missing the playoffs. Seeing as how we didn't get that this year, I suppose it's just as satisfying that they're now down 3 games to none in their playoff series with the Devils. They face the possibility of being swept on Saturday night.

But, you know, as I type this, I'm finding that it isn't making me as happy as it used to. I didn't hate the Rangers quite as much this year as I have in the past. Maybe it's all of the former Pens that play on their roster. Maybe it's that they can't try to buy their way to the playoffs anymore (and fail miserably). Probably, it's that they weren't quite as much of jerks when the Pens played them this year.

I think my least favorite this year were the Flyers (of course) and probably the Canadiens, just because Souray is classless.

What about you? Who did you despise this year as an opponent?

Quick thanks...

To Bill Toland of the Post-Gazette for the mention of Igloo Dreams in his Casino Journal. Read it here.

I read it every day. If you're interested in the latest casino news, you should too.

Season review - Post-Gazette

Dave Molinari has a nice analysis of the season for the Penguins that was in the Sunday paper. You can read it via this link. I do have a few thoughts on Dave's rankings... so read the article and then take a look at the following:

Basically, Dave ranks everyone on the team, highlighting a few players that performed well ("Pleasant Surprises") and a few more who didn't ("Disappointments").

I agree on the surprises - Crosby, Armstrong and Hilbert are all good candidates for that category. In fact, I'd put Crosby and (probably) Armstrong in a "Smashing success" category. Both played exceedingly well given what was expected of them. The only additions I might make to this category might be Koltsov and Whitney. Konstantin for his work ethic, forechecking and penalty killing (were you really expecting him to be a second line player before the season started?) and Whitney for showing that he can handle playing 20-25 minutes per night and be an offensive force. Now that I think about it, I might also move Melichar up here too. He played (as Dave notes) against the other team's top forwards all season and was only a -2 for the year. That's pretty darn good for one of our defensemen.

As far as the "As Expected" players, I'd move a few to this category that were in the "Disappointments" catetory - namely Gonchar and Malone. Gonchar finished 8th in scoring among NHL defensemen. That simple fact alone should help erase all of those bad feelings from early in the year. I know he was really, really, really bad early on, but he was really good late - I'd say that averages out to an "As Expected". As for Malone, he's another one who started off slowly, but really came into his own as the season progressed. He showed his value as a penalty killer, as well as being an offensive threat. I also didn't see him trying to puck handle as much as the season went on. I'd put him at "As Expected", because if you told me before the season that he's have 20+ goals on this team, I'd have said that would be great.

Most of the others I have no issue with. Roy and Thibault are popular scapegoats (as is Gonchar... undeservedly, in my opinion). I might move VandenBussche to a Disappointment, and I might move Surovy there too... he's been up here at the NHL level before, and he seemed to vanish as the season went on, though his penchant for picking up minor penalties didn't vanish.

Anyway, what do you think?

Michael Therrien - returning

Ken Sawyer, Penguins President, announced that Michael Therrien would return for next season, regardless of who the new GM will be.

This is probably a good thing for the team. They were building some consistency and chemistry as the season wound down. What remains to be seen is how veteran free agents will react in terms of coming to Pittsburgh to play, and how the Pens present veteran players (like Leclair and Gonchar) will take to a full season of the taskmaster.

I think it's a good thing to build a young team with a structured system - look at what Kevin Constantine was able to accomplish with the Pens back in the late 90s.

Pens draft #2

The lottery was held, and the Penguins will draft second.

This is as expected, and guarentees that they will get either Kessel, Johnson or Staal. Can't see them going wrong with any of those picks. Personally, I'd like to see Kessel brought in to play winger - he could be the scorer the team needs. If he goes first, then Johnson for sure, as the Pens aren't deep on defense after Welch.

What do you all think?

Craig Patrick - not returning

The Penguins are declining to renew the contract of Craig Patrick, effectively releasing him from his duties as general manager.

The search for his replacement starts immediately.

If you want more details on who his replacements might be, I'd suggest listening to Mark Madden on ESPN Radio 1250 this afternoon.

Maple Leafs 5, Penguins 3

This game was a microcosm of the Penguins season as a whole. For the first two periods of the game, the effort wasn't really there. Nobody seemed interested in playing. Bob Errey was talking about how the players were playing "pond hockey" because no one was wanting to hit anybody.

Then in the third, down 5-1, the Pens got two quick goals and were hopping. They threw a ton of shots and opportunities at Aubin, and just couldn't get the fourth goal past him. You had the feeling if they had been able to get #4, they would have also scored #5 (at least I had that feeling...)

Crosby added two more points, breaking Mario Lemieux's team rookie record of 100 points. He also became the first rookie in the history of the NHL with over 100 points (102) and over 100 penalty minutes (108). If you had asked me before the season if Crosby would have more points or penalty minutes, there would have been no hesitation in choosing points. How much money could you have made in Vegas with this little bet? Anyway, I think it's a testament to Crosby's unwillingness to take crap from other teams and stick up for himself.

Caron had a few positively amazing saves in the first period, and Fleury was great in relief of Caron.

In watching the game, you could see the nucleus of the team on the ice. You could also get a sense of who may or may not be here next year. I can see any of the following players heading out to other teams - Cairns, Boguniecki, Melichar/Scuderi (one of them), Surovy (though he's still young, so you'd hate to give up on him), Caron and maybe Rita. I'm not saying I think they'll be gone, but I think they're the most likely.

Of course, there's lots of time to talk about this stuff now that the season is over. Be sure to keep checking back for all kinds of articles about the Pens and any arena news that should arise.

It has been a fun season, and I've enjoyed writing this blog. I hope you've enjoyed reading it, and I hope you'll keep coming back to talk about the Pens during the off-season.

The draft order will be determined on Thursday!

Let's go Pens!

Post-Gazette shows its colors

So, on Sunday, the Post-Gazette actually had an article about the Pittsburgh First rally, taking place today. It was a nice article, written by Mark Belko (here's a link) . The article talks about the rally being held by Pittsburgh First today outside the William Penn downtown. The article also discusses the efforts being made by Harrahs / Forrest City. However, when you read the article, take a look at the headline (I'll quote it verbatim as it appeared on the front page of the Sunday paper) - "Bidders pull out the stops on slots" with a smaller headline of "Rally to coincide with state hearing". Considering the most relevant (and the only new) piece of information in the article is the Pittsburgh First rally, don't you think it might have been worth mentioning that in the headline? What I'm saying specifically is that the headline could have mentioned Pittsburgh First, or IOC, since it is their rally. From what I understand, the people that write the articles don't write the headlines, so the decision is made by people that have a larger job of guiding the paper.

Of course, I could just be nitpicking again. That seems to be a hobby of mine... and I guess I've joined the misleading headline brigade with my own title to this article :)

Penguins 6, Islanders 1

This game wasn't as lopsided as it would seem, at least until Crosby got his 100th point, and then you just kind of knew it was over.

The Penguins did have the better of the play in the first, taking a 2-0 lead. The Islanders cut it to 2-1, and it remained that way until just past the 15:00 mark in the second. That's when Colby Armstrong, from the right point, threw a pass down the slot to Crosby, who took the pass from between his skates and tapped it over to Tomas Surovy for the easy goal. That was point #99. Just 25 seconds later, after Jason Blake left his feet to hit Colby (cheap hit, btw) against the boards, the Pens were starting the power play. Crosby took a pass from Leclair just inside the zone, again at the right point, and zipped a nifty pass to a breaking Ryan Malone. Malone wound up and fired it past Garth Snow. That was #100. Truthfully, that was probably a save that Snow should have made, but I'm not complaining.

What followed, as I mentioned in a previous entry, was awe inspiring. From the expression of joy on Crosby's face, to the reaction from the crowd, it was an unbelievable sight. This was one of those nights you wished you were at the Igloo.

Tonight, Sid the Kid has the opportunity to stick it to those nice folks north of the border by tacking on several more points in the home of hockey, Toronto. He also has the chance to do something I would have thought unthinkable - get back to a positive +/- rating!! He's currently at a -1. That would be an impressive way to finish the year.

The Pens have locked up the second spot in the draft lottery. Let's hope the go out and kick the tar our of the Leafs tonight.

Let's go Pens!

100!!!! Sidney Crosby makes history

Midgame update - the Pens are leading the Islanders 4-1 after two periods. Sidney Crosby has scored three points tonight (all assists), two in the second period on great passes. He is now the youngest player in history to reach 100 points.

The ovation at the arena was inspiring - it was a sea of white towels that seemed to go on for several minutes. I know it's only a short term thing, but I don't care if the Pens finish ahead of the Blues - I want them to win tonight (two points tonight will guarentee they can't finish last).

Let's go Pens!

Busy week

This week has a bunch of things happening...

First off, the final two game of the regular season. These two games will determine if Sidney Crosby can cross 100 points, and if the Pens will be seeded first or second in the draft lottery.

Second, the Gaming Control Board will be in downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a big rally being put together by Pittsburgh First on Tuesday. I may try to go down in the afternoon (free parking in Mellon Square after 3:00, I believe).

Third, the determination of the draft order takes place on Thursday. I remember how crappy it was two years ago when Washington moved up to get Ovechkin... but we did wind up with a nice consolation prize in the way of Malkin. Let's hope for the #1 spot so the team has it's pick of who it wants.

On the blog, I'll still be writing after the season is over. There are lots of topics I'd like to cover, including:

• Arena news (obviously) including the team having the ability to start shopping itself to other cities this summer
• Draft news
• Player reviews (I did some of these at mid-season)
• End of year awards
  

If there's anything else you'd like to talk about or want me to write about, just put in a comment.

That's all for now. I'm going to try to see some of the game tonight. I'll be watching tomorrow night for sure as Crosby goes for 100.

Let's go Pens!

Islanders 5, Penguins 4 (OT - SO)

Yes, I'm a slug. This review is late, and I didn't see any of the game. We went out to dinner last night with some family (never turn down a free meal, eh?)

Anyway, there are two main points to talk about:

First, Sidney Crosby was held without a point. He now needs three points in the final two games. The first game is Monday night against the Islanders, who just stone-walled him. The second game is in Toronto. I think it would be wonderfully appropriate for Sid to cross the 100 point plateau right in the heart of hockey for Canada, just as a way to stick it to them for not putting him on the Olympic team. Let's hope he can pull it off.

Second, and perhaps more troubling, the Pens are now tied with the Blues for the bottom spot in the league. The first tiebreaker, I believe, is wins. The teams are tied. The second is goal differential, which is where the Blues take the pathetic cake over the Pens - they're currently a -94, compared to the Pens -75. What the Pens really need is a win by the Blues, or a game going to OT at the very least. The last game for the Blues is Tuesday night at Chicago.

Penguins 5, Rangers 3

So, here are the important things to get out of the way after their big win tonight:

• Sidney Crosby had four points, leaving him only three points shy of 100 with four games remaining.
• The Pens are still one point behind the Blues.
• Most importantly, the Penguins did indeed kick the stuffing out of the Rangers.

The Rangers made the game interesting in the third period, but you'd expect that from a team that has 100 points on the season. The Pens held off the charge, and put the game away for good on a great pass from Crosby to Armstrong, who showed great patience in turning the puck over to put it into the net.

One curious thing - the Rangers didn't pull their goalie (Weekes) when they were down two goals until there were just 36 seconds left in the game. They had a great chance to pull him with about 1:30 remaining, and Weekes wanted to come off, but the Rangers didn't pull him.

More needs to be said about the maturation of the top two lines of the Penguins. Crosby, Armstrong and Hilbert are a threat each time they're on the ice. Sometimes, it seems as though they can have trouble getting the puck out of their own end, but once in the offensive zone, they regularly put pressure on the opposition. Along the same vein, the second line of Leclair, Malone and Koltsov has come together quite well. They have a slightly different style, but they also contribute regular pressure. They're also better in their own end than the top line, in my opinion.

One last thing - Ouellet's goal in the first period was a gorgeous goal - he roofed the shot into the corner of the net over Weeke's right shoulder (as I type this, they just showed the replay of the goal on Fox Sports). Certainly the goal-scorer's goal, as Bob Errey so kindly pointed out.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette coverage... UPDATE!

Between the second and third periods of tonight's game (Pens kicking stuffing out of the Rangers so far, by the way), I checked some more stuff on the Post-Gazette website. There's been another mention of the Pittsburgh First rally downtown next Tuesday, this time in the Casino Journal section of the Post-Gazette written by Bill Toland. Looks like it's moving up in importance a little bit. We'll see if it merits any coverage in the Sunday paper outside of the niche columns (like in the front section or the Region).

Still a Post-Gazette bias? You decide!

So the Pittsburgh First coalition is planning a rally downtown for next Tuesday, the same day the Gaming Control Board is meeting. This rally has merited some good coverage. I was listening to KDKA Radio this morning, and not only was it a segment on the morning show, but it was also metioned in their news broadcast - fairly high profile.

Where is it in the Post-Gazette?

The only place I've found it so far is the same place it was last time there was a rally - buried at the end of a Penguin's Notebook by Dave Molinari. We'll see if they mention it anywhere else before Tuesday. It hasn't been mentioned yet in the Casino Journal that is running in the Post-Gazette... much less anywhere else.

The Post-Gazette is more than happy to let you know, however, that the "Penguins won't commit to Rendell's Plan B for new arena". The headline, of course, it somewhat misleading, since what the Penguins really said was that they thought the plan was incomplete and it needed to be looked at more closely. Literally, they're right - the Penguins wouldn't commit. However, that is clearly not the spirit of what they were saying.

More arena news

So, Ken Sawyer, Penguins CEO, has said that the Plan B proposed by Governor Rendell is "incomplete". Basically, the main sticking points are that the other two casino candidates have not committed to provide the $7.5 million per year, and the Pens are unsure that the Governor can unilaterally state that $7 million will come from the local share of the casino revenue without a change in state law.

Read the article - my favorite quote, without a doubt, was from the Governor's office, when asked about the legality of using the previously earmarked funds from the local share of slots revenue, the Governor's office said that they saw no problem with using the money without changing state law - they said "Why would we propose something that's not legal?" This is, of course, the same Governor who proposed a state budget, had it approved by the legislature, and then VETOED HIS OWN BUDGET. So while I'm sure they wouldn't do something patently illegal, let's just say I'm not quite trusting them in their attention to detail or due dilligence.

More interestingly, Forrest City has said that they're not going to commit to providing the $7.5 million until the Penguins commit to Plan B. Does this seem stupid to anyone else? You're asking the Pens to commit to a plan where the funding isn't set? I think we're all still being played for fools by these guys.

Flyers 4, Penguins 3

Tonight was another moral victory. The Pens played a great first and third period, rallying from a 3-0 defecit. The Flyers got a power play on what looked like a weak call on Andre Roy and converted it into the winning goal. You couldn't tell if the call on Roy was a good one because there was only one replay from the weak OLN coverage, and it wasn't a good angle.

Overall, this is a game where the Pens battled back, showed some pride and poise, and could easily have tied or won the game if Esche hadn't played extremely well.

Crosby and Gonchar both had good nights, with Crosby scoring the game-tying goal in the third to go with an assist, and Gonchar adding a helper on each goal. Gonchar continues to look better and better, in my opinion, and should really be a force on the blue line next season.

The Pens are currently three points behind the Blues, who are playing as I type this (they're scoreless with Nashville). If they finish tied, the first tie-breaker is number of wins (Pens 20, Blues 21 - edge Penguins) followed by goal differential (Pens -76, Blues -85 - edge Blues). As much as I hate seeing the Pens lose to those losers from across the state, I do like that they're in the driver's seat, so to speak, with respect to the top spot in the lottery.

Next up are the Rangers on Thursday at the Igloo. Another game I'd rather see the Pens win...

Let's go Pens!

Lightning 1, Penguins 0

The Pens looked good last night, for the most part. They were beaten on a turning backhand shot that was perfect. They had several excellent chances, but couldn't seem to beat Sean Burke (more of a credit to Burke than a criticism of the Penguins). The play was fairly evenly split, and even when the Lightning were keeping the play in the Penguin's end of the ice, the defense was pretty good, which is to say that the Lightning didn't have tons of high quality scoring chances.

If the Pens can take this quality of play, add a few more skill players (like Malkin, for one), they're going to be fine. The work ethic is there. The system appears to be there. They're usually staying in games, and showing the ability to come from behind when needed. They just need a bit more talent. You can really see now what Craig Patrick thought he had at the beginning of the year, when he had Palffy, Recchi and Lemieux. If those three were inserted into the team now, I think the results would be different. Of course, the changes that the team went through are what made them who they are today, so I'd have to say that my own argument is a bit specious...

Anyway, as I've been saying, I'd rather see moral victories and a guarentee of one of the top two picks in the draft. Next year, the Pens won't care if they went out on a winning streak, but they might care if they were able to draft Kessel...

Sidney Crosby was injured last night - an undisclosed lower-body injury. He returned in the third period, but his minutes were somewhat limited. He said that there was swelling involved and that nobody inflicted the injury upon him, so I have to guess that he sprained an ankle.

Next up for the Pens is a game Tuesday night in Philly. I know I said I'd rather see moral victories, as opposed to actual wins, but I'm setting that sentiment aside for Tuesday. I hope they kick the tar out of the Flyers.

Penguins 5, Panthers 1

Wow. Tonight, the Penguins kicked the crap out of the Panthers from one end of the ice to another. It wasn't even all that competitive - once the Penguins took the ice for the start of the second period, up 2-0, they netted a short-handed goal and never looked back (more on the shortie later).

Sidney Crosby was great tonight, netting just the second four point night of his career. He
now has 91 points on the season, I believe, in his quest to reach 100. Okay - it isn't really Sidney's quest - he couldn't care less, by his own admission. But Bob Errey sure does like to talk about it, so it's worth mentioning here. For someone who probably should have hit the rookie wall, he's playing awfully well. Could we expect anything less from Sid?

Everyone played well tonight. I did notice a few things specifically:

• We're really starting to see why we paid Gonchar all that money. I think he's going to be the cornerstone of that blue line for years to come in Pittsburgh.
• We're also being treated to a great effort by Ryan Malone lately, who added another short-handed goal tonight. I'm really glad we kept him around at the trade deadline - he'll be really valuable next season.
• Ryan Whitney is quickly becoming the player who should bring the puck up the ice on the power play. He's really stepping up, and considering this is only his rookie year, he's really only going to get better.
• Caron is making a great case for finding a way to dump Thibault before next season. Not sure how I feel about that one yet, but Caron is making the most of his opportunities.
  

It was a great win, but the Pens are now only one point behind the Blues, who have lost 12 straight games (3 in OT). I'd really rather see the Pens finish last, so they're guarenteed one of the top two picks...

EDIT - ya know, you read your own article the next morning, and see something that says "more on the shortie later" and then there's nada, zippo, zilch... and you wonder what you were thinking when you wrote it (or IF you were thinking...) What I wanted to say is that there have been several signs of the Apolcalypse this season (Roy scores a game winner, Surovy fights, etc), but this one tops them all - the Penguins scored TWO short-handed goals in the same game. That goes to show how far this team has come, when previously, we'd be silently hoping they didn't get awarded any power plays, for fears they'd give up a shortie... back to the original article, already in progress :)

Anyway, I do have a few other thoughts, but it's past my bedtime :)

Game tomorrow against Tampa Bay. Short turnaround - let's see if the Pens can beat another team to hurt their playoff chances.

Let's Go Pens!

Devils 6, Penguins 4

So the Penguins simply got beat up last night, from the drop of the puck. They outshot the Devils, but in the third, when they were trying to come back, they were unable to muster much offense against the Devils system.

The biggest thing that stood out to me last night was Crosby's double minor in the third - he gets a hooking call (probably justified) and drops his stick (it was tied up under Madden's arm, mysteriously). The stick drops to the ground. Madden, in a show of great sportsmanship, picks up the stick and throws it. Sid complains and gets a second minor. Nothing for Madden. The zebras really need to drop the attitude when dealing with Crosby - it seems to be getting out of hand again. I don't care if he's a rookie or not - there should be no such thing as having to "earn the calls" through experience.

One of the things I'd like to take a look at when the season is over is just how penalties were called throughout the entire season. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starting to see a ton more borderline obstruction scenarios occurring. I think they're also being much more strict with the icing (in those cases where the puck goes right past an offensive player, such that it was an attempted pass, the refs have the option to waive off the icing at their judgement). I think you can't leave things as a judgement call for these guys in stripes - they caused the problems that forced the rule changes to begin with (such as allowing the clutching, grabbing and interference).

Anyway, four goals is a good amount to put on Brodeur, but the Pens defense wasn't able to do the job tonight. Let's hope for better next time (though not *too* strongly, since the Pens are just three points away from St Louis, and the Blues are doing their best to lose as much as possible. I'll take moral victories and the #1 draft pick any day over a win streak to end the season.

Next up is a trip to Florida, where the Pens always seem to be distracted by the nice weather just enough to get the stuffing kicked out of them.

Let's play a game...

In honor of The Wife, who will sometimes have trouble matching the number with the player for the Pens, we'll have a little matching game today. You match the player with their number. See how many you can get right.

On a quick side note, is there any sport besides hockey where the numbers on the jersey are more used? I know with football, I know most of the numbers for the Steelers... but it's critical in hockey. Does anyone pay attention to numbers in baseball or basketball (other than the big names, obviously)?

Here we go - match the player with their number:

Colby Armstrong	a - 19
Konstantin Koltsov	b - 2
Jani Rita	c - 5
Sidney Crosby	d - 71
Rob Scuderi	e - 29
Josef Melichar	f - 36
Marc-Andre Fleury	g - 44
John Leclair	h - 9
Andy Hilbert	i - 4
Brooks Orpik	j - 20
Noah Welch	k - 87
Ryan Whitney	l - 10
Andre Roy	m - 28

Answers are below in white - you need to drag over then with the mouse to see them:
Colby - j (20)
Konstantin - d (71)
Jani - m (28)
Sidney - k (87)
Rob - c (5)
Josef - b (2)
Marc-Andre - e (29)
John - l (10)
Andy - h (9)
Brooks - g (44)
Noah - i (4)
Ryan - a (19)
Andre - f (36)

Did you get them all? I'm wondering if The Wife would care to post her score in the comments? :) (I'm also hoping I got them all correct myself, as I'm doing this entirely from memory...)

Devils 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

The Pens game out firing against the Devils, who seemed to be a bit weary from having played yesterday. The only problem was that the Pens could only get two past Brodeur in the first period. After that, they couldn't do much of anything. However, in this case, it wasn't for lack of trying. The Pens weren't content to sit on a lead and play it safe - they kept attacking - they just weren't successful at it. The Devils outshot the Penguins 28 to 11 over the last two periods.

This loss, while it sucks, it nothing to be ashamed of. The Pens played a good game, and just couldn't get that third goal past Brodeur. They also just missed the empty net a few times at the end of the third.

Fleury played quite well - the goals he allowed weren't bad (even the goal in OT to Mighty Mouse). He's continuing to progress, in my opinion, and it well on his way to becoming a great #1 goaltender.

The Pens take to the road this week, with their next game being Wednesday night, with another chance to play the Devils.