Game #30 - vs Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers (8-18-4, 20 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (13-11-5, 31 pts)

The Penguins were waiting in Pittsburgh as the Flyers lost to the Rangers last night. Let's hope the lovely friends from Philly are nice and tired when they get here, especially those big, slow D guys like Hatcher. Speaking of Hatcher, did you see the hit he delivered to Jagr last night? Looked like the elbows were up a little bit...

The Pens are coming off of a thrilling comeback win over the Caps in Washington on Monday night. They showed great tenacity in coming back from a 4-0 deficit over an improved Capital team.

The Pens have faced the Flyers 4 times already this year, going 4-0 against them. They beat Esche once and Nittymaki three times.

The Flyers haven't been especially hot on either the power play or the penalty kill. They have three PP goals in the last two games, but have also allowed several PK goals recently. Their PK was really good earlier this year, but has come back down to earth a little bit (though not nearly as much as the Penguins, who are back to levels that are near last season).

Flyers blog - Check out Flyers Fan Central for a well written Flyers blog.

It seems to be a nice thing to play Philly this season, and I'll take it while I can get it. I'm looking for a convincing home victory for the Pens to continue the momentum they gathered on their road trip. Malone scores and the Pens win.

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 5, Capitals 4 (OT - SO 2-1)

Wow. This is the kind of game that can turn a season on it's end. The Pens have been struggling of late, but now have earned 5 points on a three game road trip, punctuated by a HUGE comeback win tonight in Washington.

All you need to know about the early part of the game is that the Pens were down 4-0 by the early part of the second period. They had allowed a power play goal, by Kris Beech no less, and a short-handed goal. These were sandwiched around two goals by Chris Clark.

First, the Penguins got a grinding goal by Max Talbot. Then, Christensen and Crosby scored just 35 second apart (Thank you Mr. Ollie the Goalie). Malkin scored 3:20 into the third period to tie the game and it went to OT.

Malkin took a bad, bad, bad (did I mention bad?) elbowing penalty with 2.3 seconds remaining in the third period, so the Pens had to kill off 2 minutes of 4 on 3 hockey. They did it, had a few chances and got the game to the shoot out.

In the shootout, Christensen led off and made Ollie look really bad. Green couldn't score for the Caps and Crosby failed wide for the Pens (he doesn't seem to use any speed when he's taking penalty shots... and I don't know why). Ovechkin scored a great goal for the Caps to knot things up at 1-1 and I developed a sick feeling in my stomach. That ill feeling was for naught, however, when Malkin became the second Penguin to embarrass Kolzig in the shootout, putting the Penguins up 2-1. Chris Clark, he of the two goals in regulation, basically shot the puck straight into Fleury's glove, and the Pens won the game.

Like I said at the start, this was a TREMENDOUS comeback from a 4 goal deficit. I'm hoping we're looking back on this road trip (and this game in particular) as the time when the season turned around for the Pens and propelled them into the playoffs.

Next up: vs Philadelphia at the Igloo on Wednesday. Nothing like the "Flyers Suck!" chant to welcome a team home after a three game road trip. I'll be watching. Will you?

Game #29 - at Washington Capitals

Pittsburgh Penguins (12-11-5, 29 pts) at Washington Capitals (13-10-6, 32 pts)

The Caps are one of the teams the Pens will have to get past if they want to continue their march towards the playoffs. What better way to help their cause than by earning two points while holding the Caps to NO points? I think it's about time for a win in regulation.

The Caps are somewhat similar to the Pens in that they're amazingly good when scoring four or more and amazingly bad when scoring three or less. When scoring four or more, their record is 12-1-0, and when scoring three or less, it is 1-9-6. The key to beating the Caps, therefore, is to keep them from putting up 4, which is something the Pens should be able to do - they've allowed more than three goals only three times in the past 10 games (and one of those was in a SO loss).

At the same time, the Pens need to keep the momentum they garnered on Saturday night against Atlanta. They need to have the same intensity and work ethic on a nightly basis. One thing is likely - the arena won't be nearly as crowded in Washington as it was in Atlanta - the Caps have drawn under 12,500 for four of their past six home games.

Caps Blog - Those Washington bloggers are on the ball! There are not one, but two game previews up on Caps blogs. On the Caps blog on the MVN network, Gregg Kramer warms my heart with tales of past Penguin success (though I'm not sure he's trying to make us feel better in Pittsburgh). Over at Jasper's rink, JP seems to think this is a "should win" for the Caps. Not sure I agree, but then, I wouldn't, would I?

I'm looking for another good road effort where the Pens don't allow a tying goal late in regulation.

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 4, Thrashers 3 (OT)

Great win for the Pens tonight. Malkin and Crosby both score. The team gets a goal from the defense (Ryan Whitney) and Army nets the winner in OT. Can't get much much better than that.

The Pens were kicking the stuffing out of the Thrashers, but could never build more than a one goal lead. Considering how things went the other night, that's probably not a bad thing, eh?

A few positive signs:

• The Pens out shot the Thrashers 43-23. That's great against an offensive team like Atlanta.
• Army, Crosby, Malkin, Christensen and Ouellet all had four or more shots.
• Dupont, Gonchar and Whitney combined for 12 shots. That's a great number from the blue line.
• The Pens showed great resiliency in not folding on the road against a tough team - these are hard won points that bode quite well for the future.

One last thing - my favorite pet peeve. If you've read this blog for a while, you know what's coming. Somehow, the local media in Atlanta thought that the Thrashers players deserved the #1 and #2 stars (Malkin was third). I'm not quite sure how that is, considering the home team got thoroughly dominated, and was only in the game because of some timely scoring. However, I'll trade the victory for giving away all three star positions any day of the week.

Next up: at Washington on Monday. Should be another tough one.

Game #28 - at Atlanta Thrashers

Pittsburgh Penguins (11-11-5, 27 pts) at Atlanta Thrashers (18-8-4, 40 pts)

First order of business against the Thrashers - remember the past! Last year, the Pens went into a home and home with Atlanta with the chance to really turn the season around. Instead, this and this happened. It pretty much put the Pens season on ice (as if it wasn't already at that point). The first game was the telling one with Kovalchuk pointing at Crosby in the penalty box after Kovalchuk had scored. No one did anything except for Max Talbot at the end of the game, as I remember, and no one did anything to Kovalchuk. Someone please tag him tonight.

Anyway, more to the point of tonight's game - the Thrashers can flat out score. They are 4th in the NHL in goals scored. However, they also have allowed more goals than the Pens. If the Pens can play a decent defensive game and shut down the big guns from the Thrashers (namely the aforementioned Kovalchuk and Hossa), they have a shot.

The Thrashers have taken more penalties than the Pens have, and allowed just as many power play goals. From what I'm seeing, the Thrashers will give up some goals, but hope to out score their opponents. That plays well into the Penguins strengths of controlling tempo and flow (when they're on their game).

Rob Scuderi won't play tonight again. He wasn't a healthy scratch - he has a virus that has caused him to lose 10 pounds! Sounds like a nasty stomach flu if you ask me.

Thrashers blog - today we'll go with the Blueland Blog, which is on the official team site of the Atlanta Thrashers. In the entry for this morning, we see that Bob Hartley doesn't expect any trouble from last season. Easy to say when your guy got away with the trash talking. We'll see how the Pens feel about it tonight.

I'm looking for another strong road effort, with a few more goals against the less disciplined Thrashers. Malkin and Malon both score and the Pens win.

Let's Go Pens!

Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (OT - SO)

The Pens played the perfect road game for over two periods. Then they allow a short-handed goal, and you can guess the rest. Michel Therrien seemed to think the shortie was the fault of Eric Christensen, because he really didn't play at all after the Rangers got the goal.

Say it with me - the most dangerous thing in hockey is the two goal lead. You'd rather be up by one or three. Two is a problem.

It seems everything is a problem for the Flightless Birds lately. They also couldn't get a goal in the shootout, despite three attempts (by Crosby, Malkin and Eckman).

I'm not ready to get all that upset by this one. The Pens did some great things tonight (including another fantastic Crosby goal - he's really stepping up). I'm going to hold judgment until I see how they play on Saturday against Atlanta - I know - that's so nice of me, isn't it? (sarcasm alert)

The Pens did earn a point on the road, and hopefully got themselves back into a good track of playing decent hockey.

Next up: in Atlanta to play that pointing punk Kovalchuk (I hope someone decks him)

Game #27 - at New York Rangers

Pittsburgh Penguins (11-11-4, 26 pts) at New York Rangers (13-10-4, 30 pts)

The Rangers are struggling. They've lost 4 straight since their OT victory against the Pens last week (though three of the four losses were in OT). They've been allowing a bunch of goals and Lundqvist asked to be pulled from Sunday's game against the Islanders. Struggling, for sure.

We all know how nice the Penguins are to teams that are struggling, right? If you need a reminder, just think back two nights ago to the game at the Igloo against Florida.

The key to beating the Rangers remains the same. Keep them off of the power play, shut down the chances they get with the man-advantage and take advantage of your own opportunities. This won't be easy - the Pens have been sputtering on the PK lately, and the Rangers have scored 6 PP goals in the last three games.

Jordan Staal will play tonight. Micki Dupont will play as well. Michel Ouellet will return to the lineup. According to pittsburghsportsinsider.com, the scratches will be Scuderi, Petrovicky and Thorburn. If these are true, I'm kind of surprised. The team will be much less physical with only Ruutu in the enforcer category. Who is going to be the back man on the 5 on 3 PK? I'm so used to seeing Scuderi with his stick on the ice back there...

Rangers blog - there are a bunch of these, but for today we'll go with Rangers Report, since they're the only one I've found that says much of anything about the game tonight. Most of them are buzzing about Jarkko Immonen getting his shot tonight for the Rangers, centering the second line. Supposedly, he's a bit slow of skate, which should play well for the Pens with their team speed.

I'm looking for a good road game tonight with a close win. The Pens need to get on the other side of the "almost there" hump like they were early in the season. This road trip is crucial - there could be real trouble for the season (and Therrien) if it goes poorly.

Let's Go Pens!

Panthers 3, Penguins 2

This game, to me, boils down to two things:

1. The Penguins showed tremendous effort in the third period in coming back to tie the score and almost take the lead. Sidney Crosby (and Malkin to a lesser extent) simply would not be denied. My question is: where was this effort all game long? I know it's a tremendous amount of energy to expend, but why not come out working like this? Malkin missing on the breakaway just after Crosby tied the score was probably the turning point of the game. They needed that one to go in.
2. Thibault allowed a goal on a slapshot from near the blue line with 5 minutes remaining, giving Florida the winning goal. Yes, the Panthers were on the power play, and yes, he was screened, but he was also down on his knees and not out far enough to prevent the screen. It was a huge goal that the Pens needed him to keep out. He couldn't do it.

I'm not sure what else to say. The Pens didn't play a bad game. They had a few unfortunate bounces go against them, such as with Roberts first goal - he played the puck with a high stick, and it was totally missed by the clueless zebras (and yes, they were clueless tonight, but that's not why the Pens lost). They generated lots of pressure on Auld, but kept missing the cage with their shots. If I were Therrien, I'd tell those guys to aim for the middle of the cage every time until they start getting shots on net, especially on shots from the point.

The rumor was that Therrien's job was on the line if the Pens fell tonight. It's no secret that Ray Shero wasn't allowed to bring in his own guy when he was hired. If he was looking for a good time to make a move, this would be it. The Pens are sliding fast, and can't afford to slide anymore if they have any hope of slipping into the playoffs. Looks like that fast start might be the worst thing that happened this year.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Crosby's game tying goal. It was a fantastic individual effort, adn the culmination of his dominating play over several shifts. We need to see more of that kind of play out of the Dynamic Duo.

Next up: at the Rangers on Thursday, starting a three game road trip.

Game #26 - vs Florida Panthers - UPDATE

Ryan Malone will play.

Jordan Staal will be a healthy scratch, though he could still be sick with the flu.

Alain Nasreddine will play.

Micki Dupont will not.

Thibault gets the start in goal.

Not sure why they recalled Dupont if they're not going to play him, especially since he has a skill they need, namely the right-handed shot from the point on the power play.

I don't like scratching Staal, but maybe he needs a break.

Hopefully Malone will be able to contribute. He'll likely play on the second line.

Game #26 - vs Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers (8-15-5, 21 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (11-10-4, 26 pts)

The Panthers have scored only one goal in the last four games. They've lost six straight. Their power play has not converted in it's last 17 chances. Do these all sound like reasons the Penguins should win this game? I think so.

The Panthers have the second ranked power play unit in the East, at 20.2%. Their penalty kill has stopped 15 of 17 chances in their last 4 games. The Panthers have out shot their opponents in 5 of their last 6 games. Do these all sound like things that will give the Penguins trouble in this game? Yep - I think so again.

The Pens should win this one at home.

The Pens NEED to win this one at home.

The lineup has gone through some shakeups over the last few days:

• Andre Roy is gone.
• Noah Welch is back in Wilkes-Barre.
• Micki Dupont and Alain Nasreddine are with the big club.
• Ryan Malone is likely to play (as of this writing).
• Either Melichar, Scuderi or Orpik is likely to be a healthy scratch, as the Pens have 7 defensemen, and they're not likely to bring the new guys up here to scratch them.

In other words, Ray Shero and Michel Therrien are trying to get the attention of the team. They're starting to slide, and shy of doing anything totally crazy, this is a nice way of telling the team to pick it up.

Now I'm going to introduce a Brand New Feature here at Igloo Dreams - it's a featured blog from the opponent! Wow! I can barely contain the excitement! Anyway... it's sometimes interesting to see how other teams perceive the Pens, or the current situation of their team.

Florida Panthers Blog - On Frozen Pond
This is a blog published by the Miami Herald, so I'm not so sure about honest reactions (just like listening to the Steelers' apologists here in Pittsburgh), but he does note that Auld will start in goal against the Pens and Nieuwendyk won't make the trip.

I'm looking for a convincing home win for the Pens with multiple point nights from Crosby, Malkin and Eckman.

Let's Go Pens!

Pens demote Welch, call up two

The Penguins have sent Noah Welch to Wilkes-Barre. They recalled Micki Dupont and Alain Nasreddine, both defensemen, from Wilkes-Barre.

I'm disappointed to see Welch go down, but he was averaging less ice time than any other D, and he was a -4 in his past 5 games. I think he has a big future here in the NHL, and hopefully he'll be back soon.

Dupont is here for one reason - the Pens want and need a right-handed shot on the power play. He'll be stationed out there to deliver just that. Remember early in the year how Letang could change the PP a bit with his shot? I'm thinking we'll see similar things out of Dupont, only Micki probably won't look as out of place as Letang did.

Nasreddine is, like Ouellet, a favorite of Therrien from his days in Wilkes-Barre. He's a solid D guy that probably won't be here very long. I'd count on him to be a stabilizing force while he's here.

Hat tip to Will for pointing this out in the comments!

Source - Tribune Review

Andre Roy claimed by Tampa Bay

Since I forgot to mention it earlier...

The Tampa Bay Lightning have claimed Andre Roy off of waivers from the Penguins.

He was claimed off of re-entry waivers, which makes the Pens responsible for half of his remaining salary and half of his salary next year (about $375,000 this year and $500,000 next year).

Remember when the Pens played the Lightning earlier this year and their coach (Tortelli) was bemoaning the loss of Roy? Now he has him back.

Source - www.tampabaylightning.com

Islanders 5, Penguins 3

Didn't see the entire game - only parts of it. I think I'm going to add Satan to my most despised list - he likes to deliver big / cheap hits and then won't take the resulting fight like a man. He looks all tough and then just holds on for dear life, even against someone like Mark Recchi last night. I really would have liked to see Welch get a few good swings in on him last week - he would have pummeled Satan.

Anyway, Pens lose. Close game. Need to win. Blah blah blah - this song is getting old.

I saw a stat in the Post-Gazette today that said the team was 4-7-4 in their last 15 games. That won't get it done. Maybe they were a flash in the pan earlier in the year. Maybe they really miss Mark Eaton. I don't care - they really need to get a few wins consecutively.

Next up: vs Florida at the Igloo. The Panthers are stuggling BIG time - the Pens have to get a win.

Devils 5, Penguins 2

This was a typical game against the Devils. The Penguins struggled to get anything going offensively. You thought they might have a chance when Evgeni Malkin snuck a cheap on past Martin Brodeur, but then the Devils turned on their typical trap (even more so after they took the lead 3-2), and the Pens were not only flightless, they were helpless. They did manage a few good chances, but Brodeur was up to the challenge.

Why is it I just don't feel like the Pens are in the game when they play the Devils? I just expect the Devils to kick their butt. I think it goes back to last season's opener, when Brodeur stoned the Pens early and the Devils went on the kick their butt (similar theme).

Tomorrow doesn't get any easier. If their flight is able to take off from New Jersey, the Pens come home to play the Isles, who are waiting in Pittsburgh for them. Is it really home ice advantage if the visitors are sitting in your city waiting for you to return? This post will most likely serve as the preview for tomorrow's game as well, unless I get a whole lot more time tomorrow than I think I'll have. It'll be a good rematch with the Isles, who have to be unhappy after their loss earlier in the week on Marc-Andre Fleury Day. Hopefully the Pens will be able to take out some of their frustration on the Isles.

Let's Go Pens!

Leclair clears waivers - Roy to WBS

John Leclair has cleared waivers. He can now be sent to Wilkes-Barre and recalled on re-entry waivers. The benefit to this is that anyone claiming him on re-entry waivers isn't responsible for as much of his $1.5 million salary - they only have to pick up half, I believe.

Andre Roy was assigned to Wilkes-Barre. According to the article, he is on re-entry waivers.

The Pens are essentially trying to give these guys away right now, with other teams paying half of their salary if they claim them off of re-entry waivers. From the Pens standpoint, it's better than cutting them outright, since they'd be responsible for the entire salary (as opposed to half).

Source - TSN

Game #24 - at New Jersey Devils

Pittsburgh Penguins (11-8-4, 26 pts) at New Jersey Devils (12-9-2, 26 pts)

The Penguins and Devils are tied for third place in the Atlantic Division, three points behind the Rangers. The Devils are coming off of a 0-3-1 West Coast swing, and they're trying to avoid losing 5 straight for the first time in 6 years. So, the question is, are the Penguins catching them at the right time? I'm leaning towards "NO!", since the Devils have been off since Monday, and because they have Mighty Mouse on their side. You just know he'd love to save the day.

The Devils actually took a few penalties on the road. They allowed six power play chances in two of their last three games (against Anaheim and LA). Both of those teams have great team speed. If the Pens can use their speed to their advantage, they might be able to draw a few penalties. To do that, though, they're going to have to get shots on Brodeur and go to the net.

One other really surprising thing - the Devils are just bad at even strength this year. Elias is a -14!! Rafalski is a -11!! The Pens need to find a way to get to Brodeur tonight. They should have their chances.

I'm looking for a good Pens road victory.

Let's Go Pens!

Pens waive Andre Roy

Andre Roy has cleared waivers as of today. This means the Pens can send him to Wilkes-Barre, keep him on the team, or release him.

I think with the Pens waiving Leclair and Roy, we're seeing a small roster shake-up. If nothing else, the team will be much faster than they are with those two guys in the lineup.

Source - TSN

Penguins waive John Leclair

There doesn't appear to be any official word yet, but the Pens have waived John Leclair.

He likely has little trade value, so once he clears waivers, he could still remain with the team. He could also be sent to Wilkes-Barre. He could also be released from the team, though I'm not sure they'd do that.

Let's hope that someone picks him up and that he has the chance to go out on his own terms.

Hat tip to Faux for the heads-up. Thanks!

Quarter Season Report

Since we're just past the first quarter of the season, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at where the team is so far, and where they seem to be headed.

Record: 11-8-4, 26 points

The Pens have 26 points through 23 games. Over an 82 game season, that projects to 92 points. We know from last season that will just barely put the Pens in line for the #8 spot in the playoffs. Last season, it took 92 points in the East and 95 in the West. The Pens are close, but they'll need to improve their play to get there.

Even Strength:
Goals Scored: 43
Goals Allowed: 42

The Pens have been a decent team at 5 on 5 hockey. They have the ability to possess the puck, and their third and fourth lines have done a decent job of keeping the puck in the offensive zone. The hidden stat here is that the Pens have yet to score a goal in a 4 on 4 situation, while allowing 5.

Power Play:
Goals Scored: 22 in 140 chances - 15.7%
Goals Allowed: 3 (1 short-handed, 2 empty net)

I'd have to say the power play is the biggest area of disappointment for me so far this season. The team is ranked 18th on the power play, at 15.7%. They are ranked #8 in the NHL with 140 chances in 23 games. To me, this is the biggest reason they've been unable to maintain a pace that would put them in the playoffs. They need some consistent scoring from the power play. You can see that they've clearly worked on some things - just watch Gonchar or Whitney at the point take the puck and skate laterally to change the shooting and passing angles. They didn't do that as much last year. Results are what counts, however, and the team simply isn't getting any right now.

Penalty Kill:
Goals Scored: 4
Goals Allowed: 24 in 140 chances - 82.9%

This has been another area of improvement over last year, but they are a different team at home versus on the road. At the Igloo, the team kills just over 90% of their penalties, while on the road, they kill just 74%. To put it another way, at home, the Pens are #4 in the NHL on the PK. On the road, the Pens are #27 on the PK. They (obviously) need to improve away from the friendly confines of the Mellon Arena. Shero's acquisitions have made a huge difference here, as Moore and Eaton (before he got hurt) especially have stepped right into prominent roles on the PK. This has also been Jordan Staal's biggest area of impact.

Overall, this is a very important part of the season for the Pens. They have 14 games coming up in December, and earning points now is critical. This isn't a team that has been in the playoff chase before, so I'd say their chances of making it are far better if they're on the inside looking out at the teams chasing them.

I think they can do it. Do you?

Penguins 3, Islanders 2

Wow. When I suggested that Colby would score his first of the year from Sid, I didn't expect it to happen just 1:34 into the game. Not that I'm complaining... quite the contrary! It was great to see the Pens get on the board early.

Of course, they couldn't score on the power play, but that's a minor complaint tonight.

Tonight was all about Flower Power. It was Marc-Andre Fleury's birthday. It was Marc-Andre Fleury bobble head night. It was Marc-Andre Fleury's night to shine, and shine he did. He shined the most during the third period, when the Penguins desperately needed him to shine. This is one of those games that the Pens would have found a way to lose last year. This year, Fleury practically stood on his head and kept the puck out of the net. It was great to see him step up like that on a big night.

The only disappointment I have from tonight is that someone didn't plaster Satan for his cheap hit and subsequent trash talking last Wednesday. I guess I can live with two points for the Pens and zero for the Isles as a worthwhile alternative.

Army almost had the hat trick, but he was hooked while going for an empty net goal. If the ref would have signaled penalty shot, he would have the goal automatically, but he only gave Poti a hooking minor. Someone threw their hat on the ice anyway. I was really happy for Armstrong to see him get his first two goals of the year.

Next up: at New Jersey on Friday and then back home against the Isles (again!) on Saturday.

Game #23 - vs New York Islanders

New York Islanders (12-7-3, 27 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (10-8-4, 24 pts)

The Pens and Isles are teams going in different directions, and it's starting to show in the standings. The Pens have lost three straight (2 on OT), while the Isles have won 4 straight and 6 of 8. They have 13 out of 16 possible points in their last 8 games.

The story for the Isles is still DiPietro. He has been stopping everything that is thrown at him recently, including last Wednesday against the Penguins.

The Isles will be without Alexi Yashin, while Sidney Crosby will return for the Penguins. This is huge for the Pens, who have only managed 5 goals in the three games that Sidney has missed.

I'm looking for a nice home victory tonight with Army finally breaking through for a much needed goal on a nice setup from Sid.

Let's Go Pens!

Rangers 2, Penguins 1 (OT)

Wow. Talk about a kick in the gut. That's what the end of the game was if you were watching it. Malkin almost wins the game with a fluky chip shot in OT. Staal can't convert on a penalty shot in OT. The Rangers then get the winning goal with 2.2 seconds remaining in the OT. Kick in the gut. Ugh.

This one was all about the third period. The Pens were protecting a 1-0 lead and got a bit too conservative. The Rangers out shot the Pens 12-4 in the third period. When Jagr caught a lucky bounce, he buried it into the empty cage to the right of Fleury. There was nothing that Flower could have done. Recchi had been shadowing Jagr, but lost track of him, which allowed Jaromir to slip free.

The Pens could have had this one be out of reach if they had been able to convert on a few more power play chances, especially during their two man advantage in the first period. Thankfully, that's exactly when they converted during the second period.

Therrien has been riding Recchi and Malkin really hard in terms of minutes played. It will be good when Sidney returns to have someone else share some of the heavy lifting. Geno really looked tired during parts of the late third period and OT.

One other thing - Nils Eckman was really flying tonight, and was second on the team with 5 shots. That's good to see. Would be nice if some of his teammates might go to the net for any rebounds off of his shots. Nils always looks like he'd teetering on the edge of his skates when he's going full speed - it's kinda funny.

Next up: a rematch with the Isles on Tuesday at the Igloo.

Game #22 - vs New York Rangers

New York Rangers (12-9-1, 25 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (10-8-3, 23 pts)

The Rangers make their second consecutive Saturday night appearance at the Igloo. Hopefully the game yields the same result as last week.

Tonight, the Penguins need to find a way to put the puck in the net, especially on the power play. We were saying the same thing the last time these teams met, and it took two 5 on 3 chances for them to score on the power play. I wouldn't count on getting too many 5 on 3 chances each night.

Scoring tonight will be tough - Lundqvist has been tough since losing to the Pens last Saturday - he stopped 61 of 62 shots over two games for two Ranger victories. The Penguins have been able to get to him twice previously this season, winning each game.

According to Michel Therrien, Evgeni Malkin is okay and should play tonight. That's great news. Now if Sidney Crosby would also suit up (which wouldn't surprise me - he was skating in warm ups yesterday), there could be some rockin' going on at the Igloo.

Colby Armstrong ALMOST had his first goal a few times last night, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that tonight's the night.

I'm looking for a much needed win at home for the Pens, pulling them into a tie with the Rangers in the Atlantic.

Let's Go Pens!

Islanders 3, Penguins 1

This one was simple - the Pens were setup to play the perfect road game. They were generating lots of offense, shooting the puck a lot and dominating the play at even strength. They forgot one thing - you have to put the puck in the net.

I guess we can call this progress because a few weeks back, all we were talking about was the abject lack of shooting. Now we're seeing the shots come, but they're not really making it into the net. Honestly, this is where the Penguins lack of talent on the wings is starting to shine through. They don't have a prime time finisher that can bury the puck. They don't really have a sniper for that matter. Malkin shows signs of being one, as does Ouellet (and I'm still holding out hope for Christensen), but no one has become a great goal scorer. That's really the missing piece for this team right now.

Thibault played reasonably well, though he did misplay the puck that led to the first goal for the Isles. He stopped pretty much all he was supposed to stop.

The other gaping area of weakness right now is the lack of offense on the power play. The Pens simply aren't able to score. Let's hope that changes, and quick. If they are able to get even one or two on the power play today, especially early, it's a totally different game.

Malkin left the game after taking a big hit on his bad shoulder with about 3:00 left in the third period. It was a clean hit, and Evgeni went immediately down the runway. Let's hope that he's okay.

No rest for the weary, as the Pens come back and play at home tomorrow night.

Next up: vs the Rangers at the Igloo.

Game #21 - at New York Islanders

Pittsburgh Penguins (10-7-3, 23 pts) at New York Islanders (10-7-3, 23 pts)

The Islanders have been playing quite well of late. They returned from a five game road trip, where they went 3-1-1 (and won in Dallas), to kick the stuffing out of Carolina, out shooting them 48-15 and winning 4-2. They've been winning their games largely due to Rick DiPietro and their play at even strength. Prior to the Wednesday win over the Hurricanes, the Isles had allowed at least 33 shots in each game for their 5 game road trip.

Their special teams have also been nothing special. Their power play is only 2-31 over their last eight games, and went through a two game stretch where they only drew one penalty. Their PK isn't much better, stopping only 30 of 39 chances over the same time frame.

For the Pens to win, they need to win the battles at even strength, which is something they've been pretty decent at this year. They'll also need to start scoring some power play goals. The biggest thing they have in their favor is their record against the Atlantic division - they're 8-1, including a win earlier this season at Long Island.

No word yet on whether Crosby will play.

I'm still looking for a Pens victory, with the first goal of the year from Colby Armstrong!

Let's Go Pens!

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyone have a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day!

Bruins 4, Penguins 3 (OT - SO)

The Penguins got to a shootout for the first time this season. It didn't go very well. The combination of Michel Ouellet, Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar couldn't get a goal behind Tim Thomas. Ouellet and Malkin both fired off wrist shots, trying to catch Thomas early. Gonchar tried about a million dekes with the puck, but Thomas didn't seem very concerned and easily stopped the shot attempt.

Prior to the shootout, this game was defined by two main points:

1. The Penguins are having a horrible time on the power play lately. They had only one goal in 9 chances tonight. This game could have been won in regulation if they could just convert a few more of those chances.
2. Evgeni Malkin showed signs in the third period of being able to take over a game. He was dominant late in the contest. That's something the Pens need to see more of from him. We know Sidney has that instinct - for Geno to have it too would be a huge plus.

It was nice to see the team come back and get a point out of this one, but it only feels like a shallow victory. I guess that's the difference between this year and last year.

Next up: at the Islanders on Friday afternoon.

Sidney Crosby to miss game against Boston Bruins

Crosby injured his groin on Monday against the Flyers. He'll miss tonight's game at home against Boston and is questionable for Friday and Saturday.

Faux - I think you're right - Malkin will be the #1 center and the team will rally around this to play well without him. I look for a rough and tumble game with Armstrong stepping up (like you said earlier, Will).

Hat tip to Will for pointing this out.

Source - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Game #20 - vs Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins (8-8-2, 18 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (10-7-2, 22 pts)

Are the Penguins ready to take the next step? Are they ready to beat the teams they "should" beat? I hope so, because this is one of those games. They should beat the Bruins.

The Bruins have an odd schedule this year - they opened with five straight games on the road, and then played 11 out of 13 games at home. Before their loss to Florida on Monday, they'd won four straight at home (one in OT and two in a shootout), so they're playing a little bit better. The Bruins are one of those teams that the Pens could be competing against for the last playoff spot, so it would be nice to make sure they come away from tonight's game with zero points.

On the road, the Bruins are only 2-4-1. They are tied for the second worst PK in the league at 75.9%, and have allowed 14 goals in 48 chances on the road. This means they're averaging almost 7 short-handed situations per game on the road. Certainly the Penguins should be able to take advantage of this.

The Pens need to toughen up their PK. They started out the season really well, but are starting to slip back to number similar to last year. Right now, they're at an 82% efficiency rate on the PK, and that won't bode well for long term success. They allowed three PP goals by the Flyers on Monday night.

The Pens also seem to have a "magic formula" - they haven't lost this season when they've scored at least four goals. In fact, their record when scoring 3 or less is 2-7-2, and when scoring 4 or more is 8-0-0. Crank up the offense!

Let's hope that Sidney's groin isn't serious, and that Army can net his first goal tonight - he was close the other night a few times.

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 5, Flyers 3

Tonight's game was the prototype for how the Penguins should play. The offensive guys displayed some great skills. The goalie was solid. The role players did their job in terrific fashion, especially in the third period.

I'm not sure who the three stars are for tonight, but I'm nominating the role players. Specifically, I'm putting up Talbot, Thorburn, Ruutu and especially Petrovicky. When I looked and saw that Petro only played a little over 8 minutes, I was shocked. You really noticed when he was on the ice - he made his presence felt. Let's go back to the quote he provided before the season started, because I think it was exemplified by his play tonight:

"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."

I couldn't have said it better myself, Ronald. Here's hoping he can keep it going - the Pens will be better for it.

Sidney Crosby has some mystery injury and didn't play in the third period, though the Pens had a three goal lead that was never really threatened, so they may have just rested him. He had gone to the locker room, come back out and played on the power play, and then gone right back to the locker room. There has been no news yet as to what happened to him.

It goes without saying that the best thing about tonight is that the Pens are now 4-0 against the Flyers.

UPDATE - The Wife has informed me that they really should have Sidney Crosby wear a shirt when they interview him about his injury. I'm going to have to get revenge by watching the episode of Lost with Evangeline Lilly crawling in and out of her cage. Oh, and Sidney's injury is a groin issue. He'll see how it's feeling over the next few days.

Next up: vs Boston on Wednesday.

Game #19 - at Philadelphia Flyers

Pittsburgh Penguins (9-7-2, 20 pts) at Philadelphia Flyers (5-13-2, 12 pts)

sssshhhhh! Don't look now, but the Flyers have been playing better of late (except for their hiccup in San Jose on Saturday night). They went through the same 3 game West Coast swing that the Penguins did, except that the Flyers won in Anaheim and Los Angeles. Admittedly, Anaheim has been coming back to earth a bit, but anytime an East Coast team can go on a three game road trip to Anaheim, LA and San Jose and come out with two wins, they're playing pretty decently.

Add to this mess the fact that the Penguins historically struggle in Philadelphia, and you have a recipe for disaster. I'm hoping the Penguins can avoid the quagmire and step up their game. They are over .500 at home, and Philly is 2-5-2 at home.

For the Pens, the formula is as simple as it has been recently. Take advantage of the man-advantage and play even the rest of the time. Easier said than done, I know, especially against a strong PK like Philly, but no one ever said this would be easy.

One other thing - the Pens need to keep their noses above the nonsense. Unless, that is, someone (like Thorburn or Roy) can get that wimp Hatcher to fight. Then they should go for it with aplomb.

I'm looking for a tough road win, with Colby Armstrong's first goal of the year.

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 3, Rangers 1

Didn't get to see this one - but it's nice to see that the power play actually converted two 5 on 3 chances, and then put the Rangers away with a late goal.

Mark Recchi scored twice, and Jordan Staal was in the right place at the right time on the power play to get his 7th goal of the year.

Last night was the Penguins debut of Ronald Petrovicky, who we should all be able to enjoy watching, especially when on a line with Ruutu and Thorburn.

Noah Welch, for the second time in three games, played less than 10 minutes. I think when Mark Eaton returns, you're going to see Noah get sent back to Wilkes-Barre (barring some kind of trade).

Here's what Will had to say in the comments from the game preview (hope you don't mind me highlighting your comment, Will!)

Turned out to be a great defensive game for the Pens. The only big mistakes I saw were by Whitney. He had a few turnovers, one that turned into the Rags sole goal, and another that would have been a goal but Fleury was ready. Besides that they looked really good. Petro impressed me and made me miss Eaton all that much more. Surprised to see LeClair as a scratch but can't say I disagree. PP was 2/139 or something but at least they had a few goals.

Great win for the Pens.

Next up: at Philadelphia on Monday, kicking off a busy Thanksgiving week.

Game #18 - vs New York Rangers

New York Rangers (10-8-1, 21 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (8-7-2, 18 pts)

The plan tonight should be simple - the Rangers will take their share of penalties. The Penguins need to:

1. Score on the power play (very important)
2. Minimize the Rangers chances by not taking stupid penalties
3. Avoid the shootout (Lundqvist is perfect in shootouts this year, in that he hasn't allowed a single goal)

Other than that, Jagr is going for goal #600. Much as I like Jaromir, I'd rather see him get it somewhere else.

Let's Go Pens!

Sabres 4, Penguins 2

Tonight's game was very winnable. In fact, if the Pens would have done one thing extra, I think they would have come away with at least one point. What is that one thing? SCORE ON THE POWER PLAY!!

This one was there for the taking. The Sabres played well, but so did Thibault. The Pens managed 36 shots on Biron, but he was also quite good in net. They couldn't get that critical goal that would have put them back into the game prior to the scramble at the end. I'm not sure what's wrong with the power play right now, except that all they can seem to manage is to pass the puck around the perimeter, with no one looking to be aggressive. Malkin was lined up in the slot for one of the opportunities I saw tonight, and he never touched the puck. Either shoot the one-timer from the point, or have someone on the sideboards make a move to try to create some space.

Anyway, the special teams were pretty much the story of the game. The Sabres notch two PP goals, the Pens can't get anything on their chances.

Next up: the Rangers at home, tomorrow night. Jagr is going for goal #600. If he gets it, we can all die a little inside. Preview up tomorrow.

Game #17 - at Buffalo Sabres

Pittsburgh Penguins (8-6-2, 18 pts) at Buffalo Sabres (15-2-1, 31 pts)

Time for the hurting to begin.

Tonight, the Pens play the Buffalo Sabres, who are the #1 team in the NHL with 31 points. The only silver lining to this right off of the bat is that the Sabres are only 5-2-1 at home (as opposed to 10-0-0 on the road). Unfortunately, they just lost at home to Ottawa, so they're likely to be angry.

The Sabres are the #1 team in goal scoring (by far) this season, with 82 goals in just 18 games. With the way the Penguins allow shots, it could get ugly. The Pens are also likely to play Jocelyn Thibault in goal. The Sabres, feeling charitable, are going to start Martin Biron - he of the .886 save percentage. The Pens need lots of shots tonight!

On special teams, the Sabres are just about even with the Pens - their power play is maybe a little better, while their PK is a little worse. The only difference is that they get more PP chances while taking far fewer penalties. The Pens can't afford to spend the evening in the penalty box.

If the Pens play a tight road game, skate well, and stay out of the box, they have a chance for this to be a close one. If they come unraveled on any of those aforementioned items, the Sabres will lower the boom.

I'm hoping for at least a point out of the game (if not two), and the first goal from Colby Armstrong!!

Let's Go Pens!

Malkin preliminary injunction denied

The preliminary injunction sought by Metallurg Magnitogorsk to prevent Evgeni Malkin from playing in the NHL has been denied. He is free to continue playing while his case is being settled.

I think the technical term we're looking for here is "No duh!"

Source - pittsburghpenguins.com

Penguins 3, Flyers 2

So I guess we call this the Thrill of Victory, eh?

The Pens came out smoking in the first two periods, out shooting the Flyers 31-10. They couldn't get more than 2 past Nittymaki, however, and the Flyers tied the game in the third on a BSFNOW goal (Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut Once in a While) goal. Richards threw the puck to the net, and Sanderson batted it into the net when it deflected off of Melichar's skate. Sanderson didn't even know he had a goal.

This was a game the Pens needed badly. They did most things right tonight, and to lose this one (or to even go to OT) could have been bad for the psyche of this young team. They kept at it, and Malkin netted the game winner with little more than two minutes remaining in the third.

My question of the night is as follows: late in the third, Meyer hit Army near the boards. It was clearly interference and Army was down briefly. Whitney, in a great show of support, went right after Meyer and was locked up with him. King Goon, er, I mean Hatcher, comes barrelling over, and showing no respect of the unwritten rule about being the third man in, grabs Whitney from behind and tries to fight him. Never mind that Hatcher is too much of a wimp to do more than talk with Andre Roy on opening night. Anyway, back to my rant, already in progress. Anyway, when it's all sorted out by the CZs (Clueless Zebras), Meyer gets two minutes for charging (could have been a major, given how close they were to the boards, but I digress), Whitney gets two for INSTIGATING (?!?!?!?) and five for fighting, and Hatcher gets just 5 for fighting.

What the heck?? How does King Goon come lumbering as the third man in and only get a fighting major? I'd say it was immaterial, but the Flyers almost tied the game as a direct result of the CZs making sure the Flyers weren't any more short-handed. I was pretty disgusted with that one...

Before I sign off, did anyone see the tremendous effort put in by Crosby on the last scrum at the end of the game? He was hit by the shot from the point and went down, stunned. He then got back up and managed to have the strength to get to the front of the cage and mix it up with the Flyers (and throw in a nice slash for good measure).

Man, do I hate the Flyers. I'm so glad the Pens pulled this one out.

Next up: at Buffalo on Friday. Talk about a litmus test...

Game #16 - vs Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers (3-11-2, 8 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (7-6-2, 16 pts)

Tonight will be either the Thrill of Victory or the Agony of Defeat, as they used to say on ABC's Wide World of Sports. I can think of no better team to beat to break out of a slump than the Flyers (though the Rangers are a close second), and I can think of no worse team to lose to under the current circumstances than the Flyers. It will either be very, very good, or very, very bad.

Maybe the Pens can use tonight as a way to go back to how they were playing at the beginning of the year, kind of like a reset button. Let's hope so, because they've been unable to generate any kind of offense since the last time they played Philly. In their last four games, it has been especially bad, with the Pens managing just 18.5 shots per game. That simply won't get it done.

The Flyers almost beat Buffalo at home on Saturday night, and they've been playing a bit better of late. The score doesn't show it, but they had out shot their opponents in eight straight games before Saturday night. Their penalty kill has also been excellent. Of course, most of what you need to know about the Flyers special teams comes from the following fact - the Flyers have allowed more power play goals than they've scored, and their PK has been excellent this year.

So, tonight the Pens badly need to break the losing streak, and not just because they need the points. Ask yourself: would you want to be off until Friday with an upset Michel Therrien just waiting to "explain" things to you all week long? Me either...

Let's Go Pens!

Hurricanes 6, Penguins 2

Wow - I thought last night was bad (against the Senators). Tonight was worse. It started out okay, but then the parade to the penalty box began, and things weren't the same after that.

Despite the adversity, the Pens almost tied this one up in the third, with a goal not being allowed (even after video replay) due to insufficient evidence. In short, there was no clear camera angle that showed if the puck crossed the goal line. After that, Thibault allowed a real soft goal and things spiraled out of control. No matter what the Pens tried, it didn't work the way they hoped, right down to Therrien pulling the goalie just in time for a Hurricanes empty net goal.

The Pens were out shot again, and only managed 20 shots for the entire night. It was dramatic to see the difference between the way the Hurricanes controlled and passed the puck and the way the Pens would try to whack it up the ice (or carry it). There just isn't much consistency right now to their game.

It is encouraging to see the penalty killers be aggressive when they have the chance. I think that will serve them well when they're not getting quite so much practice at it.

I'm half expecting a little bit of a rant from Therrien after these two performances, and I'll update the blog if that happens.

Next up: vs Philadelphia on Monday.

Game #15 - at Carolina Hurricanes

Pittsburgh Penguins (7-5-2, 16 pts) at Carolina Hurricanes (8-6-3, 19 pts)

First up, this is the first time Brooks Orpik will see the Hurricanes since his hit on Erik Cole last season. The Hurricanes will try to go after him, I'd guess, especially if the game gets out of hand in either direction. They may also try to go after Army, but his hit earlier this year on Letowski wasn't really viewed as dirty, so maybe they'll lay off on him while they're distracted by Brooks.

Cam Ward continues to be a winning goalie that just isn't all that great. I know he had a great playoff run, but his regular season numbers continue to be average to slightly above average. He's been worse than Fleury this season in both save % and goals against. He does just enough to win the games, it would seem.

Helping out Ward is the Hurricanes defense, which except for their Atlanta game, has done an excellent job recently. This does not bode well for the Penguins, whose offense is currently in the remedial training portion of Michel Therrien's School for the Offensively Challenged.

I'll be frank - the way the Penguins have been playing, I don't see much chance for a victory tonight. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe going on the road will help pull this team out of whatever funk it's in. Let's hope so.

I'm still waiting for a goal from Army.

Let's Go Pens!

Senators 6, Penguins 3

The recent Ottawa domination of the Flightless Birds continues. Ottawa jumped out to a lead, and instead of allowing a comeback, they kept pressing. The Penguins were helpless, and couldn't generate any sustained offense. That's probably the most surprising part - the Pens have been a decent team at even-strength, but they couldn't do anything against the Senators.

Being out shot 44 to 17 is downright embarrassing. I'm not sure how you come out flat like that when you're a team that has been struggling to generate offense. Even if you're not on the same skill level (and let's face it - the Pens can't compete with a line of Heatley, Aldredsson and Spezza), you can at least out work the opposition, but even that didn't happen.

The only positive I can take from this one is that the Pens were able to score twice on the power play and once short-handed. Max Talbot's effort in scoring the shortie was fantastic, and showed the Pens what a little bit of hustle (and driving to the net!!) will do.

Therrien keeps saying the Pens need to get back to basics, but I'm not seeing them do it. If this doesn't change, I see an explosion on the horizon, and it would be well earned.

Next up: Saturday at Carolina.

Game #14 - vs Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators (5-8-1, 11 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (7-4-2, 16 pts)

Here's a radical idea for tonight: Put the Sens on the power play early and often. Their power play so far this year has been quite poor, even more so lately. During their current 5 game losing streak, they are just 2-29 on the power play. To strengthen this (admittedly ludicrious) case further, the Sens have allowed 5 shorties (they only have 7 goals on the power play all year) and the Pens have scored 4 shorties. I beat the heck out of Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley, take some early minor penalties, and then deploy two PK units, one with Moore and Talbot and the other with Staal and Armstrong. For extra offense, you mix in Crosby and Malkin once in awhile. Should be a blowout!

Okay, I know that's dumb, but it is funny how the numbers are working out.

In all seriousness, the Pens need a win, and this is the right time to get one. Martin Gerber has been struggling pretty badly. The Sens have been away from home for 4 of their past 5 games, and they have to go to Boston tomorrow night. The Pens, on the other hand, have had a day or so to get back into the swing of things in the Eastern time zone. They've had some time to recharge. I'm looking for an energetic performance tonight. If that doesn't happen, I'm looking for a Michel Therrien tirade. I don't think he'll take too kindly to losing 4 in a row, especially considering this is a young team. The losing can be just as contagious as the winning.

I'm predicting a nice win for the Pens tonight, with goal #1 from Colby Armstrong (where have I heard that before?)

Let's Go Pens!

Lightning 4, Penguins 3 (OT)

The Penguins looked pretty sluggish tonight. I especially noticed it on Evgeni Malkin, who just didn't seem to have any hop in his step. This is another game that the Pens were probably lucky to get a point. If not for the hat trick by Nils Eckman (the first of his career), they would never have that point.

The Pens were down early 2-0 before Nils took things into his own hands and made it 3-2. In the third, Noah Welch got a little too zealous to finish off a check and was out of position, allowing Eric Perrin to drive to the net and score. In OT, the Pens were putting some pressure on Holmqvist, but Lecavalier was cheating up ice when St Louis got the puck and sent it rocketing up to Vinny. Breakaway, forehand-backhand, score. Ugh.

The Pens were out shot 31-20, and other than their brief flurry in the second when Nils had his hat trick (a span of under 5 minutes), it didn't seem like they were even in the game. I think the effort was typified by the power play the Pens had with about 5 minutes remaining in third. Not only did they not muster a shot, they also didn't come close to puck possession in the offensive zone. They were out of gas.

Hopefully they get refueled soon... they have three games in four days, starting Friday at home.

Next up: vs Ottawa on Friday

Game #13 - vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning (7-7-1, 15 pts) at Pittsburgh Penguins (7-4-1, 15 pts)

The Lightning are finishing up a four game road trip. They're 2-0-1 on the trip, with both of the victories coming with Holmqvist in net. I'd say we're likely to see him again tonight, since Marc Denis has been struggling in his last few starts.

The Lightning penalty kill has been sporadic of late, killing only 23 of 31 in their last six games. The power play has stepped it up, however, scoring 5 goals in the past two games.

The Lightning have a better record on the road (4-2-1) than they do at home (3-5), and the Pens usually have trouble with the Bolts.

Martin St Louis and Vincent Lecavalier have both been hot, with St Louis scoring 11 goals so far and Lecavalier notching 20 points.

The Pens will be looking to bounce back from consecutive losses on the west coast and get back onto a good streak. The need to get more shots on goal and earn more chances on the power play. Anaheim was one of the most penalized teams and the Pens only managed two chances against them.

The Pens have allowed a power play goal against them in four straight games. Would be nice for that streak to end tonight, but that will be a tough task against the good power play of the Lightning, especially if the Pens are on the PK 9 times like they were on Monday.

I'm looking for a Pens victory, and (still) goal #1 from Colby Armstrong (I'm going to keep saying it until he does it).

Let's Go Pens!

Anaheim 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

This is a game that the Penguins had no business earning a point from (as Will points out in the comments from the preview) . The Ducks had 40 shots to the Penguins 17. The Ducks had 9 power play opportunities to the Penguins 2. In short, the Ducks dominated the game. The Pens had few chances, and fewer conversions.

Dominic Moore scored in the first on a great individual effort, and Chris Thorburn scored while playing on the first line, which he did on several occasions throughout the game.

Therrien really shortened his bench, playing Armstrong, Eckman, Leclair and Ruutu in much more limited roles. Some of that was predicated by the excess of penalties the Penguins took, and some of it was because Leclair and Ruutu probably aren't fast enough skaters to play consistently against the teams from the West.

The Pens were extremely fortunate to get a point from this one, and have had a successful road trip to the West Coast, earning three points in three games.

Next up: vs Tampa Bay at the Igloo on Wednesday

Game #11 - at Anaheim Ducks

Pittsburgh Penguins (7-4-0, 14 pts) at Anaheim Ducks (10-0-4, 24 pts)

Anaheim is second overall in the league. They haven't lost in regulation yet. They're pretty unusual in that two defensemen lead them in scoring (Pronger and Niedermayer). They have two great goalies (the Pens will probably see Giguere tonight). They have balanced scoring. Yet despite all of that, I think they're beatable for the Penguins. Here's why:

• The Ducks (don't call them Mighty) play four defensemen heavily, and don't really use the other two more than 11 or 12 minutes. That will be difficult against a team with good offensive firepower like the Pens.
• The Ducks have more penalty minutes than every team but one (Phoenix). Their PK is good, but when you take more penalties than most, you're still going to give up the goals.
• Their power play has been somewhat sporadic, netting at least one goal in only four of the previous 10 games, after starting with goals in 4 straight games.

Brooks Orpik will debut tonight, taking the place of Mark Eaton. Eaton is back in Pittsburgh being re-evaluated after his arm / wrist injury on Saturday night.

In short, the Penguins need to come out and play a good road game - play fast, draw penalties and convert on their chances.

I'm looking for a Penguins win, or at least on OTL. That would give the team 3 points on their West Coast swing, and (in my book) make the trip a success.

Let's Go Pens!

Therrien shows Armstrong the four

As in, Michel Therrien has moved Colby Armstrong to the fourth line. In practice yesterday, Armstrong played with Talbot and Ruutu on the fourth line. Therrien had the following to say about it:

"Colby Armstrong, it's not enough for me, what he's doing right now. I didn't like his game [Saturday]. He's not producing and I didn't like the way he competed [Saturday] night. If you force me to make decisions, I'll make decisions. It's pretty simple."

Michel Therrien is so much fun. I feel bad for Colby, but even though he's disappointed, he seems to be taking it the right way:

"I kind of expected it. I don't think I'm playing the way I usually play. It's a matter of getting back to the basics and getting that jump and playing with the energy I have to have to help this team. I don't blame [Therrien] for what he's doing. I've got to step my game up."

And with that attitude, I have no doubt we'll see Army back up on the top line in no time at all.

Source - Post-Gazette

Sharks 3, Penguins 2

Wow. What a high intensity game. The Penguins did what they needed to - kept the Sharks off of the power play - almost. They took one too many penalties (they only took three that put them on the PK) , and the Sharks capitalized.

Conversely, the Pens power play couldn't get going. You could see how good the penalty kill of the Sharks was. The Pens were never really able to get a consistent flow going in the offensive zone, and when they did get chances, Toskala was up to the challenge.

Really, what the Penguins saw tonight was a blueprint. Here's what they saw:

1. The Sharks finished off EVERY check, especially when fore checking. Remember what Petro said before the season about making teams pay a price to play the Pens? The Sharks did exactly that tonight.
2. The power play was well spaced and lethal, and they moved the puck really well (the goal was off of a cross-ice pass).
3. The penalty kill was even better - they knew where to trap and out worked the Pens in the corners.
4. The Sharks employed a soft dump into the corners and then went in and thumped the defensemen. This is something the Pens should try, especially when they're playing a goalie that can handle the puck behind the net (like Brodeur) - Toskala was good at that last night.

In total, the Pens should endeavor to play more like the Sharks last night. I think they're close, but they're not quite there yet.

Next up: at Anaheim. It doesn't get any easier.

Game #11 - at San Jose Sharks

Pittsburgh Penguins (7-3-0, 14 pts) at San Jose Sharks (9-5-0, 18 pts)

The Penguins picked a bad time to come into San Jose. The Sharks are likely an unhappy team after being beaten for just the second time this year at home by the New York Rangers on Thursday night. They're probably looking for someone to take out their frustrations on, and they'll have a target in the Penguins.

The Pens have won 5 in a row, including two in OT, and have a share of first place in the Atlantic. As a point of comparison, the Sharks have 18 points (4 more than the Pens) and are 6 points out of first place and four points out of second place. The Atlantic division is pretty weak so far this year.

The Sharks are an interesting team, in that they've scored over 50% of their goals on the power play (22 out of 43). They've allowed only 9 out of 32 total goals on the penalty kill. This means that at even strength, they're being outscored on the year. Conversely, the Pens have scored only 13 of 37 with the man-advantage, and allowed 10 of 27 when on the PK.

What does this mean? It means I didn't get enough sleep last night!

Seriously, it means that the key to the game for the Pens is to keep the Sharks off of the power play, and be ferocious about killing the penalties they do take. The Sharks are 1-3 in their last four games that they score one or fewer power play goals.

For the Pens, I'm still hoping for the first goal of the year from Colby Armstrong. It would be a tremendous boost to help the team keep the momentum for him to get going a little bit. Malkin and Crosby aren't going to be able to produce every single night, and the Pens will need some viable candidates to step up.

Fleury will be in net tonight, with Toskala likely in net for the Sharks (they rotate him with Nabokov every other game). Toskala is the better of the two San Jose goalies this year so far. Lucky us.

This would be a tremendous road win for the Penguins, who still (somehow) have not lost on the road this year. You'd figure that they would probably lose sometime on the West Coast trip... let's hope they keep procrastinating with that likelihood.

Let's Go Pens!

After 10 Games - The Players

Let's take a look at how the players are doing after 10 games, from a statistics point of view:

Disappointments
I know it's hard to call anyone a disappointment after only 10 games, but we have to label someone, don't we? There sure aren't too many of them...

• Ryan Malone and John Leclair - both of them for the same reason - being a minus player and not contributing enough to make up for it. Both are at -4 (Malone earned his in the 7 games before he was hurt), and both have just one assist.
• Andre Roy - hard to call him a disappointment when there wasn't much expected, but I'll do it anyway. If Chris Thorburn can fight and is going to stick around, why are the Pens keeping Andre Roy?

Surprises

• Marc-Andre Fleury - the #1 surprise in my book, and the biggest reason the Pens are 7-3 right now. He's stepped up his play and kept the Pens in many games that they could have had slip away from them. If they Pens manage to consistently tighten things down in front of Fleury, he could be scary good.
• Jordan Staal - He has the pedigree, but did anyone really expect him to be on a pace for 40 goals after the first 10 games? I know he won't keep up that pace over the entire season, but I'm thinking that 25 goals and 60 points aren't unreasonable at this point. We'll have to see if he hits the rookie wall.
• Mark Recchi - I know he only has one goal, but he's on a point-per-game pace and, perhaps more importantly, he's a plus player this year after being horrid last season. If the second line can stay in the plus column as a group, that means that they're contributing offensively. Two lines that are threats are invaluable to this team.
• Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin - Hard to call them surprises, but anytime you're just off a 2 points-per-game pace, that's phenomenal. The sky is the limit for these guys, even if they're sometimes on separate lines.
• The Defense - (yes, I mean ALL of them) - Everyone in Pittsburgh currently (Letang is back in juniors) is a plus player. All of them have been solid (Sergei's 16 PIM in 10 games notwithstanding), and Whitney and Sarge have contributed big time to the offense, with each of them at or near a point-per-game pace.

About what we expected, doing just fine

• Colby Armstrong - He's only in this category because he hasn't scored any goals yet. He's second on the team at +7 and has shown he belongs on the top line.
• Michel Ouellet - Michel has done exactly what people thought he would - score goals, mostly on the power play. I'd like to see his game be more well-rounded, as he's currently at a -3, but I'll be content with him putting the puck in the net. If he scores 25 goals, he'll have done his job.
• Nils Eckman - I was close to labeling him a disappointment, but he has 7 points in 10 games. He's at a -1, but he's found ways to contribute on the second line.
• Dominic Moore - Seems to be a great penalty killer.

All in all, this team is a huge pleasant surprise.

How would you change things? Anyone you'd rank differently?

Penguins 4, Kings 3 (OT)

The Kings came out hopping, taking a quick 1-0 lead. The Pens, to their credit, responded in kind, picking up their intensity and work ethic. They scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. This is all I actually saw of the game until this morning, seeing how it was past my bedtime :)

The Kings were in the lead, 3-2, when Noah Welch got his first goal of the season on a shot that deflected ever so slightly off of the defender's skate and past Cloutier.

In OT, Gonchar's shot hit a defender and came right to the skate of Malkin, who buried the puck in the near side of the net. Cloutier had no chance.

A few notes:

• The Pens were out shot, but at least limited the Kings to 27 shots. That's an improvement over the general trend.
• I know this is one of my pet peeves, but how is Malkin not the #1 star for the night? He scored twice, including the game winner in OT! The totally unbiased media in LA chose Dustin Brown from the Kings as the #1 star, and to make matters worse, Malkin wasn't any of the three stars. It's inexplicable.
• Everyone continues to play decent minutes. Only Thorburn and Ruutu played under 10:00. If Cairns returns to the lineup, that will change.

This is another example of a game the Pens would have lost last year, either in regulation or in OT. I think they would have folded once the Kings took the lead in the second period, or given up a crappy OT goal. This season continues to be a different story, however, and the Pens have moved to 7-3. They are now 4-0 on the road (WOW!) and, say it with me, in sole possession of first place in the division. Let's hope this continues (though I would expect them to lose at least one of the next two games).

Game #10 - at Los Angeles Kings

Pittsburgh Penguins (6-3-0, 12 pts) at Los Angeles Kings (4-8-2, 10 pts)

The Kings are tied for the most games played in the league (14) while the Pens are tied for the fewest games played (9). Hopefully this means the Pens will be the more refreshed team. The Kings played 5 games in 7 days last week, losing all 5. Their most recent game, however, was a 4-1 pasting of the Rangers on Monday.

The Kings special teams are almost opposite - their PK is pretty good, while their power play has been quite bad. They've been alternating between Garon and Cloutier in goal, though I suspect we'll see Garon tonight, seeing as how he's played pretty well the last two games.

The Pens need to get two points tonight if they have any hope of having a successful trip to the West Coast. Their next two games are much tougher, against San Jose and Anaheim.

I'm looking for a solid road effort, with Colby Armstrong's first goal of the year.

Let's Go Pens!