Slow day article roundup

The Pens played on Saturday night. It's now Monday, and they don't play again until Thursday. That means that it's time for some articles about the individual players. The Trib, Post-Gazette and Penguins home page all oblige.

First up is PittsburghPenguins.com with an article about Dominic Moore.

Next is the Trib, writing about fan favorite (already), Jarkko Ruutu.

Finally, the Post-Gazette talks about how Ryan Malone should be a 30 goal scorer.

UPDATE - including article contributed by ees in the comments, over on ESPN. It's John Buccigross talking about why the Pens are sooo out of Pittsburgh (thanks, ees!)

None of it is earth shattering journalism, but when you have only two games under your belt, what else are you going to write about?

Evgeni Malkin injury update

According to pittsburghpenguins.com, Evgeni Malkin will be re-evaluated in two weeks. He's still doing his rehab.

Looking at the team's schedule, I'd say that we're likely to see Evgeni play for the first time either on October 21st against the Blue Jackets, or on October 24th against the Devils (just in time for Mighty Mouse!)

Here's hoping he makes a complete recovery and can get back into uniform soon!

Photos from the opener

Here are the photos the wife and I snapped while we were at the Penguins opener against the Flyers last Thursday. I've provided a small amount of commentary as a caption to the pics :-)

The atmosphere was great - here are a few pics of one of the entrance gates, from above, with the free t-shirt they were handing out:




The next few are photos from warm-ups, including Andre Roy proving that he does indeed have an idea of how to shoot the puck, much as he might try to convince us otherwise...








This was during the National Anthem. Forsberg is still a punk. Did you know that over on letsgopens.com, his nickname is Floppa? I'm sure you can guess why...


Some random game action, including a nice photo of Army getting off a backhand shot. You'll see several shots of faceoffs - they're the easiest thing to snap a photo of - everyone is standing still!












Colby's fight with Baumgartner. Most interesting here is that Hatcher has no idea what it is that they're doing, so he's on the left of the pic discussing it with the refs.


The refs are sympathetic to Hatcher, who needs an extended explantion. Seems all Derian knows how to do is hit people in the face with his stick and pick on little guys. He's more prone to conversation when confronted with something he doesn't understand (or Andre Roy).


Game over - the last players off of the ice are Crosby (who was further up, but stopped and waited to talk to Recchi or Therrien), along with Fleury and Thibault. Nice to see Thibault congratulating Fleury.


The three stars of the game:

Third star - Jarkko Ruutu


Second star - Sidney Crosby


First star - Marc-Andre Fleury


Hope you liked the pics. With any luck, I'll get down there a few more times this year.

Red Wings 2, Penguins 0

Tonight the Penguins ran into a superior team.

The Pens had their chances, but they were few and far between. They only managed 13 shots, including only one shot on goal in the second period. To make matters worse, when they did get a quality scoring chance, they just couldn't convert. To that end, it wouldn't matter who they were - if you don't convert your chances against a team like the Wings, you're not going to have a chance to win.

Marc-Andre Fleury played another great game, and the Pens did a great job of staying out of the box, as well as killing the penalties when they had to.

Unfortunately, they couldn't score on the power play themselves, which relates back to the aforementioned chances (and their lack of conversion of said chances).

Speaking of chances, the Pens will get another one, but not until Thursday night in New York against the Rangers.

Between now and then (hopefully Sunday) I'll get some of my pics from the opener up here on the blog.

Game #2 - vs Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings (0-1-0) at Pittsburgh Penguins (1-0-0)

This season is different than last in that the games against the Western Conference teams are spread out through the schedule, as opposed to being in blocks like they were last year. I'm not sure which one I like better... but tonight is the opener against the west.

Detroit is coming off of a loss at home against Vancouver to open the season. Hasek started the game in goal, and gave up three goals by the 5 minute mark of the second period. He only faced 17 shots total, but don't let that fool you - the Canucks scored their third goal at 5:41 of the third, giving them a three goal lead, and effectively shut it down. They only managed two shots in the third while protecting a two goal lead.

Detroit's loss, of course, doesn't bode well for the Penguins. The Red Wings will be quite unhappy at losing their opener at home and will be looking to take it out on our flightless birds. Here's hoping they don't.

The Pens, for their part, need to play the same game they did on Thursday, with FAR fewer penalties. Even though the Red Wings have lost a few guys (like Shanahan and Yzerman), they still have a highly potent offense. The best bet for the Pens is to keep the Wings off of the PP as much as possible.

The other key ingredient for the Pens is to get their own power play going. Thursday night saw the first two goals by the third line - that's not going to happen with any regularity. They need to get some scoring from their power play, along with the first AND second lines.

Look for Therrien to be somewhat more careful with some of his young guys tonight, especially Letang.

I'm looking for another win so we can start talking about the Pens as playoff contenders! Okay - maybe that's a bit premature... but it sure is better than last year!!

Let's Go Pens!

Penguins 4, Flyers 0

Wow.

I think that's all I can say. Let me try again...


Wow.


Maybe I can get some other thoughts out...

Wow.

Okay. I think I'm better now.

The Pens won what will likely be remembered as one of their more memorable victories tonight. This game had a bit of everything. The stars played well, including Crosby, Armstrong and Gonchar. The grinders played REALLY well, especially Ruutu. The kids played great - both Staal and Letang showed that they belonged (for at least one night). Fleury absolutely answered some questions by making 40 saves and standing on his head at times. The power play wasn't needed, but did generate some pressure. The penalty kill was exceptional.

This game showed a small sampling of the work of Ray Shero in the off season. You could absolutely tell the difference made by having players like Mark Eaton, Dominic Moore and Jarkko Ruutu.

After dumping all of these superlatives on the team, let me just make a few quick points:

• The Pens took WAY too many penalties. If they don't play more disciplined, they'll be heading down the same dark road they were on last year.
• The Flyers were not all that sharp, especially for a team that had almost 20 minutes of power play time. They had their chances, but it seemed they could never quite make that perfect setup pass they were trying for.
• Mark Recchi took two penalties in the first period when the game was still very much in doubt. Your leaders can't do that.
• It's just one game.
• Forsberg is a punk (as is Hatcher)

Having said those few things, this was a high-energy, hustling performance that bodes quite well for the rest of the season.

I took a bunch of pictures, though I'm not sure how many will turn out. I'll get some of those up tomorrow, I think.

Next up: Detroit on Saturday.

Lines for the opener

Here are the lines and defensive pairing for the opening game tonight against the Flyers, via the Post-Gazette:

1. Nils Ekman-Sidney Crosby-Colby Armstrong
2. John LeClair-Ryan Malone-Mark Recchi
3. Jarkko Ruutu-Dominic Moore-Michel Ouellet
4. Andre Roy/Karl Stewart-Jordan Staal-Chris Thorburn

1. Sergei Gonchar-Mark Eaton
2. Ryan Whitney-Josef Melichar
3. Rob Scuderi-Kristopher Letang

Brooks Orpik, according to Therrien, will be out 3-4 weeks (though the team says that no timetable has been set)

Recchi and Crosby will be alternate captains for every game, with Leclair wearing the third A on the road and Gonchar wearing it at home.

Game #1 - vs Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers at Pittsburgh Penguins

The Flyers come to the Igloo Thursday night looking to get their season off on the right foot. The Penguins are trying to make sure they start off better than last season, when they started 0-4-5. It will be a tall order, to say the least.

Last year, both teams were terrible on the penalty kill, near the bottom of the league. Both were better on the power play, with the Pens being quite good (the Flyers were about average). Special teams should be the key to the game - with Orpik out (broken hand), the Pens will need to convert on their power play opportunities, while improving their much maligned PK unit from last year. Both tasks are feasible with the carryover offensive talent and the new additions (Moore, Eaton, etc) on the PK.

I'm looking for a narrow Pens victory with Fleury standing up and making some big saves down the stretch. Of course, I'm also looking for an early retirement with about $4 million in the bank... I'm not sure which is more likely at this point.

I'll be at the game, sitting in section C16, so I should have some good pictures to put up on Friday.

It's opening night at the Igloo!

Let's Go Pens!

Before I forget...

The latest Sign of the Apocalypse comes to us courtesy of Barry Melrose of ESPN who said "The Penguins are going to make the playoffs".

Of course, in the next sentence, he said the biggest surprise team in the East would be Atlanta making the playoffs.

Now correct me if I'm mistaken, but wouldn't you think that Pittsburgh making the playoffs might be a wee-bit bigger of a surprise than Atlanta?

Sabourin claimed, Orpik hurt

Brooks Orpik has a broken bone in his hand and will miss the opener. It's not known how long he'll be out.

Dany Sabourin was claimed by Vancouver, and will backup Roberto Luongo.

Source - Post-Gazette

Dany Sabourin sent to Wilkes-Barre

Dany Sabourn has been demoted to Wilkes-Barre to make room for Chris Thorburn. Sabourin will have to clear waivers. It would be crappy to lose him - I'm not sure how much of an NHL prospect he is, but he's certainly a good AHL goalie with some hope of playing in the NHL.

Penguins claim Chris Thorburn

The Penguins have claimed Chris Thorburn off of waivers from the Buffalo Sabres.

Thorburn is a right-handed center. This would most likely be the primary reason for the Pens claiming him. He's also still young (only 23) and had a decent year in the minors last year, with 50 points (23+27) in 77 games.

I didn't see anything saying where he'd report to, but I'm guessing the Pens will have to keep him on the NHL roster. This will either put Malkin onto the IR (he would be eligible to come off anytime), or mean that Ouellet or Stewart will be demoted to Wilkes-Barre. Sabourin being sent down is another possibility.

What a difference a year makes...

Just for fun, here's how the 06-07 Pens compare with the 05-06 Pens:

First and Second lines:
06-07

• Nils Eckman - Sidney Crosby - Colby Armstrong
• John Leclair - Ryan Malone - Mark Recchi

05-06

• John LeClair-Sidney Crosby-Mark Recchi
• Ryan Malone-Mario Lemieux-Ziggy Palffy

Third Line:
06-07

• Jarkko Ruutu - Dominic Moore - Karl Stewart

05-06

• Matt Murley-Lasse Pirjeta-Konstantin Koltsov

Fourth Line:
06-07

• Michel Ouellet - Jordan Staal - Andre Roy

05-06

• Rico Fata-Maxime Talbot-Ryan VandenBussche

Defensemen:
06-07

• Sergei Gonchar - Mark Eaton
• Ryan Whitney - Brooks Orpik
• Josef Melichar - Kris Letang
• Rob Scuderi
  

05-06

• Josef Melichar - Sergei Gonchar
• Dick Tarnstrom - Ric Jackman
• Brooks Orpik - Rob Scuderi
• Steve Poapst - Lyle Odelein

A few notes:

• I think we have less firepower in our top two lines this year than we did last year. Anytime you replace two guys named Lemieux and Palffy with two guys names Armstrong and Eckman, you have to be losing something. That's not to take away anything from Army or Eckman - I think they're both capable of 25-30 goals this year.
• The biggest thing that strikes me is that only 8 of the 20 players listed from last year are still on the team. One more (Talbot) is in the minors.
• That third line sure does look better, doesn't it? There are players there that can score a bit, like Moore and Leclair (once he rejoins the third line).
• The fourth line seems a little bit slow to me, with Roy and Ouellet. I'm guessing they don't get much time, which is a shame, because Staal needs some ice time. I'm guessing that Therrien will still find a place for Ouellet on the power play, probably on the second unit.
• I'm much more comfortable with the D this year. They seem to have much more stability. Orpik, Eaton and Melichar can be the reliable stay at home type of guys, while Gonchar, Whitney and Letang can do their offensive thing. Did you know Melichar was only a -2 for the season last year? That's pretty remarkable.

Penguins 2006-2007 Roster

The official roster for the Penguins is located at their site - www.pittsburghpenguins.com

I'm going to reproduce it here for posterity (and so I can find it easily at mid season, the end of the year and next season), along with what the lines could look like to start the year.

The Pens are carrying 23 players, with 2 on the injured reserve (Cairns and Petro). The breakdown is as follows:

Forwards (13)

• Nils Eckman - Sidney Crosby - Colby Armstrong
• John Leclair - Ryan Malone - Mark Recchi
• Jarkko Ruutu - Dominic Moore - Karl Stewart
• Michel Ouellet - Jordan Staal - Andre Roy
• Evgeni Malkin (injured)

Defensemen (7)

• Sergei Gonchar - Mark Eaton
• Ryan Whitney - Brooks Orpik
• Josef Melichar - Kris Letang
• Rob Scuderi (scratch)

Goalies (3)

• Marc-Andre Fleury
• Jocelyn Thibault
• Dany Sabourin

Injured Reserve

• Ronald Petrovicky
• Eric Cairns

When Malkin returns, expect to see Ouellet, Roy or Stewart get scratched. Malkin would center the second line, and things would likely shape up like this:
Ryan Malone - Evgeni Malkin - Mark Recchi
Jarkko Ruutu - Dominic Moore - John Leclair
Michel Ouellet - Jordan Staal - Andre Roy (or Karl Stewart)

Pens sign Jordan Staal and Kristopher Letang

The Penguins have signed Jordan Staal and Kristopher Letang. Both will be on the roster for opening night. Both are aware that they may only be here for 9 games. Hopefully both stick longer, because that means that the Pens will be confident enough to carry them on the roster all year. I think, however, that both will be back in juniors in a few weeks.

Let's enjoy watching them while they're here.

Roster cuts are official

The Post-Gazette has confirmed the earlier report by BlackAndGoldInsider.com.

• Staal and Letang made the team (assuming they sign contracts by 5:00 pm today). Both can be returned to juniors before playing their 10th game.
• Welch, Talbot, Carcillo, Pivko and Stone go to Wilkes-Barre.
• 3 goalies make the roster - Fleury (who will start the opener), Thibault and Sabourin.

I can't imagine them keeping three goalies longer term. If Letang doesn't stick, expect to see Welch back in Pittsburgh, though it's probably not bad for him to be the #1 defensemen in Wilkes-Barre for a little while.

A break in the action for some comedy...

In the middle of the roster moves and signings and season opening preparations, let's take a break for some silly questions with Ryan Malone and Marc-Andre Fleury. Here are the links: Fleury, Malone.

Malone's isn't nearly as entertaining as Fleury's is. Here are some excerpts from MAF's questions:

1) What opponent do you least like playing against?

Can I say (teammate) John LeClair? I never know where he's going to shoot (in practice), and he doesn't either, so that's a problem, I think.

3) While playing a round of golf, what three famous people would you want to complete your foursome?

Tough one. If I say any hot girls, then I look like a pervert! So I will say Adam Sandler. I love him, he's a funny guy. I think he will be a good one. (Teammate) Andre Roy, he always makes me laugh. He's so stupid. And, I don't know, just a pretty girl. I just want to play with a pretty girl.

So, John Leclair has no idea where he's shooting, and Andre Roy is so stupid. Oh, and let's not forget - Fleury just wants to play with a pretty girl (okay - that was taken SLIGHTLY out of context).

Read them for yourself - they're entertaining.

Rumored Roster Cuts

According to BlackAndGoldInsider.com, the Penguins have sent down the following players:

• Talbot
• Stone
• Pivko
• Carcillo
• Welch

This means that Jordan Staal has made the team, though B&GI is saying that it's only until Malkin returns. It also means that Kristopher Letang has made the improbable journey from juniors, through rookie camp and regular camp onto the NHL roster.

Others to make it would include Stewart and Ouellet.

We'll see if these prove to be true later today when official word comes from the Pens.

Evgeni Malkin injury update

Dave Molinari has an article in the Post-Gazette this morning about Sidney Crosby. In the notes at the bottom, he has the following:

General manager Ray Shero said he has a timetable for Evgeni Malkin's return from a dislocated left shoulder "in the back of my mind, but I don't want to hold anyone to it." He hopes to have more definitive word on how long Malkin will be out sometime this week.

So, I guess that we can hold out hope that he'll be available for the opener, but I'd rather not see him until he's 100%.

Final cuts to be announced today

According to Karen Price in the Trib, the final cuts will be announced today.

They could be more severe than what I discussed in a prior post - the Post-Gazette had a throwaway line at the end of an article yesterday. According to Ray Shero:

"[Carrying 23] wouldn't be my choice," he said. "We only have nine games in October. My preference would be 22, plus IR, or maybe 21, plus IR, quite honestly. Maybe we'll just carry one extra guy to start. I want to be smart about it."

If they have Cairns and maybe Petrovicky on the IR, that means they'll carry 13 forwards (one extra since Malkin is hurt, and he'd be one of the 13), 7 defense (I think Welch has the team made) and 2 goalies.

I'd love to see them keep Letang, but that might just be irrational on my part. He's only 19, and needs to work on his game. Shero has indicated that both Letang and Staal will be signed this year, if not now, then later in the season. I just hope they can get him (Letang) signed. If it were me, I'd be tempted to keep him on the Pens for the 9 or 10 games, just so he'll sign the contract and the team can get a good look at how he does with the big boys. The only way I can see this changing is if they decide to dump Scuderi. Then they might keep Letang and Welch.

For the forwards, it looks like there are three spots to be had between these guys:

• Pivko
• Staal
• Stone
• Ouellet
• Talbot
• Carcillo
• Stewart

If it's me, I keep Talbot, Ouellet and Pivko. Stone needs more playing time than he'll get on the fourth line in Pittsburgh. Staal probably should go back to juniors, and Carcillo and Stewart are more in the same mold as Ruutu, Moore and Petrovicky.

We'll see how it shapes up later today. Should be interesting, to say the least.