Areas for improvement after the opening weekend

As nice as the four points were over the weekend, there are always things to work on.  Here's what jumped out at me as areas for improvement:

• Geno shooting - through two games, he has just two shots total (and three missed shots - have to hit the net).  He does have four assists through two games, but I think he'd open things up even more for he and James Neal if he forced the opposition to respect his shot first and the pass second.
• Second line winger - It is still early, but Eric Tangradi is not playing the minutes you'd expect from someone playing on Malkin's wing.  Some of that is due to HCDB's excellent inclination to get Sid out there with Geno and Neal after TV timeouts and penalty kills, but you'd like to see them get someone they're not afraid to put out there regularly.  Maybe it's took early to make that kind of call.  I'm not sure they have a guy in the system who is ready and able to play on that wing.
• Discipline - Providing 4.5 power plays per game is too many.  You're going to get burned doing that over time.  Players have to keep their heads as the season rolls on, because they're only going to get more fatigued.
• Thin defense - there are four guys that have played most of the minutes in Martin, Letang, Orpik and Niskanen.  I'm not sure that Niskanen will be up to the task all year long.  I'm worried that he'll be exposed.  Despres and Engelland are playing just over 10 minutes per game - you'd like them to be playing 13-15 to take some heat off of the top 4.  This is another area that will need to be watched closely.  If Martin falters or Niskanen struggles, the Pens will have to look to their bench (Lovejoy or Bortuzzo) or maybe Wilkes-Barre in the form of Joe Morrow.  Either way, I'm missing Michalek.

Penguins off to fast start after strong opening weekend

The Pens opened up the 2012-13 season with two straight on the road, in Philadelphia on Saturday and in New York on Sunday.

They came away with four points, and even better, won both games in regulation (meaning, they prevented their division rivals from earning any points).

Things went about as well as you could hope for - here are the positives I took away from the first two games:

• No injuries -  Seriously - this is #1 for me given that these guys had almost no training camp and most of them were not used to game speed just yet.  I don't know if it's just me, but I still get nervous every time I see Sid get hit hard.  Not sure that feeling will ever go away.
• Distributing the minutes for the forwards - Every forward played less than 20 minutes in both games.  Geno only played 16:50 in each one.  Admittedly, it is much easier to roll the lines when you have a lead, but for the opening weekend, it was good to see everyone get into the flow.  The lowest minutes total for either game was Dustin Jeffrey in game 1 with 8:49.
• Glass - Tanner Glass has fit in very well with the team so far.  I don't think people realized what the Pens were getting when then signed him, ostensibly to take Aaron Asham's spot on the roster.  Glass is the #5 forward on the penalty kill (Adams, Cooke, Sutter and Dupuis are the top 4), and he brings a physical presence.  He also plays much more than Asham did and is a much better overall hockey player.
• Goaltending - Fleury and Vokoun give the Pens an excellent 1-2 punch in net.  There's no question in my mind that Flower is your #1 guy, but Vokoun gives them the best backup they've had during Crosby's tenure with the team (no disrespect to Brent Johnson, but he's no Vokoun)
• Power play - Remember all the talk before the season about James Neal on the point, and how disjointed the power play looked?  Starting out by converting four times on eight chances kind of kills that line of thought, doesn't it?  Even if one PP goal was a empty-netter, and two others were by the second unit and / or off of the rush (Dupuis' goal).

All things considered, you probably could not have scripted a better start to the season for the Pens.

The Maple Leafs will be in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.  Hope the magic continues.

NHLPA makes questionable call on rookie cards

According to multiple sources (link), the NHLPA has decided that the 2012-13 hockey cards will only contain rookies that made their debut during the second half of the 2011-12 season.

In case you don't know why that is significant, here's some background:

One of the biggest draws in trading cards are rookies.  Everyone wants to own the first card produced for every great player.  Take a look at the base rookie card for Sid, from 2005-06 Upper Deck:
Sidney Crosby 2005-06 Young Guns Example 1
Sidney Crosby 2005-06 Young Guns Example 2

In other words, if you want a Sidney Crosby rookie (and the Young Guns cards are generally considered to be the base rookie worth getting), you're going to pay about $250.  If you want one that has been professionally graded and has a decent grade, be prepared to pay much more than that.

This came from a pack of cards that cost about $3.00.

Obviously we're looking at the most desirable rookie card since Mario Lemieux (or maybe Patrick Roy), but the point is that rookies drive the sales on most products.

So when the NHLPA says it will prevent the normal rookies (ie, last year's draft picks like Neil Yakupov) from appearing in 2012-13 hockey cards, they are seriously harming hockey card sales for this season.

Upper Deck, one of the two licencees that can produce hockey cards, is primarily doing hockey cards these days - it is their only remaining major sports license.  I can't imagine this going to help them.

It also means that if you buy hockey cards, you can expect to pay more in 2013-14.  Why?  Because it will be a year with a double rookie class.  That same thing happened after the last lockout, and the 2005-06 card sets are loaded.  I don't think 2013-14 will contain both a Crosby and an Ovechkin (plus a TON of other really good players), but it will drive demand and ratchet up the box prices on the secondary market.

I can't see how this is a good move for the card companies (Upper Deck and Panini).  If I were them, I'd rather have been able to have a strong second half of 2012-13 and then had a normal 2013-14.  They aren't likely to charge a higher base price for their product, and they certainly aren't going to make up the lost sales on what is essentially filler for the rest of this season.

Very curious.

Penguins power play short-circuiting before season starts?

Head Coach Dan Bylsma has reconfigured the power play.  He has Sid and Geno on the same side (the right), with Sid a the goal line and Geno on the half-wall.  Letang is at the left point, Kunitz is in front of the net.  The most controversial move is putting James Neal at the left point.

When is the last time you can remember Neal winding up for a big slapper?  He has a deadly wrist shot, or maybe even a half-slapper, but the classic booming shot?  Nope.  I'm not saying he doesn't have it, but we haven't seen it.

Neal also hasn't shown any affinity for covering up on defense, especially when you consider the offensive skills of Kris Letang.  Le Game is prone to jumping into the play, and while his recovery speed is among the best in the game in my opinion, you'd probably rather have someone that has some defensive skill on the other side.

Dejan Kovacevic has a great article articulating the reasons why this isn't the best idea.  He also says the power play hasn't looked great in the first two days of camp.  His suggestion is to bring back Sergei Gonchar from Ottawa to fill the right point as a starting point - you should go read the article to see what else he says.

I agree in spirit with Dejan - James Neal is too dangerous to be playing the point.  I'd much rather see him in the slot as much as possible (or, as Dejan suggests, in front of the net with the freedom to move to the slot).

Here's where we differ - I think the Pens have a few internal candidates that are defensively responsible enough to play the left point.  I'm thinking specifically of Ben Lovejoy.  Maybe you put him on the right point so he isn't on his backhand to keep pucks in the zone, but he would be a good compliment to Letang.  I'd also take a look at Simon Despres if he makes the team.

Nether guy has the offensive game, but both would provide some defensive stability.  Keep them out high and covering up against short-handed rushes.  That would even give Sid, Geno and Letang more room to move around (as those guys like to do).

Of course, I'd also be a big fan of bring Sarge back to Pittsburgh.  I'm just not sure what you'd have to give up (hopefully not much) and who would sit.  Please don't even suggest sending out Paul Martin for Gonchar - Martin is a better defensive guy than Gonchar is right now, and it isn't close.

Not Dead Yet!

I haven't put anything up here in quite some time.

During the lockout, I was honestly thinking I was done with the NHL.  Millionaires versus billionaires. No one seemed to care about anything but squeezing the other side for as much as humanly possible, just because they could.  I couldn't have cared less.

Then a funny thing happened - once the lockout ended, I started getting excited for hockey again.  Next thing you know, I'm checking what time the Black and Gold scrimmage is on Wednesday (7:00 on Root Sports, in case you didn't know) and planning my weekend around the games in Philly and New York.

Damn you, hockey - I'd have far more free time if you didn't suck me back in!

So, expect regular posting on the blog again, for whatever that's worth.  Maybe I'll even dust off my stats work and see which refs are still Jabronies...

The title of the post says it all.

2012 Free Agency Day 1 Roundup

The Pens didn't make a big splash on the first day of free agency this year.  Neither Ryan Suter or Zach Parise made a decision on where they would go, though Parise is supposedly going to make a decision tomorrow.

There were a few smaller moves, the biggest of them being the signing of Tanner Glass.

Glass will be a popular third or fourth line player.  He really stepped up in the hits department last year, with 246, good for 10th in the NHL.  He would have been behind only Brooks Orpik on the Penguins.

The Pens also re-signed Steve MacIntyre, though it was to a two-way contract, which almost certainly means he'll be in Wilkes-Barre.

Five other players signed two-way contracts (meaning, they will almost certainly be playing in Wilkes-Barre, barring injury).

• The most significant to the home crowd is Dylan Reese, who grew up here in Pittsburgh.  He spent the past two seasons playing for the Islanders.  He has a reputation as a two-way defenseman.
• Warren Peters was signed from the Minnesota organization.  He played in both the AHL and NHL last year.  He's a forward.
• Trevor Smith is a tweener - what they'd call a AAAA player in baseball.  He's put up some numbers at the AHL level but never managed to stick at the NHL level.  He's 27 and plays forward.
• Riley Holzapfel is just 23, but he has logged four seasons in the AHL since being a second round draft pick in 2006.  He's also a forward and has averaged about .5 points per game in the AHL.
• Jeff Zatkoff was signed out of the Kings organization.  He'll be the second goaltender in Wilkes-Barre.  He has some decent numbers and size (he's 6'3").  Should be a really good tandem in Wilkes-Barre.

What does history tell us about a large margin of victory in the playoffs?

Since the end of the lockout in 2005, there have been 9 playoff series where a game was decided by a six or seven goal margin (all were six other than the Bruins win over the Canucks in the Cup Finals last year).

In all but one of those series, the team that lost by 6 or 7 goals in any game lost the series.

Or, to put it another way, the team that won by 6 or 7 goals in a game won every series but one.

I think the Pens still have a big hill to climb, and their chances aren't good, but at least this gives us something to hang our hats on until Friday night.

Here's the list of prior teams who lost big in a game (the loser is first):

• 2011 Pens vs Lightning
• 2011 Canucks vs Bruins
• 2010 Sharks vs Red Wings (Sharks won series)
• 2010 Canadiens vs Flyers
• 2008 Avalanche vs Red Wings
• 2008 Flyers vs Penguins
• 2007 Thrashers vs Rangers
• 2006 Flyers vs Sabres (x2)
• 2006 Devils vs Hurricanes

Penguins adapt, force Game 5

Real life still removing time to blog, but this one was too much fun to pass up.

There were two really encouraging signs to point to from this game:

• Flower improved as the game went along, looking much more like his normal self in the later part of the second and the third period.  The team played much better defensively as well.
• The Pens adjusted to how the refs were calling the game.  After the first period where the Flyers scored three times on the power play, the Pens were not short-handed the rest of the night.  The Flyers took four more penalties in the second period before they learned, but the Pens had built a four-goal lead by that point.

Game 5 is on Friday night.  It won't be this easy, but I think they'll find a way to force a Game 6.

Flyers 4, Penguins 3 (OT)

Inconsistency has been the hallmark of this team in over the past month.  That was the defining characteristic again last night.


The first period was excellent.  After that, things were not so good.

The Pens jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one period.  They dominated the game over the first 10 minutes, scoring twice and forcing Laviolette to call timeout.  I thought when the Pens scored late in the first to make it 3-0 that they were on their way.

It was not to be, however.  Danny Briere scored on a breakaway, though he was clearly offside.  He scored again in the third period on a flukey goal from the half-wall when Sid screened Fleury and neither could stop the shot.  That was when you had an idea that things might not work out well.  Briere also was plastered by Brooks Orpik, drawing the Flyers only power play chance, which they converted to tie the game at 3-3.

I won't even talk about the OT.

The power play let them down as well.  The Pens had three chances but weren't able to generate a serious threat.  They look good on the rush, but if the Flyers sit back and force the Pens to set up and make a play in the zone, they're not able to do it.  That needs to be better.  It was what killed them last year against the Lightning.

The main problem is that the Flyers focused on playing hockey and the Pens weren't able to match them in the latter two periods.  That's the key for the rest of the series - can the Pens find a way to dictate the play?  When they do, they put themselves in a great spot to win games.  When they don't, like last night, things don't go well.

If they aren't able to figure it out, this series won't go very well either.

Final playoff seeding and what about Saturday?

With the win over the Rangers last night, the Pens will have the #4 seed, giving them home ice in the first round.

The Flyers, by virtue of their win over the Sabres, will be the #5 seed.

What does that mean for the game tomorrow?  I have some questions:

Do you play Crosby and Letang?  Both players have had multiple incidents with concussions.  It wouldn't be worth it to lose one of them over something stupid.  If there ever were a team that would try something stupid, it would be the Flyers.

Does Malkin play?  I think this is more likely.  He's going for 50 goals, and he usually takes care of himself pretty well.  I'd put him out there in limited minutes, and in offensive situations like the power play, offensive zone draws or after the Flyers ice the puck.

Is this a Brent Johnson game?  I think that's much more of a no-brainer.  Fleury has played a ton of games this year, and he's your horse in the playoffs.  I think you give Johnson another game.  The only problem I see with this is that Fleury will have played just once in 10 days leading up to Game 1 (assuming it is Wednesday or Thursday).

Does the outcome matter?  If the Pens play their horses and win, does it change the feeling of the Flyers heading into Round 1?  Worse yet, if they play everyone and lose, does it deflate the Pens at all?  I'd be much more worried about the latter.

Will the Flyers use the meaningless game to respond?  Given how upset they supposedly were over Vitale's hit the other night, will they try a bunch of dumb stuff when the outcome doesn't matter?  He's a clue to watch out - Jody Shelley and Zac Rinaldo line up for the opening faceoff.

Playoff scenarios for the Pens - Thursday edition

Real life has kept me from blogging much recently.  Unfortunately, that isn't getting any better, so this will need to be quick.

Here's what you need to know:

• First and foremost, the Pens can take care of business by earning two points tonight against the Rangers.  That would render the Saturday game meaningless as far as home ice advantage goes, as any combination of two points earned by the Pens or lost by the Flyers would seal the deal for the #4 seed for the Pens.
• If the Flyers lose both games and the Devils win both of theirs, the Devils would vault over the Flyers into the #5 spot and play the Penguins in the first round.

So for tonight, obviously cheer for the Pens to beat the Rangers (who have nothing to play for at this point).

Also cheer for Buffalo to beat Philadelphia, not only because it would assure the Pens of the #4 spot, but also because it would also keep the door open for a first round match up with Jersey, AND have the extra added bonus of moving the Capitals one step closer to not making the playoffs.  The Sabres and Caps are tied with two games left, but the Caps hold the tiebreaker.

Lastly, cheer for New Jersey to win in Detroit, at least if you'd rather see the Devils over the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs (I sure would).

Gut Check - Penguins 5, Sabres 3

So what happened?

Brent Johnson had a very shaky start.  He also had a very strong finish.  The backup netminder was fighting the puck all night long, allowing two very soft goals in the first period and multiple rebounds.  However, when it came down to crunch time, there were no crucial rebounds, and there were no goals for the Sabres.

The resurgence of Johnson through the second half of the game may be the most important thing to come out of this contest.  Assuming the Pens give him one more assignment prior to the start of the playoffs, it will give Johnson a chance to continue his momentum and head into the post-season on a high note.

Back to the game - the big guns earned the results tonight.  Sid had four points.  Sullivan had three.  Geno had two.  The power play scored twice.  The offense provided some timely scoring in general, especially to pick up Johnson after a rough first period.

The intensity is also worth mentioning.  There were nearly 60 hits thrown in this game.  It felt like a playoff game, with some nastiness going back and forth early and then settling down as the game wound down (probably due to fear of taking a penalty).

Who scored?

Malkin (48), Crosby (5), Neal (38), Sullivan (15), Staal (25)

The Good?

• Sid became the seventh youngest player to reach 600 points tonight.
• Matt Niskanen returned and stepped right into the top 4 defensemen on a night when Engelland and Strait weren't used as much.
• Neal's power play goal was almost perfect from the perspective of a Pens' fan.  Geno controlled the puck and somehow gained the zone.  He dished it to Crosby who threw a diagonal pass to Neal cutting down the slot.  Neal finished off "The Whitney Play" better than Ryan ever did by burying the puck behind Miller.

The Bad?

• Johnson in the first period.  Not good, especially on the Ennis goal.  Fortunately, he turned things around quickly.

The Ugly Dumb?

• How on early was Thomas Vanek one of the three stars?  Did he do something special I didn't notice?  He was the beneficiary of a bizarre bounce that rewarded him for being the last man out of the offensive zone.  He was also a -1, which means he was on the ice for at least two other goals against.  Second star?  Really?

Any Surprises?

• I was surprised that HCDB kept flip flopping his lines.  He seemed to have Sullivan and Neal switching spots much of the night.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 48-24-6.  They are five points behind the Rangers and four ahead of the Flyers.  

Who's next?

Get ready to feel the hate.  The Flyers come to Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.  It's on NBC.  You just know Hartnell will do something dumb.

Game #78 - at Buffalo Sabres

No time for the regular preview, as real life has intruded on blogging time lately.

Let's just say that the Sabres (winners of 5 straight) have allowed a total of three goals in their past four games.

The Penguins (losers of three of the past four) have allowed SIXTEEN TWENTY (edited to correct poor math from person who may or may not have a degree in mathematics).

Things are going to have to change, and change quickly, for the Pens.  It only gets more difficult from here.

No Letang.  Niskanen is on the trip, so he may play (and I think he is needed, if only to have someone to play the point on the power play).  Hopefully no ill effects from the puck to the face that Sid took last night.

Go Pens!

Islanders 5, Penguins 3

So what happened?

Poor, inconsistent play for the Penguins in both of these games against the Isles.  You could see the emphasis in defense in terms of their posture in their own zone (the points were wide open for the Isles because everyone was packing it in), but though the look was there, the results were not.  The Isles were able score twice at even strength, and both goals were largely due to defensive breakdowns.

The offense wasn't much better for the Pens, who struggled to generate any kind of consistent pressure.

I think these two games are best forgotten quickly.  The opportunity they missed in these four points was huge.

Who scored?

Dupuis (24), Staal (24), Malkin (47)

The Good?

• Duper has a 12 game point streak.  That's tied for the longest streak this season in the NHL.
• Sid took a puck to the face, but returned to the game (which is the "good" part of that equation).
• Geno reached 100 points on the season.

The Bad?

• You could tell the defense was very wary of the speed of Grabner.  You could also tell there was a huge difference without Niskanen and Letang.

The Ugly?

• The power play for the Pens with five forwards.  They're going to get killed if they keep deploying that - at least throw Paul Martin out there and have him stand by the red line if necessary.  The short-handed chances against have to stop.

Any Surprises?

• I was really surprised HCDB broke up Malkin, Neal and Kunitz.  I know it probably makes the team stronger overall, but I'm not sure I would have done that.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 47-24-6.  They are five points behind the Rangers and just two ahead of the Flyers.  All three teams have five games remaining.

Who's next?

A trip over to Buffalo for a game tomorrow night.

100 - Penguins 5, Devils 2

So what happened?

The Pens were opportunistic with their scoring chances.  They only fired 28 shots on net (a low total for them), but were still able to get four past Martin Brodeur, who did not have one of his better games.

None of the goals were overly pretty, other than Crosby's beautiful breakaway, but they all were right place at the right time type of goals.  Kunitz was available for a pass when Geno stole the puck from Brodeur behind the net.  Dupuis was charging toward the net on the rush when a rebound was tipped back out to him.  Staal had the puck following him, and although he misplayed it a bit, he was able to shoot back against the grain and beat Brodeur.

The defense was also not bad, though they did suffer through several extended sessions in their own zone.  If a team like Jersey can do that, imagine what the Flyers or Rangers might do given the chance.  The Pens will need to clean up their play in their own zone before they're ready to face the tougher opponents next weekend.

Who scored?

Kunitz (23), Staal (23), Dupuis (23), Crosby (4), Malkin (46)

The Good?

• Faceoffs - Sid, Geno and Staal were all positive on the draw.  That's crucial against a team like New Jersey.  Winning the draw means they have a harder time setting up their trap.
• Letang and Crosby both took hard hits (Letang collided head-to-head with Zubrus) and nether seemed any worse for wear.  Hopefully that good feeling continues tomorrow when they wake up.
• Paul Martin was a +4 in almost 23 minutes of ice time.  He probably didn't play quite that well, but he also wasn't as bad as his +/- showed earlier in the season.

The Bad?

• Ben Lovejoy left with an apparent injury.  With Matt Niskanen also hurt currently, I imagine we'll see Simon Despres if Lovejoy will be out for any extended period of time.

The Ugly?

• Patrick Elias on faceoffs.  Eight draws, eight losses.  It doesn't get any uglier than that.

Any Surprises?

• Dan Potash's face when he was goosed by Pascal Dupuis after the second period (I can only assume Dupuis goosed him - you couldn't see what actually happened).  Potash, to his credit, held it together after he was finished jumping.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 47-22-6.  They have 100 points on the season!!  They are one point behind the Rangers and four ahead of the Flyers.  All three teams have seven games remaining.

Who's next?

It's a home and home with the Islanders, starting on Tuesday at Consol.

Game #75 - vs New Jersey Devils

2011-12 Game 75

New Jersey Devils (42-27-6, 90 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (46-22-6, 98 points)

Matt Cooke - goal scoring machine!?!

Why does it matter?

It was only one loss, but if the Pens fall into a small skid here, they could find themselves facing Philadelphia without home ice advantage in the first round.  I think that's a situation that the team might rather avoid.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Last night was the first regulation loss in over a month.
• Devils - The only time they're winning in the past six games is when Brodeur throws a shutout.

Questions to be answered

• Whose pain will be more motivating?  The Pens had a painful loss last night to the Sens, but the Devils have lost four out of six, including an embarrassing loss to the Pens where they were out shot 44-14.
• What is wrong with the power play?  Not only did they look disjointed last night, they allowed a key short-handed goal.
• How will the Pens respond?  It has been so long since their last loss in regulation - can they bounce back or will we see lots of guys making an individual effort to try to run the gauntlet?  That would be playing right into the Devils' hands, in my opinion.

Keys to the game

• Team defense.  Focus on keeping the puck out of the danger areas.
• Clean play in the neutral zone.  Last time, the Pens had no trouble shredding the trap.  Let's hope they can do it again.
• Don't lose confidence.  Even if Brodeur is standing on his head, keep pushing.

Fiasco - Sentaors 8, Penguins 4

So what happened?

You had to know the Pens were going to lay an egg sometime.  Given how they've played against Ottawa this year, this wasn't a total surprise.  The biggest reasons for the loss?  Geno's line was a combined -9.  Even if they're not scoring (which would have been okay tonight), they can't be in the hole that much.  I know one of those came from a shorty on the power play, but more defensive zone responsibility when you have a shaky goaltender would be smart.

And that brings us to the other reason - Brad Thiessen.  He wasn't really at fault on most of the goals, but, for instance, as soon as Spezza started his breakaway (when all five Penguins were way too far into the offensive zone), you knew he was going to score.  Steigy and Errey were right - Marc Andre Fleury is more important to the team than a lot of people give him credit for.

Hopefully this one is already out of the memory banks and they're thinking about New Jersey.

Who scored?

Cooke (18, 19), Kennedy (9), Crosby (3)

The Good?

• Cooke had two.
• If you were a defenseman not named Michalek or Orpik then you had a decent game statistically.

The Bad?

• Everything else.  Giving up 8 is never good.

The Ugly?

• The backup goaltending situation.  Hopefully this won't be an issue in the playoffs, where you can ride Fleury as long as he stays healthy.

Any Surprises?

• I was surprised to see Crosby double-shifted in the first two minutes of the game.  I think it was because Malkin needed a skate adjustment, but still, on the front end of a back-to-back?

What's their record now?

The Pens are 46-22-6.  They are all alone in fourth place in the conference, two points ahead of Philly and three points behind the Rangers.

Who's next?

The Devils come to Consol for a key Atlantic division game.

Quitting - Penguins 5, Predators 1

So what happened?

No one on the home team was quitting at all tonight.  They kept after Nashville, taking away time and space as the Preds tried to come back from a multiple goal deficit.  Nothing worked for the Predators tonight.

This was the closest blowout you could imagine for the first two period.  The Predators had multiple glorious scoring chances, with several wide-open nets, and couldn't finish a play.  They were off ever so slightly, and that cost them a chance to earn points.

The Pens, for their part, got two grinder goals from Dupuis and Cooke, and Geno's line did the rest.  I guess the Cooke goal was also on Geno's line, since he was out there instead of Chris Kunitz at the time.

Solid offense and solid goaltending from the Pens tonight.

Who scored?

Malkin (44, 45), Dupuis (22), Cooke (17), Kunitz (22)

The Good?

• Malkin had 10 shots.  Everyone else combined for 13.  TEN shots... in a game that was pretty tightly played.  Wow.
• The role of Sidney Crosby was played by James Neal, who had 4 assists.  It was a career high in assists, and tied a career high in points.
• Letang has two points and was +2.

The Bad?

• Matt Niskanen left with an injury.  Letang looked like he may have hurt his knee and went to the locker room for a spell, but returned and played the rest of the game.

The Ugly?

• The Preds effort level in the third period.  They looked like they were going through the motions.

Any Surprises?

• I was surprised at how much better the Pens seemed than the Predators.  Maybe it was because the Preds couldn't find the net, but it felt like the Pens kicked the stuffing out of one of the better teams in the West.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 46-21-6.  They are all alone in fourth place in the conference, four points ahead of Philly and just one point behind the Rangers.

Who's next?

Saturday night - Ottawa - Consol Energy Center.

Game #73 - vs Nashville Predators

2011-12 Game 73

Nashville Predators (42-23-8, 92 points) at Pittsburgh Penguins (45-21-6, 96 points)

Will Radulov propel the Preds deep into the playoffs?

Why does it matter?

The Pens didn't waste much time getting things turned around again in destroying the Jets on Tuesday.  Now they face a much stronger opponent who are getting back a potential game-changer in Alexander Radulov from the KHL.

What has been happening lately?

• Pens - Going back to the middle of February, 13 games, 25 points earned.  It doesn't get much better than that.
• Predators - Three losses in their past four, including a bad home loss to the lowly Oilers on Tuesday.

Questions to be answered

• How much impact will Radulov have?  He will play tonight, for sure, probably with Hornqvist and Legwand.  That makes a pretty tough top line.
• Can the Pens stay out of the box?  The Preds power play is deadly (#1 in the NHL), and the PK for the Pens is suddenly leaky over the last two games.
• Will Sid ever score a goal?  I'm joking, of course, but it would be nice to see him rip one past Rinne on the rush tonight, wouldn't it?

Keys to the game

• Play even-strength.  The Preds haven't been involved in too many special teams situations lately, but then they get a power play chance, they're very good.  Don't give them extra chances.
• Match up.  The Preds are deep, with good scoring depth.  They won't blow you away with their talent, but they will keep coming at you.
• Traffic.  Create chaos around Rinne, who is another big goaltender (6'5")

The Third - Flyers 3, Penguins 2 (OT)

So what happened?

First off, the reason for "The Third" - I'm suggesting that's the new name for Scotty Hartnell.  At least twice yesterday, he jumped in as the third man on a confrontation.  Coming from the man who won't fight Arron Asham, that takes tremendous courage.  Congratulations, Scott Hartnell The Third, you have the heart of a lion.

If you had said that the Pens would play the Rangers, Devils and Flyers, all on the road, and come out with 5 points (out of six possible), I would have taken that any day of the week.

Unfortunately, when the only loss comes at the hands of the Flyers, in the last part of those three games, it leaves a foul taste in your mouth.

That's a good thing.  The Pens will now have some things to correct and some extra motivation going into a slightly easier part of the schedule.

As for the game itself, the Pens jumped out to a 2-0 lead.  It would have been worse, but Bryzgalov was excellent between the pipes (as was Fleury, for that matter).  I can't believe Bryzgalov wasn't one of the three stars for the game.

The Flyers scored twice in the third period to tie the game, and again with one second left in OT to earn the extra point.

The Flyers goal in OT was one that should not have happened - James Neal had a chance to get the puck deep in the Flyers zone.  Instead, he and Dupuis tried to make a play and wound up coughing up the puck.  That led directly to the Hartnell goal.

Who scored?

Adams (5), Malkin (41)

The Good?

• The first two periods were more of the same from the Pens.  Domination in terms of possession, zone time and shots.
• You could make a case for Kris Letang as Team MVP.  Things are that much different when he's playing.
• Geno had a great individual play on his goal.  Nice to see him keep pushing.
• Sid seems to be slowing stepping up his level of play, including getting more involved down low and going to the dirty areas (like the front of the net).

The Bad?

• The third period.  The Pens couldn't keep their system when the Flyers stepped up their play.  It was a good test for the Pens, and right now this time they didn't earn a passing score.

The Ugly?

• Just your usual stupid thuggery by the Flyers.

Any Surprises?

• The music people at the arena - usually when they play the musical line where the crowd chants "Crosby Sucks!", the folks in Philly drop the drum beat so as not to dilute the crowd chanting.  This time, they didn't tacitly endorse the chant by playing the full thing, so the drum was playing over the crowd chanting.

What's their record now?

The Pens are 44-21-6.  They are all alone in fourth place in the conference, two points ahead of Philly and just one point behind the Rangers.

Who's next?

Winnipeg comes to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.  Four of the next five games are on home ice for the Pens.