2000th Visitor!

The 2000th visitor to this blog occurred some time this morning. I'd like to thank all of you loyal readers for continuing to return. Much appreciated!

When I first started writing here, I never thought anyone would even read it. Much to my surprise, there actually have been people to visit and return on several occsacions. And, as a complete shock I've been pulled into doing some advertising for a marketing firm that represent Versus!

So, going forward, my goals remain the same as they were when I started this effort. To report on as many games as possible, to lend my own analysis to the conversation and to have a good time while doing so.

Once again, thanks to everyone that has stopped by...

Pens 3, Islanders 2

The Penguins finally won a game against a division opponent when they beat the New York Islanders by the score of 3-2. This was an important victory for the Pens as it kept them out of the Atlantic Division basement and insured that the Isles stayed there. Goals for the Pens were scored by Crosby, Whitney and Tyler Kennedy chipped in the game winner on a power play. This was Kennedy's first 3 point game in the NHL!

The win put the Pens in the top 8 of the East. I know it's a little early to be talking playoffs but with the Atlantic Division only separated by only 7 points first to last nearly half way through the season it seems to be a good time to start thinking about it. If the division remains as tight as it is, it's very possible that 4 teams from the Atlantic could make the playoffs. This is what makes December games against division opponents so important.

Next up, Tuesday 8pm against the New York Rangers.

News of Note: While I make sure to watch every game on TV, I am not able to attend many games in person, I will be going to the game on Friday night against the Isles. This will be my first game of the season (hopefully not last!) so I will have an abundance of news to report on Saturday morning. Make sure to check back this weekend!

Rough Week for the Pens

The Penguins had a rather tough week losing a bruising game to the Flyers by the score of 8-2 and dropping one last night at the Igloo to the Senators 4-1.
For the Flyers game, while being quite entertaining with the 4 fights and nearly 250 penalty minutes doled out by the referees, it was evident that the team was tired following a trip through Western Canada. They played uninspired and let Philadelphia have their way physically in the early parts of the game. When the Flyers build a lead in the second period it got ugly, real ugly. The Flyers took several cheap shots which the Pens retaliated for and it was downhill from there. Game misconducts, 10 minute majors, fighting majors and countless penalties followed.

The Ottawa game was a different story and was actually a much closer game than the score would indicate. The game was tied into the third when the Sens were able to get a couple past Dany Sabourin to make it 3-1 with an empty netter at the end.

Injury Update: Marc Andre Fleury is out for the next month with a high ankle sprain so the Pens called Ty Conklin up from the Baby Pens. Look for a Conklin start possibly against the Islanders on Saturday the 15th and probably on one of the back-to-back games on the 20th or 21st.

Notes: Sid Crosby was held without a point for only the third game this season. Sid is 5th in the NHL in points only 7 behind Tampa's Lecavalier. Sid continues to lead all NHL players in All Star votes.

Pens 3, Flames 2 SHOOTOUT!

An unlikely hero, Kris Letang, netted the game winner in for the Pens in a shootout victory over the Calgary Flames last night. Letang was the round four shooter and lifted the puck beautifully over Calgary's goaltender, Miikka Kiprusoff. Preceeding Letang in the shootout were Sykora (goal), Crosby (saved) and Malkin (saved). Calgary's Kristian Huselius was the lone scorer in the shootout for the Flames.

Marc Andre Fleury left the game a few minutes into the first period with an apparent leg (or ankle) injury and was replaced, admirably, by Dany Sabourin. Future updates on Fleury's status will be posted as they become known.

Regulation goals for the Pens were from Malkin, a power play goal, and Ryan Malone with an outstanding short handed goal that tied the score midway through the third period.

All in all an outstanding effort from the Pens the last three games. They have managed to come from from behind in two of the three and put a thorough pounding on the Coyotes in the other. They have played soundly in the defensive end and have been gritty up front, constantly crashing the net.

Pittsburgh has now won three in a row and 6 out of the last 7. Quite a good streak considering 5 of those 7 games have been on the road.

There has been a lot of media interest in the Pens this week as this trip was the first time Sid Crosby has played in Western Canada in his three years in the NHL. This is a result of the unbalanced schedule the the NHL recently trashed in favor of one where each team plays all other teams as least once a season. There will always be intense media scrutiny on Sid but should not be as much if Pittsburgh plays every other season in each arena. And by the way, how is it possible that a 20 year old is able to be so mature and stand up to all of the pressure placed on his shoulders the way Crosby is able to do?

Just a point of interest that I noticed and was dicussing with a co-working this morning - the ice up north is awesome! Just watching the past two games, and making a comparison to what I've seen in Pittsburgh this season, the speed of the game is incredibly different. The puck does not bounce around on the ice and the players are able to make crisp, clean passes without wondering where the puck is going to go. Great job to the ice crews in Edmonton and Calgary!

Penguins 4, Stars 1

The Pens put a beating on the Dallas Stars last night by the score of 4 to 1. Pittsburgh goals by Crosby, Sid had two, Kennedy and Malkin. Sid's first goal came on the first shift of the game, 24 seconds from faceoff, set the tempo for the entire game. Dallas was a tired looking bunch, always a half second behind whatever the Pens were doing.
Marc Andre Fleury had another solid game stopping 22 of 23 shots the Stars threw his way. It appears as if the confidence he was missing earlier in the season has returned.
While the first half of November was very miserable to the Pens the second half turned out pretty good. They have won 5 of the last 6 and are now within 6 points of taking over first in the Atlantic division.
Next up Toronto away tonight at 7. The Pens have a rather tough stretch of games coming up. 8 of the next 10 are on the road including a trio of games in Western Canada. If they can get 14 points of so in this stetch of games they will be in really good shape going into Christmas.

New Content From Versus

Dennis Miller Interviews Michael Irvin & Denny McLain On Ver - Click here for this week’s top video clips


Dennis Miller Interviews Michael Irvin and Denny McLain

Pens 5, Thrashers zip

Marc Andre Fleury earned his second shutout of the season by blanking the Atlanta Thrashers 5-0 Saturday night in the Igloo. Pittsburgh goals were scored by Staal (about time!), Malone, Crosby, Armstrong and Whitney.

The high scoring output looks to be the result of Head Caoch Michel Therrien constructing a top line of Crosby, Malone and Armstong. They seem to have instantly taken to each other and developed an amazing chemistry. This is the first time Armstrong has skated with Crosby since the beginning of the 2006 - 2007 season. I like it!

Fleury looked incredible. He displayed impeccable mechanics, was always in position to stop Atlanta shots and really looked as if his head was back to where it should be.

Looking at the last two games together, it looks like the team has turned a corner. The Ottawa game may be the turning point we have been hoping for this season. Being able to beat the top team in the East game the Pens a load of confidence that they have been missing and that confidence was on display from the first puck dropped last night.

Jordan Stall got his second of the season with a "garbage goal" early in the first, which proved to be the game winner. He was all over the ice the rest of the game. Hope he keeps this up as it will have a huge impact on the entire team.

Both Crosby and Malkin have seen their point streaks end in the past few games. Crosby finished with 18 and Malkin with 14.

The Pens have the next 6 days off. Quite a strange break in the middle of the season. This could have a negative effect on their momentum but I'm thinking that Therrien will really drill them hard in practice the next couple of days just to keep that intensity alive. Next up Friday night at the Igloo against the Dallas Stars.

Pens 6, Senators 5 SHOOTOUT

The Penguins won an exciting, well played game against the Ottawa Senators Thursday night in a shootout. The final score was 6-5. Pittsburgh goals were scored by Malkin, Malone with two, Kennedy and Gonchar. Christensen and Ruutu scored in the shootout with Ruutu getting the winner.

All in all a very intereresting game. The Pens overcame 2 goal deficits two times to force the game into overtime. The Pens put fourth the effort to bring down the best team so far in the East. This is the way they should be playing every night. They looked like they wanted to win and knew that is was possible.

Next up tonight at the Igloo versus the Thrashers

Pens Vs. Devils Tonight

The Penguins take on the Devils tonight at Mellon Arena. This is an important game for the Pens to win. They are tied for last (last!) place with New Jersey in the Atlantic Division at 18 points. A win tonight would put the Penguins 2 points ahead of the Devils who would then be in sole possesion of last place.

Pittsburgh's been pretty tough against the Devils so far this season losing 2 games by a goal each and earning a 5-0 vitory earlier this month. The home crowd is sure to get the Pens fired up early and might prove to be the difference. It is usually a very rowdy crowd at the Igloo on the night before Thanksgiving - I've been there myself many times - so here's to that type of crowd tonight.

Injury Update: Max Talbot is out for the next 3 games with a twisted ankle which he suffered during a practice early this week.

Don't forget the Pens play again tomorrow night in Ottawa. A rare Thanksgiving Day game...

Pens 3, Rangers 4 OT

The Pens lost one in overtime on Saturday at the Igloo. Once again they blew a 2 goal first period lead, allowing the Rangers to score 3 unanswered goals before tying the score at three five minutes into the 3rd period. A defensive error led to the OT winner less than 2 minutes into the extra frame. Pens goals were scored by Talbot, a shortie, his fifth of the year, Crosby, who kept his point streak alive at 19 games, and Sykora netted his 9th of the season. Malkin also kept his point streak alive by assisting on Sykora's goal.

Pittsburgh has had a very tough time playing with a lead this season. I count this to be the fifth game that they have managed to lose a two goal lead and either lose outright or lose in overtime. Not a good omen for the upcoming months. If the Pens are to go deep, let alone make, the playoffs they will need to learn to tighten down that defensive hatch when they have a lead, play a gritty, hard-nosed game that they have shown they are able to play, and learn to close out the games. Period.

Paul Coffey Inducted Into Penguins Hall of Fame

Defensemen Paul Coffey was inducted into the Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame in a ceremony preceding the Pens/Isles game on Thursday evening. Paul played for the Pens from 1987 to 1992 helping the team to win two Stanley Cups.

Coffey played in 331 games for Pittsburgh scoring 108 goals and 332 assists.

Congratulations to Paul for a spectacular career!

Pens 3, Islanders 2

The Pens broke their 4 game losing streak with a win against the Islanders at Mellon Arena on Thursday night. Goals were scored by Gonchar, Sykora and Laraque (that's right in case you just did a double take - his first in a Penguins uniform) got the game winner. Fleury did a good job in front of the net stopping 26 or 28 Islander shots.

The Pens did a nice job against the usually pesky Islanders. The Islanders have given the Pens a though time the past 8 or 10 seasons. They are normally a gritty, hard nosed team that comes out and plays to win every game. Adding Ted Nolan behind the bench will only generate more of that same style. The Pens knew that they needed to bring two points out of the contest and they played the whole game with that desire on display. This is the way they should come out and play every game. Maybe it's a start of a good thing, maybe it will take more to wake them up. Either way they earned 2 much needed points and did not allow a division rival any points in the standings.

Somthing to take note of: Malkin and Crosby both have lengthy point scoring streaks going on. Crosby has scored a point or more in all 18 games this season and Malkin has a point in 12 consecutive. I will keep this updated as the steaks continue.

Another item of note: Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor were both healthy scratches for the Isles game. I think maybe Michel Therrien read Joe Starkey's article in the Trib the other day?

Next up - tonight at the Igloo vs. the New York Rangers...I hate typing those words.

New Exclusive Content from Versus

Sports Unfiltered with Dennis Miller

Pens Drop Fourth In A Row

The Penguins lost their fourth consecutive game, and 6th out of the last 7, to the Devils on Monday night. The past 6 games have all been against Atlantic Division rivals and the Pens have only managed to earn 2 points. In a word, pathetic.

But Pittsburgh has a chance to redeem themselves in the upcoming days. The next 3 games are all against division opponents and are all at the Igloo. Now is the time to make up some of those points that were given away the past 2 weeks.

Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review has a good analysis of the teams latest effort here.

Much of what Joe writes I completely agree with and have been saying myself for the past few weeks.

Pens Show off Finalized Arena Plans

The Pittsburgh Penguins unveiled the finalized plans for their new arena yesterday. The building will hold about 18,500 hockey fans, about 2,000 more than the Igloo, and will incorporate an eighty foot high glass wall which will offer sightlines of the downtown cityscape.

Click here for a slideshow presentation of the new schetches:

New Arena Slideshow

Pens Recall Letang, Send Two to WBS

Yesterday the Penguins sent D Alain Nasreddine and C Tyler Kennedy to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Kris Letang was called up from the baby Pens to fill the open defensemen spot.

Easy call to make in my opinion. This will be Letang's first stint with the big team this season after a relatively short 7 games with the Pens at the beginning of last season. Time for him to step up and show that he is ready to be an NHL defensemen.

Time to Get It Together

The Pens have lost 4 of the past 5 and have given points to divison rivals that may come back to haunt later in the season. It's time to get this thing turned around.

The past few games it has been the Pens old enemy, the DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN, that has reared its ugly face. Defensemen have not had their heads in the games and have made mistake after mistake. The opposition has, gladly, taken advantage on many occasions.

Still looking for several of the Penguins key guys to step it up to. Staal has still not gotten back to his form from last season. Colby Armstrong has spent several consecutive games on the healty scratch list. Roberts and Recchi are still hanging back begin incognito.

Tonight the Pens face the Flyers for the second time in 3 games. I am sure Michel Therrien has had a few words with the team the past couple of days. I am very interested to see what the teams attitude is at the drop of the puck tonight.

New Exclusive Content From Versus

Sports Unfiltered with Dennis Miller Debut Episode Video

Pens 2, Islanders 3

For the second game in a row the Pens managed to blow a 2 goal first period lead and lose the game by the score of 3-2. Looks like it's time for the coaching staff to teach the guys how to play with a lead.

Pittsburgh goals were scored by Malone and Tyler Kennedy, his first in the NHL. Congrats go out to Kennedy.

Jumping the Gun?

Okay, okay...Many of you may be thinking I jumped to gun a bit with my last post but let me put this into perspective. The number 1 line of Crosby, Malkin and Sykora have accounted for all of the goals in the Penguins last 2 games. This line has been together since the Montreal game last week. Crosby is on fire and that may be directly related to a chemistry starting to form with his linemates. Or it may not. Malkin and Sykora are top tier NHL talent and may just be a tremendous compliment to Sid.

Marc Andre - how's the head? With Sabourins rough second period in Colorado last night, I'm assuming you will get the start tomorrow when the team visits Long Island. Hope you worked on your mechanics during the time off. You should be much better for it.

Jordan Staal - are you there? 1 goal and 1 assist in 12 games?

Erik Christensen - sure you made that sweet shootout goal last week against the Canadiens but you too have Staal's exact numbers.

Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi 1 goal each also in 12 games?

Max Talbot has equaled all four of your goal production. Combined!

This is what is bothering me today. My feel from last nights game was that the number 1 line was doing all of the work and many of the other players that the team depends on to produce are getting a very slow start.

Which is all it might be. I know that the first month of the season is mostly about getting a chemistry and cohesion going so I will withhold judgement for now. Just know that I AM WATCHING!!!

What is the Major Malfunction?

I've been extremely disappointed with the Penguins last two games. First was a 5-2 thumping by the Maple Leafs, then a shootout loss where the Pens went down 3-0 in the first period. This inconsistant play is remininscent of the first 3 months of last season where Pittsburgh was very streaky, losing 3 or 4 in a row and then winning 3 or 4 in a row. They managed to right the ship around Christmas time and pulled off several very long winning streaks that propelled them into the playoffs by April.

I fear that this will not be possible again - here is my reasoning...

Let me start out by saying that first, and foremost, I like the job that Michel Therrien has done the past 2 seasons since he took over for the ousted Olczyk. I am a Therrien fan. However, I do not agree that constantly changing line combinations is good for the club at this point. I say that after seeing new line combos in nearly every game so far this season. The players are not being given the opportunity to get used to playing with the same linemates and this seems to really be one of the main reasons that the Pens are not playing up to expectations. When guys play together on the same line, they get used to what everyone is capable of and better able to react to events that occur on the ice during the course of a play or of a game. Michel - hear me and let's let the lines go for a few games to see if that particular chemistry that is missing starts to come together.

Secondly - something has gotten into Marc Andre Fleury's head and it is setting up camp. He has displayed on several occasions the past few weeks that he can be rattled. A push here, or a shove there and his head is out of the game. This was the case early on in his career, but looked as if he was past it. Sabourin came in Saturday night, in the second period, after Fleury and the Pens gave up 3 goals in the opening frame (and performed admirably through the rest of the game including OT and an eight round shootout!). Possibly this 5 game road trip ahead will get him back in his game. I believe that we will see Fleury and Sabourin sharing duties the next few weeks, for if nothing else, to see if Marc Andre can get back in the groove. And that may not be such a bad thing...

The combination of a poorly performing goaltender with a not quite developed team chemistry may have a very damaging effect upon where the team ends up in the playoff standings come April - or even not in the playoff standings. Time to get the consistency nailed down before the month of November gets into full swing.

Pens 2, Maple Leafs 5

With the score ties at 1 all at the beginning of the third period the Penguins did something rather inexplicable - they stopped playing defense and gave the Leafs 4 unanswered goals.

It was horrible watching the implosion. They went from being a solid defense first team in the first two periods to one that looked as if they had no clue what they were doing in their own zone. Marc Andre Fleury is not to blame. He allowed no soft goals throughout the massacre.

Next up: Montreal at the Igloo on Saturday.

Laraque vs. Brashear 10/20/07

Round 3:

Pens 1, Rangers 0

Evgeni Malkin scored the game winner, and only goal of the game, 44 seconds into the the second period on a power play. Marc Andre Fleury turned aside 36 Rangers shots, and was the #1 star of the game, earning his first shutout of the season and the 8th of his career. Last week at this time Fleury had a GAA of over 4.0, today it is 2.98. Quite an improvement for only starting 2 games in the past 3. Looks like his sessions with Gilles have paid off!

This was the Pens third win in a row and 4th out of the last 5 games. A very impressive streak for this early in the season. Here's to keeping it going for a while!

The Rangers have been pretty much irrevelant since the season began. They are 2-5-1, have lost 4 in a row and have scored a hapless 13 goals in those 8 games. Looks like some heads may start to roll down Broadway. The Rangers dumped millions of dollars into signing stars Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, both of which have produced next to nothing. Perennial crybaby Jaromir Jagr may be longing for a return to his glory days back in Pittsburgh. Rumor has it that Jaromir is upset that the Rangers did not do more to re-sign his linemate of last year, Michael Nylander, who bolted town for the greener pastures of Washington D.C. Got the lifeboat ready Tom Renney? You're going to need one...

Next up: Toronto Thursday night at the Igloo!

http://penshome.blogspot.com/penshome.blogspot.comd682a0dc6771d372023b3f5ba4938cca882f99e1.html

http://penshome.blogspot.com/penshome.blogspot.comd682a0dc6771d372023b3f5ba4938cca882f99e1.html

Sidney Crosby Revealed Tuesday on Versus

Tune in to Versus Tuesday at 6:30 pm before the Pens vs. Rangers game to see a new NHL program, Sidney Crosby Revealed. Click below for a preview:

Preview Pens at Caps Tonight

The Pens traveled to Washington D.C. last night after beating the Hurricanes in a shootout. The last time the Capitals beat the Pens was March 8th, 2006. In the last 8 games against Washington the Penguins are 7-1.

Don't let this fool you. It will not be an easy game. The Caps are rested, and ready to go. The Pens may still be jubilant about the OT win last night an may not be at the top of their game when the puck drops at 7pm.

The Pens have more firepower and should play a more fundamentally sound game than the Capitals are capable of. Assuming Fleury is starting, and his mechanics are better, he should easily be capable of holding the Caps to a couple of goals. This is usually a gritty, hard nosed game, which should play right into the way the Pens have been playing as of late.

Nonetheless I think Therrien will have the team ready and I stick by my prediction of yesterday (http://penshome.blogspot.com/2007/10/weekend-preview.html), a 5-2 win for the Pens.

On a side note, check out Japersrink Blog. This is a Capitals based blog and these guys have invited several Penguins fans to comment on tonights game and have posted the comments for all to see. Good to see that the healthy competition between our teams lives on, even if the Caps can't get it done on the ice. Thanks guys, and keep up the great work!

Pens 4, Hurricanes 3 SHOOTOUT

Well I predicted a 3-2 Carolina OT win in my weekend game preview that posted yesterday (http://penshome.blogspot.com/2007/10/weekend-preview.html). I was close except I picked the wrong team to win and was off by a goal each. But who's complaining, the Pens picked up a W and 2 points while handing the Hurricanes their first OTL of the season. Not so bad being wrong in this case.

Pens goal scorers were Sykora (his 250th of his career, (congrats!), Hall (1st of the season) and Hall added his second of the season and game. Shootout goals were made by Christensen, Sykora, and Crosby notched the shootout winner when Sabourin stoned Carolina's Ray Whitney to secure the win.

All in all I would have to say this was the best, most complete game the Pens have played all season. Sabourin look good. He was confident and stood up to the shots. He let in one soft goal in the second period but that did not seem to hurt his confidence. The Pens were aggressive, finishing checks all over the ice, and didn't let Carolina's forwards stand in front of the net as they are apt to do on many occasions.

I saw no major defensive breakdowns, though there were some mistakes that could have cost the Pens, and were able to get the puck out of the defensive zone and onto the sticks of the forwards without much effort.

On a side note. All four games so far this year at Mellon Arena have been standing room only sellouts. I'd like to keep a count on this throughout the season and even from last season to put in the right side frame. Does anyone out there know when the last time a game was not sold out at the Igloo? If so, please email me at jimjar@gmail.com.

Sabourin to Start Against Carolina

Dany Sabourin will get the start tonight when the Pens face off against Carolina.

Weekend Preview

The Pens have two games this weekend starting with Carolina at Mellon Arena on Friday and Washington in D.C. Saturday night.

The tougher of the two games will be tonight against the Hurricanes. Carolina has been red hot this season accumulating 9 points in their first 6 games, two of those points in the Pens opener two weeks ago. They are 3-1 on the road so far this season and look to be one of the powerhouses of the East. They are relatively injury free and usually play a gritty, high tempo game which gives them the edge against the Pens.

The Caps look much improved over last season so far. With the Pens playing a game the night before and then having to go on the road the next night might prove to be a bit exhausting even though it's a short trip. Washington is 3-3 so far this young season but have only had 2 home games so far going 1-1 in those games. They've been bitten by the injury bug rather early having lost Semin, Eminger and Fehr to IR aleady. Kolzig has been his reliable self so far but has historically struggled against the Penguins.

For Pittsburgh to come out victorious in either game Marc Andre Fleury must play better. He has been one of the worst starting goaltenders in the league so far this season. He's been unable to control rebounds, goes down in the butterfly way to early allowing shots to go over his shoulders, and even lost his temper against the Devils on Wednesday night when the crease was invaded by New Jersey players crashing the net. Pens goaltending coach, Gilles Meloche was called into practice on Thursday to try and help Fleury through his issues which usually leads to a productive stretch of games for Marc but Meloche won't always be there. Fleury must get his mechanics and mental game together on his own to become the goaltender the he has to potential to be.

My prediction: Carolina in OT 3-2 and Pittsburgh over the Caps 5-2.

Devils 5 Pens 4

In an entertaining and controversial game the Devils beat the Penguins 5-4 last night at Mellon Arena. The Devils have seemed to abandon their normal clutch and grab defensive type of game to embrace a much more entertaining run and gun type of game. Personally, I have no problem with that. It is like watching paint dry when being subjected to that defense first mentality. Here's to hoping that Brent Sutter, New Jersey's new head coach, sticks with this new offensive philosophy!

The controversial moments of the game came in the third period when the Pens apparently tied the game at 4 with a goal that was overturned. The Penguins were issued a "To Many Men on the Ice" penalty due to Sid Crosby and a member of the Devils participating in some pushing and shoving in front of the benches when Sid should have been already over the boards. Secondly, a Devils goal was later allowed when replays clearly showed that Pens goalie Marc Andre Fleury was pushed over the goal line while protecting the puck. A whistle should have been blown at the least, at the most an Interferece penalty should have been called on the Devils since they were not allowing Fleury to play the puck.

While neither may have changed the final score this just displays, again and as usualy, that the rules of the game are interpreted subjectively on a case-by-case basis by the games referees. The rules have to be called as written! There should be no putting away of the whistle in the third period (or any other!). A penalty in the first period should be called a penalty in the 3rd or even overtime.

Next up - Friday at Mellon Arena vs. Carolina

I'm Back!

Hello loyal readers. I've been away on vacation for the first week of the NHL season so I have not been able to write. I am in the process of getting caught up on real life right now so will be able to write about my impressions on the first four games before long (I've recorded all the games and will be watching them today!)

Preview of the Upcoming Season

Here are a few of my views about the upcoming season. Please feel free to email me with any of your own predictions at jimjar@gmail.com. I will publish any and all predictions received...

What to look for:

I believe the Penguins will be one of the elite teams in the East. They should earn a few more points than last season, maybe 105 or 106, while maintaining a playoff like intensity throughout. They pulled in the hardware over the summer proving that they have the talent to contend and now it is the time to step up and do it. Recchi, Roberts, Sykora, Sydor and Gonchar must earn their paychecks showing all the younger guys the ropes. Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Whitney and Fleury must improve their already high level game. Role players like Armstrong, Ruutu, Talbot and Malone must play their part and do everything that is asked of them. Sabourin must prove to be a capable goalie that is able to play 15 or 18 games and pull out 10 or 12 wins. And Laraque must be tougher than he was in the Ottawa playoff series last spring.

The team has already bought into what Michel Therrien is selling but the coaching staff must maintain their message throughout. They cannot let afford an early season let down and must remain consistent and aggressive the entire season.

What the Pens need to avoid:

One word: Complacency. With the teams surprise trip to the playoffs last season some members of the team bay start to feel a little comfortable throughout the first quarter or third of the season. If this happens they may dig themselves a hole from which no team could hope to escape.

Who needs to step up:

The Pens defensemen. Last season was not a great display of how to play defense in the NHL. this year they must be able to:

- block more shots

- clear out in front of their net

- crisp, clean, quick passes to the forwards to get the puck in the offensive zone

Who needs to have a career season:

Marc Andre Fleury. Last year was pretty close. This season Marc needs to prove to the team and the league that he is a franchise quality goaltender. I am sold on his ablilities but many are not. If the defense steps up and cuts down on the number of quality shots that any opponents throw at him, this is very possible. Marc has very good instincts, squares up to the shooter and usually challenges shooters to take away the angles. But many times throughout last year he became flustered and lost his composure. This cannot happen. Veteran goalies are able to easily shrug off any hardships and focus on the task at hand.

Atlantic Division prediction:

1. New Jersey

2. Pittsburgh

3. New York Rangers

4. Philadelphia

5. New York Islanders

By the way - the Pens will not beat the Flyers 8 times this year...unfortuately!

Playoff Predictions

East	West
Buffalo	San Jose
New Jersey	Detroit
Carolina	Edmonton
Pittsburgh	Anaheim
Montreal	Los Angeles
New York Rangers	Nashville
Tampa Bay	Vancouver
Toronto	Minnesota

Stanley Cup Predictions:

Pittsburgh vs. Los Angeles

Pens 1999 Draft Pick Robinson

Penguins 1999 draft pick Darcy Robinson collapsed during a game in the Italian Hockey League and later died at a hospital, Yahoo news is reporting:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AuaiczrLqUC4ZRTAStZ9gJF7vLYF?slug=ap-italy-playerdies&prov=ap&type=lgns

He was 26 years old and cause of death is not immediately known.

Prayers and sympathies go out to his family.

Steelers Open 3-0

Congrats to the Pittsburgh Steelers for opening the season at 3 and 0. New head coach Mike Tomlin really seems to have his team believing in his system and his philosophies (granted, they are not that much different than Bill Cowher's). It's been 15 years since the Steelers started the season with 3 wins.

Home of the Penguins wishes the best of luck to the Steelers in the next 13 games and beyond into the playoffs!

Pens at West Point This Week

The Penguins are at West Point this week taking part in team building exercises from US Army Drill Instructors. This is the second consecutive year that Shero and the coaching staff have sent the players to this program.

The exercises drew good comments from the players and team management last year at this time. Here's to hoping that this will bring the team closed and get some of that good chemistry flowing early.

In other news...Sidney Crosby left practice early on Monday, complaining of "soreness of the groin". He is not expected to miss any further skating time...

...Petr Sykora is recovering from a broken nose which required surgery on Friday. He's expected back to practice in the next day or so...

...The team trimmed it's roster down to 30 this past weekend sending Tyler Kennedy, Nathan Smith, Connor James, Chris Minard, Jeff Taffe, Tim Wallace, Alex Goligoski, Ryan Lannon, Ben Lovejoy, and Ty Conklin to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and returned Angelo Esposito and Dustin Jeffery to their junior teams. Best of luck to all getting back to the big team!

Pens Drop Rematch vs. Red Wings 5-2

The Pens lost the second of two consecutive games against Detroit on Saturday with a very lopsided 5-2 score. Pens goals were scored by Eaton and Malkin - both power play goals.

The Pens power play has been horrible in the four exhibition games the past 2 weeks. They are converting at a 10% rate (3 of 30) and have looked nothing like the dangerous unit that they were for much of last season. This will need to change drastically if the team is to compete for the top spot in the East, as is expected.

Next up for the Pens is a Friday night tilt versus the Sabres at Mellon Arena.

Pens Lose in OT

The Penguins lost in Detriot last night on a Chelios overtime goal, 1-0.

Rematch tonight at the Igloo!

Training Camp

I managed to sneak out of work for a bit today to attend the second training camp session of the day. (see video and pictures below)

Most of the top line players were in the early session that I missed but Angelo Esposito was in the one I was at. All I can say is...he's fast!

Sabourin looked good during the shooting drills that the coaching staff put the team through. No pucks got past him!

The team looked motivated and ready to go.

Bring on the regular season! Only 14 more days until faceoff!

Training Camp Photos

Here's a few images from training camp today:

Pittsburgh Penguins Training Camp

Short video from Training Camp today

Home of the Penguins Feedback

Hello loyal readers (at least I think I have a few).

Two items:

First - I've been writing this Blog for about 6 months now and have really enjoyed doing so. Does anyone have any suggestions or comments that they think can help make these pages better? If so please feel free to email me at jimjar@gmail.com or leave a comment at the link provided below. I welcome any feedback that is received. On a side note to this - please sign the guestbook provided in the right side frame. I would eventually like to start an email newsletter about the Pens and this is a good place to get a collection of addresses started to make that a reality

Second - With the 2007 - 2008 season looming, I've decided that I would like to open up this forum for a few other individuals to post and opine. If anyone would like to do this please email me at the above address and let me know. I would very much like to write something about every game in the upcoming season but am not sure I will be able to undertake this task on my own. Anyone that would like to join in would be appreciated!

Thanks to everyone that does manage to stop by on a regular basis. I hope each of you are looking forward to the upcoming season as much as I am.

GO PENS!

Ice Bowl 2008 - Cold Reception Here in the 'Burgh

Many Pens fans are quite upset over the NHL's handling of the ticket sales for the Ice Bowl on 1/1/08. It has been widely reported that the game sold out in less than 30 minutes (I can attest to that after trying to purchase tickets online at 10:30 am yesterday) mostly due to the fact that there was a 50 ticket limit on each sale. Given that fact, since there were only approximately 43,000 tickets available for the game after Buffalo and Toronto fans were given their shares, that would only allow several thousand individuals access to the tickets. Tickets are in abundance on online auction sites suggesting most of them were purchased by the unscrupulous ticket brokers.

And while Buffalo's entire season ticket base was given the option to buy tickets, the Pens have stated that they only received about 1,000 to sell directly to their season ticket holders. In order for Penguins ticket holders to order the tickets they were sent a special code and password to enter on Ticketmaster. To add insult to injury, this code and password were leaked on the internet, allowing virtually anyone to purchase on of these tickets.

All in all I give this a BAD rating for the NHL. This could have been handled in a much different way that would satisfy fans of both teams as well as give many more people in the Pittsburgh area the opportunity to purchase tickets for this once in a lifetime event.

UPDATE - I've also heard talk and seen reported in print that Ticketmaster outlets in the Pittsburgh region were not even able to sell tickets for the Ice Bowl. ONLY outlets in the Buffalo, Erie region had them available. So the only way they could even be purchased here was online and by telephone!

Rematch...WIN!

Pittsburgh won their rematch with the Canadiens last night by the score of 5-2. Stone, Taffe, Sykora, Malkin and Kennedy all scored for the Pens. All were even strength goals except Malkins, which was short-handed. The win bring the Penguins to 1-1 for the pre-season. Next game is Friday night at Detroit.

On a side note I will be attending a portion of the training camp session tomorrow at Mellon Arena. Make sure to check back for opinion and pictures!

Ice Bowl 2008

Less than 30 minutes after tickets went on sale for the 1/1/2008 Pens vs. Sabres game went on sale, Ticketmaster has reported that the event is sold out. 43,000 tickets went on sale while the rest of the 73,000 seats were reserved for Sabres season ticket holders, Bills Club ticket holders and players of both teams.

I was unable to get tickets myself so I feel the pain out there. Hopefully many of the remaining tickets that were sold this morning did go to Penguins fans!!

Pens Drop Exhibition Opener

The Pittsburgh Penguins lost their first pre-season game last night to the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2.

Crosby and Malone each notched their first tallies of the pre-season but a Kovalev goal with 30 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Canadiens their first exhibition win.

Pens Sign Assistant Coaches to Contracts

Looks like the entire coaching staff that enabled the Penguins to reach the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season will return for the next two years. Assistant coaches Andre Savard and Mike Yeo (YO!) signed an extension to keep their services behind the bench through the 2008-2009 season and Gilles Meloche signed a new 2 year contact that guarantees his services coaching between the pipes for the next 2 season. Michel Therrien signed a one year extension earlier this summer. Congrats to all 4 for a job well done! Keep up the great work!

Training Camp!

Finally the day has arrived!! The Pens are opening training camp today. Today's agenda includes meetings, physicals and testing. Tomorrow will be the first day on the ice. Camp opens at the Iceoplex at Southpointe and then will move to Mellon Arena on 9/19. All practices are open to the public.

I should be able to make my way to one of the Mellon Arena practices next week and will provide some in depth analysis of how everyone looks. Please check back for an update on that and any other training camp news.

Only 23 days until the opener against Carolina!

Some Strange Happenings Around Town part 2...

As heard on the DVE Morning Show on Friday 9/7/07:

"Yes, that's right, it's the Friday before the Steelers opening game against the Cleveland Browns and we are talking about the Penguins"

Once again the Pens have done a masterful job at keeping themselves in the news despite the fact that this weekend is the opening of the NFL season and most eyes in the 'Burgh would normally be looking that way.

Penguins management came up with the idea of randomly selecting 24 season ticket holders and having team players hand delivering season tickets to those ticket holders. What a terrific surprise that would be to open your door and see Sidney Crosby standing outside with your season tickets!

Pens Unveil New Jersey

The Penguins showed of their new Reebok uniforms last night at a local mall in front of about 1000 fans. This is what they look like:



I am not a fan of them. They are plain and generic looking.

I've added a poll below to see what everyone else thinks. Please vote!

New Arena Schetches

The Penguins have recently released some artist schetches of the new arena to the public. Here are two of them:

HOK Sport is designing the building and the official groundbreaking is scheduled for next spring.

As is evident from the second picture above the design is meant to showcase the city skyline, much like PNC Park.

The Penguins have also posted a fan survey to gather feedback and input concerning the construction of the new building. Please take some time and complete it here:

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=336361

I will continue posting any new information about the arena as it becomes available so keep checking back!

New Arena News

The Penguins have released some photos and a bit of information about the new arena. I will give an update on this tomorrow morning, however here's something really cool I found on the Penguins website:

http://penguins.nhl.com/fanzone/arena_cam.htm

It is a web cam of the new arena construction site.

I will post this in a more permanent place on the right pane in the near future. Check it out!

Pens vs. Sabres 1/1/08

Looks like it is now official, according the the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. The Buffalo Sabres will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Years Day 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. This will be a noon game to be played outdoors in front of a national TV audience on NBC. What a tremendous idea for the league and NBC. With the Penguins crop of young stars it will get some good ratings.
I would like to get as many Pens fans to this game as possible since it is only a few hours north of the 'Burgh. Please check back for updates and ticket prices. Tickets for individual Sabres games go on sale 9/15/07:

http://sabres.nhl.com/tickets/individual.htm

At this time there is no information available as to when and if the 1/1/08 game will be on sale.

UPDATE:

Greg has some good info on his blog for hotels and stadium facts.

see: http://2008icebowl.blogspot.com

Some Strange Happenings Around Town...

I've been witness this summer to some very strange occurrances. During the normal stretch of June, July and August most eyes in this city are turned to the Steelers (this is a football city, after all). But this year it has been increasingly upbeat with news and information about the Pittsburgh Penguins.



First - the Pens have been very wise about releasing information since the free agency period began. Not sure if this was planned or not but it seemed as if, at least until football training camp started up, that the team was timing the press releases so that there was some sort of good news every few days. In the space of several weeks we witnessed the signing of several free agents, Michel Therrien's contract extension, Ryan Whitney's contract extension, Sidney Crosby's contract extension and then, to me at least, the biggest news of all that the team has stopped selling season ticket packages, and for the first time in the history of the franchise, has had to start a waiting list for additional season ticket subscribers. All of the events kept the team in the news for more than a month and a half and excited a growing fan base for the upcoming season.



Second - as mentioned above, the Penguins capped season ticket sales and started a waiting list for any additional folks that wanted to get a ticket package. This is the first time that such an event has occurred since the inception of the franchise in 1967. Even during the Cup years in the early 90's there was no problem for a fan to be able to purchase a ticket package. While this does not mean that there won't be individual game tickets available, as there will, but it does mean that the fan base is growing and is energized for the upcoming season and beyond. Another factor in this is surely the belief that a new arena is coming soon and securing season tickets now is the best way to insure that seats will be available for the first season in the new building.



Third - while the usual media blitz is alive and well with 24/7 coverage of Steeler's training camp, there has still been plenty of coverage for the Pens. I've seen recent stories about how the team is making sure to include the Hill district in it's plans for the new arena as well as a lot of coverage about brisk ticket sales when the mini plans went on sale last week. Don't get me wrong on this, I am a football fan as well as a hockey fan. I am not trying to take anything away from the Steelers at all...



Fourth and probably most important - the fan base is energized and ready for the start of the season. It has been many years since I've witnessed such a high level of confidence and eagerness of hockey fans to see their team on the ice. Last years group exceeded all expectations despite a very early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs and this years roster looks to be even more experienced and skilled than the group that last took the ice in Ottawa in April.

Only 3 weeks until training camp opens! LET'S GO PENS!

NHL Schedule

The NHL has released it's schedule for next season. See Pittsburgh's schedule here:



http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=TeamSchedule&team=PIT&season=20072008



Who's joining me for the New Years Day game in Buffalo? It could be an outdoor game being played in Ralph Wilson Stadium...

Cha-Ching

Sidney Crosby put ink on a brand new 5 year contract extension this morning. The deal takes effect following the upcoming season and runs through the 2012 - 2013 season. Speculation abounds that the contract is worth about $43 million. The Penguins have made Sid a very rich man just days before his 20th birthday.

See complete story here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_516584.html

I believe it will be worth every penny. Please vote in the poll below in the right side pane:

THE PARROT - FINAL EPISODE

Not really hockey but this is a terrific spoof on the Soprano's final episode...

A Lot Has Been Happening...

...with the Penguins recently. Since I've been away on business for the past few weeks now is the time to get everything caught up:

Crosby wins the Hart Trophy - Sid was voted the NHL's MVP

Crosby wins the Pearson Trophy - Sid was voted best player by his peers...some would say this is more of an honor than the Hart Trophy (I've added a web poll for Sid below...please vote!)

Malkin wins Rookie of the Year - and deservedly so

Roberts and Recchi sign one year contracts with the Pens - ensuring the team their space on the Stanley Cup next season

At a very low #20 the Penguins select Angelo Esposito in the NHL Entry Draft - Esposito was projected as going in the top 3 or 4 in the very recent past. What a steal!

Sid The Kid Gets The "C" For The Upcoming Season

Sidney Crosby has become the youngest NHL player to be designated as his teams captain, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Thursday, May 31. Crosby was 19 years and 297 days old when the honor was bestowed upon him. The previous record was held by Vincent Lecavalier who was granted the C at the age of 19 years, 324 days.

See whole story here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-captaincrosby&prov=ap&type=lgns

This is a terrific move in my opinion. Sid has led the team on the ice for the past 2 seasons as is, and now formally having the title, will garner him additional respect from one of the sources that he has not had much respect from - the referees. By having the referees on his side some of the calls that were not made in the past season may now be called.

Sid has the maturity needed as well as the respect from his teammates to be a good leader. He always gives 100% to the team and is often the first on the ice for practices, and the last to leave it.

Congrats to Crosby!

New Arena Update

The first building has been demolished to make room for the new arena. Here is a picture from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review of an unusal contruction mishap that occured while the building was being knocked down:

Crane 1, Silly Little Car 0

Finally Back

I've been unable to write for the last few weeks due to circumstance beyond my control...so here is a late analysis of the Pens/Sens playoff series:

Blah.

Enough said...

But seriously - Pittsburgh was outplayed from the very first drop of the puck. They looked dazed and confused for much of the series. This could have been due to the fact that they were being hit at every opportunity Ottawa had, lack of playoff experience, Therrien being badly outcoached or, most likely, a nasty combination of all three. Crosby played the last month on a broken foot. Whitney had surgery on his wrist from an injury the occured before the playoffs. That explains a couple of other issues...

As they always say, there is next season...

Ray Shero better get on the phone and find a couple of defensemen that are able to clear the puck out of the defensive zone and get it onto the stick of a forward. Oh, and where was Georges Laraque? There's been rumors flying around town that he was injured. His back may have been bothering him from mid March. All I know is that the Sens hit. And they hit hard. And they were not worried about any retribuion.

Ottawa is keeping up the same tempo in the New Jersey series too. This is a different team then the one that dropped out of the playoffs early in the past few years. Sens and Sabres in the Conference Finals is where my money is.

I will keep up with any news and ideas over the off season. Only 4 months until training camp opens!!

Live-Blogging Game 2

15:34 (1st T V timeout of the first period)

Nice start for the Pens. Ryan Whitney gets a power play goal 3 minutes into the first period. Power play goal. His first career playoff goal.

Refs are calling the game very tight. I'm curious to see if this is going to continue throughout the game.

Lots of hitting from both teams. The Sens were the only team hitting in game 1.

First bourbon and Pepsi almost down...

______________________
15:38

Schubert bit the ice...

Talbot leveled him. No call by the refs is the right call

______________________
15:41

First bourbon and Pepsi finished.

______________________
15:47

Just an observation...Ed Olczyk (NBC color commentator for the game) is rooting for the Penguins. He's made several comments about how much better they look and how they are controlling the game. Got another bourbon and Pepsi during the break.

______________________
16:00

Pens need to stop taking penalties...but at least they keep killing them!

______________________
16:04

First intermission. Ottawa power play 0 for 3. Pens power play 1-1. Both teams are aggressive and ready to play (unlike game 1).

______________________
16:14

The second period is about to start. I hope the Penguins are not feeling too comfortable. The first period was definately theirs but Ottawa is going to come out gunning for them. Hope the refs keep the game under control.

______________________
16:25

Sens are bringing the physical game. Nice scrum behind the net. This is getting good!

______________________
16:30

Spezza tied it up at 1. What a great sequence though. Wide open play of a 4 on 4.
Bourbon is gone...switching to vodka

______________________
16:54

Another Senators power play and they scored a few seconds into it. 2-1 Ottawa. Maybe the Pens could get a power play? Sens have had 6. Pens only 1...

______________________
16:57

And Ottawa goes back on the power play. Ruutu took a stupid penalty...

______________________
17:01

Second period has come to a close. The score remains at 2-1 Ottawa. Pittsburgh is playing a much better game than in game 1. They are definately missing some discipline though. Stupid penalties could be the difference in this game. Pittsburgh needs to come out of the locker room a more disciplined team, ready to hit and ready to take over control of this game. If they don't, they will be down two games to zero.

______________________
17:13

Third period is starting. Pens have to stay out of the box and keep being aggressive.

______________________
17:!4

Armstrong and Comrie go at it. Not much of a fight but this could change the momentum.

______________________
17:21

Roberts ties up the game with a power play goal. Tie game 2-2

______________________
17:55

Pens win 4-3. Last 3 goals by Kelly (Ottawa), Staal and Crosby
Series is tied at 1 and heads to the Igloo for the next 2 games. Game 3 it Sunday at 6pm. Go Pens!

"It's a great day for hockey"

- Badger Bob

Let The Playoffs Begin!

The Penguins have landed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2001. They will face the Ottawa Senators at Ottawa beginning on Wednesday 4/11/07. Games are scheduled as follows:

Wed 4/11 at Ottawa 7pm
Sat 4/14 at Ottawa 3pm
Sun 4/15 at Pittsburgh 6pm
Tue 4/17 at Pittsburgh 7pm
Thu 4/19 at Ottawa 7pm (if necessary)
Sun 4/22 at Pittsburgh 1pm (if necessary)
Tue 4/24 at Ottawa 7pm (if necessary)

Ottawa won home ice advantage for the first round even though they were tied with the Pens in points. The first tiebreaker is number of wins and the Senators had more in the regular season.

Sidney Crosby will be awarded the Art Ross trophy for his league leading total of 120 points. Crosby becomes the youngest player in NHL history to achieve this distinction. Since 1988 the trophy has been awarded to 3 different members if the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and now Sidney, a total of 12 times. The rest of the NHL has won the award 7 times. Pittsburgh has been exceedingly lucky to have players of the caliber capable of leading the league in scoring so often. Maybe they should rename it the Penguins Trophy...

Here's a great article about Sid on Yahoo Sports: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=ArvYPOOcGzQxOc6..2OiBLJ7vLYF?slug=jo-crosby041007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Evgeni Malkin, a leading candidate for rookie of the year, lead the league in rookie scoring. He finished the season second on the team with 85 points. Congrats to Geno...

Jordan Staal, a very pleasant surprise from the beginning of the season, is also a candidate for rookie of the year on his defensive abilities on the penalty kill. Staal also led the league in short-handed goals with 7.

The Pens won the season series with Ottawa by winning 3 out of 4 games. Two of the games were won in a shootout, one by one goal on April 5th and an early season loss at Mellon Arena on November 10th. While this is a good sign of how the playoffs will proceed, much is being made in the media about the huge experience advantage the Senators have in post-season play while the Pens have very little. In my opinion, this has no bearing on the outcome of the series. Veterans Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi, both have their name on the Stanley Cup, will be able to impart their knowledge on the younger players like Crosby, Staal and Malkin. And as head coach Michel Therrien has said for much of the season, "These guys are just out there to have fun. They are too young to realize what they are accomplishing and having too much fun to realize the pressure they are under."

The series should be highly intense with some terrific offense from both sides. Both teams like to play an up-tempo game and are capable of scoring goals practically at will. There has also been some bad blood recently between them so look for some major scrums throughout. Georges Laraque could become a valuable member of the team very quickly if the Sens start taking liberties with the Penguins stars.

All in all it should be a very entertaining, high profile first round series. My prediction: Penguins in 6.

Pens vs. Sens Tonight

The Penguins are in Ottawa to take on the Senators in what could be the most important game of the season. The Sens are 2 points up on the Pens in the Eastern Conference Playoff seedings. A win for Ottawa would wrap up at least a fourth place finish for themselves, thereby relegating the Pens to fifth place, out of home ice advanatage for the upcoming playoffs.

Ryan Whitney returns to the lineup tonight. He sat out the game against Buffalo on Tueday night with a sore groin. He was badly missed on the power play unit. Pittsburgh was not able to convert a power play in 8 attempts.

There was some extra-curricular activites going on the last time these two teams faced each other on March 18th. Sidney Crosby was accused of cursing at Senators head coach Bryan Murray. Much was said in the media about how Sid should not act in that sort of manner since he is an elite NHL player. Sid thinks that the matter is closed. We shall see tonight...

Crosby still leads the NHL in scoring with 117 points. San Jose's Joe Thornton is 8 behind with 109. Looks like Sid will wrap up the scoring title even if he has sub par games for the remaining 2. Advance congrats to Sid for this huge accomplishment!

Pens Take Over First Place

With a 4-2 win last night over the Boston Bruins the Pittsburgh Penguins have taken sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. While this may not last longer than 22 hours - the Devils play the hapless Flyers tonight - it is a terrific accomplishment on top of everything else this team has been able to do this season.

Armstrong, Christensen (2) and Malkin had the Pens goals. Crosby padded his lead in the scoring race with 3 assists. Sid now has a 12 point lead over San Jose's Joe Thornton (source:Yahoo Sports) and looks very likely to win the regular season scoring title. See full story here:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_500244.html

Laraque vs Brashear Mar 27, 2007

Here is the Larqaque, Brashear fight. Didn't last all that long but here it is anyway. Looks to me like Brashear was scared!

Pens Clinch Playoff Spot!

Tuesday night, in front of a Washington DC crowd that consisted of nearly half Penguins fans, Pittsburgh beat the Washington Capitals to claim their place in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Final score: 4-3.

The game started out on a sour note with the Caps scoring 2 first period goals on defensive breakdowns. Pens coach Michel Therrien wisely called a timeout after the second goal and got his teams heads back into the game. The Pens promptly scored 3 unanswered goals and added a fourth late in the second period to wrap up the game. Washington scored a third goal late in the third period that probably should have been called back for goaltender interference.

Pens goals were scored by Whitney (2), Crosby and Ouellet.

Read entire summary here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_499918.html

Pens toughguy Laraque had a short brawl with Washington enforcer Donald Brashear. A couple of fists were exchanged and Laraque ended up being pulled down on top of Brashear. Bob Errey called it a win for Laraque on the FSN broadcast. Will post a video if one is available...

Check back later this week for a playoff preview!

Pittsburgh Penguins 2006-2007 Highlights

A little highlights video...

What a Weekend!

I've been away for the weekend and out of touch with the blogging but the Pens made the most of it by beating the Atlanta Thrashers 2 - 1 and pounding the Boston Bruins by the score of 5 - 0. This puts the Pens at 96 points but still in 5th place since New Jersey has a game in hand.

Upcoming games: Tuesday 3/27 - at Washington Capitals, Thursday 3/29 - at Boston Bruins and Saturday 3/31 - at Toronto Maple Leafs.

4 out of the remaining 6 games are on the road so the Pens will have a hard time trying to overtake the Devils. Only 2 of the 4 away games are against teams that are not fighting for a playoff spot - but I'm sure the Caps and Bruins would love to play spoiler...

Georges Laraque vs. Colton Orr

Just found this on YouTube.

Rangers 2, Penguins 1

The Rangers were out to show their division rivals that they deserve the playoff spot for which they are playing. A listless Penguins team fell the NY Rangers on a late period goal by the score of 2-1. Jaromir Jagr shot a puck toward the front of the Penguins goalie, Jocelyn Thibault that was inadvertently swept into the net by Pens defenseman Rob Scuderi. See full story here:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_498586.html

So the winning streak comes to an end. The had won 5 consecutive games before losing to the Rangers last night. That's why they are called streaks though - they must always come to an end. Since they were playing their 5th game in 7 days it was easy to see that the Pens were a tired bunch. They managed only 22 shots over the course of the game while allowing the Rangers to put 42 on goal. Thibault had a heck of a game though stopping all but two for a stellar save percentage of .952.

Next up is a Thursday night game against the Islanders on Long Island...I predict that Pittsburgh will be back in their familiar playoff form and will easily shut down the Islanders by a score of 4-1.

Penguins 4 Senators 3 SO

The Penguins moved into 4th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-3 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators. Unlike the last few shootouts the hero if this one was not Sidney Crosby or Eric Christensen, it was Jarkko Ruutu. The Pens scored only 1 goal in the shootout and that goal was scored by Ruutu. Marc Andre Fleury stopped all 3 Ottawa attempts.

This was a tremendous win that put the Pens only 2 points away from the Atlantic Division leading New Jersey Devils. See full story here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_498439.html

I'm absolutely thrilled that the team is doing as well as they are. They are playing some hard-nosed, in your face hockey that has not been seen in these parts for about 15 years. All 4 lines go out and give 100% effort on each shift. They have looked like they've been playing playoff hockey for the past 8 or 10 games. The possibilities of going deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs seem to be getting better with each passing game.

Welcome!!

What a great time to start blogging about the Pittsburgh Penguins!
I've been interested in getting something going online and the thought never crossed my mind to write about the Pens. So now that it has...

This is a great time to start blogging because of the new arena deal, the abundance of young talent present on the Penguins roster and the fact that the team is likely to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which start in April, for the first time since the 2000 - 2001 season.

I will make all attempts to write a little about every game. And if any issues with the new arena come to light I will give my opinion on those. Please feel free to leave any comments or feedback with the links provided below each post.

I there is anyone that would like to help with editorial comment or game reviews please feel free to email me at jimjar@gmail.com and we can discuss.

LET"S GO PENS!