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!

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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