Monday, March 31, 2008

Pens 3, Rangers 1

Recap - The Pens put the Rangers away yesterday afternoon at Mellon Arena by the score of 3-1. Pens goals were scored by Hossa, Malkin and Talbot. Marc Andre Fleury stopped 26 of 27 shots to continue his phenomenal play since returning from the ankle injury.

The win put Pittsburgh back on top of the Eastern conference with three games remaining, one point ahead of the Canadiens. The Pens have nearly wrapped up first in the Atlantic. They have a 6 point lead over the Devils but New Jersey has a game in hand. If Pittsburgh earns three points or the Devils lose 3 points in any of the remaining games then the Pens will wrap up first place in the division.

Analysis - Hossa and Crosby are playing very well together. They looked like they were started to get used to each other's game throughout yesterday's contest. Crosby assisted on Hossa's goal along with Dupuis. Hossa did not seem to have any adverse effects from the hit to the back of the head. He was solid on his skates and made a number of great plays.

Wathcing this team come together the way it has since Thanksgiving has been nothing short of remarkable. They are definately ready for playoff hockey as evidenced by yesterday's physically solid play against the Rangers. This is the type of game they will have to play if they are going to go deep into the playoffs.

Next Up - Pittsburgh visits the Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden (Versus, WXDX)

Friday, March 28, 2008

Pens 3, Islanders 1

Recap - Sidney Crosby returns to the line up for the first time in 7games. Marian Hossa plays his first game on a line with Sid. This was supposed to be the start of something very special...and indeed it was: Jarkko Ruutu scores the game winning goal and adds 2 assists and Georges Laraque scores a breakaway goal to seal the vistory. Sometimes things are very strange in the world that is the NHL.

The Pens first goal was scored by Malkin.

It was a tremendously competitive game. The hitting was fierce, the intensity high and the fights were numerous. I've been really impressed with the Islanders the past few games. They have no chance of making the playoffs but they really are playing as if they are fighting for a spot. Hats off to Ted Nolan for instilling the belief that they can win.

Ruutu was a pain in the Islander ass for the entire game. He gets my vote for player of the game. Not only did he score a goal and 2 assists, for a career high 3 points, he drew penalties, threw down the gloves, made a couple of huge hits and was generally a nuisance for the opposition. This is the reason that he is a fan favorite in this town!

Pittsburgh remains in first place in the Atlantic and is also, for the time being, first in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey lost last night so the Pens have a very comfortable 6 point lead over the Devils. If I had to pick a first round matchup right now I would have to say it will be the Flyers.

Hope everyone got their playoff tickets this morning. The first two games went on sale at 10am EDT and sold out within minutes. I was fortunate enough to secure 4 seats in section C1, row G for the second home game and have put 2 of them up on eBay. See listing here if interested:

Go to eBay

Next up - Sunday vs. NY Rangers at Mellon Arena. NBC 12:30pm

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Pens vs. Islanders Preview

The Islanders visit the Igloo tonight at 7:30. The Pens lead the season series 4 to 3 with all 7 games, with the exception of the most recent a 4-1 loss, begin very competitive. I do not expect that fact to change tonight but I do think that Pittsburgh will take the Islanders more seriously this time. Even though New York has no chance of making the playoffs, Ted Nolan has this team believing that the games they still have remaining are worth winning, if for nothing more than to play spoilers.

Sidney Crosby is expected to be back in the line up after missing the last 7 games with a recurrence of the ankle injury. Sid and Marian Hossa will be on the same line for the first time so anticipation of this is at a very high level. Expect Sid and Hossa to be a lethal combination throughout the remaining games and playoffs. This should force opposing teams to load up the best defensemen against the top line and allow the Malkin/Malone/Sykora line to have a considerable amount of offensive freedom since they will not have the top tier defense playing against them.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Pens 2, Devils 0...Pens Clinch Playoff Berth!

Recap - With a 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils last night at the Prucential Center in New Jersey, the Pittsburgh Penguins have insured themselves a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year. Pens goals were scored by Malone and Hossa put the nail in the coffin with an empty netter in the last minute of the third. Marc Andre fleury was spectacular in goal, posting his fourth shutout of the season. Fleury stopped all 31 shots he faced and made several key saves to preserve the shutout.

Analysis - the Pens beat the Devils at their own game last night. They played solid defense, keeping the Devils away from the front of the net, blocking shots, clogging up the neutral zone and finishing their checks.

The win gave the Pens a four point lead over the Devils in the Atlantic. This puts the playoff seeding in their own hands. If they win, they will be at least a two seed. If they lose they will not. They could secure the one seed in the conference but will have to rely on Montreal to lose a couple of games, and with the way the Canadiens have been playing that does not seem likely. It's looking more and more likely as each game goes by that the Pens first round matchup is going to be the hated Flyers. Since the last two games of the season are against Philadelphia it is possible that the two teams will play each other for as many as nine consecutive games. More on the Pens/Flyers playoff matchup will come at a later date if it looks any more likely that this will occur.

Injury Update - Sidney Crosby continues to participate in full practices with the team. He should be back in the line up in the next game or two. Rob Scuderi returned to the line up last night after missing the past three weeks due to a severely broken finger.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Playoff Tickets to go on Sale Friday

The Penguins have announced that tickets for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on sale Friday (3/28) at 10am. Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 412-323-1919 or at the Mellon Arena box office. 2000 tickets will be available for each game.

Get them quick as playoff tickets sold out in 10 minutes last year!

Pens 1, Islanders 4

RecapThe Penguins lost to the Islanders last night 4-1 in New York. Pittsburgh's lone goal was scored by Petr Sykora.

While it looked as if it was going to be a very competitive, exciting game in the first period, it had quite a different turnout than expected. Something happened during the first intermission that took Pittsburgh totally out of the game. The Isles were dominant throughout the second and third periods in a game which could have seen the Pens wrapping up a playoff spot with a win. Instead Pittsburgh has to look forward to playing games on consecutive days when they take on the Devils tonight in New Jersey. At least they didn't have far to travel...

Pens captain, Sidney Crosby, was conspicously absent amid speculation that he would re-join his team last night. In an on air interview with Versus at the start of the game he stated that his "conditioning was not quite there yet" and that he would not play tonight against New Jersey. If there was ever a pre-playoff game that Sid should play in it is the one tonight. Judging by their performance against the Islanders, this team needs a boost. Tonight is the closest thing to a must win as possible in a regular season game. A win will restore confidence to a team that clearly lost it last night. And it will also keep some space between first and second in the Atlantic division.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Pens 7, Devils 1

Recap - The New Jersey Devils were obsiously still hung over from the overtime loss to the Islanders the preceding evening and didn't bother to show up for the game against the Pens Saturday night. Pittsburgh thumped the Devils 7-1. Pens goals scored by Ruutu, Malone (2), Dupuis, Malkin (2) and Sykora. Malkin's first goal of the evening put him at 100 points for the season, only 4 behind NHL leader Alex Ovechkin. Marc Andre Fleury continued his strong play since coming back from the ankle injury. He stopped 24 of 25 shots and did not allow a goal after halfway through the first period.

Next Up - Monday vs. the NY Islanders

Analysis - With the win Saturday night the Pens moved into first place in the Atlantic and only trail Eastern Conference leader, Montreal, by one point. There are seven games remaining in the regular season and Pittsburgh only needs to secure one more point to insure themselves a spot in the playoffs but really need to earn a point in each remaining game to finish in one of the top 4 spots (2 vs. Islander, 1 vs. Devils, 2 vs. Rangers and 2 vs. Flyers).

Crosby to Return Tonight?

AP is reporting that Sid may lace up the skates and return to the ice for tonight's game against the Islanders.

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

More to come later...

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Hospital Implsion: New Arena Update

This afternoon the former St. Francis Hospital, across from Mellon Arena, was imploded to make room for the new arena. Click below for footage from the Penguins web site:

Pens vs. Devils Tonight

Preview - The Pens and Devils face off tonight at the Igloo. Game time is 7:30.

This will be the seventh time these two teams have met this season and possibly the most important game the Pens will play before the playoff begin. Pittsburgh is 2-4 against the Devils this season but three of the four losses have been by one goal. This game is particulary of note as the winner will gain a two point lead in the Atlantic Division.

The Devils had a tough one playing the Islanders last night, losing in the final minute of the game. Playing back-to-back nights after such a loss is usually a good indication that they will not be ready to step on the ice and give it their all. If Pittsburgh can come out aggressive and with a high level of intensity they will have a good shot at putting the game away early.

Injury Update - Sid Crosby is going to sit out at least one more to rest his sore ankle. While he continues to skate and participate in practice drills he has elected to give it some more time to heal. This will not be an issue if the team continues to be competitive in his absence. But if they start losing some points in the remaining games then it will make their playoff seeding harder and may even take away home ice advantage.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Pens 2, Rangers 5

Recap - The Pens lost to the Rangers last night, in nearly embarrasing fashion, by the score of 5-2. Pens goals scored by Ruutu and Staal. Conklin was very shaky in goal letting in a couple early that should have been stopped and the many mistakes in the defensive zone proved costly.

The Pens were flat in the first allowing NY to go up 2 -0. After intermission Pittsburgh was able to rally and tie the game at two but the Rangers soon put their third goal on the scoreboard and never really allowed the Pens close to getting another.

Next Up - Tampa Bay visits the Igloo, Thursday 3/20 at 7:30 pm. FSN (HD) and the X.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Pens @ Rangers Tonight

Preview - The Pens will face off against the NY Rangers tonight at 7 at Madison Square Garden. Pittsburgh is coming off two high scoring wins, seven goals in two games, against Buffalo and Philadelphia and has won 6 of the last 10 games.

The Rangers have lost two consecutive after winning 10 of their last 13.

This should be a very close games as have been the previous 5 in the season series. The Rangers lead the series 3-2 and have outscored Pittsburgh 13-10 in those games. New York will be looking to solidify their playoff spot while the Pens have a chance at taking over first in the East with a win. All of the games have been aggressive and chippy between these two clubs recently - don't look for this one to be any different.

Conklin will get the start tonight. He is 2-0 against the Rangers in his career with a .927 SV% (source: Pittsburgh Tribune Review). Ty continues to lead the lead the NHL in SV% at .927

My Prediction - Pens 4-3 in OT.

Sykora #2 Star Last Week

Congrats to Petr Sykora for being named the NHL's #2 star last week. Sykora had 3 goals and 3 assists in the Pens two games last week and notched the game winner in both.

Petr has had an outstanding season with Pens. He has 25 goals this season so far, the 9th consecutive season he has reached that plateau, and has been a dominant force in recent games since being placed on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Malone.

Way to go Petr!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Pens 7, Flyers 1

Recap - The Pens dominated the Flyers this afternoon at the Igloo, 7-2. Pittsburgh goals by Malkin(2), Sykora(2), Kennedy, Gill and Hossa with his first in a Penguins uniform. Both Malkin and Sykora added 2 assists to their point totals for 4 each. This brings Malkin within 2 of Alex Ovechkin's NHL lead. Marc Andre Fleury had another great game stopping 24 of 25. The Pens chased Philadelphia's Marty Biron out of goal when they tallied their third of the game four minutes into the second.
Injury Update - Marian Hossa returned to the line-up today and tallied a goal. Crosby was kept out of the game with his sore ankle and is projected to return next Sunday when the Devils visit Pittsburgh.

My Analysis - All in all a very dominant game from the Pens. Philly is still chasing a playoff spot and may have had a very bad hangover after losing to the Bruins in overtime yesterday. This was not a typical performance from the Flyers. Not a whole lot of hits, and no momentum producing shifts. It actually looked as if they had given up on the season and were ready to hit the golf course a bit early.

Pittsburgh still has 2 games left with Philly and, providing they don't hang up the skates entirely, could be very interesting as they are the last two games of the season. I'm very curious to see if they will bounce back from the past two devestating losses and make an effort at securing a playoff spot.

Sidney Crosby's League of Clutch Gatorade Ad

Nice new ad for Gatorade starring Sydney Crosby.

Pens vs. Flyers Today

The Flyers travel to the 'Burgh to take on the Pens at noon on NBC today.

Hossa is in for the game, Crosby is out due to that sore ankle.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Pens 7, Sabres 3

Recap - The Pens trounced the lifeless Sabres last night at Mellon Arena, 7-3. Pens goals by Sykora, Kennedy, Taffe, Malkin, Minard (first NHL goal!), Letang and Gonchar. Pittsburgh was 3 of 6 on power play opportunities after going 0 for the last 18 over the last four games.

Buffalo was flat and lifeless from the opening faceoff. Their season is over and they played as if they were already playing the final game. A lack of offense and several inexperienced defensemen was the primary reason for the downfall last night. The Pens recognized this fact early in the game and took advantage, scoring the first 4 goals of the game before Buffalo managed to get 3 past Conklin in the third. But by then it was too late and Pittsburgh went on to put 3 more in the net.

Last night's win put the Pens in first in the East (for now) and was the first time in NHL history that they had ever swept Buffalo for the season.

Injury Update - Sids sore ankle doesn't apprear to be much of a threat to keep him out of the line-up for an extended period. He is planning to play Sunday against the Flyers, as is Marian Hossa.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Pens Vs. Sabres Tonight

Preview - The Sabres will travel to take on the Pens tonight in the Igloo at 7:30. This will be the 4th and final time these teams meet this season with the Pens winning all three previous matchups, 2-0 on 12/29, 2-1 at the Ice Bowl and 4-1 on 2/17. The Sabres are 3-4-3 in their last 10 and are on a bit of a downward spiral as they are watching their playoffs hopes disappear. Ty Conklin is getting the start. He has been spectacular in goal against the Sabres. In three starts he has a .65 GAA and .980 SV% (source - Pittsburgh Tribune Review).

My Prediction - a Penguins win by the score of 3-1.

Injury Update - Talbot re-aggrevated the high ankle sprain that has hobbled him throughout the past few months and Sykora is experienceing back spasms. Both players are listed as day-to-day. Rob Scuderi is getting closer to a return. he was on the ice yesterday morning after having a cast remived from his surgically repaired finger. Look for Roberts to be back by the end of the month as well.

Roster Changes - Connor James and Ryan Stone were recalled from WBS Penguins yesterday to take the place of Petr and Sykora and Max Talbot.

UPDATE - Crosby will not play in tonights game. He experienced pain in his right ankle at this morning's skate and decided to sit this one out.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

A Little Standings Analysis

With the Penguins sitting comfortably in fourth place in the Eastern Conference I thought I'd take this 3 day break from games and do a little playoff seeding analysis.

Here's a look at the current standings:



If the season ended today the Pens would face off against the Ottawa Senators again. However, the situation would be different because the Pens have home ice advantage. As well as this obvious advantage, Pittsburgh is within reach of breaking the team record for season wins on the road. The record is currently 23, set in 1992-93 (the greatest Pens team that didn't win a Stanley Cup). They would have to win 4 of the last 5 to beat this record. That is an additional advantage this team has over last years.

While the Pens are 1-3 head up against the Sens this season the tallied a HUGE come from behind victory against Ottawa last Thanksgiving Day that proved to be a turning point in the season. Two of the three remaining games were settled by one goal, of which one was an OT loss. So, in review Pittsburgh has been very competitive against Ottawa and will be even more so with the trade day deals that occurred. I know that Marian Hossa would really enjoy putting his ex-team away if given the opportunity.

With 12 games to go and the Pens sitting in fourth with 85 points, they need only secure 6 more points in the remaining games to secure a playoff berth. But home ice would be some much better. To secure home ice for at least the first round they would need to earn around 15 (my guess) points in the remaining. Since the Rangers are tied in points with Ottawa, and the Pens have 3 games remaining against NY it would be very advantageous to take all three of those games, as many points as possible in the 3 Philly games and 4 points in the 2 games vs. the Devils. This would, in my estimation, insure a first place finish in the Atlantic and top 2 in the conference. In this case they would probably face Philadelphia or Boston in the first round.

With all of that being said, I believe it's most important to say that no one can predict what is going to happen down the stretch. There is nothing in professional sports quite like what is going to occur in the NHL in the next 4 weeks. Everyone, including teams that have no shot whatsoever of getting into the playoffs (as evidenced by last weeks loss to the Panthers), play at a level that they have not attained until this time in the season. Every player, on every team knows that if they are not playing for a playoff spot, they are playing for their next contract, or to show what skills they can give to a team for another playoff run next season.

Here is my prediction of how it is going to play out:

1. Montreal
2. Pittsburgh
3. Carolina
4. New Jersey
5. NY Rangers
6. Ottawa
7. Boston
8. Philadelphia

This would put the Pens in a first round match up against Boston. More analysis on this match up to come...

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Pens 4, Caps 2

Recap - The Pens got the better of the Capitals today, 4-2 in an intense, high energy game. Pens goals were scored by Sykora, Crosby (2) and Staal added an empty netter to close out the game. Crosby's goals were his first since coming back from the ankle injury. His second, the games winner was a bit of a fluke being shot directly into the net by Caps defensemen, Backstrom. Malkin had an outstanding game as well, setting up three of the Pens 4 goals. Fleury had an amazing game stopping 37 of the 39 the Caps threw at him.

The win puts the Pens one point behind Eastern Conference leader, New Jersey.

My Analysis - This was a very important game for the Pens to get a win. They've won only 3 of the last 8 when they could have really put some space between themselves and the rest of the East. Pittsburgh has 12 games remaining in the regular season, of which 10 are against Atlantic Division opponents. Three against the Rangers and Flyers, two against the Islanders and Devils. And the other two games are against Eastern Conference foes as well. This will be quite an opportunity to see how well this team has come together since the bold trade deadline deals that went down two weeks ago. Pittsburgh can probably stay in the top 8 of the conference by winning half of the games through the rest of the season, but will probably need to go 8-4 or better to get home ice advantage in the playoffs.

Injury Update - Hossa is skating and looks to be about ready to return. Roberts is in the same situation.

Pens @ Caps Today

The Pens are visiting the red hot Washington Capitals this afternoon at 12:30 pm. Marian Hossa is not in the starting line-up as many, including myself, expected that he would be. The game is being nationally televised on NBC and is getting a lot of exposure for the #1 and #2 leading scorers in the NHL (Ovechkin and Malkin) will be going against each other.

There was an interesting story in today's Pittsburgh Tribune Review concerning the pressure that is on Michel Therrien's ability to win a couple of playoff series in the upcoming weeks:

See full story here:

Joe Starkey is very insightful concerning the internal workings of the team and it is not an exception this time. I completely agree that this is Therrien's make or break time with the Penguins. They will need to win and they will need to go deep in the playoffs for him to remain behind the bench, at least the Pittsburgh bench. Ray Shero's moves at the trade deadline only solidified this belief. Going out to sign a player of Hossa's stature, sent a message to everyone that it is now time for the Penguins to win.

More on today's game later. The game should be fantastic!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Pens 2, Panthers 5

Recap - The Penguins must have enjoyed the last couple of days on the beach because they sure weren't ready to play a hockey game last night. They were completely outplayed, outhit and outperformed by a team that has virtually no chance of making the playoffs, 5-2. Pens goals were scored by Malone and Letang.

Florida came out on the ice in the first with a definate hunger to take control of the game and that is just what they did, scoring 3 goals in the opening period on 19 shots. Head coach, Michel Therrien showed Fleury to the bench at intermission and sent Conklin in for further pummeling. Ty did make a better showing the rest of the game, allowing only 2 goals on 23 shots, it was the lack of offense from the Pens top lines that put the game out of reach. Though the Pens did show some life in the second it was too little, too late. Florida had complete control of the game by then and dictated the tempo which the Pens could not match.

The loss allowed Montreal to take over first place in the conference. Pittsburgh is currently 2nd tied with the Canadiens in points but Montreal has a game in hand on the Pens.

Next Up - Sunday at Washtington. It is a national game on NBC at 12:30 pm

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Game preview: Pens @ Florida Panthers

Preview - The Pens continue their road trip with a match tonight in Southern Florida. Catch the game at 7:30 on FSN-HD.

Pittsburgh is 3-0 against the Panthers this season, only allowing 3 goals in the three games. The two teams played a home/home series in early January with the Pens only giving up one goal in those two games. Conklin earned a shutout in the first game and only gave up one in the second. In the third game of this seasons series, Ryan Malone was the hero, scoring 2 goals in the final 3:20 of the game to erase a 2-1 deficit and earn the win. Tonight's game should not be much different than the previous 3. The Panthers are near the bottom of the conference and really have little to play for except pride. If the Pens start out with the intensity they have been able to play with recently, there should be little doubt as to the outcome of this match. My prediction: Pens 4, Panthers 1.

Injury Update - Jordan Staal should rejoin the line-up tonight. His bruised ribs have healed enough since the last game to allow him to skate.

News of Note - The Pens will break their previous record of sellouts in a single season when the Sabres visit the Igloo next Wednesday. The previous record of 34 was set in 1988-89 and tied again in 1989-90. Since the remaining games this season are expected to be sold out, expect that record to be at 42 when playoff time rolls around. This will also put the consecutive games sold out at 55 going back to March of 2007.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Pens 2, Lightning 0

Recap - Marc Andre Fleury earned his third shutout of the season last night blanking the Lightning, 2-0. He stopped all 35 shots Tampa Bay threw at him and was voted the #1 star of the game. Sid Crosby was brilliant in his return, earning an assist on Talbots goal at 17:13 of the third. Malkin tossed in an empty netter a few mintutes later to put the game out of reach.

With the win the Pens have taken over sole possession of first place in the East!

Next Up - Thursday night at Florida Panthers, 7:30

Injury Update - As well as Sid coming back, Ryan Whitney made his first start in a couple of weeks. Jordan Staal went on the Injury List with bruised ribs. He is listed as day-to-day. Marian Hossa is expected to return to the line-up on Sunday against Washington.

Roster Moves - To make room on the roster for Sid and Ryan, Connor James and Alex Goligoski were returned to WBS Penguins.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Evgeni Malkin # 1 NHL Star for February

Congrats to Geno for being named the NHL's #1 Star for the month of February. Malkin led all NHL players in points for the month with 26 and helped the Penguins post a February record of 8-3-3. The Penguins were able to climb to the top of the Atlantic division with the past month's outstanding record.

Sid's Back!

The AP is reporting that Pens captain Sidney Crosby is returning to the line-up in tonight's game against Tampa.

click here for the full AP story

Monday, March 3, 2008

Weekend Recap

Recap - The Pens moved into sole possession of first in the Atlantic and second in the East with a 3-2 shootout win over the Atlanta Thrashers yesterday afternoon at the Igloo. Pens goals were scored by Malone and Talbot. The winner in the shootout was scored by Kris Letang with Sykora punching one past Thrashers goalie Lehtonen as well.

Saturday's game did not turn out as well for the Pens. They dropped a disappointing one to the Ottawa Senators, 5-4. Pittsburgh goals by Malone (2), Sykora and Malkin. Pittsburgh D Sergei Conchar took a double minor late in the second and Ottawa capitalized on the opportunity by scoring goals in each power play. The Pens were unable to comeback from that 2 goal deficit.

Next up - Tuesday at Tampa Lightning.

Analysis - Malkin has kept his pace up throughout the past 16 games and continues to lead the NHL in scoring. His name is now being tossed about as a Hart Trophy candidate. Malone has dramatically stepped up his game in the past few weeks. He is not afraid to plant himself in front of the net and take the hits that will come with that. This should really help the Pens down the playoff stretch if he can keep up this pace. Petr Sykora has become quite the asset as well lately. He is lethal on the power play and continues to rack up points on the man advantage.

Injury Update - All signs are pointing to a Sydney Crosby return this Sunday against the Capitals. Possibly a Hossa return as well which would lend a bit of intrigue to the game. This game will be broadcast nationwide on NBC and a Crosby/Hossa return, first game together would provide some good TV ratings. Looking forward to how this comes together. Gary Roberts continues getting closer to his return as well. The team has stated that he should be back in the line-up by the end of March.

News of note - Marc Andre Fluery had his first start in net since December in the Atlanta game. He turned in a very solid performance stopping 31 of 33 and only allowing one by him in the shootout. Conklin was a bit disappointing in the Ottawa game allowing a couple of soft ones by. It will be interesting to see who claims the starting spot the next couple of weeks.