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.