Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Pittsburgh-Penguins

Big Night In LA

by Paul on 11/05/09 at 06:09 PM ET
Comments (3)

from Helene Elliott at the Fabulous Forum,

No matter how often the Kings said they’re not approaching tonight’s game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins as a gauge of their own progress—and they’ve said it often the last few days, including after Thursday’s game-day skate—you know they’re geared up for this. And they should be.

Defenseman Rob Scuderi, who left the Penguins to sign with the Kings as a free agent over the summer, said Wednesday that the Kings are hoping to be like the Penguins someday. So why not measure yourself up against the Penguins tonight?

That’s not to say the Kings can—or should—copy the Penguins’ game plan. The Kings don’t have the top-to-bottom skill to do that. But persistence isn’t measured in point totals. A poised, smart, disciplined approach is their best chance at competing well.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Morning Line

by Paul on 11/04/09 at 11:35 AM ET
Comments (6)

“He’s a great player.  I was lucky enough to play with him in World Juniors. He’s got a lot of skill. He’s a dangerous player out there.”

“He’s making a strong case for the Olympic team.  He deserves all the credit he gets.”

-Sidney Crosby on Corey Perry.  More at Ducks Blog from Curtis Zupke.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Corey+Perry, Sidney+Crosby,

Now Playing Goal, Sidney Crosby

by Paul on 11/04/09 at 07:23 AM ET
Comments (3)

Penguins defeated the Ducks last night 4-3.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Sidney+Crosby,

Crosby Gains Confidence With New Stick

by Paul on 10/30/09 at 07:23 AM ET
Comments (1)

from Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

With nine goals in 12 games, Crosby is off to the best start of his five-year career. He has 24 goals in his past 36 games, including the playoffs. He is on pace to score 62 this season, though it’s a bit early for projections.

Some people want to attribute Crosby’s hot start solely to his new, one-piece stick. Crosby is not one of them, although he acknowledges that the stick, at the very least, is symbolic of his budding scorer’s mentality....

Crosby favored the wood, among other reaasons, because he could feel the puck better on his stick. He finally made the switch this past summer, partly because the wooden blades he favored went out of production two years ago (he kept a stash for last season and still has plenty left, just in case).

“If anything, I think (the new stick) has probably given me more confidence to use my shot a little more,” Crosby said Wednesday, after scoring a hat trick against Montreal. “I definitely feel like I’m more likely to shoot from a little farther out than normal. In my mind, I’m not afraid to take a shot in a one-on-one now. That’s important. I can’t be too predictable.”

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Sidney+Crosby,

Malkin Out

by Paul on 10/29/09 at 12:57 PM ET
Comments (7)

from PittsburghPenguins.com,

Head coach Dan Bylsma announced that forward Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury. It is not the same injury that kept Malkin out of the lineup during the beginning of the 2006-07 season and the team is being cautious.

“Geno is going to be out of the lineup for a couple of weeks,” Bylsma said. “He strained his shoulder about 10 days or so ago. I don’t know the exact day. It is precautionary for the player. We are worried about the safety of the shoulder. A couple weeks of rest and rehab will get that thing healthy so he can get back onto the ice.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Evgeni+Malkin,

Where’s Sid?

by Paul on 10/26/09 at 12:47 PM ET
Comments (9)

from Mike Brophy of Sportsnet,

Have you taken a peak at the NHL’s scoring leaders today? Where’s Sidney Crosby?

He’s not leading the league in scoring…not even in the top 10. Or top 20, for that matter.

Whoops, there he is… down, down, down. No. 23 squeezed between sophomore centre Steven Stamkos at No. 22 and Dallas Stars winger Loui Eriksson.

This is just not right.

continued and additional hockey topics too…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Sidney+Crosby,

The Outlook For Pens & B’s Without Gonchar & Savard

by Paul on 10/21/09 at 02:46 PM ET
Comments (1)

from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

And just like that, the picture changed for a pair of Eastern Conference contenders Wednesday with the news the Pittsburgh Penguins had lost their top minute man and the Boston Bruins their top offensive weapon.

But just how badly will the injuries to Pens defenseman Sergei Gonchar (broken wrist) and Bruins center Marc Savard (broken foot), both out four to six weeks, affect each club?

Let’s start with the Penguins. After all, they are the Stanley Cup champions.

Yes, we all know how badly they missed Gonchar last season when the All-Star blueliner missed the first 56 games of the season. They were basically a .500 team and on the playoff bubble. He later returned and the Penguins went on a tear all the way to the Promised Land.

I’m not discounting what the 35-year-old defenseman brings to this team. He’s their best defenseman, their top puck-mover, the key to their transition game, their best defensive shut-down guy, and, of course, their power-play quarterback. But I believe Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski are better equipped to handle some of that load than they were when Gonchar went down in September 2008.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Marc+Savard, Sergei+Gonchar,

Afternoon Line

by Paul on 10/20/09 at 03:58 PM ET
Comments (1)

“...He made a difference for me in the way that he played and approached the game. He found a way to get himself into an NHL lineup with what I would say not above average skills. He asked a lot of great questions. And those guys like that are on the bubble, they ask a lot of questions because they want the coach to notice them all the time and he was good at that.”

-Bliues Coach Andy Murray speaking about player Dan Bylsma who he coached when Dan was with the Kings.  More from Andy Murray by Seth Rorabaugh of Empty Netters.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Andy+Murray, Dan+Bylsma,

How’s This For Save Of The Night?

by Paul on 10/14/09 at 09:27 PM ET
Comments (9)

Cam Ward on Bill Guerin.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Cam+Ward,

Have Crosby & Ovechkin Peaked?

by Paul on 10/11/09 at 11:08 AM ET
Comments (4)

from Brian Costello of The Hockey News,

As much as we think the wizardry of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will be with us for the next 10 to 15 years, chances are their otherworldly scoring exploits are at a peak now and will trend downwards in the coming seasons.

At 22 and 24, Crosby and Ovechkin are sure to be the cream of the league for the next decade. There’s little question of that. But in terms of over-the-top scoring totals, they’re in their prime right now. Thing is, however, their “prime” is such a narrow range, if history is to be a barometer.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin, Sidney+Crosby,

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