The Confluence
Entries with the tag: Pittsburgh+Penguins
Penguins re-assign defenseman Nate Guenin
by Tony on 11/20/09 at 07:12 PM ET
Comments (0)
Good news for the return of Brooks Orpik Saturday night. From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned defenseman Nate Guenin to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
Guenin, a Hopewell High School graduate, saw action in two games for the Penguins, becoming the third Pittsburgh native to play for the organization in the last three seasons (Bill Thomas, 2008-09; Ryan Malone, 2003-08). Guenin has spent the majority of this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting a plus-1 rating and 22 penalty minutes in 15 contests.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Orpik plans to return Saturday vs. Thrashers
by Tony on 11/20/09 at 05:15 PM ET
Comments (0)
According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Dave Molinari, Pens defenseman Brooks Orpik plans to return to the lineup for Saturday night’s game vs. Atlanta.
Orpik, out since Nov. 10th because of a suspected hip injury, stated that “I think I’m in as long as all goes well tomorrow,”
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins re-assign defenseman Chris Lee
by Tony on 11/20/09 at 01:55 PM ET
Comments (1)
He was a “just in case” callup anyway after Mark Eaton’s back spasms. From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned defenseman Chris Lee to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
Lee, who was recalled on Thursday, leads all WBS blueliners with seven points (1G-6A) through 15 games, and is third overall on the club with 41 shots.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Passive Penguins downed by Senators, 6-2
by Tony on 11/20/09 at 10:13 AM ET
Comments (7)
Sorry the tardiness. Had to make a quick trip to DC, was beat last night.
Speaking of beat, boy did the Penguins look like they were in a funk last night in their 6-2 loss to the Senators. One of those games where you try to forget about it as quickly as possible, it was pretty ugly.
One of those games when the Pens made Chris Phillips look like Dany Heatley’s replacement.
Just, ugh.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Ottawa+Senators, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Jay McKee out 2-4 weeks with upper-body injury
by Tony on 11/18/09 at 12:38 PM ET
Comments (5)
Unbelievable.
Defenseman Jay McKee is the next Penguin to find himself out of the lineup, out 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Crosby carries Olympic Torch today in Halifax
by Tony on 11/18/09 at 09:01 AM ET
Comments (0)
From the National Post:
Hockey star Sidney Crosby will carry the Olympic torch in Halifax on Wednesday. The captain of the Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins is making a brief stop in his home province to join the Olympic torch relay festivities.
The event will be memorable, said Mike Gillett, co-ordinator of the relay in the Halifax Regional Municipality. “For a lot of people that’s going to be very special. [Crosby’s] so much a powerful sports hero in Canada, definitely here in HRM,” said Gillett. “It’s gonna be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people to see him with the Olympic flame.”
Crosby, from Cole Harbour, is set to run two city blocks, from Sackville Street to Carmichael Street. He will pass the flame to the final torchbearer, Olympic snowboarder Sarah Conrad, around 7 p.m.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins to launch “NHL in Russian” show on HD Radio
by Tony on 11/17/09 at 03:42 PM ET
Comments (0)
From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have created a 30-minute Russian-language radio show devoted to Russian NHL fans that will air each week on the Penguins’ new HD radio station (105.9 HD2).
“NHL In Russian” (“NXL Na Russkom”) will also be streamed live on http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com and http://www.nhl.com. The show, created in partnership with the National Hockey League, will feature interviews with Russian NHL players and legends, as well as NHL news and notes. It will air at 8:30 a.m. eastern time on Tuesday mornings in the U.S. (4:30 p.m. in Moscow). It also will be repeated several times and be available via podcast.
“NHL in Russian” will debut on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Special guests on the inaugural show will be 2009 NHL scoring champion Evgeni Malkin and Russian hockey legend Igor Larionov.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins’ Letestu reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
by Tony on 11/17/09 at 02:51 PM ET
Comments (3)
Good news for a Max Talbot return: From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned forward Mark Letestu to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
Letestu, 24, made his NHL debut in the Penguins’ 6-5 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins Nov. 14, and has appeared in two games for Pittsburgh.
At the time of his recall, Letestu was one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top scoring threats with eight points (3G-5A) in eight games. The Elk Point, Alberta native has played the last two-plus seasons in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, finishing third on the team in scoring last season with 61 points on 24 goals and 37 assists in 73 contests.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
‘Will to win’ drove Penguins fan’s recovery
by Tony on 11/17/09 at 08:34 AM ET
Comments (0)
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Rossi:
Pat Celesnik expected a special delivery Monday from “somebody with the Penguins.” She anticipated an autographed team sweater. Then Stanley Cup hero Max Talbot arrived. “Oh, my God,” Celesnik said, pressing each hand against a cheek. “I can’t believe I’m meeting Max. He was so important last year.”
Talbot’s two goals in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Detroit on June 12 delivered an NHL championship to the Penguins. Their trek toward the title helped deliver Celesnik, 59, of Derry back to health. Celesnik arrived at a hospital on April 8 for a heart catheterization. It was three months before she left, enduring two weeks in a medically induced coma, a heart attack, removal of the majority of her lower intestine and head-to-toe muscle atrophy.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins down Ducks 5-2: Talbot returns Thursday ?
by Tony on 11/16/09 at 10:38 PM ET
Comments (4)
The Penguins are down four of their starting six defensemen, but their replacements performed just about as well as could be expected in a 5-2 win over a sloppy Anaheim squad at the Igloo.
Matt Cooke had two goals for the Pens, while Jordan Staal notched his 9th career short-handed goal. Marc-Andre Fleury saved 23 of 25 shots on net.
In addition to the win, the Pens may receive an extra boost Thursday night in Ottawa, as Max Talbot told PensTV’s Sam Kasan tonight that he is hoping to return to the lineup in time for the Senators’ game.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins’ Goligoski out 2-3 weeks with lower-body injury
by Tony on 11/16/09 at 12:17 PM ET
Comments (1)
The Penguins’ parade of injuries continue, now with word from the Penguins that defenseman Alex Goligoski will be out 2-3 weeks with a lower-body injury.
Newly recalled defenseman Nate Guenin will replace Goligoski in the lineup.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins recall defenseman Guenin: Goligoski out ??
by Tony on 11/16/09 at 09:08 AM ET
Comments (1)
Not a good sign for Alex Goligoski’s apparent groin injury. From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Nate Guenin from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
After signing with the Penguins in the offseason, Guenin became the third Pittsburgh native to join the Penguins organization in the last three seasons (Bill Thomas, 2008-09; Ryan Malone, 2003-08). Guenin, 26, is a Hopewell High School graduate and played one season (1999-00) with the Pittsburgh Hornets. In his first 15 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year, Guenin has posted a plus-1 rating to go with his 22 penalty minutes. Guenin was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization the last three seasons. He saw action in 12 NHL games, posting two assists. Guenin (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) spent the majority of his time with the club’s top minor-league affiliate the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL. During that time, Guenin recorded 43 points (7G-36A) and 333 penalty minutes in 207 contests. Guenin joined the Flyers after playing four collegiate seasons at Ohio State, notching 53 points (6G-47A) and 390 penalty minutes in 151 games. He served as team captain during his senior season and received honorable mention for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association All-Star Team. In his lone season with the Pittsburgh Hornets, Guenin scored 13 points (3G-10A) and totaled 122 penalty minutes in 40 games.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Mario Lemieux shows off buck handling
by Tony on 11/16/09 at 08:25 AM ET
Comments (31)
From the Toronto Star’s Daniel Girard:
A wander around the International Centre in Mississauga Sunday showed that his star power hasn’t waned. More than 400 people paid up to $999 to get pictures, jerseys, books, pucks and hockey cards autographed by the man dubbed “Super Mario” and “Mario the Magnificent” during a spectacular career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team he now owns.
“This is essentially the backstage pass for people to see Mario Lemieux,” said Al Sinclair, organizer of the Sportcard and Memorabilia Expo, a twice-yearly trade show deemed a can’t-miss event by those selling the accoutrement of the game that is our national obsession. “For lots of people, that’s priceless.”
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins’ Gonchar cleared for contact, but now Goligoski misses practice
by Tony on 11/15/09 at 12:22 PM ET
Comments (2)
I’m becoming numb to all of this. Good news and bad news:
On the good side of the house, Sergei Gonchar has been cleared for practice and practiced today without a non-contact jersey. His cast was removed on Wednesday after suffering a broken left wrist.
But now we’re learning that Alex Goligoski missed today’s practice. That’s not too surprising, considering some Penguins fans reporting that GoGo appeared to suffer a groin injury in the latter stages of regulation last night. He didn’t play in the short overtime period. The Penguins’ website states that HCDB will brief the press later today.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Malkin in tonight’s lineup vs. Bruins, but Kunitz out 2 weeks
by Tony on 11/14/09 at 12:02 PM ET
Comments (9)
The Penguins will get a much-needed boost to their lineup when Evgeni Malkin returns after being held out with a sore shoulder.
While that’s obviously good news, as one player returns, another player departs. The Penguins announced that forward Chris Kunitz will be out of the lineup for two weeks with a lower-body injury.
Goes without saying, having Malkin back in the lineup certainly outweighs Kunitz’ absence, but still appears that the Penguins can’t yet shake the injury bug.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins recall forward Mark Letestu
by Tony on 11/14/09 at 09:39 AM ET
Comments (5)
From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Mark Letestu from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
Letestu, 24, has been one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top scoring threats with eight points (3G-5A), tying for fourth on the team despite missing five games this season. Letestu has played the last two seasons in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He finished third on the team in scoring last season with 61 points on 24 goals and 37 assists in 73 contests. Letestu elevated his game in the AHL playoffs by finishing second on the team with 10 points (2G-8A) in 12 post-season games.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward signed with the Penguins in the spring of 2007 after completing his freshman season at Western Michigan. During his lone campaign in Western Michigan, Letestu posted 46 points on 24 goals and 22 assists in 37 games, and was named CCHA Rookie of the Year while ranking third in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in goals and seventh in points.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins down Bruins in 6-5 OT thriller
by Tony on 11/14/09 at 12:06 AM ET
Comments (1)
Now that was one helluva hockey game.
And quite frankly, I would have said that even if Bill Guerin hadn’t scored on a slap shot past Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas with only .4 seconds left on the clock to force overtime. Or even if Pascal Dupuis wouldn’t have scored on a virtual empty-netter 1:24 into overtime, giving the Penguins a wild 6-5 win over the Bruins.
Evgeni Malkin had three assists in his return from a bum shoulder, while Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists for the Penguins.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: Boston+Bruins, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins’ Staal has me channeling David Ferrie
by Tony on 11/13/09 at 12:35 PM ET
Comments (19)
”It’s a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, inside a riddle,” - David Ferrie (as portrayed by Joe Pesci), JFK - 1991
If someone can claim to dicipher the true value of Jordan Staal to the Pittsburgh Penguins, please, be my guest.
The young man (just turned 21 on Sept. 10th) is obviously very talented at the NHL level and has performed brilliantly at times. At other times, however, he really makes you scratch your head.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins reassign forward Chris Conner
by Tony on 11/13/09 at 11:41 AM ET
Comments (4)
From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned forward Chris Conner to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
Conner, 23, recorded one assist in six games during his stint in Pittsburgh. At the time of his call up, the speedy winger was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading scorer with eight points (2G-6A) in seven games while taking a team-high 27 shots.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
A statue for Mario?
by Tony on 11/13/09 at 10:09 AM ET
Comments (5)
From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Dave Molinari:
Q: Are there any plans to put a statue of Mario Lemieux outside the new arena? I’m not sure how he would feel about it, but after all he’s done for hockey in Pittsburgh, it’s about time. Jennie, Oakland
MOLINARI: While it hasn’t been officially confirmed that there will be a Lemieux statue inside, outside or near the Consol Energy Center, good luck finding anyone who doesn’t expect that to be the case. In fact, a Post-Gazette story published 18 months ago said team officials already were looking for sites where a statue could be placed. (The subject of thaestatue wasn’t specified in that story—it was identified only as “a well-known player”—but the assumption at the time was that it wouldn’t be, say, Vincent Tremblay or Peter Ahola, and that hasn’t changed.) There’s ample precedent for having such things at the city’s major-league venues, and there’s no question Lemieux is worthy of such an honor. The only concern might be that if the sculptor chosen for the job tries to depict Lemieux for every time he saved the franchise, his or her work might end up looking like those terra cotta armies unearthed in China a few decades ago.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Mike Lange’s Preparations To Call A Game
by Tony on 11/13/09 at 09:59 AM ET
Comments (0)
From Pittsburgh’s KDKA:
Lange begins the broadcast from high above Mellon Arena, but that’s not where his day begins. It begins below where he does his pregame work. “You have to do your due diligence, you have to do your work. You have to find out what is going on with that team, how much they have changed? They could have a coaching change. What’s the philosophy?” Lange said.
After watching the morning skate for both teams, Lange goes home, showers and returns as the game gets closer. “When I work the pregame skate, that’s a time they could set off a nuclear bomb and I wouldn’t even know it. I watch both teams. I watch what they have. I watch their line rushes, which they’ll give me. I watch tendencies to see if I think anybody is hurt. I watch goaltenders. I watch a lot of things,” Lange said.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Devils stonewall Penguins again, 4-1
by Tony on 11/12/09 at 10:52 PM ET
Comments (8)
Um, let’s see. Well, it doesn’t look like any Penguins were injured tonight !
Um, they scored for the first time in three games !
Other than that, it was more of the same for the depleted Penguins, losing to Marty Brodeur and the Devils 4-1, the identical score the last time the Penguins hosted the Devils on Oct. 24th.
It was the fourth straight loss for the Penguins.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins recall defenseman Ben Lovejoy
by Tony on 11/12/09 at 10:09 AM ET
Comments (1)
From the Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Ben Lovejoy from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero. Lovejoy, 25, led the entire AHL with a 42-plus rating last season to go with his 31 points (7G-24A), the most among the team’s defenseman, in 76 games with WBS. For his efforts, Lovejoy was not only named to the AHL PlanetUSA All-Star Team, but made his NHL debut by appearing in two games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In his first season with WBS in 2007-08, Lovejoy posted 20 points (2G-18A) and a plus-16 rating in 72 contests, and added 10 points (2G-8A) in 23 post-season games to help Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earn a berth in the Calder Cup Final. On the current campaign, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound blueliner has three points (2G-1A) and a plus-2 rating in seven games. In his first game of the season, Lovejoy scored the game-winning goal and was a plus-2 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 6-4 victory over rival Hershey. The Concord, NH native turned pro after playing three collegiate seasons with Dartmouth. Lovejoy finished his Big Green career with 54 points (11G-43A) in 96 games. In his senior campaign, he tallied a career high seven goals and 23 points, and was named second team All-Ivy and third team All-ECACHL (Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League).
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Get off the ledge, ride the storm out
by Tony on 11/11/09 at 06:09 PM ET
Comments (16)
Some old school REO Speedwagon for ya. {Yes, I’m aware the 1973 song/album’s name was technically Ridin’ the Storm Out. By the way, the band was never the same after Gary Richrath left, but I digress.}
After last night’s 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Bruins, coming after the 5-0 shutout in San Jose, which came after the 5-2 third period collapse against the Kings, some of the natives in Penguinsland are getting restless.
And, because this is the way things are going nowadays, the Penguins lost yet another player last night, this time defenseman Brooks Oprik. Orpik is slated to get evaluated today. It appeared that he banged his hip on the boards after a clean hit early in the game.
Besides that, it’s all good !
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Report: Letang out two weeks with shoulder contusion
by Tony on 11/09/09 at 10:02 PM ET
Comments (3)
Per the Pittsburgh Tribune Review’s Rob Rossi’s Twitter, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will be out two weeks with the shoulder contusion suffered in Saturday’s game in San Jose.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
A Penguins’ void: ‘The Voice’ is muted
by Tony on 11/08/09 at 05:27 PM ET
Comments (1)
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Ron Paglia, on the Pens’ longtime public address announcer John Barbaro:
Anyone who knows John Barbero well will tell you he’s seldom at a loss for words. An articulate and personable man, Barbero owns a distinctive voice that has endeared him to thousands of people in his role as the public address announcer for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He has manned the mike for the past 36 seasons. “It’s nice to know that people appreciate your work,” Barbero, a lifelong resident of Roscoe, said. “I’ve always taken my job seriously and taken pride in it. If someone compliments me on the way I do it, that means a lot to me because I want to be professional at all times.”
Respect for and admiration of Barbero’s standards has never been more evident than during his absence. He’s sidelined this season as he recovers from Astrocytoma: an inoperable brain tumor.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Sharks down Penguins 5-0: Letang suffers injury
by Tony on 11/08/09 at 11:15 AM ET
Comments (34)
“Sometimes when you win, you really lose. And sometimes when you lose, you really win. And sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic globule, from which one extracts what one needs.” - Gloria Clemente, White Men Can’t Jump, 1992
Yeah, none of that applies to last night’s game in San Jose. Thanks anyway, Gloria. Say hello to the Stucci brothers.
And the hits just keep on coming for the Penguins. No pun intended. The Penguins gave up five goals for the second consecutive game, while they failed to garner a point in consecutive games for the first time in the Dan Bylsma era, as the Sharks dominated the Penguins in San Jose, 5-0. More bad news could be on the way in the next day or so when test results on Kris Letang’s upper-body injury are received.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins, San+Jose+Sharks,
Confluence Soapbox: Pens’ powerplay won’t get better until Yeo isn’t running it
by Tony on 11/06/09 at 04:33 PM ET
Comments (22)
I apologize in advance: I know most Penguins fans are sick and tired of hearing about the putrid powerplay. I’m not even referring to the current Malkin/Gonchar-less PP units, the Penguins were mediocre on the PP even with them.
Sorry, I can’t help it. I must get on the soapbox and vent so, forgive me.
We fans have been giving our half-assed theories for a couple years now on ways to improve the Penguins’ powerplay. After all, it’s pretty much inarguable that the Penguins possess two of top handful of hockey players in the world.
So with all that firepower at your disposal, why the hell isn’t this unit constantly near the top of the NHL in powerplay percentage ??
One schmuck’s opinion ?? ‘Cause even after a head coaching change, there’s been one constant regarding the Penguins’ powerplay since December 2005, and that is Michael Yeo has been in charge of it.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Stationary Penguins fall to Kings, 5-2
by Tony on 11/06/09 at 09:19 AM ET
Comments (17)
I read prior to the Penguins/Kings matchup last night on how the Kings are being compared to the ‘06-’07 Penguins. Those Pens made the playoffs for the first time in a long while were ousted in five games by Ottawa.
Now that the game is over, and the Kings soundly defeated the Penguins 5-2, I’d say those comparisons are pretty damn accurate.
The one statement I took from this game: The Kings are legit.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: Los+Angeles+Kings, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Secondary scoring boosts Penguins over Ducks, 4-3
by Tony on 11/04/09 at 09:49 AM ET
Comments (4)
For one game at least, this won’t be the typical California trip for the Penguins that we’ve become accustomed to.
The Penguins got timely goals from Alex Goligoski and Pascal Dupuis (with a Saku Koivu sandwiched in between) in a 78 second span midway through the third period to vault the Pens to a 4-3 win over the Ducks at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
The Pens have now tied the NHL record for road wins to start the season with seven, and can break the record Thursday night in Los Angeles against the Kings.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: Anaheim+Ducks, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Recent Penguins’ trips to California haven’t been too sunny
by Tony on 11/01/09 at 10:19 PM ET
Comments (6)
CORRECTION: The Pens beat the Kings in OT 4-3 on Nov. 1, 2006 on Evgeni Malkin’s game-winning goal. Thanks to “cs6687” and “cj” for reminding me.
The Penguins embark on a week long road trip with stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose, then visiting Boston before returning home on Nov. 12th.
The California trip got me to thinking: You know, the Penguins haven’t exactly played very well on the Left Coast.
But I didn’t realize just how poor they’ve played.
Anyone care to hazard a guess when was the last time that the Penguins have won a game in the state of California ??
Answer after the jump.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins’ peppering not enough, lose to Wild 2-1
by Tony on 10/31/09 at 11:19 PM ET
Comments (6)
I think we Penguins fans better get used to these wacky games while they have a chunk of their lineup out.
Like tonight, where the Pens are awarded with 35 shots on goal, compared to only 15 for the visiting Minnesota Wild, but lose 2-1.
Kyle Brodziak and Eric Belanger scored for the Wild, while Pascal Dupuis had the only tally for the Penguins.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: Minnesota+Wild, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
“Penguin Nation” Invades Nationwide Arena
by Tony on 10/31/09 at 10:34 AM ET
Comments (10)
From PittsburghPenguins.com’s Jason Seidling:
Through the first 13 games of the regular season the Pittsburgh Penguins are racking up victories at a historic level. Perhaps even more impressive is how they have continued to increase fan support, as evidenced by the Pittsburgh takeover of Nationwide Arena during the Penguins’ 4-3 shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night.
“Penguin Nation” invaded the Blue Jackets’ home rink with a vengeance, providing an atmosphere that was almost “college-like”, especially during the game’s exciting conclusion the last three minutes of regulation through the Penguins’ 1-0 advantage in the shootout.
“I think this might have been the most electric crowd of the season,” head coach Dan Bylsma said after. “Right from warmups our fans were screaming and yelling. “We had a lot of Pittsburgh fans here so it was entertaining and it was a great energy in the building … it was good to see.”
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins’ comeback again in 3rd, top Blue Jackets in SO, 4-3
by Tony on 10/30/09 at 10:58 PM ET
Comments (3)
Just like a infield dribbler counts as a single in baseball just as much as a line drive, there is not a separate category in the NHL standings for “ugly win”.
So on a night where the Penguins were quite the disorganized group because of the absence of Evgeni Malkin, they found a way to overcome a two-goal third period lead to tie the game, then defeated the Blue Jackets on a Sidney Crosby goal in the shootout, 4-3.
Chris Kunitz scored for the second game in a row, while Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski also scored for the Pens.
The Penguins’ comeback win gives them an NHL-best 11-2 record and 22 points.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
VH1’s Jim Shearer’s “Yinz Luv Da Guins”, 2009 Episode #1
by Tony on 10/30/09 at 02:44 PM ET
Comments (0)
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Morning Levity: Pensblog goes back in time
by Tony on 10/30/09 at 07:54 AM ET
Comments (0)
Fellow Penguins bloggers and personal favorites of the A2Y gang, The Pensblog, have turned back the clocks in their second commercial of 2009.
Enjoy. By the way, I think we’ll all get a good chuckle out of a little dig at everyone’s favorite anonymous hockey fraud.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Injuries sure to test Penguins’ mettle
by Tony on 10/29/09 at 03:31 PM ET
Comments (15)
It’s those damn hockey gods. Yeah, that’s it.
First it was the Game Seven hero, the team’s #1 grinder. Then came their powerplay quarterback . Now it’s the team’s leading scorer for the last two years, not to mention the reigning Art Ross and Conn Smythe trophy winner.
News that Evgeni Malkin will be out of the lineup for 2-3 weeks nursing a strained shoulder has spread like wildfire throughout the Penguins’ blogosphere.
Now, unfortunately, we get to see how the Penguins fare for the first time without the other half of their dynamic duo.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Crosby’s hat trick fuels Penguins over Habs, 6-1
by Tony on 10/28/09 at 10:56 PM ET
Comments (3)
I wonder what all those self-appointed “experts”, the ones who were asking what was “wrong” with Sidney Crosby this season, are saying now ?
Crosby scored his third career hat trick on the third anniversary of his first one in Philadelphia, while the Penguins had a dominating performance tonight in a 6-1 win over the Canadiens at the Igloo.
Chris Kunitz got off the schnide in a big way, with a goal and assisting on all three Crosby goals.
The Penguins are now 10-2 on the season.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Kunitz not making excuses
by Tony on 10/28/09 at 08:02 AM ET
Comments (2)
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Josh Yohe:
There are goal-scoring droughts, funks, slumps and skids.
And then there is what Chris Kunitz is enduring.
The Penguins left wing has yet to register a goal in 11 games this season and has only scored once in his past 40 outings. Kunitz might be down on himself, but the Penguins are certainly supporting him.
“There is no excuse for it,” Kunitz said. “I feel like I’m playing well, and being streaky is something I’ve been through over the years. But, like I said, there’s no excuse for it.”
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Crosby to carry Olympic Torch
by Tony on 10/27/09 at 01:36 PM ET
Comments (5)
From the Penguins:
It was announced today that Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby will carry the Olympic Torch in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay on November 18 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
“I am honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame in my home province of Nova Scotia,” said Crosby. “The torch relay will pass through so many communities and hands on the way to Vancouver and I’m privileged to be part of that special group as the Olympic Flame makes its way to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games.”
Crosby, originally from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, will be one of 12,000 torchbearers taking the Olympic Flame 45,000 kilometers across Canada. In association with Bell, a supporting sponsor of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, Crosby was selected because of his outstanding achievements in hockey and his unbridled passion for his home city, province and country.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins by the Numbers: 1st Edition
by Tony on 10/26/09 at 01:24 PM ET
Comments (1)
Throughout the regular season I’ll throw out several Penguins statistics, some more pertinent than others.
The most important stat, naturally, is the team’s overall record of 9-2, good enough for 18 points, leading the Eastern Conference and tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the best record in the NHL.
Let’s take a look at some of the other stats for the Pens;
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Pens need power play plan
by Tony on 10/26/09 at 08:49 AM ET
Comments (5)
Many ‘Burghers dislike Mark Madden. He definitely has had his controversial moments. But one thing you can’t argue; The man knows his hockey. And if I do say so myself, he repeats what I’ve been saying for years now concerning the Penguins’ powerplay;
---------------------------------------
From the Beaver County Times’ Mark Madden;
At 9-2, the Penguins look like champions. Except when it’s easiest to exert dominance: with the man advantage.
The Penguins’ power play underachieved last year, ranking 20th in the NHL with a conversion percentage of 17.2. So far, so bad this campaign: The Penguins’ PP ranks 17th at 18.4 percent. Such sustained mediocrity is amazing given the plethora of offensive talent at the Penguins’ disposal. It probably won’t get any better with power-play quarterback Sergei Gonchar out.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Super Mario is a Super Dad and Bantam coach, too
by Tony on 10/25/09 at 09:07 AM ET
Comments (1)
From the Buffalo News’ Bucky Gleason:
If you didn’t know any better, the man behind the bench was a nameless, faceless youth hockey coach on a Saturday afternoon rather than one of the greatest players in NHL history. That’s how Mario Lemieux operates these days in his continuous battle to remain under the radar. Lemieux is a hockey superhero and owner of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s 6-foot-4, has GQ looks and could be the most respected sports figure in a city that includes Sidney Crosby and Ben Roethlisberger, yet he carries himself like he’s the utility infielder for the Pirates.
Super Mario is quietly coaching his son’s Bantam Minor (1996 birth year) team in the Empire West Amateur Hockey League. In the interest of full disclosure, his Junior Penguins team plays in the same league as my son’s West Seneca team. Lemieux isn’t just the sponsor or a figurehead. He’s the head coach. And he’s having a ball.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Brodeur, Devils cool Penguins off, 4-1
by Tony on 10/24/09 at 10:45 PM ET
Comments (4)
There would be no comeback tonight.
With all due respect to the Florida Panthers, it’s not quite the same trying to come back from a two-goal third period deficit against Tomas Vokoun and the Panthers as it is trying against future Hall of Famer Marty Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils.
It was vintage Brodeur and a vintage Devil-ish performance, as the Devils played a great game on both ends of the ice, while perhaps taking advantage of a weary Penguins team in a 4-1 win at a quiet Igloo tonight.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Crosby bails out Penguins in 3-2 OT win over Panthers
by Tony on 10/23/09 at 11:34 PM ET
Comments (9)
Over the course of an 82 game schedule, you take the wins anyway you can get ‘em, I imagine.
Like tonight, where the Penguins mailed it in for the first two periods, before waking up with two third period goals to tie the game, and eventually winning 3-2 in a shootout over the Florida Panthers.
Sidney Crosby did the damage for the Penguins with two regulation goals, including the first short-handed goal in his NHL career, along with the only shootout goal.
The Penguins have now started the season with a 9-1 record, whose 18 points ties the record for most points after 10 games for a defending Stanley Cup champion with the ‘84-85 Oilers and the ‘92-’93 Penguins.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
When Crosby speaks, NHLPA listens
by Tony on 10/23/09 at 08:32 AM ET
Comments (2)
From the Toronto Star’s Damien Cox:
When Sidney Crosby spoke up, the world changed for the embattled NHL Players’ Association.
It was the 22-year-old Crosby, arguably the highest-profile player in the sport today, who raised his voice last Sunday on a union conference call and firmly told interim executive director Ian Penny to hang up the phone because union members wanted to have a players-only discussion. Penny, who had first been rebuffed in his efforts to have baseball union leader Donald Fehr speak to the NHLPA team representatives, finally had to relent and get off the line.
It was a bad moment for Penny, whose future with the association after leading a coup that dethroned former executive director Paul Kelly in late summer now seems to be hanging by a thread. More important, it was one of several signals that the players appear intent on regaining control of their own union nearly two months after Kelly’s dismissal plunged the organization into disarray.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Analysis: The Penguins Will Overcome Loss of Gonchar
by Tony on 10/22/09 at 03:54 PM ET
Comments (1)
From PittsburghPenguins.com’s Sam Kasan:
The Penguins have enjoyed a remarkably unmarred season thus far in the 2009-10 campaign. The team has the best record in the National Hockey League at 8-1 and tied for its second-best start in franchise history.
But in the harsh and unforgiving world of professional sports, no one expected the team’s fortuity to remain in a state of perpetuity. That became evident Wednesday afternoon with the announcement that veteran defenseman and locker room leader Sergei Gonchar will miss four to six weeks after breaking his left wrist in Pittsburgh’s 5-1 victory over St. Louis Tuesday night.
Pittsburgh will no doubt miss a player with Gonchar’s talent and skill level, but if history has taught us anything about this generation of Penguins, it’s that nothing – not even an injury – will deter the team. After all dealing with injuries, and particularly injuries to key players, is nothing new for Pittsburgh.
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins thump Blues 5-1: Gonchar reportedly out with broken wrist
by Tony on 10/20/09 at 10:26 PM ET
Comments (7)
UPDATE: Per the Penguins’ Bob Grove, Gonchar’s injury might be a shoulder injury rather than a wrist injury. There won’t be any Pens’ announcement until Wednesday.
Thank Goodness for the Internets.
Tonight’s game vs. the Blues was the first of eight Penguin games this season on the Versus network. You know what that meant for my DirecTV butt. Well, thanks to a couple of those “other” streams online (thanks guys !), I was able to watch the game.
And because of that, I was able to watch a dominating Pens performance at the Igloo tonight in a 5-1 Penguins win.
The win was not without some potentially bad news. Pens’ defenseman Sergei Gonchar left the game after two periods with an undisclosed injury. Unofficially, there are reports that Gonchar has suffered a broken wrist.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins, St.+Louis+Blues,
Crosby doesn’t believe in haunted hardware
by Tony on 10/18/09 at 10:37 PM ET
Comments (5)
From NHL.com’s Rocky Bonanno;
He did what?
On May 27, 2009, moments after the Penguins swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, captain Sidney Crosby glided to center ice at the RBC Center to accept the Prince of Wales Trophy from NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, signifying Pittsburgh as Eastern Conference champions for the second consecutive season.
Crosby didn’t just accept the trophy, he—gasp!—touched it. He even called over alternate captains Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar to get the party started.
He did what?
Filed in: Pittsburgh Penguins | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Penguins down Lightning 4-1 for 5th straight win
by Tony on 10/17/09 at 10:44 PM ET
Comments (6)
So much for that “first game back home after a road trip” cliche’.
The Penguins used an excellent defensive effort to propel them to their fifth straight win tonight at the Igloo with a 4-1 win over the Lightning.
The Pens are now 7-1 and kept pace with the victorious Rangers for the NHL’s best record. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 22 of 23 shots to raise his undefeated record to 7-0.
Bill Guerin, Sergei Gonchar, Pascal Dupuis and Mike Rupp scored for the Penguins, while Steven Stamkos had the only tally for the Bolts.
Filed in: | The Confluence | Permalink
Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Tampa+Bay+Lightning,
Most Recent Blog Posts
Penguins re-assign defenseman Nate Guenin
Orpik plans to return Saturday vs. Thrashers
Penguins re-assign defenseman Chris Lee
Passive Penguins downed by Senators, 6-2
Jay McKee out 2-4 weeks with upper-body injury
Crosby carries Olympic Torch today in Halifax
Penguins to launch “NHL in Russian” show on HD Radio
Penguins’ Letestu reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton