Organizational Integrity--The Pat McIlvain Story
Pat playing hockey at California University of PA.
April 23, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
A big thank you goes out to Chris Semans, Ryan Fiano, and Pat's uncle, John. Their thoughtful answers and revisions were essential to this article.
There are many reasons to love or hate a hockey team for how they perform on the ice. You might be down on the Penguins after a bad series against Philadelphia, but sometimes you have to evaluate an organization on how they perform off the ice as well. Many professional athletes spend their time and money giving back to the community. Penguins’ players are no different in this regard. They are often seen handing out pizzas to college kids waiting in line for a ticket or visiting the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital to spread some cheer. It takes a unique organization and group of players to realize when they should go above and beyond the call of duty in order to help an individual who demonstrates a similar level of passion, determination, and love of hockey. This is a story about how hockey can go beyond the rink and change lives.
It is an understatement to say that hockey is a part of Pat McIlvain’s life. Hockey is a way of life for Pat. Pat would go to work early so he could play hockey well into the night. Driving an hour to find an open rink was not a problem for Pat. He made the most of the drive by reminiscing about hockey and sharing his extensive knowledge of the game. There were very few stats that escaped Pat, especially about the Penguins. Even after entering college at the California University of Pennsylvania, Pat continued his hockey career by playing club hockey. Pat was active in college off the ice as well. He was in a frat and was very active in the student body. There was no doubt that Pat was a team player in anything he set his mind to. Pat lived for the camaraderie of being part of something bigger than himself; that was his hockey mentality shining through.
by Jerry Rogers
A big thank you goes out to Chris Semans, Ryan Fiano, and Pat's uncle, John. Their thoughtful answers and revisions were essential to this article.
There are many reasons to love or hate a hockey team for how they perform on the ice. You might be down on the Penguins after a bad series against Philadelphia, but sometimes you have to evaluate an organization on how they perform off the ice as well. Many professional athletes spend their time and money giving back to the community. Penguins’ players are no different in this regard. They are often seen handing out pizzas to college kids waiting in line for a ticket or visiting the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital to spread some cheer. It takes a unique organization and group of players to realize when they should go above and beyond the call of duty in order to help an individual who demonstrates a similar level of passion, determination, and love of hockey. This is a story about how hockey can go beyond the rink and change lives.
It is an understatement to say that hockey is a part of Pat McIlvain’s life. Hockey is a way of life for Pat. Pat would go to work early so he could play hockey well into the night. Driving an hour to find an open rink was not a problem for Pat. He made the most of the drive by reminiscing about hockey and sharing his extensive knowledge of the game. There were very few stats that escaped Pat, especially about the Penguins. Even after entering college at the California University of Pennsylvania, Pat continued his hockey career by playing club hockey. Pat was active in college off the ice as well. He was in a frat and was very active in the student body. There was no doubt that Pat was a team player in anything he set his mind to. Pat lived for the camaraderie of being part of something bigger than himself; that was his hockey mentality shining through.
Pat enjoying his time in the Army.
Understanding Pat’s love of hockey helps put his next decision in perspective. Pat was a semester away from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business when he decided to join the Army. Pat chose early enlistment, which gave him about a month before being shipped off to basic training. It was a sudden decision and his lifelong friend, Chris Semans, remembered Pat’s decision vividly. Semans recalled, “He rented the other side of my house and helped me gut the house. One day he came over and said he is moving out at the end of the mouth, because he joined the Army.” No one knows for sure why Pat joined the Army, but the Army seemed to give Pat a sense of purpose in the world. From his early hockey days, Pat loved being part of a team. The Army was Pat’s new team. Ryan Fiano, another one of Pat’s life-long friends, stated that Pat “found the same brotherhood and camaraderie he found on the ice.” There wasn’t much of an opportunity to play hockey in the Army, but many of the same values that Pat learned from playing hockey became very useful once he was deployed.
Pat found himself in Afghanistan as part of the 173rd Airborne. This unit was responsible for patrolling an area in Afghanistan where the Taliban frequently traveled. They often blocked routes that the Taliban were trying to use. Pat built a great rapport with his unit, and his only regret was that he missed the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009. Everything would change for Pat on May 12, 2010. Pat’s unit was patrolling an area that came under fire. As they pushed up a hill, a Taliban sniper took a shot at Pat. The unit took on heavy fire and began to retreat. As they did, they turned around to notice that Pat had fallen to the ground. Pat had suffered a gunshot to the head. The bullet went straight through the temple on the left side of his head and exited the right side. Pat was quickly evacuated by a Medevac team and stabilized at a local hospital. There is no doubt that the soldiers on the field played an enormous role in saving Pat’s life. Their training and courage under fire helped to safely get Pat out of harm’s way. He was transported to a hospital in Germany where he was prepped for his trip back to the United States. Within 72 hours Pat traveled from Afghanistan to Germany and finally to Bethesda, Maryland.
Pat found himself in Afghanistan as part of the 173rd Airborne. This unit was responsible for patrolling an area in Afghanistan where the Taliban frequently traveled. They often blocked routes that the Taliban were trying to use. Pat built a great rapport with his unit, and his only regret was that he missed the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009. Everything would change for Pat on May 12, 2010. Pat’s unit was patrolling an area that came under fire. As they pushed up a hill, a Taliban sniper took a shot at Pat. The unit took on heavy fire and began to retreat. As they did, they turned around to notice that Pat had fallen to the ground. Pat had suffered a gunshot to the head. The bullet went straight through the temple on the left side of his head and exited the right side. Pat was quickly evacuated by a Medevac team and stabilized at a local hospital. There is no doubt that the soldiers on the field played an enormous role in saving Pat’s life. Their training and courage under fire helped to safely get Pat out of harm’s way. He was transported to a hospital in Germany where he was prepped for his trip back to the United States. Within 72 hours Pat traveled from Afghanistan to Germany and finally to Bethesda, Maryland.
Former Penguin, Max Talbot, wearing his wristband.
It is difficult to pull through a gunshot wound, let alone one to the head. However, if anyone could pull through this injury, it was Pat. Hockey players are a tough and stubborn breed. Pat’s willpower helped him beat the odds and pull through several surgeries once he was back in Maryland. Fiano stated, “I think a level of toughness and how much he enjoyed time with his friends and fellow soldiers pulled Pat, mentally, through his injury.” Physically, Pat still has a long road ahead of him. He is constantly rehabbing from his surgeries, and Semans and Fiano wanted to do something to help their friend.
The Pat Mac Fund was established because Pat’s friends were unsure of what kind of care Pat was going to be able to afford. Wristbands were made in Pat’s honor and sold to raise money. Semans said it best when he stated why he helped to start the Pat Mac Fund, “I know Pat would do the same thing for me.” Pat was a selfless person who had the ability to bring the best out in people. No matter what the situation, Pat could crack a joke or make someone laugh. His infectious personality was the reason he had such good friends. These friends made sure to go the extra mile, because they knew that their friend deserved it. Pat would have done the same for them.
Pat was always a hockey fan, especially of the Penguins, so Fiano decided to contact them in order to tell them Pat’s story. Fiano wrote a letter to Dan Potash, a Penguins’ announcer, and asked him if the Penguin players would wear the wristbands in a game. Potash sent the letter on to Dan Bylsma, who forwarded the letter to Tom McMillian, the Vice President of Communications for the Penguins. The day after Fiano sent the email, he was shocked to get a response from the Penguins in which they invited Pat to come to a morning skate. Pat spent an hour at the morning skate and watched many of the Pens players stop by and tap the glass to acknowledge Pat’s presence. If that wasn’t enough, the Penguins invited Pat to meet the players in the locker room as well as attend a game as their guest. The Penguins provided Pat the opportunity to tour the luxurious Suite 66. The Penguins have continued to reach out to Pat by inviting him to any practice when he comes to visit Pittsburgh. The Pens truly went above and beyond what anyone expected them to do.
It is one thing to acknowledge someone like Pat and invite him to a game, but it is another thing to be truly interested in Pat as a person. Semans and Fiano have stayed in contact with McMillian and Potash, and they constantly send the Penguins updates on how Pat is doing. As for specific players that Pat has met in the locker room, Craig Adams is always the first player to greet Pat each time he comes to Pittsburgh. This is fitting since Pat has always admired blue-collar players like Adams. They seem to have the same toughness and mentality as Pat. Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, and the former Penguin Max Talbot have also shown a great deal of interest in Pat’s progress. For as big of a superstar that Crosby is, he has shown a genuine interest in Pat. After all of his interviews, he makes time to come over and talk to Pat. He has given Pat a variety of items, such as an autographed stick with a personalized message, a pair of his own Reebok zigtec shoes, and an autographed jersey that was auctioned off to raise money for the Pat Mac Fund.
It is easy to see how much the Penguins really relate to Pat. Not only is he a diehard hockey guy, but he is also the same age as a lot of the players. It is clear that many of the players appreciate the sacrifice that individuals like Pat make for their country. Semans stated about the Penguins organization as a whole, “They don’t do it for the press or for the recognition by the public. I really think that they would do the same things for Pat even if there weren’t cameras around or reporters interviewing them about Pat. They truly care!” There is no doubt that there is a reciprocal relationship between Pat and the Penguins. The following is a video the Penguins put together after Pat's most recent visit.
The Pat Mac Fund was established because Pat’s friends were unsure of what kind of care Pat was going to be able to afford. Wristbands were made in Pat’s honor and sold to raise money. Semans said it best when he stated why he helped to start the Pat Mac Fund, “I know Pat would do the same thing for me.” Pat was a selfless person who had the ability to bring the best out in people. No matter what the situation, Pat could crack a joke or make someone laugh. His infectious personality was the reason he had such good friends. These friends made sure to go the extra mile, because they knew that their friend deserved it. Pat would have done the same for them.
Pat was always a hockey fan, especially of the Penguins, so Fiano decided to contact them in order to tell them Pat’s story. Fiano wrote a letter to Dan Potash, a Penguins’ announcer, and asked him if the Penguin players would wear the wristbands in a game. Potash sent the letter on to Dan Bylsma, who forwarded the letter to Tom McMillian, the Vice President of Communications for the Penguins. The day after Fiano sent the email, he was shocked to get a response from the Penguins in which they invited Pat to come to a morning skate. Pat spent an hour at the morning skate and watched many of the Pens players stop by and tap the glass to acknowledge Pat’s presence. If that wasn’t enough, the Penguins invited Pat to meet the players in the locker room as well as attend a game as their guest. The Penguins provided Pat the opportunity to tour the luxurious Suite 66. The Penguins have continued to reach out to Pat by inviting him to any practice when he comes to visit Pittsburgh. The Pens truly went above and beyond what anyone expected them to do.
It is one thing to acknowledge someone like Pat and invite him to a game, but it is another thing to be truly interested in Pat as a person. Semans and Fiano have stayed in contact with McMillian and Potash, and they constantly send the Penguins updates on how Pat is doing. As for specific players that Pat has met in the locker room, Craig Adams is always the first player to greet Pat each time he comes to Pittsburgh. This is fitting since Pat has always admired blue-collar players like Adams. They seem to have the same toughness and mentality as Pat. Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, and the former Penguin Max Talbot have also shown a great deal of interest in Pat’s progress. For as big of a superstar that Crosby is, he has shown a genuine interest in Pat. After all of his interviews, he makes time to come over and talk to Pat. He has given Pat a variety of items, such as an autographed stick with a personalized message, a pair of his own Reebok zigtec shoes, and an autographed jersey that was auctioned off to raise money for the Pat Mac Fund.
It is easy to see how much the Penguins really relate to Pat. Not only is he a diehard hockey guy, but he is also the same age as a lot of the players. It is clear that many of the players appreciate the sacrifice that individuals like Pat make for their country. Semans stated about the Penguins organization as a whole, “They don’t do it for the press or for the recognition by the public. I really think that they would do the same things for Pat even if there weren’t cameras around or reporters interviewing them about Pat. They truly care!” There is no doubt that there is a reciprocal relationship between Pat and the Penguins. The following is a video the Penguins put together after Pat's most recent visit.
Pat wrote "Marc-Andre Fleury" when asked what shirt he wanted.
After his first visit with the Penguins, Pat returned to Richmond, VA to continue his rehab. It was here that Pat’s uncle began to talk to him about the weekend he spent with the Penguins. It was then that Pat began to talk for the first time since his accident. His uncle told him about Crosby signing a hockey stick for him and how Max Talbot skated around the ice after the game holding up his “Mac’s Might” wristband to honor Pat. Pat’s response was “No way!” Everyone was ecstatic to hear Pat talk, and he continued to talk for days after his visit.
Currently Pat’s rehab is improving every day. He is living in Creedmoor, NC at the Learning Services Center, which is a facility where they specialize in brain injuries. Pat gets to live in a house where the therapists come to him. It gives him a sense of individual living as well as having around the clock therapy. He has made some incredible progress since moving to Creedmoor. Pat has faced several disabilities he has had to deal with since his accident. Pat has lost his eye sight, has severe speech problems, suffers from a loss of mobility, and endures memory problems. Since moving to Creedmoor, he has increased his flexibility, mobility, and ability to speak. His progress has even allowed him to talk on the phone and over Skype. Even when talking is difficult for Pat, he communicates very well with a white board. For instance, Pat was asked what kind of beer he wanted and he wrote, “Rolling Rock.” It is nice to see Pat taking steps forward like this because you can see the same old Pat shining through, which is a great sign. Even before his latest visit to the Pens game he was asked what kind of Penguins shirt he wanted for the game. Pat wrote, “Marc Andre Fleury.” I must say that Pat still knows his hockey. Fleury is an excellent choice for a tee-shirt. Being at the Learning Services Center has also allowed Pat to play sled hockey once a week on a modified sled. It is essentially a bar on the end of a hockey sled where Pat can sit and use a shortened stick to hit the puck. Getting Pat back on the ice is essential to his progress moving forward. It does not take long to see that Pat feels at home on the ice. One of Pat’s long term goals is to get him back on skates. While that might be down the road, there is no doubt that Pat has the ability and drive to keep progressing towards this goal.
Currently Pat’s rehab is improving every day. He is living in Creedmoor, NC at the Learning Services Center, which is a facility where they specialize in brain injuries. Pat gets to live in a house where the therapists come to him. It gives him a sense of individual living as well as having around the clock therapy. He has made some incredible progress since moving to Creedmoor. Pat has faced several disabilities he has had to deal with since his accident. Pat has lost his eye sight, has severe speech problems, suffers from a loss of mobility, and endures memory problems. Since moving to Creedmoor, he has increased his flexibility, mobility, and ability to speak. His progress has even allowed him to talk on the phone and over Skype. Even when talking is difficult for Pat, he communicates very well with a white board. For instance, Pat was asked what kind of beer he wanted and he wrote, “Rolling Rock.” It is nice to see Pat taking steps forward like this because you can see the same old Pat shining through, which is a great sign. Even before his latest visit to the Pens game he was asked what kind of Penguins shirt he wanted for the game. Pat wrote, “Marc Andre Fleury.” I must say that Pat still knows his hockey. Fleury is an excellent choice for a tee-shirt. Being at the Learning Services Center has also allowed Pat to play sled hockey once a week on a modified sled. It is essentially a bar on the end of a hockey sled where Pat can sit and use a shortened stick to hit the puck. Getting Pat back on the ice is essential to his progress moving forward. It does not take long to see that Pat feels at home on the ice. One of Pat’s long term goals is to get him back on skates. While that might be down the road, there is no doubt that Pat has the ability and drive to keep progressing towards this goal.
Make sure to check out the Pat Mac Fund on facebook for more videos.
After the success of selling wristbands for the Pat Mac Fund, Semans and Fiano learned that Pat is considered “Active Duty,” which means that the government is covering Pat’s expenses. Semans and Fiano decided to use the fund to provide for Pat’s unmet expenses as well as to assist other veterans that are in similar situations, who do not receive government assistance. The Pat Mac Fund is still in its infancy, but it focuses on helping veterans in southwestern PA, with the goal of eventually branching out to the tri-state area. They look for ways to help supplement expenses for veterans, such as transportation, utility bills, etc. They have also set up a $500 dollar scholarship at Laurel Highlands High School, Pat’s alma mater, for JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) students who are pursuing post-secondary education or entering the military.
The Pat Mac Fund just set the date for their 2nd annual golf outing. The Pat Mac Fund Golf outing will take place at the Uniontown Country Club on July 20th, 2012. Last year the event had over 100 golfers with a dinner and sports auction, where Crosby’s jersey was auctioned off. Even with this wonderful tournament, the Pat Mac Fund is hoping for an even larger turn out this year. For more information on the golf outing, including anyone looking to sponsor a hole or tee, please visit www.thepatmacfund.org for the latest information. The website is used for donations, pictures from past events, and to keep people updated on future events. The organization also has a Facebook group and page. The Facebook group and page has updated pictures, video clips, and messages on Pat’s progress. It is also an easy way for people to post old pictures of Pat that they want to share with others who care about Pat.
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The Pat Mac Fund just set the date for their 2nd annual golf outing. The Pat Mac Fund Golf outing will take place at the Uniontown Country Club on July 20th, 2012. Last year the event had over 100 golfers with a dinner and sports auction, where Crosby’s jersey was auctioned off. Even with this wonderful tournament, the Pat Mac Fund is hoping for an even larger turn out this year. For more information on the golf outing, including anyone looking to sponsor a hole or tee, please visit www.thepatmacfund.org for the latest information. The website is used for donations, pictures from past events, and to keep people updated on future events. The organization also has a Facebook group and page. The Facebook group and page has updated pictures, video clips, and messages on Pat’s progress. It is also an easy way for people to post old pictures of Pat that they want to share with others who care about Pat.
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What the Pens Need to do to Get Back on Track
April 14, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
1. Play Defense
2. Put an Entire Game Together
3. Have Some Heart
1. Yes the Penguins can score. They have shown they can score. However, the Penguins play their best when they are playing good defense. Their 11 game winning streak was built off of great defense. For some reason the Penguins have gotten away from that. Just because you get Sidney Crosby back in the lineup doesn't mean that you can stop playing defense. I am not placing this solely on the 6 defensemen. Marc-Andre Fleury might have to put a game on his back in order to give the Pens confidence. He has played great at times, but at other times the Flyers make it look easy with crisp passing or good deflections. The Penguins need to man up on defense and just get nasty. Make sure you know your assignment and play the man. Do whatever you have to do in order to keep the puck out of the net. Pick up sticks, hit the player, block shots, and get into the passing lanes. These are fundamental things that the Penguins just aren't doing.
2. Let's try playing an entire game. I am sick of hearing how the Flyers are able to come back every freaking game. The Penguins have played a total of 40 minutes in this series. They play the first period and then try to sit back and cruise. That isn't possible when you aren't playing defense... see point 1. I am placing the blame on this aspect partially on Dan Bylsma. The Flyers are able to call timeouts and get pumped up. The Pens are unable to realize when the game is slipping away. Maybe next time the Flyers start to make a comeback, the Pens should use a timeout to light a fire under their ass.
3. Have a little heart and show some pride in what you are doing. I have generally been disgusted with the Penguins lack of effort after the first periods. When you allow 2 of the first 3 goals shorthanded, you really have some defensive problems as well as effort problems. Yes shorthanded goals happen, but two in a game is unacceptable. They swing the momentum and change the makeup of the entire game. It is difficult to measure a team's heart, but it is evident when a team doesn't have it. I will give one example of this I saw in Game 2. With the score 7-5 and Giroux coming towards the empty net looking for a hat trick, Steve Sullivan gave a poor defensive effort. With 7 second left in the game, you aren't going to win, so you might as well show some heart and take a stand. Instead of going after the puck, take Giroux out of the play. Play the body and at least knock him to the ice if he is going to score. I know Sullivan isn't a defensman, but the entire Pens team needs a wake up call. Lackluster plays like that show that the Penguins do not have the heart right now. I have no idea why, but they need to right this ship very quickly or it will be a quick series.
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by Jerry Rogers
1. Play Defense
2. Put an Entire Game Together
3. Have Some Heart
1. Yes the Penguins can score. They have shown they can score. However, the Penguins play their best when they are playing good defense. Their 11 game winning streak was built off of great defense. For some reason the Penguins have gotten away from that. Just because you get Sidney Crosby back in the lineup doesn't mean that you can stop playing defense. I am not placing this solely on the 6 defensemen. Marc-Andre Fleury might have to put a game on his back in order to give the Pens confidence. He has played great at times, but at other times the Flyers make it look easy with crisp passing or good deflections. The Penguins need to man up on defense and just get nasty. Make sure you know your assignment and play the man. Do whatever you have to do in order to keep the puck out of the net. Pick up sticks, hit the player, block shots, and get into the passing lanes. These are fundamental things that the Penguins just aren't doing.
2. Let's try playing an entire game. I am sick of hearing how the Flyers are able to come back every freaking game. The Penguins have played a total of 40 minutes in this series. They play the first period and then try to sit back and cruise. That isn't possible when you aren't playing defense... see point 1. I am placing the blame on this aspect partially on Dan Bylsma. The Flyers are able to call timeouts and get pumped up. The Pens are unable to realize when the game is slipping away. Maybe next time the Flyers start to make a comeback, the Pens should use a timeout to light a fire under their ass.
3. Have a little heart and show some pride in what you are doing. I have generally been disgusted with the Penguins lack of effort after the first periods. When you allow 2 of the first 3 goals shorthanded, you really have some defensive problems as well as effort problems. Yes shorthanded goals happen, but two in a game is unacceptable. They swing the momentum and change the makeup of the entire game. It is difficult to measure a team's heart, but it is evident when a team doesn't have it. I will give one example of this I saw in Game 2. With the score 7-5 and Giroux coming towards the empty net looking for a hat trick, Steve Sullivan gave a poor defensive effort. With 7 second left in the game, you aren't going to win, so you might as well show some heart and take a stand. Instead of going after the puck, take Giroux out of the play. Play the body and at least knock him to the ice if he is going to score. I know Sullivan isn't a defensman, but the entire Pens team needs a wake up call. Lackluster plays like that show that the Penguins do not have the heart right now. I have no idea why, but they need to right this ship very quickly or it will be a quick series.
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Pens Playoff Preview
April 11, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
The time is upon us. All of the smack talk and complaining will be settled on the ice in a seven game series. Potentially we have seven games to watch two of the best teams in the East battle it out in the first round. This isn't going to be an easy series for either side, but it sure will be an exciting series to watch for the fans. Here is a quick preview of what each team has to do in order to win the series.
How the Flyers win the series:
The Flyers need to be confident, and they should be. The Flyers won four of the six meetings between the two teams this season and are 5-1 at Consol Energy Center since it opened in 2010, the lone loss coming in the regular-season finale last Saturday. There has been a lot of bickering between the two teams, and the Flyers need to use that to their advantage. Take all the things said off the ice about Crosby, Bylsma, etc. and use it as fodder to perform on the ice. As for the actual games, the Flyers need their veterans to step up. The young rookies are in for a rude awakening once playoff hockey starts. It is a different brand of hockey that instantly becomes more intense. Each game, play, and shot carries more weight than usual. The Flyers need their veterans to step up and take some pressure off these rookies, who have carried a large load this season. The make it or break it aspect of the Flyers series will be in goal. Ilya Bryzgalov can be a beast in the playoffs, or he can forget to show up. He hasn't won a playoff series since playing with Anaheim and was absolutely horrible last season for the Coyotes as they were swept by the Red Wings. He claims he is ready for this matchup though. ''You know, I'm not afraid of anything,'' Bryzgalov said. ''I'm afraid of bears - bears in the forest.'' Yeah that is Bryzgalov. He is a fun loving guy with a good sense of humor. The Flyers need that guy to show up and not the one who lacks confidence.
How the Pens win the series:
The Pens are healthy and surging. Since January 1st they have the best record in hockey. Crosby is getting back into the groove and Malkin has been hitting on all cylinders the entire season. In order for the Pens to win, they need to disregard the chatter from the Flyers side. Ignore the talk of the Pens whining or being gutless and just go out and play hockey. The Pens are a scary team because they can go out and play several different styles of hockey. They might need to use them all in order to beat the Flyers. Some games will call for a hard-hitting grind it out style and others will have plenty of open-ice with scoring at will. They Pens will need to dictate the style of play or adjust quickly in order to matchup with a deep Philadelphia team. The Penguins do have experience on their side. Many of these players have seen both disappointment in the 2008 Stanley Cup finals and triumph after winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. They need to use that experience to feed this series. There is no doubt which year was sweeter. Bylsma needs to reiterate how sweet 2009 was and get his guys playing hard enough to want that feeling again. There is no doubt this team is talented enough to win the Stanley Cup. They are the favorites right now to win the cup at 4:1. However, this is a difficult first round matchup in which the Penguins will have to leave a lot on the ice in order to win. The Flyers aren't going to roll over, and the Penguins have to be ready for anything in this series. The key player for the Penguins in this series is Brooks Orpik. With all of the Pens firepower, I am going with a defenseman as the key to this series. There are several people on the Pens who can score goals, but in order to beat Philly, the Penguins must play a strong defensive game. When they were on their run of 11 wins in a row, defense was they key to their success. If they Penguins get solid defense, they can win a lot of games with the offense in front of them. Not to mention the fact that Brooks Orpik will make his presence felt on the ice with a few punishing hits.
Prediction: This series goes the distance. Penguins in 7.
I thought I would include a video to get you a little more pumped up for the series.
by Jerry Rogers
The time is upon us. All of the smack talk and complaining will be settled on the ice in a seven game series. Potentially we have seven games to watch two of the best teams in the East battle it out in the first round. This isn't going to be an easy series for either side, but it sure will be an exciting series to watch for the fans. Here is a quick preview of what each team has to do in order to win the series.
How the Flyers win the series:
The Flyers need to be confident, and they should be. The Flyers won four of the six meetings between the two teams this season and are 5-1 at Consol Energy Center since it opened in 2010, the lone loss coming in the regular-season finale last Saturday. There has been a lot of bickering between the two teams, and the Flyers need to use that to their advantage. Take all the things said off the ice about Crosby, Bylsma, etc. and use it as fodder to perform on the ice. As for the actual games, the Flyers need their veterans to step up. The young rookies are in for a rude awakening once playoff hockey starts. It is a different brand of hockey that instantly becomes more intense. Each game, play, and shot carries more weight than usual. The Flyers need their veterans to step up and take some pressure off these rookies, who have carried a large load this season. The make it or break it aspect of the Flyers series will be in goal. Ilya Bryzgalov can be a beast in the playoffs, or he can forget to show up. He hasn't won a playoff series since playing with Anaheim and was absolutely horrible last season for the Coyotes as they were swept by the Red Wings. He claims he is ready for this matchup though. ''You know, I'm not afraid of anything,'' Bryzgalov said. ''I'm afraid of bears - bears in the forest.'' Yeah that is Bryzgalov. He is a fun loving guy with a good sense of humor. The Flyers need that guy to show up and not the one who lacks confidence.
How the Pens win the series:
The Pens are healthy and surging. Since January 1st they have the best record in hockey. Crosby is getting back into the groove and Malkin has been hitting on all cylinders the entire season. In order for the Pens to win, they need to disregard the chatter from the Flyers side. Ignore the talk of the Pens whining or being gutless and just go out and play hockey. The Pens are a scary team because they can go out and play several different styles of hockey. They might need to use them all in order to beat the Flyers. Some games will call for a hard-hitting grind it out style and others will have plenty of open-ice with scoring at will. They Pens will need to dictate the style of play or adjust quickly in order to matchup with a deep Philadelphia team. The Penguins do have experience on their side. Many of these players have seen both disappointment in the 2008 Stanley Cup finals and triumph after winning the 2009 Stanley Cup. They need to use that experience to feed this series. There is no doubt which year was sweeter. Bylsma needs to reiterate how sweet 2009 was and get his guys playing hard enough to want that feeling again. There is no doubt this team is talented enough to win the Stanley Cup. They are the favorites right now to win the cup at 4:1. However, this is a difficult first round matchup in which the Penguins will have to leave a lot on the ice in order to win. The Flyers aren't going to roll over, and the Penguins have to be ready for anything in this series. The key player for the Penguins in this series is Brooks Orpik. With all of the Pens firepower, I am going with a defenseman as the key to this series. There are several people on the Pens who can score goals, but in order to beat Philly, the Penguins must play a strong defensive game. When they were on their run of 11 wins in a row, defense was they key to their success. If they Penguins get solid defense, they can win a lot of games with the offense in front of them. Not to mention the fact that Brooks Orpik will make his presence felt on the ice with a few punishing hits.
Prediction: This series goes the distance. Penguins in 7.
I thought I would include a video to get you a little more pumped up for the series.
Pens Clinch 4th Seed with Win over Rangers
April 6, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
The Penguins clinched the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and is assured home ice advantage in their upcoming playoff series with the Flyers. Yes the Penguins played well. Yes the Penguins needed to clinch the fourth spot, but come on... the fourth spot? The Pens are clearly one of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, and they have the points to back it up. They have 106 points with a game to go. That assures them the second most points in the conference. However, the NHL in all their wisdom awards the division winners the top three spots. That gives them home ice in the playoffs and the ability to jump better teams, like the Penguins. I have no problem with making sure that at least one team from the division makes the playoffs. However, let's seed that team where they belong. If Florida wins the division with 92 points, they should not be above the Penguins. Put them in the seventh spot where they belong and let them play the second seeded Penguins. The NFL also suffers from this stupid rule, but that is a topic for another season.
A few milestones that were hit in the game last night. Marc-Andre Fleury tied Tom Barrasso with his 226th victory for the Penguins. Fleury’s 42nd win of the season is one behind the Nashville Predators’ Pekka Rinne for the league lead. Malkin netted his 49th goal of the season and is one shy of a 50-goal season with one game against the Flyers left. He also added an assist to give him 107 points, and extend his lead on Steven Stamkos in the scoring race to 11 points with one game to play. I think we can pretty much say Malkin has won the scoring title. I don't see Stamkos going nuts for a dozen points in one game. If he did, though, he would deserve the scoring title and MVP. As it stands, Malkin will be taking both of those pieces of hardware home and the Pens fans recognized this fact in the game last night. Kunitz picked up his 200th assist on Malkin’s 49th goal with 10:54 left that elicited chants of “M-V-P” from the Penguins’ 250th consecutive sellout crowd. Pascal Dupuis assisted on Richard Park’s second-period goal to extend his point streak to 16 games, longest in the NHL this season. I think I touched on all of the Pens milestones in the game, but to add a few more awards to the night, the Penguins handed out their annual team awards last night. Malkin cleaned house with the awards, and he deserved them all. For a complete list of the awards, click here.
The Penguins play the Flyers on Saturday in a tune-up for the playoffs series against them. The main goal of the contest is to keep everyone healthy. Although, a Pens victory would go a long way in showing the Pens they can beat this Flyers team. They trail the season series 4-1. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
The Penguins clinched the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and is assured home ice advantage in their upcoming playoff series with the Flyers. Yes the Penguins played well. Yes the Penguins needed to clinch the fourth spot, but come on... the fourth spot? The Pens are clearly one of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, and they have the points to back it up. They have 106 points with a game to go. That assures them the second most points in the conference. However, the NHL in all their wisdom awards the division winners the top three spots. That gives them home ice in the playoffs and the ability to jump better teams, like the Penguins. I have no problem with making sure that at least one team from the division makes the playoffs. However, let's seed that team where they belong. If Florida wins the division with 92 points, they should not be above the Penguins. Put them in the seventh spot where they belong and let them play the second seeded Penguins. The NFL also suffers from this stupid rule, but that is a topic for another season.
A few milestones that were hit in the game last night. Marc-Andre Fleury tied Tom Barrasso with his 226th victory for the Penguins. Fleury’s 42nd win of the season is one behind the Nashville Predators’ Pekka Rinne for the league lead. Malkin netted his 49th goal of the season and is one shy of a 50-goal season with one game against the Flyers left. He also added an assist to give him 107 points, and extend his lead on Steven Stamkos in the scoring race to 11 points with one game to play. I think we can pretty much say Malkin has won the scoring title. I don't see Stamkos going nuts for a dozen points in one game. If he did, though, he would deserve the scoring title and MVP. As it stands, Malkin will be taking both of those pieces of hardware home and the Pens fans recognized this fact in the game last night. Kunitz picked up his 200th assist on Malkin’s 49th goal with 10:54 left that elicited chants of “M-V-P” from the Penguins’ 250th consecutive sellout crowd. Pascal Dupuis assisted on Richard Park’s second-period goal to extend his point streak to 16 games, longest in the NHL this season. I think I touched on all of the Pens milestones in the game, but to add a few more awards to the night, the Penguins handed out their annual team awards last night. Malkin cleaned house with the awards, and he deserved them all. For a complete list of the awards, click here.
The Penguins play the Flyers on Saturday in a tune-up for the playoffs series against them. The main goal of the contest is to keep everyone healthy. Although, a Pens victory would go a long way in showing the Pens they can beat this Flyers team. They trail the season series 4-1. Let's Go Pens!
Powerplay Propels Pens Past Bruins
April 4, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
I don't have enough time to give you a full breakdown of the game, but I wanted to hit on a few interesting points. Again the Pens jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Crosby and Martin. Once again, the Pens could not hold that lead and the Bruins climbed back into the game and tied it 2-2. The Pens need to find a way to maintain their early leads. While they did go on to win this game, I would much rather see the Pens jump out to a lead and maintain it, especially in the playoffs.
One positive note was the Pens ability to score on the powerplay. With the game tied 2-2 the Penguins got a 5-on-3 opportunity thanks to a Kris Letang acting job with a stick to the face... well chest. James Neal put in his 40th goal of the year less than a minute into the 5-on-3. With 50 seconds still left on the powerplay, Crosby netted a five-on-four goal to make the score 4-2. The Pens took advantage of the 5-on-3 by scoring twice. That is ideal for that type of situation. When the Pens powerplay is clicking, the rest of the league needs to watch out.
Aaron Asham scored a goal six minutes into the third and the Pens cruised to a 5-3 victory, with Boston's Rich Peverley scoring a goal after Asham. I have included the full game highlights in the video below. One quick note from after the game. My roommate is from Massachusetts and is a huge Bruins fan. We always do some trash talking and pranks back and forth for the games. He once put a Bruins tee-shirt on my door, so I wrapped it around the toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom. I would rather use it to wipe than wear. After the game last night, no words were exchanged. This morning I asked him how the Bruins game went last night. He flipped me off, went to his room, and shut the door. That is the last interaction we will have until after Easter. Hockey is a passionate sport, and I can't wait for the playoffs when it gets amplified even more. Let's Go Pens!!!
by Jerry Rogers
I don't have enough time to give you a full breakdown of the game, but I wanted to hit on a few interesting points. Again the Pens jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Crosby and Martin. Once again, the Pens could not hold that lead and the Bruins climbed back into the game and tied it 2-2. The Pens need to find a way to maintain their early leads. While they did go on to win this game, I would much rather see the Pens jump out to a lead and maintain it, especially in the playoffs.
One positive note was the Pens ability to score on the powerplay. With the game tied 2-2 the Penguins got a 5-on-3 opportunity thanks to a Kris Letang acting job with a stick to the face... well chest. James Neal put in his 40th goal of the year less than a minute into the 5-on-3. With 50 seconds still left on the powerplay, Crosby netted a five-on-four goal to make the score 4-2. The Pens took advantage of the 5-on-3 by scoring twice. That is ideal for that type of situation. When the Pens powerplay is clicking, the rest of the league needs to watch out.
Aaron Asham scored a goal six minutes into the third and the Pens cruised to a 5-3 victory, with Boston's Rich Peverley scoring a goal after Asham. I have included the full game highlights in the video below. One quick note from after the game. My roommate is from Massachusetts and is a huge Bruins fan. We always do some trash talking and pranks back and forth for the games. He once put a Bruins tee-shirt on my door, so I wrapped it around the toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom. I would rather use it to wipe than wear. After the game last night, no words were exchanged. This morning I asked him how the Bruins game went last night. He flipped me off, went to his room, and shut the door. That is the last interaction we will have until after Easter. Hockey is a passionate sport, and I can't wait for the playoffs when it gets amplified even more. Let's Go Pens!!!
Pens Play April Fool's Joke on Philly by Not Showing Up
Old picture... but things never change between these two teams.
April 1, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
The Penguins played a total of 10 minutes of a 60-minute hockey game. The first five minutes the Penguins could not be stopped. Sullivan and Neal each netted a goal, and the Pens had the pedal to the metal. The last five minutes was much the same when the Pens outscored Philly 2-1 with the only Philly goal being an empty netter. Everything in between was back hockey by the Penguins. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Penguins slowly gave the lead back. 2-1 at the end of the first, 2-2 at the end of the second, and 5-2 to start the third period. When it was 2-0 the Flyers were back on their heels. Peter Laviolette called a timeout after the second goal when he realized he team could not keep up with the Pens. Hilarious note: There was a Pens fan behind Laviolette with a yellow boa on that was mimicking his every move. Pretty funny stuff. However, the Pens got very few laughs after that timeout.
The Flyers regrouped and consistently played good defense with solid fundamentals. The Penguins are a very flashy team with great scorers, but sometimes they shirk the fundamentals to try to make the perfect play. In order to get back on track, the Penguins need to regroup and realize how they were able to rattle off so many wins in a row. Despite the great scorers, the win streak started because of solid defense. Fleury played well and the defensemen in front of him played very well. However, defense isn't only about defensemen. During the winning streak, the forwards were coming back and helping out. Defense is a team concept, and the Pens need a wake up call to remind them of that fact. Hopefully the fight at the end of game was the Penguins way of realizing they can't beat the Flyers without manning up and playing some tough, defensive hockey.
This game was most likely a preview of the first round playoff matchup. Honestly, this will be a hard-fought series with the winner determined by who has more heart. That scares me as a Penguins fan. The Flyers are a resilient bunch who have the ability to come back in any game. They play a sound fundamental game that frustrates the Penguins. The Flyers are 5-0 at Consol since it opened, so home ice really isn't a factor either. I am worried about the first round draw of the Flyers after watching the Penguins implode today. However, no one ever said the playoffs were easy, and that might actually work for the Pens. The Penguins have been in the playoffs before, and many of the players won the cup in 2009. They know what it takes to play in the second season. The Flyers have some veterans, but they have their fair supply of rookies who are not used to the riggers of an NHL playoff series. It will most likely be an amazing series that might just go the distance. Even though the Pens have lost the season series to the Flyers - in a seven-game playoff series - I am still taking the Penguins to adjust and grind out four victories. Let's Go Pens!
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by Jerry Rogers
The Penguins played a total of 10 minutes of a 60-minute hockey game. The first five minutes the Penguins could not be stopped. Sullivan and Neal each netted a goal, and the Pens had the pedal to the metal. The last five minutes was much the same when the Pens outscored Philly 2-1 with the only Philly goal being an empty netter. Everything in between was back hockey by the Penguins. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Penguins slowly gave the lead back. 2-1 at the end of the first, 2-2 at the end of the second, and 5-2 to start the third period. When it was 2-0 the Flyers were back on their heels. Peter Laviolette called a timeout after the second goal when he realized he team could not keep up with the Pens. Hilarious note: There was a Pens fan behind Laviolette with a yellow boa on that was mimicking his every move. Pretty funny stuff. However, the Pens got very few laughs after that timeout.
The Flyers regrouped and consistently played good defense with solid fundamentals. The Penguins are a very flashy team with great scorers, but sometimes they shirk the fundamentals to try to make the perfect play. In order to get back on track, the Penguins need to regroup and realize how they were able to rattle off so many wins in a row. Despite the great scorers, the win streak started because of solid defense. Fleury played well and the defensemen in front of him played very well. However, defense isn't only about defensemen. During the winning streak, the forwards were coming back and helping out. Defense is a team concept, and the Pens need a wake up call to remind them of that fact. Hopefully the fight at the end of game was the Penguins way of realizing they can't beat the Flyers without manning up and playing some tough, defensive hockey.
This game was most likely a preview of the first round playoff matchup. Honestly, this will be a hard-fought series with the winner determined by who has more heart. That scares me as a Penguins fan. The Flyers are a resilient bunch who have the ability to come back in any game. They play a sound fundamental game that frustrates the Penguins. The Flyers are 5-0 at Consol since it opened, so home ice really isn't a factor either. I am worried about the first round draw of the Flyers after watching the Penguins implode today. However, no one ever said the playoffs were easy, and that might actually work for the Pens. The Penguins have been in the playoffs before, and many of the players won the cup in 2009. They know what it takes to play in the second season. The Flyers have some veterans, but they have their fair supply of rookies who are not used to the riggers of an NHL playoff series. It will most likely be an amazing series that might just go the distance. Even though the Pens have lost the season series to the Flyers - in a seven-game playoff series - I am still taking the Penguins to adjust and grind out four victories. Let's Go Pens!
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Pens Back on Track with Win Against Buffalo
Crosby netted his 600th career point. Video below.
March 31, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
I refuse to believe that the Penguins lost a home-and-home series against the Islanders when they are in a race for the division. That game on Thursday must have been a dream, so I move on to last night's game. It was a grind-it-out game full of weird bounces and lots of scoring chances.
Brett Johnson was back in goal for the Pens after a long layoff due to injury. He was strong when he had to be, but you could tell he was a bit rusty on some of the goals he let in. That is understandable after being out a while. It is better to focus on the fact that he came up with the big saves when necessary. Overall, a very strong return for Johnson. The Pens scored first on a Evgeni Malkin powerplay goal. The Sabres came back and scored a couple minutes later to tie the game up. Crosby then netted a goal 6 minutes later by being in front of the net and poking one past Ryan Miller. The lead lasted about two minutes again when the Sabres came back and tied the game on a weak Tyler Ennis shot/pass looking play that caught Johnson off guard.
The Pens weathered some chances in the second period, but started the scoring with a James Neal powerplay goal. Sid made a beautiful pas too Neal and notched his 600th career point on the play. The video of the goal is below. At that point Sid had a goal and two assists. He wasn't quite done yet. He added another assist a few minutes later on a spin-o-rama pass that went to Dupuis and then to Steve Sullivan, who put the puck in the back of the net. The Pens failed to hold the 2-goal lead going into the third. The Sabres scored their third goal off of an odd bounce off the glass. As the Pens tried to clear the puck up the boards everyone rushed up ice, Pens and Sabres. That is except for one Sabre (Thomas Vanek) who realized the puck careened off the glass and right in front of the net to an open Vanek. You can't blame anyone for this goal. It was a fluke clear that went right to the front of the Pens net. The period was stopped with 1:37 left to go due to a broken corner piece of glass, not related to the last goal. That time was finished after the intermission and then the teams switched sides of the ice. Just added to a weird game.
The third period was full of good scoring chances and moments where the Sabres were so close to scoring. It became uneasy as a Pens fan watching how close the Sabres got on some of their chances. At the end of the game, with Malkin in the box for flipping the puck into the stands, the Sabres got a sustained attack against the Pens. Johnson stood strong and the Pens were able to net an empty net goal with 6 second left in the game. Brooks Orpik made a pass off the wall to Jordan Staal, who too the puck and made sure the Penguins walked away with a hard fought victory. The hated Flyers are up next tomorrow. The game time has been changed to the prime time game at 12:30 on NBC. This is most likely the playoffs matchup with the Rangers refusing to falter, so let's jump out and show the Flyers what we can do. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
I refuse to believe that the Penguins lost a home-and-home series against the Islanders when they are in a race for the division. That game on Thursday must have been a dream, so I move on to last night's game. It was a grind-it-out game full of weird bounces and lots of scoring chances.
Brett Johnson was back in goal for the Pens after a long layoff due to injury. He was strong when he had to be, but you could tell he was a bit rusty on some of the goals he let in. That is understandable after being out a while. It is better to focus on the fact that he came up with the big saves when necessary. Overall, a very strong return for Johnson. The Pens scored first on a Evgeni Malkin powerplay goal. The Sabres came back and scored a couple minutes later to tie the game up. Crosby then netted a goal 6 minutes later by being in front of the net and poking one past Ryan Miller. The lead lasted about two minutes again when the Sabres came back and tied the game on a weak Tyler Ennis shot/pass looking play that caught Johnson off guard.
The Pens weathered some chances in the second period, but started the scoring with a James Neal powerplay goal. Sid made a beautiful pas too Neal and notched his 600th career point on the play. The video of the goal is below. At that point Sid had a goal and two assists. He wasn't quite done yet. He added another assist a few minutes later on a spin-o-rama pass that went to Dupuis and then to Steve Sullivan, who put the puck in the back of the net. The Pens failed to hold the 2-goal lead going into the third. The Sabres scored their third goal off of an odd bounce off the glass. As the Pens tried to clear the puck up the boards everyone rushed up ice, Pens and Sabres. That is except for one Sabre (Thomas Vanek) who realized the puck careened off the glass and right in front of the net to an open Vanek. You can't blame anyone for this goal. It was a fluke clear that went right to the front of the Pens net. The period was stopped with 1:37 left to go due to a broken corner piece of glass, not related to the last goal. That time was finished after the intermission and then the teams switched sides of the ice. Just added to a weird game.
The third period was full of good scoring chances and moments where the Sabres were so close to scoring. It became uneasy as a Pens fan watching how close the Sabres got on some of their chances. At the end of the game, with Malkin in the box for flipping the puck into the stands, the Sabres got a sustained attack against the Pens. Johnson stood strong and the Pens were able to net an empty net goal with 6 second left in the game. Brooks Orpik made a pass off the wall to Jordan Staal, who too the puck and made sure the Penguins walked away with a hard fought victory. The hated Flyers are up next tomorrow. The game time has been changed to the prime time game at 12:30 on NBC. This is most likely the playoffs matchup with the Rangers refusing to falter, so let's jump out and show the Flyers what we can do. Let's Go Pens!
Pens Take Big Step Backward in Loss
The Gorton's Fisherman returned to down the Pens.
March 28, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
The Penguins did so well on their win streak because they excelled in goal prevention. They play their best when they are solid defensively. Good defense leads to goals for the Penguins. Last night against the lowly Islanders, the Penguins failed defensively and tried to simply outscore their opponent. This strategy did not not work in their 5-3 loss. The Pens gave up 2 goals in the first, but they came back early in the second and tied the game with two quick goals. This is when the Pens had some mental lapses on defense and let the Islanders run away with the game. Three goals later and the Pens were down 5-2. Neal put in a powerplay goal in the third, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback. Simply, the Pens looked bad. This is not the team I want to see in the playoffs. They need a kick in the pants, especially on the defensive end.
To make matters worse, the Rangers went on the road and beat the Minnesota Wild. That is a team they are supposed to beat, much like the game the Penguins had. Instead of staying a point behind, the Pens drop to three points back and need some help from the rest of the league to gain points back. The Rangers go on the road tonight to face the Winnipeg Jets. The Penguins next game is a rematch on Long Island against the Islanders on Thursday. They better take care of business this time around. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
The Penguins did so well on their win streak because they excelled in goal prevention. They play their best when they are solid defensively. Good defense leads to goals for the Penguins. Last night against the lowly Islanders, the Penguins failed defensively and tried to simply outscore their opponent. This strategy did not not work in their 5-3 loss. The Pens gave up 2 goals in the first, but they came back early in the second and tied the game with two quick goals. This is when the Pens had some mental lapses on defense and let the Islanders run away with the game. Three goals later and the Pens were down 5-2. Neal put in a powerplay goal in the third, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback. Simply, the Pens looked bad. This is not the team I want to see in the playoffs. They need a kick in the pants, especially on the defensive end.
To make matters worse, the Rangers went on the road and beat the Minnesota Wild. That is a team they are supposed to beat, much like the game the Penguins had. Instead of staying a point behind, the Pens drop to three points back and need some help from the rest of the league to gain points back. The Rangers go on the road tonight to face the Winnipeg Jets. The Penguins next game is a rematch on Long Island against the Islanders on Thursday. They better take care of business this time around. Let's Go Pens!
Pens Weekend Roundup
The Pens split over the weekend.
March 26, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
The Pens had a game against Ottawa on Saturday. I can't say the Pens played Ottawa, because I am not sure the Penguins ever really showed up to play. Ottawa handed them their first loss in regulation in 15 games. The Penguins were on an amazing streak, and it had to end at some point. However, the way it ended was pitiful. The Pens got out to a 2-1 lead after the first period, but the wheels fell off the bus in the second and third periods. Ottawa netted four goals in the second and really dictated the pace of the game. Tyler Kennedy chipped in a goal to cut into the lead. Ottawa led 5-3 after the second period, so there was a feeling that the Pens still had a chance. The hope got a little brighter when Sidney Crosby scored his first goal since returning from his injury. With the score 5-4 in favor of Ottawa, the Pens did something they haven't done in regulation for a while. They fell apart. Ottawa scored three more times to make the final 8-4. Brad Thiessen was in goal and suffered his first loss after stopping only 20 of 28 shots. It wasn't totally Thiessen's fault, though. The defense was horrendous in this game and left him out to dry on several occasions.
Lucky for the Penguins they headed home on Sunday to face the New Jersey Devils. The Pens needed a bounce back win and being in front of a home crowd always helps. Kunitz scored a minute into the game off of a Brodeur mistake behind the net. However, Fleury made a similar mistake with the puck behind the net four minutes later and gave the goal back to New Jersey. After Zach Parise tied it for New Jersey, the momentum swung back and forth for most of the period. The Penguins did net a goal with less than a minute to go on a Jordan Staal shot. That goal helped set the stage for the rest of the game. Pascal Dupuis had the only goal of the second period and it looked like the Pens were grinding out another victory. Ilya Kovalchuk had other plans when the third period started. He scored his 32nd goal of the year minutes into the third to cut the Pens lead to 3-2. With the game close again, Crosby flashed his skills just over a minute later by flipping a wrist shot past Brodeur. It was Crosby's first goal at home in months, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Malkin added an empty net goal late in the game to make the final score 5-2.
The loss was not devastating to the Penguins in the standings. The Rangers sit atop the division with 101 points and the Penguins have 100. Both teams have seven games left including one head-to-head matchup on April 5 in Pittsburgh. That game might go a long way in determining who the division winner and overall number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pens next game is Tuesday, March 27 at home against the Islanders. Let's rack up the points before that Rangers game. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
The Pens had a game against Ottawa on Saturday. I can't say the Pens played Ottawa, because I am not sure the Penguins ever really showed up to play. Ottawa handed them their first loss in regulation in 15 games. The Penguins were on an amazing streak, and it had to end at some point. However, the way it ended was pitiful. The Pens got out to a 2-1 lead after the first period, but the wheels fell off the bus in the second and third periods. Ottawa netted four goals in the second and really dictated the pace of the game. Tyler Kennedy chipped in a goal to cut into the lead. Ottawa led 5-3 after the second period, so there was a feeling that the Pens still had a chance. The hope got a little brighter when Sidney Crosby scored his first goal since returning from his injury. With the score 5-4 in favor of Ottawa, the Pens did something they haven't done in regulation for a while. They fell apart. Ottawa scored three more times to make the final 8-4. Brad Thiessen was in goal and suffered his first loss after stopping only 20 of 28 shots. It wasn't totally Thiessen's fault, though. The defense was horrendous in this game and left him out to dry on several occasions.
Lucky for the Penguins they headed home on Sunday to face the New Jersey Devils. The Pens needed a bounce back win and being in front of a home crowd always helps. Kunitz scored a minute into the game off of a Brodeur mistake behind the net. However, Fleury made a similar mistake with the puck behind the net four minutes later and gave the goal back to New Jersey. After Zach Parise tied it for New Jersey, the momentum swung back and forth for most of the period. The Penguins did net a goal with less than a minute to go on a Jordan Staal shot. That goal helped set the stage for the rest of the game. Pascal Dupuis had the only goal of the second period and it looked like the Pens were grinding out another victory. Ilya Kovalchuk had other plans when the third period started. He scored his 32nd goal of the year minutes into the third to cut the Pens lead to 3-2. With the game close again, Crosby flashed his skills just over a minute later by flipping a wrist shot past Brodeur. It was Crosby's first goal at home in months, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Malkin added an empty net goal late in the game to make the final score 5-2.
The loss was not devastating to the Penguins in the standings. The Rangers sit atop the division with 101 points and the Penguins have 100. Both teams have seven games left including one head-to-head matchup on April 5 in Pittsburgh. That game might go a long way in determining who the division winner and overall number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pens next game is Tuesday, March 27 at home against the Islanders. Let's rack up the points before that Rangers game. Let's Go Pens!
Pens Clinch Playoff Spot with Win Over Preds
The goal of every playoff team.
March 23, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
We all figured the Penguins would be in the playoffs, but they made it official last night by beating the Predators 5-1. They clinched a playoff spot by jumping on the Predators early and often. The Pens scored in the first two minutes of every period to really set the tempo each time they stepped onto the ice. Malkin started the scoring with a shot that knuckled off of Pekke Rinne's glove. Seriously, it looked like Rinne wasn't ready for the shot or at least not expecting it to come towards the net without much velocity. The puck just fluttered off of his glove and into the net. Hey a goal is a goal in my eyes. Three minutes later Dupuis tipped in a Kris Letang shot to put the Pens up 2-0 after one period.
The Pens started the scoring early in the second period with a Matt Cooke goal two minutes into the period off a beautiful pass from James Neal. Kunitz added a goal later to bring his goal mark to 22 on the season. His career high is 25 in 06-07 with Anaheim. That total is in jeopardy this season. The Preds did add a goal later in the second by Alexander Radulov, who was making his season debut, but that proved to be too little too late. Malkin tallied his 45th goal of the season by blistering a shot by Rinne that smacked off the post and had to be reviewed. This shot was opposite of the first one that just got past Rinne. This shot went in so quick the refs weren't sure if it counted. Malkin has been on a tear this year and there is no doubt he deserves the MVP.
One more note, the Penguins have won nine straight games at Consol Energy Center and finished 13-2-3 against the Western Conference this season, the best mark by an Eastern Conference team against the West this season. That is promising for the Penguins if they do indeed battle for Lord Stanley's Cup. The Penguins are traveling to Ottawa for a game Saturday night at 7:00 PM. Let's Go Pens!
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by Jerry Rogers
We all figured the Penguins would be in the playoffs, but they made it official last night by beating the Predators 5-1. They clinched a playoff spot by jumping on the Predators early and often. The Pens scored in the first two minutes of every period to really set the tempo each time they stepped onto the ice. Malkin started the scoring with a shot that knuckled off of Pekke Rinne's glove. Seriously, it looked like Rinne wasn't ready for the shot or at least not expecting it to come towards the net without much velocity. The puck just fluttered off of his glove and into the net. Hey a goal is a goal in my eyes. Three minutes later Dupuis tipped in a Kris Letang shot to put the Pens up 2-0 after one period.
The Pens started the scoring early in the second period with a Matt Cooke goal two minutes into the period off a beautiful pass from James Neal. Kunitz added a goal later to bring his goal mark to 22 on the season. His career high is 25 in 06-07 with Anaheim. That total is in jeopardy this season. The Preds did add a goal later in the second by Alexander Radulov, who was making his season debut, but that proved to be too little too late. Malkin tallied his 45th goal of the season by blistering a shot by Rinne that smacked off the post and had to be reviewed. This shot was opposite of the first one that just got past Rinne. This shot went in so quick the refs weren't sure if it counted. Malkin has been on a tear this year and there is no doubt he deserves the MVP.
One more note, the Penguins have won nine straight games at Consol Energy Center and finished 13-2-3 against the Western Conference this season, the best mark by an Eastern Conference team against the West this season. That is promising for the Penguins if they do indeed battle for Lord Stanley's Cup. The Penguins are traveling to Ottawa for a game Saturday night at 7:00 PM. Let's Go Pens!
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Neal, Pens Put on Shooting Clinic for Jets
Image from Neal's hat trick last night.
by Jerry Rogers
Two days after a terrible loss to the Flyers, the Penguins reminded everyone in the NHL how dangerous they can be. The first half of the game was back and forth. The Jets actually held a 2-1 lead in the first period and were really pressuring the Pens. There was little rhythm for the Penguins in the first, but Winnipeg could not capitalize on some good opportunities. That left the door open for James Neal to tie the game at 2-2 right before the end of the period. The first ten minutes of the second period was much like the first period. The Pens went up 3-2 on another James Neal goal, but the Jets struck back on a Bryan Little goal. With the game tied 3-3 with ten minutes to go in the third, the Penguins took the game over.
The Pens chased Pavelec out of net with goals by Kennedy (second of the game) and Malkin. Chris Mason was brought in. He didn't fair much better. After the Jets cut the lead to 5-4, James Neal said to himself, "I am thinking of starting a hat collection Pittsburgh fans. Do you think you can help me out by throwing some on the ice?" I have no idea if that was going through his head or not when he rifled a shot past Mason late in the second period, but he definitely has enough hats to start a collection now. It was Neal's first hat trick as a Penguin with many more under his belt.
Malkin added a ridiculous goal from behind the net that bounced off of Mason, and Dupuis blew a shot past Mason as well to make the final 8-4. The win was extra sweet, because Philadelphia lost to the Panthers 2-1 in regulation. Not only are we only 1 point behind the Rangers for first place, but we extended our lead on the Flyers. The Rangers play Detroit tonight, so I will become a Red Wings fan for one night. The Penguins have a night off before they face the Predators on Thursday. Pekke Rinne, the netminder for the Preds, has been shaky lately, and hopefully the Pens can take advantage of that. Let's Go Pens!
Two days after a terrible loss to the Flyers, the Penguins reminded everyone in the NHL how dangerous they can be. The first half of the game was back and forth. The Jets actually held a 2-1 lead in the first period and were really pressuring the Pens. There was little rhythm for the Penguins in the first, but Winnipeg could not capitalize on some good opportunities. That left the door open for James Neal to tie the game at 2-2 right before the end of the period. The first ten minutes of the second period was much like the first period. The Pens went up 3-2 on another James Neal goal, but the Jets struck back on a Bryan Little goal. With the game tied 3-3 with ten minutes to go in the third, the Penguins took the game over.
The Pens chased Pavelec out of net with goals by Kennedy (second of the game) and Malkin. Chris Mason was brought in. He didn't fair much better. After the Jets cut the lead to 5-4, James Neal said to himself, "I am thinking of starting a hat collection Pittsburgh fans. Do you think you can help me out by throwing some on the ice?" I have no idea if that was going through his head or not when he rifled a shot past Mason late in the second period, but he definitely has enough hats to start a collection now. It was Neal's first hat trick as a Penguin with many more under his belt.
Malkin added a ridiculous goal from behind the net that bounced off of Mason, and Dupuis blew a shot past Mason as well to make the final 8-4. The win was extra sweet, because Philadelphia lost to the Panthers 2-1 in regulation. Not only are we only 1 point behind the Rangers for first place, but we extended our lead on the Flyers. The Rangers play Detroit tonight, so I will become a Red Wings fan for one night. The Penguins have a night off before they face the Predators on Thursday. Pekke Rinne, the netminder for the Preds, has been shaky lately, and hopefully the Pens can take advantage of that. Let's Go Pens!
When 3 of 4 Points is Like Kissing Your Sister
The weekend was spoiled by a comeback Flyers win on Sunday.
March 19, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
This weekend the Penguins played the Devils on Saturday and the Flyers on Sunday. They walked away with 3 points, but the way it ended still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. On Saturday the Penguins came out firing at Brodeur. The blasted 44 shots on net and came away with 5 goals. On the other end their defense was stellar at limited the Devils' opportunities. The Devils shots were 6 in the first, 4 in the second, and 4 in the third. While they did net two goals, the Devils never really got on track. It was clear that the Penguins were on a mission and cruised to a 5-2 victory. Crosby had three assists, and it was nice to see him making the players around him look better. Matt Cooke has definitely benefited from having Crosby on his line. He netted two goals in the game, and is having a very solid season with 16 on the year. Malkin also chipped in a goal and assist on the night. It was a great day of hockey on Saturday and the Pens continued that dominance into Sunday.
The Penguins continued their torrid pace against the Flyers by jumping on them early. They outshot the Flyers 17-8 and 10-2 in the first and second periods. The shot total was 27-10 after two periods, and the Pens held a 2-0 lead. Craig Adams scored in the first period, and Malkin added a phenomenal goal in the second to give the Pens a 2-0 lead going into the third. That is when all hell broke lose. The Penguins came out in the third period looking sluggish and playing poor defense. The Flyers were on a powerplay and capitalized 31 seconds into the period on a Kimmo Timonen shot from the point. I was thinking to myself, "Ok, that happens on the powerplay. Let's regroup, play strong defensive hockey, and not take anymore penalties." Less than two minutes later Malkin takes a hooking penalty. Oh great. While the Flyers did not score on the powerplay, the pressure from that powerplay gave the Flyers tremendous momentum. Shortly after the powerplay ended, Scott Hartnell (the player I despise the most in the NHL) took a shot from basically a step behind the net and scored on a well placed shot. Claude Giroux made a nice pass on the play and totally faked Fleury out. With the game tied at 2-2 now, the Pens and Flyers exchanged a few jabs but there would be no more scoring. The Pens had a decent opportunity right before the end of regulation, but the puck was tipped high behind the net. I had a funny feeling about this game in overtime, but the Penguins weathered a few storms and put some decent shots on net. There was a 3-3 opportunity with offsetting penalties by Letang and Braydon Coburn of the Flyers. Crosby had a semi-break to the net but couldn't get off a good shot. The time was winding down in OT, and I was already thinking about who would take the penalty shots. Do you throw Crosby into the mix or keep his as your fourth shooter with Letang, Malkin, and Neal? Well, Scott Hartnell (did I mention I didn't like him as a player?) ended up netting a goal with .9 seconds to go in overtime to win the game for the Flyers. Danny Briere made a nice cross-ice pass to Hartnell, and he buried a shot with so little time left on the clock that it made me grind my teeth the rest of the day. I hate losing to the Flyers. I hate watching Scott Hartnell do well. I hate watching the Penguins give away points to people chasing them in the division. Yes, they got 3 of 4 points and still sit only one point behind the Rangers, but we gave the Flyers two points. While the 11-game win streak might be over, the Penguins are still in a good position to win this division. Time to put the weekend behind us and get ready for Jets on Tuesday. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
This weekend the Penguins played the Devils on Saturday and the Flyers on Sunday. They walked away with 3 points, but the way it ended still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. On Saturday the Penguins came out firing at Brodeur. The blasted 44 shots on net and came away with 5 goals. On the other end their defense was stellar at limited the Devils' opportunities. The Devils shots were 6 in the first, 4 in the second, and 4 in the third. While they did net two goals, the Devils never really got on track. It was clear that the Penguins were on a mission and cruised to a 5-2 victory. Crosby had three assists, and it was nice to see him making the players around him look better. Matt Cooke has definitely benefited from having Crosby on his line. He netted two goals in the game, and is having a very solid season with 16 on the year. Malkin also chipped in a goal and assist on the night. It was a great day of hockey on Saturday and the Pens continued that dominance into Sunday.
The Penguins continued their torrid pace against the Flyers by jumping on them early. They outshot the Flyers 17-8 and 10-2 in the first and second periods. The shot total was 27-10 after two periods, and the Pens held a 2-0 lead. Craig Adams scored in the first period, and Malkin added a phenomenal goal in the second to give the Pens a 2-0 lead going into the third. That is when all hell broke lose. The Penguins came out in the third period looking sluggish and playing poor defense. The Flyers were on a powerplay and capitalized 31 seconds into the period on a Kimmo Timonen shot from the point. I was thinking to myself, "Ok, that happens on the powerplay. Let's regroup, play strong defensive hockey, and not take anymore penalties." Less than two minutes later Malkin takes a hooking penalty. Oh great. While the Flyers did not score on the powerplay, the pressure from that powerplay gave the Flyers tremendous momentum. Shortly after the powerplay ended, Scott Hartnell (the player I despise the most in the NHL) took a shot from basically a step behind the net and scored on a well placed shot. Claude Giroux made a nice pass on the play and totally faked Fleury out. With the game tied at 2-2 now, the Pens and Flyers exchanged a few jabs but there would be no more scoring. The Pens had a decent opportunity right before the end of regulation, but the puck was tipped high behind the net. I had a funny feeling about this game in overtime, but the Penguins weathered a few storms and put some decent shots on net. There was a 3-3 opportunity with offsetting penalties by Letang and Braydon Coburn of the Flyers. Crosby had a semi-break to the net but couldn't get off a good shot. The time was winding down in OT, and I was already thinking about who would take the penalty shots. Do you throw Crosby into the mix or keep his as your fourth shooter with Letang, Malkin, and Neal? Well, Scott Hartnell (did I mention I didn't like him as a player?) ended up netting a goal with .9 seconds to go in overtime to win the game for the Flyers. Danny Briere made a nice cross-ice pass to Hartnell, and he buried a shot with so little time left on the clock that it made me grind my teeth the rest of the day. I hate losing to the Flyers. I hate watching Scott Hartnell do well. I hate watching the Penguins give away points to people chasing them in the division. Yes, they got 3 of 4 points and still sit only one point behind the Rangers, but we gave the Flyers two points. While the 11-game win streak might be over, the Penguins are still in a good position to win this division. Time to put the weekend behind us and get ready for Jets on Tuesday. Let's Go Pens!
Crosby, Letang, and Martin Return to Down Rangers
Letang was a +5 and Crosby added an assist.
March 16, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
I was like a kid in a candy store yesterday with all of the great sports on television. Not only did March Madness kick off, but the Penguins downed the Rangers 5-2 and inched closer to the Atlantic Division lead. While it was evident from the boos that Crosby was the talk of the night, all three returning Penguins contributed to the victory. Martin and Crosby each had an assist and were a +3 on the night. Letang also had an assist and was an amazing +5 in a game where the Pens scored 5 goals. This team is scary with these guys back in the lineup, but it is still going to be a rough road ahead for the Pens.
The winning percentage of the remaining teams the Penguins have to play this year is .562, and that is the second toughest schedule remaining. Only the Avalanche have a remaining schedule that is more difficult. The Rangers have the 13th toughest schedule. Despite winning 10 in a row and playing their best hockey of the year, the Penguins are still in the most difficult division in hockey. The top four teams look like this... Rangers 95 points, Penguins 91 points, Flyers 89 points, and Devils 87 points. All four teams will make the playoffs, and all four teams have the ability to win the division. While I am confident the Penguins will hold off the Flyers and Devils while making a push toward the top spot, it is certainly not a given. The Penguins must continue to improve upon their game and hope that their players coming back from injury get stronger going into the playoffs. This is certainly a great time of the year. We have some great hockey ahead of us. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
I was like a kid in a candy store yesterday with all of the great sports on television. Not only did March Madness kick off, but the Penguins downed the Rangers 5-2 and inched closer to the Atlantic Division lead. While it was evident from the boos that Crosby was the talk of the night, all three returning Penguins contributed to the victory. Martin and Crosby each had an assist and were a +3 on the night. Letang also had an assist and was an amazing +5 in a game where the Pens scored 5 goals. This team is scary with these guys back in the lineup, but it is still going to be a rough road ahead for the Pens.
The winning percentage of the remaining teams the Penguins have to play this year is .562, and that is the second toughest schedule remaining. Only the Avalanche have a remaining schedule that is more difficult. The Rangers have the 13th toughest schedule. Despite winning 10 in a row and playing their best hockey of the year, the Penguins are still in the most difficult division in hockey. The top four teams look like this... Rangers 95 points, Penguins 91 points, Flyers 89 points, and Devils 87 points. All four teams will make the playoffs, and all four teams have the ability to win the division. While I am confident the Penguins will hold off the Flyers and Devils while making a push toward the top spot, it is certainly not a given. The Penguins must continue to improve upon their game and hope that their players coming back from injury get stronger going into the playoffs. This is certainly a great time of the year. We have some great hockey ahead of us. Let's Go Pens!
Pens Fans... Now You Can Get Excited!
Crosby will suit up Thursday against the Rangers.
March 13, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
It's official. Our captain will be back on the ice Thursday. The Penguins are on a nine-game win streak and just got better. It couldn't have come at a better time either. The next game is against the Rangers, who we are chasing in the standings. Crosby practiced on a line with Kennedy and Cooke, and should fit in nicely as a line. Cooke is a good on the boards and Kennedy works well with Crosby. Dan Bylsma also left open the possibility of Crosby working with different people, even Staal and Malkin, before the end of the season to see where he fits best. Bylsma said it best that there is a good amount of games left in the season to get Crosby back on track before the playoffs. If all goes well, we should see a crisp Crosby ready to take the ice at Consol Energy Center against the 8th seeded team in the playoffs.
Yes, I might be getting ahead of myself with that last sentence, but I can't help but be excited. Read my previous posts. I have been holding back for long enough on the Pens. The hottest team in hockey is getting the greatest player in hockey back on their team. Why shouldn't I be excited? This team was a serious contender for the cup at the beginning of the year before their injuries. Guess what? They are getting healthy at the right time. Letang and Martin even took the ice in practice today. I don't like to get ahead of myself in sports, but if you can't get excited about how this team is playing right now, then you have no business watching sports at all. You obviously don't enjoy it enough to really let go and put yourself on the line. I will do that right now. If Letang, Martin, and Crosby come back healthy and ready for the playoffs, the Pens will hoist Lord Stanley on home ice after Game 6. Leave a message on how far you think the Pens will go in the playoffs... Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
It's official. Our captain will be back on the ice Thursday. The Penguins are on a nine-game win streak and just got better. It couldn't have come at a better time either. The next game is against the Rangers, who we are chasing in the standings. Crosby practiced on a line with Kennedy and Cooke, and should fit in nicely as a line. Cooke is a good on the boards and Kennedy works well with Crosby. Dan Bylsma also left open the possibility of Crosby working with different people, even Staal and Malkin, before the end of the season to see where he fits best. Bylsma said it best that there is a good amount of games left in the season to get Crosby back on track before the playoffs. If all goes well, we should see a crisp Crosby ready to take the ice at Consol Energy Center against the 8th seeded team in the playoffs.
Yes, I might be getting ahead of myself with that last sentence, but I can't help but be excited. Read my previous posts. I have been holding back for long enough on the Pens. The hottest team in hockey is getting the greatest player in hockey back on their team. Why shouldn't I be excited? This team was a serious contender for the cup at the beginning of the year before their injuries. Guess what? They are getting healthy at the right time. Letang and Martin even took the ice in practice today. I don't like to get ahead of myself in sports, but if you can't get excited about how this team is playing right now, then you have no business watching sports at all. You obviously don't enjoy it enough to really let go and put yourself on the line. I will do that right now. If Letang, Martin, and Crosby come back healthy and ready for the playoffs, the Pens will hoist Lord Stanley on home ice after Game 6. Leave a message on how far you think the Pens will go in the playoffs... Let's Go Pens!
Pens Weekend Roundup-- Push Streak to 9 Wins
The only way this team can improve is by growing mullets.
March 11, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
On Friday night the Penguins needed a rally to get by the Florida Panthers. Steve Sullivan scored a goal in the third period to tie the game at 1-1 and force an overtime period and eventual shootout. James Neal started the scoring off by blistering a shot by Jose Theodore, who actually has 20 wins against the Penguins--the most against any team he has faced. Marc-Andre Fleury made a great stop, and it was up to Malkin to keep the pressure on the Panthers. Malkin lugged the puck down the ice, made a deke, and then basically showed off his skills for a few seconds in front of Theodore before putting the puck in the back of the net. A ridiculous shootout goal. Fleury made the next save, and the Pens came away with a shootout win to push their streak to 8.
On Sunday the Penguins had the nationally televised game against the Boston Bruins, and they did not disappoint. The Pens came out physical and simply out-hustled and outplayed the Bruins. They threw the nearly 7-foot tall Zdeno Chara around like a rag doll. It was great to watch. The Pens jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on goals by Asham, Niskanen, and Neal. Yes, Neal got a powerplay goal after a long drought. Malkin also got his 500th point with an assist on Niskanen's goal. The Pens chased Tim Thomas out of net after one period after he let 3 goals go in on 10 shots. David Krejci scored twice in the second period, but goals by Kunitz and Dupuis sealed the Penguins win.
What was tremendous about these two Penguin games was the different style of play needed to win each game. The Pens can grind a game out and come from behind or they can jump on you early like they did to Boston. They are playing some dangerous hockey right now because they can adapt or dictate the style of hockey that needs to be played on a nightly basis. That is a scary team going into the playoffs, and a scary team chasing you if you are a Rangers fan. The only way this team could get better is if they get an MVP back in the lineup, get a great puck moving offensive defenseman in the lineup, and grow mullets to mimic the great Penguin teams of the early 90s. Hey two out of three isn't too bad.
by Jerry Rogers
On Friday night the Penguins needed a rally to get by the Florida Panthers. Steve Sullivan scored a goal in the third period to tie the game at 1-1 and force an overtime period and eventual shootout. James Neal started the scoring off by blistering a shot by Jose Theodore, who actually has 20 wins against the Penguins--the most against any team he has faced. Marc-Andre Fleury made a great stop, and it was up to Malkin to keep the pressure on the Panthers. Malkin lugged the puck down the ice, made a deke, and then basically showed off his skills for a few seconds in front of Theodore before putting the puck in the back of the net. A ridiculous shootout goal. Fleury made the next save, and the Pens came away with a shootout win to push their streak to 8.
On Sunday the Penguins had the nationally televised game against the Boston Bruins, and they did not disappoint. The Pens came out physical and simply out-hustled and outplayed the Bruins. They threw the nearly 7-foot tall Zdeno Chara around like a rag doll. It was great to watch. The Pens jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on goals by Asham, Niskanen, and Neal. Yes, Neal got a powerplay goal after a long drought. Malkin also got his 500th point with an assist on Niskanen's goal. The Pens chased Tim Thomas out of net after one period after he let 3 goals go in on 10 shots. David Krejci scored twice in the second period, but goals by Kunitz and Dupuis sealed the Penguins win.
What was tremendous about these two Penguin games was the different style of play needed to win each game. The Pens can grind a game out and come from behind or they can jump on you early like they did to Boston. They are playing some dangerous hockey right now because they can adapt or dictate the style of hockey that needs to be played on a nightly basis. That is a scary team going into the playoffs, and a scary team chasing you if you are a Rangers fan. The only way this team could get better is if they get an MVP back in the lineup, get a great puck moving offensive defenseman in the lineup, and grow mullets to mimic the great Penguin teams of the early 90s. Hey two out of three isn't too bad.
Pascal Dupuis Leads Pens to Comeback Win
Lemieux's bronze statue outside of Consol Energy Center.
March 8th, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
On a day where Mario Lemieux's statue was unveiled outside of Consol Energy Center, Pascal Dupuis made sure the night would not be spoiled with a loss. The statue features Lemiuex skating through two Islander defenders on his way to a goal in a game from December 20th, 1988. While Lemieux's ability is heads and shoulders above Pascal Dupuis, he needs to thank Dupuis for leading the Penguins to victory on his special day. Dupuis ended the game with 2 goals and an assist in the 3-2 victory over Toronto Wednesday night.
Toronto kicked off the scoring in the second period with goals by Phil Kessel and Carl Gunnarsson. Brad Thiessen was in net for the Pens, giving Marc-Andre Fleury a well-deserved night off. While Thiessen looked shaky to start the second period, he tightened up his game and gave the Pens a chance with fundamental goalie play. Dupuis took advantage of this chance and netted a goal before the end of the second period cutting the lead in half. As they have done all year, the Penguins came out after the second intermission on fire. I don't know if they wear teams out or if they need some time to get going, but the Penguins have their best goal differential in the third period. Staal scored a minute and a half into the period and Dupuis netted his second goal less than three minutes later, giving the Penguins a 3-2 lead. The Pens kept the pressure on throughout the period and held off a few Toronto charges to try and tie the game. Dupuis had a shot at an open net late in the game, but was unable to finish off the hat trick. Malkin was also on the ice with the open net looking for his 500th career point, but neither of those milestones would be achieved. We will have to wait one more game until Malkin gets number 500. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
On a day where Mario Lemieux's statue was unveiled outside of Consol Energy Center, Pascal Dupuis made sure the night would not be spoiled with a loss. The statue features Lemiuex skating through two Islander defenders on his way to a goal in a game from December 20th, 1988. While Lemieux's ability is heads and shoulders above Pascal Dupuis, he needs to thank Dupuis for leading the Penguins to victory on his special day. Dupuis ended the game with 2 goals and an assist in the 3-2 victory over Toronto Wednesday night.
Toronto kicked off the scoring in the second period with goals by Phil Kessel and Carl Gunnarsson. Brad Thiessen was in net for the Pens, giving Marc-Andre Fleury a well-deserved night off. While Thiessen looked shaky to start the second period, he tightened up his game and gave the Pens a chance with fundamental goalie play. Dupuis took advantage of this chance and netted a goal before the end of the second period cutting the lead in half. As they have done all year, the Penguins came out after the second intermission on fire. I don't know if they wear teams out or if they need some time to get going, but the Penguins have their best goal differential in the third period. Staal scored a minute and a half into the period and Dupuis netted his second goal less than three minutes later, giving the Penguins a 3-2 lead. The Pens kept the pressure on throughout the period and held off a few Toronto charges to try and tie the game. Dupuis had a shot at an open net late in the game, but was unable to finish off the hat trick. Malkin was also on the ice with the open net looking for his 500th career point, but neither of those milestones would be achieved. We will have to wait one more game until Malkin gets number 500. Let's Go Pens!
Crosby Cleared for Contact
March 6, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
I am not going to go overboard on this subject, because I have already put my feeling out there about the Sidney Crosby situation (see the last article on this page). However, this is very big news, so it must be covered on this site. I watched the entire interview with Crosby, and as usual he was composed and gave reporters a great interview. He was brutally honest and admitted this is a huge step but he has been here before. Please remember that when you hear people talk about how Sid said he was coming back on Sunday. That is not true. Sid said that the earliest he could come back was Sunday, but he was not going to put a date on his return. This is a huge step, but we need to monitor this situation. Sid can't be cleared for contact and play tomorrow. That isn't how this works. He was cleared today, and he needs to get a few practices under his belt in which his symptoms do not return. Only then should the Penguins put him on the ice during a game. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
I am not going to go overboard on this subject, because I have already put my feeling out there about the Sidney Crosby situation (see the last article on this page). However, this is very big news, so it must be covered on this site. I watched the entire interview with Crosby, and as usual he was composed and gave reporters a great interview. He was brutally honest and admitted this is a huge step but he has been here before. Please remember that when you hear people talk about how Sid said he was coming back on Sunday. That is not true. Sid said that the earliest he could come back was Sunday, but he was not going to put a date on his return. This is a huge step, but we need to monitor this situation. Sid can't be cleared for contact and play tomorrow. That isn't how this works. He was cleared today, and he needs to get a few practices under his belt in which his symptoms do not return. Only then should the Penguins put him on the ice during a game. Let's Go Pens!
Fleury Helps Pens Push Win Streak to 6 Games
March 6, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
There is a reason that the picture in this article of Marc-Andre Fleury is so big. He was huge in last night's grind-it-out 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. The Flower stopped 36 of 37 shots and was absolutely stellar in doing it. At times Fleury lost his stick... he didn't need it. At times he was out of his crease... it didn't matter. Heck, he even faced a shorthanded attempt by the Coyotes where he slid out past the face-off circle to stop the guy. When Fleury is in command of his net, it is magical to watch. Yesterday was one of those nights, and that is exactly what it took for the Penguins to push their win streak to 6 games. Any less from Fleury and this article would be completely different.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals by Zbynek Michalek and Chris Kunitz. Honestly, neither goal was a tremendous opportunity. It looked like Coyotes goaltender, Mike Smith, was simply off in the first period. He has been amazing lately, but luckily for the Penguins, they caught one of his off periods. He would be great the rest of the night, but the Pens capitalized when they had the opportunity. Those two goals stood until the third period when Penguin killer, Ray Whitney, scored 1:27 into the period. Is it just me or does he always score against the Penguins? The Penguins weathered a barrage of shots (outshot 37-28) and held onto their first period lead. The shot differential is on the high side, but the Pens are adjusting to life with out Letang. A few tweaks and that shot total should come down. Until then... let's thank the Flower for a crucial 2 points.
Notes on Wednesday's game at home against Toronto: Believe it or not, I am worried about this game. Toronto is a bad team but also a team that has had Pittsburgh's number. Toronto leads the season series 2-1 against Pittsburgh. I am hoping the Pens don't look past these guys, because they could be dangerous. Also Evgeni Malkin is sitting on 499 career points. He should be able to notch his 500th point at home on Wednesday. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
There is a reason that the picture in this article of Marc-Andre Fleury is so big. He was huge in last night's grind-it-out 2-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. The Flower stopped 36 of 37 shots and was absolutely stellar in doing it. At times Fleury lost his stick... he didn't need it. At times he was out of his crease... it didn't matter. Heck, he even faced a shorthanded attempt by the Coyotes where he slid out past the face-off circle to stop the guy. When Fleury is in command of his net, it is magical to watch. Yesterday was one of those nights, and that is exactly what it took for the Penguins to push their win streak to 6 games. Any less from Fleury and this article would be completely different.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals by Zbynek Michalek and Chris Kunitz. Honestly, neither goal was a tremendous opportunity. It looked like Coyotes goaltender, Mike Smith, was simply off in the first period. He has been amazing lately, but luckily for the Penguins, they caught one of his off periods. He would be great the rest of the night, but the Pens capitalized when they had the opportunity. Those two goals stood until the third period when Penguin killer, Ray Whitney, scored 1:27 into the period. Is it just me or does he always score against the Penguins? The Penguins weathered a barrage of shots (outshot 37-28) and held onto their first period lead. The shot differential is on the high side, but the Pens are adjusting to life with out Letang. A few tweaks and that shot total should come down. Until then... let's thank the Flower for a crucial 2 points.
Notes on Wednesday's game at home against Toronto: Believe it or not, I am worried about this game. Toronto is a bad team but also a team that has had Pittsburgh's number. Toronto leads the season series 2-1 against Pittsburgh. I am hoping the Pens don't look past these guys, because they could be dangerous. Also Evgeni Malkin is sitting on 499 career points. He should be able to notch his 500th point at home on Wednesday. Let's Go Pens!
Secondary Scoring Crucial as Pens Win Without Letang
March 4, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
I was waiting to pull out this picture of my 1995 Richard Park card, and what better time than now? One way to get around the loss of an offensive defensemen is to get scoring from secondary sources, and that is exactly what the Penguins did in Denver on Saturday night. The Penguins beat the Avalanche 5-1 and got goals from unlikely sources, such as Arron Asham, Deryk Engelland, and Richard Park. Malkin and Sullivan also provided goals, but I expect those two to contribute on a more regular basis than the first three.
Asham started the scoring off in the first period with a wicked slapshot that blew past Jean-Sebastien Giguere (One of only two Hartford Whalers left in the league. I am not lying... look it up.) Later in the period Engelland redirected a beautiful pass from Staal to make it 2-0. Malkin wasn't going to be left off the score sheet, so he put one in the back on the net just five minutes into the second period. After killing a Richard Park penalty later in the period, the Avalanche forgot or underestimated Park's ability out of the penalty box. The puck came to Park right out of the box and he went streaking down the ice on a breakaway. He put the puck five-hole on Giguere, and I had flashbacks to 1995 all over again. Park really is a good role player. He is excellent on the penalty kill, with the ability to score shorthanded or timely goals. I like that in a veteran player.
In the third period the Avalanche were able to beat Fleury, who was phenomenal in the game. Matt Hunwick (yeah first time I ever heard of him too) scored his second goal of the season 9 minutes into the third period. That broke a scoreless streak of 114 minutes for the Penguins, dating back to the last game in Dallas. That one goal meant little as Sullivan put in a late empty net goal. One more note on Fleury from the game. Usually he is gung-ho about trying to score a goal, but in this game he waved off a pass from Orpik, who wanted to get him the puck. The game was 4-1 and Fleury knew that a goal by him would be a bit excessive. After stopping 35 shots and playing a great game, Fleury made another good decision and let someone else on the Penguins score the open net. Fleury is making a lot of good decisions and playing very well right now. That will go a long way in weathering the storm without Letang. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
I was waiting to pull out this picture of my 1995 Richard Park card, and what better time than now? One way to get around the loss of an offensive defensemen is to get scoring from secondary sources, and that is exactly what the Penguins did in Denver on Saturday night. The Penguins beat the Avalanche 5-1 and got goals from unlikely sources, such as Arron Asham, Deryk Engelland, and Richard Park. Malkin and Sullivan also provided goals, but I expect those two to contribute on a more regular basis than the first three.
Asham started the scoring off in the first period with a wicked slapshot that blew past Jean-Sebastien Giguere (One of only two Hartford Whalers left in the league. I am not lying... look it up.) Later in the period Engelland redirected a beautiful pass from Staal to make it 2-0. Malkin wasn't going to be left off the score sheet, so he put one in the back on the net just five minutes into the second period. After killing a Richard Park penalty later in the period, the Avalanche forgot or underestimated Park's ability out of the penalty box. The puck came to Park right out of the box and he went streaking down the ice on a breakaway. He put the puck five-hole on Giguere, and I had flashbacks to 1995 all over again. Park really is a good role player. He is excellent on the penalty kill, with the ability to score shorthanded or timely goals. I like that in a veteran player.
In the third period the Avalanche were able to beat Fleury, who was phenomenal in the game. Matt Hunwick (yeah first time I ever heard of him too) scored his second goal of the season 9 minutes into the third period. That broke a scoreless streak of 114 minutes for the Penguins, dating back to the last game in Dallas. That one goal meant little as Sullivan put in a late empty net goal. One more note on Fleury from the game. Usually he is gung-ho about trying to score a goal, but in this game he waved off a pass from Orpik, who wanted to get him the puck. The game was 4-1 and Fleury knew that a goal by him would be a bit excessive. After stopping 35 shots and playing a great game, Fleury made another good decision and let someone else on the Penguins score the open net. Fleury is making a lot of good decisions and playing very well right now. That will go a long way in weathering the storm without Letang. Let's Go Pens!
This is really going to hurt...
March 2, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
Letang took a vicious hit from Stars forward Eric Nystrom last game and the result was not good. The Penguins won the game in a shootout 4-3 but ultimately lost one of the best defensemen in the league indefinitely to a concussion. Letang missed time earlier in the year with a concussion and without him the Penguins are barely about .500. Just when this team was starting to gel and come together, they are hit with another injury. I am really going to study the Penguins moving forward without Letang, because it is crucial that they don't fall back to a .500 team. Ben Lovejoy will take his place on defense, and it looks like Paul Martin will move on to the powerplay. Good thing we didn't trade him. I keep telling you that Shero knows what he is doing.
The loss of Letang is a huge hurdle for the Pens to overcome. As odd as it sounds, the Penguins can cope with the loss of Sidney Crosby better because they have a similar playmaker in Malkin. I am not taking anything away from Sid, but in Pittsburgh we are blessed with two stars. Most teams would kill for just one of them. For now we have to make due with only one star. The loss of Letang hurts more because we don't have an offensive defensemen that plays like Letang. While the Pens do have depth at defense, none of them bring the tangibles that Letang brings to the game, especially the powerplay. The Pens might have to tighten up the defense and win some ugly games with Letang out. The Penguins can play that type of game, and I am eager to see how they will react to the loss of Letang. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
Letang took a vicious hit from Stars forward Eric Nystrom last game and the result was not good. The Penguins won the game in a shootout 4-3 but ultimately lost one of the best defensemen in the league indefinitely to a concussion. Letang missed time earlier in the year with a concussion and without him the Penguins are barely about .500. Just when this team was starting to gel and come together, they are hit with another injury. I am really going to study the Penguins moving forward without Letang, because it is crucial that they don't fall back to a .500 team. Ben Lovejoy will take his place on defense, and it looks like Paul Martin will move on to the powerplay. Good thing we didn't trade him. I keep telling you that Shero knows what he is doing.
The loss of Letang is a huge hurdle for the Pens to overcome. As odd as it sounds, the Penguins can cope with the loss of Sidney Crosby better because they have a similar playmaker in Malkin. I am not taking anything away from Sid, but in Pittsburgh we are blessed with two stars. Most teams would kill for just one of them. For now we have to make due with only one star. The loss of Letang hurts more because we don't have an offensive defensemen that plays like Letang. While the Pens do have depth at defense, none of them bring the tangibles that Letang brings to the game, especially the powerplay. The Pens might have to tighten up the defense and win some ugly games with Letang out. The Penguins can play that type of game, and I am eager to see how they will react to the loss of Letang. Let's Go Pens!
Penguins at the Trade Deadline
February 29, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
There was not a lot of huge trades on Monday at the deadline, and that is why I feel the Penguins made the best move in doing nothing. It was a seller's market and nobody out there could have improved the Penguins for the price teams were asking. Let's be honest... the best thing that can happen to the Pens down the stretch is getting Sid back healthy. I liked the fact that Shero has confidence in this team going forward. A lot of people were calling for the Pens to trade Paul Martin, but he has been playing better as of late. The Penguins are spoiled because of their depth at defense. However, that does not mean that we should squander it away for very little in return. Once again... In Ray Shero I trust. Tough game tonight in Dallas, and a homecoming of sorts for Neal and Niskanen. Let's Go Pens!!!
by Jerry Rogers
There was not a lot of huge trades on Monday at the deadline, and that is why I feel the Penguins made the best move in doing nothing. It was a seller's market and nobody out there could have improved the Penguins for the price teams were asking. Let's be honest... the best thing that can happen to the Pens down the stretch is getting Sid back healthy. I liked the fact that Shero has confidence in this team going forward. A lot of people were calling for the Pens to trade Paul Martin, but he has been playing better as of late. The Penguins are spoiled because of their depth at defense. However, that does not mean that we should squander it away for very little in return. Once again... In Ray Shero I trust. Tough game tonight in Dallas, and a homecoming of sorts for Neal and Niskanen. Let's Go Pens!!!
4 Point Weekend... Gotta Love it.
February 26, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
While the Penguins didn't play the two best teams in the NHL (far from it actually), they came out and completely dominated their competition this week. On Saturday it was comical how many pucks and bounces went the Penguins way. I wasn't sure if the Penguins were playing like Gods or if Tampa Bay forgot to show up. Once Malkin scored the 6th goal of the game on a Mario Lemieux-like end to end take the puck through everyone and their brother goal, I realized the Penguins were playing like Gods. Malkin did his part with a hat trick, Staal had a shorthanded and powerplay goal, and Fleury was solid again in net. This was such an amazing game to watch. If you missed it, please do yourself a favor and watch the highlights online.
The Penguins then faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. Even though they faced the worst team in the NHL, these games on short rest can be quite tricky. To complicate it even more, the Penguins gave Fleury the day off and started Brad Thiessen. Thiessen got his first NHL start and played quite well. He fell behind in the second period after a Rick Nash shorthanded goal. However, he made several big saves and really showed poise in his first NHL start. Should Brent Johnson be worried? That is a post for another day. However, I have been able to watch Thiessen play in Wilkes-Barre, and he would be a solid number two, especially behind a guy who needs minimal rest like Fleury. The Penguins scored before the end of the second to tie the game 1-1. Once the third period started, then Pens dominated play. Not only did they score three goals, they had two other ones waved off. The first one was legitimate, but the second one was a make believe call. Kunitz should have gotten the goal. However, the Penguins did play well and ended up beating the Blue Jackets 4-2. I don't know about you, but I love a weekend when the Pens outscore their opponents 12-3. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
While the Penguins didn't play the two best teams in the NHL (far from it actually), they came out and completely dominated their competition this week. On Saturday it was comical how many pucks and bounces went the Penguins way. I wasn't sure if the Penguins were playing like Gods or if Tampa Bay forgot to show up. Once Malkin scored the 6th goal of the game on a Mario Lemieux-like end to end take the puck through everyone and their brother goal, I realized the Penguins were playing like Gods. Malkin did his part with a hat trick, Staal had a shorthanded and powerplay goal, and Fleury was solid again in net. This was such an amazing game to watch. If you missed it, please do yourself a favor and watch the highlights online.
The Penguins then faced off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday. Even though they faced the worst team in the NHL, these games on short rest can be quite tricky. To complicate it even more, the Penguins gave Fleury the day off and started Brad Thiessen. Thiessen got his first NHL start and played quite well. He fell behind in the second period after a Rick Nash shorthanded goal. However, he made several big saves and really showed poise in his first NHL start. Should Brent Johnson be worried? That is a post for another day. However, I have been able to watch Thiessen play in Wilkes-Barre, and he would be a solid number two, especially behind a guy who needs minimal rest like Fleury. The Penguins scored before the end of the second to tie the game 1-1. Once the third period started, then Pens dominated play. Not only did they score three goals, they had two other ones waved off. The first one was legitimate, but the second one was a make believe call. Kunitz should have gotten the goal. However, the Penguins did play well and ended up beating the Blue Jackets 4-2. I don't know about you, but I love a weekend when the Pens outscore their opponents 12-3. Let's Go Pens!
Crosby Skates!
February 24, 2012
by Jerry Rogers
Personally, I cannot wait to see number 87 back on the ice putting the puck past the many sub-par netminders the Flyers put on the ice. However, I understand the magnitude of the situation. We rushed Crosby back once without fully knowing his condition. That was a huge mistake, and the Penguins were lucky that he did not get seriously injured. Now every time Crosby takes the ice, the local and national media outlets start to talk about when the superstar is returning. Personally, I hope that is this year, but I would rather see a healthy Crosby later than an injured Crosby now. The man is 24 years old. I am going to go out on a limb and say that he has not hit his prime yet. I think when he comes back healthy, he will be a couple notches above the already amazing Crosby that we have come to know and love. It might take him a few months to hit his stride once he returns, but I guarantee that he elevates his game once he returns.
While I am excited about the future Ray Shero is putting together with his extremely reasonable contracts for Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Staal, Neal, Orpik, Letang, etc., I am alright if the team has to compete without Crosby for the rest of this season. Shero has built a team. While Crosby is normally the best player in the league (Malkin has taken that title at the moment), the key to the Penguins success is the fact that they are a team. They are winning and playing quite well without Crosby. Don't rush him back and risk an injury for the future. All I am asking is for the media to stop hounding Crosby and the Penguins about when he is going to return. Here is a new idea. Why don't we let Crosby get healthy to insure our investment for the future? He knows when he is ready to play. Why don't we let him tell us instead of badgering him about it? In the meantime, Mr. Malkin and company... you are doing an amazing job leading this team. Let's Go Pens!
by Jerry Rogers
Personally, I cannot wait to see number 87 back on the ice putting the puck past the many sub-par netminders the Flyers put on the ice. However, I understand the magnitude of the situation. We rushed Crosby back once without fully knowing his condition. That was a huge mistake, and the Penguins were lucky that he did not get seriously injured. Now every time Crosby takes the ice, the local and national media outlets start to talk about when the superstar is returning. Personally, I hope that is this year, but I would rather see a healthy Crosby later than an injured Crosby now. The man is 24 years old. I am going to go out on a limb and say that he has not hit his prime yet. I think when he comes back healthy, he will be a couple notches above the already amazing Crosby that we have come to know and love. It might take him a few months to hit his stride once he returns, but I guarantee that he elevates his game once he returns.
While I am excited about the future Ray Shero is putting together with his extremely reasonable contracts for Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Staal, Neal, Orpik, Letang, etc., I am alright if the team has to compete without Crosby for the rest of this season. Shero has built a team. While Crosby is normally the best player in the league (Malkin has taken that title at the moment), the key to the Penguins success is the fact that they are a team. They are winning and playing quite well without Crosby. Don't rush him back and risk an injury for the future. All I am asking is for the media to stop hounding Crosby and the Penguins about when he is going to return. Here is a new idea. Why don't we let Crosby get healthy to insure our investment for the future? He knows when he is ready to play. Why don't we let him tell us instead of badgering him about it? In the meantime, Mr. Malkin and company... you are doing an amazing job leading this team. Let's Go Pens!
