Tag Search Results for "mal"
As you can see by looking at my profile I am a long-distance fan, and at this time of the year it gets pretty dificult. The Wild were immediately thrown off of Versus radar when they were switched randomly to the Wednesday/Friday schedule instead of the Thursday/Saturday schedule they were supposed to have. For the last three days I've been walking around upset about it th...
As the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators game nears the end of the first period I still haven't hardly noticed Malkin on the ice. As I think about it, the only real thing I remember him doing in the whole series was getting knocked onto his backside during the his first shift of game 1 and the Senators promptly scoring a goal. I know he was credited with an assist on...
Hey pens fans,
Well, the game started off good with Pens scoring under a minute into the game. Roberts scored and was assisted by Crosby and Armstrong. The Senators came back and scored 4 goals. Late in the third Crosby scored and was assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 4-2. Fleury was in goal stopping 21 of 25 shots. Tonight, the Pens were just not with it. They pla...
Hey pens fans,
As, promised here is the team report card. I'll start with a player by player break-down.
Sidney Crosby
Regular Season 120 points (36+84) Playoffs 5 points (3+2)
Sid played in 79 regular season games. He was +10. This season was truly a breakout season for number 87. He played marvelously and we couldn't have asked for more. Sid had goals that amazed a...
Hey pens fans,
Sorry this took so long to post, but life has been hellish, as of late.
Colby Armstrong
He had 34 points this season, which included 12 goals. Colby had a strong season. He played well and is really coming into his own, as a player. I think he will only improve, as time progresses.
Grade: B+
Erik Christensen
This season he had 33 points. He pla...
Please, please tell me I'm not alone in this, in that every team has that one player who makes you cringe every time he steps on the ice. You wonder how he is even in the NHL and why, oh why does he have to be on your team. I have a solution... sort of. We can have us some fun!
In my case as a Rangers loyal and true, that player is defenseman Marek Malik(you know wha...
Hey pens fans,
As we all know, Sidney Crosby won the Art Ross for Leading scorer. Sidney also won the Hart for MVP and the Pearson for the player voted MVP. Sid is the youngest player to ever win the Hart. Evgeni Malkin won the Calder for Rookie of the year.
[url]http://penshockcey.blogspot.com[/url]
Multiple league sources have informed the Sabres as the team chosen to represent the league in an "Ice Bowl" on the first day of 2008. The opponent, most likely,would be the Pittsburgh Penguins as it should. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Malkin copuled with facing an appointent who's fans will fill the Ralph in a matter of hours will be outstanding. The genius behin...
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
I do not dislike Russians. I do not think Russian players are inferior to Canadian players. In fact, I believe that Russian players are the most exciting players in the game-and look at the talent it has produced: Malkin, Ovechkin, Markov, etc. However, there are certain Russian players in this league that either think there better than everyone else, or there just lazy-ma...
I took a casual glance at the roster for the Phoenix Coyotes this morning. I realize, of course, that they still have quite a bit of money to spend to fill out that roster. But I also realize that they won't spend it. So this, my friends, this is the roster that we will be working with come October.
In the "promising, up and coming, youth movement" category we have... ...
Mike Cammallari gets 6.7 over 2 years? Derek roy gets 8 over 2. 63 vs 80 pts per season. last year players were gettin truck loads of cash for there hard work and all of a sudden this year players get paid no where near what they were gettin paid last year. Danny Briere and Scott Gomez recieved 5 million and Briere did not even reach the 70 pt mark. Sure he had a pt a game...
After taking a break from the "Analyzing the Rangers" series for a week, I decided it was time to bring it back and analyze the defense. Defense is clearly the weakness of the Rangers and it should be interesting to break down the six players who I believe will make it into the lineup. As usual, all comments are welcome. Part 6, Here we go:
Left Defense: #8 Marek Malik
...
BuffaloMat writes...
Sabres Roster Nostalgia 91-92 Part 4: Clint Malarchuk
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Clint Malarchuk was a candid goaltender that when he spoke the quote stuck with him and they were funny. The Chuk as most of my friends called him when we were growing up was always fun to watch when Darren Puppa wasn't in the net. Of course Darren was always our favorite because we made fun of his last name but when the Chuk would get onto the ice we would make just a...
Hey pens fans,
On a positive not, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to MArio Lemieux.
Now, onto the game...
Tonight, the Pens lost their season opener 4-1. The Pens' lone goal came in the third period. It was scored by Mark Recchi and assisted by Gonchar and Malkin. Fleury was in goal to start the game, but after letting in 4 goals on 26 shots in the first ...
Hey pens fans,
Sorry that the post is so late. I got stuck in detours, traffic, and behind a few accidents, and my one hour drive back from the game turned into more like 2 and a half.
The Pens defeated the ducks tonight, by a score of 5-4. The Pens goals were as follows:
1st period - Sykora from Roberts and Christensen (PP)
2nd period - Armstrong from Roberts; M...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Canadiens at the Mellon Arena. They lost to Montreal 3-2. During the game, there were times where the Pens looked magnificant and there were times when they could not complete a pass if their lives depended on it. It was an up and down night. Unfortunetly, the Pens did not pull this one out on top.
The Pens' goals were...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the very re-vamped Devils at the Mellon Arena. Unfortunetly, the Devils took the contest 5-4. The game had some very questionable calls and I am sure the oficiating is much debated. I will say that some of the calls were good, some bad, and some were rather close. To be honest, I am trying to avoid official bashing, because som...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Caps on the road. They came out victorious 2-1. Both of the Pens' goals came in the second period. Staal scored assisted by Recchi and Orpik and then Whitney (PP) assisted by Crosby and Malone. Comgratulations to Ryan Whitney on his 100th point tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Pens had 2...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Penguins defeated the New York Rangers at the Mellon Arena. The fifnal score wass 1-0. The Pens lone goal was scored by Malkin on the power play, in the second period. He was assisted by Whitney and Crosby. Marc-Andre Fleury was in stopping all 36 shots for the shutout. This was a good game for the Pens and it was a good win. The Pens rec...
Hey pens fans,
Well, the Pens played the Leafs tonight and lost 5-2 to end their streak. Crosby scored in the first period, assisted by Malkin and Recchi to make it 1-0. In the third period, Gonchar scored and was assisted by Crosby and Malkin to make it 5-2 Leafs. Fleury stopped 22 of 27 shots.
This season the Pens have been very hot and cold. Sometimes, it seems ...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Wild in Minnesota 4-2. Sidney Crosby had 4 points on the night. The Goals were: Malkin from Crosby and Malone, Malkin from Crosby and Malone (No, that is not a typo. It happened twice.), Sykora from Crosby and Gonchar (PP), Crosby from Gonchar and Malkin. Sabourin was in goal stopping 28 of 30 shots.
The Pens played a...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens played the Isles on the Island. Malone had the Pens' first goal on the night. Tyler Kennedy's first goal that almost was not definetly stands out as a moment to remember. It also put the Pens up 2-0. The Islanders came back to make it 2-1. In the third Satan tied thae game at 2 for the Isles. Satan scores again to make it 3-2 Isles ...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens lost 2-1. Malkin had the only Pens' goal and he was unassisted. This was a tough night for the Pens. Unfortunetly for the Pens, Brodeur played a great game. There were a lot of shots that could have beaten a lesser goalie. The officiating tonight was something that was questionable, at times. I am not one for official bashing, but there were ...
Hey pens fans,
Last night's game could be a big moment for the Pens. In the shoot out, we have some serious shooters, including Ruutu. Many people are suprised by his use there, but, when he is given the opportunity, he does quite well at it.
Fleury still has not quite found his game, but at the same time maybe he needs a little more room to breathe, before he is...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens shutout the Thrashers 5-0. Fleury had the shutout tonight and this is a much needed confidence boost for him. Staal, Malone, Crosby, Armstrong, and Whitney had the Pens' goals. Gonchar had 2 assists and he also left the game early with a groind injury. Malkin's point streak has ended, as he had no points tonight. It was a good game all aro...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens defeated the Stars 4-1. They played a strong game and managed to e consistant through three periods. Crosby had two goals on the night and Kennedy and Malkin each had one. Fleury was in goal and he played well. The Pens set the tone early with Crosby's first goal under a minute in and also with Laraque domination of the early fight....
Tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the road in Toronto trying to continue their three game winning streak. Before I get to the game, I would like to wish Ryan Malone a Happy Birthday. The Pens have been playing well, as of late. They easily defeated the Stars Friday night and dazzled in the offensive zone. Their defensive play has improved greatly with everyone ch...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Flames 3-2 in a shootout. Marc-Andre Fleury injured his ankle in the first and Sabourin finished out the game. Malkin and Malone had the two goals in regulation. Malone's goal was a great short handed effort. It was a highlight reel goal, if I ever saw one. Sykora and Letang both scored in the shoot out for the win. Sabo...
Hey pens fans,
Well, last night the Pens fell to the Rangers 4-0. It was not pretty, so I will not dwell on that.
The Pens have made some moves. Connor James was re-assigned to WBS and the Pens called up Jeff Taffe.
On the injury front, Ryan Malone went in for a medical evaluation on a leg infection.
Also, the holiday trade freeze will go into effect at midnight to...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens defeated the Bruins 5-4 in a shootout. The Pens blew a big league to force the ot and shoot out, where Christensen and Letang scored for the win. Malkin had 2 goals. Laraque took on Chara twice in the game. Sidney Crosby had the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. This was also his first NHL fight vs Andrew Ference. The Pens are back in the Burgh...
As a Ranger fan, I am used to disappointment. We have memories of 1997-2004 that I am still trying to repress, but now in 2008, here is the situation that the Rangers are in:
1.) Inconsistency [the facts]
2.) The blame game [the frustration]
3.) Possible solutions [the realism]
[b]Inconsistency[/b]
The Rangers have had both mini and large streaks, be it the abysma...
[img:right]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20071024/kelly_68861.jpg[/img]It hasn't been mentioned quite that much, but earlier this season NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly introduced the idea of changing the season schedule from an 82 game season, to an 84 game season. The NHL board of governors will get the opportunity to vote on the idea this weekend during the Al...
Hey pens fans,
Last night, the Pens mounted 4 goals in the third to down Carolina 4-1. Christensen, Sykora, Malkin, and Malone got the goals. Conklin was in the net. It was a solid effort by the team. They looked a little off in the beginning, but they picked up, took control, and never looked back.
Beech is with the team and practicing. Look for him sometime in t...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens fell too the Devils in OT on the road. the final score was 4-3 Devils. Malone, Sykora and Staal had the Pens goals. Sykora got his 6ooth point. Malkin had 2 assists. Conklin was in goal stopping 21 of 25 shots. In the second, it loked like there would be no stopping the Pens from this victory, but in the end they were stopped. The P...
Hey pens fans,
There are plenty of rumors flying around out there, with the deadline approaching. Here is the run down of the Penguin ones.
Hossa: Atlanta is lookinig to move him before they lose him to free agency. They want to make the playoffs and they have some slots to fill in the roster. I think Hossa will move. I would say the Penguins are one of the more ...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens were in Carolina taking on the Hurricanes. The Pens lost 4-2. Brooks Orpik scored his first goal since 2005 and Malkin had the Pens' other goal. Sabourin was in goal stopping 42 of 46. The Pens' penelty kill struggled tonight and allowed 3 goals. The Pens only had 20 shots on net, as well. It was a mediocre effort for the Pens and th...
[i]"These Preds just won't go away."[/i]
That has to be the thought going through many a player and GM in this league right now. The team that many had left for dead before the season started finds themselves sitting in 6th place right now with 21 games to go. Yes, I know that is a lot of hockey left but no one thought we'd be here.
[b]Why Are We Here? [/b]For me it...
Malkin's torrid pace since Sid the Kid went down has been nothing short of super power induced. It's been obvious his production up until then has been the ability to not be matched up versus the top checking lines of other teams and also be sided with Sid who draws most of the paranoia by opposing defenses. But thrust into the 1st line center position it was immediately t...
Hey Pens Fans,
The return of Sidney Crosby has been much anticipated and it went well. Also, Ryan Whitney was back in the lineup tonight, as well. Talbot had the Pens' first goal which came late in the third to make it 1-0. Dupuis and Crosby had the assists. At the end of the game, Malkin netted an empty-netter from Talbot to make it 2-0. Fleury was in goal stopping ...
The NHL playoffs race is heating up, folks. With just about twelve games remaining left for the Philadelphia Flyers, crunch time has arrived.
After a terrible month of February, in which the team went on a ten game losing streak, the Flyers have bounced back slightly and remain in the playoff picture. However, their play has become severely inconsistent, and although ...
The regular season has only 5 games remaining.
The (expected) playoff birth has been obtained an now it's really just a question of heading into the post season playing good "playoff hockey" and above all...staying healthy.
I know the team and the fans would like a division championship...at least...and maybe even first place in the conference.
But honestly to me...
Here are some numbers for you:
05-06 22 46 14 244 316
07-08 47 26 08 247 214
The top numbers represent the first year after the strike...Sidney Crosby's first with the Pens. That year the team won 22 games, lost 46, had OTLs of 14...scored 244 goals and had 314 goals scored against them.
The second set of numbers is from the 81 games played THIS year. With 47 win...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
Malkin or Crosby? Because you can't have both!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Lakers having to choose between Shaq and Kobe, the two playres who led them to three consecutive NBA championships but were never invited to each others birthday parties, will be nothing compared to the choice #66 has to make in the not-so-distant future about who he wants leading the March of the Penguins -- 87 or 71?
It has to be rare for someone to pull back the...
Remember last year when the Sens were the favorite...but Brian Murray was playing the underdog card with his team and the media?
Well, it worked.
He got his guys to play a physical brand of hockey that probably no Sens team had ever played before. And it was good enough to get them to the Finals.
A year later and the roles seem to be reversed...with the Sens truly...
The final score was 5-3, but that in no way tells the whole story of this game. Early on, the Pens were out for the win and were playing like no other. Marion Hossa got the Pens on the board early with a goal from Dupuis and Crosby. The Rangers came back to tie it with Straka's goal . Then to close out the period, the Pens netted two more to make it 3-1 with goals by Laraq...
I think so. He slew-footed Paul Mara as he was going toward the empty net.
Watch the video and decide for yourself:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN99_E0tLhg[/url]
Let's bust out the NHL rule book:
[url]http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule91.html[/url] for reference:
d.) Any player who is guilty of "slew-footing" shall be assessed a match penalty. This penalt...
We won! Yes Pens Fans, we won the game. It was a very physical game and the Penguins outplayed the Flyers hands down. Fleury was on tonight and played a wonderful game. Malkin had two goals and played a very physical game. At the end, when he was looking at his hand, it was his broken chain and cross not an injury. Crosby's goal was a great redirect off the heel of h...
Let's face it folks, with both the East and West Conference Finals series' at 3-0 in favor of the Penguins and the Red Wings respectively, we know what the Stanley Cup Finals matchup will be already. With only two teams in history having come back from 3-0 deficits, the odds are astronomical that these two teams don't face off for Lord Stanley's prize. So let's look at t...
Well, this was a hard night for the Penguins. This was the first home loss since February 24th. This game was frustrating to watch, as a Pens' Fan, though I am sure the Wing's Fans loved at least the final two periods. The Penguins were deflated at the end of this game, as a group. One positive was in the post game press conferences, hope could still be heard in Sidney...
I play "adult league" hockey with a good friend who I met back in 1998.
One day back in early 1999, my friend and I were talking before one of our games and he said that he was interested to see who the Pens would take in the upcomming draft. He told me that Greg Malone lived "next door" and he had been trying to find out what the teams draft plans were. My friend told ...
We are approaching the draft which means many people are anticipating a bunch of trades , and major trades at that so I decided to add my two cents to the things going around.
[b]First off - [/b]The Toronto Maple leafs should not and I highly doubt they will trade for the likes of Malkin, Gaborik or Olli. Why? They need to REBUILD! And while the argument can be made t...
I don't usually do "Part 2" of anything here.
I usually try to say it all in "Part 1" and then move on.
In reading the recent rumors and apparent "truths" about the Ryan Malone situation, I heard some things that I wanted to comment a little more about (even if nobody else reads this!!!!)
The "negotiations" with Malone and the Pens, and I use that term loosely be...
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080617.canucks18/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
[quote][b]Gillis also hinted that players from Russia, who may be difficult to lure to North America, probably won't figure into Vancouver's plans.[/b][/quote]
Gillis is thinking that Russians who are hard to lure to North America wont fit, now this does not rule out all ...
Team1040 radio out of Vancouver is reporting that a source in Ottawa is sayin Malkin to L.A for 2nd overall pick and Cammilari.
Why is this canucks rated? Malkin+Kopitar=Force.
No Look Drop Pass writes...
Sens Madness and other things of that nature
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, after having absolutely nothing to talk about (as I have no sources and don't really care about coaches a whole lot) since Ottawa got eliminated, I am hearing some rumblings about things I have rambled about in the past. Things like Malkin being traded and Spezza being traded...you know, crazy talk. But apparently NOW it isn't so crazy.
I wrote before that Pittsbu...
I try to be a realistic person.
I also try to be an optimistic person.
Sometimes these two things run a head on collision course for one another.
When it comes to the Penguins, and their ability to keep their Stanley Cup Finals roster "MOSTLY" in place, this is surely the case.
But today I am crossing my fingers.
I am holding out hope that some of the recent...
Ok, I'm back. It took a little longer than anticipated to get over the loss in the Stanley Cup Finals, but I think I'm alright now. Every time I thought I was over it, something would happen or I'd see a highlight from the series and it just prolonged the entire healing process. Anyway, the draft is over and now free agency begins on July 1.
That being said, I've read s...
Part 2 of my outlook on the Calgary Flames off-season looking ahead to 08-09...
Sure enough, Daryl Sutter's quiet demeanor leading up to the draft was exactly what I thought it was... he was gearing up for a major deal.
As I pointed out in my pre-draft blog, the Flames are going to be up against the cap in a major way this year and desperately need to shed some sala...
TSN.ca is reporting that Ryan Malone has agreed to terms on a contract for $31.5 million over 7 years, including between $7 and 8 million for each of the first two years. I would say nice move by the Lightning, but they are definately overpaying for the first two years. I understand that he would probably be valuable to any team in the NHL, but $8 million is too much. T...
This is a new blog. These are just my opinions. Hope you find it insightful.
[b]Ryan Malone Signs 7/31mil in TB.[/b] In the past 3 years I would have disagreed drastically with this signing but I actually like this for TB. To me this is a good fit for a team that desperately needs top 6 wingers. Malone as shown in Pitsburgh is a nice complimentary player when surro...
Well this was a mild surprise at best. Ray Shero sent the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2009 4th round pick. Should Malone sign, this would become a 3rd rounder in 2009.
I am a little sad to see Malone go and a little angry from a fan's perspective that this deal didn't happen sooner. Here's why.
Since Malone's sophomore camp...
On Monday, [b]Alexander Medvedev[/b] gave an exclusive interview to a correspondent of "Soviet Sport" paper in Russia regarding the transfer agreement situation. [url=http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://www.sovsport.ru/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search?q=sovetskiy+sport&hl=en&safe=off]Her...
[img]http://i37.tinypic.com/m748r8.jpg[/img]
Recently I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of the newer Leafs, Jamal Mayers. I admittedly knew little about him before he was acquired by the Leafs and I was eager to get his thoughts on his new role with the club. Strolling around Toronto on a warm summer's day and getting thoughts from an NHL veteran was a...
Let me preface this by saying that Evgeni Malkin is my favorite player and I am glad he is with the Penguins.
So back to the end of last season and early this summer, rumors were swirling that Malkin could/should/would be traded. At the very least the idea of it was entertained by the fans, namely on this website. One such proposal that I heard that was actually offered...
I'm a relative neophyte to hockey but I'm also enthusiastic, particularly about my home team - the Phoenix Coyotes. Sadly, my Coyotes don't appear to have much representation in this corner of the blogosphere... which is why I've decided to take some initiative and write. Who knows if I'll make a habit of it - I suppose I'll leave it up to the readers to decide.
Anyway,...
pokeyreddick writes...
Top 5 Worst Contracts In The League(in Honor of Jason Blake)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inspired by Jason Blake's unmovable contract I thought I'd post the 5 Most untradeable contracts in the league.
5. Ryan Malone 4 more years @4.5 million- This was a toss up between him and Michael Ryder. Malone wins because his team is playing terrible. It doesn't matter if you're a playoff performer if you can't get your team to the playoffs.
4. Sean Avery 3 more y...
[b]
The Colorado Avalanche suffered a big loss today, announcing that our heart and soul, our captain, Joe Sakic, will be on the shelf for AT LEAST 6 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Ouch.
Alright, so let the rumors begin. With Joe out, the Avs have to shake things up...but how do they go about this?
One option is to stick with the current team and promote f...
Michael Cammalleri. Ten goals, eleven assists in 25 games and two game winning markers. The Flames are getting exactly what they asked for in this diminutive forward who has an eye for the net and a rougher side than most people think. He has a rifle of a shot and actually uses it, unlike the number 13 who plays for Les Habitants and used to dawn the Flaming C. He, along ...
The Flyers came out today and had the zip, right from the beginning. That was the key in the Flyers 6-3 victory today over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Obviously, the Flyers have not had great starts lately, but today that was a different story. It had looked like someone lit a fire up their you know what today. I was very, very impressed with the way the Flyers started the ga...
[b]
So, as everyone knows, Super Joe Sakic is out for the next three months thanks to his snowblower accident. Avs bloggers have already began talking about possibilities and so this blog is simply a continuation of their ideas.
If Colorado decides they need to trade for a center, it should be someone who is a great team player and a really good all-around player. Sco...
I've had enough of hearing and reading stupid "comments" and "soundbytes"
So this whole blog is my chance to vent on everything bugging me in hockey lately.
------------------------------------------
Mats Sundin - Everyone is sick of this I agree, but I more sick of the media coverage of this guy. Every medium has said Sundin has or will sign with just about every t...
Richie18 writes...
Marty Biron's gaffe is difference in 5-4 Flyers loss
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As wild and crazy as this game was today, the Flyers had a chance to win this game. Down 3-1, the Flyers battled back to tie the game at 4, but late in the third period, a costly mistake ended up hurting the Flyers. Marty Biron went out of the net, way out of the net for that matter, and misplayed the puck. Sidney Crosby was there to get the puck and score the game winning...
When the Penguins lost Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, and Jarkko Ruutu to free agency last summer, many observers thought that the team had lost too much grit to be successful this season.
Personally, when those players left, I wasn't immediately inclined to buy into that belief...I took the "wait and see" approach.
Well, I have waited...
and now I have seen...
[b]thos...
The first game with Jokinen is in the books and was a success, that line will not be that great every night but it did look very solid! Having said that, and assuming the Flames will win the Stanley cup (7-1 odds in Vegas right now) then a quick look into the summer might be worth while.
The players that could leave are Cammalleri, Bertuzzi, Roy, Moss, Aucoin and Leop...
Last year Philly came into the playoff series against the Penguins with the intention of pounding them into the boards on every shift - and it the process - they hoped to pound the life out of Pittsburgh.
The result...Pens won the series in 5 games.
A couple of years earlier, in a regular season match-up in Philly, Derrian Hatcher pounded on the face of, then rookie,...
As we have moved through the season, I've had an eye toward the playoffs with my Flyers and have noticed a few shortcomings which I felt would prevent them from being able to get out of the conference to challenge for the Stanley Cup to be real contenders; [i]not [/i]pretenders as they are now.
Don't get me wrong. Coming off of a season where the home team couldn't eve...
Crosby or Flyer Fans?
Just for fun, I like to read the opposing team's blog and comments during the playoffs. It helps me to get a true hatred for the other team's fans going!
I am kidding of course.
I have been alive too long to HATE any other team's fans or even any of the other teams at this point...although as players go...Scott Hartnell is tough to like...whe...
After the Penguins fell into a 2-0 series hole to the Washington Capitals, I wrote a blog about how it wasn't time to panic yet for the birds. Crosby had been spectacular, and they were getting scoring from stay-at-home defenseman Mark Eaton (who?). But there were things the Penguins needed to work on.
One of those things was puck posession. The Pens had not been good o...
So here we are again, us the true hockey junkies, resorting to watching the NHL network and maybe even popping in some old game videos on VHS tapes, just to get our “fix”. Which, as always, makes for some long summer months ahead. Many of you know the feeling, as the final seconds ticked away during tonight’s game 7, the thought of no more hockey for months just beca...
look i'm a huge flyers fan and i absolutely hate the entire penguins roster minus stall cant hate that guy, but anyway i truely belive that malkin doesnt deserve the MVP as much as Fluery does the penguins dont make it to the finals let alone a game 7 without him, Marc Andre stepped up HUGE!!!! in the playoffs stealing games for the pens left and right, i understand malkin...
So they young Pens finally crested the proverbial mountain and overcame 2 - 0 and 3 - 2 series defecits to conquer the Wings and win the first (of what could be many) Stanley Cup of the Sidney Crosby era. As a Rangers fan I am not obligated to feel anything other than disgust and envy when a hated division rival succeeds where the Rangers have failed for the last 14 season...
So the “Next One”, “Sid the Kid”, “Cindy Crysby”, whatever you want to call him made one of the major NHL foopahs as he did not shake hands with BARELY ANY of the Detroit Red Wings after the Pens won the CUP. As Henrik Zetterberg said it best it was downright “disrespectful.”
I can understand being caught up in the moment of winning the Stanley Cup. Ho...
The Flyers mad a big splash today and landed Chris Pronger in a trade.
Smart move for the Flyers.
Flyer fans will start salivating the moment they hear of this news...visions of Crobsy getting crunched by Pronger along the boards...or Malkin getting hip checked as he tries to cruise through the middle of the ice.
Yep...they certainly have reason to think he will m...
Brian Burke has not publicly stated who he'll be targeting on July 1st, but logic dictates his focus will be deadlocked on Unrestricted Free Agents Mike Cammalleri or the Sedins.
After many critics--fans and writers alike--expressed their discontent towards Burke's inactivity at the NHL Entry Draft last weekend, you can bet Burke will be looking to make a big splash onc...
What a difference a day makes, eh? Wow. I am still not really sure how I feel about all of the moves that Bob Gainey made over the last 48 hours. To be honest, I'm not sure what I expected Gainey to do. I guess if there's one thing I've learned over Gainey's tenure, its that you should always expect the unexpected!
Gainey seems to have a knack of zigging when you ...
On the heels of Brian Burke saying that the team is still not a finished product, and he will continue to make changes through free agency and trades, I thought I would take a quick look at the free agents that still remain out there that Burke could show interest in.
The following are some free agents i would inquire about, not necessarily chase....
Travis Moen
- ...
Hey all, I know I said my next blog was going to be about Sergei Kostitsyn, but I saw a video yesterday that bumped Sergei down a rung. Sorry Sergei, looks like you'll have to wait one more week!
Ok, so down to business...well, believe it or not, training camp is now less than two months away and it is looking, and sounding more and more like the Montreal Canadiens wil...
With the 2010 NHL training camps only a few weeks away, I think that Habs fans are excited about the upcoming season but with all the changes over the summer, left feeling a little lost too. The question is, why? Why was this summer's upheaval so traumatic? Why do we feel like we are floating in the wind waiting for the breeze to deposit us somewhere? I'll tell you why...
So, continuing in my 5 part series on what will (or won't) make the Habs successful this season, I want to start off by replying to one of the comments from my last post. In my previous post, I had said that I define the Habs' success as finishing anywhere between 4th and 8th, in the East. The poster, 'flamminghead', wondered why not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Well, the answer i...
Kamal Panesar writes...
5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 3 - Mike Cammalleri
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Greetings all! Hope eveyone is enjoying my take on what I believe the Habs will need in order for them to have a successful year. For part 3, in this series, I turn my attention to our shiny new sniper, Mike Cammalleri.
[b]Mike Cammalleri[/b]
For a few years in a row now, there has been talk of Gainey fishing for three players around the league; Vinny Lecavalier, Pat...
Kamal Panesar writes...
5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 4 - Andrei Kostitsyn
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Back again, and in the home stretch with part 4 of 5, in this series.
Training camp is in full effect and the new look Habs hit the ice tonight against Florida, in Montreal. Gomez asks Lapierre if he thinks it will be a sold out tonight.
Hehe.....good one Scott. In a few short hours, you will experience, 1st hand, what it feels like to be a home boy in the larges...
Ok, let me start by saying....WTF????!!!?! What is going on with Sergei Kostitsyn? This saga is developing into a drama the likes of which Bill Shakespeare would be proud of. But seriously, wtf? He comes to camp and acts like a punk so he gets demoted to Hamilton. Then he refuses to report to Hamilton and gets suspended by the Habs. Then he changes his mind, report...
First off, another good win for the Habs tonight. Nice to see Hamrlik getting to goal on OT. He's been really stepping it up since Markov's injury.
I apologize for the lack of live game blogs lately and should be back for the next game against the Pens on Wednesday! Prediction: Price get the start.
So ... 11 games down and the Habs are 6-5-0 (12 pts) after winning 4 ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Habs story so far PLUS big test in Pittsburgh tonight
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is hump day today, and with their 4 and 2 home stand behind them, and a Halloween home tustle against the Leafs ahead of them, Montreal prepares to take on the defending Stanley Cup champions Penguins, in Pittsburgh.
After an 11 game segment that has seen some highs and lows, Montreal seems to be hitting their stride. Yes, the only 'real' test they have faced so far...
Ouch. Groan. Blech. Another day and another weak performance by the Montreal Canadiens. Three days after barely beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, our beloved Habs lost to the Kovalchuk-less Atlanta Thrashers and man was it ugly! From top to bottom, Montreal was disorganized and discombobulated. From sloppy defensive zone coverage to bad turnovers. From inconsistent g...
Wow. Just wow. What a prefectly stupendious night at the Bell Centre last night. Starting with the beaufitul pre-game ceremonies to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Montreal Canadiens and culminating with the rousing play of the current edition of the team, resutling in a 5-1 thumping of the Boston Bruins. For the purposes of this post I'll stick to the game, rather t...
Don't look now, but your Montreal Canadiens have a three game winning streak going! Not only that, but all three wins have come in regulation. Not only that, but their penalty killing unit has become the backbone of this team. Not only that, but their powerplay is slowly starting to get its act together. Not only that, but they seem to have 2, yes that's right, 2, starting...
Today is the 15th of December and as we hit the official half-way point of the month we also hit the half-way mark of the Habs' 17 games in 28 nights. And how have our beloved Habs fared so far? Hmmmm, looks like a win one/lose one trend, much like the rest of the year has been for them. Sadly, this team could have a lot more points that it currently has (33 in 34 games) i...
An Interesting Look at Who Has the Hat-Tricks This Season
We are more than halfway through the 2009-2010 season, and there are many teams that have surprised fans. What may be more surprising is which teams have recorded hat tricks this season. There are eight teams left who have not done it yet this season.
The league leading Chicago Blackhawks are one of those eigh...
[b]Game Summary:[/b]
What a difference a week makes. Two weekends with back-to-back games with two completely different outcomes. While after last weekend, many of the Habs faithful were ready to throw in the towel, this weekend many are hoping that the Habs have turned a corner. I have to caution that until the Habs get on a roll and start putting some separation between...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Ottawa: Habs rally but fall short in 3-2 OT loss
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well, that was a much better effort, don't you think?
After stinking up the joint in back-to-back games last weekend, the Habs finally showed up for their Saturday afternoon tilt against the Senators. Unfortunately for the Habs, they ended up losing the game, 3-2, in overtime. Despite the loss, this was a heck of a good game. The speed and skill of both teams shone yest...
doktordave writes...
TRADE DEADLINE - Thoughts and Possible Moves - #2 TAMPA
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
(2) The Lightning apparently have their owner's permission to spend at the deadline, though realistically, they will have to move out some salary to add anything significant.
Vinny is NOT going to move, get that out of your mind in this Cap-restricted NHL, at least not at a time when the Bolts are struggling for a play-off appearance and buyers would have to dismantle t...
Wednesday night...4/14/2010...the alarm sounds at 7pm.
The playoffs started for the Penguins and the team woke up from what seems like a season long slumber.
Well...for about 10 minutes.
That's about how long they "got to their game" on Wednesday.
Long enough to bang some bodies...draw a penalty...and score an early power play goal to go up 1-0 in game one.
...
With the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs entering its second leg tomorrow night, I thought it would be interesting to look at some former Calgary Flames that are thriving in this years big dance.
The obvious one, right off the bat, is Montreal forward Mike Cammalleri. He signed in Montreal for 5 years at $6 million per season, after leading the Flames in goals last season wi...
The 2009-10 Montreal Canadiens...Masters of Deception?
For several games during these playoffs, against the Capitals and now at least once against the Penguins, the Canadiens have shown a...dare I say "magic"?...that is tough to deny.
It goes something like this...
Let the other team get the majority of the shots and scoring chances...we'll just wait and capitaliz...
At the start of the playoffs, you might have figured that the player with the most points would be a superstar like Sidney Crosby, and you wouldn’t have been wrong with that assertion. What many people did not see coming were the two players that follow Crosby in that category: Joe Pavelski and Mike Cammalleri.
The San Jose Sharks have been desperately searching over...
I took French in high school...but was never very good at speaking it and don't remember much of it (I know, some French Canadien is saying to himself "Stupid American!" ). But I do know what the popular culture translation of "Touché" is...
Sometimes, as the saying goes, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...".
While not exactly what the Penguins did on Tuesday night ...
So now it's a best of 3.
After dominating the first two periods of game 4, and leading 2-1 to start the third, the Penguins did the unthinkable: They lost control of the game, and maybe the series, by surrendering 2 goals in the third period to the Canadiens.
If you had fallen asleep at the end of the second period and woke up at the end of the game, you might not ha...
People will point to the downfall of the Penguins against the Canadiens and site numerous different reasons for the failure.
Halak stole the show
Fleury didn't step up
Cammaleri could not be contained
Crosby and Malkin couldn't score
The Habs took advantage of Penguin mistakes
The Penguins couldn't take advantage of the Canadien's mistakes
The Habs defense stifled...
New at The Checking Line, I analyze and rank the seasons of the Canadiens top six forwards, assigning each a letter grade and sharing my expectations for each for this upcoming season.
Where did each player land? How good were they? Read the blog to find out at the link below!
[url=http://thecheckingline.com/blog/george-prax/montreal-canadiens/off-season-analysis-t...
I have taken some time over the past week to sit back and wait to see how the Kaberle and potentially the Kovalchuk situation would play out before writing my next blog. Well one of the shoes dropped on the weekend with Kaberle remaining a Leaf. I know this has set off a firestorm in Leaf Nation as to whether this move was correct. At this point it is irrelevant because...
For five years now, around this time I eagerly anticipate the upcoming NHL hockey season, with what retrospectively seems like foolish optimism. This optimism on an annual basis remarkably convinces me that my pride and joy (The Toronto Maple Leafs) will have a real shot of making the playoffs. Call it excellent team marketing skills or a love blinded fan base, eith...
It is June 12, 2009. The Pittsburgh Penguins have just walked into Joe Louis Arena and beaten the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings, exacting their revenge on the team that robbed them one year prior. Move ahead one year to the 2009-10season, where the Penguins finished the season in fourth place in the Eastern conference, only to run into a hot goalie and b...
Losing a 3-2 game...where we had a late lead...and then seemed to fall apart at the seams...is way too familiar when it comes to playng against the Canadiens.
And this time...we can't even blame it on Halak.
But after watching the Penguins through two games...I can't help but think there is something missing.
No...it's not Gonchar...he was there last year when the...
If you have read my previous blogs...and chances are good that you haven't...then you will know that I have recently, and frequently, questioned the Penguins aggressive approach to playing hockey.
In a nutshell...the Penguins are supposed to take the game to other team...keep the puck in their end...generate scoring chances...and either score goals or cause the other te...
It may seem when things aren't going so well that I am more of a "glass is half empty" than a "glass is half full" kind of guy.
Three games into this season...and after watching some mistake filled play...I was already calling for benching Malkin and Crosby...like that was really going to happen.
I have a tendency, from years of playing sports..and really hating to l...
Some observations I have seen lately:
As Kessel goes so do the Leafs, it is no coincidence that Kessel's pointless streak pretty much goes hand in hand with the Leaf's losing streak. I think Burke has actually made some good moves with Versteeg and Armstrong, at the very least the Leafs are respectable but that scoring punch is lacking still. Macarthur is a good player ...
The Penguins have been playing some lights out hockey over the past couple of weeks. The significant problems that seemed to be plaguing this bunch have started to improve and the results are proof.
Defensive zone coverage: The Penguins defensive zone coverage earlier in the year left much to be desired. An incredible amount of passes were starting to find their wa...
The Penguins are coming off yet another win, the latest in impressive fashion over the listless Blue Jackets 7-2 on Saturday night. The Penguins opponent, the New Jersey Devils are coming off another loss as their early season woes continue. They lost Saturday to the Flyers by a score of 5-3. A video shot of Jamie Langenbrunner at the end of the game could probably sum ...
First off, while I love broadcasting legend Bob Cole, Mike Emrick of NBC and Devils radio is the best in the business at the moment. I love the creativity and dark tones Emrick brings to the games, while his sidekicks, Eddy Olczyk and Pierre Mcguire are always amusing and insightful. I say this as I enjoy taking in the NBC game of the week: Pens V. Caps! Sure to be a b...
Having watched the Penguins "transform" from a team that was likely to beat you 5-4 to one that's more likely to win by a score of 1-0...I find myself asking the question: [b]Is This Team Playoff Ready?[/b]
Last year's team headed into the post season, never quite achieving that level of play that many people thought they needed to defend their Stanley Cup championship....
Today, I read Eklund's 3:46am post about the salary floor. He talks about teams struggling to get to the salary floor and how an unmovable salary like Brian Campbell's was able to be moved to Florida, since Florida needs to get to the floor.
I must say, it amazes me at how poorly some of these teams manage the cap. Tallon in Florida just doesn't get it. Edmonton seems...
Today, I read Eklund's 3:46am post about the salary floor. He talks about teams struggling to get to the salary floor and how an unmovable salary like Brian Campbell's was able to be moved to Florida, since Florida needs to get to the floor.
I must say, it amazes me at how poorly some of these teams manage the cap. Tallon in Florida just doesn't get it. Edmonton seems...
This may be the busiest week of the year for General Manager Ray Shero. He still has a lot to do before Christmas in July begins this Friday. One thing that we just found out a few hours ago is that Shero did not offer winger Tyler Kennedy a Qualifying Offer, which will make him an unrestricted free agent this Friday. I am happy with this move, or lack thereof, because ...
For a few weeks now many Penguin fans have been discussing and debating the possible return of Jaromir Jagr to the Penguins.
Some people don't see the point in signing a 39 year old who hasn't played in the NHL for 3 seasons to a $3M contract (word on the street).
I look at the recent signing of Brooks Laich to a 6 year, $27M contract by the Washington Capitals as mo...
The drum roll will have to wait, well, because we are all still waiting. Jaromir Jagr has had travel problems and the decision will have to wait until tomorrow. There is all kinds of speculation running rampant about what happened to Jagr. Some are saying he missed his flight. Some are saying there were turtles on the runway which caused his flight to be delayed. No o...
Jagr Watch is officially out of hand if you ask me. I do not have anything against Jaromir Jagr for taking time to make what he feels is the best career move. I do have a problem with all of the false news stories. As of right now, it seems as if Jaromir has not given any indication of which team he would like to play for next year. He wants to make the perfect decisio...
Lost in Jagrwatch, is Ray Shero mismanaging assets. I am still lost as to why, he did not tender offer Tyler Kennedy allowing him a fast track to UFA status. If they tendered the offer, TK would file for arbitration, and then they would have until Aug to sign him. If they lost the arbitration, they could chose to walk away and in turn get a compensatory pick in the upcomi...
Well I think we have to lead off one last time talking about Jaromir Jagr. He signed a 1 year deal for $3.3 million with the rival Philadelphia Flyers. At first, I was very upset. I am 20 years old and I played hockey my entire life. Jaromir Jagr was my childhood idle and I wanted nothing more than to watch him play in a Penguins' jersey one last time. I wanted the Pe...
...I think Brendan Shanahan will do a great job as the new league disciplinarian. He has the combination of playing experience, intelligence and common sense to understand how the game should be played and officiated.
...I'm NOT REALLY DIGGING the new Predators home uniforms. Maybe when I see them in game action my mind will change, but right now, I'm reminded too much ...
Today's fantasy hockey stats and formulas can provide more information than one person can possibly interpret at one time. It's becoming easier every year to get lost in the numbers.
I used to go thru some pretty intense number crunching when trying to predict how well players would perform in the upcoming season. Getting data from previous seasons and computing differe...
The banana peel throwing incident from last night's Flyer's game is the most recent event that has me fuming at how completely ignorant and stupid some people are.
And it's a problem that only seems to be getting worse.
Maybe I am way too old fashioned, but whatever happened to the adage:
"If you don't have anything nice to say...then keep your ****ing mouth shut!"
...
Despite reports to the contrary Malkin and Crosby will not be in the line up tonight when the Jets host the Pens.
Why would they be ?
There is absolutely nobody on this planet right now that thinks the Jets will beat the Pens regardless of whether or not the two superstars are in the line up. If you don't need them to win, why not give them another day off.
Eve...
Nice win tonite, the last three games the Wings have outscored the opposition 16-4. A few things I noticed.
Malkin was amazing tonite, got the goal late in the first when Kronwall pinched in and allowed a breakaway. Seems like he fired the puck twenty times tonite.
Datsyuk was the wings best player, assisted ona goal then killed a penalty minutes later. Grea...
The Habs got Mike Cammalleri's huge contract off the books on Thursday. The Habs traded Cammy, along with Karri Ramo, who is playing in the KHL, and a 5th round pick to the Calgary Flames for forward Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round pick in 2013.
It is interesting to note that this trade happened a little more than 24 hours after he made critical...
RyanZabizewski writes...
Montreal Trades Disgruntled Cammalleri For slouching Bourque
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last night the Habs(16-20-7) lost 2-1 to the Bruins(28-11-1) but that wasn't the main story. less than 24 hours after Mike Cammalleri called the team a bunch of "Losers" he was nowhere to be seen in the 3rd period, the commentators thought he might have been injured. Then tweets from Dave stubbs, Mckenzie, Duthie said possibility that Cammalleri could have been traded.
...
There are those out there who are coming down on Mike Cammalleri for making his statements about the current state of affairs in the Montreal dressing room.
Why ?
Nobody can deny that the diminutive forward has always been known as a pretty class act and stand-up guy. His comments were bang-on in my assumption and the fact that he said them to the media does nothing...
Three wins in a row...two in the Sunshine state where we've definitely taken our lumps over the years...and one against the Hurricanes - who also give us fits...has Penguin fans feeling a lot better than a week ago.
Without exaggeration...we needed those wins badly.
I wouldn't say all of the Penguins ills have been cured...but it is safe to say that they seem to be ...
vowswithin writes...
Flames vs Kings Gameday: + Picture of Halls leather face!!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://nationalpostsports.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/0119hall.jpg[/img]
Taylor Hall was Injured in practice the other night and ended up taking a bunch of stitches. He is out for a few days at least but luckily didn't loose an eye. Scary injury that turned out as good at you can hope. Wishing him a quick recovery!
As you may or may not know the Calgary flames...
The Flames' get out shot 32-25 against the surging Los Angeles Kings, and again can't score, however the overall game was a solid performance by Calgary. Here are some notes on last nights' game, as well as some others leading up to tomorrows' game against Edmonton.
- Jarome Iginla was a beast last night. Scoring a Powerplay goal, and coming in 2nd on the team for total...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Hold off Stars for 2-1 Victory + Rumors
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning went into the American Airlines Center in Dallas to take on a Stars team that is one of the hardest working, energized groups in the league. Looking for their second straight victory, the Lightning took to the ice knowing what they had to do. They played with pride, emotion and strength for a good portion of the game. It was enough to lead the group to vic...
When will the losing in this stupid city end? They had their chances to end the 13 game losing streak in Anaheim but once again lost to the Ducks. Make it 14 and counting. They needed the points...
Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-dont-disneyland
Newman
There are not many words to describe the frustration that last nights game brought upon me. I've been one of the biggest advocates of not only Feaster, but Sutter. I've defended them countless times. The game in Anaheim was the tipping point for me.
Although Calgary did come back and tie it - it was one of the worst games I've seen them play in a long time. With the exc...
A huge late goal by Cammalleri last night earned the Flames a much needed point. Come to TCL-West to read more:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/cammalleri-ties-it-late-flames-get-point
Newman
Michael_Stuart writes...
Answering the Ryan Malone Conundrum: What's He Worth?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Ryan Malone trade rumors are starting to heat up. For a player with size, soft hands and a knack for going to the net, Malone’s offensive totals should be much greater than they currently are. In fact, it could be argued that Malone’s effectiveness on the ice is at an all-time low. Since arriving in Tampa Bay from Pittsb...
If someone had walked up to me and my fiancé as we walked into First Niagara Center Sunday and said that Buffalo was going to win, I wouldn’t have believed them. I was pleasantly surprised, and pumped as time expired, and Buffalo had disposed of the Penguins.
I was very pleased with the effort today from the Sabres. This was the balanced scoring attack that Buffalo ...
I have respect for John Tortorella as a coach.
He's a straightforward guy that has taken a team that has underachieved for many years (when you look at how much money they have spent versus victories) and led them to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
There's a lot to like about the way he has handled the Rangers.
Of course, Tortorella has a Stanley Cup ring,...
Gunner Staal writes...
Quick hit stats for Penguins vs. Flyers matchup
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/3660688/20120401_lbm_al8_020_extra_large.jpg[/img]
[b]Follow me on twitter @gunnerstaal[/b]
Here are some quick hit stats for the much anticipated Penguins/Flyers first round matchup.
Penguins and Flyers both finished the regular season with identical 19.7% power plays.The Flyers were #1 in total PP time this ...
The Penguins and Flyers are old adversaries.
Over the last couple of years, the battle had seemed to simmer down.
This season, the rivalry has been renewed.
When the Flyers took two players into their fold that have special places in the history of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup winning teams: Jaromir Jagr and Max Talbot – you could almost feel the hand of fate as ...
The overtime loss the Penguins endured to the Flyers last night is painful to think about.
When your team leads 3-0, after one period, you EXPECT them to win.
Even after giving the necessary consideration to the way the Flyers have previously battled back from 2-0 deficits to the Penguins this season, the first period lead seemed like something the Penguins couldn’...
The history of NHL playoff series will tell you that being down 1-0 is not as catastrophic as most people on the losing end of the first game feel it is.
In fact, when the home team loses the first game of series, their chances of winning the series only drop about 4%.
But by the time the second game is concluded, if you haven't earned a tie in the series, your chanc...
Waking up today and realizing that last night's 8-5 loss to the Flyers was NOT just a bad dream is enough to ruin your morning.
Realizing that the loss has your favorite team down 2-0 in the best of 7 series is enough to ruin your day.
Understanding that the team needs to win Sunday - or they will be facing an insurmountable 3 games to ZERO series deficit - is enough...
A Google search for the word ‘unraveled‘ shows definition number two as:
Become undone.
While the post game interviews from the Penguins locker room had guys talking about commitment to the team and each other, what happened on the ice sure looked a lot more like a team that has ‘become undone’.
While it may be surprising to some that this team faces elimina...
Four games into the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals match-up between the Penguins and Flyers -- and [b]just about anybody that thought they had a clue how this series would turn out is simply at a loss for a reasonable explanation to what we have seen so far.[/b]
Each game has been it's own little anomaly.
Going into Wednesday night's 'do or die game' for the Pengu...
A couple days ago, I read Darren Dreger's comments in an interview he gave on Sportsradio 93-7 about the potentiality of trading Evgeni Malkin rather than Jordan Staal during the offseason. Understanding that a new CBA being negotiated could change this development for Penguins GM Ray Shero, this is an interesting and [or] disturbing thought for a few reasons.
Before I ...
Although, admittedly, my favorite memories of the Pittsburgh Penguins have come while the team was winning, in retrospect, I (unlike most of city of the Pittsburgh) actually enjoyed the Pre-Sidney Crosby "Dark Years". I can say I enjoyed them now, although at the time the future of the team was in serious jeopardy, but without these down years, the Pens wouldn't have been ...
So game one the leafs could have lost easily in the dying seconds and game two they could have won in the dying seconds. Not only was the scenario a coplete opposite, in my opinion the leafs played a better game against Buffalo than Montreal. Congradulations Ryan Miller for coming out and spoiling a great team effort with a stellar night between the pipes. Wouldn't it be ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs and James Reimer were able to convincingly beat a sluggish Penguins squad that looked to be cruising on the coat tails of Malkin and Crosby. James Neal wasn't much of a factor at all as once again the leafs defensive zone coverage was very good at limiting second chances and forcing a rushed pass in most cases, which lead to many turnovers. Reimer ...
I am an optimistic person at heart.
I usually look for the good in a situation and believe all things are possible...with the right determination and effort.
I'll keep fighting to the end if the cause is right.
But...I am also a realistic person.
I can look at a situation and see it for what it is (most of the time).
When I watch the Penguins play...playoff ...
Hey I have some more moves that could help the Oilers be a playoff team this coming year.
I'm still hoping for a [b]Ales Hemsky[/b] for [b]Matt Matin[/b] trade, seems like a great fit for both teams. Skilled second line winger and set up man for a third line ball of hate, both teams fill a need.
[b]Ryan Malone[/b] 33 6-4 225 LW/RW 4.5 million cap hit signed until 14/...
Those Penguins fans expecting to plan a parade route later this year will likely be sorely disappointed. The Penguins got a severe taste of reality following the Olympic break, running into Chicago, Anaheim and San Jose. They were not very successful, although Marc Andre Fleury--a favorite lightning rod of mine--was able to steal 2 points for them from Anaheim.
This ...
A 4-2 series victory over the Blue Jackets in round 1.
It's about what I expected.
Sure, like a lot of Penguin fans I would have loved to see a 4-0 series sweep...with dominating performances by our top guys and stellar goaltending by MAF.
But...this is the NHL. Two quality teams play each other and rarely does one dominate the other (no...I am not forgetting the...
When the Penguins lost game four of their first round series to the Blue Jackets - in about as ugly a fashion as most fans of the team could imagine - I made the comment to several different people that I thought it was a good thing and maybe the best thing (in the long run) for the team would be to lose the series and exit the playoffs early.
I got the "Are you really...
Lets say, because he said it, that Sidney Crosby does not have an injury.
Let's also say, for all intents and purposes, he doesn't feel tired (although I kind of think he was worn out and won't admit it).
Why did the guy that a lot of people consider to be one of the most competitive guys in hockey...look so defeated throughout most of the playoffs?
Why did he not...
For NHL GM's the real challenge is, and always will be, getting your money's worth (or more) for your team.
The complex problem they face is this - who do you pay a 'premium' salary and who gets the 'average' salary?
Since Pascal Dupuis is a common target on the Penguins Hockeybuzz forum...I'll use him as an example. For this comparison I will use simple statistics f...
The Penguins got a solid victory against bitter rival Washington Wednesday night. They avoided being swept by the Capitals in their always-competitive season series. Chris Kunitz knocked home a Blake Comeau rebound with 13 minutes remaining in the third period to give the Pens their decisive fourth goal.
That score gave Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. With about four minutes to...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Malkin continues hot streak, leads Penguins past Blue Jacket
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Evgeni Malkin scored three points for the third consecutive game, and the Penguins defeated the Blue Jackets at home on Sunday. The score was 5-3, and Malkin scored two of the goals and added an assist to lead Pittsburgh to their fourth straight win after a loss in Columbus on Feb. 19th. rnrnThe Pens’ power-play put up three goals in the second period alone to take contr...
It’s no secret that the penguins are a position to capitalise on the ‘big four’: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. At least not with some of the current crop they continue to renew and obtain every year.
Mike Johnson was unable to prove his worth this season. His coaching ability is not in question, neither is his team management. Hi...
Trade:
Pens get Bonino, a 2nd and Clendening
Canucks get Sutter and a 3rd
Wow, immediately looks like a great deal for the Pens. After checking out the salary implications here this trade makes some sense. Sutter was once a top pick (11th) whereas Bonino was a 6th rounder. Sutter just had his 2nd 20-goal season, has never even hit 20-assists or 40-points, and has more...
Here we are on a Tuesday night and, yes, summer is practically over. Of course, I couldn't be happier. Training camp is almost here and before you know it, television will be watchable again. Although news is slow, the league is alive as ever with teams rounding out their rosters and players ready to compete for Lord Stanley. Here are a few things that are on my mind cur...
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made it very clear that they are committed to dominating via an overpowering offence. They have a very deep core of forwards, many of which are able to play top six minutes. Unfortunately for some of these guys, this depth is going to drastically cut their ice time.
When we look at the top six for the Pens, we instantly notice the big tw...
Just announced... the Chicago Blackhawks have traded forwards Bryan Bickell and Tuevo Terevainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft and a 3rd pick in the 2017 draft. The Hawks have freed up a ton of cap space by making this move. What could it mean? Well, it could mean that the Hawks can for sure bring back fan favorite Andrew Shaw. Also, the...
AarifDeen writes...
MacKinnon deserve the Hart Trophy for his consistency
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Hart Trophy has been a hot topic around the NHL for the better part of this entire season. It seems like there’s a new name added to the list of potential nominees each week. While reporters everywhere have dug into all the reasons why certain players should win, I’ve decided to look at the consistency of these players throughout the year in regards to offensive pr...