Day One: Enough excitement to last til October

Well, with day one in the books, there was already enough excitement to make waiting til October worth it in the end. 

Obviously the most excitement in the entire day was seeing Sidney Crosby take the ice and actually practice with the team for the first time since April. Even though Crosby skated in the last group, the wait was well worth it. Taking the ice last, Crosby was greeted with a much deserved standing ovation by the crowd. Smiles spread through the crowd and even on to the players on the ice. I have to say I obviously extremely happy (and kinda relieved) to see our captain on the ice and mingling with his teammates. Although we don’t have any ideas of when or if he will return in the near future, it was just a breath of fresh air to actually see him back on the ice in a Pens jersey.

With the Crosby stuff aside, many new players made names for themselves due to their performances. Steve Sullivan, recently signed over the summer, played the majority of his time with Evgeni Malkin and Tyler Kennedy. The line was dominant during the scrimmage getting goals with all three players racking up points. Although Sullivan is older than both Kennedy and Malkin, he kept up on the speedy line and looked like the players might have some chemistry in the future.

Other players like Crosby came back to camp returning from an injury. Dustin Jeffrey, Brooks Orpik and Evgeni Malkin include some of the players coming back from surgery. All participated in drills today but did not give it 100%.

Although one day had enough excitement for the entire weekend, I would bet on tomorrow being just as exciting. With the preseason games coming this week, players are going to be giving it their all to make coaches and management think twice before sending them down. And hopefully that benefits us as fans in the end.

Penguins Training Camp: Open for Business!

The Consol Energy Center is open for business!

The off-season is officially over! Penguins players and prospects reported to Consol Energy this morning to take part in step one of the pre-season checklist: training camp!

The day started off with medical and fitness testing, as well as headshot-taking (of course the players insist on having them taken now while their summer tans are still in tact).

Players were available to the media throughout the day, as well. Here’s what a few guys had to say (credit The Penguins Report):

This day’s always fun. Guys come back and we’re excited to get started. You never know how your scores are going to be, but things run very well. I’ve been back in town for 4 or 5 weeks now skating and I’m in very good shape, so I’m excited.

-Ben Lovejoy (on his summer training sessions and gearing up for today)

It’s feeling really well and obviously we’re quite a long way aways from where we were last season, but coming into camp here I hope that I’ll just be fully right off the start anyways. It’s just a matter of seeing the doctor and coming back to the trainers and hopefully see what will happen maybe I’ll be able to do in a full practice.

-Dustin Jeffrey (on his still-recovering knee injury)

To be honest I’m not expecting anything. I’m going in with an attitude and mindset that whatever opportunity I’m given, I’m gonna fly with it. It they need me to be a fourth line grinder or a power-play guy, I can play all these roles. Whatever opportunity I’m put in, I’m willing to work with.

-Eric Tangradi (on his outlook with the team)

Make sure you check out Coach Bylsma talk Geno, Sid, and the Power Play!

The first day of camp will include interviews, strength training, interviews, some on-ice warm-ups, and did we mention more interviews?

Hockey season is nearly here, my friends! I can almost smell the sweaty gloves and Zamboni fumes!

Crosby Concussion: Any Positives?

This is the time of year when players start to flock back to town and mentally prepare themselves for training camp, but Sidney Crosby’s story is different.  Of course, it was breath of fresh air seeing Sidney during his press conference yesterday since he has stayed away from the media since April.  It’s just too bad it had to be for these reasons.  Although Crosby’s press conference included his doctors and General Manager Ray Shero to address issues, rumors, and questions surrounding his concussion, there is still much uncertainty about his current health status.

Training camp begins in a week and we still don’t know nearly anything about Crosby’s health.  Sure we know that he has had major side effects from the back to back hits to the head in January, we know he has only made it to about 90% effort in workouts, and we know that the Penguins first regular season game is in less than a month, but these aren’t the things we necessarily want to know now.

As a Penguins fans, we want to know when our Captain will be ready to put on the black and gold sweater again, and if he will be the same player he used to be.  Before Crosby went down with the serious concussion, he was playing the best hockey of his career.  It just makes you wonder what he could of done if healthy the rest of the year.  Okay, Okay with what ifs aside, having the face of the NHL out for such a long period of time has to have repercussions, right? Well I hate saying things happen for a reason in this case, because I would love to know what good is having the best player on our team experiencing health issues that could be life changing, but there might be some good things coming out of this…hopefully.

1.)    Crosby Haters

This is to all of you who have every called him Cindy, Crybaby or any other choice words that shouldn’t be used in front of children.    Whether you like him or not, he is arguably one of the best players in the world.  He has won various NHL awards, a Gold Medal, and a Stanley Cup at an age where most people are just trying to find jobs after college.  Now that he is missing, some people are finally starting to understand his worth.  He is a big name that spreads the sport we love across the world.  Since he is obviously the most marketed player in the NHL, it would be unfortunate to lose someone who tries to make the sport bigger and better.  Let’s be honest, we all know that hockey and ESPN don’t have the strongest relationship (or really any relationship), but when big players do big things, ESPN will broadcast it.  When Crosby, Alex Ovechkin or Steven Stamkos have a highlight reel goal or even if their team is successful, ESPN will talk about it because of the player’s names.  Losing Crosby might lose some of hockey’s notoriety.  Whether you root for him or not, you know he is good for the game.  As hockey fans, we know our sport is the best and want other people to respect it too.

2.)    Research

With a summer of tragedy, the NHL is being pressured to pay attention more to their players and their health.  Although the three deaths of enforcers over the summer were not ruled relatable, it still makes you wonder how much concussions or serious head injuries can have on a playing career and even a player’s life.  The past couple of months, current NHLers and even former NHLers have spoken up to urge the NHL to enforce certain rules to help protect their players.  Maybe the NHL will start taking things more seriously when the face of their league misses so much time.  It is an important issue that unfortunately is being seen after so many players have already been affected.

3.)    Image

Although it might not always seem like it, the NHL’s image is really important to them.  Even if they are considered on the low end of the ‘big 4’ sports, they still want their image across the sports world to be positive.  NHL officials cringe every time networks such as ESPN replay the ‘biggest brawls’ and shows highlights such as the Penguins-Islander fight fest last season.  Although publicity is publicity, the hockey world would rather people see the positives of the sport instead of negatives.  In this case, the negative is definitely the whole head shot issue.  With their best player down, the NHL doesn’t want non-fans to think of a league where player’s lives can be changed negatively after playing the sport they love.  Hopefully after pressure from players and fans, the NHL will figure out that changing a rule might ultimately help out their sport and its future in the right way.

Although it is so hard to say that there are any positives out of this issue, I consider myself an optimistic person who wants to see hockey go in the right direction.  Of course, I would rather see this done without a player like Crosby going down, but hopefully things will work out in the long run.  If we see number 87 back on the ice this season, I guess I will allow haters to begin hating again, because at least Crosby is kicking your team’s butt.

Rookie Tournament: Players to Watch

With the season quickly approaching, many Penguins prospects are looking forward to the Rookie Tournament in Ottawa as a chance to make their mark. The past couple of seasons, the Penguins have been competing against the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Chicago Blackhawks prospects. The tournament in Oshawa, Ottawa is a great way for some of hockey’s best prospects to compete against one another before attending their own team’s training camp.

Wilkes Barre-Scranton coaches John Hynes and Alain Nasreddine will lead the 26 Pens players in the tournament. The most well-known name on the Pens roster is forward Eric Tangradi. Tangradi is the player on the tournament roster with the best chance to make the Pens lineup out of training camp. Playing in the tournament is a great chance for Tangradi to prove his worth to the coaches. Being the player with the most NHL experience, it is also a good opportunity to show his leadership by taking younger players under his wing and showing them the expectations of being a Penguin, as well as a professional hockey player. Tangradi, who also was considered the veteran player in July’s rookie camp, has high expectations given to him by Coach Bylsma and GM Ray Shero. If he is unable to stand out during the tournament in Ottawa, Tangradi might know his fate before regular training camp even starts.

Another player to watch in the upcoming tournament is defenseman Simon Despres. Despres ,20, was one of the last cuts of last season’s training camp. During the 2010-2011 season, Despres was one of the top defenseman on the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. He helped the Sea Dogs win the President’s Cup on the way to a championship victory. He also represented Canada in the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where they won silver. As he has evolved into a dominating figure on the ice and also by exceeding many expectations, Despres will be another star on the ice for the Penguins during training camp. Although many people believe Despres will start the season in Wilkes Barre, it might not be that long until we have to wait to see him with the big club.

Some other players to watch include Joe Morrow, Tom Kuhnhackl, and Philip Samuelsson. Morrow, 18, was the Penguins first pick in this year’s draft. He played in the WHL last season racking up 49 points in 60 games. He is just another name to add to a solid Penguin defensive lineup. It will be interesting to see how he competes against other team’s highly rated prospects. Kuhnhackl, 19, played last year for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. Although it is odd for prospects from the European area to move to Canada to play Juniors, this was a good decision for Kuhnhackl. Being the son of arguably the best German ice hockey player ever may come with a lot of pressure, but Kuhnhackl lived up to the hype by scoring 68 points in 63 games and assisting the Spitfires in the playoffs. As a player who continues to get better, it will be fun to watch his progress. Samuelsson, 20, will be attending his first camp since leaving Boston College. A second round pick with the Penguins will most likely join Wilkes Barre-Scranton where he will join another fellow Eagle, Carl Sneep, on the blueline. Since Samuelsson’s game is said to be similar to his father’s, we will all be on the edge of our seats waiting to see what he will bring.

Although we don’t know what kind of players these prospects are going to be, there’s one thing I know for sure: training camp is two weeks away and the excitement is just beginning.

Max Talbot: Our Favorite Memories

Check out dat 'stache (screencap from HBO's 24/7)

There wasn’t a single Penguins fan who didn’t see it coming. Yet, when we woke up one morning to find that Maxime Talbot, the hero of our 2009 Stanley Cup Victory, the jokester, the “heart of the team,” had been traded, it hurt. Some called him a traitor, others understood his decision. Most just took off the rose-colored glasses and realized he was more “creepy uncle” and less “fearless hero” than we wanted to believe.

Now that we’ve had a few months to let the sting of losing Talbot wear off, let’s look back at a few of our favorite Talbot moments…