Game Day #19: Penguins @ Lightning

The Penguins take on the Lightning tonight in Tampa Bay.

Ah, yes, the Lightning…Hard to believe a team who is currently 8-7-2 kicked us out of the playoffs last year, right? I know, I know, I prefer not to think about that, too. But I guarantee you it will be item number one on the Penguins’ minds, and it’ll show!

Game Notes:

• Ryan Malone is out for Tampa, so don’t worry–you don’t need to break out the tissues you were saving to weep over how a kid from Pittsburgh could be so gosh darn annoying.
• From the neck up, Stamkos looks like a lumberjack right now. Look for it and you will be amazed.
• Prepare yourself for a night of Tampa’s 1-3-1 defensive system. Fewer things are more agitating (for one, see the first item on this list).

Where to Watch/Listen:

The puck drops at 7:30.

NHL Network (US), ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh), Penguins Radio (Online)

Pens Hit Road With Dads

The Pens continue the Ray Shero tradition as they bring their dads on their Florida roadtrip.  Ever since Ray Shero took over as General Manager, he started up an annual trip for the Pens and their dads.  It is an awesome opportunity for dads to see what goes on in an average road trip for NHL players.

 

Four of those dads have made every trip so far.  Troy Crosby, Henry Staal, Andre Fleury and Rick Orpik are considered the veterans on the trip.

 

After spending years seeing their sons grow as men and hockey players, it is rewarding for the dads to see their sons go through during the season.

 

With Thanksgiving a week away, it is also the perfect opportunity for the players to thank their dads for years of support.

 

As a fan, I find it cool to see how the excited the dad’s get by being with their sons for life on the road.  Take Joey Vitale’s dad, Sam, for instance.  He had this to say this morning, “It’s absolutely amazing. You can’t even begin to describe. It has to be the best organization in the world, it has to be.” Now if that doesn’t warm your heart, nothing will.

 

It will be interesting to see how the next couple days develop when the Pens (and their dads) head to the Sunshine State to take on the Lightning and Panthers.

 

UPCOMING GAMES: Thursday 7:30 @ Tampa Bay

Saturday 7:30 @ Florida

Game Day #18: Avalanche @ Penguins

The Penguins take on the Avalanche ton--Hey, wait, am I the only one who never noticed the puck in the bottom right corner? My mind is blown.

First thing is first: Crosby is not playing. If you are harboring any Guy Boucher-esque suspicions, you are mistaken. The Penguins organization has stated that they will give at least one day’s notice as to whether he is playing in an upcoming game. Seeing as that window has passed, it will be just another day at the office for the Penguins!

Game Notes:

• This is only the second time the Penguins and the Avalanche have met in the past six seasons…Woah. Well, enjoy your fill of Statsny and Duchene, I guess.
• Milan Hejduk was just named captain on Monday–no doubt this is a huge morale booster for any team.
• Steve Sullivan and Tyler Kennedy are both game-time decisions.

Where to Watch/Listen:

The puck drops at 7:30 PM (EST)

Versus (UGH), TSN2 (Canada), Penguins Radio (Online)

 

Hey Now! You’re An All-Star! Get Your Game On! Go Play!

Your Choices For The Pittsburgh Penguins All-Stars

The All Star voting has begun!This year, the NHL has selected several players from each team to include on the ballot.

Representing your Pittsburgh Penguins are the following:

Sidney Crosby- despite not playing a game since January 7th, Sid was still included on the ballot. If you recall, he had the most votes last year out of all the players, but couldn’t participate because of that dreaded concussion. The Kid is pretty much the definition of all star, and deserves to be on the ballot. It’s kind of insane to think that Sid has only played in one All Star game his whole life, back in 2007. Injury has kept him out all the other years.  The NHL must really have faith that he’ll be ready to play any day now. Maybe they have some insider information that we don’t…

Evgeni Malkin- Precious Geno was voted in last year as well, but decided not participate because of his nagging knee injury. Geno has participated in two other All Star games (who could forget his shenanigans with Ovechkin at the 2009 Skills Competition?), so it wouldn’t be his first time (that’s what she said). But after what he’s been through the past few months, it would be nice to see him in there again.

Marc-Andre Fleury- Our favourite, foul-mouthed goalie has been chosen, after Pens fans voted him in last season as a write in choice. That was also his first ever All-Star game. Fleury seems tailor-made for the Skills Competition. Who could forget him being mic’d up during the Winter Classic practice on ’24/7′? And we’ve all seen him show off a bit during the shoot-outs in practice. He’s perfect! Let’s hope Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens gets voted in as well, so we can have a pose off too.

Jordan Staal- I’ll try to keep the gushing to a minimum. Hard to believe that Gronk hasn’t participated in an All Star game before. Like Geno, Jordan didn’t exactly have the best season last year (infecetd foot injury, then a broken hand kept him out for the first 2 months of the 2010/2011 season), but he proved himself as a great leader. He’s also a great player with a playful personality who would have a lot of fun with the game, especially on a team with his brothers.  I’m guessing the NHL is hoping all 3 Staal brothers will be voted in, since they even included Marc, despite him being injured. Can’t miss a chance for a Staal drinking game, can we?

Kris Letang- Like Fleury, Letang participated in his first All Star last season after fans voted him in. Tanger has been having an awesome season so far. He ranks 5th among the league in ice team, with an average of 27:01. He filled some big shoes when Brooks Orpik was out with an injury. Tanger was suspended earlier this season for an illegal hit on the Jets’ Alex Burmistrov, but he’s seemed to learn from that and reformed his ways (who would have thought Kris Letang would have been the first Penguin to be suspended under the Shanaban? Especially when they have Matt Cooke on the team…).  Let’s just hope that, if he’s selected this time around, he doesn’t trip up the stairs again.

James Neal- After acquiring him in a trade with Dallas last season, Neal has finally come into his own. He is currently second behind Phil Kessel when it comes to goals scored in the league, and leads the Penguins in goals. Like Staal, Neal has never participated in an All Star game, but this would be the perfect year to do so. After being hated on by a lot of fans for not scoring 500 goals his first game, he has proven himself as a goal scorer and as someone who will fit in on the Penguins perfectly. It would be awesome to see him in the All Star lineup!

You can vote for all your faves up to 30 times  at vote.nhl.com

Game Day #17: Penguins @ Hurricanes

The Penguins take on Jeff Skinner's Dimples (and Jeff Skinner) tonight in Raleigh.

The Hurricanes are having some troubles so far this season, and the Penguins are fresh off a strong victory against the Stars. The Hurricanes will be giving everything they’ve got to show they can compete, but the Penguins are riding high on a great game. Who will win??? Tune in, kids, and find out!

Game Notes:

• People often forget Cam Ward in the midst of Eric Staal’s forehead. Unfortunately for us, he is still there and awesome as ever. He’ll be a tough goalie to beat, so our offense needs perseverance and consistency to break through.
• 

Where to Watch/Listen:

The puck drops at 7:00 PM (EST).

ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh), Penguins Radio (Online).

Sid Out Next Two Games

All that speculation about 11-11-11 being the date of the anticipated comeback ends today. Head Coach Dan Bylsma announced after Pens practice today that Crosby won’t play in the next two games.

Rumors that Friday was the day for the return of Sid the Kid has been on going since the season started. Crosby has repeated that he doesn’t even know when he will be back and never knew how the rumor started.

We all know that Crosby is a little superstitious (okay, let’s be honest he is extremely superstitious!) Since he received his first blow to the head on 1-1-11, many reporters even asked Sid if that would stop him from returning on 11-11-11.

Apparently it doesn’t even matter what the day is, because he won’t be playing at all this weekend. I’ll be honest though, I don’t want him to comeback tomorrow either. The date scares me a little.

But all dates aside, Crosby hasn’t talked to media the past two days, probably being fed up of being asked the same questions over and over again.

Although Crosby won’t be in the lineup against one of the hottest teams in the NHL tomorrow, Bylsma said Forward Tyler Kennedy who has been out since reporting concussion symptoms last month is listed as a game-time decision against the Stars.

Now as the rumors continue for the date of the comeback, the season goes on as the Pens faceoff against the Dallas Stars tomorrow night at Consol Energy Center.

Breaking: Mark Letestu Traded For Fourth-Round Pick

Tuesday evening, it was confirmed that Penguins center Mark Letestu was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

Though sudden, the move isn’t surprising. The Penguins are deeper at center than ever before and that has left Letestu a healthy scratch for a majority of this season.

With players like Kennedy and Crosby set to return soon, and the stronger-than-ever presence of Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin, this was a smart move by GM Ray Shero.

With this new pick acquired, the Penguins now own 8 selections in the 2012 NHL Draft, which we all know will be held in the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The Pens now have 1 pick in the 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, 5th round, 6th round, and 7th round, along with 2 picks in the 4th round. It will be interesting to see how these picks will be used. Will we actually use them? Or will we trade them away to add more players to our team? Only time will tell!

We wish Letestu the best of luck in Columbus! We also wish the fans the best of luck in coming up with catchier nicknames than “Testtube.”

Crosby’s Return This Friday “A Possibility”

Captain Sidney Crosby has been sidelined since January with a concussion.

It’s official: CrosbyWatch 2011 is in full effect. The rumor mill is churning out new tidbits every day, many of them pinning Sidney Crosby’s return on this Friday, November 11th in a game against the Dallas Stars.

In a recent interview, Crosby stated “everybody else’s guess is as good as mine” as to his status for Friday. Yet, it might just end up that we don’t need to use all of our 11/11/11 wishes on his health! Steve MacIntyre and Dustin Jeffrey were sent back to Wilkes-Barre today for “conditioning.” Many fans are questioning if this is to make room for Crosby in the lineup (Or perhaps D. Jeff just ate too many cheeseburgers over the long break?).

The most absurd rumor of them all? My father’s coworker is neighbors with Paul Steigerwald who told him Crosby is set to go against Dallas. How’s that for a stretch?

Rumors aside, we would love to see Crosby back on the ice, and if he just isn’t ready by this Friday, so be it! As for now, we will just do as out captain commands and “wait and see.”

A Much Deserved Break

After the nailbiter that was Saturday night’s game, Penguins fans can breathe easy–at least until Friday. The team has the entire upcoming week to rest, rejuvenate, and prepare for a stretch of eight games in two weeks.

We can only hope this will lead to a few things…

• More time for Jordan Staal to fully recover, and reduced pressure on Tyler Kennedy to get back into the lineup.
• Increased practice time for Sidney Crosby, who is continuing to recover. This time is incredibly valuable in terms of him re-integrating himself with the team.
• We can all catch up on the sleep we have been missing with these West Coast games!

What else do you think the team will be up to this week?

Game Day #15: Penguins @ Kings

The Penguins take on Sidney Crosby Bestie Jack Johnson and Los Angeles Kings tonight!

The Penguins finish up their West Coast tour this evening as they battle the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings area  team with many hidden talents, a fact often masked by their inability to make the playoffs. Still, the likes of Kopitar, Doughty, and Johnson will be ready as ever to prove themselves against a top team.

Games Notes:

• In case you weren’t already informed, Ben Lovejoy has been added to the list of injuries. He suffered a broken wrist the other night and is being re-evaluated soon.
• Fleury currently holds a .932 save percentage, while Kings goalie Quick boasts a .941. Who will win…The Battle of the Goaltenders?!
• Everyone get your caffeine — the game starts at 10:30 PM (EST)!

Where to Watch/Listen:

ROOT Sports (Pittsburgh), Penguins Radio (Online)