Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | yesterday
I have never fully understood power play numbers. My line of logic is that a team that has a very good group of talented offensive players (including a power play point man) should have a very good power play and teams that do not have the appropriate talent do not. The situation is complicated when some teams may have better special teams coaching and be better able to play successful systems. Following...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | yesterday
Penguins -Dave Molinari's recap from last night's game . Sidney Crosby ( above, with Maxime Talbot ) and the Penguins jumped on a wounded Canadiens team. -The Montreal Gazette's recap . The Habs had eight players unavailable due to injuries. -The Associated Press' recap . The Penguins (17-8-0), matched a franchise record for most win the first 25 games of a season. -Highlights courtesty of EN contributor...
Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 11/26/2009
The Penguins’ gameplan going into tonight’s 3-1 win over Montreal was pretty clear from the start: Finish your checks. I’d say they executed that plan very well, as the Pens were awarded with 45 hits on the Habs, playing on the 2nd night of back-to-back games after playing last night in Montreal vs. Columbus. Sidney Crosby, Bill Guerin and Sergei Gonchar scored for the Pens, while...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/26/2009
FIRST PERIOD 18:56: Ryan O'Byrne gives Maxime Talbot a bit hit in front of the Penguins' bench. It's not a dirty hit but Talbot lands awkwardly facefirst into the boards. Sidney Crosby comes flying in and hits O'Byrne with a body check and sticks him on his wallet. That's why Crosby has a "C" on his chest. That's a pretty impressive feat for Crosby (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) given the size...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/25/2009
Xtreme Machine gets Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Osgood, Jimmy Howard: Highly regarded as the best player in the NHL this decade, Nick Lidstrom is arguably one of the greatest defensemen of all time. Chris Osgood has 389 career wins, 3 Cups and is still going strong. Jimmy Howard is getting his first full season in the NHL and playing a little better than some expected so far. The Flying Hellfish get Sergei...
Capitals Insider (Free subscription) | 11/25/2009
1998: Abe Pollin leads the crowd and Capitals Andrei Nikolishin, Sergei Gonchar and Dmitri Mironov in Christmas carols during his annual holiday party. (Frank Johnston/The Washington Post) Abe Pollin, the man who not only brought professional basketball and hockey to Washington but transformed the city through his businesses and philanthropy, died yesterday at the age of 85. Newer or younger Capitals...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/25/2009
Penguins -To say the least, PenStation isn't selling too many Chris Bourque ( above ) jerseys . -Evgeni Malkin speaks. In Russian . -A German newspaper/Web Site chatted with Sidney Crosby and Bill Guerin . -Where to Crosby or former Penguins captain Jaromir Jagr rank in terms of being this decade's best players ? -Are the Penguins planning on changing their third jersey ? -Pens Universe chats with...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
So the Penguins' power play has risen from the mat. After finding a way to get off the 0-for-30 schneid, it's now gotten goals in four consecutive games. No one's starting to dig up any records or anything due to this recent spike of success, but it's progress. Part of the solution seems to have been Sergei Gonchar. His return to a defensive unit ravaged by injuries boosts the Penguins in just about...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
Penguins -Dave Molinari's recap from last night's game . The Penguins' power play might stink, but it came through when it had to last night. -The Miami Herald's recap . " If we're going to be a good team, we need to hold a lead ." - Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard. -The Sun Sentinel's recap . " Against a team like that, give them any life at all and you see what happens ." -...
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/24/2009
PREGAME -Greetings from our editor's cubicle. It's in the high 40s and rainy. We assume it's much nicer here than in South Florida. -EN contributor GhostWalker40 is the BankAtlantic Center and sent a few photos: -The ice: -Warm ups: -Kind of interesting to see that the Panthers are wearing their usual home jerseys for the warm ups even thought they're supposed to be debuting their new third jerseys....
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/23/2009
Penguins -What chance do the Penguins have at keeping Sergei Gonchar after this season ? -Ben Lovejoy got high in practice yesterday . -Alex Goligoski and Chris Bourque speak: -Dan Bylsma and Dan Potash speak: -Happy 27th birthday to former Penguins forward Colby Armstrong . The team's first-round pick in 2001, Armstrong is the franchise's 79th all-time leading scorer with 98 points . He was sent...
Kukla's Korner (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
From friend of the blog Jim Cerny at Rink Rap: I am not sure if it’s a black cloud or a full moon, but there’s something wreaking havoc on the National Hockey League so far this season. As discussed here before, the amount of injuries to star players is off the charts. Plus there have been a string of strange incidents that add to the question: what the heck is going on here? Two more stories...
PuckUpdate (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
A tough night for Pittsburgh in Ottawa last night. The Penguins had Max Talbot and Sergei Gonchar back and they still blew an early lead to the Senators. Pittsburgh looked tired. It could just be the time of season or it could be all of the injuries the healthy players have had to compensate for over [...] Related posts: Pimpin’ Pittsburgh Pimpin’ Pittsburgh Pimpin’ Pittsburgh
post-gazette.com (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
Imagine this. Some good injury-related news. Injured Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar ( above ) and forward Maxime Talbot wil return to the lineup tonight when the Penguins play in Ottawa tonight . But, it's two steps forwards, one step back. Defenseman Mark Eaton, is questionable due to back spasms. As a result, the team recalled defenseman Chris Lee from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. In nine...
CBC.ca (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
Stanley Cup hero Max Talbot will return to the lineup, and Sergei Gonchar and Brooks Orpik may follow suit when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
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