Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Jorge De La Rosa Signs With Rockies
De La Rosa was, supposedly, the Pirates top target in Free Agency. He was probably the second most sought after SP on the market after Cliff Lee. No real word on if the Pirates offered him a deal.
To me it seems like he signed a fair deal with the Rockies, and maybe left a bit of money on the table. His contract with the Rockies goes a long way in proving that the Pirates will have to overspend for Free Agents. No way would the Pirates get him for that friendly of a deal. It would possibly take another year on the contract and $1 or $2 million more a year. Jorge De La Rosa is not worth that kind of money, so in a way I'm glad it didn't work out.
That said at some point in time these reclamation projects (that's what we're about to see) must stop. The Pirates either need to sign a few legitimate players, or trade for them because going into this season with last year's roster will not get it done. It will be another in a long line of punts, and even die hard fans and Front Office supporters can only take so much of this. We have our core, now it's time to fill this roster out.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Game 26: Pens 3, Rangers 1
Penguins- 3
-Maxime Talbot (Dupuis) 1-5:10
-Kris Letang (Crosby, Dupuis) 2-12:01
-Chris Conner (Kennedy, Goligoski) 2-13:16
W- Fleury (25-26)
Rangers- 1
-Marian Gaborik (Rozsival) 1-16:19
L- Lundqvist (24-27)
RECAP
It was Monday night business as usual for the Pens when they came into MSG and efficiently dispatched of the Rangers to continue their march to the top. The score may have only been 3-1, but this was actually quite the dominating performance for Pittsburgh. In fact, had a few shots not hit the post the score could have very well been 6 or 7 to 1.
But only the ones that go in count, and the Pens didn't waste a lot of time getting on the board. Maxime Talbot skated into the offensive zone after a Pascal Dupuis and picked the pocket of both d-men trying to corral the puck. Talbot surprised Lundqvist with a quick shot and bang...1-0 Pens. The only other significant happening in the 1st was Mike Rupp beating the stuffing out of Brandon Prust at the end of the period.
1st half of the 2nd period was also a whole lot of nothing, but then the Pens picked it up. Kris Letang took a ridiculous cross-ice pass from Sid and shot a dart past Lundqvist for his 5th of the year and Crosby's 13th straight game with a point. 3 minutes later Chris Conner wired one past Lundqvist for his 2nd of the season and 3rd career against NYR to essentially put the game out of reach. Gaborik did beat Fleury on a long-distance snipe a few minutes later and the Rangers had a chance to score at the end of the period, but Fleury and the D held the fort.
The third period featured some solid Pens PK work and then some Sean Avery shenanigans. Avery dropped the gloves with Kennedy in the 2nd, but was still not satisfied. He went after Malkin, but then backed away with Engelland. Then he went for Crosby's legs, but again was nowhere to be found to answer the bell. It got so laughable that even Steigy and Bob had to join in on the fun, and the FSN listeners were "treated" to a Paul Steigerwald serenade. But enough about that. Pens never really looked uncomfortable with their lead, and the only disappointment of the game was that they couldn't get Sid out for the empty netter to pad his stats.
Game Changing Play:
The Rangers had a chance to pull within 1 at the end of the 2nd, but Fleury made some great saves and the defense held up to preserve the 3-1 lead at intermission.
Grades:
Offense: B+ Efficient, skillful, and got the job done. That's fine with me just about any day.
Defense: B+ Gaborik did get his chances and those back-to-back 3rd periods on Engelland and Goligoski were not necessary, but overall they were pretty good. The Michalek-Martin pairing was solid.
Fleury: A- The 1 goal looked soft, but it really was a tough one to stop. But even if it was, Fleury made enough good saves to earn the victory anyways.
Powerplay: ? Only had 1 chance. Not enough to grade.
Penalty Kill: A Solid as always. 3-3.
3 Big Points:
-Maxime Talbot has been in playoff mode these last few games. Penalty killing, checking, and scoring as well as I've ever seen him.
-Chris Conner was fantastic tonight. He scored, nearly had a chance to score again, and was a solid contributing member of the 3rd line.
-Sid and Geno spent a lot of time together. They actually were paired together quite early, and the "2 headed monster" made on and off appearances throughout the game. Obviously good things happen when you put 2 of the best players in the NHL together, but I wonder why he went to them so early when he usually saves that move for the end.
My 3 Stars:
1. Maxime Talbot
2. Chris Conner
3. Marc-Andre Fleury
Penguins Gameday #26 (Rangers)
Rangers (14-10-1, 30 pts) (3rd Atlantic, 6th East)
Where: Madison Square Garden
When: 7:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT
Pens are coming off a great weekend homestand. Rags are also coming off a pair of weekend wins. Slowly but surely both of these teams are creeping their way back up to the Flyers, and theoretically the Pens can tie Philadelphia in the standings with a win. With the Devils and Isles all but out of it already, every division game with either NYR or PHI should be treated like a playoff game so this should be a good one.
Opponents to Watch:
Marian Gaborik- He will probably be a mainstay on this preview list every time the Pens face the Rangers. He was quiet the last time the 2 teams met so expect him to come flying with a little extra fire. He cherrypicks a lot, so watch for breakaways.
Brandon Dubinsky- Trashed the Pens the last time the 2 teams played. Oh, and he leads the team in goals and points. This guy has the moves and the grit to establish himself on this preview list quite a bit also.
Marc Staal- Best blue line threat NYR has, not to mention he is pretty decent on defense too.
Keys to Victory:
-Get Letang/Orpik out against Gaborik as much as possible. Letang is the only Pens defenseman with the speed to chase him down from behind on a breakaway if necessary, and Brooks is the type of player who wouldn't let him get many breakaways in the first place.
-Don't let Avery trick you into committing stupid penalties. Rangers' PP unit has been hot the last few games, so it's best not to give them many chances.
-The best time to score on Lundqvist is right after you just scored on Lundqvist. Maybe if the Pens get a few quick ones in on Henry than they can grab control of the game early.
Notes:
-Gaborik actually isn't a lock to start. He has been battling an illness, and is listed as day-to-day.
-Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal also out for the Rangers.
-Only Staal out for the Pens.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
AHL Game 21: WBS 4, Springfield 2
Trailing 2-1 with just over 5 minutes left in the game, Nick Johnson powered one past Falcons' goaltender Gustaf Wesslau to tie the game up at 2 and prepare the Springfield crowd for some likely overtime. But the Pens had other plans in mind, and just 29 seconds later Dustin Jeffrey found the back of the net to complete one of the fastest comebacks of the season. Former Falcon Bryan Lerg added an empty netter in the final minute to ice the game for WBS and also pick up his first of the season.
This must have been frustrating for Springfield, who controlled the scoreboard for a large portion of the game. Ryan Craig did put the Pens on the board first with his 5th of the season, but Tomas Kubalik answered with a pair of goals in the 1st and 2nd periods respectively. Both goals were a product of nice setups, and were the only 2 shots of the night to find their way past Brad Theissen, who made 18 saves for the win.
Too often does it happen where a team snoozes through the majority of the game, and then finally elevates their play once it is too late to stage a comeback. This could have been the Pens today, but it just shows what a special group of guys WBS has this year to be able to explode like this. Especially Dustin Jeffrey. WBS picked up some great free agents this year, but so far their #1 guy is someone that they've had all along. Jeffrey has stepped up to the plate as essentially the leader of this team, and clutch goals like the one today only prove it further. It is not a matter of "if" he will be called up this year, but "when."
Steelers vs. Bills Inactives
QB Charlie Batch Third QB
RB Jonathan Dwyer
WR Antonio Brown
DE Aaron Smith
OT Chris Scott
CB Crezdon Butler
TE Matt Spaeth
DE Brett Keisel
Bills Inactives
RG Eric Wood
DE Spencer Johnson
TE Shawn Nelson
QB Levi Brown Third QB
LB Mike Balogun
RB C.J. Spiller
DE John McCargo
CB Terrence McGee
Keisel and Smith are both out again, and Antonio Brown is out with water on his knee.
The Bills have some pretty substantial Inactives. Starting Right Guard Eric Wood, RB C.J. Spiller, and CB Terrence McGee are all out this week.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
AHL Game 20: WBS 4, Rochester 3
But among all of this fighting, a hockey game broke out. The Pens jumped out to an early 1st period lead with goals from Dustin Jeffrey, Boulerice, and Eric Tangradi. Then they sat back and watched their 3 goal lead disappear on goals by Clay Wilson, Kenndal McArdle, and Mike Kostka. Why did they let this lead turn to dust? Maybe they got complacent? Lost focus? Bad 1st period by Rochester? Whatever the reason, it was time for the Pens to step back up and take back their win,
Geoff Walker had the answer for that with his first goal of the season as a Pen, and was assisted by Jeffrey and Wallace. Nice to see Walker finally get rewarded with a goal because he gives 100% every game and really is an asset to the team.
John Curry was decent in goal, or at least good enough to get the win, and finished with a total of 19 out of 22 saves. But even more important than the stats, it was another win for the Pens who finished the 20 game mark with a record of 16-4. Pens right back in action tomorrow vs Springfield.
Game 25: Pens 4, Flames 1
Penguins- 4
-Arron Asham (Letang, Orpik) 2-6:26
-Sidney Crosby (Kunitz, Letang) 2-12:20
-Sidney Crosby (Martin, Letang) 3-9:12
-Sidney Crosby (EN) (Orpik) 3-19:23
W- Johnson (30-31)
Flames- 1
-Rene Borque (Tanguay, Bouwmeester) 3-13:03
L- Kiprusoff (39-42)
RECAP
When the press interviewed Flames great Jerome Iginla after the game, even he said that Sidney Crosby is "the best in the game." Yep, it was one of those nights. Sidney Crosby absolutely took over the game, leading his team to a dominating 4-1 victory and picking up a few milestones along the way. Crosby also added a bit of a Lemieux flare, scoring each of his three goals in three different ways (Even Stregnth, Powerplay, Shorthanded/Empty Netter).
After a scoreless first in which the Pens pounded Kiprusoff with 24 shots and he did not budge, it was the fourth line that went to work for the Pens. After Orpik and Letang each were unable to convert on their slapshots, the puck found its way to the stick of Arron Asham. Meanwhile, Craig Adams was in front screening Kiprusoff and he had to hit the deck to avoid Asham's zinger for the twine. Then it was time for the Wizard of Cros to work his magic.
Crosby picked up his first of the night midway through the 2nd when he ripped the puck into the net after receiving a nice pass from Kunitz. This would be all the team needed, but true to form for Sid, just enough isn't good enough. Sid got his 2nd of the night and his 200th career when he deflected a Paul Martin powerplay blast past Kiprusoff for the 3 goal lead. He finished the hattie with an empty netter while also killing a penalty. As mentioned above, Sid got 3 goals in 4 different ways (Even, PP, SH, EN). Even more strange was that Sid actually had a chance to get the 5th, but was denied by Kiprusoff on his first period penalty shot attempt.
While Sid and the offense was tearing it up, Johnson remained solid on the other end of the rink. After missing over 2 weeks with an illness and the recent recovery of Fleury, Johnson probably should've been rusty in goal on Saturday. Instead, he was solid and stopped all but one Rene Borque shot and picked up his 7th win of the year.
Game Changing Play:
Sid's 2nd goal looms quite large considering Borque did manage to score 1 for Calgary.
Grades:
Offense: A- 42 shots, 4 goals, oh and they have Sid.
Defense: A- Did a marvelous job keeping shots away from Johnson, and each one of them looked significantly better.
Johnson: A- To play at that level after all that time off is truly spectacular. And to know that Johnson can do that is also comforting. He gets A range today.
Powerplay: B+ They got 1 PP tally and had a number of other chances when they weren't scoring.
Penalty Kill: A Another perfect PK game.
3 Big Points
-Deryk Engelland had 6 blocks and also a fight. Talk about a good game and a statement that he prefers not to be scratched.
-To put this in perspective for the penalty kill, they are doing all of this WITHOUT Jordan Staal. Could you imagine how good once he returns.
-Another game for the Kennedy-Letestu-Conner line. HCDB has been playing them together a lot and for the most part it has worked.
My 3 Stars:
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Mikka Kiprusoff
3. Brent Johnson.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Game 24: Pens 2, Senators 1
PENGUINS- 2
-Evgeni Malkin (Kennedy, Crosby) 2-10:19
-Alex Goligoski (Michalek, Kennedy) 3-5:05
W- Fleury (43-44)
SENATORS- 1
-Jesse Winchester (Ruutu, Karlsson) 1-12:11
L- Leclaire (38-40)
RECAP
On a day full of "Black Friday" specials, it was the special teams of the Pens that got the best deal of the day. The Pens' penalty kill had yet another perfect performance, and the powerplay got on track with both of Pittsburgh's goals.
The game got off to a slow start for the Pens, and they found themselves down 1-0 at the end of the 1st due to a Jesse Winchester goal. Strangely, not a single penalty was called on the 1st period.
Then the special teams went to work in the 2nd. After killing off a penalty, the Pens powerplay went to work. After a solid minute and a half of attacking, the Pens found the back of the net after th puck bounced right to the waiting stick of Evgeni Malkin. Crosby received a helper on the play, and thus extended his point streak to 11 games. The rest of the 2nd passed without incident, and set up for a shootout in the 3rd. Pittsburgh found the answer in the long overdue stick of Alex Goligoski, who wristed one past Leclaire just past the 2 minute mark of the 4 minute powerplay. Special teams are great, but maybe the biggest hero of the game was Mr Fleury.
Fleury made 43 saves, but none more impressive than the one he made midway through the 1st. Fleury did nearly a full roll-over as he stuck his glove in the air to rob the shooter and keep the game tied at 0. Fleury also drew the attention of the sellout crowd when he got into a scuffle with troublemaker Chris Neil after Neil charged into his crease.
GAME CHANGING PLAY
Malkin's goal really changed the whole momentum of the game, and permanently erased the Sens' lead.
GRADES:
Offense: B. After a subpar 1st, they rebounded relatively well. Leclaire was just on fire.
Defense: B. Same as offense. Bad 1st, pretty good 2nd and 3rd.
Fleury: A. Spectacular all game.
Powerplay: A- Scored both goals, took lots of shots. That's the way a PP should look.
Penalty Kill: A. Once again perfect. (4-4)
3 Big Points:
-For some reason, Bylsma made the decision to scratch Engelland in favor of Lovejoy. Ben made a few mistakes, but he showed quite a bit of spunk and physicality.
-Nice to see Alex get that GWG. It seemed like he was becoming hesitant to shoot.
-Asham appears to be struggling on the line with Rupp and Adams. Maybe he should get another shot with Geno.
MY 3 STARS:
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Evgeni Malkin
3. Pascal Leclaire
Penguins Gameday #24 (Senators)
Senators (10-11-1, 21 pts) (3rd Northeast, 9th East)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 1:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT
The Pens return home after a sucessful 4 point 2 game road trip to face the Sens. Ottawa has been dealing with some serious offensive struggles of recent, as they have scored only 12 goals in their last 7. The Pens havn't been exactly lighting the lamp a whole lot themselves, but Fleury and the defense have lead the way right back up near the top of the standings. Oh, and Sid also has a 10 game point streak going. Don't forget, it's at 1:00 so get your shopping done early.
Opponents to Watch:
Daniel Alfredsson- One of the few bright spots of Ottawa's offense this season, Alfie leads his team with 8 goals and 10 assists.
Sergei Gonchar- Pens fans are all too familiar with his slapshot and powerplay capabilities, but also his vulnerability on defense. Gonchar is a -12 this season and is tied for the 2nd worst +/- in the league.
Alex Kovalev- Still has some of that scoring touch, and already has 6 goals this season. He also brings the veteran leadership/experience to the table, as if Ottawa needed any more of that.
Keys to Victory:
-As mentioned above, Gonchar is a -12. This is no accident. Exploit him as frequently as possible.
-Watch out for Ottawa's goons. Neil and Ruutu jump at any opportunity possible to start trouble and then usually sneak away, so why not beat them to the punch. If the Pens finish their checks and send a message early, maybe it will settle down the game a bit so Crosby and the offense can go to work.
-Sens give up 3.14 goals per game, and they are near the bottom with their PK%. Maybe this will be one of the better games for the Pens' PP.
Notes:
-I wouldn't be surprised to see Johnson either today or tomorrow, unless he is still ill.
-Not sure who the Sens are starting in goal, but my guess is Leclaire.
-Both teams healthy with the exception of Staal for the Pens.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
AHL Game 19: Binghamton 5, WBS 2
Wilkes-Barre put a blistering 54 shots on Brust yet only managed to score on 2 en route to a 5-2 Thanksgiving Day beatdown in Bingo. Though it seems hard to criticize 54 shots, something just didn't seem right about the Pens tonight. They were shooting like gangbusters all night, but lacked the smooth flow and crisp play that has been prevalent in their 15 wins this season. Also, they did something else they usually don't, and that is tire out. The Pens actually looked decent in the first and had the lead for a while.
Pens goals were scored by Tangradi and Sterling in the 1st and 2nd periods respectively. Derek Smith tied it up after the Tangradi goal, and Erik Condra tied it up again in the 2nd. Then the Sens pulled away with goals by Zack Smith, Geoff Kinrade, and Jim O'Brien all in the 3rd period.
I say we just forget about this one.
Turkey Day
1. The bed of Pierrette and Jean Lemieux- Where young Mario was created sometime in early 1965. This was the moment of creation for essentially everything good that has happened to Pittsburgh hockey since 1990, and something every Pens fan should be thankful for.
2. Mohegan Sun Arena- Was nearly a lost cause little more than a decade ago had it not been for the hard work of some determined folks. Without this arena, hockey probably wouldn't hold the place in my life that it does and Northeast PA would be an area controlled by Flyers fans. (Scary thought)
3. Ed Rendell- Not often I thank him, but I will say that had he not funded the Consol Energy Center back in 2007, I would probably be doing my Pens blogging on some KC Royals/Chiefs blog somewhere distant on the interwebs. (Also a scary thought)
4. 2005 NHL Draft Lottery Ping Pong Ball- Had the ball that said Penguins not shown up on the top of the barrel, Sid would probably be in Buffalo or Columbus and the Pens would've ended up with either Bobby Ryan or Benoit Pouliot. (Maybe the scariest thought yet)
5. Gary Bettman- Ok, settle down jobbers. I say this because there is no denying how much better the NHL has gotten since the lockout. (NO MORE TIES) Plus the popularity of not only the Pens but the entire league has soared since then. Ok, yes the lockout was sort of his fault, but everything turned out ok in the long run.
6. Andy Chiodo- I firmly believe to this day that it was partially Chiodo's solid play that has made Fleury the goalie he is today. A little known fact about Mr Fleury is that for a while down in WBS, the fans completely rejected him in favor of Chiodo. Andy had the hot glove in '04, and Fleury had to commit himself to win his starts.
7. Bob Murray- (Ducks GM) Chris Kunitz AND Eric Tangradi for Ryan Whitney. HA, HA, and HA.
8. Dan Carcillo- Because fighting with a 3 goal lead is what all the cool kids do. Shhh........
9. Rob Scuderi- His SCF Game 6 play still remains one of the greatest things I've ever seen and possibly a Cup saver. (We'll never know for sure, but sudden death OT facing elimination is never a favorable situation.)
10. Patrick Kane- All the Chicago cabbies may feel differently, but the entire NHL thanks him for his GWG last June vs the Flyers. Did me a huge personal favor not to have to listen to chirping Flyers fans all summer.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
AHL Game 18: WBS 3, Albany 0
And while Curry was dominating on his side of the ice, the Pens were chewing up the Devils on theirs. Andrew Hutchinson put the Pens up on the board less than 2 minutes in when he received a beautiful pass from Dustin Jeffrey and wristed it into a half-empty net for a PP marker. Then the two would flip flop a few minutes later, with Hutchinson making a solid defensive steal and finding Jeffrey for a breakaway opportunity that Dustin buried for a short-handed goal. The Pens kept the pressure on all night to a degree, but toned things down a bit after Jeffrey's 1st period tally to focus on their mechanics and defense. Chris Collins would make it a 3 goal lead in the third after he punched a rebound past David Caruso following a Boulerice shot.
Caruso was not the original starter for Albany, who elected to go with Jeff Frazee instead. Frazee became injured sometime during the 1st period, and did not even take the ice to start the 2nd. Wins are always great, but the real highlight was the return of Robiturtle to Mohegan Sun Arena. Good ol' Louis was up to his usual tricks in the 1st period until Geoff Walker finally stepped in and dropped the gloves. Robitaille surprisingly did not turtle but he did receive quite the pounding from Walker in front of a nice Wednesday crowd in WBS. Penalties were plentiful throughout the game, as the AHL was trying out some kind of double referee system for this game.
Pens shouldn't get too stuffed with turkey, as they will be participating in Binghamton's annual Thanksgiving game tomorrow afternoon. Finish your dinner early and put Tom and Stoosh on the radio, as the game starts an hour earlier than usual.
Game 23: Pens 1, Sabres 0
Penguins- 1
-Pascal Dupuis (Crosby) 1-15:04
W- Fleury (30-30)
Sabres- 0
L- Enroth (28-29)
RECAP
The last time Marc-Andre Fleury recorded a shutout (March of last season vs Boston) it was overshadowed by the Cooke/revenge game in Boston. This time it was all about MAF, as he outdueled talented rookie Jhonas Enroth to lead his Pens to a 1-0 victory over the Sabres. Fleury, who wasn't even scheduled to start until Brent Johnson became ill earlier in the day, was sharp all night and made some incredibly clutch saves late in the 2nd and throughout the 3rd to keep the persistent Buffalo offense off the board.
The Penguins also struggled, as they usually do against rookie goalies, against Enroth but they did manage to put one up on the board. After a costly turnover straight to the stick of Sidney Crosby, rookie Luke Adams was unable to get back to cover Pascal Dupuis and Dupers buried one after a centering pass from Sid. It helped extend Sid's point streak to 10 games, while his nearest competition's (Vanek had 7) was broken.
Fleury was the anchor behind the tough Pens defense as well as their superb penalty kill unit. The Pens were faced with a tough back-to-back PK situation early in the 3rd but Flower would have none of it. Fleury has now statistically recovered from his rough start and is over .500 for the first time this season.
Game Changing Play
Adams' turnover right to Sid which led to the Dupuis goal. Even a rookie should know better than to hand it right to Sidney Crosby.
Grades:
Offense: C+ 1 goal on a rookie goalie isn't really anything to be proud of, but you can't dwell on that after a win. This grade would probably be in the lower C range if they lost.
Defense: B+ Didn't give Fleury an easy shutout by any means but their physical play and solid positioning (especially top pairing Letang and Orpik) wore down Buffalo as the game went on. It must also be noted that Michalek probably played his best game in a Pens uniform to date.
Fleury: A+ He gets the A+. 30 saves, many of them on quality shots. Can't ask for any more than that.
Powerplay: B They didn't look bad, but they just can't seem to finish. Eventually the PP goals will have to start coming, but for now it looks like they are shooting at a dart board rather than a 4x6.
Penalty Kill: A The penalty killers (especially Cooke, Talbot, and Adams) have really been the driving force to the team's recent success. Tonight was no different.
3 Big Points
-As I mentioned before, it was probably Zbynek Michalek's best game of the season. He made a few critical late blocks and was one of Fleury's main assets during the shutout.
-Mike Comrie got a chance to play, and it was also probably his best performance of the year. I don't think it will be enough to get his spot back for good (and by right it shouldn't be enough) but at least it's a start.
-Another off game for Malkin, but there is a positive we can find in that. Malkin will bounce back soon, and if the team can win like this without him contributing, than imagine how good they will be when he is back on his game.
My 3 Stars:
1. Marc-Andre Fleury
2. Jhonas Enroth
3. Pascal Dupuis
Penguins Gameday #23 (Sabres)
Sabres (8-11-3, 19 pts) (5th Northeast, 12th East)
Where: HSBC Arena
When: 7:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT
Hopefully the Pens' dads trip enjoyed their stay in Florida, because now they are heading off to Buffalo. But for as cold as it may be up there, the Pens are coming in red hot. 5-0-1 in their last 6, the Pens have worked their way right back into the mix with the top ranked teams like the Flyers and Caps and they can move up even further with a win against Buffalo. For the Sabres, the talent is there but they just cannot seem to put things together yet this season.
Opponents to Watch:
Derek Roy: Leads his team in goals, assists, points, and TOI. He's only about an inch taller than Chris Conner, but he sure does pack a punch,
Tyler Myers: Giant 6'8'' tree on the blue line that moves as well as anybody, this defending rookie of the year has established himself as a premiere NHL d-man.
Thomas Vanek: Buffalo's other scoring threat, Vanek provides the 1-2 tandem with Roy.
Keys to Victory:
-Attack whoever isn't Tyler Myers. It will probably be Sekera mostly, though Montador may also step in.
-I see Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz having big games because Buffalo's defense tends to zoom in on the star power (AKA Sid)
-Even if Buffalo does gain a substantial lead, keep chipping away because their defense does give up quite a few points.
Notes:
-Only Staal out for Pittsburgh
-Rob Niedermeyer is out for Buffalo. Ryan Miller will probably play, but he has been dealing with some groin problems of recent.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Game 22: Pens 3, Panthers 2
Penguins- 3
-Kris Letang (Martin, Crosby) 1-4:07
-Sidney Crosby (Kennedy Malkin) 1-11:07
-Chris Conner (Letestu, Michalek) 3-12:56
W- Fleury (27-29)
Panthers- 2
-Cory Stillman (Garrison, Frolik) 1-19:25
-Bryan McCabe (Booth, Thomas) 2-6:47
L- Vokoun (23-26)
RECAP
Chris Conner was called up a few weeks ago from WBS to fill in for struggling Mike Comrie and provide a spark for the Penguins' 3rd line with his incredible speed and stamina considering his size disadvantage. He had done everything the Pens hoped he would over the last few weeks, but tonight he did even more. Conner netted the game winning goal with 7 minutes to go that prevented Florida from completing their comeback and sent the Pens back on their way north with 2 points.
After Mark Letestu received an outlet pass on the side boards, he attempted to drive past the defenders to the net. While the defense was focusing mainly on him, it allowed Conner to burn his man and get himself wide open in front of the net for the pass which he promptly pushed past Vokoun for the score. Long before Conner's heroics, the Pens seemed like they would have this one wrapped up much earlier. Kris Letang struck first on a powerplay with a laser blast from the point to put the Pens up 1-0 and finally put a marker up on the man advantage. But the powerplay momentum would not stop there because Sid Crosby would bury another PP goal 7 minutes later with a smooth deke right around Vokoun.
Then the Panthers would get right back in it. With the final seconds ticking down in the first period Fleury made a save which popped straight up in the air. Before Flower could get himself across to finish the save, Cory Stillman came by and whacked the puck into the empty net. The goal was reviewed because it did hit off his hand, but the officials were unable to find any conclusive evidence to overturn the goal. Florida tied it up midway through the 2nd off a Bryan McCabe goal. Then it was up to the Pens PK unit to shut it down and keep the game leveled until Conner's goal.
Game Changing Play
If it wasn't clear already...yes, it was Conner's goal.
Grades:
Offense: B Not their best performance against a sub par defense but Vokoun is always tough against the Pens. Plus, they got enough to win and that's all that really matters.
Defense: B- Once again they weren't at their greatest and did allow way too many chances in the 2nd and 3rd, but they stepped up when it counted and kept the Pens ahead.
Fleury: B+ The McCabe goal was soff but it was still a very solid performance from Fleury.
Powerplay: A Wow, their powerplay was actually one of the most important deciding factors, going 2 for 3 and looking very good in the process.
Penalty Kill: A Shut down the Panthers 0 for 5. Granted that the Panthers PP unit hasn't been ranked very high, it was still as good as it gets for the Pens' red hot PK unit.
3 Big Points:
-Why was Mike Rupp scratched for Eric Godard? Nothing personal against Godard, but at least Rupp can be an effective in front of the net.
-The other lineup change was Ben Lovejoy in for Engelland. I'd expect to see Eggy back Wednesday, but it must be noted that Ben played a very solid game. Always good to know considering how the Pens' d-men drop like flies with injuries.
-Tyler Kennedy has picked his game back up to his 2009 level, and shouldn't even be considered anymore as one in danger of losing his sweater.
My 3 Stars:
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Chris Conner
3. Marc-Andre Fleury
Penguins Gameday #22 (Panthers)
Panthers (9-9-0, 18 pts) (5th Southeast, 12th East)
Where: Bank Atlantic Center
When: 7:30 ET
TV: FSNPIT
The Pens and their dads head down South to face the Panthers and attempt to keep their hot streak going. The Pens are coming off a weekend of rest, but now embark on a tough 4 game week. It would be nice to get things off to a good start, especially considering it is the Dads' trip. Injuries can be a major factor in this one, as both teams have quite a bit of star caliber talent that is questionable to play.
Opponents to Watch:
David Booth- Physical player that has also established himself as one of Florida's best scorers. He may not score tonight, but I would expect him to be right in the action at all times.
Michael Frolik- "The baby Jagr" is finally starting to come into his own with Florida, and leads the team with 12 points.
Thomas Vokoun- The Pens in the past have found ways to destroy the Panthers' defense but have had some difficulties beating Vokoun, and he has put up rediculous numbers. Quantity and quality of shots will be the key to beating Vokoun for the Pens.
Notes:
-Injuries may or may not be a factor for the Pens. Both Crosby and Kunitz left practice with some sort of unidentified injury, and Malkin did not skate at all. That is all the information that anyone has at this point, and no official listing has been made for the status of any of them.
-The Panthers also may or may not have injury problems. Byron Bitz and Steve Bernier are out for certain, but top center Stephen Weiss as well as talented wingers Steven Reinprecht and Rostislav Olesz are listed as questionable.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
AHL Game 17: WBS 2, Binghamton 1
Well Zach and Jesse had the golden sticks Sunday and their goals would be the deciding factor in the game. Binghamton obviously had a gameplan to shut down the top scoring talent of the Pens like Dustin Jeffrey, Brett Sterling, Tim Wallace, and Joe Vitale but they never would have thought to pay any special attention to the duo of Zach Sill and Jesse Boulerice.
After Geoff Kinrade put the Sens up 1-0 6:12 into the period, the grinding line of the Pens went to work to give them some momentum and energy, but instead they gave them a tie game. Jesse Boulerice leveled the Binghamton defenseman with the puck and managed to chip the puck out in front right to the waiting stick of Zach Sill. The 4th line would strike again in the 2nd, this time with Sill feeding it to Boulerice for the score.
Not to be lost in all this 4th line praise is the exceptional play of Brad Theissen. Theissen held off the early Senators onslaught (16 shots in 1st period) with minimal damage and then shut them down for the final 2 frames. He finished with 31 saves and improved his record to 9-1.
Games like this showcase the all-important depth of the Pens. Being an AHL team, there will be instances where your best players may be called away from you at moment's notice and the guys lower down in the depth chart need to step up. If Jesse Boulerice and Zach Sill can lead a team to victory with their scoring, then perhaps the upcoming callups (depending on the Sid/Kunitz situation) won't slow down the Pens a beat.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
AHL Game 16: WBS 4, Hershey 3
The first period was a lot of good defense and feeling each other out, as both teams combined for only 9 shots. Wilkes Barre-Scranton managed just 3 of those 9, but Brett Sterling made his count. Sterling buried his 5th of the season with assists from Walker and Vitale after he was able to blast his own rebound past goaltender Semyon Varlamov and gave his team the 1-0 intermission lead. Curiously, there was not a single penalty called in the 1st period either, so it really didn't look much at all like the normal Pens-Bears routine. The second would be somewhat similar except with an increase in shots and opportunities. Both Varlamov and Curry were on the top of their games, with the only goal of the period coming when Lawrence Nycholat took a powerplay slapshot to tie the game up at 1-1. But it still seemed like the game was missing a certain "back and forth" element, and the teams would compensate for that in the final 20 minutes of play.
The Pens wasted little time staking their claim to the critical 2 division points once the horn went off to start the 3rd. Brett Sterling was able to gain control of the puck right behind the Hershey net and send it out to a waiting Kevin Veilleux. Veilleux went freestyle after that and eventually the puck ended up in the back of the net with Varlamov sprawled out on the other side like a doormat. It certainly wasn't the type of move one would expect from a guy scoring his first goal of the season, but that kind of stick-handling is nothing new for Mr Veilleux. It wasn't just Kevin picking up his 1st of the season, though, and Brian Strait picked up his on a long wrist shot through traffic. 2 goal leads can sometimes be the hardest to defend, and it would take quite the effort by WBS to hold off Hershey's charge.
Hershey absolutely put on a powerplay clinic throughout the game, and it was the driving force behind their comeback. Andrew Gordon flipped one past the glove of Curry just 8 seconds after Chris Collins was whistled for interference, and Hershey was suddenly right back in it. Dustin Jeffrey would then give the Pens that all important multi-goal advantage again with less than 6 minutes to go, and it seemed like a lock for the Pens to hold on for the win. But nothing is a lock in Hershey, and the Bears got yet another powerplay goal from Gordon to cut the deficit back down to 1. WBS was able to effectively kill the next few minutes of the game and then hung on for dear life once Varlamov headed to the bench for the extra attacker.
Believe it. WBS is now 4-0 against their cross-state rivals. Even more important that that, they have gotten 8 points in those games compared to Hershey's 1. I'm still calling it to be a 2 horse race between those 2 but for now there are several other division opponents very much in the mix as well. One of those opponents is the Binghamton Senators, and the Pens get a shot at reconciling for their blowout loss last weekend when the Sens travel to Mohegan Sun Arena tomorrow afternoon.
Pirates Protect Five
All three were arbitration eligible and really none of them deserved any kind of raise. Duke certainly isn't a $5 million dollar pitcher with the Buccos. I wouldn't be surprised if he went somewhere and had a little success, but he will never achieve what he did in that one magical half season he has become so overrated for.
Andy LaRoche may have a chance to be a player, but you can't argue with his lack of results. His defense got really good after his first season, but just as quickly regressed back to it's normal state (lackluster). His bat never showed up for the Buccos (.226/.296/.341) and he played at exactly replacement level in his time here.
Delwyn Young is nothing special. He somehow manages to play worse defense than Lastings Milledge and has a very pedestrian .705 OPS over his years with the Buccos. Most of that has been spent pinch hitting so he's gotten quite a few of those hits against relievers, and not always the best ones. He is a man without a position, and he doesn't have the type of bat to justify that.
The Pirates added 5 players to the 40 man roster, all of them pitchers.
Everyone's favorite whipping boy Daniel Moskos is the first. Everyone knows the story of Moskos being drafted over Matt Weiters, and many seem to either blame Moskos or want him to fail because of that. He has had a very up and down minor league career to say the least, but he seemed to turn it around after being put back into a reliever role.
He really wasn't too bad as a starter though, posting a 3.74 ERA in his last season in the rotation. He stayed at AA the next season and pitched out of the pen where he was phenomenal (1.52 ERA with 21 saves), but he struggled mightily at the AAA level. I would expect him to start out at AAA again, but if he has enough success I don't think him moving up at the deadline (if we make some trades and need relievers) is out of the question at all.
Tony Watson is a bit interesting to me. He is a pretty soft thrower (mid-80's as a starter) who split time between the bullpen and the rotation. He was very good for Altoona, but did so in his second year while in his second year at that level at 25 years old. He gives up his fair share of hits, but he doesn't walk a lot of guys. Last year was definitely a career year for Watson, in fact it was tops in ERA, WHIP, H/9, SO, and SO/9. That said unless the rotation is in shambles (pretty likely actually) I don't see him getting much of a chance other than as a reliever. He will probably start out at AAA and, again, his promotion will depend a lot on what type of moves the Pirates make, although if Burres struggles early Watson would probably be a strong candidate to take over for him.
The Pirates protecting Jeff Locke should come as no surprise. Locke very well may be a top ten prospect in the system and there was no way they were going to let him go. He was very consistent this year even while making the jump from Bradenton to Altoona after 17 starts. He has posted pretty solid numbers since coming over in the Mclouth trade. He walks very few batters and last season struck out nearly a batter an inning. He does give up his share of hits, but that's a trend throughout, but he keeps the ball in the park. He still has plenty of work to do, but he could have been hidden in a bullpen, and it was a smart move to protect him.
Michael Crotta has been a starter his whole career in the minors, but he's not exactly dominating and really never has been. He doesn't throw all that hard and has never posted a sub-4 ERA in any full season. He is the typical groundball pitcher, who gives up a ton of hits. That allows him to keep the ball in the park, but he is a lot like a right-handed Zach Duke. Probably won't be a starter at the ML level, and really would be surprised if he was ever a really good reliever in the Majors as well. Still he has the talent that he probably could pitch respectably enough at the ML to warrant being protected.
Kyle McPherson is a bit of an odd choice. He hasn't had any success or even a chance above A ball, and only had 4 appearances above high A. It would be very tough to hide a guy like McPherson for a full season on the ML-roster, and at this stage in his development would probably be pretty damaging to the pitcher to try. McPherson strikes out a ton of guys, and had a great SO/BB ratio this season (4.23).
Any news is exciting, but I don't really see much of a big deal with any of these moves. Most of them are pretty logical. Although if I was going to keep Watson I would have DFA'd Burres as well. Burres isn't good, and I think Watson could do what Burres does. I also don't think Burres would have been picked up because there are much better options out there. That would have allowed us to protect Eric Fryer, who plays ML ready defense now and could be easily protected in the backup catcher role.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Game 21: Pens 5, Hurricanes 4
Penguins- 5
-Chris Kunitz (Malkin, Crosby) 1-8:55
-Tyler Kennedy (Crosby, Letang) 1-11:15
-Sidney Crosby (Michalek, Malkin) 1-8:15
-Chris Kunitz (Crosby, Malkin) 3-8:18
SHOOTOUT
Letang- GOAL
Crosby- GOAL
W- Fleury (30-34) (2-2 SO)
Hurricanes- 4
-Brandon Sutter (Pitkanen, Jokinen) 1-0:42
-Patrick Dwyer (Jokinen, White) 1-15:46
-Jussi Jokinen (McBain, Dwyer) 2-11:19
-Jussi Jokinen (Staal, Ruutu) 3-19:08
SHOOTOUT
Skinner- MISS
Jokinen- SAVE
L- Peters (32-36) (0-2 SO)
RECAP
The Pens squeaked out a close one, and quite frankly sometimes its better not to ask questions and just take the 2 points and run. Right off the bat Carolina took a 1-0 lead off of a Brandon Sutter goal, but Pittsburgh dug deep to recover. Chris Kunitz was on a rampage Friday night, and he was the one who tied the game with a wrist shot following a nice setup from Malkin. Tyler Kennedy gave the Pens a 2-1 lead a few minutes later with a empty net tap in set up by a cross ice feed across the paint from his buddy Sid. (It's a wonder Sid didn't gift wrap it as an early Christmas present) Carolina tied the game a bit later in the 1st though when Patrick Dwyer capitalized on mass confusion in the Pens' defensive zone and chipped it past Fleury. Fleury had no idea where it was (neither did any of the d-men) until it was in the back of the net.
Sid put the Pens back on top with a nice slapshot. On that play, Evgeni Malkin got an assist and also his 400th career point. Of course the Canes would get back into it again when Jussi Jokinen tapped it into a completely empty net when Carolina again capitalized on some defensive confusion and easily tied up the game. Then Kunitz notched his 2nd goal of the night on a play that I'm sure will be analyzed heavily over the next few days.
Kunitz fired one point blank into Peters and the puck eventually trickled through his pads and into the back of the net. As the puck was loose behind Peters and working its way across the line the official blew his whistle. It was called no goal on the ice, but was overturned after further review and counted as a good goal. One can never count on a television soundtrack to be 100% accurate and it really was too close to call, but the most important thing to remember is that the whistle should have never been blown in the first place. I don't care when it blew because the last time I checked you weren't supposed to whistle down a live puck. Needless to say, its a good goal and should have been surely enough to put the game to bed.
But it wasn't. In their 2nd last-minute defensive choke in the last 3 games, the Pens gave up the game tying goal with just 52 seconds remaining in the contest and the game was headed to OT. Not really much to talk about in overtime other than a few decent chances both ways but nothing spectacular.
Shooutout Roundup:
-Kris Letang put down an absolutely incredible juke on Peters when he went to the backhand in the last minute and then elevated it right into the twine. GOAL
-Jeff Skinner got a little too creative and eventually fired the puck over the crossbar. Even if he did score it probably wouldn't have counted because he went backwards for a stride when approaching the net. MISS
-Sidney Crosby simplified his approach and flicked it right through the five-hole to put the Pens up 2-0. GOAL
-Jussi Jokinen went as wide as he always did and then tried one of his famous backhand drag moves but Fleury was able to stretch himself out like a rubber band and get the pad out to stop him. SAVE
Game Changing Play:
Letang's shootout goals was one of the best I've seen in a while and would give the Pens all they would need for victory.
Grades:
Offense: B+ They had some ups and downs for were on the upside for the most part.
Defense: C They just weren't that good. They made several critical mistakes that lead to goals and several more that could have just as well been goals. I guess no harm no foul but they looked more confused that anything.
Fleury: B He really didn't play all that great throughout the game but that last save on Jokinen has to count for something.
Powerplay: B+ Only had 2 opportunities. They scored their first goal just a few seconds after their first PP had expired, and it was essentially the powerplay unit that scored it. Kunitz's controversial 2nd goal was also on the powerplay.
Penalty Kill: A- Only had to go to work twice (both times on Engelland penalties) and killed both off efficiently.
3 Big Points:
-Not only did Kunitz contribute on the scoreboard, but he was hitting and hustling like a man possessed. Perhaps the greatest embodiment of this hustle is when he leaped up full extension on the Pens' first PP to grab the puck down with the glove and hold it in the zone. This later prompted the Dan Potash nickname "Air Kunitz." Wonder if it will stick?
-Probably the cleanest game the Pens have been involved in all year. No fights and hardly even any shoving after the whistles. Carolina isn't really a physical team, but this was exceptionally clean even for them.
-I noticed that in the 3rd period Bylsma had Asham and Malkin separated. I would say that was a mistake because they have so much good chemistry together.
My 3 Stars:
1. Chris Kunitz
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Jussi Jokinen
RMU falls to Mercyhurst 3-1
1. ZAPOLSKI, Ryan - MC
2. TERMINESI, Jeff - MC
3. JAMISON, Brendan - RMU
Zach Duke, Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young DFA'd
The Pirates needed to protect players for the Rule 5 draft, and to do that, this happened. Zach Duke, Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young have been designated for assignment.
Jenifer Langosch is reporting that Neal Huntington tried to work out a contract with Duke and also looked at trade possiblites with no success.(SHOCKER)
All three were arbitration eligible and the Pirates needed to clear room. This is not a huge loss, it's the opposite. The Pirates almost certainly will be more aggressive in the free agent market now. Zach Duke is not a $5M a year pitcher.
If no team claims them (LaRoche and Young will be, Duke won't) they become free agents.
Michael Crotta, Jeff Locke, Kyle McPherson, Daniel Moskos and Tony Watson have been added to the roster that now stands at 40.
It's late November and I'm talking about the Pirates. I couldn't be happier.
AHL Game 15: Norfolk 4, WBS 1
The Pens actually drew first blood 5:39 into the first when Tim Wallace put one home on the powerplay to give WBS the opening lead. Then the Pens decided to take a nap for the rest of the game. The Ads tied it up midway through the first when Chris Durno beat Theissen, and the score would remain tied at the 1st intermission. It would not stay that way for very long though, because Blair Jones hit the ground running in the 2nd with a goal just 46 seconds into the period. Jones struck again later in the 2nd with another goal and this one would be enough to break the back of the Pens for good. The Pens tried to mount a comeback, but that came to an end when Alex Berry buried an empty netter in the final minute.
The truth is that this really wasn't a "sandwich game" for the Pens. They are actually ahead of Hershey in the standings, and are a serious threat to the division. Yet apparently Hershey was following the same theory in waiting for the Pens, and fell 4-2 to Binghamton.
An interesting side note to this game was that both Steve Yzerman and Bill Guerin were in attendance at the WB. Yzerman was obviously watching over his young prospects, but Guerin? Maybe a scout? Position coach? Or just enjoying some hockey? If he did enjoy it, he was probably the only one.
Brandon Moss Gets Invite to Phillies Camp
Former Pirates OF Brandon Moss has received a Non-Roster Invite to Phillies camp this Spring, joining his teammate from AAA Indianapolis Erik Kratz. His time with the Pirates started off well enough, but he was a major disappointment, I'm sure he'll turn it around now with the Phillies and make the team out of camp.
Penguins Gameday #21 (Hurricanes)
Hurricanes (9-9-0, 18 pts) (3rd Southeast, 9th East)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT
The Pens are on a roll and hope to continue it tonight when the Canes come into town. The Pens played arguably one of their best games of the season so far against Carolina already, and shut them out 3-0.
Opponents to Watch:
-Jussi Jokinen: Speedy forward who knows how to put the puck in the net. Also quite deadly on breakaways and shootouts.
-Jeff Skinner: Surprise rookie of the year thus far, Skinner is in his first pro season after being drafted and putting up the numbers that one would expect from Hall or Seguin. It also may have something to do with his usual linemates, one of whom is Jokinen and the other is next on this list.
-Eric Staal: Hands down one of the best scoring power forwards in the league. Also team captain and leads his team in goals, assists, and points.
Notes:
-Canes look healthy, and the only injury from the Pens is Jordan Staal.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Game 20: Pens 3, Canucks 1
Penguins- 3
-Sidney Crosby (Talbot, Orpik) 1-16:43
-Maxime Talbot (Cooke) 2-5:43
-Arron Asham (Rupp, Martin) 2-9:04
W- Fleury (29-30)
Canucks- 1
-Dan Hamhuis (Sedin, Sedin) 2-9:38
L- Luongo (26-29)
RECAP
The Penguins put together one of their best, well-rounded games of the season to date and got back on the winning track with a 3-1 victory over Vancouver. In a game that was hyped to be mostly featuring the Crosby-Malkin combo vs the Sedin twins, it was the penalty killers that stepped up and were the ultimate difference for the Pens. Of course, a little star power never hurts either. Sidney Crosby put the Pens on the board late in the 1st with a wide-open breakaway goal following a penalty. Maxime Talbot and the PK unit on the ice timed it perfectly, and the pass was waiting for Sid as soon as he exited the box. Then the penalty kill would further kick it up another notch.
Maxime Talbot scored a shorthanded goal early in the 2nd on a nice wrap-around that flat out beat Luongo. Luongo tried to slid across the crease, but Talbot had already stuffed the puck past the post at that point. Then the Pens got a crucial insurance goal when Arron Asham poked it into a semi-empty net after a whole bunch of confusion in front left the puck open in the crease. Vancouver would score a few seconds later, but that was as close as they would come.
It was another solid game for Fleury, who racked up 29 saves and let in just 1 goal. It is his 3rd win in the last 4 games, and his form continues to improve as the young season progresses.
Game Changing Play:
Talbot's shorthanded goal was the difference maker as well as the momentum shift.
Grades:
Offense: B+ Functioned very well as an overall unit, and many of their 29 shots were quality scoring chances. It is not easy to beat Roberto Luongo 3 times in the regular season, and the Pens did just that.
Defense: A- Shut down the twins for the most part and kept pressure off Fleury. The Canucks still got their shots, but none that were wide open or easy.
Fleury: A- Very well done. He just keeps looking better and better as the games progress.
Powerplay: ? Only had 1 1/2 chances and did not convert but still that isn't enough to grade on.
Penalty Kill: A+ Enough said. Vancouver came into the game with the 2nd rated PP in the league and the Pens held the PP unit scoreless and set up 2 goals on the PK.
3 Big Points:
-Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang made one mistake on the Vancouver goal, but for the most part did a great job keeping the Sedin twins quiet. Holding them each to 1 assist is a positive for any team.
-Malkin and Asham just keep getting better with each other. They function well together because Asham is often the one either setting up Malkin for the drive or trying to clean up the rebound.
-Chris Conner is playing like he wants to stay, and has been working as hard as anyone out there to compensate for his size disadvantage.
My 3 Stars:
1. Maxime Talbot
2. Marc-Andre Fleury
3. Sidney Crosby
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
AHL Game 14: WBS 4, Albany 1
In front of a pitiful number of just 1478 fans (Albany ranks last in the AHL in attendance), the Devils got off to a hot start. They efficiently killed off an early WBS powerplay, and then struck back with a powerplay goal of their own by Tyler Eckford. This would be about the only good news all night for the Devils' fans, as the Pens took over the game midway through the first and refused to give it back.
Dustin Jeffrey got the Pens on the board midway through the 1st with a powerplay strike to tie the game up and completely shift the momentum in the direction of the visitors. Captain Ryan Craig would capitalize on that momentum early in the 2nd when he tipped in a Chris Collins strike to give WBS the 2-1 lead. Andrew Hutchinson would blast one past Frazee a few minutes later on the powerplay to give WBS a very comfortable 3-1 lead. Eric Tangradi's 2nd goal since returning from PIT would seal the deal after he took a nice feed from Dustin Jeffrey and fired it into the twine. This total domination by one team usually means that the losing team would be the ones involved in the extra-curriculars, but it was Zach Sill of the Pens that started the major conflict of the night. After apparently an entire game worth of becoming "familiar" with each other, Sill wanted a piece of Michael Swift but instead got an entire line full of Devils swarming him out of the crease. Hopefully Zach will have a little sit-down chat with coach Hynes rather than the AHL authorities getting involved.
It wasn't a really busy night for Brad Theissen, who saw only 19 shots all game long. Although sometimes facing a low number of shots can have a negative effect on a goaltender, Theissen looked mostly unphased en route to 18 saves and yet another win to add to his record. It's interesting to see Hynes finally break the chain of Curry-Theissen, and possibly implies that there is a favorite for the sspot
Steelers Cut Jeff Reed, Sign Shaun Suisham
Just had to get that out of the way, but seriously if you are against Jeff Reed being cut your reasoning can only have to do with the past. Jeff Reed has been absolutely useless this season. He has been the worst kicker in the league who hasn't lost their job up until this point.
Not only that but from many accounts he has been a complete disaster in the locker room, which fits in perfectly with his persona outside of it.
Shaun Suisham is not good, I get it, but neither is Jeff Reed, not at all. Reed was done with this team, he may go be decent somewhere else but I doubt it. He is not "clutch", he is not a "winner" he is just an idiot kicker. He has made some big field goals, and he has missed some big field goals.
Jeff Reed begged to get thrown off this team with his latest bout of idiocy, taking it to the fans that make his job possible. He knew exactly what he was doing, and if he doesn't want to play for this team then it's best he gets stepping.
Enjoy your time with the Bengals you loser, you'll fit right in with that crowd.
Jorge De La Rosa is Pirates Top Target
He has fine stuff. His fastball tops at 96, which is above average for a LHP, and his changeup is just nasty. He isn't a huge fly ball guy, and actually came through with very good GB numbers (52.3%). That can be good or bad, depending on the team behind him. Remember this team routinely killed their ground ball pitchers in the field.
De La Rosa has played under coach Clint Hurdle in Colorado, and the hope is that maybe he could have some clout with De La Rosa to bring him in here.
Fact is De La Rosa, definitely not an ace, probably would become the best pitcher on the roster. He would also allow the Pirates to non-tender Duke if they want to.
All that said, I don't know if it's a great signing. De La Rosa will probably cost the Buccos between $10 - $12 million a season. That's just too much for a guy with a career ERA over 5, who walks a batter once every other inning (4.5 BB/9). Even in his best years he has had a pretty high WHIP.
Lastly, he is a Type A Free Agent, so in addition to a hefty salary the Pirates would also lose their second round draft pick.
I would definitely be open to Jorge De La Rosa, if you can get him for $10 million or less, any higher than that and he becomes a pretty big risk. This would be the biggest FA signing the Pirates have made under the new regime and would be something they would be judged heavily on either way.
So on one hand you have the risk, and on the other hand you have the fact that this team will need to take risks if they ever want to compete.
De La Rosa has the stuff, and talent to be a top flight pitcher. He needs to learn how to be consistent, and maybe control his pitches better.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Game 19: Rangers 3, Pens 2
Rangers- 3
-Erik Christensen (Fedotenko, Gilroy) 2-10:16
-Marc Staal (Dubinsky) 3-18:34
-Ryan Callahan (Dubinsky) OT-3:38
W- Lundqvist (37-39)
Penguins- 2
-Chris Kunitz (Malkin, Crosby) 3-17:29
-Matt Cooke (Dupuis) 3-18:07
L- Fleury (22-25)
RECAP
Trying to describe the last 2 minutes of this game can be enough material for 2 games. Basically, all you need to know about the first 57 1/2 minutes of the game was that the Pens dominated but so did Lundqvist and somehow Erik Christensen managed to deflect it off some traffic and into the net. The Pens squandered several major powerplay opportunities during this majority of the game, and it appeared that they were on their way to a 1-0 loss.
Then everything changed. Just a few moments after being robbed on a point blank chance, Chris Kunitz pushed a rebound past Lundqvist to tie the game up at 1 and send the capacity crowd into a frenzy. But if you thought CEC was loud then, you should have heard it 38 seconds later. Matt Cooke took a pass in the offensive zone and walked in relatively unguarded as he fired a wrister past Lundqvist to put Pittsburgh up 2-1. While the Pens celebrated, Lundqvist was furious with himself for allowing a goal of that nature and slammed his stick violently over the crossbar. This earned him a 2 minute unsportsmanlike and left his team on the PK for the rest of the period.
And just when it seemed that the Pens would just run out the clock (and that was EXACTLY what they were ONLY trying to do), the Rangers struck back. Brandon Dubinsky marched the puck right up the ice and gained the offensive zone, and before the Rangers could even get the extra attacker (to even it up at 5 on 5) out on the ice, the puck had found its way directly to Marc Staal. Staal fired a point blank shot past Fleury to tie the game up and erase all the momentum gained by the Pens. The Pens seemed to have recovered and once again commanded the tempo of overtime, but all it takes is one mistake to change the entire game. With less than 1 minute 1/2 remaining in overtime, Zbynek Michalek fell over his own legs and Brandon Dubinsky blew right past him on the side boards en route to a 2 on 1 breakaway. Dubinsky then put a slick deke (that even I have to admire) on Paul Martin and dished it to a wide open Ryan Callahan for the tap in. As heartbreaking as it was to watch, it was probably one of the best stickhandling plays of the season thus far and props to Dubinsky for that.
Game Changing Play:
There are so many to choose from considering the game changed so many times at the end, but I am going to be a bit abstract. Lundqvist never throws his tantrum = his team not being inspired nor do the Pens fall into a complecent lazy prevent on their powerplay. Pens don't get lazy on their powerplay = no game-tying goal = game never gets into overtime = 2-1 Pens.
Grades:
Offense: B+ They actually looked quite good, but up until the end King Henry had an answer for nearly all of their shots.
Defense: B+ Set aside those 2 mistakes at the end and you actually have a very nice performance by the D unit. Shut down Gaborik and his cherrypicking all game and held the Rags to just 22 shots in regulation.
Fleury: B 2 goals against isn't a bad performance (because the 3rd was impossible). Most days this would have been enough to get the W.
Powerplay: D 0 for 6, gave up the game winning goal shorthanded, and had no sense of organization. They were trying to get shots to the net, but looked like a cluttered chaos all game long when trying to set up the PP attack. Defenseman were shifting too low and then taking horrible routes back to the point, and the forwards were often too deep.
Penalty Kill: ? Never had a chance to get to work.
3 Big Points
-Letang and Orpik were very effective in shutting down Gaborik with the double-team move. Letang would chase him down from behind while Orpik would be waiting in front to break up the play. I like the way those 2 play together, and I also like the Martin-Michalek pairing.
-Arron Asham put out another solid performance for Pittsburgh. He doesn't always score, but his fundamentals are as solid as any grinder in the NHL. There is nothing special about his shooting/skating abilities but his positioning on the ice and his very accurate shooting are just as valuable to the Pens as his hitting and fighting abilities.
-If you want to see the glass as "half full," the Pens at least got a point out of a game that looked like they weren't going to get any.
My 3 Stars
1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Brandon Dubinsky
3. Chris Kunitz
Defending Dejan
There seems to be a considerable amount of outrage today since it was announced that Dejan left Jason Heyward off his ballot. This outrage comes mostly from the bloggers, the Sabr pseudo-experts who think that baseball basically comes down to a few numbers in a stat line and of course the national media, who are surprised that baseball exists outside of Boston and New York, or wherever the World Series champion came from.
First off let's say that Dejan did rank the winner of the award with number 1. So the person he picked for Rookie of the Year did in fact win. Where it gets so unbelievably crazy is that he had both Neil Walker and Jose Tabata on his ballot instead of media darling Jason Heyward.
Heyward was better with the stick this season. Not substantially better, but better none the less. Heyward put up a .277/.393/.456 line with 18 homers. That's good for a .849 OPS or second in the NL amongst Rookies. Neil Walker put up a .811 OPS that put him all the way down at third place. Jose Tabata? While much lower he was good enough for 7th amongst rookies. Not that big of a gap there. In fact Neil Walker had a higher SLG than Heyward, and both of them hit for a higher average.
All that proves though is that Heyward had the better stick though, just not by much.
When you look at defense though you see that Tabata is MUCH better, while Walker is pretty much his equal. Jason Heyward is below average for his position in both RF/9 and RF/G. His Fielding Percentage is also below league average for his position.
On the other hand Jose Tabata is better than average in the massive PNC LF in all three categories. Jose Tabata held a MUCH higher percentage of his runners than Jason Heyward (66.4% to 44.6%) while Tabata put up a UZR/150 of 11.4 compared to Heyward's paltry 6.6. Tabata is clearly the much better defender.
It's impossible to directly compare Walker and Heyward because of the difference in positions but it's safe to say that in his first season playing second base (literally ever!) Neil Walker was pretty pedestrian, just like Heyward.
The reason we have local writers voting on these things is that they get to see things the National Media doesn't. It would not surprise me one bit if you asked a few sports writers who Neil Walker was and you got a blank stare.
It's basic group think. Attack the guy whose opinion differs.
What's worse? The fact that Heyward didn't get his name on one ballot or the fact that both Tabata and Neil Walker ONLY got their names on one ballot?
Penguins Gameday #19 (Rangers)
Rangers (9-7-1, 19 pts) (2nd Atlantic Division, 4th East)
Where: Consol Energy Center
When: 7:00 ET
TV: FSNPIT, MSG
It certainly took long enough for the Rangers to make their 1st of 6 appearances on the Pens' schedule, but it comes at a high point for both teams. The Pens are coming off a solid weekend in which they outscored their opponents 9-3, and the Rangers just finished a 8-2 shellacking of Edmonton yesterday. Winner of this game gets the upper hand in chasing down the Flyers for the division.
Opponents to Watch:
-Marian Gaborik: He is finally healthy again, and already off to a hot start (3 goals and an assist yesterday). He is by far the greatest weapon in the Rags' arsenal.
-Ruslan Fedotenko: He is having a decent year thus far with NY, but more importantly he is familiar with many of the Pens' tendencies.
-Brandon Dubinsky: Really coming into his own this year, and leads his team in goals (10) and points (15). He also brings energy to the lineup.
Notes:
-Staal is the only listed injury for the Pens.
-Rangers have a few injuries of note. Scorer Chris Drury, PF Vinny Prospal, and defenseman Michal Rozsival are all out.
-Lundqvist's status for the Rangers is uncertain, as he has been battling illness. If he is unable to play, we will likely see Biron.
3:00 pm- Tyler Kennedy is likely out for tonight with some sort of illness. Comrie will start in his place.
3:10 pm- Conner/Godard. Not sure who will play tonight.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Steelers vs. Patriots Inactives
QB Charlie Batch Third QB
S Will Allen
RB Jonathan Dwyer
WR Antonio Brown
DE Aaron Smith
OT Chris Scott
OG Chris Kemoeatu
Patriots:
RB Fred Taylor
OG Stephen Neal
S Jarrad Page
NT Myron Pryor
CB Darius Butler
LT Mark Levoir
OG Rich Ohrnberger
WR Taylor Price
Pirates Hire Hurdle
I feel pretty "meh" about this singing. The Pirates could have done a whole lot worse than Hurdle, and the man clearly deserves a shot. He was pretty good in Colorado, getting them to the World Series one year, but he has a losing record with the team.
There will be an 11 AM press conference to announce the singing tomorrow. No word on who will be on his staff, but I really hope he isn't pressured to keep anyone on. If the Pirates are serious about changing the culture they have to let their manager change it.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Game 18: Pens 4, Thrashers 2
Penguins- 4
-Evgeni Malkin (Asham, Letang) 2-13:22
-Sidney Crosby (Engelland, Malkin) 3-2:41
-Evgeni Malkin (Martin, Crosby) 3-4:42
-Evgeni Malkin (EN) (Crosby, Cooke) 3-18:58
W- Fleury (31-33)
Thrashers- 2
-Brent Sopel (Burmistrov, Stewart) 1-2:41
-Niclas Bergfors (Kane, Burmistrov) 3-10:45
L- Pavelec (24-27)
RECAP
Evgeni Malkin had quite a difficult time figuring out a rubik's cube Saturday afternoon before the Pens took the ice. It may have been the only difficulty he had all night. Malkin took the game into his own hands Saturday night, and contributed 3 goals and an assist en route to a 4-2 win over the Thrashers. It was Geno's 1st hattie of the season, and the first this season by a Penguin.
Malkin's 1st goal of the night was an absolute dart aimed straight at Pavelec's 5 hole. Geno fired the game-tying laser after receiving a nice dish pass from Arron Asham. Then it was Malkin's turn to play the helper role when he dished a long pass across to Deryk Engelland, who threw it off Crosby's waiting stick and into the net. It was Sid's 12th goal of the season, and he also picked up 2 more assists to tie Stamkos for the points lead. While I'm sure Malkin was happy enough to celebrate with his teammates, he grabbed the glory again later in the third when he knocked a pass from Paul Martin out of mid-air, bounced it off the back boards, and then stuffed it past Pavelec to put the Pens up 3-1. Malkin completed the hat trick with an empty net put-away goal with about a minute remaining. It may have only been an empty netter but it still took some good hustle on Geno's part to beat the defender.
While Malkin was lighting it up, his pal Fleury was ice cold back in the defensive zone. Fleury turned away 31 of 33 shots for his 2nd win in as many days and some more well-deserved praise. Fleury's 31 saves were all important, but none more than his absolute highway robbery on Burmistrov and Ben Eager with 4 minutes left in the game.
Game Changing Play:
Malkin's 2nd goal of the game turned out to be the difference maker, so therefore it has been chosen over the other 2.
Grades:
Offense: A- Not quite as good of an overall balanced and spirited performance by everyone like last night, but hey...When you have the superstar talent, use it.
Defense: B+ Fleury saw 33 shots including some quality opportunities, but the Pens' defense was able to control the damage and eliminate 2nd and 3rd chances from Atlanta's initial opportunities.
Fleury: A- Made some massive saves late to keep the Pens ahead. Can't blame him for the 1st goal he let in. Michalek, Adams, and Boulten were all standing right in front of him. As far as Bergfors's goal, I cannot explain it. Fleury's positioning was fine, he was squared up to the shot, and he got there in enough time. The puck just went through a hole that wasn't there.
Powerplay: B Their 1st powerplay of the game may have been their worst of the season, but they recovered after that. Malkin's 2nd goal was on the powerplay.
Penalty Kill: A Held Atlanta's red-hot PP to 0-5. The regulars like Adams, Talbot, and Cooke were out doing work like usual and did some fine work tonight.
3 Big Points:
-As crazy as this sounds, sometimes it seems like Malkin's value to the team can be a bit under appreciated. Everyone recognizes his talent, but sometimes it seems like he gets grouped as Crosby's "sidekick." It's games like this one that make you sit back and wonder where the team would be without the 2nd head of the 2-headed monster.
-Craig Adams has been awesome these last few games. He will probably get no recognition for his efforts by the mainstream media, but his PK work and just the toughness and energy he brings to the table was a driving force for both games this weekend. Therefore, he gets a shoutout from me.
-Pens have officially made it back over the .500 mark. (9-8-1) Hopefully it will be behind them for the rest of the season.
My 3 Stars:
1. Evgeni Malkin
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Marc-Andre Fleury