First off, let me apologize for the lack of blogs over the past couple days. I had some unexpected computer issues that precluded me from posting. Everything is back to normal and I am back live and screaming…or, um…writing.

Though the game was two days ago, I would like to bring up a couple of things from Saturday evening’s victory on Long Island starting with Jordan Staal.

Jordo brought his best effort of the season and actually put the puck past a real live goaltender. Sure he got on the board a week earlier in St. Louis, but that was into an empty net -- Staal’s breakaway goal looked a lot like the kind he scored with regularity during his rookie season. He used his speed to get into the open, used his hand eye coordination to control the puck and used his power to get around the Islander defense. Once he was in front of Joey Macdonald he made a move and roofed the puck off of the cross bar and in the net. From the moment that puck crossed the goal line, you could see Staal’s demeanor change from concerned and worried to outright relief. The smile that poured across his face was one of the biggest he has ever produced.

After the goal, Staal found himself on the second line and didn’t look out of place. He played the rest of the game with Petr Sykora and Evgeni Malkin.

Speaking of Evgeni Malkin…I was among those holding my breath after he took a slap shot to the left hand. He seemed to be in excruciating pain on the player bench and spent a significant amount of time icing the injury. My dismay grew when he did not accompany his teammates back onto the ice after the intermission, but all fears evaporated soon thereafter once he returned to action. Time will tell if there are any lingering effects. On the bright side, Malkin picked up his league leading 18th assist and still sits one point ahead of the pack in the overall-scoring race.

The Penguins got the chance to doll out some of the medicine that they have been forced to take on more than one occasion this season…the dreaded third period collapse pill. Your Pittsburgh Penguins found themselves trailing by a goal as the third period got underway, but they served up a ladle of their offensive hospitality that might have blown the game wide open if not for the splendid play of Joey Macdonald. The Islander goaltender looked like Billy Smith in preserving the one goal lead for most of the period and then keeping the game tied once the Penguins finally beat him.

The ice seemed horrible throughout the game and it really took away from the flow at times. Many players found themselves on their backsides and I am thrilled that no one was hurt. Brooks Orpik looked as if he twisted a knee on one trip into the Islanders zone, but all ended up being fine.

Sidney Crosby still looks like a frustrated hockey player. A lot of that might have to do with the fact that he is playing at less than 100 %, but he just doesn’t seem to be himself. He is struggling to score goals and is currently on pace for 19…he is still making some amazing plays on the ice, but he seems to be going through some tumultuous times in his young career.
Lastly, blame the referee for the shootout goal controversy. As soon as he signaled no goal on the ice, the Islanders were doomed. There was no video footage available that would have reversed the call…the footage has got to be clear in showing the entire puck over the goal line to reverse a “no goal” call. That just didn’t exist based on the fact that the galvanized disk lodged in Sabourin’s pad. Nothing short of an X-ray machine could have made the call. Though the goalie slid into the net, there was no way to tell where the puck was in proximity to the goal line…if the ref signals goal, it counts for all the same reasons. It was a tough bounce, but one I will take for the two points that came attached to it.

Pens Cross Swords With Former Playoff Hero

All of Penguin Nation is aflutter over tomorrow night’s match up, one that pits the Penguins against former playoff hero Marian Hossa. It will certainly be interesting to watch how things play out in the rematch of the Stanley Cup Final.

Hoss rubbed a lot of Penguins fans the wrong way when he chose to take “less” money to go to the team that had just eliminated the Flightless Bird in 6 games to claim the Stanley Cup on Mellon Arena ice. The Penguins might have been offering more years and money in their proposed deal, but Hossa did precisely what we usually accuse players of not doing…he followed his heart and accepted less for the chance to do something special. Who knows, that something special might have happened here for him and on the flip side, it may never happen for him in Hockey Town, but it was the chance he felt he had to take.

Who can spite someone for taking the opportunity to do his job wherever he so chooses in the first year that he was able to make such a move? This one stung a bit more based on the fact that the team that is nearest and dearest to our hearts played the part of the jilted lover, but had it happened to anyone else we wouldn’t be crying foul.

The Penguins have said and done all of the right things since Hoss left town, but some recent comments by Max Talbot leave you wondering if there are a lot more hurt feelings floating around than the team originally let on.

It also makes you wonder how the team will react to skating on the same sheet of frozen water with their former comrade. Will Hossa be just another opponent or will the Brooks Orpiks of the world take the opportunity to express some pent up frustrations…after all, Brooks is the leading hitter in the league. Nothing dirty, just a tap or four to say thanks for the memories.

Hopefully the whole Hoss situation doesn’t cause the Penguins to lose focus, as the Red Wings are a whole lot more than the Slovakian who is leading them in scoring.

Though a lot of good and bad memories will flood back tomorrow evening as the Penguins take to the ice at Joe Louis Arena for the first time since winning an emotional multi-overtime game five during the Stanley Cup Final. I think everything will be just fine as long as Marc Andre Fleury makes it down the runway and onto the ice without issue.


Youth Superskills Competition

The Pittsburgh Penguins will hold a Youth Hockey Superskills competition for boys and girls aged 5-12 on Sunday, November 23 at Mellon Arena. The event is presented by ALCOA.

Youngsters will compete in contests such as passing accuracy, fastest skater, shooting accuracy and stickhandling. Goaltenders will compete in rapid-fire and agility drills as well as a shootout.

Age groups are 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12. Trophies will be presented to the winners of each category and to the overall age group winners. Each participant will receive a Penguins Youth Hockey Superskills T-shirt, a Penguins baseball cap and a participation award.

Registration fee is $95 per player. Full hockey equipment is required, including neck guard and mouthpiece.

Registration is available online at www.pittsburghpenguins.com.

Pens Flying To Start Season?

There have been times during the early weeks of the hockey season that it seemed as if the Penguins were not performing to the lofty standards set for them by the media and their rabid fan base. However, a closer look at their record shows that they are actually off to their best start in twelve years.

The Penguins are 8-4-2 for 18 points – their best start through 14 games since the ’95-96 season, when they opened 8-3-3 for 19 points. They rank second in the Atlantic Division and tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Last season, through 14 games, the Penguins were 7-6-1 for 15 points.

The Penguins are actually only two points behind the Central Division leading Detroit Red Wings, whom they will face off against tomorrow evening.


Penguins You Tube of the Day…



Stay tuned for more tomorrow…including more game day info on the Penguins/Red Wings clash…