No reason to underestimate the Toronto Maple Leafs, team's split 2011-12 season series
Leaf (1-1, 1-0 Road) at Pens (2-0, 0-0 Home), CONSOL Energy Center, 7:00 pm ET, ROOT Sports
Poll Results
Question: Which defenseman will finish with the most points in 2013?
Not too surprisingly, Erik Karlsson led all blueliners with 47 percent. Karlsson collected 78 points in 81 games in 2011-12, 25 points more than any other defenseman. The Pens’ Kris Letang finished second in the voting, 28 percent of voters giving him the nod. Letang scored 41 points in 52 contests last year and could present the biggest challenge to Karlsson in 2013. The Blues’ Alex Pietrangelo was the only other defender to register more than two percent, with the St. Louis backliner receiving 10 percent.
Thanks for voting!
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Pens shower their loyal fans with high praise, steep discounts for home opener.
For those attending Wednesday’s game …
"The Penguins, who are opening the doors earlier than usual at 5 p.m. today, have some things planned as a thank you to returning fans.
The Hart (MVP), Ted Lindsay (most outstanding player) and Art Ross (scoring champion) trophies won last season by center Evgeni Malkin will be available for viewing in the concourse behind section 110 from 5 p.m. until the end of the second intermission.
In addition, all merchandise at the team stores will be half price, and fans will receive vouchers for three free concession items. Those offers will be repeated for the first four home games. That's on top of the main event, a regular-season home game worth a couple of points in the standings."
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NHL goal scoring dominated by wrist shots, Star analysis shows.
Interesting read which allows readers to see specifically where goals were scored from on the ice during the 2011-12 season. More than half of goals scored (58.3 percent) came from 20 feet or closer to the net – no surprise there.
Click
here here for Penguins shooting, goal scoring, types of shots, etc.
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Kovacevic: Move over Toronto, it’s our game, in the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
This is as good a time to bring out my favorite “thank goodness no one listened to Sports Illustrated writer Michael Farber” article.
Farber wrote
Commissioner for a Day, Give Winnipeg team, crack down on illegals, tell truth in the summer of 2006.
1. Put a team back in Winnipeg: If it means putting Pittsburgh out of its misery or shifting laggard Atlanta, so be it.
Agree with the Atlanta and Winnipeg sentiments, but not so much with his thoughts on Pittsburgh and the Penguins.
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2011-12 Pens-Maple Leafs Season Series
October 29, 2011, in Toronto
Leafs win in Toronto, 4-3.
“Personally, I think by a country mile he’s the best defenseman in the league,” Toronto coach Ron Wilson said of Dion Phaneuf. “It’s not even close right now. His numbers show that— his plus-minus, we chart scoring chances and his numbers are off the chart there. I think he’s comfortable in his own skin, he’s comfortable being the captain and he’s healthy.”
Phaneuf had two assists while Phil Kessel netted a third-period game-winner. Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury all missed the game.
Jonas Gustavsson, now of the Detroit Red Wings, made 34 saves for the win. Brent Johnson stopped 25 of 29 in the loss.
January 31, 2012, in Pittsburgh
Pens secure 5-4 shootout victory.
Pens storm back from early third-period, 4-1 deficit and tie game with six seconds in regulation. James Neal took a last-minute shot from the point and the puck hit off Evgeni Malkin’s chest, beating goalie Gustavsson for a goal.
"Pittsburgh kept pressing as the clock ticked down, with Neal taking a feed from Sullivan from behind the net and launching a shot from the right circle that quickly went airborne.
Malkin skated to the front of the net and flinched as the puck soared toward his head. It smacked off his shoulder and into the net, sending the crowd into a roar in a playoff-like atmosphere."
Fleury was named the Game’s No. 1 star despite allowing four goals on 39 shots. Malkin netted the lone goal in the shootout. Crosby sat out again.
February 1, 2012, in Toronto
Leafs shut out Pens, 1-0.
Goalie James Reimer stopped 25 shots for the Toronto shutout in the second of back-to-back games.
Not surprisingly, this happened …
"Pittsburgh did manage to get a puck over the goal-line early in the second period, but that goal was overturned because Chris Kunitz was ruled to have kicked it into the net."
March 7, 2012, in Pittsburgh
Pens win, 3-2.
Pascal Dupuis scored two goals, including a third-period game-winner.
"The way we've been playing, we feel like we can come back in every game and we proved it again tonight," Dupuis said.
Backup Brad Thiessen made 22 saves for the victory, Gustavsson stopped 30 of 33 in the loss.
The Pens and Leaf split the four-game series, with both teams winning at home. Toronto led every game.
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What to watch for Wednesday
Nazim Kadri has two of the Leaf’s three goals – his name has also been tossed around as part of the package for Canucks’ goalie Roberto Luongo.
Phil Kessel leads with two assists. His speed is something that the Pens will have to keep an eye on.
Undrafted goalie, Ben Scrivens, has started the first two games for Toronto. The 26-year-old netminder is 1-1 with a 1.53 GAA and .929 save percentage. He’s never faced the Penguins.
Reimer shut out the Pens last year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get the nod in goal.
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in Pittsburgh’s home opener.
Sidney Crosby missed all four games in 2011-12. He has just one point in two games to start 2013.
The Penguins have no injuries to speak of while Toronto may be getting skilled defenseman, Jake Gardiner, back in the lineup.
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Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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