Well, I'm sick, don't feel good at all and I've got to take my 94-year-old Aunt Helen to the DMV this afternoon. But, in the interest of the Pittsburgh Penguins and playoff hockey, I battled through my pain to present to you, the Hockey Buzz reader, yet another blog for your review. And with that sorry introduction, let's get to the poll of the day.
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Poll Results
Question: Which area concerns you most about the Pens heading into the playoffs?
Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s shakiness in recent postseason appearances collected 28 percent of votes to lead all possible responses. Even if Fleury hadn’t played so poorly last spring against Philly, the goaltender usually deserves the most attention, good or bad. The penalty-killing unit finished second with 17 percent of votes. Defender Brooks Orpik led the team in short-handed ice time during the regular season and his status for the start of the playoffs is iffy, at best. He skated before practice Tuesday in a jogging suit and ball cap. Fifteen percent of pollsters believe overconfidence could get in the way of a Pittsburgh win.
There you have it, nail-biting time comes down to goaltending, penalty-killing and overconfidence. Thanks for voting!
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Link's 'n At
"New Penguins Acquisitions Embracing Stanley Cup Run," the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
"The last three seasons have been really tough,” Jussi Jokinen said. “You play that last regular-season game and then 16 other teams start to play the playoffs and you go home. That's the worst feeling you can have as a hockey player. It's great to have a chance again to go for the Cup, for the long run."
JT's Take: Jokinen has proven to be a really good or really bad player in his years with Carolina. So far with Pittsburgh he's been really good. He'll start out with Iginla and Dupuis or move down to the fourth line if Sidney Crosby returns.
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"Dave Molinari’s NHL playoff predictions, analysis," the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
JT’s Take: The HOFer offers his opinions on the eight playoff matchups. What’s interesting is that no team has played its opponent more than three times in the regular season, other than the Penguins and Islanders, who’ve played five times (with Pittsburgh winning four times).
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"Penguins Notebook: Decision on Sidney Crosby expected Tuesday," the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The major question apparently involves whether surgically implanted screws have set securely in the jaw.
"I'm not sure exactly [what the appointment will entail], but I'm sure they'll take a peek and see how everything's healing," Crosby said, adding that he feels good."
JT’s Take: Give Crosby a few practices with the team before bringing him back. He hasn’t played since March 30, against these same Islanders.
Also from the same article…
As in past years, the Penguins will have a big outdoor screen for fans to watch playoff games. It will be set up at the corner of Centre Avenue and Mario Lemieux Place near Consol Energy Center.
It will be in use for all of the team's first-round games. The screen area and an adjacent fan zone will open four hours before each home game, two hours before each road game.
JT’s Take: Nice touch by the Pens. Now if ROOT can concentrate on the on-ice drama instead of cutting to lawn-chair feeds, we’ll be okay.
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"Ron Cook: Playoffs could sooth Crosby’s pain," the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Would it really surprise you if Crosby led the Penguins to the Cup and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the NHL's postseason most valuable player?
That would just seem right, wouldn't it?
The great Crosby is just 25 but has lost so much the past three seasons, just like his boss, mentor and former landlord Mario Lemieux did during his fabulous career.
JT’s Take: Mario Lemieux didn’t even make the playoff until he was 23 and didn’t win a Cup ‘til he was almost 26 years old. I get the injury comparisons, but let’s not overdo it here.
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"Penguins’ Fleury has the look of a Cup winner," the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
“He just seems like he's more ready,” Penguins defenseman Matt Niskanen said of Fleury. “There's a different feel about him. He's just on top of things.”
JT’s Take: Sometimes I think people wish Fleury showed more emotion and got more upset at times. That’s not his style, though, for better and worse. He’ll still make the athletic save then let in a softie, but that’s who he is as a goalie. Shero did his part by bringing in a capable backup. In fact, Tomas Vokoun beat the Islanders three times in the regular season.
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"NHL playoffs first-round preview: No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 8 New York Islanders," the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
Are the Islanders too green?
This series is not dissimilar from one the Penguins played in 2007. Then facing a veteran-heavy, playoff-tested Ottawa squad with a chip on its shoulder, the Penguins were overmatched and bowed in five games. A talented Islanders nucleus, led by MVP candidate C John Tavares, has never known playoff pressure.
JT’s Take: Only goalie Evgeni Nabokov has more than 25 games of postseason experience for the Isles. He’s played in 80 playoff games and lost two conference finals with the San Jose Sharks, in 2004 and 2010. That said, the Islanders really have nothing to lose. No one expects them to beat the Penguins.
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NHLPA and the Heart and Stroke Foundation Join Together for Third Straight Year on NHLPA Beard-A-Thon.
JT’s Take: As the survivor of a rare type of cerebellar stroke nearly five years ago, what better meshing of two great causes is there?
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Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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