Pre-Game News

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(CLICK HERE - right before gametime)
LINE COMBINATIONS
The Penguins skated their normal line pairings at the morning skate, although if the past few games are any indication they won't stay that way for long. (They may not even stay this way before the puck drops).

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Dupuis-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
McKee-Goligoski

Marc-Andre Fleury in net

OTTAWA SENATORS INJURY REPORT / GAMEDAY UPDATE
Injury Report — Ottawa defenceman Filip Kuba (upper body), centre Peter Regin (upper body) and forward Jesse Winchester (right knee) are out tonight.

Centre Ryan Shannon returns to the lineup tonight. Pascal Leclaire (2-1-0) makes his fourth start of the season in goal.

Lines during the pre-game skate:
Alex Kovalev-Mike Fisher-Daniel Alfredsson
Milan Michalek-Jason Spezza-Jonathan Cheechoo
Nick Foligno-Shannon-Chris Neil
Jarkko Ruutu-Chris Kelly-Shean Donovan

UP NEXT: OTTAWA SENATORS
(3-1-0, 6 points)
In net tonight: Pascal Leclaire (projected)
Storyline: Penguins to face an old friend - Kovalev

Ottawa Senators webpage

PREVIEW (10/12/2009)
Ottawasenators.com THIS WEEK (10/12/2009 - 10/18/2009)

Ottawa Citizen
'Lesser' lights shining bright (10/12/2009)
Senators Game Day: Pittsburgh at Ottawa (10/12/2009)

CBC.ca
Senators host defending champ Pens (10/12/2009)

canada.com
Lesser lights carrying the load for Senators (10/11/2009)

Edmonton Sun
Senators gear up for Crosby, Malkin (10/11/2009)

CHECK BACK FOR MORE HEADLINES THROUGHOUT THE DAY!!

Pens Got the Blues (Alternate Jersey Schedule Released)

The Penguins webpage posted the schedule for the games they plan to wear this season (a total of 12 games including two road games):

Saturday, October 17th (Tampa Bay)
Friday, October 30th (at Columbus) - ROAD GAME
Monday, November 16th (Anaheim)
Friday, Nov. 27 (at NY Islanders) - ROAD GAME
Thursday, December 3rd (Colorado)
Saturday, December 12th (Florida)
Sunday, December 27th (Toronto)
Tuesday, January 5th (Atlanta)
Thursday, January 28th (Ottawa)
Monday, February 1st (Buffalo)
Sunday, February 14th (Nashville)
Saturday, March 6th (Dallas)

PENGUINS PLAYLIST -- Bill Guerin

RE-POST for all the Penguins HD2 Radio Listeners (these playlists also appear on the right hand side of this blog)!!

[I think he may like Bruce Springsteen!]!!
SONG / ARTIST:

• Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) -- Bruce Springsteen
• Pink Cadillac -- Bruce Springsteen
• Cover Me -- Bruce Springsteen
• Badlands -- Bruce Springsteen
• Thunder Road -- Bruce Springsteen
• Devil with the Blue Dress (the Detroit Medley) -- Bruce Springsteen
• The Rising -- Bruce Springsteen

What I'm hoping to do eventually is find a widget that I can just load the songs of each player on my blog, so check back soon (I remember seeing / using one before, it's just a matter of finding it again!)!!

I compiled these lists by listening to the "Penguins Playlists" on Penguins HD2 radio station.

PENGUINS PLAYLISTS -- Max Talbot

SONG / ARTIST:

• Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
• Travis Tritt -- It's a Great Day to Be Alive ("... might even grow me a fu manchu!")
• I'm Yours -- Jason Mraz
• Fix You -- Coldplay
• Number 1 -- Pharrell featuring Kanye West
• Girl I Wanna Lay You Down -- Jack Johnson
• It's a Beautiful Day -- U2
• Somewhere I Belong -- Linkin Park

What I'm hoping to do eventually is find a widget that I can just load the songs of each player on my blog, so check back soon (I remember seeing / using one before, it's just a matter of finding it again!)!!

I compiled these lists by listening to the "Penguins Playlists" on Penguins HD2 radio station.

PENGUINS PLAYLISTS -- Alex Goligoski

SONG / ARTIST:

• When I Used to Rule the World -- Coldplay
• Run this Town -- Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West
• Sex On Fire --Kings of Leon
• Rock and Roll -- Led Zepplin
• Empire State of Mind -- Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
• Talk -- Coldplay
• Notion -- Kings of Leon
• Forever Young -- Jay-Z featuring Mr. Hudson
• Trampled Under Foot -- Led Zepplin

What I'm hoping to do eventually is find a widget that I can just load the songs of each player on my blog, so check back soon (I remember seeing / using one before, it's just a matter of finding it again!)!!

I compiled these lists by listening to the "Penguins Playlists" on Penguins HD2 radio station.

Sunday Video View

For some reason, I spent some time yesterday morning looking at all the new videos posted on PensTV and there's some great things on there, so I thought I'd share them with you here!!

Ulf Samuelsson Tribute (10/07/2009)
narrated by Phil Bourque

HOME OPENER VIDEO, "Seasons"

set to "Seasons" by The Veer Union

watch towards the end of the video -- footage of the coaching staff celebrating the Stanley Cup victory behind the bench - around 2:22 (IDK about you, but that was the first I saw that - REALLY COOL!)!!

Behind the Scenes Video
(shooting jumbotron video footage)

VERY COOL Time-Lapse Video of Pens Opener

Contract Talks Between Pittsburgh, Gonchar Off 'Til January

According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com,

The Penguins met with Sergei Gonchar's agent, J.P. Barry, just before the season started, but both sides have agreed to postpone the next round of talks until January, when GM Ray Shero will have a better idea of next season's salary cap. Gonchar is slated for unrestricted free agency July 1.

I really, really, really hope that they can work something out. Gonchar is a really important part of the Pens and plays a vital role on the power play as well as in the locker room. Even though he's reserved, he brings a great presence to the ice for the team. I'd also like to see him retire as a Penguin, but only time will tell (I'm really not sure they can afford to lose him).

That's So MAF (the musings of a Penguins goalie)!

HERE'S VIDEO OF IT (THANKS to Pensblog for twittering the local!)!!

According to the National Post, Max Talbot and Marc-Andre Fleury put on their own "Laurel and Hardy" routine yesterday after their win against the Toronto Maple Leafs and it went something like this:

"Speak French, I'll speak English," Talbot told his goaltender as reporters approached.

And so, a Pittsburgh reporter asked if the team ever felt threatened in the easy win. Fleury responded in French and Talbot provided the "translation."

"I thought we played pretty good, the guys kept scoring and I just made big saves," he deadpanned.

Fleury's sat up with a perplexed look and broke into English: "That's not what a said!"

Cue laughter.

Pre-Game News

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAM OF THE GAME (FREE!)!!!

LINE COMBINATIONS:

Although head coach Dan Bylsma has experimented recently with Jordan Staal on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko, the Penguins stuck with their usual line combinations at Saturday's morning skate:

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Dupuis-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
McKee-Goligoski

Fleury in net

Bylsma did say that he will not hesitate to switch things up if necessary. So even though the morning skate lines didn't reflect it, Staal could get another shot alongside Malkin.

UP NEXT: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
(0-2-1, 1 point)
In net tonight: Vesa Toskala (projected)

Toronto Maple Leafs webpage

Game Preview (10/10/2009)
MLSE Goes "Pink" (10/10/2009)
Practice Update: October 9th (10/09/2009)

Saturday is Pink Ribbon Night (10/09/2009)

Toronto Star
Leafs remain most expensive ticket in NHL (10/09/2009)
Wilson juggles Leaf lines in search of 'chemistry' (10/09/2009)
Patience pays in net gains for new Leafs backup (10/09/2009)
Spotlight falls on Toskala in Leafs' net (10/09/2009)

The Toronto Observer
Leafs face Penguins looking for 1st win (10/09/2009)
Leafs’ Gustavsson to miss 1-2 weeks (10/08/2009)

Truculeafs blog
Leafs Vs Penguins Game Preview (10/09/2009)

CHECK BACK FOR MORE HEADLINES THROUGHOUT THE DAY!!

Hartnell / Letang - Ruutu / Peters -- No Difference, So Why the Different Outcomes?

Hartnell denied biting Letang, but told reporters: "A lot of stuff happens on the bottom of the pile. He had his hands in my face doing the facewash and we're rolling around. I can't say what happened."

Scott Hartnell and his agent, Allen Walsh, attended a disciplinary hearing yesterday morning for the incident that occurred between him and Kris Letang at the end of Thursday night's game between the Pens and Flyers. The decision was that there's no evidence so he didn't get fined or suspended -- WTF???!!!!!!! Even if there wasn't any evidence of "the biting," couldn't what Hartnell did be construed as 'sending a message' which I thought IS NOT ALLOWED near the end of a game?!!! COME ON NHL -- get your heads out of your asses!!!!

As far as evidence is concerned, my question is -- what great evidence did they have when Jarkko Ruutu got hit with a two-game suspension for the "incident" with Andrew Peters??? Really!!! I mean, was it because Letang didn't "pull it off" as well as Peters -- maybe he could've added the dramatics on the ice instead of waiting until he and Chris Stewart headed for the locker room. I'm serious - the video of the Ruutu / Peters incident is no different than the Hartnell / Letang incident -- did you ever actually SEE Ruutu bite Peters -- so where's the evidence in that case???!

My gripe isn't with it being BS that Hartnell didn't get fined / suspended or that they were wrong to suspend Ruutu, but my big gripe is with the NHL's inconsistency with disciplinary action - there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to any of it and that's just plain horse shit!!!

Why can't they just sit down and come up with a set of rules & guidelines that will enable them to treat each incident similarly so they can get past all this unequal crap? Wouldn't that make sense?

I guess the one good thing coming out of it is that this just strengthens the already heated rivalry between the Flyers and the Pens. The only other thing I can say is Hartnell better watch his ass and keep his head up on December 15th so he can watch out for guys like Rupp and Godard; if the NHL won't take care of it off the ice, the players will on the ice -- you gotta LOVE hockey!!!

PENGUINS PLAYLIST -- Bill Guerin

[I think he may like Bruce Springsteen!]!!
SONG / ARTIST:

• Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) -- Bruce Springsteen
• Pink Cadillac -- Bruce Springsteen
• Cover Me -- Bruce Springsteen
• Badlands -- Bruce Springsteen
• Thunder Road -- Bruce Springsteen
• Devil with the Blue Dress (the Detroit Medley) -- Bruce Springsteen
• The Rising -- Bruce Springsteen

What I'm hoping to do eventually is find a widget that I can just load the songs of each player on my blog, so check back soon (I remember seeing / using one before, it's just a matter of finding it again!)!!

I compiled these lists by listening to the "Penguins Playlists" on Penguins HD2 radio station.

PENGUINS PLAYLIST -- Max Talbot

SONG / ARTIST:

• Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
• Travis Tritt -- It's a Great Day to Be Alive ("... might even grow me a fu manchu!")
• I'm Yours -- Jason Mraz
• Fix You -- Coldplay
• Number 1 -- Pharrell featuring Kanye West
• Girl I Wanna Lay You Down -- Jack Johnson
• It's a Beautiful Day -- U2
• Somewhere I Belong -- Linkin Park

What I'm hoping to do eventually is find a widget that I can just load the songs of each player on my blog, so check back soon (I remember seeing / using one before, it's just a matter of finding it again!)!!

I compiled these lists by listening to the "Penguins Playlists" on Penguins HD2 radio station.

PENGUINS PLAYLIST -- Alex Goligoski

SONG / ARTIST:

• When I Used to Rule the World -- Coldplay
• Run this Town -- Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West
• Sex On Fire --Kings of Leon
• Rock and Roll -- Led Zepplin
• Empire State of Mind -- Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
• Talk -- Coldplay
• Notion -- Kings of Leon
• Forever Young -- Jay-Z featuring Mr. Hudson
• Trampled Under Foot -- Led Zepplin

What I'm hoping to do eventually is find a widget that I can just load the songs of each player on my blog, so check back soon (I remember seeing / using one before, it's just a matter of finding it again!)!!

I compiled these lists by listening to the "Penguins Playlists" on Penguins HD2 radio station.

Phil Bourque on NHL Live

Phil Bourque was just on NHL Live this afternoon talking about the incident that occurred between Kris Letang and Scott Hartnell at the end of last night's game against Philadelphia. They asked him about it right off the bat.

Bourquie said that anyone with any common sense could guess what happened. When they asked him if he thought Hartnell would do such a thing, the ol' 2-9er said he thinks that he would!! And also added that the best person to ask would be Hartnell himself because he's the only one that knows what he did.

The remaining time with Bourque was spent talking about last night's game and the Pens as a team. Mentioning how HC Dan Bylsma has said that the team could possibly be better than last year's team to which Bourque agreed. They also talked specifically about Tyler Kennedy looking for a break-out season; Letang and Goligoski doing well so far this season -- and that all are ready to make giant steps this year.

I really agree and I just love Phil Bourque!!! He's right up there with Bob Errey!!

Pens
(3-1-0, 6 points)

Pens - 5, Flyers - 4

Philadelphia Flyers webpage
RECAP (10/08/2009)

Philadelphia Inquirer
Flyers suffer their 1st loss of season (10/09/2009)
Flyers Notes: Cote, Asham make Flyers debuts (10/09/2009)
Penguins hand Flyers first loss (10/08/2009)
Broad Street Bull
A biting loss for Flyers (10/08/2009)

Philadelphia Daily News
Costly turnovers cost Flyers the game against Penguins (10/09/2009)
Flyers keep van Riemsdyk out of lineup after head injury (10/09/2009)
Frequent Flyers blog
JVR out at least 1 week; No word on Hartnell (10/09/2009)

Pre-Game News [UPDATE]

[UPDATE]
LINE CHANGES FOR PHILLY
Flyers coach John Stevens confirmed a number changes in the lineup for tonight's game this morning:

• Riley Cote and Arron Asham will be in up front in place of Blair Betts and James van Riesmdyk; and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen will make his Flyers debut on the blue line for Danny Syvret (Tollefsen, who had a minor lower body injury at the start of the season, is looking forward to playing in his first game since February 7, 2009 when he was still with the Columbus Blue Jackets and suffered a season-ending knee injury).
• "Tollefsen, who is known as a physical player, will be paired with Ryan Parent. The Penguins have some physical players of their own, so it should be a good test for the 6’2’’, 211-pound Norwegian."

LINE COMBINATIONS (projected)
Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Dupuis-Malkin-Fedotenko
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard

Gonchar-Orpik
Eaton-Letang
Goligoski-McKee

Fleury

No other pressing game-day news; check back for any updates up until gametime!!

UP NEXT: PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
(3-0-0, 6 points)
In net tonight: Ray Emery (projected)
Storyline: second night of back-to-back games for Pittsburgh on rival ice

Philadelphia Flyers webpage

Game Notes (10/08/2009)

PREVIEW (10/08/2009)
Pavilion Open Early Thursday (10/07/2009)
Injury Report (10/06/2009)
On the Fly! blog
Lineup Changes (10/08/2009)

Philadelphia Inquirer
Flyers Notes: Flyers' Betts out with shoulder injury (10/07/2009)
Laperriere makes mark with Flyers (10/05/2009)
Broadstreet Bullies blog
JVR update; Asham, Cote may play vs. Pens (10/07/2009)
Wildness at the Wachovia Center as Flyers go to 3-0 (10/06/2009)

CHECK BACK FOR MORE HEADLINES THROUGHOUT THE DAY!!