Carolina Hurricanes webpage
RECAP: Hurricanes 3, Penguins 2, OT (04/04/2009)
News & Record
Hurricanes clinch playoff spot (04/05/2009)
The News & Observer
Hurricanes clinch playoff spot (04/05/2009)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Pre-Game News (Early Edition)
RUSLAN FEDOTENKO
[UPDATE] the Penguins webpage is reporting that Fedotenko will, in fact, be in tonight's lineup!!
the Tribune-Review is reporting the Fedotenko is probable for tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes; he did not attend the option practice on Thursday to have his shoulder evaluated
[UPDATE]
LINE COMBINATIONS (from the morning skate)
Guerin-Crosby-Kunitz
Cooke-Malkin-Sykora
Fedotenko-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
HEALTHY SCRATCHES
Godard and Boucher will be healthy scratches for tonight's game
STARTING GOALTENDER
with back-to-back games this weekend, there's a possibility for Garon to play so that Fleury can get a rest; Bylsma has said that Fleury will start in goal tonight for the Penguins and after that "they'll go from there."
[UPDATE] the Penguins webpage is reporting that Fedotenko will, in fact, be in tonight's lineup!!
the Tribune-Review is reporting the Fedotenko is probable for tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes; he did not attend the option practice on Thursday to have his shoulder evaluated
[UPDATE]
LINE COMBINATIONS (from the morning skate)
Guerin-Crosby-Kunitz
Cooke-Malkin-Sykora
Fedotenko-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
HEALTHY SCRATCHES
Godard and Boucher will be healthy scratches for tonight's game
STARTING GOALTENDER
with back-to-back games this weekend, there's a possibility for Garon to play so that Fleury can get a rest; Bylsma has said that Fleury will start in goal tonight for the Penguins and after that "they'll go from there."
"We talked about fatigue and the situation we're in as a team, and we continue to do that with (goaltending coach Gilles Meloche) and Marc," Bylsma said. "We're thinking about it."
(43-28-7, 93 points)
In net tonight: Cam Ward (projected)
In net tonight: Cam Ward (projected)
Injury Report (last updated 04/02/2009)
Tracking the Storm blog
Guy Behind the Guy: Baby Conboy (04/03/2009)
Tracking the Storm blog
Guy Behind the Guy: Baby Conboy (04/03/2009)
Canes Now blog
Penguins Sign Two Prospects this Past Week
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Joe Vitale from Northeastern University. Read the article posted on the Northeastern Athletics webpage on Thursday.In addition to his New England Best Defensive Forward honor, he was named Hockey East's Best Defensive Forward. Last Year, he was named New England's Most Improved Player, a New England All-Star, second-team Hockey East All-Star and Northeastern team MVP. Vitale also joined a select group as a two-time Northeastern captain, becoming only the eighth Husky to don the 'C' twice.READ VITALE'S PLAYER PROFILE PAGE HERE.
Then yesterday, the Penguins signed Vitale's teammate, free agent goalie Brad Thiessen. Read the article posted today on the Northeastern Athletics webpage.
From TSN.com:
Thiessen is one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker award as the top college hockey player for the 2008-09 season.
The Aldergrove, BC native finished fourth in the nation in victories with a record of 25-12-4. He recorded six shutouts in 41 games with a save percentage of .931 and goals-against average of 2.11.
The 23-year-old was named the best goaltender and Player of the Year in Hockey East.
This seems be a solid move considering he appears to be a talented goalie (he even has his own site, Thiessen39.com!). My first thought was whether or not this means they're already making plans for next season and considering bringing John Curry back up in place of Garon as a backup for Fleury (I am in favor of this idea; Curry is an amazing goalie and he had a good showing during the pre-season as well as this season in the AHL!).
Both Vitale and Thiessen were assigned to the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Baby Pens.
Two Baby Pens Named to AHL Second All-Star Team
It was announced yesterday that defenseman Ben Lovejoy and forward Janne Pesonen were named to the AHL second All-Star team.
This is the very first time any of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton players were picked for the second team. The Pens previously had players named to the first AHL All-Star team in the past.
Players were selected by a vote of coaches, players and media members from the 29 cities making up the AHL.
This is the very first time any of the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton players were picked for the second team. The Pens previously had players named to the first AHL All-Star team in the past.
Players were selected by a vote of coaches, players and media members from the 29 cities making up the AHL.
WAY TO GO LOVEJOY AND PESSI!!!
NHL Tweetup in Pittsburgh
Twitter is the next up-and-coming thing on the internet and the NHL is getting in on the action in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and to launch their latest webpage featuring the playoffs - thePORTAL at NHL.com (beginning April 13th).NHL Tweetup is an event being hosted by the National Hockey League to celebrate the Playoffs and launch of thePORTAL.
The event is set for April 15th (start of the SC Playoffs) from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM and the original event is set up at the NHL Powered by Reebok store in NYC.
But it's becoming so 
popular that other cities are joining in on the celebration - Pittsburgh being one of them, of course!
popular that other cities are joining in on the celebration - Pittsburgh being one of them, of course!WHEN: April 15th, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
FOR MORE INFO: CLICK HERE
Fourth Staal Finally Makes Pro!!
The youngest of the four Staal brothers, Jared, has been signed to an amateur tryout (ATO) contract by the San Antonio Rampage. The Rampage is the AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes who drafted Jared in the second round of last year's draft.
According to cbc.ca, "San Antonio has eight games remaining in its schedule. The club did not say when Staal was expected to play his first game."
The Rampage shut-out the Iowa Chops last night; however, Staal was not in the lineup. They play the Chops again tonight, so Staal may get his chance then.
The article also mentions that Staal is still eligible to return to junior hockey next season.
Possible Job for Therrien?
The St. John Sea Dogs of QMJHL recently fired their head coach, but why is this being posted on a Penguins blog??Michel Therrien's name was mentioned in an article posted on Thursday at the Telegraph-Journal.
That list also could include former Fredericton Canadiens head coach MichelWhether it's this job or another, I've felt from the very day they fired Therrien that he would never struggle to find another job.
Therrien, who was fired this season Pittsburgh, current Lewiston Maineiacs and
former UNB head coach Don MacAdam, who filled in as the bench boss in Maine for the final 22 games but is not currently under contract for next season.
Therrien won the Memorial Cup with Granby in 1996 and MacAdam owns a
resumé that includes NHL, AHL, OHL, ECHL and university coaching duties.
Friday, April 3, 2009
It's Not Certain Fedotenko Will Play Tomorrow
Ruslan Fedotenko was injured during the game against NJ last Wednesday and did not return to play in the third period. I couldn't see from where we were sitting what happened, but on the ride home, Phil Bourque said it looked like he took a hit and he was favoring his shoulder.
The Penguins webpage is reporting that he did not attend the optional practice on Thursday, but did participate in yesterday's practice. It's looking like it will be a gametime decision as to whether or not he will be in the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow night.
The Penguins webpage is reporting that he did not attend the optional practice on Thursday, but did participate in yesterday's practice. It's looking like it will be a gametime decision as to whether or not he will be in the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow night.
“(Thursday) was an evaluation (for Fedotenko) and things came back in a
positive way,” interim head coach Dan Bylsma said. “Just like everyone else, he
was banged up and bruised but he is healthy and ready to go and that’s a good
thing.”“We’re still going to make that decision (Saturday),” Bylsma said. “But we saw much more positive news today than yesterday.”
Not Quite a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick"
Bill Guerin was short an assist on Wednesday night against the NJ Devils for a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick."
For those of you who may not be familiar with it, it when a player scores a goal, records an assist, and has a fight all in one game.
“The assist is the toughest thing for me to get,” he joked. “I was hoping.”
Zigomanis on Ice Sooner than Expected
The Penguins webpage is reporting that Mike Zigomanis is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a shoulder injury and plans on returning to the ice next week.Of course he doesn't intend to return to the lineup right away, but said that if the Pens make a run farther into the playoffs there's a possibility he could return.
"I think maybe somewhere in the middle of the playoffs I could probably return," he said. "But it’s going great right now and it will just give the team an option for another player, add depth and that’s all I can really hope for right now."
That's So MAF (the musings of a Penguins goalie)!
Fleury on Brodeur's huge loss against the Penguins:“We didn’t expect that, that’s for sure,” Marc-Andre Fleury said. “The guys did a good job all night for 60 minutes, they played well. To be able to get six goals on Marty is pretty big.”I find this utterly amusing and here's why -- he's calling him "Marty" like they're best-buds and watching the two of them last night during warm-ups - I'm not too sure of that ... Fleury was by the Pens bench close to center ice and "Marty" was by the Devil's bench about 2 feet away with his back turned to Fleury!!! No one said anything. How sad is that (for Fleury)?!! OH WELL - they're all big boys!!!
Get Ready -- 2009 Playoff Tickets on Sale!!!
Approximately 2,000 tickets for the first two home games of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on sale to the general public next Tuesday, April 7th at 10 AM. This year they are allowing a maximum number of five tickets per game to be purchased.As always, the Penguins encourage fans to purchase tickets online at TicketMaster, but you can also buy tickets at Mellon Arena and all TicketMaster locations. However, the Penguins want to advise fans that a lottery system will be used at these locations.
Most importantly, if the Pens don't make the Playoffs, refunds will be given at the point of purchase.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
That's So MAF (the musings of a Penguins goalie)!
From the Penguins webpage yesterday: 
The “conspiracy theory” from Tuesday’s practiced got a little more interesting after Wednesday’s morning skate (read the background story here). Crosby jokingly suggesting that Fleury threw the competition to ensure the Penguins captain lost, while interim head coach Dan Bylsma (who triumphed against Crosby) claimed tongue-in-cheek that everything was legit. It was only natural to approach the netminder about his role in the comical “controversy.” So, was the fix in?
The “conspiracy theory” from Tuesday’s practiced got a little more interesting after Wednesday’s morning skate (read the background story here). Crosby jokingly suggesting that Fleury threw the competition to ensure the Penguins captain lost, while interim head coach Dan Bylsma (who triumphed against Crosby) claimed tongue-in-cheek that everything was legit. It was only natural to approach the netminder about his role in the comical “controversy.” So, was the fix in?
“I can’t make a comment on that,” Fleury said sheepishly. “There’s a conspiracy theory and I don’t want to make anyone mad. I’m in a tough spot.”I guess we may never know.
Don't Say I Told You So, But I Heard ...
The Pensblog has been providing me with a number of things to talk about this week and this one is just TOO GOOD to pass up!!! [And honestly, I won't have time to do any digging around tonight since I'll be at the game - YEA!!!]!!!
One of their readers sent them this screen capture (and, actually, I don't think any more needs said about this!) -- PRICELESS!!!!!!
One of their readers sent them this screen capture (and, actually, I don't think any more needs said about this!) -- PRICELESS!!!!!!
LIDSTROM: "I forget. Is it your place or mine tonight??"ZETTERBERG: "Well, we can make it easy and just take care of business in the locker room!"
LIDSTROM: "Good idea. That way, Hossa can join us too!"
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Pre-Game News
CRAIG ADAMS
Adams is expected to be in tonight's lineup against the NJ Devils for Eric Godard who I'm assuming will be a healthy scratch.
PHILIPPE BOUCHER
Boucher is not expected to get his chance to play tonight.
PROJECTED LINES (according to the morning skate)
Guerin-Crosby-Kunitz
Cooke-Malkin-Sykora
Fedotenko-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
Adams is expected to be in tonight's lineup against the NJ Devils for Eric Godard who I'm assuming will be a healthy scratch.
PHILIPPE BOUCHER
Boucher is not expected to get his chance to play tonight.
PROJECTED LINES (according to the morning skate)
Guerin-Crosby-Kunitz
Cooke-Malkin-Sykora
Fedotenko-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams
Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi
Penguins Power Play Sucks and Mike Yeo FINALLY Fired!!
Were you ready to call all your Pens friends to rejoice??SORRY!!
New Jersey Devils webpage
Devils-Penguins Preview (03/31/2009)
MyCentralJersey.com
Devils concerned about recent slump (03/31/2009)
nj.com
New Jersey Devils coach Brent Sutter: 'The foot is down' with team mired in five-game losing streak (03/31/2009)
Devils practive report (03/31/2009)
Five ways to snap the New Jersey Devils out of their losing streak (03/31/2009)
NorthJersey.com
Sutter rips into Devils' players (03/31/2009)
Devils notes: Offensive drought (03/31/2009)
Fire & Ice blog
Devils may have gotten caught up in Cup contender hype (03/31/2009)
Sutter delivers "message" in meeting before practice (03/31/2009)
Practice finally underway (1:30 p.m) (03/31/2009)
Interchangeable Parts blog
The Root Of All Of The Devils Problems, or: Build-A-Cake Workshop (03/31/2009)
What Can I Say that Hasn't Already Been Said by the Pensblog??!!!!
They pretty much covered it all with their Monday post, "Look Out. It's Butt Pummeler," about this new "Crosby Sucks" song and the band who performs it. I would suggest you visit the boys over at the Pensblog since this post is really worth the read!!
Here's a short summary if you haven't heard about all the hubbub.
The focus is on this "anti-Crosby" song written / performed by a band called Pummeler who consist ofCraps Caps fans and sibling band members "Lord Jupitor," "Philosoraptor," and "OBM" (YES - I am being serious!). The supporting cast: DC Sports Bog and PUCK DADDY.
DC Sport Bog posted an interview he conducted with Pummeler on Monday which talks about their latest song. Of course its full of Crosby-bashing (I know, surprising!).
Puck Daddy's role in all of this is a little more "subtle" as the Pensblog believes that he quickly picked up on the story for an increase in hits (which is a bit hypocritical since it's believed that Puck Daddy is infamous for being "anti-Crosby" himself - just read a few of his Crosby posts and it's quite apparent).
Here's a sample of Pulitzer Prize-winning lyrics (for the lyrics to the entire song, visit Pummeler's MySpace "Lyrics" page):
And here's a fellow Pens fan's thoughts on this whole debacle which pretty much sums it all up for me too:
Here's a short summary if you haven't heard about all the hubbub.
The focus is on this "anti-Crosby" song written / performed by a band called Pummeler who consist of
DC Sport Bog posted an interview he conducted with Pummeler on Monday which talks about their latest song. Of course its full of Crosby-bashing (I know, surprising!).
Puck Daddy's role in all of this is a little more "subtle" as the Pensblog believes that he quickly picked up on the story for an increase in hits (which is a bit hypocritical since it's believed that Puck Daddy is infamous for being "anti-Crosby" himself - just read a few of his Crosby posts and it's quite apparent).
Greg of Yahoo's PUCK DADDY, the preeminent hockey blog on the Internet, went to Gander Mtn. to find some website-hit fishing lures.
Gander Mtn, a.k.a. DC SPORTS BOG.
~ the Pensblog
Poetic, isn't it?!!Canadian sensation well at least on certain stations
a poster child for francophiles who dance to Zombie Nation
all his fans are moronswho defend his every stunt
and the "C" that's on his chestwell it really stands for...
And here's a fellow Pens fan's thoughts on this whole debacle which pretty much sums it all up for me too:
Go read some statistics boys. Before you think up subjects for your songs. The only reason Ovetchkin looks better, to the casual eye. Is the same reason that Crosby looks closer to average. THE OVERALL DEPTH OF THE TEAM. That and the fact that in my humble opinion, you could give Ovi 2 or 3 charging penalties every game that never get called. Makes it tons easier to score.This also leads me to the Pensblog Pièce de résistance:
"Crosby sucks like laser pucks (Pensblog edit: good line),
though you can dress him up with lipstick,
you can't photoshop statistics"
NHL career points-per-game:
Crosby: 1.38.
Ovechkin: 1.29.
We don't have to photoshop statistics.
But we can photoshop a "First Round of the Playoffs" patch on the Caps' sweaters.
though you can dress him up with lipstick,
you can't photoshop statistics"
NHL career points-per-game:
Crosby: 1.38.
Ovechkin: 1.29.
We don't have to photoshop statistics.
But we can photoshop a "First Round of the Playoffs" patch on the Caps' sweaters.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
