On this Date [minus 1 day] in Pittsburgh Penguins History

March 15, 1983

Penguins GM Baz Bastien was killed in a car accident returning home from a dinner honoring him.

Pens - 3, Blue Jackets - 4 (SO)

Columbus Blue Jackets webpage
Recap: Blue Jackets 4, Penguins 3, SO (03/12/2009)

The Columbus Dispatch
Jackets crash, then soar (03/13/2009)

Blue Jackets Xtra
Game Wrap-Up (03/13/2009)

Jackets notebook: Penguins can't rattle Mason (03/13/2009)

Jackets' five biggest home crowds (03/13/2009)

Michael Arace commentary: Buzz is on rise, and fans are feeling it (03/13/2009)

Like A Rented Mule (03/12/2009) - The Dispatch hockey writers interview Mike Lange!

Steubenville Herald Star

Blue Jackets beat Penguins in shootout (03/13/2009)

CantonRep.com
Blue Jackets slip by Penguins in shootout (03/12/2009)

Kunitz Next Newbie to Reach Milestone

Last night during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chris Kunitz assisted on Sergei Gonchar's slapshot goal making it his 200th career point in the NHL.

CONGRATULATIONS to Kunie!!

Pre-Game News

PETR SYKORA
Sykora will once again be out of the lineup for tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets making it the third-straight game he has missed. He continues to be listed as day-to-day and could quite possibly return on Saturday when the Pens face the Senators.

IN GOAL
Fleury will start in goal tonight for the Penguins; if they win tonight's game, he alone will hold the second place spot for Penguins all-time wins list (which was previously held by Ken Wregget with 104).

PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS (from the Penguins webpage)
Guerin - Crosby - Kunitz
Dupuis - Malkin - Fedotenko
Kennedy - Staal - Cooke
Adams - Talbot - Godard

Orpik - Gonchar
Letang - Eaton
Gill - Scuderi

UP NEXT: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

(34-27-6, 74 points)
In net tonight: Steve Mason (projected)

Columbus Blue Jackets webpage
Penguins-Blue Jackets Preview (03/11/2009)
Blue Jackets to Honor Head Coach Ken Hitchcock in a Pre-Game Ceremony Prior to Thursday's Game vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (03/11/2009)

The Columbus Dispatch - Blue Jackets Xtra
PREVIEW: Pittsburgh @ Columbus (03/11/2009)
Michael Arace commentary: Jackets confront the challenge (03/11/2009)
Puck-rakers
Hitch & Nickelback (03/11/2009)

Satan Sent Down to Hell

Yesterday, the Penguins announced that Satan will report to their AHL affiliate WB / S Baby Pens (which could be considered "hell" to a veteran hockey player like Satan)!!

Satan has played 1,012 career NHL games over 13 seasons with Edmonton, Buffalo, the New York Islanders and the Penguins. He has scored 354 goals and 367 assists for 721 points.

Does that not sound like his career is over, to you (well, his career in the NHL)? I honestly feel badly for Satan because his only mistake was being the player he always was while the Penguins organization (and fans) expected more from him.

However, Satan continues to believe he will again play for the Penguins according to his agent:

"The reason Miro is going (to Penguins' AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) is to practice and stay sharp because he's hoping to be brought back to the team at some point in time in the near future," said Allan Walsh, who represents Satan.

"It's not a matter of if. It's more a matter of when."

Penguins On the Mend

The Penguins held an optional skate yesterday afternoon. Petr Sykora and Philippe Boucher decided to take advantage of the time before practice to skate.

Boucher has been on injured reserve since having surgery on his left in late January. He played through the pain prior to that. It's uncertain as to when he will return.

"So far, I've responded (well) to skating, but it's just skating," Boucher said. "I meet with the doctor Friday, and he'll tell me what more I can do."

Sykora is still listed as day-to-day and it's uncertain as to whether or not he will play tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"My legs are feeling pretty good so we'll so how it goes," Sykora said. "I'm going to travel with the team and a decision is going to be made (Thursday) morning. I'll know more then."

"He's getting better," interim head coach Dan Bylsma said. "It's a situation where we're worrying about a month and half or two months away, not (Thursday). The best thing is to make sure he gets better and that he doesn't get worse if he plays."

According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sykora is accompanying the Penguins on their trip to Columbus, but will not play and is likely to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.

New Deal for Satan?

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh and Satan are working on a new deal that will dictate his future with the organization and an announcement is expected as early as today.

Satan, assigned March 4 to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for salary-cap reasons, has not been asked to report nor has he reported. He has been in New York as his representatives and Penguins general manager Ray Shero attempt to work out details regarding Satan's status.

CONGRATULATIONS Penguins!!

Not only did the Pens win a seventh-straight game last night against the Florida Panthers, three players also reached benchmarks / milestones!!

CONGRATULATIONS to:

EVGENI MALKIN - 30th goal of the season (with 1:29 left in the first period); he has tallied 30-plus goals in three straight seasons.

BILL GUERIN - 400th NHL career assist (when his shot was deflected in by Crosby at 5:29 of the third period).

MARC-ANDRE FLEURY - tied his career high of seventh consecutive win; also recorded his 104th NHL career win (which ties him for 2nd with Ken Wregget for the Pens' all-time wins list).

Also worth mentioning:

• Sidney Crosby currently has a three-game goal streak!! Crosby also has a seven-game scoring streak, tallying 12 points (5G-7A) over that span.
  
• Jordan Staal scored his third goal in the past six games; in that span, he has three goals and two assists for five points and a plus-6 rating.
• Pittsburgh recorded a season-high 50 shots, breaking the previous high of 47 (March 5 at Florida) which gives them a total of 97 shots against the Panthers.
  

Pens - 4, Panthers - 3 (SO)

Florida Panthers webpage
Recap: Panthers Grab Point Against Pens (03/10/2009)
By the Numbers: Penguins 4, Panthers 3 (SO) (03/10/2009)

Miami Herald
Bittersweet night for Florida Panthers (03/11/2009)
On Frozen Pond blog
Beef On Weck: Panthers Move On T.O. Buffalo ... Scoreboard Watch, Standings (03/11/2009)
Iron City Light: Florida Panthers @ Pittsburgh Penguins ... Keaton Ellerby UP ... Tomas Vokoun IN ... Bryan McCabe, Nathan Horton, Gary Roberts, Mike Van Ryn OUT (03/10/2009)

SunSentinel.com
Panthers blow 3-1 lead (03/11/2009)
Florida Panthers' Nick Boynton out of doghouse, in lineup vs. Penguins (03/11/2009)

PalmBeachPost.com
Malkin stars as Penguins rally past Panthers 4-3 (03/10/2009)

Pre-Game News

PETR SYKORA
Sykora will miss his second straight game tonight against the Florida Panthers as the Pens return home after a 5-game road trip. Sykora continues to be listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (which has also been mentioned as an upper body injury).

"He continues to get better," interim head coach Dan Bylsma said. "At this time of the year it's better to rest than to force the issue. He could get in there right now if we needed him but it's better to get the rest."

PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS (from the Pens morning skate)
Guerin - Crosby - Kunitz
Dupuis - Malkin - Fedotenko
Kennedy - Staal - Cooke
Adams - Talbot - Godard

Orpik - Gonchar
Letang - Eaton
Gill - Scuderi

IN GOAL
Fleury will start in goal tonight for the Pens (his 16th straight start); Fleury has won six straight games and is looking to match his career high with another win for a total of 7 wins (March 9 - March 31, 2008; April 9 - April 29, 2008). Winning tonight's game would also tie him with Ken Wregget for second place on the Penguins’ all-time wins list (104 wins).

UP NEXT: FLORIDA PANTHERS

(34-24-8, 76 points)
In net tonight: Tomas Vokoun (projected)

Florida Panthers webpage
Panthers-Penguins Preview (03/09/2009)
Overcoming Adversity (03/09/2009)

Miami Herald
Florida Panthers' Nathan Horton to miss two to four weeks (03/09/2009)
Florida Panthers a team without a captain (03/08/2009)
On Frozen Pond blog
Nathan Horton: Out with Broken Finger ... Brett McLean Moves Up ... Scores, REALLY UPDATED Standings, Zippy (03/09/2009)

PalmBeachPost.com
Panthers' Nathan Horton out 2-4 weeks; Bryan McCabe out at least two games (03/09/2009)

SunSentinel.com
Panthers Nathan Horton will miss 2-4 weeks (03/09/2009)
Florida Panthers blog
Horton Out Indefinitely (03/09/2009)

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

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is NHL's #2 Star of the week.

Fleury stopped 92 of 97 shots in posting a 3-0-0 record with a 1.63 goals-against average and .948 save percentage as the Penguins (35-26-6) moved into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He began the week by recording 32 saves in a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning Mar. 3, turned aside 30 of 31 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers Mar. 5 and made 29 stops in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Washington Capitals Mar. 8. Fleury has posted a 27-16-4 record, 2.78 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 appearances this season.

New Episode - IPH

Another episode of Inside Penguins Hockey (IPH) is up at PensTV. The guests on this show are Mark Eaton and Sergei Gonchar.

SUCK IT, Caps [Fans]!

According to PPG yesterday, Caps fans supposedly purchased 500 pacifiers to hand out to those sitting near the ice in an effort to "taunt" Crosby (taking Ovi's lead, perhaps?!!). The Caps coach was asked about it:

"I have no idea, and I don't want to know," he said. "Oh, geezus, no, please, no. What a waste of money."

Honestly, it was a good thing they had them so those 500 Caps fans could suck it when Ovi's shoot out attempt was stopped by Fleury after Crosby made his goal count and win it for the Penguins!!

SUCK ON THAT, CAPS FANS!!!

And in case that isn't enough to make your blood boil, take a look at the post at YAHOO!'s Puck Daddy, "Today in Sidney Crosby bashing: Caps fans offer crib notes"

Best 10-Game Start for Pittsburgh / Bylsma

Yesterday's win gives Dan Bylsma the best 10-game start for a head coach in Penguins history with 8-1-1 (Herb Brooks went 7-2-1 for Pittsburgh in 2000-01).

So Shero's looking like a genius right now (especially since he acquired Guerin and Kunitz); however, I still refuse to believe it's his GM skills that have the Penguins in the position they're in right now -- I believe the Pens have raised their gameplay and the credit should be given to them!

It's also a "franchise first" that the Penguins' record for this 5-game road trip is 5-0.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DAN BYLSMA (and the Pittsburgh Penguins!)!!

Pens - 4, Caps - 3 (SO)

Washington Capitals webpage
RECAP: Penguins 4, Capitals 3, SO (03/08/2009)

Capitals Insider blog
Pens 4, Caps 3 Shootout (03/08/2009)

A View from Cheap Seats blog
Wait, Crosby is a Penguin?? (03/08/2009) - you may want to read this one; she's taking pot-shots at Penguins fans and our "knowledge" of hockey -- who won again, CapsChick?!!

In the Room blog
Caps fall in shootout (03/08/2009)

Sykora Out of Today's Game

[UPDATE]
Thanks to toad268, who advised TSCSF that Sykora's upper body injury has been bothering him since before the Panthers game and they most likely kept him out as a precaution since they figured today's game would be physical -- probably a good call! The game was very physical from beginning to end today!!

I wasn't aware that Sykora was out of this game until the start this afternoon. There's nothing on the Penguins webpage about Sykora; however, the Trib-Review reports that he has an upper body injury (he must've suffered during the last game against the Florida Panthers).

On this Date in Pittsburgh Penguins History

March 8, 1975

Ron Stackhouse records the fourth six-assist game by a defenseman in NHL history in the Pens 8-2 win over the Flyers at the Igloo; two other defensemanhave since accomplished this feat.

UP NEXT: WASHINGTON CAPITALS

(40-21-5, 85 points)
In net tonight: Jose Theodore (projected)

Washington Capitals webpage
Penguins-Capitals Preview (03/07/2009)
Capitals Recall Tyler Sloan from Hershey (03/07/2009)

The Washington Post
Capitals Insider Blog
Crosby: "It comes down to respect" (03/07/2009)
Saturday practice notes (03/07/2009)
Ovechkin, Poti are practicing - updated (03/07/2009)
Sloan Recalled (03/07/2009)

The Washington Times
Sliding Capitals fall again at home (03/06/2009)
In the Room Blog
Chris Clark update (03/07/2008)
Ovechkin OK, Nylander hurt (03/07/2009)
Sloan Recalled - UPDATED (03/07/2009)

Washington Examiner
Stars collide once again (03/07/2009)