Pittsburgh Penguins News

Malkin day-to-day with sore foot
Comment
March 16
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins center Evegni Malkin did not practice at Southpointe today, but coach Dan Bylsma said afterward that Malkin remains "day to day" and is traveling with the club to New Jersey, where it plays Wednesday night. Malkin left Sunday's game at Tampa Bay after taking a shot off of his right foot. X-rays revealed there is no fracture. Forwards Sidney Crosby and Eric Godard practiced. Crosby, the team's leading scorer, missed only a few minutes Sunday after his right leg twisted awkwardly as he was pulled down by Tampa's Steve Downie."
Penguins' Malkin not practicing, availability unknown
Comment
March 16
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Penguins center Evgeni Malkin is not practicing with the team today at Southpointe and his availability for games Wednesday in New Jersey and Thursday is Boston is unknown."
Penguins embark on season-defining stretch
Comment
March 16
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"This really is a great time of year for the Penguins. A win Sunday at Tampa Bay left them 5-1-1 following the Olympic break, and they are 47-13-5 over the past four seasons in regular-season games played after March 1. More fortunate is their injury situation, or rather the lack of a significant injury situation after X-rays Monday on center Evgeni Malkin's leg showed no broken bone. Malkin did not finish the game Sunday after he was hit by a shot from defenseman Kris Letang, and he was seen limping gingerly in the dressing-room area afterward. The club's other superstar pivot, Sidney Crosby, avoided seriously injury despite a gruesome-looking leg tie-up with Lightning winger Steve Downie ..."
Penguins' Godard may miss rematch with Bruins
Comment
March 16
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Eric Godard has seen this kind of buildup before. The talk of retribution and carnage, of mayhem and vengeance. And he has a pretty good idea, if precedent holds, of precisely what type of chaos will flare when the Penguins visit Boston Thursday. The very limited kind. "I don't think I've ever seen a game get built up like that and have something [happen]," Godard said. There are no guarantees, of course. It could be that, as Godard suspects, there will be nothing more violent than a hooking minor when the Bruins and Penguins get together for the first time since Matt Cooke scrambled Marc Savard's brain with a blow to the head in the Penguins' 2-1 victory nine days ago at Mellon Arena. But ..."
Malkin not seriously injured; listed as day-to-day
Comment
March 16
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Good news keeps finding the Penguins, who learned today that center Evgeni Malkin did not break a bone in his leg Sunday after being hit by a shot from teammate and defenseman Kris Letang in a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum. Malkin did not return to that game and was seen limping afterward while walking from the training room to the dressing area. However, X-rays today were negative and Malkin is considered day-to-day. The Penguins do not practice today. They next play Wednesday at New Jersey, a contest that could prove pivotal in determining which of the two clubs wins the Atlantic Division title."
Malkin not seriously injured; listed as day-to-day
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Good news keeps finding the Penguins, who learned today that center Evgeni Malkin did not break a bone in his leg Sunday after being hit by a shot from teammate and defenseman Kris Letang in a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum. Malkin did not return to that game and was seen limping afterward while walking from the training room to the dressing area. However, X-rays today were negative and Malkin is considered day-to-day. The Penguins do not practice today. They next play Wednesday at New Jersey, a contest that could prove pivotal in determining which of the two clubs wins the Atlantic Division title."
X-rays on Malkin's foot show no fracture
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"X-rays on Evgeni Malkin's injured right foot today did not detect a fracture. The Penguins star is listed as day-to-day, and his status for the game at New Jersey Wednesday has not been determined. Malkin was injured late in the second period of the Penguins' 2-1 victory in Tampa Sunday evening, when he was struck by a shot from teammate Kris Letang."
Late rally sparks Pens over Lightning
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Somehow, Sidney Crosby survived a scary-looking outward bend of his right leg. Still, the Penguins left St. Pete Times Forum on Sunday night without complete confidence -- though, hardly pessimism -- about the future availability of Crosby's fellow superstar center, Evgeni Malkin. They also locked down the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period to snag a 2-1 victory, the Penguins' first on a stretch of five straight road games. Increasing their Atlantic Division lead on the New Jersey Devils to four points was hardly the talking point after this win for the Penguins (41-23-5, 87 points). Malkin did not return in the third period after he was hit in the lower body with a shot off the stick ..."
NHL welcomes violence, so look out Sid!
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"Only in the NHL, where gratuitous violence among the players not only is legal but encouraged, is it not the least bit preposterous to suggest that a coach hold his star players out of a game for fear of retaliation by the opponents. Really, what other team sport is so barbaric? What other sport has so little regard for the welfare of its players? There's virtually no chance that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma will sit Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin when the team plays in Boston Thursday night. But maybe he should. Could you blame the angry Bruins if they seek a little vigilante justice for the hit by the Penguins' Matt Cooke on their Marc Savard a week ago, a shoulder-to-head blow that ..."
Tocchet reshapes Downie's game, image for the better
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Steve Downie began to make a name for himself in hockey years ago. For launching himself into Dean McAmmond of Ottawa in a preseason game in 2007, giving McAmmond a concussion and earning a 20-game suspension. For cross-checking and fighting junior hockey teammate Akim Aliu in practice after Aliu declined to participate in a demeaning hazing incident and knocking out three of Aliu's teeth in the process. For slashing minor-league linesman Mike Hamilton in a game, picking up another 20-game suspension. Downie, playing for Tampa Bay, can't change history, but he is altering his image a bit. He still is rugged and unpleasant to play against, but has developed into a valuable member of the ..."
Penguins beat the Lightning, 2-1
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins scored two third-period goals to defeat Tampa Bay, 2-1, at the St. Pete Times Forum this evening. The victory raised their record to 41-23-5 and bumped them back to four points ahead of second-place New Jersey in the Atlantic Division. The Penguins played the final period without center Evgeni Malkin, who left with an undisclosed injury. He appeared to hurt a foot or his lower leg when he was struck by a shot from teammate Kris Letang late in the second period. Malkin wasn't the only prominent player to be injured this evening. The Penguins got a serious scare just 40 seconds into the game, when Tampa Bay right winger Steve Downie rode Sidney Crosby down to the ice from ..."
Crosby apparently OK after early scare
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Penguins center Sidney Crosby fell awkwardly on his right leg early in the first period of a game today at St. Pete Times Forum against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, he does not appear to be injured after returning to the game. Crosby collided with Tampa Bay winger Steve Downie 40 seconds into the opening period. Crosby lay crouched on the ice before he was helped to the bench by a trainer. On the collision with Downie, who was assessed a minor for roughing, Crosby's right leg buckled outward at the knee."
Malkin injured in Pens win over Lightning
Comment
March 15
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Somehow, Sidney Crosby survived a scary-looking outward bend of his right leg. Still, the Penguins left St. Pete Times Forum on Sunday night without complete confidence -- though, hardly pessimism -- about the future availability of Crosby's fellow superstar center, Evgeni Malkin. They also locked down the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third period to snag a 2-1 victory, the Penguins' first on a stretch of five straight road games. Increasing their Atlantic Division lead on the New Jersey Devils to four points was hardly the talking point after this win for the Penguins (41-23-5, 87 points). Malkin did not return in the third period after he was hit in the lower body with a shot off the stick ..."
Tampa Bay's Malone won't play against Pens today
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Tampa Bay left winger Ryan Malone, a former Penguin, will sit out the game against his old team at 5:08 p.m. today at the St. Pete Times Forum. Lightning coach Rick Tocchet confirmed this morning that Malone will not dress for the third time in four games because of an unspecified injury. Malone, whose rights were traded to Tampa Bay in 2008, is the Lightning's No. 4 scorer, with 21 goals and 23 assists in 65 games,"
Vinny Lecavalier on Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt Cooke: 'A dirty player'
Comment
March 14
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Vinny Lecavalier generally stays away from controversy. That is why it was so note"
Trib Total Media partners with Penguins
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Trib Total Media, which has been a Penguins sponsor since 2006, has become the first founding partner of the new Consol Energy Center as part of a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the team. The new agreement, terms of which were not announced, starts with the 2010-11 season. As a founding partner, Trib Total Media will be the official print newspapers of the Penguins and will serve as title sponsor of the main entry gate at Consol Energy Center. Trib Total Media also will sponsor a special interactive area under development in the new arena. The area will be anchored by the Penguins' All-Time Team exhibit as part of the northwest lobby entrance. The All-Time Team exhibit will be a ..."
'Burgh out front for Winter Classic
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Pittsburgh is a leading contender to host the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, which could pit rival league superstars Sidney Crosby of the Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals in a New Year's Day outdoor hockey game at Heinz Field or PNC Park. "The NHL wants to spread around the wealth because this game has become such a big event that cities and teams are making pitches for it," Nielsen Sports vice president Stephen Master said. "But there is no negative at all to Pittsburgh being a part of it again - not with Crosby in Pittsburgh." Officials from neither the Penguins nor the NHL would officially comment on the subject, but Pittsburgh is considered a front-runner for the next ..."
NHL welcomes violence, so look out Sid!
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"Only in the NHL, where gratuitous violence among the players not only is legal but encouraged, is it not the least bit preposterous to suggest that a coach hold his star players out of a game for fear of retaliation by the opponents. Really, what other team sport is so barbaric? What other sport has so little regard for the welfare of its players? There's virtually no chance that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma will sit Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin when the team plays in Boston Thursday night. But maybe he should. Could you blame the angry Bruins if they seek a little vigilante justice for the hit by the Penguins' Matt Cooke on their Marc Savard a week ago, a shoulder-to-head blow that ..."
Penguins Notebook: Tocchet reshapes Downie's game, image for the better
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Steve Downie began to make a name for himself in hockey years ago. For launching himself into Dean McAmmond of Ottawa in a preseason game in 2007, giving McAmmond a concussion and earning a 20-game suspension. For cross-checking and fighting junior hockey teammate Akim Aliu in practice after Aliu declined to participate in a demeaning hazing incident and knocking out three of Aliu's teeth in the process. For slashing minor-league linesman Mike Hamilton in a game, picking up another 20-game suspension. Downie, playing for Tampa Bay, can't change history, but he is altering his image a bit. He still is rugged and unpleasant to play against, but has developed into a valuable member of the ..."
Penguins: Tampa finds its new star
Comment
March 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"It's not that no one saw Steven Stamkos coming. Face it, when a guy is the first player selected in his draft year and his new team builds an advertising campaign around him months before he takes his first shift in the league, well, flying under the radar is pretty much out of the question. But almost no one expected Stamkos, a second-year center with Tampa Bay, to have such a profound impact so early in his pro career. "I knew he was going to be good," Lightning coach Rick Tocchet said. "I didn't know he would develop this quickly." Forget developing. Stamkos, who turned 20 Feb. 7, seems to have skipped that stage and gone straight to dominating. Going into the games Saturday night, he ..."
Rob Niedermayer fights Craig Adams as Devils and Penguins clash
Comment
March 13
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"This is how intense has the Devils-Penguins rivalry become. Even the usually mild-mannered Rob Niedermayer dropped his gloves and threw off his helmet (with visor) to fight Matt Cooke three seconds into the third period Friday night. "It's been a while," Niedermayer said of the last time he had a fight. Whay precipitated the fight happened during the second period when Niedermayer checked Cooke into the boards. "I got my elbow up a bit," Niedermayer acknowledged. "We were both sort of playing hard. That's what happens. He was sort of mad at the hit. "You do something like that, you've got to be… it just happens in the heat of the moment, I guess." Really mad. Cooke usually doesn't take ..."
Devils now 5-0 against Penguins this season after 3-1 victory in playoff-like game
Comment
March 13
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Now the gloves are off between the Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins as the battle for first place in the Atlantic Division appears set to go right down to the wire. After Friday night's 3-1 victory before a sellout crowd at the Prudential Center, the Devils have now beaten the defending Stanley Cup champions in all five meetings this season to move to within two points of the division leaders. The Devils have two games in hand. Bad blood has entered the equation after a series of hits from both sides, as well as an important third-period goal by Ilya Kovalchuk that Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury felt should have been disallowed because of interference. "For sure it was a ..."
Devils now 5-0 vs. Pens this season
Comment
March 13
Bergen Record
 
"The Devils aren't quite sure how it's happened. They're just happy it has. Make it five wins in five games against the Pittsburgh Penguins this season after the re-dedicated Devils downed the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, 3-1, Friday night at Prudential Center. As the final seconds ticked away, some in the sellout crowd of 17,625 chanted, "You can't beat us!" In going 5-0 against the Penguins this season, the Devils have outscored them, 17-3. "There's no explanation for that except you need a little luck," Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. The Devils also showed resiliency Friday in not getting discouraged by a second period in which they wasted a five-minute power play and Ilya ..."
Heads up, Cooke!
Comment
March 13
Toronto Sun
 
"Attention, Matt Cooke. Introducing Shawn Thornton, Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic. Get used to seeing these three large, boisterous Bostonians up close and personal when your Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Boston to meet the Bruins Thursday at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Bruins have not forgiven Cooke for his blindside hit on Marc Savard Sunday, a blow that left the Boston forward carted off the ice with a concussion that likely has wiped out the remainder of the season. Nor have they forgotten that NHL disciplinarians opted not to suspend Cooke, igniting heated debates all across the league. As a result, all signs point to a potentially-explosive meeting between these two teams next week, ..."
Ovechkin, Crosby locked in duel for Rocket trophy
Comment
March 13
Toronto Star
 columnist Damien Cox
"Ray Shero has a secret. A bit of a treasonous one. It seems that while Shero was part of the U.S. Olympic management team for the recent Vancouver Winter Games, he may not have been cheering wholeheartedly for the Americans in the gold-medal match against Canada. Specifically, after U.S. forward Zach Parise nearly sent all of Canada into cardiac arrest by tying the game in the final seconds, Shero had some quietly un-American thoughts as he watched the game from his home in Pittsburgh. "When Parise scored, I thought to myself, `Well, that will give Crosby a chance to score in overtime,'" smiled the Penguins GM at league meetings in Florida this week. "Hey, he plays for the Penguins. I'm ..."
Kovalchuk, Devils return 'two' form vs. Penguins
Comment
March 13
New York Post
 
"It's only two straight, their first consecutive victories in two months, but they were big enough that the Devils think they're re-establishing their sullied credentials. A 5-0 record against the Stanley Cup champs, outscoring them 17-3, helps rekindle confidence. So does battling through a ton of failure to triumph, as they did in last night's 3-1 victory over the Penguins in Newark. With the score tied, and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin always threats, the omens boded foul when the Devils squandered a 5:20 power play and Ilya Kovalchuk missed a penalty shot. Instead of losing and returning to the form that cost them the league and division leads, they won on third period goals by Andy ..."
New Jersey Devils hold off defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-1
Comment
March 13
New York Daily News
 
"In his best  game since getting benched with Team Canada during the Olympics, Martin Brodeur held off the Penguins to help the Devils to a 3-1 win over the defending Stanley Cup champions Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at the Rock in Newark. "He played as well as he can play," Devils coach Jacques Lemaire said. "He was on top, very solid, had some tough shots and made great saves on them." Brodeur stopped 34 shots, including 15 in the third period, as the Devils (40-23-3) cut the Penguins' Atlantic Division lead to two points. The Devils, who are 5-0 against the Penguins (40-23-5) this season, won two straight for the first time since Jan.12. Brodeur was the main reason they ..."
Kovalchuk, Devils knock off Penguins
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Ilya Kovalchuk is most dangerous when shooting the puck, even if the New Jersey left wing settled for an assist when his teammate scored by rebounding his miss. After assisting on the Devils' first two goals, Kovalchuk got one from center Travis Zajac midway through the third period to seal a 3-1 victory over the visiting Penguins tonight at Prudential Center. Zajac aided Kovalchuk's 35th goal by using his stick to interfere with Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's glove for a two-goal lead at 9:29. Despite Fleury's protest, the goal stood. It got chippy early and stayed that way in a game that saw several fights ? including one between Chris Kunitz and Jamie Langenbrunner that spilled ..."
Kovalchuk, Devils knock off Penguins
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Ilya Kovalchuk is most dangerous when shooting the puck, even if the New Jersey left wing settled for an assist when his teammate scored by rebounding his miss. After assisting on the Devils' first two goals, Kovalchuk got one from center Travis Zajac midway through the third period to seal a 3-1 victory over the visiting Penguins tonight at Prudential Center. Zajac aided Kovalchuk's 35th goal by using his stick to interfere with Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's glove for a two-goal lead at 9:29. Despite Fleury's protest, the goal stood. It got chippy early and stayed that way in a game that saw several fights ? including one between Chris Kunitz and Jamie Langenbrunner that spilled ..."
Penguins lose to Devils again, 3-1
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The story line changes every time. A little, anyway. The ending never does. It hasn't since the first time the Penguins played New Jersey back in October, when the Devils kicked off a winning streak against them that swelled to five with a 3-1 victory at the Prudential Center Friday night. The victory boosted New Jersey to within two points of the first-place Penguins in the Atlantic Division and puts it in position to sweep the season series when the teams meet again Wednesday. Questions about whether the Devils had gotten inside the Penguins' head began after New Jersey won the first three meetings, all at Mellon Arena. By now, it might be more reasonable to ask whether the Devils own ..."
Kovalchuk, Devils more difficult to handle
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Gene Collier
"It was 4:56 p.m. when game-day personnel at Prudential Center conducted a formal test of the New Jersey Devils' ear-splitter. "This is a test of the Devils goal horn," came a faceless voice preceding a deafening fog horn in a near-empty building. "This is only a test." Uh-huh. Had this been an actual goal, there probably would have been players on the ice, although the presence in a Devils uniform of Ilya Kovalchuk hardly seemed to augment that probability. In the first post-trade deadline collision of the top two teams in the Atlantic Division, the Penguins attempted to invert the working karma of the rivalry via the unusual gambit of putting the puck in the net. Sidney Crosby's ..."
Penguins fall in New Jersey, 3-1
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"New Jersey defeated the Penguins, 3-1, at the Prudential Center tonight. The Devils' victory lifted them to within two points of the first-place Penguins (40-23-5) in the Atlantic Division. New Jersey has played two fewer games than the Penguins, and will face them again here Wednesday night. The Penguins have lost all five of their games against the Devils in 2009-10, while New Jersey has won consecutive games for the first time in two months. The Penguins played most of the game with 11 forwards after Craig Adams received a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Devils defenseman Martin Skoula a split-second after play was blown dead for a high-sticking violation. Adams' hit ..."
Penguins Notebook: Fleury learns from idol Brodeur at Olympics
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Brodeur were back in their usual places Friday night, at opposite ends of the ice. Wearing different sweaters. Intent on doing everything possible to defeat the other's team. But, for two weeks in Vancouver last month, they were teammates on Canada's Olympic squad, which gave Fleury an opportunity to interact with, and learn from, a guy he has admired for a lot of years. "He was great to me," Fleury said. "We hung out a lot. He gave me some tips. That was pretty cool. He was real nice. "I've loved watching him, and it was cool to be on the ice beside him, watching while he does his thing." Brodeur has done his thing as well as, or better than, any goalie in NHL ..."
Stats tell conflicting stories about Malkin's season
Comment
March 13
NHL.com
 
"With 26 points in his last 19 games, it's understandably easy to say we're nitpicking by asking Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma if he needs to see more out of Evgeni Malkin. Malkin is a force and everybody knows it, but he's also a minus-11 over those last 19 games and a minus-6 for the season. As offensively aware as he is, something just hasn't been right all season with the man they call Geno. Through 61 games this season, Malkin has 69 points and that unsightly minus rating. After he played in his 61st game last season, when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the League's leading scorer with 113 points, Malkin had 87 points and a plus-17 rating. "It's a good question because sometimes the ..."
Pens' Adams baffled by ejection from game
Comment
March 13
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Penguins forward Craig Adams heard multiple explanations for the charging call that led to a game misconduct and his ejection Friday night. He wasn't happy with any of them. "The first linesman told me it was icing, which it wasn't," Adams said. "The second linesman told me it was a high-sticking call, which if you watch the replay, I'm about 10 or 15 feet past the linesman before he makes the signal that it's a high stick, so I have no way of knowing it's a high stick. "As far as I was concerned, it was just a regular forecheck. Somebody told me I jumped and left my feet, which you clearly see that I didn't. So I'm baffled. People can decide for themselves." Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said ..."
Sidney Crosby and Penguins sick of losing to Devils
Comment
March 12
Bergen Record
 
"From spending two weeks as teammates with Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury on the Canadian Olympic team, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was able learn a few things about the Pittsburgh Penguins' stars. One was that Crosby and Fleury don't like it one bit that the Devils have had the Penguins' number this season. The Devils will try to improve to 5-0 against the Penguins and gain ground in the race for first in the Atlantic Division in tonight's game at Prudential Center. The Devils dominated the Penguins in winning the first four meetings, outscoring them, 14-2. "They know," Brodeur said of Crosby and Fleury. "It's not like it's not in the back of their mind. They know how well we ..."
Lightning's Lecavalier blasts Penguins' Cooke
Comment
March 12
Tampa Tribune
 
"Normally non-controversial with his comments, Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier did not hold back when it came to discussing Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke. Cooke gave Lecavalier a blind-side hit at the end of the 2007-08 season, forcing Lecavalier to have reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder. When Lecavalier found out Cooke was not suspended for a blind-side, shoulder-to-head hit on Boston's Marc Savard — which was a focal point at this week's general managers' meetings — Lecavalier was surprised. "I can't believe it. This guy's been doing that his whole career to a lot of guys. He's been hurting a lot of guys," Lecavalier said. "Take Marc Savard. He's going to be out for the rest of ..."
Canes crack Penguins in OT
Comment
March 12
Raleigh News & Observer
 
"Mathematically, the Carolina Hurricanes still have a chance of reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs. And realistically? The games are running short and the schedule is unrelenting. But the Canes still have plenty of fight, as the Pittsburgh Penguins learned Thursday. A night after an overtime loss to the Washington Capitals, the Hurricanes went to overtime again against the defending Stanley Cup champions. But they weren't to be denied, with Justin Peters making 37 saves before defenseman Brian Pothier buried a shot 23 seconds into the OT for a 4-3 victory at the RBC Center. "We played a really hard game in overtime last night, but we were able to hang in there and find a way in overtime," ..."
Pens' Cooke: GMs going in right direction
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Penguins right wing Matt Cooke said Thursday he was prepared for whatever decision the NHL made regarding his controversial hit on Boston center Marc Savard last Sunday. He added that he does not expect to be any more of a targeted player than he was before the hit, even though many players from around the league have voiced their displeasure with him. Cooke said a proposed head-shot rule by league general managers should bring clarity to players regarding high hits. However, he added that he doesn't believe head shots can be flatly ruled as illegal. "My personal opinion on that is the speed of the game is so great it's impossible to do that," he said. "I think (GMs) are going in the right ..."
Carolina goaltender Peters slows down Pens
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Despite a 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at RBC Center on Thursday night, the Penguins probably couldn't be performing at a more consistently high level headed into an Atlantic Division showdown at New Jersey tonight. If not for "one of those nights" by backup goalie Brent Johnson, who stopped 17 shots but couldn't grab a one-timer from Carolina defenseman Brian Pothier just 23 seconds into the extra session, the Penguins would have entered Prudential Center riding a five-game winning streak and with a five-point lead on the Devils. Still, any lead on New Jersey is something of a surprise given the Penguins' standing on Dec. 31, 2009 ? the morning after a fourth straight ..."
Penguins, Johnson fall to Hurricanes in overtime
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Let's break this game down to some of its major components: • The Penguins went on the road and scored two goals in the first 5 1/2 minutes. • They killed a five-on-three power play that lasted 99 seconds and did not give up a shot while they were down two men. • They outshot their opponents by 40-21 -- a fair indication of how much time they spent in the attacking zone. But the numbers that mattered Thursday night showed the Carolina Hurricanes with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Penguin at the RBC Center. Hurricanes defenseman Brian Pothier got the winner 23 seconds into overtime when he beat Penguins goalie Brent Johnson, a one-time teammate in Washington, with a shot from the right ..."
Penguin Notebook: Devil-ish output is due for a test
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"It is not just that the Penguins have lost all four games they have played against New Jersey this season; it is that they have done it so emphatically. The Penguins, who will face the Devils tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, have been outscored, 14-2, by New Jersey so far in 2009-10. "None of the games seemed to be very close," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. The Devils' 2-0 victory Dec. 30 was the least lopsided of the four. "They've played some really good hockey against us," Penguins right winger Bill Guerin said. "When they're at their best, they're playing a patient, clog-the-middle type of game. We've given in to our frustrations and played into their hands a bit." ..."
Penguins fall to Hurricanes in overtime, 4-3
Comment
March 12
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Carolina defenseman Brian Pothier scored from the right dot 23 seconds into overtime to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory against the Penguins at the RBC Center tonight. The Penguins, who lead the Atlantic Division by four points, will play second-place New Jersey at 7:08 p.m. Friday in Newark. Tyler Kennedy, who normally plays right wing on the No. 3 line, was a healthy scratch (although he has a minor groin problem) and was replaced in that role by Pascal Dupuis. It didn't long for that move to pay off for the Penguins. Just 64 seconds into the game, Jordan Staal took a feed from Dupuis and threw a shot by Hurricanes goalie Justin Peters from just inside the left circle for his 19th of ..."
Penguins Cooke not surprised he wasn't suspended
Comment
March 11
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins left winger Matt Cooke said he wasn't surprised that the league didn't suspend him for his hit to the head of Boston center Marc Savard Sunday. But he also wouldn't have been shocked if Colin Campbell, the league's director of hockey operations, had ordered him to sit out a few games. "I prepared for the league to make a decision," Cooke said after the Penguins' game-day skate at the RBC Center today. "Either way, I was going to have to deal with it. "They did their homework on these hits. . . . Right now, my thoughts are just with Savard, and that he (makes) a speedy recovery because it wasn't my intention to hit him and hurt him." Cooke said he tried to get a message to Savard ..."
Crosby happy to get back his Olympic gear
Comment
March 11
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins center Sidney Crosby is thrilled that the gloves and stick he was using when he scored the overtime goal that won an Olympic gold medal for Canada have been recovered. And now he's perfectly willing to give them away. Crosby said today that if the Hockey Hall of Fame wants that equipment -- which it apparently does, for obvious reasons -- he will have no qualms about turning it over. "If they want it, I'm sure it will end up there," he said. "I think it would be pretty cool to have it there. I have no problem with that.""
Malkin, Ponikarovsky developing chemistry
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March 11
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Evgeni Malkin and Alexei Ponikarovsky have been linemates for only two games but have already started to display early signs of chemistry. Ponikarovsky set up Malkin's game-winning goal Sunday against Boston, and the center seems quite pleased with his new linemate. Playing with such a large winger seems to intrigue Malkin. "I like playing with him," Malkin said. "He is long and has a good shot. It's good playing with him. He has played well." Malkin is not only pleased with his new linemate but likes the direction of the team. The Penguins have won four straight games since the Olympic break, and Malkin noticed a difference."
Another defining road trip on tap for Penguins
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March 11
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The five-game road trip that ended barely more than a year ago still resonates for the Penguins. The team was languishing below the playoff line and had won just two of its previous 12 road games when it faced a daunting stretch -- a luggage-busting trek to Chicago, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Florida and Washington. "It was a big definition trip. Where's the season going to go? What would we do with 10 points on the line?" Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis recalled. "And we won five straight." That trip, which ended March 8, 2009, became the only 5-0 road swing in franchise history and helped launch the Penguins toward a Stanley Cup championship run. Now comes the sequel. The Penguins play their next ..."
Crosby defends saying no to Letterman
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March 11
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Responding to a topic that has grown legs on the Internet, Penguins center Sidney Crosby talked about his decision to decline an invitation last week to present the Top Ten List on the "Late Show with David Letterman." He pointed to a packed schedule that week coming off his golden moment at the Olympics in Vancouver, including March 3, when the Penguins flew to New York for a game the next night against the Rangers and where Letterman tapes his show. "I do my best. That's all I can do," Crosby said Wednesday after the Penguins practiced at Southpointe. "It's not the first year I've dealt with balancing everything. I've had that responsibility for a long time, and I think anybody who knows ..."
Cooke avoids suspension for blindside hit
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March 11
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"One of the NHL's most-hyped would-be suspensions resulted in nothing but good talk-show fodder. Three days after a blindside hit that leveled Boston star Marc Savard with a Grade 2 concussion, Penguins left wing Matt Cooke spoke with NHL officials Wednesday and learned he will not be suspended. The NHL decided to remain true to its rulebook, which in no way indicates that Cooke's hit was illegal. Rampant speculation that he would be suspended for the hit was silenced yesterday afternoon, only minutes after Cooke spoke on the phone with NHL officials about the incident. "There's a lot of gray area," Cooke said after practice. "Technically by the rulebook, I did nothing wrong." The NHL ..."