Pittsburgh Penguins News

Penguins don't use travel as excuse
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Playing the red-hot Washington Capitals at Verizon Center less than 24 hours after a contest in Montreal was already going to be a challenge, but an interesting travel itinerary made the trip even more difficult for the Penguins on Sunday. More than 2 feet of snow fell in the Washington area between Friday and Saturday, so the Penguins had to scramble to make their way here. All three local airports were closed, as were the ones in Richmond, Va., and Philadelphia, so the team landed its charter plane in Newark, N.J., and took a bus the rest of the way. "We had a travel day," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "Most of these guys have done that quite a bit in their career in the American ..."
Pens powerless against Ovechkin
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The Penguins erased any worries about weary travel by racing to a three-goal lead Sunday against a rival in their building. Then the power play let the Penguins down again, and Alex Ovechkin brought his Washington Capitals back for a 5-4 overtime victory at Verizon Center. "They've got a great offense, and we allowed them to use it there," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "Especially in the second half after we got that lead. We didn't have that instinct to keep going and finish them off. We let them hang around, and they were going to get their chances. "I don't think we really sat back, but we didn't get that fifth one. We didn't go out there thinking to get that one. Maybe we were ..."
Kunitz returns to lineup
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins left winger Chris Kunitz returned after missing 15 games because of surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. He had no shots or points, a plus-minus rating of minus-1 and played 13:03. He played with center Sidney Crosby and right winger Bill Guerin, and his return allowed the Penguins to revert to combinations that had become familiar on the top three lines."
Travel plans didn't affect the outcome
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins' long journey from Montreal deposited them at their District of Columbia hotel a little after 2 a.m. Sunday. The flight to Newark and subsequent long bus ride might have been a novelty, but nothing more, they insisted. Certainly, it did not account for Sunday's blown three-goal lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Capitals. "I don't think it had anything to do with it," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "I thought our team had plenty of jump. Our guys felt good." After a 5-3 loss to the Canadiens Saturday afternoon, the Penguins had to improvise to get to Washington because air and train travel were nonexistent in the capital after a monster snowstorm. There were few empty seats, ..."
Penguins blow lead, lost to Capitals in overtime
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins blew a three-goal lead and fell to the surging Washington Capitals, 5-4, in overtime today at the Verizon Center. Mike Knuble scored at 2:49 of overtime on a power play to win it for the Capitals. The Penguins lost for the second time in two days, while the Capitals -- aided by an Alex Ovechkin hat trick -- extended their club-record winning streak to 14 games and won their 11th in a row at home. The record for consecutive wins is 17, set by the 1992-93 Penguins. Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal each scored twice for the Penguins. The Penguins were playing their second game in less than 24 hours and after an arduous trip to snow-socked Washington from Montreal that involved ..."
Penguins blow 3-goal lead, fall to Capitals
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"If this fast-paced, riveting game served as something of an Olympic preview, NBC has to be tickled blue, yellow, black, green and red. Then again, Olympic hockey doesn't regularly feature the sort of smacking, shoving, bashing and butt-ending that punctuated the Penguins' fall-from-ahead, 5-4 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals Sunday at the Verizon Center. "A lot of stuff today. A lot of sticks. A lot of little plays. It was going both ways, but it was a feisty game," said Penguins center Jordan Staal, who had two goals. Staal didn't quite make the cut for Team Canada for the Vancouver Winter Games later this month -- at 21, he's a prime candidate for future Olympics if the NHL ..."
Tom Barrasso and the Hall question
Comment
février 8
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Tom Barrasso might be the most polarizing figure in Penguins' history. He was the No. 1 goalie on their first two Stanley Cup teams, which cemented his place in franchise lore and could have made him one of the city's sporting icons, but his departure a few years after those championships inspired far more celebration than sadness among many who knew and dealt with him. His relationship with the media here -- as seemed to be the case wherever he played -- was frosty, at best, most of the time. That was unfortunate, because he was capable of offering great insight on things that happened on the ice. Barrasso's dealings with many teammates weren't any better. To this day, there are more than ..."
Ovechkin outduels Crosby as Caps win 14th in a row
Comment
février 8
Washington Post
 
"Sidney Crosby scored the first two goals Sunday. Alex Ovechkin, though, ended up doing the Pittsburgh Penguins captain one better. Ovechkin recorded his first regular season hat trick in almost a year, then assisted on Mike Knuble's overtime winner at Verizon Center, where the fans who trudged through two feet of snow were treated to a 5-4, come-from-behind victory that extended the Washington Capitals' winning streak to 14 games and ended any discussion about which rivalry is hockey's best. "You can tell when he's having one of his days, and when he's having one of his days," Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Ovechkin. "Days when I see that his recovery rate is unbelievable. He sits on the ..."
Penguins blow lead, lost to Capitals in overtime
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins blew a three-goal lead and fell to the surging Washington Capitals, 5-4, in overtime today at the Verizon Center. Mike Knuble scored at 2:49 of overtime on a power play to win it for the Capitals. The Penguins lost for the second time in two days, while the Capitals -- aided by an Alex Ovechkin hat trick -- extended their club-record winning streak to 14 games and won their 11th in a row at home. The record for consecutive wins is 17, set by the 1992-93 Penguins. Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal each scored twice for the Penguins. The Penguins were playing their second game in less than 24 hours and after an arduous trip to snow-socked Washington from Montreal that involved ..."
Caps, Terps expected to play Sunday
Comment
février 7
Washington Times
 
"The snowstorm battering the Washington, D.C., area is bringing travel to a virtual standstill, and the sports calendar has its first casualty of the storm: Saturday night's scheduled Wizards game. With the Wizards having played Friday night in Orlando and the visiting Atlanta Hawks in Chicago, neither team was able to fly into D.C. for this evening's game, so NBA issued its first postponement of a game since 2006. The makeup date will be announced at a later time. Fans who hold tickets can keep them and go to the rescheduled game, or trade them in for the Wizards-Timberwolves game on Feb. 17th. The other game that was the subject of some doubt was Sunday afternoon's Capitals-Penguins ..."
D.C. snow creates travel issues for Penguins
Comment
février 7
Washington Post
 
"The Caps just sent out the following release: As of 10 p.m. ET Saturday, the Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins game scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7, at Verizon Center remains as scheduled. The Penguins are en route to Washington, D.C., and are expected to arrive tonight. Break out the shovels, boots and snowpants... or, perhaps, the TV remote. It could still be tough for fans to make it to Verizon Center tomorrow. Metrobus, MetroAccess and above-ground stations are will be closed, while road conditions remain treacherous. Update, 5:30 p.m.: According to Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, the Penguins are scheduled to fly to Newark tonight and then take a ..."
Penguins star Sidney Crosby brings a more mature game into Sunday's showdown against Washington
Comment
février 7
Washington Post
 
"If Alex Ovechkin is Washington's most beloved athlete, then Sidney Crosby is the most hated. But there's one thing even the most die-hard Capitals fans cannot deny about the Pittsburgh Penguins captain: He's a generational talent and, after leading his team to the Stanley Cup in June, he has toiled to transform himself into an even better player than he was last May, when he doused Washington's Stanley Cup dreams in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Already celebrated as one of the game's best passers, Crosby, whose Penguins visit Verizon Center on Sunday in a pre-Super Bowl showdown, has added a new wrinkle to his game this season. The 22-year-old center is shooting more and ..."
Wilkes-Barre prospects look for consistency
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The Penguins have called up five forwards from Wilkes-Barre since Jan. 1. Three of them - Luca Caputi, Nick Johnson and Chris Conner - scored in their first games after being promoted. The common denominator among the three? All were immediately slotted onto a line with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. "You're playing with two of the greatest players in the game," Conner said. "There should be nothing you need to worry about." The trick those players have yet to completely master, Caputi said, is continuing to produce when the initial surge of NHL adrenaline wears off. "When people figure out how to do that, that's when you stay," he said."
Penguins-Capitals seemingly on at Verizon
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The Penguins went the distance Saturday night to help the NHL potentially net capital gains today. A nationally televised game between the Penguins and Washington Capitals at Verizon Center - NBC's lone opportunity to broadcast a regular-season Sunday "Game of the Week" contest featuring top-draw superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin - should be played at noon as scheduled despite reports of an estimated 25-plus inches of snow that has buried the metro DC region since Friday night. The Penguins confirmed a slated yesterday afternoon departure by charter plane from Montreal, where they lost to the Canadiens at Bell Center. They were set to arrive tonight at Newark, N.J., and from there ..."
Pens suffer 'disappointing' loss in Montreal
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Unlike most Western Pennsylvanians, the Penguins hadn't been fatigued from shoveling snow all Saturday morning. It only looked that way. In fact, the Penguins were coming off their longest period of inactivity this season, but the four-day rest appeared to inflict more harm than good in a 5-3 setback in Montreal. The Penguins are scheduled to fly to Newark and take a bus the remaining 219 miles to Washington, D.C., for Sunday's noon game against the Capitals. They won't be in a good mood on their trip to snow-ravaged Washington D.C. "We certainly did not play a good game today," Penguins left wing Matt Cooke said. "I don't want to blame having four days off for that. But for whatever ..."
Kunitz may return for game against Capitals
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Chris Kunitz remained unavailable in the Penguins' 5-3 loss at Montreal Saturday, but his return appears set for today. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said following Saturday's game that Kunitz will likely play today in Washington. The winger hasn't played since Jan. 3 in Florida. He had surgery to fix an abdominal injury and has been practicing with the team for more than a week. There had been a school of thought that the Penguins would rest Kunitz until the Olympic break, giving him an additional three weeks to rest, but he stated Tuesday that he intended on playing at some point this weekend."
Host Canadiens knock off Penguins
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The Penguins looked out of sorts from the opening seconds and were outplayed throughout in a 5-3 loss to Montreal this afternoon. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was yanked in the third period after allowing his fourth goal on 28 shots. Pascal Dupuis, Bill Guerin and Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins, who now face an uncertain next 24 hours. They are scheduled to play at noon Sunday in Washington, but because the nation's capital is paralyzed by the snowstorm that also belted Pittsburgh, it remains unclear if the game will be played. The Penguins may be forced to fly to Richmond, Va., or another nearby city and then take a charter bus or train the remainder of the trip. Since the game is ..."
Penguins to take long route to Washington
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Moments after their loss to the Canadiens in Montreal, the Penguins announced plans for getting to Washington for their Sunday afternoon game against the Capitals. The team plans to fly from Montreal to Newark, N.J., and take a bus from there to Washington. A team spokesperson said the club expects to make it to Washington tonight."
Penguins fall to Canadiens, 5-3
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Brian Gionta scored two goals to lead Montreal to a 5-3 victory against the Penguins at the Bell Centre this afternoon. The Penguins (35-22-1) are scheduled to play in Washington Sunday at 12:08 p.m., although it remains to be seen if they'll actually be able to get there. Left winger Chris Kunitz, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, did not play today. It is not known if he will dress for the Capitals game. Tomas Plekanec gave Montreal a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into the game, tossing the puck into an empty net after Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was driven into the boards behind the net by Mathieu Darche, effectively taking him out of the play. The Penguins countered quickly, ..."
Olympics: Call these the Sidney Games
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"By the time the torch is lit Friday to open the XXI Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the American narrative will have been foretold by a national media always seeking the next cereal-box icon: There will be superb skiier Lindsey Vonn, flamehaired snowboarder Shaun White and speedskating ace Apolo Anton Ohno. Not in the eyes of the host nation, though. In Canada, these will be the Sidney Games. Sidney Crosby, perhaps the most precocious athlete in Pittsburgh's history, captain of the Stanley Cup champion Penguins and the undisputed face of the National Hockey League, is about to go home and represent his country for the first time in major international competition. And that home will be ..."
Tom Barrasso and the Hall question
Comment
février 7
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Tom Barrasso might be the most polarizing figure in Penguins' history. He was the No. 1 goalie on their first two Stanley Cup teams, which cemented his place in franchise lore and could have made him one of the city's sporting icons, but his departure a few years after those championships inspired far more celebration than sadness among many who knew and dealt with him. His relationship with the media here -- as seemed to be the case wherever he played -- was frosty, at best, most of the time. That was unfortunate, because he was capable of offering great insight on things that happened on the ice. Barrasso's dealings with many teammates weren't any better. To this day, there are more than ..."
Penguins faceoff with travel dilemma
Comment
février 6
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Washington is one of many cities in the East being battered by snow today, and reports this morning indicate that travel into and out of that area is treacherous, at best. That's an issue for the Penguins, who will face Montreal today at 2:08 p.m. at the Bell Centre but are scheduled to play Washington at the Verizon Center Sunday at 12:08 p.m. Team officials still are trying to settle on the best way to get the team to Washington after the game against the Canadiens Because virtually all air traffic into that region has been stopped, one option might be to fly as close as they can, then take a train or bus the rest of the way. Of course, that assumes that the trains are running or that ..."
Penguins are getting closer to full strength
Comment
février 6
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"To counter the New Jersey Devils' acquisition of star sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, the Penguins will add to their lineup this weekend a gritty scoring-line winger with speed to complement center Sidney Crosby. They landed such a player near this point last season - and the irony is that they're getting the same guy again. "I guess I'm coming back at almost the same moment when I got traded (from Anaheim on Feb. 26, 2009)," a laughing Chris Kunitz said Friday after a practice session at Mellon Arena that "didn't feel so good." Despite that assessment, Kunitz said he hopes to play either today at Montreal or Sunday afternoon at Washington - and coach Dan Bylsma is on board with that plan. Kunitz ..."
Penguins make call-ups
Comment
février 6
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins' personnel carousel continued today as they recalled forwards Mark Letestu and Tim Wallace from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Forward Max Talbot did not travel with the Penguins to Montreal and will not play there Saturday or in Washington Sunday. Winger Chris Kunitz hopes to come back this weekend from Jan. 6 surgery to repair an abdominal muscle tear, but he is more likely to play Sunday."
Penguins can sweep Canadiens
Comment
février 6
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins go for their first season series sweep of Montreal today at Bell Centre. They are 3-0 against the Canadiens by a combined 12-4. In fact, the Penguins have a franchise-best five-game winning streak against Montreal, which is bunched with seven other teams trying to claim what is shaping up as the final three playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. That can't go over very well in the city of the most storied franchise in the NHL, keeper of the Stanley Cup a record 24 times but not since 1992-93. "They love their hockey. They love a winning team," said winger Pascal Dupuis, one of the Penguins' French-Canadian players, after practice Friday at Mellon Arena. "Right now, they're ..."
Pens' Staal appreciated for ironman ways
Comment
février 5
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"It is important, Jordan Staal insisted, that by Sunday night he can have played more consecutive NHL games (technically) than any player to wear a Penguins sweater. More important to Staal is that general manager Ray Shero plans on keeping him in that sweater for a long time. Shero reiterated earlier this week that he "is certainly not interested in" trading the third of three cornerstone centers. Staal isn't "too worried about it" either. His job is to play, and he has no rival among teammates in that category. Staal is slated to play in his 327th consecutive game (counting playoffs) on Saturday afternoon at Montreal. "I've been blessed ... fortunate enough to be injury-free," he said, ..."
Penguins' Adams closing in on 100 points
Comment
février 5
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Goals and points are among the last statistics you look for next to Craig Adams' name, especially on a Penguins team headlined by offensive stars. Yet it doesn't necessarily take a Harvard graduate -- which Adams is -- to understand that those numbers work to some degree like a barometer for his overall performance as primarily a fourth-line forward whose task is to frustrate opposing players with extended time on the forecheck, and he's feeling his version of barometric pressure. "I think if you do that consistently in the other team's end and you're cycling and you're putting pucks on the net, then you're going to create offense and you're going to get points," Adams said this week. "I ..."
Drought continues for Penguins' fourth line
Comment
février 4
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"A good fourth line doesn't have to provide consistent scoring, but, ideally, it should have the ability to forecheck, play a physical brand of hockey and pin the opposition in its territory from time to time. The Penguins' fourth line hasn't done much of that lately and is looking to become more of a factor starting Saturday, when the team travels to Montreal. "No excuses," Penguins right wing Craig Adams said. "We've got to do a better job of working the puck down low and creating some offense. It hasn't always been the same people on that line, but that doesn't matter. We still need to do a better job." Right wing Eric Godard and left wing Max Talbot, who frequently see time on the ..."
Winger Kunitz eyes return to Pens' lineup
Comment
février 4
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz doesn't want to rush his return from something as delicate as abdominal surgery, but he indicated there is a legitimate chance he could play Saturday in Montreal. Kunitz practiced again with the team Wednesday at Mellon Arena and said his return should be near. But he doesn't feel 100 percent yet. "I still feel things out there," said Kunitz, referring to the abdominal injury. "I don't know if that's from the injury or just part of the healing process." The Penguins are off today, but Kunitz plans to skate. Then, he will likely practice with the team Friday. If he gets through that practice and feels well, he might play against the Canadiens. "Friday will be ..."
Email Print Winger Kunitz champs at bit to return to action
Comment
février 4
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Tony Granato has no formal medical training. He has been examined and treated by plenty of doctors over the years, but rarely, if ever, is mistaken for one. Doesn't matter. Granato, one of the Penguins' assistant coaches, didn't have to study a chart or consult with a specialist to conclude that left winger Chris Kunitz is just about ready to return to the lineup. Not when Granato has seen most of the vital signs while watching Kunitz skate with his teammates during the past week or so. "He's got great jump in practice, is shooting the puck really well," Granato said. "You can see in his face that he's healthy again." Kunitz, who had surgery Jan. 6 to repair a torn abdominal muscle, could ..."
Pens' success brings change in priorities
Comment
février 3
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"A spot in the Stanley Cup tournament is all but assured. The Atlantic Division title, and with it a top-three playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, is attainable. Their captain (Sidney Crosby, 37 goals) is on pace for his most impressive offensive season. Crosby's sidekick, Evgeni Malkin (14 points in eight games) is again trusted as a scoring threat. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, the Penguins (35-21-1, 71 points) appear nothing like the club that at this point last season was 27-25-5, five points from the final conference playoff slot and facing the prospect of playing for a new coach. Many Penguins players don't believe they are that much better than from one year ago."
Is the Penguins' 4-day layoff a blessing or curse?
Comment
février 3
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins are less than two weeks removed from the Olympic break, easily the longest of the season. Beginning Feb. 15, they will go nine days with no team activities, followed by six with nothing except practices. The Penguins, though, have five more games to play before the NHL shuts down. And before they get to the first of those, Saturday afternoon in Montreal, the Penguins will have to go through the second-longest interruption of their season. The timing is peculiar, to be sure. Especially when their four days off are sandwiched by sets of games on consecutive days (home victories Sunday and Monday against Detroit and Buffalo followed by visits to Montreal and Washington this ..."
Penguins return Letestu, Johnson to Wilkes-Barre
Comment
février 2
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins have returned forwards Mark Letestu and Nick Johnson to their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre. Letestu scored his first NHL goal during their 5-4 victory against Buffalo Monday night at Mellon Arena. That goal also was his first NHL point."
Sabres learn hard lessons from Pens
Comment
février 2
Buffalo News
 
"Player after player in the Buffalo Sabres' dressing room said the team has to learn from Monday's 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. What is on the educational agenda? Lesson One: If you're going to err, don't do it when one of the best players in the world is on the ice. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby showed that with three goals. "We made the mistakes to the wrong guy, obviously," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "He wasn't missing." Lesson Two: When playing against the defending Stanley Cup champions, be ready. The Penguins opened the scoring on an odd-man rush just 47 seconds into the game. "First shift we gave them a three-on-one," Sabres center Paul Gaustad said. "That can't happen." ..."
McKee not surprised by success of former team
Comment
février 2
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The Buffalo Sabres probably weren't on anyone's radar entering the season but have emerged as one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams. Jay McKee isn't surprised. The Penguins defenseman played parts of 10 seasons in Buffalo and believes head coach Lindy Ruff and the Sabres organization are both among the best in hockey. "The system never really changes with Lindy," McKee said. "And the system works." Led by goaltender Ryan Miller and a nice mix of grit and talent, Buffalo is currently atop the Northeast Division and appears poised to snatch one of the conference's top three seeds. McKee hasn't played for Buffalo since departing after the 2005-06 season. He has retained a fondness for ..."
Crosby's hat trick lifts Penguins over Buffalo
Comment
février 2
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"His first 50-goal NHL season isn't quite in the bag, but center Sidney Crosby skated several strides toward that elusive plateau on Monday night. Crosby's third hat trick, and the fifth of his five-year career, fueled a 5-4 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at Mellon Arena. Crosby's 37 goals are tied with San Jose center Patrick Marleau for the league lead. "It always helps when Sid has a game like he did (last night)," goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said after stopping 30 shots, including 20 of his final 22 faced. "That was huge." As was this victory for the Penguins, who improved to 2-6-0 against the Eastern Conference's elite - Washington, New Jersey and Buffalo, the lone three clubs ahead ..."
Calling Cooke an 'agitator' a disservice
Comment
février 2
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"Their lockers are just a few feet apart in the Penguins' room, but Sidney Crosby and Matt Cooke might as well be from different planets. Crosby is well on his way to being one of the NHL's all-time superstars, the face of the league and soon to be the face of the Olympics. Cooke is, well ... How would you describe Cooke? I took a shot at it and used the term "agitator" Sunday after the Penguins' 2-1 shootout win against the Detroit Red Wings at Mellon Arena. Cooke smiled politely. But he clearly didn't like it. "I've always kind of been in that stereotype and I've always tried to get out of it," he said. "An agitator, to me, is someone who gets 10 points a year and does his job. I like to ..."
Penguins beat Sabres, 5-4
Comment
février 2
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Sidney Crosby had a hat trick as the Penguins came from behind to beat the Buffalo Sabres, 5-4, tonight at Mellon Arena. Rookie Mark Letestu got his first NHL goal to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead 47 seconds into the first period. He finished off a three-on-one break off a pass from Tyler Kennedy, who broke down the left side. Buffalo tied it, 1-1, on Derek Roy's soft backhander from the left edge of the slot for a power-play goal at 5:15 of the first period. Forty-eight seconds later, Thomas Vanek gave the Sabres a 2-1 when he got behind the defense deep in the Penguins end and lifted the puck past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Tim Kennedy scored Buffalo's third unanswered goal, off a ..."
Staal scores with defensive play
Comment
février 1
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 columnist Kevin Gorman
"As if seeing Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin on the ice together for the opening faceoff wasn't daunting enough, imagine what was going through the minds of the Detroit Red Wings when Staal split their top defensive pairing for a shorthanded shot in the second period. Anyone have a flashback of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final? Detroit tends to bring out the best in Staal, who has tortured the Red Wings in their past nine meetings by scoring five goals, including a third-period hat trick in an overtime victory in November 2008. "I guess so," Staal said. "They're always big games and they're always tough. It's always exciting and challenging for any player out there." Staal didn't score a ..."
Penguins clip Red Wings in shootout
Comment
février 1
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"During their past two meetings, the Penguins and Red Wings played postseason epics that were evenly matched in almost every way, with the Penguins squeaking out 2-1 victories to win the Stanley Cup. The only thing that resembled those games Sunday at Mellon Arena was the final score. Behind a dominant performance from their stars, the Penguins overwhelmed Detroit most of the afternoon and finally made goalie Jimmy Howard look mortal in a shootout, claiming another 2-1 victory over the Red Wings. While the Penguins looked like the team that steamrolled its way to a Stanley Cup, little evidence that Detroit remains among the league's elite was on display. Howard stopped 46 of 47 shots during ..."
Penguins 7-0 in shootouts
Comment
février 1
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins figure it never should have gotten to that point, and understandably so. Run up a 45-21 advantage in shots in regulation -- including a 29-11 edge in the first 40 minutes -- and a quality team probably shouldn't have to go to overtime, let alone a shootout, to earn a victory. Even against an opponent as accomplished as Detroit. Pretty sound logic there. Trouble is, Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard rejected it the way he did almost everything else the Penguins sent at him. "He looked so calm and collected in net there," Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He makes the first save and he's never out of position for the rebound. He's been just getting better and better." Well, ..."
Malkin wings it with Staal at center
Comment
février 1
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Evgeni Malkin was game to try some different things. He not only had the confidence to score in a shootout -- not his forte during his career -- but he also adapted well to moving out of his normal spot at center to play right wing as Penguins coach Dan Bylsma shook up his lines Sunday for a Stanley Cup final rematch against Detroit at Mellon Arena. "I'm not that comfortable, but I think I played fine," Malkin said of his new assignment playing on the right side with center Jordan Staal and left winger Pascal Dupuis. The top line in the 2-1 shootout win had Sidney Crosby centering Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin (Fedotenko is Malkin's regular linemate). The other lines had rookie Mark ..."
Penguins beat Red Wings, 2-1, in shootout
Comment
février 1
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"In a rematch of the past two Stanley Cup finals, the Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-1, in a shootout today at Mellon Arena. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each scored for the Penguins in the shootout. After a scoreless first period in which the Penguins outshot Detroit, 16-6, Crosby got the game's first goal at 16:46 of the second period. Crosby took a pass from Alex Goligoski, drove to the top left edge of the crease, pulled the puck around the left toe of Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard and deposited a backhand in the net for a 1-0 Penguins lead."
Red Wings lose to Penguins in shootout, 2-1
Comment
janvier 31
Michigan Live
 
"Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored in the shootout Sunday afternoon, lifting the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Mellon Arena in a clash between the Stanley Cup finalists from each of the past two seasons. The Red Wings salvaged a point after being dominated the first two periods. Goaltender Jimmy Howard made it possible by keeping them in the game early. He finished with 46 saves for the second consecutive game. Pavel Datsyuk and Jason Williams failed to score in the shootout for Detroit. The Red Wings had an excellent chance to win it during a power play with 1:21 left in overtime but Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made some big stops. Detroit ..."
Crosby scores in second period, SO to beat Wings
Comment
janvier 31
Detroit Free Press
 
"Sidney Crosby scored in regulation and in the shootout as the Red Wings lost to the Penguins, 2-1, in a shootout, today in Pittsburgh. Wings goalie Jimmy Howard turned aside 46 shots and Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 23 in regulation and overtime. Kris Letang was first up in the shootout, but he was stopped by Howard. Pavel Datsyuk took the first shot for the Wings, but was unable to score on the backhand. Sidney Crosby was next for Pittsburgh and went to the top shelf on his backhand for the goal. Jason Williams tried to beat Fleury on the glove side, but was stopped. Evgeni Malkin ended the game with a nice move on Howard to score. The Penguins are 7-0 in shootouts, while ..."
Wings fall to Penguins in shootout
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janvier 31
Detroit News
 
"The last thing you want to do is take the Pittsburgh Penguins to a shootout. But that's what the Red Wings did Sunday, failing to score against Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury while giving up goals to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to lose 2-1 on Sunday. Crosby, now 6-for-7 in shootouts, scored on the second attempt for the Penguins, and Malkin capped the scoring. The Penguins are 7-0 in shootouts; the Wings fell to 4-6. In the rematch of the last two Stanley Cup Finals, both teams appeared a little sleepy, especially early in the game. The man Red Wings fans love to hate broke the scoreless tie late in the second period. Crosby took a pass in the slot from Alex Goligoski, deked ..."
Red Wings, Penguins set to renew rivalry on NBC
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janvier 31
Michigan Live
 
"Forget the handshakes and courteous smiles when Detroit and Pittsburgh meet again for the first time since the Red Wings suffered a stunning 2-1 loss to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals last season. In this grudge match, there's no need for pleasantries. The rivalry between the Red Wings and Penguins, who've faced off against each other in the finals for the past two seasons, should be in full bloom for NBC's "Game of the Week" at Mellon Arena on Sunday. "It's a great showcase for the league," Detroit's Kris Draper said of the rivalry with Pittsburgh. "It's a great test for us. We expect to have a great game. It's going to be a great atmosphere. It's the last two Stanley ..."
Today's rematch won't heal Red Wings' Stanley Cup wound
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janvier 31
Detroit Free Press
 
"To this day, Dan Cleary has to tried to let go of what happened the last time the Red Wings met today's opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins, because it resulted in the Wings being dethroned as Stanley Cup champions. That was nearly eight months ago, and whatever happens today at Mellon Arena on national television, it won't change who owns the Cup. For the Wings, however, it is a significant game because they need points, and getting a pair from the defending champions would be a confidence booster. "I think it's up to us to show something, especially the way things have gone lately with us not having played up to our potential," veteran forward Kirk Maltby said. "Any time we've won a ..."
Pens inked script fans could learn a lot from
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janvier 31
Boston Herald
 columnist Steve Buckley
"Any day now, hopeful Bruins fans will start showing up at the Garden wearing "Pittsburgh Penguins: 2008-09 Stanley Cup champions" T-shirts. And why not? Last season's Penguins were gasping for air midway through the season, and looking more and more like a team that'd be going home come playoff time. They lost five straight games in late December and early January. By Feb. 15, they were five points out of playoff contention. You probably know the . . . rest . . . of . . . the . . . story. Injured players returned to the lineup. The Penguins made some late-season pickups, including Billy Guerin. The team also made a coaching change, replacing Michel Therrien with Dan Bylsma. Presto! The ..."
Fan from Down Under tracking the Penguins
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janvier 31
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Cameron Walsh's favorite player on his favorite team had just made a memorable last-second stop to clinch the Stanley Cup championship, leaving him in stunned silence. Instead of celebrating Marc-Andre Fleury's save to preserve the Penguins' Game 7 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, Walsh was speechless. "As much as Detroit was shocked, so was I," he said. "You see your favorite player do that, with the game on the line, it was just incredible." Almost as incredible is that Walsh was watching the Cup Final half a world away. That the Melbourne, Australia, resident is a die-hard Penguins fans is a story in itself, one that began with a video game. Walsh frequently played as the Penguins on ..."