Yardbarker: Jordan Staal

Could Staal extension get a little hairy ??

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:57:51 -0500

Ever since the downtrodden times that gave the Penguins the opportunities to draft Marc-Andre Fleury #1 overall, Evgeni Malkin #2 overall, Sidney Crosby #1 overall and finally Jordan Staal #2 overall, the belief among the so-called "experts" was that the Pens would never be able to keep all of them.

SO CLOSE...

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:21:44 -0500

RED WINGS 3
PENGUINS 2

Watching this season play out, the way the Penguins' 2007-08 campaign finally ended pretty much summed it all up: a talented team facing adversity gave an incredible, gutsy effort.

Down 3-1 while getting only one shot on goal through the first 16 minutes of the third period? No problem. Summon Sergei Gonchar and Marian Hossa for a little power-play magic and give us renewed hope with a minute-and-a-half remaining.

With the lid of Mellon Arena ready to be blown off, Marian Hossa's final effort trickled past Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, just inches away from tying the score as the clock ran out on the Boys of Winter.

It was an excruciating tease of what could have been.

But hockey, like football and golf, is a game of inches. A bounce here, a bounce there, and the Penguins could have won more than two games in this series. But there is no doubt that the better team won. The Penguins were the NHL's #2 team this year, and considering the age and inexperience of many of these players, there's no shame in that. But the day after, that's a message that no one wants to hear, especially the players.

As the title implies, the Penguins were both close and far in this series. Things couldn't have started much worse than back-to-back shutouts in Detroit, coming home with a 7-0 goal defecit.

There were times when this series had the feel of the 1960 World Series between the Yankees and Pirates. Yes, it was played about 20 years before I was born, but I've heard and read about it enough to know what happened.

Going into Game Seven, the Yankees won three games over the Pirates by scores of 16-3, 10-0, and 12-0. The Pirates also won three games: 6-2, 3-2, and 5-2. And as we all know, it took every bit of the seventh game, right down to the final at-bat, for the Pirates to eek out a 10-9 victory on home turf, cementing Bill Mazeroski's legacy in this town for the rest of time.

From 1947-1959, the Yankees won eight World Series and appeared in two others. Of the three years in that span that they didn't make it, their records were 94-60 (1948), 103-51 (1954), and 79-75 (1959). Their team was stocked with names like Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford...and that was just in 1960, to say nothing of the DiMaggios, Rizzutos, and Billy Martins that played in the years preceding.

To tie my comparison together, the Penguins were outshot by the following margins in this series: 36-19, 34-22, 34-24, 30-23, 58-32, and 30-22. True, shots alone don't win games, but they certainly give you an indication of who is in possession of the puck, and that was not the Penguins. They scored a grand total of 10 goals in six games, with seven of those 10 coming in just two games. They were facing a Red Wings team absolutely stocked with experienced, Stanley Cup-winning talent.

And much like the 1960 Pirates, these Penguins bridged the apparent gap between the two championship contestants with an amazing effort and a never-say-die attitude. After the series' start, few would have been surprised to see a sweep. But a funny thing happened on the way to that four-game series: the Penguins made it a series. This is not a team that packs it in.

The obstacles in the Penguins' path were many. First and foremost was the ridiculous Detroit defense, which was somehow able to totally neutralize the red-hot Pens, who had just had their way with the entire Eastern Conference. At times it was felt like trying to penetrate the Steel Curtain defense.

The Red Wings were able to hold Evgeni Malkin to a mere one goal for the entire series. The Penguins' goal scoring was very top-heavy, with three of their 10 from Hossa, two from Sidney Crosby, and two from the surprisingly efficient Adam Hall. Ryan Malone, Pascal Dupuis, and Gary Roberts were held to just one assist each. Jordan Staal failed to crack the scoring ledger.

With the lack of scoring production came the increased importance of other factors. Marc-Andre Fleury certainly silenced any remaining doubters who failed to notice his 19-10-2, 2.33 regular season or his 12-2 record coming into the Finals. Brooks Orpik and Hal Gill did their part to make the Red Wings sore on a regular basis. For inspirational purposes, you could look at a number of guys playing hurt, most notably Gonchar and Malone. There was the added lift from veterans Roberts and Daryl Sydor. And of course, no one will forget the efforts of Max Talbot or Petr Sykora in the near future.

Even on the losing end, it was as heroic an effort as anyone could have asked for. The Penguins gave, gave, and gave up until the final buzzer. Sadly, it was not to be this year. And I realize we can't take any future Finals appearances for granted, but the future is certainly bright.

So today, the offseason officially begins. GM Ray Shero is in a tough situation, as some combination of Hossa, Roberts, Dupuis, Hall, Malone, Orpik, Ty Conklin, Georges Laraque, and Jarkko Ruutu will surely sign for greater dollars elsewhere. But as he's proven time and time again, he's more than competent at his job. And while I'd love to see a guy like Hossa back in the black and gold next season, the Penguins will be a challenger for the crown regardless of who stays or goes.

To the Penguins, we thank you for an incredible, memorable season. From the October 5th opener against Carolina to the Winter Classic to the climactic finale last night, it will be regarded as a year for the ages.

The great thing for fans about playing this late into the season? Training camp's only a few short months away. I'm sure this nucleus will be more than ready to finish what they started.

PENGUIN REVOLT?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:21:43 -0500

According to SI's FanNation via the Toronto Sun, a number of players despise playing for Penguins coach Michel Therrien, including Jordan Staal and Brooks Orpik, who vowed he would not re-sign with the team if Mad Mike is behind the bench next year.

That's pretty surprising, especially on the Staal front. While the Orpik stuff is not breaking news, I was unaware of any rift between Therrien and Gronk. And while Therrien undoubtedly had a great run this season, there remains a share of Penguins fans not totally sold on him as the long-term solution behind the bench.

In other Penguin news, the playoffs are now over, which means we finally find out what players were nursing injuries. The biggest name? Evgeni Malkin, who had "a flu-like ailment that made it difficult for him to keep food down" in addition to the lingering effects of a Mike Richards check from Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Penguins player revolt looming? [Fannation]

A tough task ahead [Toronto Sun]

Illness, injuries hit Malkin [PG]

PENGUIN REVOLT?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:21:43 -0500

Penguins player revolt looming? [Fannation]

A tough task ahead [Toronto Sun]

Illness, injuries hit Malkin [PG]

Breaking Down the Stanley Cup Finals

Thu, 22 May 2008 00:14:46 -0500

82 games, 3 rounds of playoffs, they all lead to this: Pittsburgh v Detroit. who will win and how inside...

Perfect Penguins

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:10:22 -0500

After defeating the New York Rangers 5-3 tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins extended their playoff winning streak to 7 straight games. It is the first time since the 1994 Rangers that a team has won their first 7 playoff games and it's only the eleventh time it has been done in NHL history.

March of the Penguins

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:50:29 -0500

Pittsburgh native and FIO humor writer Brian Lutz sheds some light on what has been going on in the Steel City during this season's NHL Playoffs. Forget experience - these youngsters are just downright good!

Senators Battle Hard But Fall as Penguins Take 3-0 Series Lead

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:10:00 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their march through round one of the playoffs as they beat an inspired Ottawa Senators team 4-1 on Monday night to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Despite the emotional lift of getting Daniel Alfredsson back in the lineup, putting forth their best effort of the series, and scoring first, the Ottawa Senators gave up 2-quick goals early in the 3rd and fell to the Penguins on their own ice. With the win, the Penguins have earned the opportunity to sweep the series with a win on Wednesday night, and reverse their first round fortunes of last post-season.

Reactions to Penguins vs. Senators Game 1

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:55:19 -0500

Thoughts and reactions to the Penguins Game 1 demolition of the Ottawa Senators. Gary Roberts, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and company took it to their rivals from the north. Highlights included.

Penguins Tripped Up By Rangers

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:59:32 -0500

After playing two games in which they outscored their opponents 14-4, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost 5-2 on Tuesday night to the New York Rangers. Penguins' goaltender Ty Conklin gave up 5 goals on 30 shots and fell short of the performance he has routinely provided for the Penguins this season. The red hot line of Evgeni Malkin, Petr Sykora and Ryan Malone also failed to record a point after putting up a combined 14-points in just the last 2-games. The loss prevented the Penguins from re-taking the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference lead from the idle New Jersey Devils.

Penguins Surge in 3rd, Beat Capitals 4-2

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:27:55 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored 2-goals in the last 30-seconds of the game to break a 2-2 tie and beat the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Sunday. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury kept the Penguins in the hunt as they were outshot 33-13 through the first 2-periods. In the final period, however, the Penguins found their offense and outshot the Capitals 13-5. The tie-breaking goal was a heartbreaker for the Capitals as Nicklas Backstrom threw a rebound off from a Crosby shot into his own net past Cristobal Huet. The Penguins finished the scoring by taking advantage of an open net to seal the win at 4-2.

Crosby & Fleury Help Penguins Take Over Eastern Conference

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:54:21 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored a late 3rd period goal to break a 0-0 tie and then grabbed an empty netter to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Tuesday night. It was a triumphant return to the ice for Captain Sidney Crosby who assisted on the game-winner after missing 21-games to a high ankle sprain. Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 35-shots, including a Vinny Lecavalier breakaway, to record his 10th career shutout and put a punctuation mark on his second start (and win) since returning from injury. The win propels the Penguins into sole posession of the Eastern Conference, 1-point ahead of the New Jersey Devils who also won on Tuesday.

Hossa Trade Has No Down Side

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:30:43 -0500

It seems there are two groups of Pittsburgh Penguins fans this morning: one whose members are drooling over the acquisition of Marian Hossa and one whose members are worrying about the assets traded to get Hossa. But, there really is no down side to this trade.

Ty Conklin Stops 50-Shots as Penguins Beat Isles 4-2

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:51:18 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins capped an emotional trade day by beating the New York Islanders 4-2, despite being undermanned in the early going and being outshot 52-20. Ty Conklin had a stellar night in net as he turned aside 50 shots while Marc-Andre Fleury looked on from the bench. The Penguins appeared to be playing with a Hossa hangover for much of the game, giving up numerous chances to the Islanders and committing 10-penalties. But it was the Penguins special teams that had the edge by scoring 2 power play goals and killing off 9-of-10 short-handed situations. With Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen out of the lineup and on their way to Atlanta, the Penguins started the game 2-players short while they waited on call-ups Connor James and Jason Smith to arrive at the arena from Wilkes-Barre. ...click the link below to read the full article...

Malkin on Fire as Pens Dethrone Kings 4-2

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 17:39:56 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Saturday and took sole ownership of 1st place in the Atlantic Division and 2nd place in the East, 2-points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers. Evgeni Malkin continued his torrid leadership of the injury-riddled Penguins, scoring 3 more points (2G, 1A) to draw within just 4-points of league leader Alexander Ovechkin. Dany Sabourin got the call and stood tall in net, making 26 saves and picking up his first home win of the season. With the win, the Penguins get an opportunity to put a little more point separation between themselves and the 2nd place team in the Atlantic if they are able beat the Flyers on Sunday. ....click the link for the rest of the article....