Pens Vs. Caps

Tonight was the first match-up between the Pens and Capitals this year. Fleury got the start after Danny Sabourin won last nights game.

Slow first period.
Washington was getting good chances and Fleury looks like he is up to the billing so far.

Pens kill off a penalty by Gonchar but right after it ended, Pothier gets a shot from the point and Fleury couldn't see anything because he had two guys in front of him.
Goal.


2nd period starts and the Penguins get a 5 on 3 right off the bat. The Caps kill it
off, but just then Jordan Staal picks up the puck and puts it top shelf. The puck seemed to just sneak its way in. Just as he scored he got hit in the mouth by some fag. Staal will take it tho because its his first goal since the playoffs.

Pretty even period throughout. But just when you think that both teams are gonna coast into the intermission, Crosby gets high sticked in the face.

Malone throws the puck around the boards the slowest I've ever seen and the Capitals dont even move towards it. Crosby gets it...across to Whitney....wrister...money in the bank. 2-1 bitch

3rd period starts and Big Georges Laraque drops the gloves with Donald Brashear. Laraque pounds on him then all of the sudden Brashear gets a second wind and hammers a left. Laraque goes down but it seemed pretty even.

4 mins later two Caps run into each other and Pettinger thinks it was Staal who registered the hit. He rubs Staals face up a bit and then they drop the gloves. Both just wrestle each other for position, then fall to the ground. Not bad for Stallzy's first fight.

Crazy rest of the game. Type of game that gives all the guys a nice chubby. Washington goes crazy especially Ovechkin. Caps Register 11 shots to the Pens 5.
Fleury played awesome.

Final 2-1 W


Staal: 1 Goal
Whitney: 1 Goal
Crosby: 1 Assist
Fleury: 30 Saves


Side Notes:
Christensen was a healthy scratch
Staal got his first goal in 12 games dating back to last year.
First time all year Malkin didn't get a point

Pens Vs. Maple Fags

The Pens dominated this game from the get-go. The only problem was that they couldn't seem to finish.

Danny Sabourin got the start for the pens.

Adam Hall is money on the draw once again. Wins it to Christensen playing right
wing, Crusher puts it home using about 3 bodies as a screen. Vesa Toskala didn't see shit.

Not even two minuets later the Leafs get one back. Shot on net seemed to be under Sabourin but he rolled on his side and the puck was in the open. Darcy Tucker buried it.

Again about 2 mins. Later the leafs strike again. Antropov wrapped it around and sabourin didn't put the paddle down. Antropov basically wacked at the puck and forced sabourin into the back of the net.

One of the Leaf players ran straight into Sabourin and Orpik got the penalty for shoving him into the pens goalie. Sabourin's head smacked off the post and he had to leave the game. Not good.

Basically Mats Sundin owns the Penguins. Under a minuet into the game, Sundin is just sitting open in front of the net and buries a pass behind Fleury.

Here comes Crosby and Sykora down the ice on a 2 on 1. Sykora throws the puck over to Sid and Sid tries the give and go. The defender twisted his body all around and it basically looked like he tried to deflect it behind Toskala. Sid gets his first goal.

Talbot Races down the boards and tries a quick move. He gets his own rebound and puts it home 19 secs after Crosby's goal. It seems like the penguins are going to score a lot of goals in bunches this year.

4 mins left in the 2nd and a big scramble is in front of the maple leafs goal. Malone gets the final wack and puts the 'Guins up 4-3.

27 seconds later...Pens can't keep a lead. Jason Blake gets his first goal as a Maple Leaf.

Pens on the power play. It seems like they have been 0 for 37 in this game. Sydor rifles one from the point and it bounces around behind Toskala. Crosby finished it for his second goal of the game and season.

Look at his mouth

Talbot adds and empty net goal to seal the deal for the Pens.

Other side notes...
-Orpik got hit in the face and has a mild concussion.
-Pens registered 51 shots...goddamn
-Fleury played solid after filling in for Sabourin


Final 6-4...Pens Win



Crosby: 2 goals
Talbot: 2 goals
Christensen: 1 goal
Malone: 1 goal
Hall: 2 assists
Malkin: 2 assists
Sydor: 1 assist (first point as a Penguin)
and last but certainly not least
Roberts: 1 assist

Local Hockey Player

At this time I would like to make special post to a former student at Beaver Area High School. C.J. Severyn Was drafted in the 7th round (186th overall) of the NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. At this time C.J. is attending The Ohio State University. He played in his first game yesterday in a win over Mercyhurst. He registered 2 shots in the game. C.J. plays again tonight against Wisconson. If you would like to keep track of C.J's progress stop back here.

Pens Vs. Ducks

Again I missed the first period and a half because of a high school sporting event.

Ducks get first goal on power play.

Pens Strike back later in the period on the power play. Sykora gets first goal with pens. Hockey God Gary Roberts gets an assist.

Ducks score within the first two minuets of the first period.

Pens answer back about 2 1/2 mins later on a sick goal by Armstrong. Money.

20 Secs later Malkin makes a deposit on a sick pass from Sykora and puts the pens up.

(I started to watch the game about now)
Pens make a turnover at the Ducks blueline and go on the attack. Orpik is too lazy to put his stick down and take away the pass. Rob Niedermayer deflects it on net and Fleury stops it. Rebound flies in the air as Niedermayer wacks at it Fleury plays hot potato with him self and covers the rebound.

Great to hear "Hurricane 2000" at the beginning of the 3rd period.

Sykora gets a drop pass and rifles one to the net. It looks just as hard as Malkin's shot.

Christensen knocks down a puck and looks to be on a breakaway but the ref calls it offsides. Roberts charges at the ref and gets in his face. Thats why he is a leader.

The Pens Checking line works the neutral zone trap like like its their job. O wait, it is.

Pens on power play. Look like crap. Chip pass out of the zone leads to a breakaway for Kunitz. He barries it. Even if it didnt go in gonchar would have gotten called for a penalty and most likely a penalty shot.

Adam Hall is money on the draw.

For some reason Laraque is on the ice with Malkin and Sykora. God knows what the reason is. Great cycle down low with Malkin and Laraque. Laraque Gets a pass in front of the net, shoots and the rebound is just sitting there. Sykora comes out of nowhere and chips it in.

19 seconds later Crosby comes down the wing, appears to trip on the blueline and heavs the puck over to Malone. Malone all alone cashes the check.

Ducks pull their goalie and score with 21 secs left after the defense lets through a pass. Fleury didn't come across clean.

Shot on Fleury with virtually no time left and makes the save.

Raise the Jolly...Whoops wrong team.

Final: 5-4


Malone: 1 goal
Roberts: 2 assists
Sykora: 2 goal and 1 assist
Christensen: 1 assist
Malkin: 1 goal
Armstrong: 1 goal

Pens lose. O Well

Pens lost their season opener. Big deal. I didnt get to see the game because of a high school football game.(forgive me I'm still in high school)From what I heard the whole Pens team was sluggish. Fleury critics are beating off right now with joy. We shall see what happens next game. Final: 4-1

Penguins Lines

According to Pittsburghsportsinsider.com, the Penguins will go with the following line-ups for friday nights game.

Jordan Staal - Sidney Crosby - Petr Sykora

Ryan Malone - Evgeni Malkin - Mark Recchi

Gary Roberts - Erik Christensen - Colby Armstrong

Jarkko Ruutu - Maxime Talbot - Georges Laraque (Recently signed Adam Hall could also be put in this line)

Defensive Parings:

Eaton - Gonchar

Orpik - Whitney

Sydor - Scuderi

If these actually are the lines, then don't expect them to stay like this that long. First of all Therrian is known for changing the lines at a whim. Second of all Malkin is going to have to play a crazy individual game for him to score 5 on 5. This is the year that Malone has to prove he can score in the NHL. With Malkin as his center he shouldn't have a problem...but then again it is Ryan Malone.

Crosby's line is loaded. That could be a fun time watching those three work some magic.

Christensen is paried up with two power forwards. Armstrong could still become 20+ goal scorer. Roberts is a tank. Look for this line to dump and chase and then cycle the puck down low until Christensen can get a clear shot in front of the net.

Talbot is by far one of the hardest working players on the team next to Roberts. This line has some real grit. Laraque needs to drop the gloves A LOT in order for him to have a big impact on the team this year.

We will have to see how well Sydor does with Scuderi but I am just going to take a guess and say that he is gonna do better than Melichar did.

The Penguins sent down Ryan Stone, Jeff Taffe, Jonathan Filewich and defensemen Kris Letang, and Mike Weaver. Still on the team is grizzled AHL veteran Alain Naserddine. Naserddine is a solid defensive defenseman who can help fill in holes if there is an injury of if someone just plays like shit.

Promising Future

Over the course of 4 days, present at the Kitchener Rookie Tournament in Ontario, the Penguins began building for the 2007-2008 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Season, but more importantly, the future of the Penguins. After a come from behind 6 to 5 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2 alone from Penguin prospect Dustin Jeffrey and a loner shoot out goal from player Tyler Kennedy boosted them to a win.


Aaron Boogaard (someone I will mention often through out the season) managed to grab only a holding penalty.


On Saturday, the Penguins, yet again got a come from behind win, which I hope won't become a trait. After Florida's three points the Pens finally put one on the board, then held the Panthers from scoring once more. Then Baby Pens racked up 5 more to win 6-3.

Aaroon Boogaard also notched a Roughing Penalty, and after the Pens unsigned Prospect Brian Ihnacak scored, Boogaard got into a fight with Panthers Tanner Glass, to a stand still.


Sunday led to a disappointing memory of an Ottawa Penguins face off. The Pens lost to Ottawa, a 3-0 shutout, giving the Senators goalie,Ryan Daniels, the first recorded shutout of the Kitchener Games. The Senators managed to nab a goal a period and stop all of the Pens 36 Shots. Not a good day.

Aaron Boogaard. Well lets see, he now has 1 holding penalty, 1 roughing, and 3 fighting penalties, yes 3.


But on Monday, the Pens where able to redeam themselves, by gaining a 5-1 win against none other than the Ottawa Senators, in the Championship game. Scoring just a meer minute and thirty four seconds into the game rattled the rookies of Ottawa. The Pens then racked up 4 more goals, two in the second and two in the third, before letting up a goal with only 10 minutes to go. This shows good determination and team bonding. The pens have a good and secure future now backed by a new arena.

On another note, Boogaard only got one penalty in the game.





Fighting. FIVE seconds into the game. George look out, we got someone to be replacing you.

HAHAHAHA

I don't post anything about the Pirates because I couldn't write about losing for 10 days in a row, and then write about 5 wins in a row, gain hope, just to lose it the next day. However this is a special occasion. 102.5 WDVE made a parody of "Hey There Delilah" about the Pirates. It's hard to explain so just listen to it

WHAT THE HELL

As I was watching some clips for the much anticipated NHL 2008 video game, I discovered something quite obtrusive.

Just look at the Penguin defenseman's name at the .54 second mark. It is much easier to see the name if you play the Hi-Res file.




Yea thats right....it says "Ledouche"

There are two possible explanations that I have come up with. The first one is that one of the creators was creating Kristopher Letang on the roster and messed up his name because he is just an ass and hates the Penguins. The other explanation is that he is just an ass and thought it would be funny but he forgot to change it before it was posted.

Ice Bowl

Several NHL officials have confirmed that the Penguins will indeed play in an outdoor game against the Buffalo Sabres. The game will be played on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo. This is the same stadium that the Bills play at. Wide Right

If you can't make the game, don't worry. It will be nationally televised on NBC at 1pm. However if you are planning to go to the game, start looking for a hotel room now and expect a lot of Canadians to be there.

Hallelujah!

Finally, some hockey news about the pens.

The Penguins will open up their training camp at the Southpointe ICEOPLEX, in Cannonsburg. It starts on September13 and will run through the 16. After their short stay at Southpointe, the Pens will travel the short distance to Mellon Arena, which will be the home for their training camp until October 4.



Penguins first round pick, Angleo Esposito was slated to play for Team Canada in the Super Series from national junior teams from Canada and Russia. However Esposito recently suffered a groin injury which will sideline him for 7-10 days when he will be re-evaluated.

Look at that hair...holy hell

Hopefully Esposito will be healthy enough to participate in a rookie prospects camp that begins on Sept. 5 in Ontario.

Sid The Kid...One of A Kind

Most fans didn't care about the Pens, let alone the NHL itself, the year after the lockout. No one in Pittsburgh had heard anything about this kid from Halifax, Nova Scotia. I doubt many people even heard of Halifax. One by one the names of 28 teams were called out and thus stood the once "Mighty" Ducks of Anaheim, and the downtrodden Pittsburgh Penguins. Commissioner Gary Bettman called out the Penguins name to earn them the first pick in the 2005 Entry Draft.

Fast Forward to 2007.

While walking by a basket of assorted magazines and newspapers that had been saved, the sub-title on one of the newspapers read "NHL DRAFT LOTTERY."

After pulling the rest of the newspaper out, a full page picture of Sidney Crosby smiled back at me. The main title under his picture captured the moment perfectly..."JACKPOT...PENS WIN THE RIGHT TO PICK SURE-SHOT SUPERSTAR SIDNEY CROSBY."

After reading the article, the last words stuck out to me. It was a quote from Crosby. In fact it was the only quote from him in the entire article. When asked about the pressure of everything to come, Crosby responded with,

"I'm not worried about that. I put a lot of pressure on myself as it is."

Wow. Anyone could tell that this kid was all business. No Pressure he says? How bout saving a Franchise, and an entire league at the same time? No? How about, being a walking billboard for Reebok in the USA and Gatorade in Canada? Well if he has felt the pressure of all that he sure hasn't shown it. Crosby has become the youngest player to reach 100 and 200 points in a career, and youngest to capture a scoring title, and MVP Title.

By carrying a team and a league on his back, he has taken on the greatest challenge of any player in any sport. As it looks now Crosby has/is doing his job, now its up to the league to advertise the sport better.

Anyone Else Want To Sleep Until Oct. 5??

Not much going on with the Pens lately, except this stuff

The Penguins and Pizza Hut agreed to a partnership that will make Pizza Hut the official sponsors of the Pens for multiple years.

-All I can say is...yuuummmm

Penguins GM Ray Shero went to Latrobe to learn how things are down in the Steelers Organization. They compared scouting information and how both teams used their respective salary caps.

-Maybe the Pens can help the Steelers get a new mascot...or at least a new name. And by the way, did anyone notice he looks just like Bill Cower?

The Pens 6 game and 12 game ticket plans went on sale. So many people called at the same time, that the phone lines were temporarily jammed.

-To give you an idea of how many tickets will actually be left for individual game purchase, 13,500 people have bought season tickets. The waiting list for season tickets reached 700 and 400 of those people bought mini-game packages. So basically all these fair weather fans killed any chance of Student Rush. Especially all of these little girls begging their rich daddy to buy tickets so they can see Sidney Crosby, when they don't what the hell a blue line is. The Penguins wouldn't even be in Pittsburgh if it wasn't for the Student Rush fans.

Arena Debut Pushed Back

The new arena will not open for the 2009-2010 season as originally planned. It will instead open the following year. The reasoning behind this is so "the job will be done right for the city and fans." Personally, I think they just want the Pens to win a couple Stanley Cups for the first time in Pittsburgh and Mellon Arena.

The new arena will hold approximately 18,500 people, only about 1,500 more than Mellon Arena holds now. Best Place on Earth

Can The Season Start Now? Please?

News around the NHL:

Sean Avery was awarded a 1 year 1.9 million deal in arbitration, and the Rangers accepted.

-Avery is a piece of shit who will only fight someone who he knows he can beat. Just like the final game of the year against the Pens when Avery calls out Ruutu and then doesn't drop the gloves.
Pretty much sums it up...

The Nashville Predators could be staying in Nashville after a local group put 10 million down to buy the team. Owner Craig Leipold signed a letter of intent to sell the Predators.

-Just let them move to Canada so all the canucks will stop bitching.

The fate of Dustin Penner will be decided today after the Oilers put an offer of 5 years 21.25 million on him. This is the last day the Ducks have to try and match that offer. If the do not then the Ducks will receive the Oilers 1st, 2nd and 3rd draft picks.

-The Oilers did the same thing to the Sabres with Thomas Vanek, but the Sabres had the cap room to sign him. The Ducks don't have the cap room for an offer that is ridiculous. The offer they gave Penner is worth more than the deal Ryan Whitney got. Whitney had just as many assists as Penner had points. Screw the Oilers. Their leading scorer is now a Penguin, and their only new player worth mentioning is Sheldon Souray. They still are going to be the laughing stock of the NHL.
This Oiler is celebrating being traded

It's About Freaking Time

Now I know that only a hand full of people across the country will read it, but its a start. Scott Burnside published an article on espn.com that proclaims that, "In a perfect world, the NHL would be the people's choice." Of course this is a frequent writer for hockey on espn, but none the less makes a great argument.

Here is the article

Student Rush Is Back!

The Penguins are going to continue the Student Rush Program this upcoming season.

In a Q&A session with Penguins President David Morehouse, a fan asked if the program would still be intact. Morehouse responded with...

"Obviously, with the recent surge in ticket sales, there won't be as much ticket inventory available this year. That's a good problem to have, of course. But continuing the Student Rush program is so important to us that we will hold aside a minimum of 200 tickets for the Student Rush every game. To avoid having students be disappointed by standing in long lines when there is not much inventory, we'll actually have a text message program, where students can sign up for Student Rush alerts. And they'll be on a list where they'll have a chance to be selected for Student Rush. When there is additional inventory available, we will have our traditional Student Rush program - tickets that go on sale one hour before game time. "

Details of the text message program were not available.

Line Predictions

When there is no new news about the Penguins the only thing you can do is to try and predict the season. We might as well start with the lines. The Penguins have only three new players added to their roster. If defenseman Kristopher Letang joins the mix, the Penguins will have 8 defenseman on their roster. However if Letang does start the season with the Penguins, Alain Naserddine will most likely be with the Baby Pens.

These are only predictions:

Forwards:

Roberts/Crosby/Sykora

Staal/Malkin/Recchi

Ruutu/Talbot/Laraque

Malone/Christensen/Armstrong


Defense:

Gonchar/Eaton

Orpik/Whitney

Sydor/Letang


Goalies:

Fleury

Sabourin

If Sabourin does not preform well as a backup, don't be surprised if Ty Conklin is called up. He probably will not see much playing time in the minors because the Baby Pens have two goalies that just came over from two of the best college teams in the country. David Brown and John Curry came from Notre Dame and Boston University respectively. Also Conklin was said by Ray Shero to be a mentor for the two new goalies.

New PIHL Divisions

Short post tonight...

The new divisions are out for the PIHL. Click on it, it will expand. Sorry bout that


Also the official season starts on October 22.

Pens Re-Sign Lannon

The Penguins have further backed up their minor league affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by re-signing Ryan Lannon. Lannon, a defenseman, played a total of 68 games for the Baby Pens while registering 19 points which all came by assists. He also put up 71 penalty minuets. In his professional career, Lannon has posted a total of 29 points including two goals and 136 penalty minuets.

This move will further help keep a strong farm system if the Penguins need to draw from the well. Last year many of the Baby Penguin players were from the Edmonton Oilers minor league affiliate. However that deal is no longer in place and therefore players such as Jonathon Filewich will remain in the minor leagues unless an injury befalls the big team.

Pens Get Another "Syd"

The Pittsburgh Penguins have aquired yet another "Syd" in veteran defenseman Darryl Sydor. Joining a team with the most famous "Sid" in hockey, Darryl will look for a new nickname that doesn't resemble prolific point-getter Sidney Crosby's. Although Sydor hasn't achieved what young Crosby has point wise, he can claim two Stanley Cup Championships, one with Dallas in '99 and another with the Lightning in '04.

"Syd" is yet another defenseman that will help to aid the ailing Pittsburgh defense. He is enthusiastic about being part of the team, and the blueliner will add a great deal of veteran experience. Sydor has had the privelege of playing with many greats, including "The Great One" himself, Wayne Gretsky. This is the way he started his career, and entering his 16th season in the NHL, he will likely finish his career playing with Sidney Crosby, whom many compare to Gretsky. Sydor is excited for this oppurtunity, and hopefully he will be able to teach the younger players their position, so that they may better the Penguin's defense for years to come.
-ShocKer

Mike Lang Is Back!

Well, "Scratch my back with a hack saw," and "Slap me silly Sidney." Thats right... after many long nights of crying and nervous stomach pains for Penguin Fans, Mike Lange has signed a one year deal to cover all 82 Games on 105.9 "The X." This will be Lange's 32nd season with the Penguins. Lange has covered basically every Penguin Game in those years and was a part of the Penguins two Stanley Cup years. Also returning is the "Old 29'er" Phil Bourque. Bourque has been the color commentator for the Penguins for the past 3 years. Bourque played for both Penguins Stanley Cup teams.

The Pens even put up a Mike Lange survey where you can vote for his all time greatest sayings.

Do People Want To See Fighting In Hockey?

From old timer Marty McSorley, to present day Georges Laraque, these were and are considered the heavyweights of the NHL. Enforcers of the league and protectors of the stars; they stand up for their teammates and sacrifice themselves for chunks of 5 minuets at a time. Recently, these types of players have been criticized for their play.

The American public doesn't want to see this type of behavior from professional athletes. Bullcrap. Just look at all the different fight leagues popping up on T.V. The UFC, IFL WEC, Elite XC, and Strikeforce are just a few of these leagues. Even ESPN has put Chuck Liddell from the UFC in its "Who's Now" competition.

Not only are the fights in the NHL exciting, they have a purpose. Just look on youtube for a fight of Laraque V.S. Raitis Ivanans. They actually agree to fight each other. Why? Because they both know that whoever wins, just gained a huge moral boost for their respective team, especially if your the home team.

All of the talk this year to abolish fighting started from violent actions such as Chris Simon's slash on Ryan Hollweg's face. From that single action, many other incidents were brought up, including former Penguin Ronald Petrovicky. These types of actions have been called one of the main reasons the NHL is the black eye of the sporting world.

Fact of the matter is, the NHL needs fighting. The NFL has linemen to protect the quarterback, the only protection a baseball player needs is a cup and a glove and the NBA isn't a contact sport unless your in the paint. Guys like Laraque, Petrovicky, and Donald Brasher are needed to protect stars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

There is nothing like watching a fight if your at the game. The Crowd is going insane cheering for their home town combatant. Lets face it, these guys become fan favorites the minute they step on the ice. Jarkko Ruutu was cheered for in the first game as a Penguin. He didn't even fight but his presence was enough. Same with Colby Armstrong. He was supposed to be a big scorer this past year, however he struggled. So he adjusted his role and laid out at least 10 big hits throughout the year, and solidified his position as a Penguin.

Fighting is a natural part of the game that can't be taken away. If it is, then we could end up seeing more severe acts of violence due to built up anger.

The fans love fighting, and so do the players. What more do you need?

Pens Re-sign Defenseman Nasreddine

The Penguins announced Monday that they have re-signed defenseman Alain Nasreddine to a 1-year contract. Nasreddine, at 32 years of age, played in 44 games for the Pens during the 06-07 season. In this time he had five points, including 1 goal and four assists. Nasreddine also tallied the second best +/- rating on the team, with a +12 at the conclusion of the season.

This is an ideal move for the Pens to re-sign a defenseman. If any part of the team is in question as it relates to reliability, it is certainly the defense, as the offense is backed by Crosby, Malkin, and Staal, and the "flower" Marc-andre Fleury is in full bloom. The doubts about the Pens being in contention for the Stanley Cup are all placed on the defense, as there were many moves made last season to achieve a strong defensive zone. The more defenseman the Penguins have, the better, in that if one paring doesn't quite click, there are always other players that can be relied on to step up to the plate.

Nasreddine is one of these players, and we will see what contributions he can make to the organization in the upcoming season. For any team to succeed at the fullest, they need to be running on all cylinders. The Penguins are nearing that point, and with a strong defense they are able to get the engine running that will ultimately lead them to a leauge championship.
-ShocKer

Staal Brothers

Believe it or not, the most soft spoken player on the Penguins roster, has been arrested. Jordan and Eric Staal were among 14 persons that were arrested at a bachelor party for Eric. Both were charged for disorderly conduct and not following legal procedures . Also, Jordan was cited for underage drinking since he is still only 18.

With all the hype that is building towards next season, this was one thing that no one expected. However, this isn't as big of a deal as it will be made. Luckily we live in the United States and not Canada, because this will get as much attention as Pacman Jones did here. No one should condone this type of behavior, but it was a bachelor party. Also this is the off-season. It's not like he punched out a cop during a playoff run.

What's the big story on tsn.com/nhl? Not Patrick Kane, #1 overall pick in 2007, being signed to a 3 year deal. Not even that the historic franchise of the Edmonton Oilers are going to be sold to a billionaire, who said he will build a new arena, and spend the maximum amount allowed on players. No. The big story is the Staal brothers being arrested. And all the Canadians wonder why no one follows the NHL anymore. This is terrible publicity for the NHL. The same thing happens in the other major sports as well. However football will never lose its steam in the U.S, neither will baseball. Well, that is until we discover that everyone in the MLB is using steroids, and everyone in the NFL is either smoking weed or is entirely to fat. The NHL doesn't have the fan base to stand up to events that downplay it. The doubters will turn to the t.v. and just say, "Thats why I don't watch anymore."

At least ESPN's hockey section had Kane as the lead story. However upon further snooping, it has the Penguins logo under the "Team News" column with the story headline of the Staal brothers. Don't you think the Hurricanes logo should be on it since it was Eric's party? This is clearly because the Penguins are THE team in the NHL. If people see the Penguin's logo they will be more interested than seeing the Hurricane's logo.

Just look at the last Penguin to have legal troubles. Ryan Vandenbussche was involved in a fight with 3 cops and had to be subdued with Tasers and pepper spray. Did anyone outside of the hockey fan clubs hear about this story? Didn't think so. It's obvious that no one heard because the Penguins finished second to last in the NHL one year ago.

Shame on the media, not the Staals.

-Cdubbs

High School Hockey Review

Last Season was a lot of firsts for many teams across the league, and yet for some it was more of the same.

In Class A, The Freeport Yellow Jackets faced off against the Quaker Valley Quakers for the ever valued Penguin Cup. Freeport finished the season with a 15-3-2 record and First in the North Division. The Quakers finished with an unblemished 19-0-1 record and finished with 39 out of a possible 40 points. The next closest team in the West Division was the Beaver Bobcats with 24 pts. The contest was supposed to be an easy win for Quaker Valley, but the Yellow Jackets had another plan in mind. Freeport scored early and often...well much more often then anyone expected. The Yellow Jackets allowed only one goal to a team that was averaging 7 1/2 per game. They claimed the Penguin Cup with a score of 4-1. However Freeport lost in the State A Championship to West Chester.

In Class AA, powerhouse Pine Richland returned to the Penguin Cup to face off against quick skating Thomas Jefferson. Pine Richland ended the season with a final record of 20-1-1 and First in the North Division. Thomas Jefferson finished their season 15-5-2 and finished First in the South Division. Pine Richland repeated as Penguin Cup Champions beating Thomas Jefferson 6-3. Pine Richland went on to the State Championship against Haverford, whom the Rams played against in last years Championship. The Rams were up 4 goals in the second period however almost when on to blow it. In a wild game, the Rams held on with a final of 8-6, repeating as State Champions.

In Class AAA, the North Allegheny Tigers hit the ice against the Bethel Park Black Hawks. North Allegheny finished the regular season 16-4-1 and First in the North Division. The Black Hawks finished First in the South Division with an unblemished 20-0-1. The game went into double overtime with the score tied at 1. North Allegheny won the game with 1:02 left in the period. The Tigers went on to face Holy Ghost Prep in the State Championship. North Allegheny won its first PIHL Championship by a final of 6-3.
-cdubbs

First Post

Welcome to Burgh Hockey. This is a blog site dedicated to our beloved Pittsburgh Penguins. I will try and offer analysis regarding new Penguin news and controversial topics. Also I will try and keep an updated look at local High School Hockey
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Does Fleury deserve a raise?

Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first by the Penguins in the 2003 draft for a reason, lack of depth at goalie. The Penguins have made him their franchise goalie, however with many doubts along the way. The main one being his rebound control.

Game after game Fleury makes tremendous saves that send the crowd into a frenzy. Sliding from post to post, while in a split mind you, all to make a glove save with a flailing arm. However the next game, two shots from the point glaze off his glove and into the back of the net. Which begs the question, Is Fleury a reliable goalie to take this team to the Stanley Cup? This question will be the basis for Fleury's contract negotiations next year.

The answer to this questions is a resounding...Yes. Lets start with some facts. During the 16 straight games the Penguins earned a point, Fleury was arguably the best player for his team. From Jan. 13 through Feb. 18, Fleury played 14 out of the 16 games. Whats even more impressive is Fleury won 12 out of 14, and his loss against Boston on Jan. 18 was outstanding. After Making 40 saves out of 44 shots, the Pens lost the game in a shootout. At the time Crosby was 0/7 in shootouts, and Christensen was the only one who could bury one in the twine. Throughout the stretch, Fleury saw 439 shots, making 399 saves. That results in very respectable .909 save percentage.

Also People are soon to forget that this kid is only 22 years old, and last season was his first full season in the NHL. Not to mention he is playing the toughest position in all of sports. If a forward makes a couple bad passes, or the defense men falls down while on the power play *cough, Gonchar*...the player skates back to the bench and the score is the same. If the goalie makes one mistake it changes the complexion of the game completely. He is going to make mistakes, thats how you learn.

Fleury represents this team as much as Crosby does...Yes its true. What does Crosby represent? Speed, Youth, Leadership. Does Fleury not show these aspects also. He is the fastest goalie in the league, not to mention the flashiest, one of the youngest, and a goalie is always a leader, especially in the defensive end. Like it or not he has a great effect on this team.

So how much will Fleury earn if the Penguins re-sign him? Well, it wont be as much as he wants. Just look at the recent goalie signings. Henrik Lundqvist signed a one year deal worth 4.25 million. Ray Emery signed a 3 year deal, worth 9.5 million, which averages out to be 3.16/year. Both had a better year statistically than Fleury, which will hurt Fleury's leverage in the negotiations. Also Fleury might be inclined to take less due to Crosby not taking the maximum salary during his negotiations. Both parties would be happy with around 3 million a year.

Ultimately Fleury won't make BIG money until he wins a cup. But they way things are looking that won't take long.
-cdubbs