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