San Jose Sharks / Dallas Stars - We Meet Again!

As I have been reading over the past couple weeks since the playoffs have started, there are more than 2 view points as to who is doing well, who is struggling and who shouldn't be in the post season. The first round in the Stanley Cup playoffs proved that every team in Round One deserved to be there and they fought to be there. Well with exception to Ottawa … they “wanted” to be there, but Pittsburgh had a difference of opinion. Now, looking forward the San Jose Sharks survived the most physical and intense playoff series in the first round with a strong game 7 performance against the Calgary Flames. The Flames pushed the Sharks so close to their breaking point, but they would not allow the Flames the opportunity to capitalize on anything. A fifth seed Dallas Stars lineup will be an even more difficult match up. The Stars, as with Calgary, had regular season success registering a 4-2-2 record against the Sharks. Dallas has established a high intensity work ethic 5-on-5, on the penalty kill, and on the power play that is perfectly suited for playoff hockey. Dallas also plays a smash mouth, gritty style of hockey, relies on a more balanced offense, and puts most of their faith and superstitious beliefs on an aging athletic goaltender named Marty Turco - Who will probably not be pulled from the net at the first sign of adversity.

Watching and reading game recaps about the first round proved to me there were a number of warning signs exhibited by the Sharks, primarily their performance early in game 1, allowing Calgary the ability to net four unanswered goals in game 3, and then there is the entire 60 minute performance en route to a 2-0 shutout loss in an elimination game 6. San Jose has depth unmatched by any team left in the postseason, but the shift-to-shift intensity needs to improve in order to realize that potential. A strength for San Jose during the regular season, a mobile puck-moving defense that initiates offense, had trouble getting into gear against the Calgary forecheck. The Flames gave the Dallas Stars a blueprint for how to shut down the Sharks offense. San Jose will need to rely on its leaders, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Ryane Clowe, Milan Michalek, and Joe Pavelski to win battles and score goals from in front of the net.

The Dallas Stars will not get the free penalties that helped them dethrone last season's Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks in the first round. In fact, if the Sharks coaching staff could take anything from the first round and apply it to round two it should be to lobby the referee's more often. They have been labeled "the hardest working team in the NHL". Defenseman Stephane Robidas may be the MVP of the first round for Dallas, scoring a goal and 5 assists while defenseman Sergei Zubov and Philippe Boucher were recovering from injuries. It is pretty much guaranteed that Mattias Norstrom and rookie defenseman Matt Niskanen will face a heavy load trying to contain a Shark attack that will keep pressing the action. Mike Ribeiro, Brenden Morrow and Brad Richards may be the most difficult offensive threats on the surface, but the Stars have a gritty lineup top to bottom that will make San Jose pay for turnovers and inopportune penalties.

Lets jump into the Way Back Machine and remember that the Sharks and Stars met twice in 3 years (1998, 2000), and, at least one of those series was a big one. Ed Belfour, Owen Nolan, Bryan Marchment, Joe Nieuwendyk, Derian Hatcher, Mike Ricci. Ah, the good ole days!!! Can we take this round and cultivate some new leaders, some new stories and re-write some of the past history that haunts us every year? I think we can … I think San Jose can beat the Stars … they just need to play Sharks Hockey!!!

Ryan Whitney Continues His Onslaught Against the Penguins

After a disappointing first period that sent the Penguins into the dressing room trailing 2-0, Pittsburgh was able to quickly come back and tie the game on goals from Ruutu and Staal to start the second. Pittsburgh had all of the momentum, the Rangers had burned their timeout and Ryan Whitney managed to rip it all away from them. The Rangers were in deep on what appeared to be a 1-2-2 forecheck and were applying pressure to both Ryan Whitney and Darryl Sydor. Whitney and Sydor were lined up on opposite sides of their own net and exchanged the puck multiple times around behind the goal in an attempt to relieve the pressure and setup an breakout play. Sydor threw the puck back to Whitney and the Ranger left wing immediately moved in to throw a hit. Instead of eating the puck and taking the hit, turning his body to protect the puck or throwing the puck up the boards, Whitney one timed the puck up the middle of the zone in a panic and sent it perfectly to Fredrik Sjostrom. Sjostrom was in text book forechecking position where the forward, usually the center, hovers around in front of the net to force the opposing team to go up the boards. He was able to collect the puck and score his 12th of the season on a breakaway that started between the face-off circles. I wonder how long we're going to have to suffer through Whitney's blunders in his own zone. That kind of play is inexcusable. It's not only a stupid play but it's a soft one. He wanted to avoid getting hit so he gave the other team a goal. He should be benched for the rest of the game and his minutes need to be reduced.

However, then there'd be little to no chance of him getting injured and missing the playoffs. Perhaps he should be kept in after all.

Dwayne Roloson, Edmonton Oilers and How To Build A Brick Wall

If you did not catch the Sharks/Oilers game last night then you missed probably the best game of the season that demonstrates how incredibly important the goalie is to a teams success. San Jose out shot Edmonton 49-23 ... as impressive as that sounds nothing was getting past Roloson on Sunday night - certainly not the Sharks' shots, and not their 11-game winning streak, either. Roloson made 48 saves and was able to turn aside three more pucks in the shootout. Oilers coach Craig MacTavish said "I think I've seen him at that level before, but I've never seen him better than he was tonight, I'm really happy for him." MacTavish and the Oilers are still in the playoff race sitting in 11th place, five points behind eighth-place Vancouver.

Captain Patrick Marleau was able to net the Sharks only goal (out of 4 tries). One incredible play was when Brian Campbell was able to strip the puck away in the neutral zone and found himself with wide open ice and one Dwayne Roloson standing poised for action. Campbell took a couple strides, cocked back and fired his cannon ... right into the glove of Roloson as if he knew exactly where that puck was going. Brian Campbell flipped his stick away in disgust and skated away. "We had probably more chances than I can remember, and he made a ton of saves," Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. "Glove saves, stretch saves, split saves. He just had one of those nights. You thought he might be a little tired, but he hasn't played in about a month. We did a lot of things, but he robbed us." When asked Jonathan Cheechoo said "We played well, and we created a lot of chances, We just didn't create enough traffic in front of him, and I know I didn't convert a couple of good rebounds. Any goalie that sees the puck is going to stop it." Jonathan finished the games with 7 shots on goal.

As if we had to further reinforce this point, Detroit out shot Columbus 46-17, yet the Blue Jackets had a different plan in mind for the outcome of the game. Columbus' second-string goalie Fredrik Norrena got the starting nod and had barely seven minutes to prepare for what became the best performance of his career. Norrena made a career-high 43 saves in place of No. 1 goalie Pascal Leclaire, who sat out with flu symptoms. "I would prefer to know the day before, but those are the things you have to get used to as a backup goalie," said Norrena, who won for the first time since Feb. 7. Dominick Hasek was pulled from the crease when he allowed 4 out of 10 pucks find the back of the net and was replaced by Chris Osgood. Detroit is having to reinvent themselves every time they take the ice, I am not sure what is going down in motor city. Maybe its in the water?

Dion Phaneuf - Calgary Flames Amazing Defenseman

After 3 years in the NHL, Calgary Flames Defenseman Dion Phaneuf sure has made a name for himself. Dion was named to the CHL First All-Star team for the 03-04 and 04-05 seasons, in 2004 he picked up the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy for Top Defenseman and was named to WHL East First All-Star Team. In February of 2005 The Hockey News publication named him the number two prospect in the world behind Russian Alexander Ovechkin. Dion went and represented Canada at the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland. The following year he returned to the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he helped the Canadians take the gold for the first time in eight years. Dion Phaneuf was again awarded a spot on the Tournament All-Star Team, and was named Top Defenseman of the tournament … THEN he was drafted into the NHL!!!

Dion made his NHL debut on Oct 5th 2005 … 5 days later he recorded his first goal, assist and point. Phaneuf was recognized as Rookie of the Month November 2005 by the NHL and was listed #3 behind Ovechkin and Crosby by Hockey Futures – who also said that Dion would someday win the James Norris Memorial Trophy (this award is given to the player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position). He became only the third rookie defenseman (along with Brian Leetch and Barry Beck) to score 20 goals in a season. As well, he broke the Calgary Flames' team record for goals by a rookie defenseman, which was 18 by Gary Suter (1985/86). During the All-Star break of the 2006-07 season, an informal poll of 141 NHL players conducted by ESPN named Phaneuf the hardest hitter in the NHL. On January 24, 2007, Phaneuf played in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game and scored the longest empty-net goal in All-Star history (200 ft.) when he banked a shot off the boards from behind his own net and the puck rolled into the vacated Eastern net.

If your lucky enough to have him on your Fantasy Hockey team – there is no other defensive player that compares to his whole package. As a strong D who likes to play fast, hard and aggressive … Dion’s stats show in his PIM’s and SOG’s. Below you will see the Fantasy Stats for the Top 10 Defensemen in the NHL (according to Yahoo! Sports)



Dion has shown his worth these past 3 years … I am looking forward to seeing what he will bring to Calgary over the next 6 years … since he recently signed a year contract worth around $6.5 Million a year with the Flames. Below are the stats for the Top 10 players (according to NHL.com)



I personally think that Dion is an amazing player with talent that will carry him deep into his hockey career and turn him into an amazing leader in whichever club he is playing for. As for how he ranks with the other Defensive players in the NHL … in Goals he is tied for 4th, in Assists he is tied for 8th and in Points he is tied for 4th. For only being in The Show for 3 years … you cant be anything but impressed.

The Enigma That is Maxim Afinogenov

Maxim Afinogenov was drafted in 1997 by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round, 69th overall. He spent his first couple of years in his native land of Russia before making the jump to the AHL in the 1999-2000 season playing for Rochester. He would only spend 15 games in the AHL before making it to the big show where he would play 65 games in the only NHL sweater he'd wear for the next decade. He put up 34 points, including 16 goals, in those 65 games and averaged a little over two shots on goal per game. Afinogenov is the definitive hockey athlete in many ways. At 6'0, 191 lbs he has a solid reach, decent frame and world class, defense crushing speed. He's as fast and as nimble as nearly any player in the NHL, can dangle the puck at will and, since he's a right winger, he has the ability to stretch defenses and create space for other players.





Maxim would hover around the 35-40 point range for the next handful of seasons. Nearly everyone could see the potential, but for some reason he struggled to truly capture it. That is until the 2005-2006 season where the speedy winger would finally put all of his skills together and produced 73 points in 77 games. He had 51 assists that year and averaged over 3 shots on goal per game. Buffalo suddenly felt like they had a potential star on their hands. The next season was on-pace to be even better but Afinogenov was slowed by injuries, especially a broken wrist that cost him 21 games. He would finish the season with 61 points in only 56 games but the playoffs were an entirely different season and he would quickly learn that speed and puck handling aren't everything.

The Buffalo Sabres had the best record in the NHL and were an obvious favorite to hoist the cup. They went into the playoffs with the highest of hopes, but ultimately found that post-season hockey is very different than regular season hockey. They opened the post season facing the New York Islanders and quickly ended the series in 5 games. Maxim had a goal and 3 assists in a series that the Sabres handled easily. Buffalo was on their way.

Buffalo would visit the other New York team in the second round and take both games at home before heading to Madison Square Garden up 2-0. Afinogenov failed to register a point in either game and was limited to only 12:00 minutes of ice time in game 2. It seemed that Lindsey Ruff, coach of the Buffalo Sabres, was seriously concerned with Afinogenov's tendency to turn the puck over, especially in Buffalo's end, and was slowly ratcheting down his time on the ice as a result. Hockey is a game of mistakes, a game where defensive systems are designed to incite chaos and create turnovers, so his play was becoming unacceptable considering the stakes.

New York was not kind to Buffalo as they dropped the first playoff game on the road in double overtime. Maxim's minutes went up, but it had no impact on his production as he failed to register a point. In the playoffs, "your best players have to be your best players" which seems obvious but just ask the San Jose Sharks how they feel about Patrick Marleau in the post-season. In the always pivotal third game of the series up 2 games to 1, Maxim Afinogenov was nowhere to be found. It appeared that Ruff had seen enough and had chosen to bench one of his best offensive players. It didn't seem to help as Buffalo went on to lose a close game 2 to 1 and the series headed back to Buffalo even at 2. Afinogenov would have to scratch his way back into the lineup if he wanted to help his team, a team that was desperately in need of offense.

Game 5 was one of the most exciting hockey games I've ever seen. Henrik Lundqvist was absolutely amazing in a game in which he faced 40 shots from a Sabres team that was hell bent on securing a one game advantage. Ryan Miller, on the other hand, faced only 23 but with 10 seconds left in the game the Rangers were up 1 with a face-off in their zone. Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, both lost to free agency only a few months later, were on the ice with Tim Connolly and all three would play a role in one of the biggest goals in Buffalo fans' recent memories. Chris Drury, known to score big goals throughout his career, did some great work in the corner to free up the puck before pulling himself off the ice and swinging around behind the net. The puck made its way to Drury, as it often does in critical times, and Chris secured it just below the faceoff circle and ripped a wrist shot by Lundqvist to tie the game with only 8 seconds left.



Maxim Afinogenov was allowed to play that game, only 13:33 including overtime mind you, but he would ultimately do something that would secure his place on the roster for the remainder of the playoffs. Less than 5 minutes into overtime, Maxim Afinogenov received a pass at the point and rocked a slapshot passed Lundqvist to give Buffalo the win and a 3-2 advantage in the series. Afinogenov immediately turned, took 3 or 4 strides towards center ice and laid out on his belly like a baserunner sliding into third. It was a classic image as the team toppled on top of him. It was clear that his teammates felt for him and were excited to be a part of his redemption. The Sabres took the next game and the series, and were ready to meet the Ottawa Senators in the conference finals. It seemed that Maxim might be back.

Maxim scored in the first game against the Senators, but Buffalo ultimately lost a tilt that was dominated by the Sens. In the second game, Afinogenov was given over 25 minutes of ice time, but the Sabres lost a heartbreaker in double overtime to start the series down 2-0. The Sabres would only manage to win 1 of the next 3 games as they simply could not keep up with the physical play of the Senators. Buffalo looked small against the Senators and they appeared to be shocked by the amount of hitting that saturated the series. It was the same bruising strategy that won Ottawa the first round against Sidney Crosby, broken ankle and all, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Interestingly enough, it was also the same strategy that would be used against them in the Stanley Cup finals after Buffalo fell to the Senators in overtime of game 5. The Senators moved on to face the Anaheim Ducks in the Stanley Cup Finals and Buffalo's season was over. Ultimately, Afinogenov finished the playoffs with 5 goals and 4 assists in 15 games. A decent amount of production, but big players put up points at big times and, other than the overtime goal, Maxim was never able to really get into a groove. However, a loss in the conference finals was only the beginning of the Buffalo Sabres' woes.

Only months later the team's leading scorer, Daniel Briere, and leader Chris Drury were lost to free agency. Briere wanted to remain a Sabre but Buffalo refused to negotiate his contract during the regular season. Briere would have stayed for $5 million in January, at least that's what's been reported, but after posting another remarkable season with 95 points in 81 games he was worth a lot more in July and it was apparently more than the Sabres were willing to pay. Chris Drury ultimately moved on to broadway while Briere landed in Philadelphia. The Sabres failed to make any significant additions in the off-season and entered the 07-08 season deseperately depending on a spark from their host of young players, including Thomas Vanek, who led the team in goals in the previous year with 43. The sudden loss of two all star centermen left players like Afinogenov in a tight spot. Derek Roy and Tim Connolly are great pivots, but they can't replace the two men that left and guys like Vanek, and Afinogenov to a lesser extent, feed off the creativity and skill of others. They can create on their own, but they are deadly when paired with a setup man. The Sabres would need Afinogenov to have another big season and help provide some of the offense that was lost with the two all stars.

Maxim registered an assist on the opening night of the 07-08 season, but would ultimately only put up 2 goals and 2 assists in the first 10 games of the season. It was a slow start and it wouldn't get any easier as he would only score one goal in the next 10 games. After 20, Afinogenov had 3 goals and 5 assists and the Sabres were below .500 for the first time in recent memory.

Afinogenov continued to bounce around between lines and struggled to earn ice time as his coach still questioned his ability to protect the puck, make good decisions and play defense. In January, he received terrible news as what was originally expected to be a groin pull was actually a tear and he would be out indefinitely. An injury like that keeps any player on the shelf for an extended period of time, but for a player who's game is based heavily on speed, it's nothing short of a disaster. While Buffalo struggled to keep their head above water, including a streak in January where the team lost 10 in a row and 13 out of 14 games, Maxim waited, for that's all one can do with such an injury, for the tear to heal. The Sabres went from being in a solid playoff position to being on the outside looking in and, afraid to lose another player for nothing in return, Buffalo was forced to trade their captain Brian Campbell to the San Jose Sharks for Steve Bernier. While the Sabres struggles actually didn't have too much to do with Maxim's lack of production, it certainly didn't help and after Campbell left town many assumed that this was the end of the season for them.

Ultimately, the injury cost him 26 games and, unfortunately for Buffalo, his return hasn't really sparked much of a comeback in the Sabres. As a player, however, he seems more determined than ever. In his second game back, he scored 2 goals and added an assist in a game in which Buffalo beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Since his return, he's averaging a point per game. Fast forward to tonight's game (3/10) against the Rangers and you can see flashes of changed player. Late in overtime, Maxim was caught deep in the Rangers zone as New York was able to move the puck up quickly, trapping the speedy forward. The Rangers came in 3 on 2, dropped the puck back to the trailing man who quickly tried to slide the puck to the left wing for a quick, and wide open, one timer when Maxim appeared out of nowhere to block the pass and throw the puck to the boards near his defenseman. He saw that his man was going to collect the puck so he instantly changed directions, turned on those world class wheels and scorched through the middle of the ice and received a perfect pass in stride. He went in 1-on-1 against Henrik Lundqvist, but was stopped on a nifty little backhand shot. While he wasn't able to win the game for them, he may have saved it. It's the kind of play they expect to see from a guy with his natural skating ability. It's the kind of play for which I wish he was known, the kind of play only a guy with his level of natural skill can make. Maybe his return will help the Sabres scratch out a playoff spot. Maybe he'll show his coach that he's not a defensive liability, which will in turn allow him more ice time in which to produce offensively. Or maybe he'll disappear from the Buffalo roster in the off season and land on a team like Detroit, play with a guy like Pavel Datsyuk and compete for the scoring title. He has the ability, he just needs to show the will.

I wrote this because he's one of my favorite players to watch and he's also a somewhat unknown player among casual fans, if there is such a thing in hockey. For me, he embodies what makes the game exciting. He is exactly the kind of player that anyone could watch and understand why there are people who love this sport above all else and why it's a part of the fabric that makes up the Canadian culture. I understand Lindsey Ruff's concerns over the defensive play and he needs to learn to be more consistent in his own zone, but he's the kind of player that can change a game. At 29, he's not a young kid anymore and he might have 5-6 years left so I hope he figures it out because I'd love to see him have success again and I'd love to see the Sabres in the playoffs.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson Celebrates With Chicago

That's right - before the puck even dropped Doug was out during the pre-game ceremony where the Blackhawks recognized Hall of Famers Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, probably the biggest players in the team's history.

Bobby Hull is the Blackhawks' career goals leader with 604, while Stan Mikita holds team records for career points (1,467), assists (926) and games played (1,394). Both starred with the Blackhawks in the 1960s and into the 1970s, and played for Chicago's last Stanley Cup winning team, in 1961.

Why was Doug Wilson part of this show - Well he did play 14 seasons with the Blackhawks and he still holds the team career records for goals and assists by a defenseman. Doug played for the Blackhawks from 1977 - 1993 ... in that time he played 938 games with 225 goals, 554 assists which gave him 779 points ... if you think about that he averaged .83 goals per game. In the '81/'82 season Doug brought home the James Norris Memorial Trophy which is given to the NHL's Top Defensive player "who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position."

Doug then went to skate for the Sharks for 2 years before picking up a coaching gig. Another top 10 player from the Blackhawks is also a Shark now - Jeremy Roenick with 596 points coming from 267 goals and 329 assists in 524 games (that averages out to an impressive 1.14 goals per game) Jeremy played for the Blackhawks from 1988 - 1996.

To watch these players and coaches show their love for the sport they excel in is inspiring, to say the least. I don't know of any other sport where the opposing coach would join the home team in celebrating their greatest achievements and cheer loudly. The players and coaches in the NHL show everyone in the sporting world that there is such thing as "love for a sport" ... and for this, I love Hockey!

Michele Therrien Pulls Fleury, Penguins Fall Anyways

Marc-Andre Fleury started only his third game since returning from a high ankle sprain but only lasted one period before being pulled in favor of Ty Conklin. The Pittsburgh Penguins defense did absolutely nothing to help Fleury as they allowed a plethora of glorious scoring opportunities and ultimately finished the first period giving up 19 shots on goal. Fleury allowed 3 of those shots to go in and was relieved during the intermission, giving way to Conklin who would stop 21 of the 22 shots he would face in the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Pittsburgh actually had plenty of opportunities to cut the deficit to one goal including back-to-back powerplays in the 2nd but one of the league's best teams on the man advantage just couldn't get the job done. I felt like Therrien actually did the team a disservice yanking Fleury after only one period. While Fleury wasn't dominant, he did face nearly 20 shots in a single period, made a couple of big saves and was completely let down by his defense.

Conklin allowed a big goal only 3:34 into his night that put Florida up 4-1, and despite Pittsburgh scoring shortly thereafter it never really felt like Pittsburgh actually had a shot. They were slow and indecisive in their own zone, they turned the puck over in the neutral zone and in their own corners, and Ryan Whitney had another typical mistake-filled night and ended with a minus 2 next to his name. Overall, Pittsburgh doesn't look like a team that should be competing for the top spot in the East right now and the reason for that has nothing to do with goaltending. In fact, the whole reason they are that high in the standing is because of their surprisingly sharp goaltending making up for defensive mistakes all over the ice. To me, they still seem like the soft, easily overwhelmed team that got exposed in the playoffs last year.

It's great to see Crosby back but there were multiple situations last night where you could tell he's not quite 100%. One scenario had him racing a defenseman into the corner for the puck. Normally, Crosby would lean on him, take the puck and wheel back the other way leaving the defenseman behind. Instead, Crosby eased up and let the defenseman take the puck as if he didn't quite trust his ankle enough to make those kind of hard, pivots that helped him win the scoring title last year. Of course, some credit has to go to the Florida Panther's goaltender Craig Anderson who had a very solid night in net, but if the Pittsburgh Penguins can't play better in their own zone right now, I'm not sure they have a chance of surviving beyond the first round when the speed and intensity are doubled and I still feel that Ryan Whitney may be one of the biggest reasons why the Penguins may struggle in the post-season.

Pittsburgh Penguins VS. Tampa Bay Lightning 3/5/08

There is no substitute for speed and hockey is, in many ways, based upon this principal. Games are generally won and lost in the neutral zone with speed being the deciding factor. Nearly every defensive system is based around the concept of slowing the opposing team in the neutral zone. This prevents them from pushing the defensemen back at the blueline, which is done to open space high in the zone, and often forces the opposing team to dump the puck in and give up possession. Then, of course, it becomes a game of will and determination and this is why I love hockey. No sport better combines skill, toughness and sheer blue collar hard work than hockey. Offense often starts with speed, is sustained through hard work and then completed with skill. It's the NHL trifecta.

This was on grand display last night in the Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning game as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Crew traded speed-based punches with Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St Louis and the rest of the Lightning. The game was back and forth with both teams generating tremendous speed in the neutral zone. The Lightning seemed to have the advantage through the first two periods, especially in the second where they out shot the Penguins 14-4 and generally kept them on their heels. St Louis and Lecavalier are obviously incredibly skilled players and their ability to pass the puck in stride and on-the-tap enabled the Tampa Bay offense to generate and maintain speed through the neutral zone and make guys like Hal Gill wish they’d gone to a power skating workshop when they were kids. The Penguins were also caught chasing the puck around in their own zone on multiple occasions, with Tampa's low puck cycling wreaking havoc on the Penguins defense, but the biggest X factor in professional sports, goaltending, would eventually determine the victor as the game went into the third tied 0-0.

The Penguins, settling for the occasional counterpunch through the first two periods and failing to capitalize on multiple breakaways by Malkin and Crosby, finally found their legs in the third. An interesting line combination for the Penguins would ultimately score the game's first goal as Maxime Talbot skated up the wing and dropped the puck back to a streaking Crosby just inside the blueline and before heading to the net. Sidney, playing his first game in about 6 weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain when he crashed into the boards feet first, protected the puck on his backhand, gave a subtle fake as though he was going to wheel on the forehand back to the point and then showed the explosiveness that he is known for as he gained position on the defensemen and made a stretching, somewhat diving backhand pass into the slot. The puck was slowed slightly when it hit a Lightning defenseman’s foot, but it wasn’t enough to it and Talbot found the puck out front and slid it under the right pad of the sprawling, newly acquired Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith. This was a devastating goal for the Lightning as they had seemingly dominated most of the game, got a great performance from Mike Smith but couldn’t solve Pittsburgh’s netminder.

Marc-Andre Fleury, the goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins, was flat out brilliant in only his second start since returning from a severe high ankle sprain that kept him out of the lineup for nearly 3 months. One key to being a successful goaltender in the National Hockey League, seeing as how no one stops them all, is being able to make the key saves at the right times. Being able to preserve your team’s momentum, bail them out of tough situations and damage the other team’s morale and intensity with timely saves are what separate the hall of fame goaltenders from everyone else. This is exactly what Marc-Andre Fleury did last night as he was able to stop Lecavalier, the reigning Maurice Richard Trophy winner, on a breakaway and made save after save, keeping the score even and the Penguins alive. The Lightning made a big final push to tie the game at the end, but it wasn’t to be. Malone and Gonchar hogtied a Lightning forward going to the net, clearly a missed call, which allowed a Pittsburgh defenseman to bounce the puck off the boards up to Malkin who would close his scoring race with Alexander Ovechkin to one point with an open net goal at the 19:55 mark and sends the Pens to a 2-0 victory.

Pascal Dupuis, acquired along with the quickly injured Marian Hossa in the deadline deal that sent Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, first round draft pick Angelo Esposito and a 1^st round pick to Atlanta, continues to play a prominent role with his new team. Not only was he accredited an assist on the game winning goal, but he also logged nearly 18 minutes in ice time. While he failed to register a shot on goal, he was instrumental in killing three Lightning powerplays and generally played the kind of solid defensive game that the Penguins need him to play every night. Dupuis has a goal and an assist in 4 games since coming to Pittsburgh, but it’s his defensive play that makes him an asset right now. Marian Hossa should be back within 7 days and then the Penguins may be healthy for the first time in a long time. Of course, Jordan Staal, who’s been playing some of his best hockey of the season, left after playing only 4:52 with what is being reported as bruised ribs. Hopefully it won’t force him to miss any time, but the Penguins haven’t had much luck with that this year. Regardless, the Penguins continue to roll with the punches, overcome adversity and push to finish with the top seed in the East.

Update: Jordan Staal practiced with the team today and will most likely play tomorrow night.

Ryan Whitney is the Most Dangerous Pittsburgh Penguin

Now, I know what you might think when you see the title of this blog. What about Malkin....Crosby...or even Gonchar!?!? Well, allow me to clarify. Ryan Whitney is the most dangerous Penguin to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their Stanley Cup hopes. It's important to admit that I wrote the first part of this post, including the title, at the end of the 2nd period between the Pens and the Sharks so this was even before Cheechoo made Whitney his bitch which put the Sharks up 1-0.

Ryan Whitney plays 20+ minutes a night, toping 25 minutes against the Senators, and is absolutely awful. I HATE watching him play. He's as soft as they come, doesn't stick up for teammates, he's easy to play against and, the worst part, he turns the puck over enough in his own zone to be tried for treason. There is no other player on any time in the league more likely to cost the Pittsburgh Penguins a game than their own Ryan Whitney. Luckily, for Whitney, he was bailed out today through the first two periods as Conklin played incredibly well and was, again, bailed out by Christensen who scored to tie the game about half way through the third but I can't help but wonder what everyone sees in Whitney. He was absolutely awful in the playoffs last year, costing them at least one game if not more, and has been absolutely awful most of this year. He does have an offensive upside but with 33 points on the season it's not enough to make up for what he costs his team night in and night out. Therrien, Pittsburgh's coach, was upset with Whitney's play about a week ago and berated him in a post-game interview. Whitney has apparently forgotten about that and has slid back into playing like a scared little girl and returned to his regularly scheduled program of costing the Penguins' games. It'll never happen, but I'd love to see him out of Pittsburgh at the deadline for anything and anyone. Ryan Whitney for Derrian Hatcher, who has no cartilage left in his knees? Sure. Ryan Whitney for a player to be named later? Sure. Ryan Whitney for a player to be named never? Absolutely. Unfortunately, he's signed to a lengthy deal so Penguins' fans will be stuck watching him bumble around in the defensive zone and get embarrassed by average players for a long time to come. Frankly, Pittsburgh can't win a cup, or maybe even a playoff series, if Whitney is playing 20+ minutes. It's pathetic. The best thing that could happen to the Penguins would be to have Whitney go down for the rest of the season.

A Day Late But Certainly Not a Dollar Short

According to TSN, Dion Phaneuf has finally inked his new contract with the Calgary Flames to tune of $6.5 million per year for 6 years. Great deal for the Flames and Dion who is one of, if not, the most promising and productive young defensemen in the game. In 3 years time, he'll be underpaid which is obviously the advantage to these long term deals.

It's About Time

Anyone who knows me knows how mad I was last year watching the Senators play the Penguins in the playoffs. The Penguins got exposed for being a soft team and an easy team to play against in terms of physical play. Also, I don't believe that having a guy like Laraque on the team makes you truly tough. Yes, he's a perennial heavy weight and a beast in all respects, but team toughness is what matters in the playoffs. If you look at what the Ducks did in the playoffs last year they proved that team toughness is about having players that play more than 10 minutes a game that are willing to get to work in the corners and thrive on making the lives of their opponents hell. Well, Ryan Whitney, who received a fat long term deal, was the number one guy I was truly upset with in the playoffs. I thought he was positively awful. I under the need for offensive defenseman especially in today's hockey where a transition game is absolutely crucial. However, having a guy like Whitney who can play the offensive side of hockey but lacks the stones and the heart to play the tough-nosed defensive side is a liability, especially when he's on the ice for 20+ minutes a night. I was surprised that no one was bashing Whitney after that performance, and after a slow start to the current season even offensively, but apparently Michele Therrien, Penguin's coach, finally saw something in Whitney he didn't like last night. After blowing a 2 goal lead with 10 minutes left in the game to eventually fall in overtime to division rival New Jersey Devils, Therrien had this to say about his young defenseman, "It's unacceptable to lose a hockey game like this. Unacceptable. A guy like Ryan Whitney, he's going to have to be more aggressive around the net. He's not aggressive at all. It cost us the game."

He cost you at least a game if not multiple games in the playoffs as well there Michele. Frankly, the same could be said about much of the defensive core of the Penguins. It's way too easy and comfortable to play against the Penguins, especially in the corners and in front of their net. You don't need 6 defensemen that can put up 40+ points unless most of them can do what Pronger, Phaneuf and the other great defensemen do which is aid the transition game while punishing the other team. The Penguins need a true, stay-at-home tough nosed defenseman if they intend to go anywhere beyond the first round. Penguins have called up AHL all star Alex Goligoski and hopefully this means that Ryan Whitney may finally get the punishment he deserves, a brief stint riding the pine.

Speaking of toughness, Ethan Moreau defines tough with this play. He takes a stick to the mouth and not only does he stay on the ice, he continues with the play and even gets a shot on goal despite the fact that he has so much blood in his mouth it's tough to breathe. This is one of the many things that separates hockey players from others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6IjO1Y8Wqc

Preparing for the 2007/2008 NHL Season!

Its to early to start a countdown - that would just depress us! However - Free Agency starts in 4 days ... July 1!!! Are YOU ready?