Pittsburgh drafted Joe Morrow, a 6-foot, 197-pound defenseman from the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, with the 23rd pick in the NHL Draft Friday night in Minnesota.
I don't know too much on Morrow, except that he won't be laying out big hits any time soon.
The draft is different than football or basketball because it takes time for some of the guys to develop. Unless, of course, they are named Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Jordan Staal to name a few on the Penguins' roster.
I guess blueline depth is always needed. I'm sure they made the right choice.
Showing posts with label Evgeni Malkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evgeni Malkin. Show all posts
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Penguins lay egg on Easter eve
The NHL doesn't use aggregate scoring in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which is very fortunate for Pittsburgh.
The Penguins got blown out in Game 5 by Tampa Bay, 8-2, and have been outscored 13-3 in two losses to the Lightning.
On the other hand, their wins have been by scores of 3-0, 3-2 and 3-2 in double OT for a 17-9 advantage for Tampa Bay.
If you asked any Penguin player or coach, they would tell you none of that matters. All they are concerned with is going to the St. Petersburg Times Forum and closing it out Monday.
I would agree with that, and Pittsburgh is still in the driver's seat with a 3-2 lead, but Saturday's loss has to be a tad concerning.
For starters, why can't the Penguins close out playoff series on their home ice? I would say it's just coincidence, but not closing out a series is troubling. Cup-winning teams put series away when their opponents are down.
Also, they have to stay out of the box, or do a better job of killing penalties. The Lightning are very dangerous with the man advantage.
Pittsburgh's power play, on the other hand, has been on life support. I won't say dead because it scored in Game 4.
The Penguins have played great five-on-five, but in tight games, low-scoring games they need to take advantage of their PP opportunities.
Pittsburgh will not beat Tampa Bay in a track meet, or any team for that matter.
Not having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin takes away a great deal of offense form the Penguins. Crosby and Malkin also play as decoys that allow players like Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal to get more opportunities.
Malkin will not be back for the season and Crosby's return is in question, so they will have to win without the superstars.
Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled after the Lightning went up 4-0 in the second period. Brent Johnson relieved Fleury.
Fleury gave up four goals in a short period of time, but when Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier are getting point-blank shots from the slot, a few are bound to go in. Stamkos came to play. He had two goals and an assist. Good timing for him. The Penguins are hoping it was a one-game incident.
The defense can't give up chances like that. I believe Fleury will come back strong in Game 6. He always does.
Pittsburgh will win Game 6, and close out another series on the road. Penguins 4, Lightning 2.
NOTES: Youtube it, go on the Ducks' website or watch ESPN. Bobby Ryan's goal in the Anaheim's OT loss to Nashville was incredible. One of the tops of the year.
The Penguins got blown out in Game 5 by Tampa Bay, 8-2, and have been outscored 13-3 in two losses to the Lightning.
On the other hand, their wins have been by scores of 3-0, 3-2 and 3-2 in double OT for a 17-9 advantage for Tampa Bay.
If you asked any Penguin player or coach, they would tell you none of that matters. All they are concerned with is going to the St. Petersburg Times Forum and closing it out Monday.
I would agree with that, and Pittsburgh is still in the driver's seat with a 3-2 lead, but Saturday's loss has to be a tad concerning.
For starters, why can't the Penguins close out playoff series on their home ice? I would say it's just coincidence, but not closing out a series is troubling. Cup-winning teams put series away when their opponents are down.
Also, they have to stay out of the box, or do a better job of killing penalties. The Lightning are very dangerous with the man advantage.
Pittsburgh's power play, on the other hand, has been on life support. I won't say dead because it scored in Game 4.
The Penguins have played great five-on-five, but in tight games, low-scoring games they need to take advantage of their PP opportunities.
Pittsburgh will not beat Tampa Bay in a track meet, or any team for that matter.
Not having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin takes away a great deal of offense form the Penguins. Crosby and Malkin also play as decoys that allow players like Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal to get more opportunities.
Malkin will not be back for the season and Crosby's return is in question, so they will have to win without the superstars.
Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled after the Lightning went up 4-0 in the second period. Brent Johnson relieved Fleury.
Fleury gave up four goals in a short period of time, but when Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier are getting point-blank shots from the slot, a few are bound to go in. Stamkos came to play. He had two goals and an assist. Good timing for him. The Penguins are hoping it was a one-game incident.
The defense can't give up chances like that. I believe Fleury will come back strong in Game 6. He always does.
Pittsburgh will win Game 6, and close out another series on the road. Penguins 4, Lightning 2.
NOTES: Youtube it, go on the Ducks' website or watch ESPN. Bobby Ryan's goal in the Anaheim's OT loss to Nashville was incredible. One of the tops of the year.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
NHL Injury Updates and thoughts on NATO
The Washington Capitals announced today that Captain Alex Ovechkin will be out 7-10 days with an undisclosed injury. The team has also been missing Mike Green with a concussion, but he should be back within the week.
Brooks Orpik should be returning to Penguins practice soon from a hand injury. The huge news for the Pens is that Sidney Crosby has been skating and working out with no return of symptoms from his concussion. There are also whispers in the Burgh that Evgeni Malkin is making 'amazing' progress rehabing from his knee surgery.
The Conference leading Flyers will be missing chief pugilist Chris Pronger with a broken hand till early April. Jody Shelley also went hard into the boards and is suffering with facial injuries.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are missing foward Ryan Malone who hopes to get back at some point in the playoffs.
The Detroit Redwings have been dinged up for months, but the vet heavy squad expects to have pretty much all hands on deck come playoff time.
The Wings primary rival, The Chicago Blackhawks, lost leading scorer Patrick Sharp to a 'lower-body' injury for the next two weeks.
The Vancouver Canucks lost Center Manny Malhotra for the rest of the year with an eye injury that required surgery. The Nucks have also has a boatload of blueliners go down.
Finally: The Edmonton Oilers have lost Ryan Whitney for the season with an ankle injury. But the last place squads loss has been the world's gain as @ryanwhitney6 has officially surpassed @BizNasty2point0 as the most amusing hockey player to follow on twitter.
NATO was set up as a defense pact by Western Nations during the Cold War in order to coordinate and provide symmetry for the defense strategies of Western Europe and the United States. Its mission was very clear: to keep the West safe despite its disadvantage in conventional forces by leveraging its members advanced weapon systems in a unified manner. Now the Cold War is over two decades gone, and the once elite status of NATO membership has given way to a sprawling bureaucratic nightmare of cross purposed nations. It is a relic that has outlasted its political usefullness and is only strategically valuable for the command stucture it gives its member nations in joint military operations. If the combat in Libya has proven one thing, its that NATO has become unruly and redundant and needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history next to the Warsaw Pact.
Brooks Orpik should be returning to Penguins practice soon from a hand injury. The huge news for the Pens is that Sidney Crosby has been skating and working out with no return of symptoms from his concussion. There are also whispers in the Burgh that Evgeni Malkin is making 'amazing' progress rehabing from his knee surgery.
The Conference leading Flyers will be missing chief pugilist Chris Pronger with a broken hand till early April. Jody Shelley also went hard into the boards and is suffering with facial injuries.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are missing foward Ryan Malone who hopes to get back at some point in the playoffs.
The Detroit Redwings have been dinged up for months, but the vet heavy squad expects to have pretty much all hands on deck come playoff time.
The Wings primary rival, The Chicago Blackhawks, lost leading scorer Patrick Sharp to a 'lower-body' injury for the next two weeks.
The Vancouver Canucks lost Center Manny Malhotra for the rest of the year with an eye injury that required surgery. The Nucks have also has a boatload of blueliners go down.
Finally: The Edmonton Oilers have lost Ryan Whitney for the season with an ankle injury. But the last place squads loss has been the world's gain as @ryanwhitney6 has officially surpassed @BizNasty2point0 as the most amusing hockey player to follow on twitter.
NATO was set up as a defense pact by Western Nations during the Cold War in order to coordinate and provide symmetry for the defense strategies of Western Europe and the United States. Its mission was very clear: to keep the West safe despite its disadvantage in conventional forces by leveraging its members advanced weapon systems in a unified manner. Now the Cold War is over two decades gone, and the once elite status of NATO membership has given way to a sprawling bureaucratic nightmare of cross purposed nations. It is a relic that has outlasted its political usefullness and is only strategically valuable for the command stucture it gives its member nations in joint military operations. If the combat in Libya has proven one thing, its that NATO has become unruly and redundant and needs to be consigned to the dustbin of history next to the Warsaw Pact.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Another Penguin injured
As I'm sure you all know, Brooks Orpik was injured last night after taking a Patrick Marleau shot off his hand late in the first period in the Penguins' 3-2 OT loss to the Sharks. It is another injury to a star player, and one, according to Ray Shero via the FAN, that could keep the blue liner out a long time.
If I was running the team, it would be my concern that the amount of injuries will start to take their toll on the Penguins. I do believe they will make the playoffs, but how will they fare with the injuries, especially with Evgeni Malkin out for the season and with Sidney Crosby's fate to be determined?
If I was running the team, it would be my concern that the amount of injuries will start to take their toll on the Penguins. I do believe they will make the playoffs, but how will they fare with the injuries, especially with Evgeni Malkin out for the season and with Sidney Crosby's fate to be determined?
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Can Pens win Cup without Malkin?
The Pittsburgh Penguins title hopes were dealt a severe blow when Star Forward Evgeni Malkin went down with a season ending knee injury Feb. 4th against the Buffalo Sabres. Without their former Conn Smythe winner, are the Pens still a legit threat to win the cup?
Obviously the most important part of that question relies on the health of their other star forward, Sidney Crosby, who is battling back from a concussion suffered in early January. Sid must be able to not only come back this spring, but also be able to get his game back to the level it was at before he went down with the injury for his team to have any chance of a long playoff run. The thinking here is that if he can’t get back on the ice at least practicing by early March that it will be very difficult for him to build back up his strength and conditioning to the point where he can get through the playoffs carrying the team offensively. I’m not saying this in hopes that the Pens rush him back, just the opposite in fact. If the calendar is winding into March and his symptoms haven’t subsided, what is the drop-dead date for the team just shutting him down for the season and telling him to go relax at some secluded beach resort until he absolutely feels 100% better? Too much of the teams future is tied into Crosby, and with Malkin already down they have to put a deadline on bringing him back and risking further complications.
But let’s assume that they can get Crosby back and project that his game will be at least around 90-95% of what it was on December 31st come playoff time? At that point they have the game’s biggest offensive weapon, a pretty well proven big game playoff goaltender, a good cast of role-player forwards, and a very solid, if slightly under-experienced blueline.
IF GM Ray Shero thinks he can get Crosby back and healthy, I would say this team is two players away from a cup run. A veteran blueline lunch-pail guy to fill the 7th spot on the roster, and the elusivescoring winger unicorn for Sid to play with. One dude who fits that scoring winger role is going up against the Pens today, Feb. 16th, Milan Hejduk of the Colorado Avalanche. Hejduk would have to waive the no-movement clause in his contract to be out the door to Pittsburgh or anywhere else, but he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and can choose to play wherever he likes at that point anyway. The Avs are struggling mightily, Peter Forsberg's comeback lasted all of two games, and the team has dropped 8 in a row, the latest being a 9-1 drubbing at the hands of the Calgary Flames on Feb. 14th, and are now a full 10 points out of the last playoff spot in the very tough Western Conference. Although he has spent his entire career with the Colorado organization, it’s hard to speculate that Hejduk would object to being dealt to a contender this spring to put up some numbers and get a chance to shine in the playoff spotlight once again. The Czech winger is 35 years old and this most likely will be his last chance to cash in on a high dollar multi-year contract this summer.
He would slot in very nicely with Crosby and Pascal Dupuis on the Pens top line, which would allow Chris Kunitz to play with Jordan Staal on the 2nd line and provide some quality depth scoring. It also leaves the door open for a 3rd line that clicked earlier in the season for the team of Chris Conner, Mark Letestu and Tyler Kennedy, and a 4th line would be loaded with tons of playoff proven sandpaper.
Dupuis-Crosby-Hejduk
Cooke-Staal-Kunitz
Conner-Letestu-Kennedy
Asham/Rupp-Talbot-Adams
I think with the emergence of Letestu as a capable 3rd line center, they can definitely afford to move versatile prospect Dustin Jeffrey at the deadline along with a high draft pick to acquire a top wing rental for Sid, again with the caveat that Crosby is getting some quality symptom free days in his recovery process come the 2/28 trade deadline.
According to Tim Benz of WXDX in Pittsburgh, Crosby is still going through a very frustrating good day/bad day routine right now where he was still experiencing headaches as recently as Saturday, Feb. 13th.
Obviously the most important part of that question relies on the health of their other star forward, Sidney Crosby, who is battling back from a concussion suffered in early January. Sid must be able to not only come back this spring, but also be able to get his game back to the level it was at before he went down with the injury for his team to have any chance of a long playoff run. The thinking here is that if he can’t get back on the ice at least practicing by early March that it will be very difficult for him to build back up his strength and conditioning to the point where he can get through the playoffs carrying the team offensively. I’m not saying this in hopes that the Pens rush him back, just the opposite in fact. If the calendar is winding into March and his symptoms haven’t subsided, what is the drop-dead date for the team just shutting him down for the season and telling him to go relax at some secluded beach resort until he absolutely feels 100% better? Too much of the teams future is tied into Crosby, and with Malkin already down they have to put a deadline on bringing him back and risking further complications.
But let’s assume that they can get Crosby back and project that his game will be at least around 90-95% of what it was on December 31st come playoff time? At that point they have the game’s biggest offensive weapon, a pretty well proven big game playoff goaltender, a good cast of role-player forwards, and a very solid, if slightly under-experienced blueline.
IF GM Ray Shero thinks he can get Crosby back and healthy, I would say this team is two players away from a cup run. A veteran blueline lunch-pail guy to fill the 7th spot on the roster, and the elusive
He would slot in very nicely with Crosby and Pascal Dupuis on the Pens top line, which would allow Chris Kunitz to play with Jordan Staal on the 2nd line and provide some quality depth scoring. It also leaves the door open for a 3rd line that clicked earlier in the season for the team of Chris Conner, Mark Letestu and Tyler Kennedy, and a 4th line would be loaded with tons of playoff proven sandpaper.
Dupuis-Crosby-Hejduk
Cooke-Staal-Kunitz
Conner-Letestu-Kennedy
Asham/Rupp-Talbot-Adams
I think with the emergence of Letestu as a capable 3rd line center, they can definitely afford to move versatile prospect Dustin Jeffrey at the deadline along with a high draft pick to acquire a top wing rental for Sid, again with the caveat that Crosby is getting some quality symptom free days in his recovery process come the 2/28 trade deadline.
According to Tim Benz of WXDX in Pittsburgh, Crosby is still going through a very frustrating good day/bad day routine right now where he was still experiencing headaches as recently as Saturday, Feb. 13th.
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