Pens Trade For and Sign Tomas Vokoun

I had fully intended on taking a break from blogging until the Stanley Cup Finals were over, as I have kept busy by writing about the Kings on The Hockey Writers (http://thehockeywriters.com/author/rshanmugam/), but Ray Shero waits for no one.  He couldn’t even wait until I did my player by player season in review post before the draft, the inconsiderate jerk!

As you should know by now, the Penguins traded away their 7^th round pick in 2012 to the Washington Capitals for the rights to pending unrestricted free agent goalie Tomas Vokoun.  Vokoun was given permission by the Capitals early last week to seek a potential team for next year.  He had a no trade clause and had no intention of staying in Washington, so the team decided this would be the best way to receive some compensation for him.

"The playoffs aren't over yet?  I do what I want."

Apparently after talking to Ray Shero, the two found a match for multiple years.  Vokoun waived his NTC and shortly after the deal, the Penguins announced that Vokoun had signed a 2 year deal, worth $2 million each year.  Here are a few of the factors that went into this deal:

- Shero has worked with Vokoun before, back when they were both in Nashville

- Vokoun has the same agent as Fleury (Allan Walsh), so there is a healthy dynamic in place potentially

- The goalie market this year is weak in terms of truly tested experience

- There is a strong belief that Fleury played too many games down the stretch last year, which may have factored into a poor playoff performance

- Neither Brent Johnson, nor Brad Thiessen, looked capable enough last season to take on a bigger role this year

Okay, maybe it wasn't all Johnson's fault.

My overall thoughts are this is a great deal as it stands right now.  Vokoun has had injury problems lately, especially with his groin, but he fills a huge need for the Penguins if he stays healthy.  I personally felt that getting a backup goalie was the top IMMEDIATE need for the Penguins.  There are the contract situations with the forwards – but they don’t expire until next summer, and the defense played bad – but they are all under contract, so goaltending was still a fluid situation which could be fixed easily and quickly.  Also, hopefully we don't see this happen in Pittsburgh:

Here are some other miscellaneous thoughts on this deal:

- Vokoun has clearly signed on to be a backup.  He is not a threat to Fleury, and the team called Fleury before the deal to talk to him about it.  Vokoun even said in interviews he does not care how much he plays, he just wants to win a Cup.  There is NO goalie controversy whatsoever.

- Expect Vokoun to play in roughly 25 games or so.  The Pens wanted Fleury to play in 60 games last season and he ended up in 67 due to a variety of factors.  As we all saw how he floundered through March and April, there is no chance the Pens will let that happen again.  Vokoun should be good for at least 20 starts plus other relief appearances if not more starts.

Add 1 to the Euro group!

- This move both pushes Fleury, since he has a starting caliber goalie behind him, and also allows him to relax because he knows he can have an off night and feel confident about the goalie stepping into his place.  Athletes like Fleury always want to be the guy, and often have trouble trusting others to do a job as well as they can do it themselves (reference: Big Ben always playing at 50% when injured).  A goalie of Vokoun’s caliber takes that weight off of Fleury’s shoulders, while also letting him know that he can’t slump without getting replaced.  It also helps the coaching staff in the same way as they can hopefully trust Vokoun more than they did Johnson or Thiessen last year.

- Many people have questioned spending $2 million on a backup.  It is pricey; there is no question about that.  However, the cap is expected to go up to $70.3 million according to many sources, which makes it a manageable number to deal with.  Also, Ray Shero will not let this signing break the bank on keeping a top 3 center, I assure you.  There are enough other disposable players that he can use in a salary dump if absolutely necessary.  Paying $2 million to see Fleury fresh and strong in the playoffs is well worth the money.  He is capable of carrying this team on his own when given the right situation, and this is a part of creating the right situation.

- Finally, goodbye Brent Johnson.  You were a wonderful backup 2 years ago, not quite as good last year, but you always seemed like a great guy.  It was nice having you in Pittsburgh and I hope you do well elsewhere.  Thank you for punching Rick DiPietro for that everlasting memory.  Good luck.

- I’m not even going to address the 7^th round pick; it’s not even worth it.

What are your thoughts? Like Vokoun, hate Vokoun, too much money, or just right?

Brief Season in Review

Before we move on to the NHL’s 2^nd season, the more important one, let’s take a moment to look at some final stats, highs, lows, and other miscellaneous tidbits that have the Pens sitting in 4^th in the Conference.  If you’re really bored, check out my season predictions and laugh at how off I was on some of these things:  http://crosbyftw.blogspot.com/2011/10/pens-season-preview-2011-2012.html

Win/Loss:

Record:  51-25-6, 108 pts.  2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East (though, 4^th in the NHL)

Home: 29-10-2 (4^th in NHL)

Away: 22-15-4 (7^th)

Shootouts: 9-3 (7^th)

Goals:

Goals For: 282 (1^st)

Goals Against: 221 (12^th)

Differential: +61  (2^nd)

Special Teams:

Power Play: 19.7% (5^th)

- Power Play Opportunities: 289 (7^th)

- Short-Handed Goals Allowed: 10 (26^th)

Penalty Kill: 87.8% (3^rd) *Franchise Record

- Times Shorthanded: 270 (15^th)

- Short-Handed Goals: 11 (3^rd)

Geno may have led the team in scoring, but these 3 were integral parts of the PP's success.

Random:

Hits: 2058 (6^th)

Blocked Shots: 1065 (22^nd)

Missed Shots: 1088 (2^nd)

Giveaways: 498 (28^th)

Takeaways: 439 (30^th)

Faceoffs: 50.4% (13^th)

- The Pens won 45.7% of the games in which they allowed the 1^st goal, the highest % in the NHL.

Transactions:

- Marc Letestu was traded to Columbus for a 4^th round draft pick.

- Chris Kunitz received a 2 year extension for $3.725 mil./yr.

- James Neal received a 6 year extension for $5 mil./yr. 

Neal became a part of the "core" of this team this year.

  

Season Highlights:

- Opening Night, 10/6: 4-3 (SO) win over Vancouver.  Led by a shocking 2 goal performance from the new Matt Cooke, the Pens won in Vancouver to start off the season with a playoff type win (minus the shootout)

- 10/27: 3-2 (SO) win over NYI: The Pens extended their winning streak to 5 games to take their record to 8-2-2, tops in the NHL early on.

- 11/21: 5-0 win over NYI:  Sid’s Return Part I.  Crosby came back from his concussion in dramatic fashion, scoring the 1^st goal of the game and putting up a 4 point night to dazzle the NHL in his long-awaited return.

Everyone was all smiles as Crosby skated around the corner with a big
"F*ck Yeah!!"

- 12/27: 4-2 win over Car:  The culmination of a 4 game win streak which saw the PK return to perfection and the PP score 6 goals in 4 games. 

- 1/31: 5-4 (SO) win over Tor:  The Pens 8^th win in a row, 5 of which had come in OT, 4 of which had been in a shootout.  Fleury started every game of the streak and simply had all the answers when he needed them most.

The shootout may be a gimmick, but Fleury has perfected it.

- 3/15: 5-2 win over NYR:  Sid’s Return Part II.  The Pens were on the tail end of an 11 game win streak which would see them streak towards the top of the Conference and they were just getting healthy as they had their captain return yet again.  They would win their next game before losing the streak to Philly.

- 4/7: 4-2 win over Phi:  Though the game was meaningless, the Pens still managed to finish the season on a 3 game win streak and beat the Flyers for the first time in Consol Energy Center.

Season Lowlights:

- 11/19: 3-2 loss to Fla:  The Pens hit a rough stretch, losing 3 of 4 games to Car, TB, and Fla, and watching the powerplay hit a 1 for 21 slump while the PK allowed 2 goals for the 2^nd game in a row.

- 12/5: 3-1 loss to Bos:  The loss to Boston was tough, but the bigger loss was Crosby re-injuring himself from a multitude of collisions, sending him off with concussion like symptoms yet again.

- 12/16: 6-4 loss to Ott:  The 4^th loss in 5 games since Crosby went out, and the 6^th straight game the PK let up a goal.  Panic began to take over Pens nation after this Friday night loss.

BJ wasn't himself and the D didn't help.

- 12/29: 4-2 loss to Phi:  In the much anticipated return of Talbot and Jagr to Pittsburgh, the Flyers watched both of them score to end the Pens 4 game win streak, and send them into what turned into a very rough losing streak.

- 1/11: 1-0 loss to Was:  The Pens went on a major goal scoring drought, scoring just 6 goals in 6 games, all losses highlighted by a frustrating 1-0 loss to the rival Caps.  The Pens outshot every team during the losing streak, and only received 14 powerplays through the streak, easily a 6 game low.

- 3/29: 5-3 loss to NYI:  The Pens lost their 2^nd straight game to the Isles, by 5-3 in both games and panic set in for what was supposed to be an unbeatable team.

- 4/1: 6-4 loss to Phi:  In a game that simply turned into a disaster at the end, the Pens played poor defense and then got into a line brawl to end the game off of clean hit.  Peter Laviolette and Tony Granato got into a shouting match in between the benches and were both fined for the mess.

This may be the defining point of the season in the end.

Players Overrated Going Into the Season:

Paul Martin – I don’t think I have to write much about this, it’s safe to say that everyone has been disappointed in his performance from top to bottom.  Not enough offense, weak shot, poor defense, pinches too much….just pick a complaint.  His final stat line was: 73gp, 2g, 25a, +9, 18 PIM.  It really isn’t a bad stat line…until you consider his $5 mil contract and if you’ve watched him play.

This was the story of Paul Martin:  missing.

Brent Johnson – Johnny may have set the expectations a little too high when he saved Fleury at the start of the season.  He had a rough go for most of the season, though he came up very strong towards the end for the Pens.  His final stat line: 16gp, 6-7-2, 3.11 GAA, .883 Save %.  It will be interesting to see if the Pens want to retain him for next season.  He’s a great locker room guy, cheap, and Thiessen doesn’t look ready to me, but we shall see.

Tyler Kennedy – Coming off of a career year, he was one of the bigger question marks going into last offseason.  Without top PP and top line time this year though, he was a disappointment after last year.  His final stat line:  60gp, 11g, 22a, +10, 29 PIM.  Hidden disappointing stat: 5.6 shooting %.  He finished 5^th on the team in shots on net, but 15^th in shooting %.  That pretty much sums up his disappointing year.

Players Underrated Going Into the Season:

This section literally could be half the roster, so I’ll try to keep it short, I know I left players out.

Pascal Dupuis – No one saw Dupuis breaking out like this, having a career year in all aspects.  He put up a 17 game point streak to end the season and was simply fantastic all year.  His final stat line:  82gp, 25g, 34a, +18, 34 PIM.  Dupuis finished 4^th on the team in scoring, raise your hand if you saw that coming.

Dupuis has turned into the ultimate spark plug and threat.

Matt Cooke – It was hard to know what Cooke would do coming off of his season ending suspension last year.  He had the talent, but would he use his brain?  He did.  Final stats:  82gp, 19g, 19a, +5, 44 PIM.  Big 2 for me: 82gp and 44 PIM.  Very impressive numbers for Cooke and a true inspiration for change.

James Neal – After Neal slumped his way out of everyone’s hearts through the playoff run last year, predictions were all over this year.  Guess what, it didn’t matter what anyone predicted, he beat them all.  Final stats:  80gp, 40g, 41a, +6, 87 PIM.  I could have done without some of those 87 PIM, but 40 goals from Neal is success no matter how you look at it.  18 of those goals were on the PP too, helping a dismal PP from last year.

It took him far too long to get on the roster, but he surely deserved it.

Steve Sullivan – Sullivan seemed like a good bargain and depth signing going into the season.  What he turned into was a durable powerplay specialist that the Pens badly needed.  Final stats:  79gp, 17g, 31a, -3, 20 PIM.  21 of his 48 points came on the PP as he joined Neal to help that unit out greatly.  The 79gp are still a shock to me for the former Masterton winner who has missed well over 100 games in his career due to injuries.

Evgeni Malkin – I’ll end this with a player that everyone knew was great but no one was sure how great he would be this season.  I can certainly tell you I did not predict Malkin would score 50 and put up a Hart worthy season as he led this team without Sid for much of the year.  Final stats: 75gp, 50g, 59a, +18, 70 PIM.  He took fewer stupid penalties, scored more goals, and simply kept his head in the game throughout most of the season.  He literally grew up in front of our eyes this year into a league MVP (though not official yet).

Time to push for Conn Smythe #2! 

Individual Stats Leaders:

Goals:  Malkin (50)

Assists:  Malkin (59)

Pts:  Malkin (109)

+/-:  Letang (+21)

PIM:  Neal (87)

Avg. Time on Ice: Letang (24:50)

Shots:  Malkin (339)

Shooting %:  Staal (16.8%)

Staal found his scoring touch from his rookie season again.

Hits: Orpik (259)

Blocked Shots: Michalek (144)

Missed Shots: Neal (123)

Giveaways:  Malkin (73) *Next Highest: Martin (39)

Takeaways:  Malkin (52) *Next Highest:  Staal (39)

Faceoff %: Vitale (55.7%)

Faceoffs, Fights, PK, Joe Vitale demonstrated he can do it all this year.

- Asham and Engelland led the team in fights with 8 each

- Malkin was on for the most goals for, 132

- Martin and Orpik were on for the most goals against overall, 81 for each

- Interesting stat on Martin: He is a +14 against the Atlantic, but a -5 against other divisions

- Malkin was the team shootout leader, going 8 for 11.

Team Awards:

Baz Bastien Memorial “Good Guy” Award (Media Cooperation) – Fleury & Dupuis

NHL Masterton Nominee (Dedication to Hockey) – Cooke

A.T. Caggiano Memorial Booster Club Cup (Most 3 Star Votes) – Malkin

Player’s Player Award (Leadership) – Orpik

Edward J. DeBartolo “Community Service” Award (Charity Work) – Malkin

Defensive Player of the Year (Best Defensively) – Orpik & Fleury

MVP (Best Overall) - Malkin

Now, ON TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!

Powerplay Comes Up Clutch, Pens beat Bruins

Main Storylines:

- Forget the Philly nonsense (aside from the standings) until after the Rangers game on Thursday, the Pens have 2 key objectives right now: 1) Learn to play tight defense again and 2) Win

- Brent Johnson faces Marty Turco in the goaltending matchup…be still, my beating heart.

Result:

Pens  5  Bruins  3

Goals:   Crosby (6) from Dupuis, Letang

             Martin (2) from Kennedy, Letang

             Neal (40) (PP) from Kunitz, Crosby

             Crosby (7) (PP) from Letang, Malkin

             Asham (5) from Adams, Vitale

Stats/Milestones:

- The amazing Pascal Dupuis extended his career high point streak to 15 games with an assist on the 1^st goal.  Gotta give him credit, he always adds to it within the first 2 goals of the game so there’s no suspense ever.

If you're ever sad, just look at a pic of a Dupuis celebration.

- James Neal hit the 40 goal mark for the 1^st time in his career as he continues to set highs in goals (40) and points (81).

- Not a milestone, but Crosby has now matched Ovechkin in assists at 27 apiece.  This is just humorous.  Crosby has played 56 less games.

- Some game stats: Staal led the game with 8 hits.  Orpik led with 5 blocked shots. 

The Good:

- This crazy new concept of a powerplay with a defenseman on the point premiered tonight and the Pens made it work with 2 powerplay goals in less than 2 minutes, on a 5 on 3 and then subsequent 5 on 4.  As nice as it was to see the old 4 forward PP return and be successful, the biggest takeaway was that the powerplay was CLUTCH.  The Pens powerplay has been very successful throughout the season, but it has been a long time since I’ve seen them score early on a 5 on 3 and then score on the remaining powerplay as well.  Add the fact that the game was tied at 2 when this all occurred, you really can’t ask for more out of the PP.

Brent Johnson – Allowing 3 goals on 29 shots isn’t exactly anything to brag about.  However, when you stop multiple breakaways and a 2 on 0 because your defense doesn’t care about your well-being…yeah go ahead and brag Johnny.  Johnson came up even more clutch than the powerplay as he dealt with a plethora of odd-man rushes thanks to turnovers and just poor play by the Penguins defense.  The Bruins probably could have won this game if not for a nice mix of wasted chances and some fantastic and instinctive glove saves by Johnson.  He looks confident and back in his normal form, which may not matter if he doesn’t start another game for the Penguins ever (60/40 chance), but at least gives the team confidence if anything goes awry.

Despite many chances like this one, BJ was a wall when the Pens needed it most.

Sidney Crosby – Admittedly, Crosby and also Letang to follow this up would be somewhere between good and bad for me because I need to scold both.  But it leans good so here they are.  First the bad part – Crosby’s gotta quit with the no look passes in the defensive zone / passing up the middle.  He had another dangerous turnover in this game in the D zone and he’s simply smarter than that.  Speaking of being smarter, the Bruins scored their 2^nd goal when Crosby just didn’t follow his man closely to the crease, allowing him to get free and take a pass to score.  Are these a little nitpicky compared to most of the team, yes, but ya know what, he’s Sidney Crosby, he’s better than that.  On the good side though, a 3 point game (2g, 1a) with a powerplay goal is nothing to scoff at.  He looks very comfortable in the offensive zone, especially behind the net again, and was quite creative in his efforts tonight.  Most importantly, he found open space and was in the perfect spot for both of his goals, something that very few can pull off quite like Sid.  Keep racking up the points buddy.

Kris Letang – Again with Letang, I’ll start with the bad first.  Along with Crosby, he also missed his coverage on the Bruins tying goal, allowing the primary pass that scored the goal.  He also got blown past twice in the defensive zone, which was quite weird to see because who skates past Kris Letang?  In this game, it very much looked like he was trying to push the play forward too much or overcompensate for Paul Martin at other times.  But here as well, the good was worth far more than the bad and Letang chipped in 3 assists tonight.  The best part of his game shone brightly on the powerplay, as he helped the first unit move the puck around, and even get themselves moving around which created many more opportunities.  He is a must on the powerplay, case closed.

The Bad:

- The Pens still played poorly in their own zone.  There were far too many turnovers and puck possession was a problem once again.  If it wasn’t for the powerplay performance at the end of the 2^nd period, the Bruins could have, and should have taken this game.  I counted 3 times where there was a Penguin attempting to control the puck in his own zone or the neutral zone, and his other 4 linemates were already past the puck, heading to the offensive zone.  That is simply awful.  The Pens are doing a horrible job of providing support in their own zone and it turns every turnover into a great scoring chance.  There were just far too many chances for the Bruins on BJ.

Paul Martin – Martin gets the opposite treatment of Crosby and Letang in this one.  Sure he scored a goal, finally ending the Paul Martin Powerball and making someone very happy.  He then proceeded to play about as much defense as Alexander Ovechkin does.  He left Letang out to dry for multiple 2 on 1s, simply was skated past on a couple 1 on 1’s, and was caught pinching way too far into the offensive zone on the Bruins 3^rd goal.  Martin’s play tonight was the epitome of the team’s problem right now.  There was way too much of an offense first mentality and he needs to stop that.  It boggles my mind even more when he’s paired with Letang, so Martin SHOULD be the defensive guy in the pairing!  A part of me wonders if Martin needs to be paired with Engelland just because Engo will certainly stay back.  Also, because maybe Engo will just punch Martin out after a bad shift. 

Paul Martin WOULD score like this.

The Ugly:

- In a game that didn’t mean a whole lot (Boston is locked into 2^nd, Pens are fighting for 4^th ), there were some significant injuries undertaken by both teams.  Steve Sullivan left the game early with a lower body injury, though it is not expected to be severe.  Matt Niskanen left the game after getting crushed by Daniel Paille (who left his feet) in the corner.  Niskanen was livid as he went down the runway, smashing his stick on a wall.  He took one shift in the 3^rd but then was done for the game.  Meanwhile, Vitale took a puck to the jaw and was writhing in pain on the ice for a while before leaving the game late.  I have a feeling both will be out at least a game, and in Vitale’s case, it might be a few more based on how reacted.  On the Bruins side, Boychuk got into an awkward collision with Asham and couldn’t even skate off the ice after landing on his knee.  All 3 were unfortunate injuries that you especially hate to see in a rather meaningless game heading into the playoffs, especially for Boychuk and Boston.

Hopefully we don't see any more scenes like this heading into the playoffs.

- James Neal has clearly set a new precedent for celebrating milestone goals as he followed up his 40^th by fighting Andrew Ference.  The interaction was quite comical as Ference dropped his gloves while Neal looked on with a “WTF” stare before actually dropping his gloves.  While I gotta give credit to both of them for a very spirited fight, I do not want to see Neal dropping the gloves a week before the playoffs.  One bad punch to Ference’s helmet, and we’d lose a 40 goal scorer.  Save it James!

Neal...kinda frightens me now.

Thoughts:

-Gotta give credit to Boston for the effort they put in tonight.  This game was literally meaningless to them and they pushed the Pens as hard as they could until the end.  If the Pens played all of their games with 60 minutes of that kind of effort, I’m not sure they’d ever lose.  But, they should probably work on defense first.

- Ah yes, that defense thing.  I’m still not happy with how the Pens are playing defense and not convinced they can win a 7 game series based on their play right now.  Things that need work: puck possession, passing, defensive coverage, pressure on the puck, backchecking.  I am starting to wonder if we just have to wait for a switch to flip as soon as the playoffs start and fundamental hockey will return due to the fear of losing.  I’m sure I’m in the minority with this, but I would rather see the Pens win a 1-0 game right now than a 5-3 game just to see that they can do it and play responsibly.  It will be necessary for the playoffs.

- So, the Rangers beat the Flyers tonight.  NJ won as well.  Here are your scenarios.

*NYR has clinched the East Conference, forget them.

*Pit still plays NYR and Phi.  The Pens have a 3 point lead on Philly and need 2 points to clinch the 4^th seed right now.

*Phi still plays Buf and Pit.  Philly needs to win out and have the Pens lose out to get the 4^th seed.  They need 1 point to clinch the 5^th seed.

*NJ still plays Det and Ott. NJ needs to win out and have Philly lose out to take over the 5^th seed.

So, it is very likely that the Pens-Flyers-Devils finish 4-5-6.  But there is a small chance that NJ can get to 5^th and a greater chance that the Pens can drop to 5^th.

Pens Record: 49-25-6, 104 pts, 2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East

Next Game:  4/5 vs NYR, 7pm

Pens Awaken as Playoffs Approach, Beat Buffalo 5-3.

Main Storylines:

- The Pens have now lost 3 out of their last 4 games and look nothing like the team that dominated the NHL over the last month.  Sloppy defense and poor puck possession seem to be the biggest issues, along with horrible special teams.  They have allowed an avg of 5 goals per game over the past week.

- Brent Johnson, Joe Vitale, and Matt Niskanen all return to the lineup.  Bylsma suggested that Johnson might get one more start this season, so eye up April 3^rd @ Boston for that one.  Simon Despres and Eric Tangradi sit down for the other returns.

If Johnson doesn't start again, I'm sure the Pirates have spots open in the outfield.

- Buffalo provides a very formidable opponent right now.  Ryan Miller is 10-1-2 this month and the Sabres are fighting the Caps for the last playoff spot in the East.  Miller generally has not done well against the Pens, but he is on another level right now.

Result:

Pens  5  Sabres  3  

Goals:  Malkin (48) (PP) from Sullivan, Crosby

            Crosby (5) from Sullivan, Dupuis

            Neal (38) (PP) from Crosby, Malkin

            Sullivan (15) from Dupuis, Crosby

            Staal (25) (EN) from Orpik

               

Stats/Milestones:

- Evgeni Malkin recorded a new career high for goals at 48.

- Pascal Dupuis extended his point streak to a career high 13 games with an assist on Crosby’s goal.  He also added to his career high point total, making it 54 now.

- Sidney Crosby became the 7^th youngest player in NHL history to hit 600 career points.  Just imagine what he could have done if he didn’t miss a year with that concussion…

- James Neal added to his career high totals in goals (38) and points (79).

- Brooks Orpik recorded his 100^th assist on Staal’s empty netter.

The Good:

- After a game in which the special teams was downright horrible, they were the big reason for tonight’s win.  The powerplay went 2 for 3 and the penalty kill was 2 for 2 as we learned a couple lessons.  First, the powerplay seems much better on the rush than when situated in place.  Movement is the key for a group of 5 forwards and they appear to play much worse when they are settled into the zone, go figure.  As for the penalty kill, the forwards were much more aggressive on the points and boards tonight and Buffalo had trouble getting chances because of it.  It was a great game by both units (though I still want to see Dupuis on the 2^nd PP).

- The Pens were also much less predictable in terms of forcing “stretch” passes and their puck possession was much better.  If you take a look at a majority of the rushes, the Pens implemented a lot of weaving to open up players rather than just try to look for a long pass (same on the PP rushes as well).  This helped them a) get the puck into the zone and b) have more players in to forecheck by the time a puck was behind the opposing net.  It worked very well at times, though the Sabres also got some quick rushes the other way because of it.  Regardless, it was a nice change of pace and worked tonight.

"This isn't weaving for weaving's sake"  It's clearly to get Neal wide open.

- It was great to see Brent Johnson get a win and get some confidence back in his game.  He admittedly started very shaky, which will keep him off the list below, but he looked better and better as the game went on and was back to his normal self in the 3^rd period.  That’s the Brent Johnson that we all know as a very dependable backup.  His ability to shake off the bad start and move forward makes him a very valuable veteran (woo alliteration) to this team.

Sidney Crosby – His 3^rd four point night of the season (points 598-601) let us know that he will simply own Ryan Miller no matter the circumstances.  Sid didn’t even score a nice goal, Miller simply let up an awful 5-hotel shot (oddly familiar).  But anyways, Crosby looked like his normal self, making absurdly perfect passes on his backhand and he had some good jump in his skates tonight as well.  No ill effects from that puck to the face appear to be present.

Steve Sullivan – Sullivan scored on a beautiful “chip” from the slot and also had the primary assist on the first 2 goals.  He makes a big difference on the 1^st powerplay as he looks far more comfortable on the point than either Crosby or Malkin.  The big aspect to his game that I did not expect this late in the season is his speed and agility.  I honestly thought he might be dead for the season by this point.  His fluid play and stellar passing have made him a great linemate for all of the stars on this team so far and tonight he shined brightest with it.

Based on the pic, I'm pretty sure Sulli scored this with his mind.

The Bad:

- Both goaltenders were just plain awful in the first period.  Miller’s 5 hole seemed to score on himself when Crosby shot the puck for the Pens 2^nd goal.  Meanwhile, Johnson’s first goal allowed was no gem either.  Many Pens fans will argue that it should have been goalie interference…I’m on the fence, that’s a tough call.  But regardless, Johnson should have gloved and controlled that rebound so it wouldn’t have mattered anyways, that goal is still on him.  His 2^nd goal allowed was even worse as he clearly got caught anticipating a pass and Ennis beat him with on a 5 hole the size of...(inappropriate joke).  Miller and Johnson rebounded very nicely as the game went on though.

Crosby is Miller's kryptonite, no clue how this became a goal.

- How about a broken stanchion to stop the play and tack on almost 2 minutes to the 3^rd period as both teams went to intermission early.  Seen that before?  Actually, that wasn’t bad, just odd.  The bad part was Steigerwald laughing about it and asking whether they would continue play as a 10 year old girl sat behind cracked glass.  Not often that I say Bob Errey is a professional, but he absolutely was in reporting that they would probably go to intermission early and continue the game in the 3^rd because it had to be fixed.

The Ugly:

- I still don’t know how the Sabres 3^rd goal happened.  The puck was cleared up off the boards…no it wasn’t, it bounced somehow off the boards directly in front of Johnson, where only Tomas Vanek was standing.  Root Sports AND MSG cameras all missed it as did 10 out of 12 players on the ice.  Only Vanek and Johnson saw it and Vanek then beat Johnson all alone.  Talk about crazy.

Can't blame BJ on this one.

Thoughts:

- This game had the intensity of a playoff game and it’s about time the Pens reached that intensity after the 2 flops against the Isles.  Some people see the daunting schedule ahead (Flyers, Bruins, Rangers, Flyers) and question whether the Pens can keep the 4^th seed and if they are prepared.  I disagree with that line of thought.  This is the perfect schedule to ramp up into playoff mode and prepare for the grueling journey that is the NHL playoffs.  By the time Game 1 starts, most likely against the Flyers, they will be battle-tested, ready, and already in playoff mode.  That’s what you want, not a team going in after a bunch of layups. 

- The Buffalo crowd, though seemingly half Pens fans, was simply magnificent to listen to on tv.  I hope one day Consol can have a crowd like that.  The crowd seriously made the game more enjoyable on tv, much like the Leafs, Canadiens, and Jets crowds are capable of.  Pens fans need to take notice and make the effort in their own arena to build that kind of atmosphere.

- I meant to include this in my last recap, but it works even better here.  I'm calling BS on everyone that says the Pens struggle without Letang.  I understand he is incredibly important to this team, and undoubtedly makes the Pens much better, but he isn't the cause of their lack of defense over the past week.  The Pens played fine without him a few weeks ago and even tonight.  Letang is a stellar defenseman, I won't dispute that, but the Pens' problems are/were on account of their decision making and execution, not their personnel.  The easy answer isn't always the right one, and that's the case in saying this team can't win without Letang as many did after 2 losses to the Isles.

- Time to look at Sunday, a 12:30pm matchup at home on NBC vs. the Flyers.  First off – I’m never moving to the West Coast because can you imagine watching the Pens at 9:30am every other week?  But moving on, this game is essentially the battle for 4^th place.  Beat the Flyers, and it’s a big 4 point swing that won’t clinch 4^th, but makes it pretty easy to finish off.  Lose it, and every game is a battle the rest of the way.  The Flyers play Saturday vs. Ottawa, so the Pens need to come out extremely hard.  Bryzgalov is not expected to start against the Pens, which is a huge bonus.  Tonight may have been like a playoff game, but Sunday will demonstrate whether the Pens are playoff ready or not.

Pens Record: 48-24-6, 102 pts, 2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East

Next Game:  4/1 vs Phi, 12:30pm

Pens Outgun the Jets, Win 8-4!

Main Storylines:

- The Pens are coming off a heartbreaking, no, enraging defeat at the hands of the Flyers with .9 seconds left in overtime.  It was the end of an 11 game win streak, though points have still been earned in 12 straight now (11-0-1, duh).

- Brad Thiessen gets the start tonight after Fleury started 3 games in 4 days.  There is still no word on what is going on with Brent Johnson, not that I’m sure anyone seems to care anymore.

- Crosby is making his return to home ice which will give a boost to the Pens crowd.  Speaking of the crowd, the Jets have chanted “Crosby’s Better” at Ovechkin and “Jordan’s Better” at Eric Staal in their past 2 games, so what will Pens fans do for the Jets?

Result:

Pens  8  Jets 4

Goals:  Kennedy (7) from Crosby, Cooke

            Neal (33) (PP) from Malkin, Crosby

            Neal (34) from Malkin

            Kennedy (8) from Crosby, Cooke

            Malkin (42) from Crosby, Martin

            Neal (35) from Malkin, Orpik

            Malkin (43) from Kunitz, Neal

            Dupuis (21) from Staal, Sullivan

We let Kennedy score?? Twice?? Why have they said Kennedy 4 times?!?

               

The Good:

- Everything offense!  The Pens earned their 12^th win in 13 games, extended their points streak (12-0-1) and simply outgunned the Jets in a shootout (like the old fashioned high scoring shootout games, not the skills competition that ends overtime games).

- Milestones:  Malkin scored his 200^th career goal.  Dupuis scored his career high 21^st goal and extended a career high 7 game points streak.  Neal had a career high 4 points in one game.  Malkin and Crosby matched their combined career high of 9 points in a game together.  The Pens won their 8^th straight game at Consol, a new record for the arena.  Brad Thiessen is now 3-0 in his first 3 starts.

- The Pens became the highest scoring team in the NHL after this game (imagine if we had a winger for Sid!) and are now 2^nd in goal differential to only Boston.

- It was fantastic seeing Tyler Kennedy finally get out of his slump.  The emotion he showed after that first goal was priceless, though not as cool as when Dustin Byfuglien mimicked ripping a monkey off of his own back last year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kaCxtmP1ec). 

TK just needed a little "release' to get his game going...

James Neal – For anyone that was worried about his 2^nd half slump or post-contract doldrums (I will be the first to admit I belong on this list), set your worries aside.  Neal picked up garbage goals and beautiful goals all the same in recording his 2^nd career hat trick and 1^st ever 4 point night.  He even registered a game high 10 shots.  My only complaint would be that he needs to shoot more on the powerplay, yes – despite having 10 shots, but that would be more constructive criticism than anything.  You can now add me to the list of people who can’t wait to see him record goal #40 soon.

Sidney Crosby – Sure, his shooting is still off, but is any other player in the world capable of looking this good without scoring?!? After turning Cooke into a repeat 2 goal scorer last week, Crosby set up Tyler Kennedy for 2 easy goals in the slot tonight.  Yes, that Tyler Kennedy – the one that misses the net by 15 feet from the slot.  Cooke and Kennedy suddenly make up a line that is putting up points like a first line with Crosby.  Crosby also added a nice assist on Malkin’s 200^th goal and yet another on a beautiful behind-the-back pass to Malkin, who easily set up an uncovered Neal for a PP goal.  His creativity and passing ability is just unbelievable after missing 40 games.

"Who are you and how did you make that pass?!?"

Evgeni Malkin – Nothing like a 5 point night to give you a HUGE lead for the Art Ross trophy, and most likely the Hart as well.  Malkin scored his 200^th career goal with his parents in attendance, much to the delight of his rapidly fist pumping dad.  He was all smiles through most of the game, at least after an inadvertent double minor he took for high sticking.  Malkin is clearly just having a ball playing with an abundance of talent on his line and with Sid back.  He truly looks like he’s having a great time just playing a game, and his play has been phenomenal because of it.

The Bad:

- Goaltending was shaky at best for both teams.  The Thrashers had to pull Pavelec and Thiessen looked a little less than reliable, though he did get the win anyways.

Pavelec wasn't the first and won't be the last to feel this way against the Pens.

Brad Thiessen – Thiessen did enough to get the win, but didn’t look sharp right off the first shot against, where he fought the puck off awkwardly rather than gloving it.  Something about the Jets clearly ends any chance of defense being played, but Thiessen’s play made it clear that he is a backup at best and can’t handle games where the defense doesn’t play well.  He was well protected in his first 2 wins, but he seemed very exposed in this one.  Let’s face it, if Fleury goes down, we’re screwed either way, but I have more faith in Brent Johnson getting hot than I do Thiessen.

Paul Martin – Talk was abound about the fact that Martin had gotten himself back to an Even +/- rating, and then he went out and reverted back to his awful play from the first half of the season.  Wait, he was +1 tonight.  Oh, there is your main argument for +/- being worthless.  Admittedly, I put a lot of stock into that stat because as a defenseman, I’ve always wanted to claim being a plus player.  Martin can do that tonight, but it is certainly not because of anything he did.  He was on the ice for 3 of the Jets goals, getting completely burned twice and not tying up a man on the crease on the 3^rd one.  It wasn’t just that he was on the ice for goals against, but they were largely his fault.  Hopefully this abysmal game was just a fluke from what has been very stellar play over the past month.

One of 5 pics I found with Martin and a Jets goal celebration tonight.

Zbynek Michalek – Maybe Michalek and Martin just spent too much time reminiscing before the game, but Michalek also had trouble staying in position and keeping up with the Jets forwards.  He did manage a +2, but he made no contribution to the offense as he looked hesitant to jump up on pucks near the blue line.  He also went down on a couple of occasions to block shots in situations where the Jets were ready for it and moved around him.  Again, hopefully just a fluke after a very stellar month of play.

Craig Adams – After giving it all in the game against Philly, Adams looked a little off tonight.  His physical game never really got started against a quick set of Winnipeg forwards and they made him pay for it a couple of times as he was a -2 and was on for a powerplay goal against.  It’s very rare to see Adams have a game where he is this off, so I’m not worried about it at all. 

The Ugly:

- The defense for both teams was simply atrocious, bordering on non-existent.  These games are fun to watch, especially when the Pens have so much offensive talent, but that better be a blip on the radar that disappears.

Thoughts:

- The powerplay has pretty much taken on a Jekyl and Hyde type personality.  The first powerplay was awful with way too much passing and no one looking to the net.  The second powerplay was simply gorgeous, registering tons of shots and a goal.  I believe the key to the powerplay is going to be that everyone needs to stay within their roles.  Crosby is pass first, Malkin can pass or shoot, those 2 can be trusted to do their jobs.  Kunitz has to stay in front, and Neal has to shoot every chance he gets.  That 5^th spot, Sullivan or Letang, needs to distribute the puck enough to keep the other guys going, but also take enough shots to keep defenders honest.  It sounds simple, and seems obvious, but the worst powerplays are when one of those guys ditches their role.

It would probably help if Crosby opened his eyes too.

- I miss Joe Vitale.  His energy and effort are a huge spark plug on the 4^th line and Asham-Adams-Tangradi simply don’t have the speed that he has to be an immediate game changer.  The loss of Vitale isn’t a huge deal to a team this talented, but he is more valuable than people realize – mostly when it comes to energy and faceoffs.

- Brent Johnson has been skating before team practices, but there is no timetable for him, and really no information on what is keeping him out.  I would love to see him get healthy enough for a start or 2 before the playoffs, but who knows what we will see.  I have not forgotten how poorly he has played this season, but I would prefer his veteran presence and experience over Thiessen’s play.

Will BJ save this?  Probably not.  But he'll punch you out for questioning him.

- Crosby has 19 assists and is a +14 in 12 games this season.  Just wow.

He has this whole team in disbelief right now.

Pens Record: 45-21-6, 96 pts, 2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East

Next Game:  3/22 vs Nas, 7pm