As Pittsburgh Penguin fans we’ve have grown accustomed to being spoiled with star players. We’ve gone from Mario Lemieux, and Jaromir Jagr; fast forward to now with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby and Malkin are arguably the two best players in the world, and both of them happen to be wearing that Penguin logo on the front of their sweater. Until last year neither of them had played a full season with an elite winger on their side. And if you think about it, Malkin wouldn’t have ... Read More
Consol ‘No Energy’ Center
A topic that keeps going around Pittsburgh is the lack of energy coming from the home crowds at Consol Energy Center. The Penguins young facility that seats more than 18,000 and rarely ever sounds like there is that many people there. What might have been more pathetic than the Penguins actual performance last night was the sad attempts of the crowd trying to get a “Let’s Go Pens” chant. Granted they were not playing well but the home team has to be able to feed off its home crowd in some ... Read More
Yinzer of the Week: Tomas Vokoun
Tomas Vokoun was perfect for the Pens this week. With Marc-Andre Fleury struggling late in the game Tuesday night, the Pens put Vokoun in to close out the game. While he only defended seven shots, he saved all seven of them. The Isles were already up comfortable but the late game performance was good enough to get Vokoun the start Thursday night. While in the goal against the Rangers, Vokoun posted another perfect performance. He fought off the Rangers all night, defending and saving all 28 ... Read More
Penguins on Familiar Path
Come on, Pens fans. The panic button is right over here, and you know you’re about to push it. Stanley Cup favorites? Cripes, their best home game so far was an intrasquad scrimmage. The consensus among the talk-radio-show-calling crowd is that Fleury should be traded, Malkin is a bum, and Bylsma will be gone by the end of February. But let’s all take a deep breath and look at the big picture – not this season, but this second golden era, which is starting to feel very familiar. Think ... Read More
Lack of secondary scoring an early concern for Penguins
Going into this season, the Penguins were the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. This was the case because of such a high-flying offense that has the two best players in the world headlining the group. You know that you are going to get production out of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin which is almost as certain as knowing you are going to have to do your taxes. But in order for the team as a whole to achieve what they want to do; there are going to have to be more than just those two ... Read More
A well-balanced goaltending duo
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a firm foundation to build upon with their two fierce and fearless goalies, Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun. Having a compressed season now in tow, the undeniably quick pace leaves little room for error in the net. Luckily, the Pens acquired Vokoun, a 36-year-old goaltender, last year from the Washington Capitals. The intention was to have a solid backup goalie behind embedded No. 29 to perform at the highest level with a steady hand and mental determination ... Read More
Penguins’ James Neal must adjust to new role on power play
The Pittsburgh Penguins power play is always a story and a topic for criticism among Penguins fans, but that power play has a new look only two days into training camp. Coming off a season in which the power play lived up to expectations, finishing among the top five in the NHL, Penguins' head coach Dan Bylsma has switched things up by moving James Neal to the left point alongside Kris Letang. Neal and Letang manned the points on the first unit with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Chris ... Read More
Previewing the Atlantic Division
With the announcement of a tentative agreement between the NHL and the NHLPA, hockey fans will finally get to see their team back on the ice in a little more than a week. For the Penguins, the new season is a chance to erase the bitter, eight month memory of being humiliated in the first round of the playoffs by the hated Philadelphia Flyers. That being said, the Penguins still put together a very successful season in 2011-12. Evgeni Malkin won league MVP and led the league in scoring. James ... Read More
Sidney Crosby: A professional on and off the ice
A professional is not only defined by what he does on the ice, but what he does off the ice as well. Sidney Crosby continues to show his diligence as a true professional. With the help of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Penguins Foundation, Reebok and Dick’s Sporting Goods, Crosby is holding his fifth season of Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program. One thousand kids from all over the Pittsburgh area, between the ages of 4-8 years old, get to learn how the game of hockey is played. But that’s ... Read More
Lockout Hinders Best NHL Season in Years
The 2012-2013 season was supposed to start tonight. Instead, the league is in a labor dispute with the Player's Association which has led to a lockout, and subsequent work stoppage. As a result, the first two weeks of the season, totaling 82 games, has been cancelled. What a shame. After rebuilding a league that was pushed to the brink of extinction in 2006, the owners and players simply cannot find a common ground to get a deal in place and start the season on time. The fans will always come ... Read More