Recap: Games 76-79

photo courtesy of @pghpenguins

Games: vs. FLA (W 2-1 SO), vs. PHI (L 5-2), @ TB (L 2-1), @ FLA (W 4-2)

Notable Highlights:

-4 of 8 possible points. Nothing that impressive in the wins. Team hit the 100 point mark for the 7th time in Franchise history. If the Penguins win their 3 remaining games, they are the #4 seed. If not, Tampa Bay has to win all of their remaining 4 games to have a chance to pass the Penguins in the standings. There are 3 games left in the season! Expect my next update to be pretty light and mainly stats and any big news since I will be in Nashville for 2 of the last 3. I will be seeing the Preds and Blue Jackets there though, so rest assured I'll be thinking hockey even when I'm away from the Pens.

-Good to see RW Alexei Kovalev get a goal on a 2-on-1 against Philly (16). He has been struggling in a lot of facets of the game to put it politely. He's here to score. When he's not doing that, he really isn't helping the team. On the Lovejoy goal against Florida (game 1), he had an assist. In the Tampa game, there was an assist and then he had a lousy penalty under 5 minutes left in a 2-1 game. That penalty was pretty much a disgrace. A vet should know better.

-Sid was able to fly with the team to Miami for the 2nd Florida game. He will be skating with the team at times, working on dry land sometimes, and at other times only skating by himself. "Symptom free" continues to be a good thing. He will not return during the regular season, if at all this season. You can view the Ray Shero press conference on the matter here.

-C Mark Letestu returned to the lineup against Philly. He had an assist and 14:12 TOI.

-That crazy D Zbynek Michalek must have been playin' 'possum all year. He scored his 4th goal of the season against Florida (game 2). It was the GWG.

Ghastly Lowlights:

-As excited as I was in the last segment with the Philly win, I was even more disappointed with the loss to them in this one. 2 points behind the Flyers. Game in your building. Win and your are tied and anything can happen, including winning the conference. 13 shots after 2 periods. 5-2 letdown. This is why I think the Flyers are the team to beat in the East.

-The 1st Florida game wasn't exactly a treat to watch either. Very slow pace of play. It was like the guys were playing down to the Panthers' level. Zzzzzzzzz.

-FSN (now Root) provided the fact that the Pens have not won this season when trailing after 2 periods. Remember early in the season when I bemoaned the loss of identity and goal scoring? I do. The team of the past 3 season always seemed capable of a comeback. It all can't be blamed on missing Sid and Malkin either, that's excuse making at its finest. There are still plenty of guys on the team. The problem is too much grit, not enough goal scoring. Remember folks, hits aren't goals.

-On LW Ville Leino's 2nd goal (Philly), both D's Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek were on the red line or behind it. It was poor positioning and Leino took advantage by getting open for the pass from the end wall area.

-A lot was made about Tampa's 1-3-1 system. This means that they send 1 player in on the forecheck and as the attack comes back to center, 3 players stretch across the ice to make gaining the zone tough. The other player remains back near the defensive zone. To beat this style of play, it takes short, precise passes, hustle, and patience. In the past, the Penguins typically have shown that they want to "play their game" which can work but it can also flop against this style of trap. Those Penguins teams were a lot more skilled than this one though, so maybe all the grit can come in handy in the 1st round of the playoffs.

-Typically, I organize my thoughts for this nonsense in a little notebook and back track through it all and jump around until I feel that I've completed something worth reading. I've done that this point, yet I"m still writing! Why!? Because of my guest blogger's column about Marc-Andre Fleury and the MVP (Hart Trophy). I didn't really want to talk awards, but I want to be clear that I do not view Fleury's performance this season to be MVP-worthy. Balderdash you say? If I had a vote, it would go to Boston G Tim Thomas. He has a .939 save percentage and a 1.98 goals against average and 33 wins. Fleury's save percentage is .918 and goal against average is 2.32, with 34 wins. Boston leads the league in 5-on-5 Goals For/Against Ratio, so yes they do score more goals. It is very rare that a goalie even gets mentioned in the Hart discussion, so I think you need to be out of this world in all categories to get to the final 3. Thomas has done that.

photo courtesy of bvintagegoaliemaskdiscussionpage.runboard

If I was filling out a final 3 for the Hart, it would be Thomas, Anaheim's Corey Perry, and Vancouver's Daniel Sedin. Spucoli Stamkos fell off my list because he has hit a real slump down the stretch. Perry passed him for the "Rocket" Richard Trophy (most goals). Special mention does go out to Chicago's Jonathan Toews. A few weeks back I literally scoffed out loud at the idea, but then I did the research at the nudging of a friend with a Chicago bias. When I'm wrong, I"m wrong...I could see Toews being worthy of being a finalist based on my criteria. I still don't think he should win, but the argument was that he deserved to be a candidate.

Also, according to FSN's Bob Errey, D Kris Letang has 0 goals in his past 20 games. Remember when there was talk of him as a Norris Trophy (best defenseman) candidate? Seems like a lifetime ago. Where has Tang been!? Norris Trophy caliber guys are made up of more than racking up points because Sidney Crosby is on the ice.

Forward Recaps:

-Craig Adams was sporting a new haircut (shown at the top) for no real reason prior to the 2nd Florida game. He cashed in with an empty netter at the end for his 4th of the season. It will be interesting to see if the team goes with a mohawk theme for the playoffs instead of beards (not likely, but possible). Can't say that I think Sid or MAF would look very good that way, but that's the fun of team unity.

-Tyler Kennedy scored his 19th against the Flyers and his 20th against the Florida. Congrats to him for hitting the 20 goal mark for the 1st time in his career! He also has a career high in points.

-Mike Rupp scored his 7th goal of the season against Tampa Bay. Pascal Dupuis got his 14th against Florida (game 2). Give all the credit on the Dupuis goal to Chris Conner. He did some real work down low to set it up.

-James Neal had a very encouraging shift against the Lightning where he showed a burst of the power forward we all hope he will be. He went right at D Victor Hedman and Eric Brewer 1-on-2, tried to cut between them and nearly pulled it off.

Defenseman Recaps:

-Ben Lovejoy scored a beautiful goal against the Panters in the 1st game of this segment for his 3rd of the season. He put the puck up high over G Tomas Vokoun's shoulder. Coach Bylsma even joked that it must have been an "out of body experience" because he didn't think Ben could make that shot. Keep your eye on Benny in the playoffs though. While he's playing with exceptionally high confidence now, the NHL Playoffs can take that away real quick. It's a different game, and this will be his first time in a 7 game series.

-Proving that I'm not right all the time (shocking huh?), Matt Niskanen was the 6th defenseman instead of Deryk Engelland for each game of this stretch. I'm not in favor of the move. At the very least, I think the guys should alternate time. One thing in Coach Bylsma's defense on the decision, is that he may feel Nisky needs time to get comfortable and sitting out won't accomplish that.

Goalie Recaps:

-Marc-Andre Fleury was exceptional against the Panthers (game 1), stopping 37 pucks and all shootout attempts. He looked very bad against Philly, with 19 saves and 5 goals against. he was so-so against Tampa with 22 saves, but was outshined by 'Ning G Dwayne Roloson's 36 saves and let in a cruddy goal to Marty St. Louis.

-Brent Johnson played against Florida (game 2), getting the win and stopped 28 shots.

-Brad Thiessen was returned to Wilkes-Barre Scranton. He did not see game action during his time up.

Opponents:

-Florida

-Bizarre moment for the Panthers in the 1st game of this set. G Tomas Vokoun was forced to leave prior to the OT due to injury. G Scott Clemmensen had to come in for the OT and shootout. Tough situation for him to be put in to. He did the best he could with it.

-Clemmensen made 30 saves in the loss of game 2.

-Philadelphia

-D Kimmo Timonen was caught pinching the wall in the neutral zone a bit too hard twice in this game, leading to both Penguins goals. He'll likely take the blame for both of them, but on the Kovalev goal, RW Jeff Carter went to the bench when it appeared the puck was going to go deeper. Since it didn't and shifted back to the Flyers end, it left them in a bad spot.

-Carter scored his 35th goal of the season.

-RW Claude Giroux scored his 25th of the season with a real nice shot from the slot. As of that moment, he lead the Flyers with 71 points. He also has 5 goals against the Pens this season.

-LW Ville Leino scored 2 goals (18, 19).

-Tampa Bay

-I didn't fully hear the stat provided by FSN's (now Root's) Paul Steigerwald, so if this is wrong I apologize. Nearly certain he said that Steven Stamkos (aka Spucoli) had 4 goals in his past 24 games. That will take you out of the Hart Trophy discussion real quick.

-LW and Upper St. Clair's own Ryan Malone returned from injury. He missed 21 games. It is of note that he wears #6 this season, having given the #12 to new teammate LW Simon Gagne.

-RW Martin St. Louis scored his 30th goal of the season.

-The win clinched a playoff birth for the 'Ning. While I may have missed on a few teams in or out of the playoffs, I'm pretty proud that I had them making it in my Eastern Conference previews. Go ahead. Look it up. I'll wait here.

Recap: Games 72-75

screencap courtesy of thehockeywriters.com

Games: vs. NYR (L 5-2), @ DET (W 5-4 SO), @PHI (W 2-1 SO), vs. NJ (W 1-0 SO)

Notable Highlights:

-6 of 8 possible points. The team is 2 points behind Philly for the division and conference lead, but at this moment have played 2 more games. If a division/conference crown is still within reach, it will take some help. If not, the Penguins seem relatively settled in the #4 spot. Currently Tampa Bay holds the #5 spot, trailing the Pens by 7 points. They have played 1 less game. A first round matchup against the 'Ning would be very exciting if it comes to be.

-I've felt for a few months that Philly will be the team to beat in the east. Seeing the Pens shut them down was very encouraging. One game does not a 7 game series make, but it's good to see the guys get in to that "do what it takes" mindset that is necessary against tough teams in April and (hopefully) May/June.

-Sid contines to work out and by all accounts the pace and intensity of these sessions have been increasing. "Symptom free" continues to be the best news any Pens fan can hope for. Not to turn in to a complete nerd (as if blogging isn't bad enough), but the video of him snapping a wicked backhander to the top of the net in practice 3/25 definitely got an audible response out of me.

-RW Arron Asham returned to the lineup against Philly, logging 9:15 TOI. He was also on the ice for 7:41 against the Devils. In the Devils game, C Mike Comrie also returned to the lineup for the first time since his hip surgery. He logged 8:07 TOI.

-Tyler Kennedy scored his 18th goal of the season against the Flyers. According to Bob Grove of the Pens Postgame Show (105.9 The X), he leads the team with 10 goals in the 27 games that Sid and Malkin have missed.

Ghastly Lowlights:

-You can probably chalk it up to the rivalry, but giving up a 4-0 lead to the Red Wings really stuck in my craw (whatever that is). I wouldn't care if the Pens were playing without sticks once they got up that much, you can't quit on good hockey teams at this time of year and expect to win. They got it in the shootout, but it's of little consolation to me. That type of crap just doesn't fly in my eyes.

-I don't know if anyone ever thinks about it aside from hardcore hockey fans and the GMs, but I think the shootout has run its course. 3 of the 4 games in this stretch were decided in the shootout. Personally, I don't get much enjoyment out of them anymore. I would much prefer going to a 3-on-3 porition of overtime until someone scored. With that much space on the ice, I find it hard to believe there'd be many marathon games during the regular season.That space would also lead to more creative plays and more excitement than the shootout can muster up at this point as well.

-C Mark Letestu continues to be out of the lineup and C Dustin Jeffery joined him on the shelf. He was the victim of an awkward fall in to his leg against the Flyers. It looks very similar to the play that ended Malkin's season, but no word has come from the Penguins on the extent of Jeffery's injury.

-Isn't it great to watch the brand of hockey the Devils play? 0-0 after 65 minutes of hockey, a lot of standing around in the neutral zone, minimal offensive chances. I have said it before and will say it until the day I die, hockey is meant to be fast paced and back and forth. NO MORE TRAP!

-It didn't take long after the Pacioretty hit for the focus to shift right back to headshots. Thank none other than Pens villain Matt Cooke for it. His early 3rd period elbow of Ranger defenseman Ryan McDonagh was uncalled for, wreckless, detrimental to the team, and deserving of every bit of the suspension he received. The NHL handed down a suspension that puts Cooke out for the rest of the regular season AND the first round of the playoffs, regardless of length.

Pens GM Ray Shero was in full support of the suspension. He added, "The suspension is warranted because that's exactly the kind of hit we're trying to get out of the game. Head shots have no place in hockey. We've told Matt in no uncertain terms that this kind of action on the ice is unacceptable and cannot happen. Head shots must be dealt with severely, and the Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL in sending this very strong message."

Cooke's timing for this stupidity couldn't have been any worse on a few fronts. Injuries to Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffery again have the team scrambling to shuffle guys in and out of the lineup to fill forward spots. From a legislative standpoint, the GM meetings concluded in Florida with the intent to crack down harder on illegal hits, yet stopping short of creating a new rule specifically for such instances. This time the NHL got it right, but let's not pat them on the back too hard. This is the NHL equivalent of a multiple time violent offender getting out on parole and gravely and intentionally injuring someone in front of a police officer. Let's see what the NHL does with players that don't have Cooke's cringe worthy name recognition. Yes, Matt Cooke is a dirty player. You can't dispute that. But what happens the next time a star like Dany Heatley throws a blatant elbow as he did 3/15? That's where the NHL can really take control of the situation. As I've said time and time again, I won't hold my breath for them to do the right thing...but I sure am hoping they will.

Forward Recaps:

-James Neal had the shootout winner against the Red Wings and Devils. He continues to battle hard and had a great pass to set up a Jordan Staal goal against the Rangers. Both Ranger Dmen went to hard to the wall and Neal made them pay by setting Jordo up at the blue line.

-Chris Kunitz had what seemed like a huge shorthanded goal in the 3rd period against New York. At the time, it gave the Pens a 2-1 lead. The goal was his 21st of the season.

-Pascal Dupuis scored 2 goals against the Red Wings (12, 13). One of them was shorthanded.

Defenseman Recaps:

-Orpik will return to the lineup 3/27 against Florida. I expect Matt Niskanen to be the odd man out/scratch.

-The reason I think Niskanen will sit is a combination of his overall stale play combined with the increasing confidence and potential that Ben Lovejoy is showing. Benny has become very comfortable with the puck and his decisions and is minimizing his d zone mishaps. As with any young defenseman, there will be lapses, but with the other dmen on this team the Penguins can afford to let Lovejoy find his place. There are plenty of vets to support him and hopefully bail him out when times are tough.

Goalie Recaps:

-Marc-Andre Fleury looked awful against the Rangers. He played very well against the Flyers with 19 saves, and the Devils lacked punch, yet Fleury managed to get the shutout by stopping 21 shots against the Devils. In one of the stranger stats you'll ever see, MAF has recorded a shutout the past 4 times he has played on March 25th.

-Brent Johnson got the start against the Red Wings. All in all, he didn't play terrible in stopping 37 of 41 shots. I blame the entire team for the collapse in this one. BJ has been scratched the past 2 games with what has been called an "upper body" injury.

-Brad Thiessen was called up from Wilkes-Barre Scranton to serve as the backup to MAF for the past 2 games. I'm hopeful that he will get the start against Florida on 3/27. Thiessen has earned it with his AHL play this season, posting a record of 32-7-1. Consider his play down there even more impressive then the record would indicate. Remember, there have been many times where the best players from WBS have had to spend time on the NHL roster, which means the Baby Pens weren't always at their fullest in terms of the lineup. He is wearing #39.

Opponents:

-New York Rangers

-Chief punk Sean Avery was a healthy scratch for the 3rd time in the Rangers' last 4 games.

-G Henrik Lundqvist made 38 saves in the win.

-RW Ryan Callahan scored his 23rd goal of the season and added 2 assists.

-Detroit

-LW Henrik Zetterberg scored his 21st goal.

-G Jimmy Howard was replaced by Joey MacDonald after the 4th goal against.

-C Mike Modano scored his 3rd goal of the season. Modano has recovered from an injury earlier this season. He is the all time leading US-born goal and point scorer in NHL history. He is also Married to entertainer Willa Ford.

-Philadelphia

-Uber-leader Mike Richards scored his 21st goal of the season.

-Rookie G Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 of the 31 shots the Guins sent his way. He looked sharp. Flyers fans will hope for this to continue in to the playoffs as it seems that the only thing holding them back from a return to the Finals could be the man or men between the pipes.

-New Jersey

-G Martin Brodeur stopped 26 shots in earning his shutout. Since the teams did not score in regulation or OT, no player gets credit for a shootout goal. It is instead a team goal awarded.

-It appears that the push for the playoffs will come up just a bit short for the Devils. Their horrendous start cost them, as they have played pretty very good hockey (in terms of points, not entertainment) since the coaching change.

2010-11 Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

2010-11 Prediction 4th Eastern Conference

If there is a such a thing in this world as a successful disappointment, then the Flyers' 2009-10 season would surely qualify. For much of the season, things looked bleak. A playoff spot was not secured until game 82 ended in a shootout. While the hockey world ooh'd and ahh'd over Washington and Pittsburgh, Philly quietly gritted their way to the Stanley Cup Finals. If you stopped right there, many fans would consider this a huge success. The problem is, this is Philadelphia. Expectations are high, and nothing short of bringing the Cup back to Broad Street is considered a success. This team often gets lost in the glaring spotlight that shines on the Caps and Pens in the East. Even if you don't want to admit it, Philly has a young and talented team overall. Personally, I believe the best thing to happen for this team was hiring Peter Laviolette as coach. He emphasizes playing the game tough, but makes sure this team keeps it composure. In the past, this has been the Achilles' Heel of the squad.  Philly is strong on defense, with Chris Pronger, Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn, and Kimmo Timonen leading the way. Forwards such as James Van Remsdyk and Claude Giroux are young up and comers while Daniel Carcillo and Scott Hartnell stir the pot. Add Nikolai Zherdev (back from Russia's KHL), sprinkle in Mike Richards wearing the "C" with some Jeff Carter and you have a strong core up front. Dont' forget that Daniel Briere answered his critics by leading last season's playoffs in points. One area where Philly comes up short on paper is between the pipes. Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton do not exactly strike fear in shooter's hearts, so look for them to attempt to upgrade at some point. Now that this young team knows what it is capable of, they will work hard to join the conversation with Washington and Pittsburgh as the elite of the Eastern Conference.

Player to Watch: F Nikolai Zherdev