Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Quietly Solidifying Their Organization

June 14, 2011

While most teams this off season have been talking to free agents and making headlines, one of the more media popular teams has slipped from the spotlight. The Pittsburgh Penguins have done a considerable amount of work this offseason, however I bet only a few of you know how much they have done. First off, they have managed to sign some of their future stars. Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson, and Ryan Craig have all been resigned. This is a small thing to some, but to the pens this is huge. They signed forward Nick Johnson, who I have described as a Parise like player, to a one year extension. He will most likely be seeing plenty of time on the right wing with either Staal or Malkin, at ...

Penguins Free Agents. What I believe should, could, and might actually happen.

May 10, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

2 Comments

With a season shortened by injury and playoff upset, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to the offseason with discontent. While there are a lot of expectations for this club, there are also a lot of free agents. The problem is that all of the penguins free agents are at the forward spot and some of these guys are Pittsburgh heroes, but in the cap era sometimes even heroes must move on. The cap is expected to rise to almost $62 million, but I will be a little more conservative and place the cap amount around $60.5 million. First off, these are the players currently under contract for next season. Forwards - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Matt C...

Without So Much as a Whimper

April 28, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

2 Comments

It was less than two years ago that a young team, led by two superstars and a few savvy vets, had beat the winningest franchise of the past two decades. That team was the Pittsburgh Penguins and the team they beat was obviously the Detroit Red Wings. Since that Stanley Cup winning year, the Penguins have had two 100+ point seasons, but no success. Last year, the Penguins struggled to beat the Ottawa Senators before falling to the giant killer Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the playoffs. This season, the Penguins would lose in the first round, without a whimper, without so much as a bang. They lost their final game by a score of 1-0, after having a 3-1 advantage in the seri...

Pens vs Bolts; Game one was no fluke.

April 14, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

0 Comments

In a series where many believed the Penguins must keep up with the Lightning offensively, the pens decided to continue with their MO and play a tight checking defense. When the Lightning took the ice last night they had a clear advantage at forward. With three superstars on their roster and Pittsburgh missing its two superstars, the Lightning had all the offense Pittsburgh had lacked. Even at that, most people knew it was going to be a tight series and game one was just that. Early in the first the Lightning came out screaming. They torched Marc-Andre Fleury with shot after shot having an 8 to 1 shot advantage at one point in the first. Pittsburgh came in strong, but with a lack of sh...

First round of the unexpected!

April 10, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

1 Comment

In round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be playing the Tampa Bay Lightning. I would first like to congratulate the Tampa Bay Lighting on making the playoffs and having such a successful season. It is a great accomplishment for them to have made the playoffs and have joined us for our finaly of the regular season. Good luck to Tampa and have alot of fun, now on to the breakdown… Goaltending – The Goaltenders in this battle are assumed to be Marc-Andre Fleury and Dwayne Roloson. While both have been to a Stanley Cup, only one has won the honor. But if Roloson was healthy he might have also won the honor. The biggest question lies within the athleticis...

Battle in the Atlantic...

April 6, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

4 Comments

The final game at home for the Penguins proved to be another strong showing. With one of the loudest crowds of the season, the Penguins took home ice for the last time in this inaugural regular season. The devils, once the biggest thorn in the penguin’s side, had been eliminated from the playoffs and yet still came to play. The game was fast and physical, perfect for the final match up of these Atlantic Division rivals. The first period saw a strong start by New Jersey, but a few undisciplined penalties lead to a gorgeous Jordan Staal goal in which he took a cross ice pass, made a power move, and flipped the puck over Hedberg. It would be the only goal of the period. The assi...

Game Day in Pittsburgh

April 5, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

0 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been in contention for the Eastern Conference championship all season long. After the losses of Crosby and Malkin, some thought that would change, but it didn’t. The Penguins are just three points back of Philly and Washington with all having three games left in the season. While it is unlikely they overtake either one, they need to reassure the confidence heading into the playoffs. As well as keeping the fourth overall spot in the east from the Tampa Bay Lightning. With three games left the Penguins will play the Devils (tonight), the Islanders, and the Thrashers. Tonight’s game with the Devils is a big one. A few different strategies are needed for to...

Atlantic Division back to back; Recap of one and Preview of the next.

March 25, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

2 Comments

In the Keystone State there is no rivalry other than that of Pens vs. Flyers. Last night was another chapter in what has become one of the NHL’s best rivalries to watch. Last night's game was big for the Penguins as they try to greater the gap on the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the Flyers side of things, Philly is looking to gain more ground on the Capitals. In what was sure to be a tough fought game, Pittsburgh once again came ready to play. The first period saw the flyers storm out of the gate creating multiple chances. The Flyers were pressing hard for the first five minutes. The Penguins then started to tilt the ice. Their fast checking game was starting to get to the Flyers until ...

The NHL must take action on Cooke; it's not Mario's job

March 21, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

13 Comments

There might be a lot of people out there who are quite upset from Matt Cooke’s most recent hit. They have every right to be since this is Matt’s third or fourth suspension in a Penguins Jersey. In a game against the New York Rangers, Cooke threw up an elbow into the face of young defensemen Ryan McDonagh. While the hit will garner a suspension, it should be anywhere from 5-10 games, but Cooke might be in more trouble after that hit. Many people have jumped on top of Pens co-owner Mario Lemieux for not speaking up right after the event. It is called being a hypocrite, some would say, and when someone calls you a hypocrite it typically means that they themselves are also hypocrites. ...

The Playoffs May Come and Go All Too Quickly in Pittsburgh

March 14, 2011

Chuck Gaston Jr

3 Comments

Given the situation in Pittsburgh, it is a testament of will that has kept the Penguins afloat for the past few months. With the losses of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin the Pittsburgh Penguins have suffered a loss of one goal per game. The statistics show that through the first half of the season the Penguins had a goals per game upwards of 3.07 and now the penguins have a measly 2.05 goals per game(since the injury of Crosby and Malkin). This loss of offensive firepower has the penguins in constant back checking mode, forcing the team to play a tougher brand of defense and a basic “Opportunistic” style of offense. Given their situation, Ray Shero has made some moves to improv...