Penguins That Fly

Clarification of absence

2009-12-31T18:27:00.001-05:00

I've obviously been away from the blog for some time now. I'm still following the team closely and writing plenty, but school has really taken over. I'm not sure that I'll be able to get back to doing this soon or not, but I will keep the door open.

Midseason Hiatus

2009-10-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a bit of a break right now from the blog, as you might be able to tell. It's a pretty busy time with school and all, and I'm just not within the time constraints necessary to write much at the moment.

Things will probably pick up a little while later.

Penguins handle Bolts with ease

2009-10-17T23:20:00.002-04:00

That was a pretty sound all around effort. The powerplay only had one goal, but the unit generated shots all night and was not a complete black mark. Jay McKee had a big night of blocking shots, and Marc-Andre Fleury moved to 7-0 on the year, giving up just one goal in a 4-1 win for the Pens.

McKee put on an exhibition of shot blocking. He had seven blocks tonight, adding to his league lead, and they always seemed to come at a pivotal time. He's been fearless in these first eight games, and has absolutely looked better than Hal Gill did with this team.
Sidney Crosby bounced back after a few distinctly sub-par games in a row. He picked up two assists, one of which came on a beautiful play behind the net where he fed Mike Rupp in front for a coffin sealing tally.
Speaking of Rupp, he played a nice game. Lots of in-your-face, physical work on the boards.
Alex Goligoski is playing the best hockey of his brief career. He's a threat to make something happen everytime he is on the ice. He had a beautiful coverup using nothing but his speed when Sergei Gonchar was caught out of position in the second period.

I know, there's really not a lot negative to say right now. The Pens are 7-1. St. Louis on Wednesday.

Malone, Lightning visit Mellon Arena

2009-10-17T14:58:00.002-04:00

The Penguins tonight play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning and former their former Pittsburgh power forward, Ryan Malone. Malone, who has six goals on the season, lines up with Steve Stamkos and Marty St. Louis on one of the most balanced, well-constructed lines in the NHL.

Marc-Andre Fleury will be in goal for the Penguins. Fleury is 6-0 on the season, having been in net for two home wins early on against the Rangers and Islanders and then each game on the Penguins' recent 4-0 road swing that took them all over the continent.

Antero Nittymaki, familiar with the Penguins from his time in Philadelphia, will get the nod from Rick Tocchet in the nets for Tampa Bay. Nittymaki has historically been roasted by the Pens, particularly captain Sidney Crosby, who has been held pointless in his last two games and could use a stat-padding evening.

This is still a potential trap game with the Penguins returning home from a long road trip, sitting pretty at 6-1, and facing a Lightning squad that got shell shocked a few days ago by the Ottawa Senators, 7-1.

Penguins-

Chris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Bill Guerin
Ruslan Fedotenko-Evgeni Malkin-Pascal Dupuis
Matt Cooke-Jordan Staal-Tyler Kennedy
Mike Rupp-Craig Adams-Eric Godard

Brooks Orpik-Sergei Gonchar
Mark Eaton-Kris Letang
Alex Goligoski-Jay McKee

Marc-Andre Fleury

Lightning-

Ryan Malone-Steven Stamkos-Martin St. Louis
Alex Tanguay- Vincent Lecavalier-Steve Downie
James Wright-Jeff Halpern-Drew Miller
Todd Fedoruk-Zenon Konopka-Stephane Veilleux

Matthias Ohlund-Victor Hedman
Andrej Meszaros-Kurtis Foster
Paul Ranger-Matt Walker

Antero Nittymaki

Go Pens.

Goaltenders' duel ends in shootout win for Penguins

2009-10-14T21:40:00.002-04:00

The Pens were fairly dominant through the first 40 minutes of play tonight. The Hurricanes took it to them in the third period and tied it up on two goals from Ray Whitney. There were several instances in that frame at which things looked pretty bleak for the black and gold. Eric Staal almost buried the winning goal a few times, and the Penguins' powerplay had an absolutely miserable evening, but the team continues to find ways to win. Chris Kunitz finally got off the schneid with the shootout capper. It wasn't even remotely pretty at times, but a 4-0 road trip is absolutely beautfiul.

Some particulars...

Crosby was held off the scoresheet in regulation again, but he played a fine game. He would have had an assist on a great setup to Kunitz that should have been buried by Guerin to ice the game, but Cam Ward stoned him on a pretty lazy shot. Undeterred, Crosby tallied a wicked backhander in the shootout to tie it up
Other than the tying goal by Ray Whitney, Fleury was outstanding. He made some big saves on Matt Cullen and Eric Staal, and he gave up one goal on six shootout attempts.
Kunitz's game was his best of the year, the shootout goal notwithstanding.
Something has to be done to fix the Penguins' powerplay. There is no logical reason for a unit with two of the top three players in the game plus its best powerplay quarterback to be as abysmal as the Pens' group is.

The Penguins are six and one heading home for a Saturday night tilt with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Penguins sit at five and one after win in Kanata

2009-10-12T22:28:00.002-04:00

I missed my first game in some time tonight, actually in its entirety. I can't offer any commentary on the game, other than what the stats show and what I've heard. Crosby and Malkin could use to be their dominating selves, even though the team hasn't exactly suffered from their lack of excellence in the first five games, outside of Saturday's contest. Tyler Kennedy has developed into a hell of a hockey player. He is the ultimate third liner in every way.

The Pens are one game out of perfection six games into the year. That's just fine with me.

(Photo: Yahoo!)

Penguins rout Leafs in Toronto

2009-10-10T23:10:00.003-04:00

That was about as dominating an effort as the Pens have put out since the lockout. The score was only 5-2, but shots were 33-20, and the Penguins burned the Leafs for three powerplay goals. Sidney Crosby had another great night in the faceoff circle, going for 68 percent. Jay McKee blocked seven shots, some of which came on a penalty killing unit that went three for three.

Some particulars...

Malkin and Crosby played like two superstars playing a glorified AHL team should play. They were the best players on the ice, and the Leafs really had no answer for them all night.
Matt Cooke, where did that shot come from?
Jordan Staal is primed for an absolutely monster year. Last year, it took him an eternity to finally start scoring, but once he did, goals came in droves. He's started earlier this year, and if he can just maintain some consistency, 60 points is not out of the question. He has become a force at both ends of the ice.
Max Talbot looked and sounded good on the FSN broadcast. He'll be a welcome addition whenenver he can make it back, even if the team is hardly struggling without him.
The entire fourth line fought tonight. Eric Godard, Craig Adams and Mike Rupp all dropped the gloves. The team responded to a good bit of Toronto goonery.
The Pens are four and one out of the gate. It hasn't always been pretty, but tonight was by far their best effort of the campaign to date.

Next up come the new-look Ottawa Senators in Kanata, Ontario on Monday night at 7:30.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Penguins venture north of the border to take on Leafs

2009-10-10T12:52:00.003-04:00

This one is a Hockey Night in Canada match with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs aren't a particularly good team, at least so far, but they've got a pretty deep blueline. In a few months, when newly acquired Phil Kessel arrives on the scene after mending an injury, their offense should pick up a bit, but they're anemic up front at the moment.

With injuries, the Leafs will be without Kessel, speedy forward Viktor Stalberg, Wayne Primeau and Mike Van Ryn. The Penguins are fully healthy with the exception of forward Max Talbot, out for at least another month and a half.

Marc-Andre Fleury handle the nets for Pittsburgh against Vesa Toskala for the Leafs.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Dupuis
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Rupp-Adams-Godard

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Goligoski-McKee

Fleury

Maple Leafs-

Ponikarovsky-Grabovsky-Kulemin
Blake-Stajan-Mayers
Hagman-Mitchell-Stempniak
Rosehill-Wallin-Orr

Beauchemin-Kaberle
Komisarek-White
Schenn-Finger

Toskala

Go Pens.

Bush-league antics not enough for Flyers as Pens take two points

2009-10-08T22:08:00.003-04:00

First of all, that was a big-time win. The Flyers are a very good team, and the Penguins outplayed them pretty easily and got a huge road win. The postgame garbage from the Flyers is generally to be expected, but if Scott Hartnell actually bit Kris Letang, it's one of the more disgusting things I've ever seen on a hockey rink, and I've seen a lot of them.

Jordan Staal was an animal. We might have something here with him on Evgeni Malkin's line. His goal reminded me of the one in Game 4 of last year's Finals.
Tyler Kennedy looked good. He had his usual energy, but his goal was particularly nice, whizzing around the Philly defense and cutting to the net for a nice redirection.
Sidney Crosby was 21 of 24 on faceoffs.
Staal, Bill Guerin, and Alex Goligoski all scored their first goals of the season. Goligoski's was more of a formality....
as Ray Emery and Braydon Coburn teamed up to score on themselves. Coburn was awful tonight, and Emery is shaky in general.
The Flyers' defense, even with Chris Pronger, is very mistake prone and unreliable.
Hartnell can expect serious retribution if he's not suspended the next time these teams meet. Nothing's certain, but if he bit Letang, he's a criminal.
"Crosby Sucks!"
Two points is two points, and it's nice to take them from anticipated competition for a divisional title like the Flyers. These are essentially four point games.

Next up come the Leafs on Saturday night on HNIC.

Pens drop a goose egg against Coyotes

2009-10-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

That was a dull game. There is really nothing good, or even terrible, that came out of it. Brent Johnson and Chris Bourque played well in their Penguins debuts, but the team didn't support Johnson's effort or produce any sustainable offense whatsoever.

Evgeni Malkin is playing terribly. He's been a virtual non-factor in the season's first three games. The same goes for Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin. These are three players that need to be effective if the Pens want to win hockey games.

Thursday night is a big time matchup in Philadelphia against the Flyers. I'd expect the Pens to come out with a bit more urgency and give the Flyers a game, though a loss would not be toally unexpected. The Flyers will want blood.

Go Pens.

Game 3- Phoenix Coyotes @ Penguins

2009-10-06T22:50:00.003-04:00

The Pens face a vastly inferior opponent at Mellon Arena on Wednesday night when the troubled Phoenix Coyotes come to town. The Coyotes won their first game against the Los Angeles Kings thanks to a productive night by Radim Vrbata, and the Penguins are 2-0 after weekend victories over the two New York squads.

Former Penguin Robert Lang, recently signed by the 'Yotes, centers their first line. Enforcer Paul Bissonnette, claimed away from Pittsburgh last week, may or may not be in the lineup, but it seems unlikely at this time.

Brent Johnson will get his first chance in goal for the Penguins, since the Coyotes aren't an immense goal scoring threat and, probably more importantly, the Penguins will be in Philadelphia for a very challenging game with the Flyers on Thursday night. Ilya Bryzgalov goes for Phoenix.

Penguins-

Kunitz- Crosby- Guerin
Fedotenko- Malkin- Dupuis
Cooke- Staal- Kennedy
Rupp- Adams- Godard

Orpik- Gonchar
Eaton- Letang
Goligoski- McKee

Johnson

Coyotes-

Boedker- Lang- Doan
Upshall- Lombardi- Mueller
Prucha- Hanzal- Vrbata
Winnik- Korpikoski- Fiddler

Sauer- Michalek
Jovanovski- Aucoin
Vandermeer- Yandle

Bryzgalov

Penguins squeak out two points on Long Island

2009-10-03T22:08:00.004-04:00

That was an odd hockey game. The defending Stanley Cup champions spent a lot of time behind against last year's league-worst New York Islanders, but they remained persistent and eventually got a few pucks behind Dwayne Roloson to secure a win and move to 2-0 on the season.

Some particulars...

John Tavares was awesome. He's been a thrill to watch in international competition with Canada, and he looked extraordinarily comfortable in his first meaningful NHL game. His goal was a perfect demonstration of his very tangible nose for the puck, and what a wicked backhander it was that he shelved over Marc-Andre Fleury. He and Kyle Okposo are going to be a scary tandem for the next decade or so.
Tyler Kennedy continued to play up-tempo, energetic hockey. Everything he touches turns into gold right now, whether it be a scoring chance or just an easy clear of his defensive zone. He has flat-out speed, and he can skate circles around defensemen.
Sidney Crosby is back to 2007-08 form. He's shooting the puck when opportunities present themselves, and he's burying the puck.
Bill Guerin needs to motivate himself and get going. He took a dumb penalty that nearly cost his team the game tonight, and though it's only been two games, he could not have been more of a non-factor in either of them.
Fleury kept his team in the game during a piss-poor second period.
Eric Godard and, to a lesser extent, Pascal Dupuis are both totally useless with the puck on their sticks. Dupuis is a crasher and a banger who can kill penalties fine, but if you want to waste a world-class talent like Geno Malkin, then Dupuis is the winger for you. Godard does not need to be in the lineup every night, and a player like Chris Bourque could do the Pens some good.
There's nothing wrong with team toughness, but Jay McKee and Malkin cost the Pens a goal with their little acts after Brendan Witt's beauty of a hit on Ruslan Fedotenko. There is a fine line between being a good teammate and being a dolt, and McKee crossed it.

The Pens are sitting at 2-0 with the highest winning percentage in the history of sports.
Next up are the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday at the Igloo.

Pens-Rangers thoughts; Pens-Islanders Preview

2009-10-03T10:53:00.003-04:00

The Penguins put in a workmanlike effort at home last night to beat the New York Rangers, 3-2.

Tyler Kennedy has developed into a really handy player. He was all over the ice, and everything he touched seemed to transform into a scoring opportunity.
Evgeni Malkin nor Sidney Crosby had great games, but they both made some offensive plays solely on talent and positioning to put the puck in the net.
Marc-Andre Fleury's save on Vinny Prospal in the second period was one of his top five of all-time.
Alex Goligoski looked supremely confident on the point.
The Penguins need to start burying golden chances off of odd-man rushes. They blew several last night, and probably should have had at least five goals.

Now, to look ahead to the Islanders tonight at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.

This game, more importantly than anything, marks the NHL debut of teenaged wunderkind John Tavares. The OHL star was drafted first overall this past June, and has been dubbed "The Next, Next One" and the savior of the troubled Islanders franchise.

Marc-Andre Fleury will be in goal for the Penguins, likely against Dwayne Roloson for the Isles.

Penguins-

14 Chris Kunitz- 87 Sidney Crosby- 13 Bill Guerin
26 Ruslan Fedotenko- 71 Evgeni Malkin- 9 Pascal Dupuis
24 Matt Cooke- 11 Jordan Staal- 48 Tyler Kennedy
17 Michael Rupp- 27 Craig Adams- 28 Eric Godard

44 Brooks Orpik- 55 Sergei Gonchar
7 Mark Eaton- 58 Kris Letang
3 Alex Goligoski- 74 Jay McKee

29 Marc-Andre Fleury

Islanders-

16 John Sim- 12 Josh Bailey- 21 Kyle Okposo
13 Jeff Tambellini- 91 John Tavares- 57 Blake Comeau
26 Matt Moulson- 10 Richard Park- 20 Sean Bergenheim
40 Joel Rechlicz- 45 Nate Thompson- 28 Tim Jackman

2 Mark Streit- 8 Bruno Gervais
32 Brendan Witt- 24 Radek Martinek
44 Freddy Meyer- 25 Andy Sutton

30 Dwayne Roloson

Game 1- New York Rangers @ Penguins

2009-10-01T20:07:00.003-04:00

Everything begins anew for the Penguins at 7:38 on Friday night when the puck drops on the new season at Mellon Arena. The New York Rangers, complete with a projected 10 new faces from last season, will be in town and take a go at putting a damper on the evening's banner-raising spectacle and subsequent hockey game.

Half the fun of this one comes in the pregame. The Penguins will have their normal home opener shtick for a little while, which will be accompanied by the raising of last season's Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup championship banners, with the possibility of a designation for another Pittsburgh Art Ross winner, Evgeni Malkin.

As for the game itself, the Rangers should provide a handful for the Pens. Although they've hardly ever won in the Igloo over the last few years, there's been a lot of roster turnover under GM Glen Sather, so it's tough to say how this group of Blueshirts will respond to opening up and what has really been a house of horrors for them.

Free agent signing Marian Gaborik, at least for now, is healthy, and provides a real scoring threat. Rookies center Artem Anisimov and defenseman Mike Del Zotto are two young Rangers who could be pretty entertaining to watch, though hopefully not in this game.

Sidney Crosby is anticipated to be back at close to 100% from a preseason groin ailment. Newly claimed waiver wire pickup Chris Bourque may or may not be in the lineup, but I'd guess the latter since the Rangers will be dressing enforcer Donald Brashear, a trendy counterpart for Pens tough guy Eric Godard over time.

Penguins-

14 Chris Kunitz- 87 Sidney Crosby- 13 Bill Guerin
26 Ruslan Fedotenko- 71 Evgeni Malkin- 9 Pascal Dupuis
24 Matt Cooke- 11 Jordan Staal- 48 Tyler Kennedy
28 Eric Godard- 27 Craig Adams- 17 Michael Rupp

44 Brooks Orpik- 55 Sergei Gonchar
7 Mark Eaton- 58 Kris Letang
3 Alex Goligoski- 74 Jay McKee

29 Marc-Andre Fleury

Rangers-

10 Marian Gaborik- 17 Brandon Dubinsky- 20 Vinny Prospal
21 Chris Higgins- 23 Chris Drury- 24 Ryan Callahan
81 Enver Lisin- 42 Artem Anisimov- 12 Ales Kotalik
87 Donald Brashear- 22 Brian Boyle- 34 Aaron Voros

18 Marc Staal- 6 Wade Redden
33 Michal Rozsival- 97 Matt Gilroy
4 Michael Del Zotto- 5 Dan Girardi

30 Henrik Lundqvist

Penguins claim Bourque off waivers from Capitals; "Biz Nasty" grabbed by Phoenix

2009-09-30T15:39:00.004-04:00

The Penguins today claimed winger Chris Bourque off of waivers from the Washington Capitals. Borque, the son of all-millennium defenseman Raymond Bourque, is an offensively minded forward with very good potential for a waiver claim. He's never quite put it all together or been able to stick to an NHL roster, so he makes for an interesting reclamation project of sorts.

Also, enforcer Paul Bissonnette, a longtime mainstay in the Penguins' farm system, was claimed by the ~~Hamilton Tigers~~ Phoenix Coyotes. Bissonnette will have a significantly easier go at making an NHL roster there, so it's not a terrible thing for his careeer.

Bourque will start the year in Pittsburgh.

Penguins officially set roster

2009-09-29T21:30:00.005-04:00

The Penguins have officially set their roster for opening night on Friday against the New York Rangers. Newly signed Martin Skoula is on it as the seventh defenseman, which means that Deryk Engelland and Nate Guenin are in Wilkes Barre after clearing waivers. Joining them there are Ryan Bayda, Chris Conner and Paul Bissonnette. Ben Lovejoy and Max Talbot start the year on injured reserve.

Here's the lineup for Friday night, assuming center Sidney Crosby returns from a preseason groin ailment:

14 Chris Kunitz- 87 Sidney Crosby- 13 Bill Guerin
26 Ruslan Fedotenko- 71 Evgeni Malkin- 48 Tyler Kennedy
09 Pascal Dupuis- 11 Jordan Staal- 24 Matt Cooke
17 Michael Rupp- 27 Craig Adams- 28 Eric Godard

44 Brooks Orpik- 55 Sergei Gonchar
07 Mark Eaton- 58 Kris Letang
03 Goligoski- 74 McKee

29 Marc-Andre Fleury
01 Brent Johnson

Skoula is the seventh defenseman and the only extra that Pens will carry off the bat.

Skoula signs; several Pens placed on waivers?

2009-09-29T16:49:00.002-04:00

The Penguins today signed defenseman Martin Skoula, a defensive but balanced blueliner who will start the year as the team's seventh defenseman. He signed a one-year deal, and seems to have automatically leapfrogged Deryk Engelland and Nate Guenin in competition for the final defensive roster spot.

Skoula may be the Penguins' only extra player to start the regular season on Friday. For salary cap-related reasons, reports are coming out from Jon Bombulie that forwards Chris Conner, Ryan Bayda, Paul Bissonnette, defensemen Engelland and Guenin have all been cut from the NHL roster and exposed to waivers. If these players clear, they will all report to Wilkes Barre and the AHL.

This is not confirmed yet, but it is interesting.

Bayda inks one year deal with Pens

2009-09-28T21:20:00.002-04:00

The Penguins today signed grinder Ryan Bayda to a one year, two-way contract. Bayda was in training camp on a tryout basis, and he earned a deal through a nice preseason showing and camp effort. This signing puts Bayda on even terms with Chris Conner and Paul Bissonnette in the soon-to-be-decided race for the final forward roster spot, assuming there is one more spot to be had up front.

Bayda has spent the last few years with the Carolina Hurricanes organization.

Several longshots remain in competiton for final two roster spots

2009-09-26T13:57:00.002-04:00

The Penguins are expected to keep two more players on their final roster that will start the season in six days at Mellon Arena against the New York Rangers. Preliminarily, those players will fill the roles of a seventh defenseman and twelfth/thirteenth forward, which means they'll spend several games in the press box this season.

Defensemen Nate Guenin and Deryk Engelland and forwards Chris Conner, Ryan Bayda, and Paul Bissonnette are the final five players competing for NHL jobs, with two of them likely to make the team.

The Pittsburgh proudct Guenin seems to have the inside track on the seventh defensive spot, thanks to a strong preseason and the fact that he doesn't have much to gain from more time in the AHL, where he's played for the last several years.

Conner and Bayda are the two most likely candidates for the last forward spot. If the Penguins elect to take a more offensive angle, Conner will make the team and probably play on the third line with Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke, as Tyler Kennedy moves up to Evgeni Malkin's line. If the team opts for a more defensively oriented, tougher approach, Bayda, or potentially the pugilistic Bissonnette, will make the roster.

A lot will be determined tomorrow evening in Detroit when the Pens return to the Motor City for their final preseason game.

Changes at PTF

2009-09-21T22:22:00.003-04:00

For the upcoming season, game previews will remain relatively unchanged, but recaps will take a slightly different formation. I'll be posting up thoughts and observations on the happenings between the glass, rather than just a conventional recap, which would be completely unoriginal and available on any number of websites.

Due to a recent stroke of good luck that has resulted in my family winning Penguins season tickets in a raffle (best five dollars we've ever spent), there will be a slight delay from time to time in the posting of the recaps, since I might not be home from the games yet.

Go Pens.

Sorry for short-changing you in the preseason. The half-assing will stop on October 2nd.

Preseason Game 2- Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs

2009-09-18T17:39:00.002-04:00

Not a whole lot to talk about for this game. We'll get a look at Konstantin Pushkarev, Nick Johnson, and Luca Caputi. Awesome. Billy Thomas is in the lineup for the Leafs.

Penguins-

Caputi-Malkin-Kennedy
Cooke-Smith-Guerin
Pushkarev-Adams-N.Johnson
Bissonnette-Rupp-Wallace

Orpik-Lovejoy
Goligoski-Guenin
Lee-Letang

Fleury
B.Johnson

Leafs-

Stalberg-Stajan-Slaney
Blake-Allison-Tlusty
Foster-Brent-Thomas
Mayers-Mitchell-Boyce

Exelby-White
Finger-Mikus
Gunnarson-Rogers

MacDonald
Reimer

Go Pens.

Crosby's line takes over in OT win to start preseason

2009-09-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

Preseason recaps will be generally short, and this is no exception.

Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz each had two goals, and Chris Conner added another as the Penguins won 5-4 at Mellon Arena tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kunitz's goals were the final two of the game, tying it up and ending it an overtime. In a comedy of errors, Columbus netminder Dan LaCosta gave up a whopping five goals in roughly one period of play.

Eric Tangradi, making his NHL debut, played very physically and chipped in assists on both of Crosby's goals.

Box.

Preseason Game 1- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Penguins

2009-09-14T22:35:00.003-04:00

The Penguins open up preseason play on Tuesday night when they play host to the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets, who made the playoffs for the first time in their existence last season. The game was moved up to accommodate the upcoming G-20 Summit in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Jackets are bringing along a young team full of prospects trying to make the roster. Former Penguin Mathieu Garon will make the trip, and will probably share time with Dan LaCosta in goal. Columbus' first round pick, John Moore, will make his NHL debut.

For the Pens, their top two prospects, Eric Tangradi and Simon Despres, will be in the lineup, and playing in prominent roles on the top forward line and defensive pairings.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Tangradi
Dupuis-Staal-Fedotenko
Conner-Jeffrey-Bayda
Sill-Vitale-Godard

Despres-Gonchar
Eaton-Engelland
McKee-Bortuzzo

Fleury
Thiessen

Blue Jackets-

Filatov-Brassard-Mayorov
Umberger-Vermette-Voracek
Picard-Murray-Dorsett
Sestito-Blunden-Boll

Russell-Methot
Lynch-Roy
Moore-Clitsome

Garon
LaCosta

Go Pens.

Three preseason games set for television on NHL Network

2009-09-12T15:19:00.003-04:00

The Penguins will have three televised preseason games on the American NHL Network in September. The dates are the 21st, 22nd, and 31st against Toronto, Montreal, and Detroit.

Of slightly more note, players are trickling into Pittsburgh for the start of training camp. Summer break for the blog is officially over, and the bloggers will get back into the swing of things just as the players will.

Top 15 Penguins Prospects Rankings

2009-08-17T09:58:00.011-04:00

I've seen quite a few lists ranking the Pens' prospects lately, and I disagree with a lot of them. So, since I find myself to have a decent grasp on the realm of minor hockey, here is Penguins That Fly's list of the top 15 Pittsburgh Penguins prospects going into the 2009-2010 season.

Note that Alex Goligoski is not included in the list. That is by design, is he is more of a player than a prospect at this point. There is little left unknown about him, so he's off the list.

Listed next to the player's name is his position, team he played for last season, league he played in, and how he was acquired by the Penguins. I feel that my analysis after 15 would be too based on personal opinion.

1. Eric Tangradi - F - Belleville Bulls, OHL- trade w/ Anaheim
Tangradi is a slam dunk for this spot. He lit up the OHL last year as captain of the Belleville Bulls, so it was a bit of a surprise that Ray Shero was able to get him out of Anaheim along with Chris Kunitz in the Ryan Whitney trade. Tangradi is a big kid, around 6'3'', and he's a prototypical power forward. Player Comparision: Ryan Malone.

2. Simon Despres - D - St. John Sea Dogs, QMJHL- 2009 1st round draft pick
Despres has an impressive pedigree, and some of us were absolutely thrilled when he fell to the Penguins at the 30th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. I had him going 17th overall to the St. Louis Blues, and very few mock drafts had him as low as he went. He stands 6'4'' and is every bit of 200 pounds. He's very mobile for a defenseman his size, and his puck moving game
progressed tremendously last season, with his assist total doubling. He is, above all else, a defensive defenseman. Player Comparison: Jonathan Ericsson.

3. Alex Grant - D - Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL- 2007 4th round draft pick
Grant was actually a teammate of Despres' for a year and a half while both played in St. John, but Grant was dealt around the QMJHL trade deadline to Shawinigan, where he played deep into the playoffs. Grant has an offensive side to him that makes him dangerous. He skates very well and has a strong burst. He can join the offensive rush, but he's not a defensive liability by any means. Player Comparison: Brad Stuart.

4. Keven Veilleux - F - Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL- 2007 2nd round pick
Veilleux's natural skill level is higher than any other prospect in the system, including Tangradi. When he's on, he has proven that he can tear apart QMJHL defenses. The major red flags with Veilleux are his consistency and work ethic. He often elects not to use his teammates, which gets him into trouble. He's 6'4'', fast, and capable of playing all three forward positions. If he pans out, which is a gigantic if, he'll be a great asset to the Penguins. Player Comparison- Olli Jokinen.

5. Brian Strait - D - Boston University, NCAA- 2006 3rd round pick
After winning a national championship with the Terriers last season, Strait made the decision to leave BU and turn pro. Strait is another very pure defensive blueliner who will not give you much in the opposition's end of the ice. Strait plays an incredibly simple style of hockey and rarely makes mistakes. He has proven he can play in a shutdown role, both with BU and the US U18NDT. Player Comparison- Rob Scuderi.

6. Luca Caputi - F - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - 2007 4th round pick
Like Tangradi, Caputi was a big star in the OHL with the Mississauga Ice Dogs. Also like Tangradi, he's big, mean, and good around the net. Where the two players differ however, is in Caputi's crumby skating. He has limited burst and a choppy stride. He's too slow, and that will probably limit him to a third line role in the NHL. He's a good bet to make the NHL at some point, albeit not in as prominent a spot as most Pens fans think he should be in. Player Comparison: Fernando Pisani.

7. Dustin Jeffrey - F - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - 2007 6th round pick
Jeffrey got a brief tryout with the big club last year when the Penguins were riddled with injuries, and he was a bright spot on a team that was playing pretty terribly. He is an excellent faceoff man, which the Penguins lack now that Mike Zigomanis is gone. With Mike Rupp, Pascal Dupuis, Eric Godard and Craig Adams already in the NHL, Jeffrey will probably spend another season in Wilkes Barre. He's very likely to make the team in 2010. Player Comparison: Blair Betts.

7. Ben Lovejoy - D - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - signed as undrafted free agent
Lovejoy is a pure defensive defenseman. In the NHL, he is good for ten points per season, most of which will be assists. However, when he plays within his limits, Lovejoy is a very serviceable bottom pairing defenseman. He won't make many mistakes, and you'll barely notice him, which isn't a bad thing. Player Comparison: Ossi Vaananen.

8. Ben Hanowski - F - Little Falls High School, Minnesota - 2009 3rd round pick
Hanowski put up absurd numbers in high school, all most averaging four points per game. There's no guarantee that high school studs, even in Minnesota, will carry their success with them to the pro game, but Hanowski has definite potential. He can shoot, pass, and even play physically. His skating could stand to improve, though. Again, he's no guarantee, but he's someone to keep an eye on. Player Comparison: Thomas Vanek.

9. Casey Pierro-Zabotel - F - Vancouver Giants, WHL - 2007 3rd round pick
CPZ has become a bit overrated because of his absurd numbers in the WHL last year playing alongside top draft pick Evander Kane, now of the Atlanta Thrashers. He played as an overager, regularly going up against kids three years younger than him. At that level, age makes a big difference. Like Hanowski, he has potential. His area of specialty is around the crease, where he uses his frame and hand-eye to make things happen. He isn't a can't-miss prospect, though, and it's not wise to expect him to pan out into a top six forward. Player Comparison: Tomas Holmstrom.

10. Nick Johnson - F - Wilkes Barre Penguins, AHL - 2004 3rd round pick
Johnson is unspectacular, but he has some deceptive speed and talent that could turn him into a decent third line player who can pinch in on a second line in the NHL. He's no sure thing, but Johnson gives a hardy effort every night and won't be pushed around. He could be a potential dark horse to make the team out of camp, a la Paul Bissonnette in 2008. Player Comparison: Tyler Kennedy.

11. Phillip Samuelsson - D - Chicago Steel, USHL - 2009 2nd round pick
He was overshadowed in his junior career by fellow Steel blueliner John Moore, but Samuelsson is a quality defensive defenseman. He doesn't have the same edge and tenacity that his father, Ulf, did, but he's steady and reliable. He projects to be completely inept offensively, but his shortcomings can be hidden if he does his job in his own end. Player Comparison: Adam Pardy.

12. Nathan Moon - F - Kingston Frontenacs, OHL- 2008 4th round pick
Moon is a wild card because his future could be anywhere from a top six winger to fourth line center to complete bust. He has played all three forward positions. He has a history of attitude issues, but Kingston coach Doug Gilmour is said to have straightened him out in that regard. He's an agitator, but has a decent set of hands on him and can put the puck in the net. Player Comparison: Ryan Callahan.

13. Joe Vitale - F - Northeastern, NCAA - 2005 7th round pick
Vitale's ceiling, should he get there, will be as a fourth line center who is productive on faceoffs. He plays his game with an edge, though, and can be a useful player when deployed correctly. He's never done much offensively at any level, so he shouldn't be expected to do so in the NHL if he makes it there. Player Comparison: Boyd Gordon.

14. Brad Thiessen - G - Northeastern, NCAA - undrafted free agent
Thiessen was a Hobey Baker finalist last year as a teammate of Vitale's at Northeastern last year. After the season, Thiessen, who was somehow never drafted, joined the Penguins as a taxi squad goaltender for the playoff run. He'll challenge John Curry for the starting job in Wilkes Barre this season, and then presumably, the same two players will be in competition to backup Marc-Andre Fleury in 2010. He's a very energetic, athletic netminder. Player Comparison: Joey MacDonald.

15. Nick Petersen - F - Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL, 2009 4th round pick
Petersen exploded for 90 points last year in the "Q," good for a 60 percent increase on his point total from two years ago. He plays an up-tempo game and, obviously, has a nose for the net. He's a good passer, but only a fair skater. His ceiling is pretty unclear at this point, but he's a person of interest. Player Comparison: Dan Cleary.