SB Nation - Sergei Gonchar

Snapping the trap: Pens outwork Habs and win 3-2

Hooks Orpik — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:07:55 -0000

More photos » by Graham Hughes - AP

about 3 hours ago: Pittsburgh Penguins' Sergei Gonchar, center, celebrates after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens with teammates Sidney Crosby, right, and Pascal Dupuis during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Montreal, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

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Penguins vs Canadiens coverage - Habs Eyes On The Prize

The Montreal Canadiens seemed content to let the Penguins fire shots off from all angles. The Pens put a barrage of 41 shots on Carey Price, whereas the Habs only got 21 pieces of rubber on Marc-Andre Fleury. Puck possession was another story. Pittsburgh cycled circles in the Montreal zone, a relentless attack that generated a lot of pressure. This can be partially illustrated in the total shots launched. The Penguins attempted 80 shots on goal (39 either got blocked or missed the target), compared to Montreal's total of just 46. When you have the puck in the zone, you work it and you try to shoot. That the Pens did this at almost a 2-1 rate shows the dominance.

Scoring was opened in the first period when, off of a cycling effort (told ya it was key), Bill Guerin flipped a beautiful cross-ice pass to Sergei Gonchar, who was pinching down as Penguin defensemen did all night long. Gonchar drilled it by a helpless Price.

Matt D'Agostini would get the equalizer in the second when he snapped a shot by Fleury. Less than three minutes later, the Habs would take an unlikely 2-1 lead when Roman Hamrlik unleashed a monster shot from afar on a screened Fleury. The goal was scored on a power-play, which is something that the Penguins apparently don't remember that you're allowed to score on those.

Before the period was over the Pens would tie it up, Matt Cooke deflected a Gonchar shot in to tie things up. Then, we see that when you go to the well enough, good things happen. Brooks Orpik threw an awesome stretch pass all the way up the ice for Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis ripped one of his patented slappers, and while Price got 38 of 41, he couldn't get that one.

Montreal would get another goal, if not for another quick whistle that negated a goal. Again, similiar to a situation last week against Colorado, an out of position referee thought Fleury had the puck and blew the whistle. This time it wasn't such a quick whistle, as the puck was tied up (though certaintly not covered) for a little bit which gave the ref reason to blow it dead.

Sergei Gonchar had himself a night: one goal, one assist, six shots hurled at net on a team high of 25:26 of ice-time. A well deserved first star of the night.
Power-play woes continue to dog the Pens. 0 for 5 tonight in another fruitless effort. Sometimes getting things set up is the problem, sometimes not. Sometimes inactivity seems to hurt, sometimes not. Often though, they're just not executing, as perplexing as it seems for a unit that boasts as much talent as they have.
Brooks Orpik had a great night too; not enough can be said about the stretch pass he made to Dupuis on the game winner. He also ended up being a +3 on the night, which is a pretty good sign in a 3-2 game.
The Habs tried to clog up the neutral zone the best they could, often times with only one half-hearted forechecker and four guys holding their real estate. It didn't seem to bother the Penguins, who had no problems dumping, chasing and doing some dirty work down low. It shows in the numbers when you see Tyler Kennedy (5 shots, 1 hit), Ruslan Fedotenko (4 shots, 1 hit), Matt Cooke (1 goal, 2 shots, 3 hits), Craig Adams (2 shots, 4 hits). The pluggers plugged away.
Carey Price was almost the story of the game. He didn't have many idle moments when the Pens weren't pressing him. But his shaky glove hand betrayed him at the end.

So that's the game and another win on the road. The Habs and their fans were smarting over the quick whistle negating a goal, but the fact of the matter is they got out-worked and out-chanced all night and didn't really deserve to win the game.

Up next may be the ultimate trap game. Consider: The Pens embark on a home-and-home against their rivals the Flyers next week, but first they'll be playing in their blue jerseys against a feisty opponent that relishes playing against them in the Florida Panthers. Hopefully they bring the same effort they showed tonight in Montreal, they'll need it.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 Olympics Preview

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:00:21 -0000

All across SB Nation, the team-blogs are contributing to a preview of players on their teams and the chances they face to make their respective countries Olympic team in Vancouver in the upcoming games.

Behind the jump let's take a look at the Penguins who won't be having a nice two week vacation in February.

Pack your bags

Sidney Crosby (CANADA) - Canada, who suffered a disappointing 7th place finish in 2006, is eager to add a former scoring champion, NHL MVP and the youngest captain to ever claim the Stanley Cup to the club. Despite the snub in '06, Crosby's got international experience; he was the youngest player to ever score a goal in the World Junior Championships (WJCs) in 2004 and led Canada to a gold medal in that tournament in 2005. Crosby also ran with the Olympic torch through his home province of Nova Scotia. He's the lock of locks to be Canada's #1 center with two strong, sniping power forwards in Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla having the inside track to be the wingers.

Evgeni Malkin (RUSSIA) - The reigning Art Ross and Conn Smythe winner is a surefire Olympian for the formidable Russian team. Malkin's also a decorated international player: winning two silver medals in the WJC's in 2005 and 2006, and he's played in the World Championships (when not in the NHL playoffs) in 2005 and 2007. Further, Malkin scored six points in seven games for Russia in the 2006 Olympics in Turin (the season before he came to the NHL). During the summer he practiced at Russia's orientation camp on a line with Ilya Kovalchuk, which is frightening to think about what those two could put on display.

Sergei Gonchar (RUSSIA) - Gonchar is the Pens #1 defenseman, he can do it all: lead a power-play, rush the puck, make smart passes, get the puck on the net, and also eat up 25-27 minutes a night and play smart, positional hockey in any situation. It's easy to figure that Russia will use him in a similiar role. Sarge is a highly decorated international competitor; he's appeared in the last three Olympics -- winning a silver medal in 1998 and a bronze in 2002. All that's missing is the gold.

Nearly a lock

Marc-Andre Fleury (CANADA) - The only thing preventing Fleury from the Olympics is the sheer depth of players at his position from Canada. But Steve Mason and Cam Ward (the other leading contenders from summer camp) fell on their faces this season, so Fleury has to be a top contender to make roster. Team Canada figures to lean on New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo for all the playing time, even if Fleury's resume over the past year cannot be touched in terms of winning hockey games.

Fleury's international experience is mainly remembered by a huge gaffe in the gold medal game of the 2004 WJC . He tried to clear the puck and it hit a teammate and ended up in his own net, which proved to be the game-losing goal for Canada. However, Fleury was named tournament MVP of the WJC's in 2003, and save that one mistake in '04, has generally been solid in his international experience.

In a battle

Bill Guerin (USA) - At age 39, Guerin's a tested warrior. He's kept up pretty well with no less than Sidney Crosby all year, so Team USA could do well to add him and not have to worry about his gameplay (6 goals, 11 assists in 28 games his season). What doesn't bode well for Guerin is he wasn't invited to the summer camp and may not be on the radar as much as some younger wingers who're having solid years. Guys like Jason Blake, Jason Pominville, Jamie Langenbrunner could be fighting for a spot or two. Also fellow old war-horse Mike Modano (3 goals, 5 assists in 14 games) is still in the picture and could be the graybeard that USA chooses instead.

In all likelihood the Yanks will tab someone younger, but Guerin ought to be in the conversation for an American team that could use his leadership and experience. That calming presence in what will be a mainly young American locker-room could be a big benefit alone, as the Penguins can attest to from last spring.

Brooks Orpik (USA) - Team USA seems really wide-open in terms of personnel. Aside from Brian Rafalski and Ryan Suter, one could argue the rest of the defense is on the bubble. Some of the names in the mix with the most consideration: Paul Martin (who Brian Burke has spoken highly of), Mike Komisarek, Ryan Whitney, Erik Johnson, Tim Gleason, Tom Gilbert, Jack Johnson, Ron Hainsey and Rob Scuderi.

Orpik's case could be the closest call of any Penguin. He plays top unit minutes for Pittsburgh and often matches up at even strength against the opponent's top line. Though Orpik's not much of a goal-scoring threat, he's on pace for a career high 26 assists -- something that accurately reflects his ability to move the puck effectively in the offensive zone. He skates well for a guy that's 6'2, 225 lbs and is always among the league leaders in hits and blocked shots. With 400 career NHL games, he has significant experience against the top players that he'd have to face.

Penguins GM Ray Shero is a part of the USA brain-trust, and the truculent endorser himself, Brian Burke, is calling the shots -- two guys who have to like Orpik's style. But do they favor Orpik more than maybe Komisarek and the a Johnson? That's what it may come down to.

Jordan Staal (CANADA) - A somewhat surprising invite to Canada's summer camp, Staal could be a role player to make it. Some reports say he's competing with a host about five or six players for two roster spots. These are likely going to be checkers/grinders/all-around forwards like Mike Richards, Shane Doan, Patrick Sharp, Ryan Smyth, Brenden Morrow and Dan Cleary. Probably a tall order to knock some of those guys out, but Staal does have sublime size and skill and the added flexibility that he can play center or the wing. Given who Canada could trot out center (Crosby, Getzlaf, Lecavalier, Thornton, E. Staal, Toews, Carter/Richards) it may be that Jordan goes as a winger, if he somehow squeezes in.

Work to Do

Martin Skoula (CZECH REPUBLIC) - Skoula represented the CR in the 2002 Olympics, but wasn't picked in 2006. He's been a solid fill-in for Pittsburgh and the Czech's don't have that deep of talent on defense once you get past Tomas Kaberle. Perhaps Skoula could be in the running as a long shot, but it looks like he might slide under the radar.

Moving Up

Alex Goligoski (USA) - See the Orpik note for the big mix of defenders vying for Team USA. Goligoski was among the leaders in defenders in points and plus/minus before he suffered a groin injury in November. Despite his recent excellent play, Goligoski has less than 70 NHL games under his belt currently and is probably just too much of a late riser for 2010. There's no doubt Goligoski's star is rising, but he's just out of time to crack the Olympics this go around.

Those are all the Penguins with realistic chances or expectations of Olympic considertion. In the most common scenario I see four Pittsburgh players going (Crosby/Fleury to Canada and Malkin/Gonchar for Russia). Orpik probably has a fighting chance, Staal maybe on his luckiest day and Guerin if there's injuries. For everyone else it's probably vacation time. And in case you were curious about the under-the-radar countries: Ukraine failed to qualify for the 2010 Olympics, leaving Ruslan Fedotenko a man without a team.

November grades and Player of the Month

Hooks Orpik — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Alex Goligoski (getting mobbed here by teammates) was the overwhelming choice of Pensburgh voters to be named Pensburgh player of the month for October...Who will take the honor for November? Vote below!

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To see the report card from October, click here. You voted Alex Goligoski the player of the month, garning 50% of the vote to easily out-pace the other finalists of Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Tyler Kennedy and Jay McKee.

While the training staff and doctors probably deserve MVP status for all their hard work, let's look at the players performances for the month of November.

Overall the Penguins were 8-6-0 on the month, but it was a month of stretches. They lost five of seven games from Nov. 5th to the 19th. Then they won five of seven from Nov 20th to month's end.

Goalies	Grade	Comments
Marc-Andre Fleury	C+	(7-5-0, .891 save percentage on the month) A rocky month for Fleury, who got pulled twice. Considering the makeshift defense in front of him, it was about holding on and winning games; which he did reasonably well by month's end. The bar is set high, so allowing three or more goals 6 out of 12 outings is not ideal.
Brent Johnson	B-	(1-1-0, .887 save %) Again Johnson's save % almost exactly matches the starter, and Johnny has done well to stay sharp, despite not getting into many games.

Defensemen
Mark Eaton	B+	(2 goals, 1 assist, -1, 6 penalty minutes) Who would have thought Mark Eaton would be the Penguins' defensive ironman? Eaton picked up a lot of slack in terms of ice-time, being the lone defensive constant.
Alex Goligoski	I	(1g, 3a, -1, 0 PIM in seven games) Battled illness and then eventually missed seven games. Continues to play well when he's been in the lineup, but gets an I for Incomplete since he missed half the games and is back on the shelf.
Sergei Gonchar	B	(1g, 4a, -3, 4 PIMs in seven games) Points in four straight games, fair to say he's rounding back into game shape. Now it's time to get those PP numbers up. We'll give him a grade, since he's been back for a while.
Kris Letang	I	(1g, 3a, +2, 0 PIM in five games) Barely played due to a shoulder injury, but played very well when he was in. His puck moving ability was sorely missed. We'll give Letang an Incomplete, since he missed so much of the month.
Jay McKee	B	(1g, 2a, -2, 21 PIM in eight games) Before the shot blocking master somehow got a finger infection, the highlight of his month may have been getting 19 PIMs in San Jose, or maybe that awesome deke against Boston resulting in a goal.
Brooks Orpik	B+	(0g, 6a, even, 2 PIM in ten games) Since his return from injury the Penguins have won four of five games and Orpik had his most proflific scoring month ever in the NHL even missing time.
Martin Skoula	B+	(3g, 3a, -1, 0 PIM) Skoula proved himself to be a viable NHL defensemen still with his fill in duty. The two goals he chipped in against Atlanta (Nov 20th) were critical in a 3-2 win.
Deryk Engelland	B+	(0g, 2a, -2, 17 PIMs) Engelland was protected (he only played 16:08 a night) but he was good and physical when he was out there. Plus three fights helped keep some sandpaper around.
Nate Guenin	B-	(0g, 0a, -2, 0 PIM) The Pittsburgh product appeared briefly in two games (13:32 per night). He didn't make any glaring mistakes, but wasn't put in many situations in where he could.
Ben Lovejoy	A-	(0g, 3a, +5, 2 PIM in eight games) Lovejoy got the most responsibility of the callups, in terms of minutes and PK time and also faired the best. He had a great plus/minus and generally didn't look out of place in the NHL.

Forwards
Craig Adams	C	(0g, 2a, -2, 10 PIMs) Hardly generating any offensive, and his faceoff percentage is still hovering around 45%. Adams is forechecking hard (lots of hits) and playing well positionally, but that's par for the course for him.
Chris Bourque	D	(0g, 2a, -3, 6 PIMs in 13 games) Has looked like a placeholder for the injured. And the injured are on the mend, so Bourque's time may be running short. November was a great chance for him to prove himself, and it wasn't a smashing success to say the least.
Chris Conner	D	(0g, 1a, -1, 0 PIMs in four games) Made two turnovers that resulted in goals against on Nov 12th, was shipped back to the minors on Nov. 13th.
Matt Cooke	B+	(3g, 4a, +2, 34 PIMs) The good: Cooke supplying some offense, hitting and penalty killing. The bad: Cooke crossing the line with hits on Shean Donovan and Artem Anisimov, drawing a two game suspension on the latter. Gotta take the good with the bad with Cooke.
Sidney Crosby	A-	(8g, 9a, -2, 12 PIMs) Much like the team, Crosby had a tough beginning of the month (only 1 point in first five games) but closed strong, highlighted by the eight points in two games the Rangers to end the month.
Pascal Dupuis	A-	(5g, 1a, -3, 0 PIM) Dupuis' perhaps the surprise player of the month with his offensive output. The Penguins were 4-0-0 when he scored a goal in November.
Ruslan Fedotenko	C-	(1g, 3a, -4, 0 PIM) Not much production for a guy getting top-six minutes, even worse he only recorded more than one more shot on goal in just three games. He needs to get the puck on the net more, so he can get the puck in the net.
Eric Godard	C-	(0g, 1a, even, 16 PIMs) The big guy is only playing 4:56 per game on the year, but he's really trying. He had 4 shots on goal on Nov 25th, his center drive created a goal on Nov 28th. He's lugging around out there with a purpose, even if many of us aren't sure just what it is.
BIll Guerin	B-	(3g, 5a, -2, 13 PIMs) Like Crosby, only one point in the first five games and then a better production in the final two weeks of the month. The goal with 0.4 seconds he scored against Boston on Nov 14th is the stuff of legends.
Tyler Kennedy	I	(1g, 2a, +2, 0 PIM in three games) Kennedy is having a great year and really making things happen with the puck when he's been healthy, which hopefully he is now. He earns an Incomplete this month, since he only got into a few games.
Chris Kunitz	I	(1g, 0a, -6, 4 PIMs) Thought to be nursing injury, Kunitz only played five games before leaving the lineup after Nov 12. Let's give him an Incomplete as well.
Evgeni Malkin	A	(4g, 7a, +8, 4 PIMs) It's probably no coincidence Pittsburgh's won seven of nine games since Malkin returned to the lineup on Nov 14th, and Malkin's registered at least a point in seven of those games. He didn't look himself in October, but he certainly is back to his dominant ways now that he's healthy and rested.
Mike Rupp	A-	(5g, 1a, +2, 10 PIMs) Some [noted] timely goal scoring, a physical presence and no mistakes have made Rupp a cult favorite here at Pensburgh. His hat trick on November 30th gave him a career high in goals, and he's on a 23 goal pace. Can the big guy keep it up?
Jordan Staal	B	(3g, 7a, +1, 19 PIMs) Staal found the scoresheet on 9 of 14 games this month, an important step towards his consistency in generating points.
Maxime Talbot	C	(1g, 1a, +1, 2 PIMs in seven games) Understandably, it's been a little rough for Talbot to shake off the rust and catch up to everyone else in mid-season form. He does have two points in his last three games and is getting his timing back.
Mark Letestu	C+	(0g, 0a, even, 0 PIMs in two games) Didn't look out of place in his brief first taste of NHL action, but didn't stand out either.

Again I think it's a fairly wide-open debate for player of the month: Crosby had the most points and was in all the games. He was also named the NHL's #1 star of the week last week. Malkin came back strong and is looking like he did last season when he won the scoring title. Pascal Dupuis and Mike Rupp are lighting the lamp like no one expected. Defensemen Mark Eaton and Martin Skoula literally held the fort down while the rest of the defensemen were dropping like flies. Jordan Staal shouldered more of the load, and played well.

I'll cast my vote for Crosby, but it's certainly understandable that there will be a lot of different opinions on this one. Feel free to cast your vote and share 'em!

Poll

Who should be the Pensburgh Player of the Month for November

2010 Winter Olympics Hockey: A look at the Ottawa Senators

PeterR — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:00:12 -0000

The Olympics are mere months away, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to the men's hockey tournament most of all. Although the Ottawa Senators don't have the international flavour they've had in years past, there will still be a pretty good Olympic presence for this year's team. Although plenty can still change between now and the beginning of the tournament, the following is a preview of which players may fall where on their respective Olympic teams. I've broken it down into four key categories:

Pack Your Bags

Daniel Alfredsson, Sweden: Alfredsson was an associate captain on Sweden's 2006 gold medal-winning Olympic squad, so you can be sure he'll be there again--and you can be sure he'll be a part of their leadership corps. He's got two silver and two bronze medals in World Championships, and has been on a total of twelve Swedish international teams. You'd better believe he'll be there.
Anton Volchenkov, Russia: There's no way the A-Train gets left out of Russia's Olympic roster. In fact, alongside offensive d-men like Andrei Markov (if he's back from his injury by then) and Sergei Gonchar, you can be sure Volchenkov will be a valuable shut-down defender when Russia is up against the big squads. He'll see plenty of the world's best, you can be sure.
Filip Kuba, Czech Republic: Even more so than Volchenkov, Kuba will looked to as one of the Czech Republic's top two defenders, along with Tomas Kaberle. Unlike Volchenkov, though, he will also have to offer some solid offence.
Milan Michalek, Czech Republic: Even if Michalek weren't having an awesome year, he would still likely be on the Czech squad for the Olympics. But with 13G and 8A in 24GP, it's an even easier pick for him to make it.
Jarkko Ruutu, Finland: There aren't many teams that Ruutu would make, but he could very well be instrumental to any success that the Finns have in the Olympics. He'll likely play third-line minutes, and he'll likely be up to his old tricks--but with a little more discipline added in.
Kaspars Daugavins, Latvia: There aren't many Latvians playing pro hockey in North America, and Daugavins--who's currently with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL--will probably be among the team's leaders, despite the fact that he's only 21 years old.

(Continue reading for the rest of the list... )

Nearly A Lock

Alex Kovalev, Russia: Most people would bet on Kovalev making the team, if only as a leader for the young stars. But young stars there are many, and Russia's not going to be scared to pull talent from the Kontinental Hockey League, too. Kovalev's highly likely to be on the team, but I don't know if it's an absolute lock--especially with the relatively low point total he's put up so far this season.

In A Battle

Mike Fisher, Canada: Fisher got himself on Olympic radar with a strong performance in last summer's World Championships, and his career-best numbers so far this season--10G, 11A in 21GP--is just adding to that. He's going to have to beat out some very good players to get a spot on Canada's squad, but he's done himself plenty of favours so far this season.

Headed On Down

Jason Spezza, Canada: A last-minute invite to Canada's orientation camp, Spezza was going to have to do a heck of a lot to get a sniff for Team Canada's roster at all, and his chances at centre were even worse. Although his defensive play has improved markedly, it's not going to get him on the squad, and the numbers he's put up so far have bumped him farther down the list.

Sunday links -- Matt Cooke to be suspended? Gonchar and Pens at odds? Bill Guerin's effort too low?

Hooks Orpik — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:50:44 -0000

Check out 2:35 of the youtube. "It's f-in hat night", the new "it's the f-in Catalina wine mixer"? [Three Rivers Blog]

TSN insider Bob McKenzie says that the league may review Matt Cooke's hit on Artem Anisimov last night for possible suspension or fine. [Twitter account]

Empty Netters takes a hard line on Cooke and says he deserves suspended. Given that the hit was away from the play, targeted the head and the offender's last name is Cooke, I have to agree that discipline could and probably should be on the way. [Empty Netters]

The Confluence takes a look at the fine line Cooke walks, and occasionally crosses. [Kuklas Korner]

Stats and details on the Penguins success in the first 25 game segment of the season. [Tribune Review]

The same clown from Ottawa who said the Penguins were preparing to trade Evgeni Malkin (two weeks before they re-signed him) says that the Penguins and Sergei Gonchar aren't agreeing on extension figures. [Ottawa Sun]

I'm guessing the odds you see an article on Puck Prospectus this week about Sidney Crosby hurting the Penguins is pretty low. [Puck Prospectus]

Faceoff Factor calls out Bill Guerin's effort. I don't see it, Guerin's got six points (3g, 3a) in the last eight games, including that last second buzzer beater. 39 year old players don't play like they're 19 or 29, gotta save a little in the tank for the long haul. [Faceoff Factor]

Craig Rivet and Max Talbot frienemy Dan Carcillo had quite the series of fights. [Puck Daddy]

Crosby v. Ovechkin was the fourth biggest hockey story of the decade. JP asked on his site if it'd be higher or lower next decade. I'm going to push and say it'll be about the 4th biggest story next decade too. The three bigger stories? NHL player involvement in the 2014 Olympics, the next CBA negotiations and the Penguins dynastic 11 straight Stanley Cups. [Puck Daddy]

Former Penguins prospect Angelo Esposito tore the same ACL again. Hard not to feel bad for someone who's career has seemingly peaked at age 15 or 16. [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

As a little aside, who would have guessed that Pascal Dupuis would have the more goals so far this season than everyone involved in that trade....Combined. The scoreboard (with NHL goals in parenthesis) is Pascal Dupuis (7) to everyone else (5). Marian Hossa (2) Colby Armstrong (3), Erik Christensen (0), Esposito (0) and a first round pick that was Daultan Leveille (0). Now that Hossa is back, figured I had to use that stat now.

Chicago's cap crunch might make defenseman Cam Barker the odd man out. Hear that, Mr. Shero? [Faceoff.com]

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010 Olympics Preview

Mike MacLean — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:30:34 -0000

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SBNation is doing a series of Olympic Previews, taking a look at each team and which of their players may be suiting up for their countries in Vancouver. As a baseline, we are going to give an indication of their chances of making their team by using these arguments: "Pack Your Bags", "Nearly a Lock", "Fairly Safe Bet", and "In a Battle". The Jackets have a few players who could become Olympians, here's a look at them:

Rick Nash (Canada) - Pack Your Bags
There is almost no way, outside of injury, that Nash will not be a member of Team Canada. In fact, he is penciled in by most as the man riding shotgun to Sidney Crosby. Nash has plenty of international experience in his young career, including being a member of the 2006 Olympic Team, which failed miserably. He is a more mature and complete player now, and will look to be an offensive leader for the Canucks at home in Vancouver. My favourite Nash goal at an international tournament didn't take place at the Olympics, it was at the World Championships, but here it is anyway:

Steve Mason (Canada) - In a Battle
At least he was at the beginning of the season, that is. Before the start of the regular season this year, many experts thought that when it came to Canada's goaltenders, Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were locks. The battle was for who the third goaltender was going to be. The three main contenders were Mason, Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward. With Ward's injury, that made it a two-horse race. The problem is, Mase never showed up. His play this season has been downright awful. I'm not a believer in sophomore slumps, but the proof is in the pudding here. Look for Fleury- who is coming off of a Cup win and is playing great right now-to get the third goalie nod.

Kristian Huselius (Sweden) - Fairly Safe Bet
The man we call Juice may not be on the top of the list of skilled Swedish forwards, but he is a strong candidate to be on the Swedish team. His last international exoerience was at the 2002 World Championships, where the Tre Kroner won the bronze medal. He has never played in an Olympics, but he is on the Swedish short-list for 2010.

Samuel Pahlsson (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Sammy will almost definitely be on the Swedish team in 2010. He helped the Swedes win the Gold Medal back in 2006 in Torino, playing on a line with Freddy Modin (more on him in a minute). A dedicated checking center like Pahlsson will be very important this time around, with the Olympics being in Vancouver, the games will be played on NHL-sized ice, meaning tighter checking.

Fredrik Modin (Sweden) - In a Battle
I saw that Freddy is in a battle, not necessarily with other players trying to make the team, but with his own body. After being lauded for his amazing durability, the last couple of seasons have been near write-offs for Freddy as he has been hit with injury after injury. That said, if he is healthy I can't imagine him not playing for the Swedes, even in a fourth line role. He is after all, one of the very few players who are a member of the Triple Gold Club.

Anton Stralman (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Stralman is off to a great start since joining the Jackets, putting up good point totals. He is one of the main reasons the Jackets' powerplay has gone from last in the league a year ago, to best so far this season. He has played in three straight World Championships for Team Sweden, from 2007-2009. The Swedish defensive corps are a talented group, with Anton fitting in nicely. With the injury to Kronwall, Stralman may see top line duty with Nick Lidstrom.

Jakub Voracek (Czech Republic) - Nearly a Lock
The Czechs are a team that always seems to surprise at international tournaments. Look no further than the '98 Olympics, where they took home the Gold based on the amazing play of Dominik Hasek. In 2010, the Czechs are a good team, and Voracek should be a member. He likely will play a third or fourth line role, with the top six wingers likely being Jagr, Hemsky, Prospal and Hejduk/Havlat.

Rostislav Klesla (Czech Replublic) - In a Battle
Rusty is a fringe player in terms of the Olympic team. He does have international experience, but he is in tough this time around. He has to beat out the likes of Kaberle, Kubina, Rozsival, Hamrlik, Spacek and Kuba. It's not completely impossible though, and with the smaller ice a rugged player like Rusty could shine.

Jan Hejda (Czech Republic) - In a Battle
Like Rusty, Jan is fighting for a spot. He's defense-first, which may help him because the guys he is fighting for a spot against are generally puck-moving types. He has international experience, his most recent was at the 2008 Worlds. Given the play of Jaro Spacek, one of Hejda or Klesla could make the squad.

Fedor Tyutin (Russia) - Nearly a Lock
The Russians have scary forwards, plain and simple. They are the most dynamic group in the world, hands down. That said, they don't have spectacular defense. A hybrid defenseman like Tyutin will fit in very well on the Russian squad, and he could see powerplay duty with Sergei Gonchar.

Nikita Filatov (Russia) - In a Battle
Filatov wasn't at the Russians Olympic came this past summer, but he is no doubt still very much on the radar of the National Team. With his recent return to Russia, his stock has certainly risen, but he is still in tough to make the squad, given their amazing talent and depth up front.

R.J. Umberger (United States) - In a Battle
I wanted to include Umby mainly because I believe that it is wrong that he wasn't invited to the Team USA camp. He is a much better player than a handful of guys who did get the invite, but it all has to do with his history with USA GM Brian Burke. Umby didn't sign with Vancouver, who drafted him in the first round when Burke was the GM. This led to bad blood, which has clearly carried over to the Olympics. RJ's play hasn't done much to convince Burke otherwise either.

To finish things off, being a Canadian I am excited as hell to have the Olympics here in my home country. After the disappointment of Torino, I, like every other Canadian, want to see the Gold come back to Canada. Here's my prediction of the Team Canada Olympic Roster:

Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla
Dany Heatley - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Brendan Morrow - Mike Richards - Shane Doan
Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Martin St. Louis
Steven Stamkos

HM: Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards

Chris Pronger - Scott Niedermayer
Dan Boyle - Duncan Keith
Shea Weber - Jay Bouwmeester
Drew Doughty

HM: Brent Seabrook, Mike Green, Stephane Robidas

Roberto Luongo
Martin Brodeur
Marc-Andre Fleury

HM: Marty Turco

It is Time - Suspend the Uber Star

BReynolds — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:53:44 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

15 days ago: Buffalo Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta (36) holds his nose on the bench after he was hit by Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (not shown) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009, in Washington. Ovechkin was charged with boarding and game misconduct. The Capitals won 2-0. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Alexander Ovechkin. The sheer mention of his name invokes awe, disdain, and sparks debate. I like Ovechkin. I own about a dozen hockey jerseys, the only one that has nothing to do with Minnesota is a #8 Washington Caps jersey. I like his game, I like his personality, and I like waht he does for the game.

What I don't like is his immunity to the rules.

Make the jump, and let's discuss another non-Wild related issue, shall we?

Of course, this all stems from last night's ejection for Ovechkin after driving Patrick Kaleta into the boards from behind. Ovechkin was issued a major penalty, a misconduct penalty, and a game misconduct. Before we go to the video, let's discuss a bit. Ovechkin is not liked in several NHL cities. Pittsburgh and Philly topping that list. I have always taken their hated with a grain of salt, as Ovechkin plays for a rival team, and is one of the best players in the game. I will sell any one part of my body to have him in Iron Range Red.

But, the video evidence is there that Ovechkin is getting away with things that others are not.

Here is the hit from last night:

Alright? So, now we have seen that. Anyone ever seen anything comparable? I have. Several times. Almost everyone of them resulted in a suspension, too. This won't. I guarantee it. Why not you may ask? Well, let's just ask Down Goes Brown.

If you follow the flow chart, you land at a choice, "Has he ever been suspended before?" which leads to the box, "Yes he does it all the time, but since we never suspended him before, we just keep saying he has no prior record and hope no one notices."

And that's where we are at.

There is a knee-to-knee on Sergei Gonchar last season:

There is the cehcking from behind on Briere, from 2006:

There is evidence this season as well (This one looks awfully familiar.):

There is the slew foot on Rich Peverley earlier this season (for which he was fined the equivalent of about three seconds of pay):

I hate jumping on the suspend Ovechkin bandwagon. I really do. I like the Caps. I like Ovechkin. I like Caps fans, especially our friends over at Japer's Rink. All that said, it's time. It's time for an uber super star to be held to the same rules that Sean Avery, George Laraque, and Derek Boogaard are held to. It is time for players like Mike Richards Dion Phaneuf to be held to the same standard as Rob Scuderi and Steve Ott are held to.

Ovechkin is a marketing monster. He was recently signed by one of the biggest marketing groups in the world, the main reason being that he is marketable. He scores goals, he has a funny personality and goofy face. People who don't like hockey know who he is, and that makes him marketable. If the NHL suspends him, it hurts his marketability, and hurts their image.

Should that matter? Absolutely not. But we live in the real world, and it does matter. No one will ever admit it, but it does matter, and it does weigh in on whether or not a player like Ovechkin is suspended. If the NHL suspends Ovechkin, they are publicly admitting that their greatest player broke the rules to the point that he had to be removed from the game. They aren't going to do that. Not when there is not a huge line of people lined up waiting to give them money.

It's time. It's time for the NHL to grow up and suspend Ovechkin. He is not above the game, and he is certainly not above the law. If he is allowed to continue playing (and hitting) unabated, someone will be seriously hurt, despite intent.

Again, anyone who is coming into this debate today, please, I am begging you, do not call me an Ovechkin hater. I like the guy. I really do. He is one of my favorite players, and the Caps are one of my favorite teams. However, the hits are bad. They really are. And if you can look at them objectively, you would agree. I have defending Ovechkin several times, but the rap sheet is too long to ignore.

The NHL needs to change its image. This is the chance.

-Buddha.

Skatin on blades like Sidney Crosby; Pens down Panthers 3-2 in OT

Hooks Orpik — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:08:26 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

Take note NHL: Noted goal scorer will punch your head in the glass if you mess with Malkin after the whistle.

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Penguins vs Panthers coverage - Penguins vs Panthers boxscore - SB Nation blog Litter Box Cats

The Penguins may have looked disinterested for much of this game, but the fact is the Florida Panthers just have a way of frustrating Penguin players AND fans. From Sidney Crosby fighting Keith Ballard and Brett McLean last season to Tomas Vokoun playing like Dominik Hasek, the black and gold have had their problems with Florida.

Scoring was started on an awesome play by Stephen Weiss. He drew Sergei Gonchar with him across the ice and pulled Brooks Orpik out of position before firing a perfect pass to a wide open Nathan Horton. Horton received the puck and buried it by Marc-Andre Fleury for the 1-0 lead.

The Panthers would make it 2-0 in the 2nd period when Keith Ballard took a nice pass from Michael Frolik and snapped it past Fleury. Going into the last intermission that was the score, the Pens were showing little signs of life, and what signs they did were extingushed by Tomas Vokoun. The Pens had out-shot Florida 28-10 through two, but it was 2-0 on the only scoreboard that mattered.

Then, luckily Pittsburgh decided to get dirty. Five minutes in Brooks Orpik took a big shot from the point, Pascal Dupuis got in front of the net and deflected the puck that took another bounce off Vokoun and finally in the net. 2-1 Florida.

With less than three minutes left, Craig Adams, Evgeni Malkin and Noted Goal Scorer Mike Rupp had a great shift that culminated in Malkin finding Rupp in front and the noted one finding paydirt. 2-2 going into over-time.

OT saw a somewhat controversial call when Orpik checked Nathan Horton, and on the follow through Horton's stick struck Orpik, drawing blood. The rulebook states a player must always be in control of his stick under all situations, and there's no doubt Horton hit Orpik. A double-minor was assessed and then Malkin and Crosby did their thing. Game on the line, Crosby finished it on a Malkin rebound for the win.

Keith Ballard is one of those guys who always frustrates Crosby and the Pens. He's not the biggest but is a solid all-around defenseman. He should be on Team USA for the Olympics.
Florida debuted their new third jersey for this game. Some people think they look like the University of Maine. They kind of resemble the University of New Hampshire. Or maybe if the Penguins 3rd jersey knocked up the St. Louis Blues 3rd jersey and they had a jersey baby. That's about what it looks like.
Aside from the goal, Mike Rupp earned his bones when he stood up for Evgeni Malkin. Geno was unceremoniously dumped to the ice after the whistle by Bryan Allen. You can't have that, good to see Rupp standing up for a star and fighting Allen. Even better: watch the end of the fight when Allen tries to run away and Rupp punches the back of his head, knocking Allen into the glass.
Eric Godard got a grand total of two shifts and 1:28 of ice-time tonight. Woo!
Only Godard, Mark Eaton and Martin Skoula didn't record shots tonight for the Pens. They threw 45 shots on Vokoun, who once again played amazing against Pittsburgh.
Sergei Gonchar seemed to be quiet; he did look silly on the game's first goal, but at the end of the night he lead all Penguins with 27:48 in ice-time, no small feat when they're playing without three of their best six defensemen.
At the end of the night, after two dirty, ugly goals, the big dogs came through. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined for 14 shots on the night, Sid won 12 of his 19 faceoffs and scored the game winner drilling the puck by Vokoun in overtime on the power play.

So when we wake up tomorrow morning, after all the inconsistent play, the injuries and discontent the Penguins are #1 in the East tomorrow morning. They're the two time defending Eastern Conference champions and still on the top of the heap.

The Panthers are always a pesky opponent for Pittsburgh, and they were no less than that tonight. With the firepower the Pens have, a two goal disadvantage doesn't mean anything going into the 3rd period, even with a tough goalie in their way. The Pens got the win and can move forward to a day break before three games in four days this holiday weekend, starting at home with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

Gameday: Penguins Waddle Into Philips To Take on Thrashers.

aaron b — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:09:59 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

21 days ago: Atlanta Thrashers right wing Maxim Afinogenov (61) reacts along with Ilya Kovalchuk after making a tying goal against the Boston Bruins during third period action of their NHL hockey game, sending the game to overtime Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

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	v.

Atlanta Thrashers		Pittsburgh Penguins

Philips Arena
7:00PM
TV: SportSouth HD Radio: 680 the FAN
SBNation: Game page, PensBurgh
TSN Coverage

Johan Hedberg		Marc Andre Fleury
(4-1-0, .923% 2.63)		(11-7-0, .899 2.67)

Jump for game notes.

Slightly abbreviated gameday post today, folks. Half of the BWA-Team have been down here for Blogger Day @ Philips Arena. Hopefully we'll have some excellent stuff up here soon. If you can't make it down to the arena tonight, come back here for live-blogging from high above the ice at Philips Arena. Big shout outs to Big Tex & Frozen Pill over at ongoalanalysis.com, we've been having lots of fun hanging out with some Texan hockey bloggers.

Penguins Notes

Last Game: The Pens are coming off a disheartening loss (6-2) to the Ottawa Senators this past Thursday night. They may just be a little angry about that.

Recent Record: After an 11-3 October to open the season, the Pens have gone 3-5 so far in November. Injuries have played a large part in this slide - Pittsburgh has lost 79 man-games to injury on the season.

Comeback: Tonight marks the return of defenseman Brooks Orpik to the Penguins lineup. Orpik has missed 4 games with a lower body injury. Both Maxime Talbot (C) and Sergei Conchar (D) returned Thursday night against the Senators.

Aaron, Why Are Pens Games Special? I'm so glad you asked. Games against Pittsburgh have taken on a pugnacious tone of late. Watch for things to get chippy early.

Who to Watch Out For: Take your pick: Captain Sidney Crosby has 21 points in 14 games vs. Atlanta; Evgeni Malkin has 20 points in 12 games; Sergei Gonchar has 35 points in 30 games; Marc-Andre Fleury is 7-3-0 with a 2.32 GAA in 10 games. I heard they picked up a little hardware last year.

Thrashers Notes

Last Game: Thanks to a last-minute goal by Maxim Afinogenov, the Thrashers somehow snuck out a point versus Boston, losing in the shootout 4-3.

Recent Record: The loss ended Atlanta's winning streak at four.

Shake It Out: The Thrashers had another slow start on Thusday, with Boston scoring 5:59 into the first period. They are still 7-0 when scoring first.

Who To Watch Out For: Max Afinogenov is riding a four game point streak with that magnificent goal Thursday; Toby Enstrom has 7 points in 7 games; Ilya Kovalchuk is has 11 points in four games.

Let that sink in: eleven points in four games.

Just wait til he's 100%.

I call a Bryan Little slumpbuster tonight. Two goals for Lits paves the way for a 5-3 victory for the Thrashers.

Uh oh, better finish up - laptop is running out of batte

Sergei Gonchar and Max Talbot return but it's not enough, Senators smoke Pens 6-2

FrankD — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:03:13 -0000

Check out Senators coverage over at Silver Seven

Hooks is out of the Pensburgh lineup for the next three to five days, so I'll be standing in for recap action tonight and Saturday. Following the Atlanta game, it is believe he'll be listed as day to day.

The awesomeness that is Lindon Slewidge rocked the anthems before the puck even dropped. The guy's got a set of pipes, that's for sure. Always great to see him during Ottawa games.

Pittsburgh's first goal was fast and pretty thanks to the long reach from Jordan Staal and a great set up on behalf of Pascal Dupuis from Sergei Gonchar. Definitely the sort of thing you wanna see your returning defenseman get involved in right off the bat. And hey, for all the times we've knocked Dupuis, that was one hell of a pass.
Unfortunately the highly anticipated return of Max Talbot was stalled by two minutes when he went to the box for tripping. No worries though, as the PK killed that one off with ease.
With roughly eight minutes to go in the first, Ottawa showed some serious puck control in the Pittsburgh zone. What felt like too long wound up being just that, as Matt Carkner got an angle on Marc-Andre Fleury and sent one home to tie it at one a piece. In 2006-07 Carkner played with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pens, so his ability to score against Pittsburgh should stand as no surprise to anyone. These things always happen.

The second period and depressing third after the jump

The Pens started the second period on the power play but quickly found themselves down a man after Bill Guerin took a goalie interference call. Ottawa made the Pens pay on a Milan Michalek deflection in front of Fleury that put the Sens up 2-1.
Gonchar's return to the lineup brought with it high hopes for an immediate boost to the power play. Sometimes it takes time, as evidenced during the second period when the Pens had two PP chances and failed to make it work. At times it looked like they were having issues just getting a rush out of their own zone.
The second period closed out with the Pens down 2-1 but with a carry-over PP waiting to open up the third.
Despite some nice puck work and a few strong shots from Gonchar and Malkin, the Pens were unable to capitalize on the third period's opening power play. Unfortunately the d-men pinched too far into the Sens' zone, allowing Ottawa's Chris Kelly to rocket out of the box, charge ahead on Fleury with the puck and score to open up a two-goal lead.
The Penguins just looked flat for the first five minutes of the period. Ottawa jumped on this opportunity to wear down the Pens in their own zone with strong puck control. Chris Phillips let one go from the boards that slipped right past Fleury to give the Sens four straight unanswered goals. At this point the Pens would need a drastic change in chemistry and a total shift in momentum to work back from three down with less than 15 minutes to play.
They wouldn't get it. Not tonight. Chris Phillips picked up his second of the game two minutes later, beating Fleury blocker-side as the wheels continued to come off the bus. Bylsma pulled Fleury, Brent Johnson went in, and this one turned into a "just try and close the gap" sort of game.
If you needed one play to define this loss then look no further than the 6-minuteish mark in the third when Brent Johnson came out of his net to play the puck. Johnson got tangled up with Gonchar, the puck squirted free as BJ lunged back into the crease and Jonathan Cheechoo launched one top shelf to make it 6-1. That's how the puck was bouncing for the Penguins. No breaks tonight.
Oh wait. That power play. Right right, how did that fare? Well, they got one. Yes, they really got one. Before all was said and done Evgeni Malkin picked up his first goal since coming back from injury to put the Pens' power play at 1-for-5 on the night and the final score at 6-2, massively in favor of Ottawa.
Eric Godard and Chris Neil threw down as well in what can only be labeled a heavy weight bout. Dunman will have more on that for you tomorrow.

What can ya say? Ottawa played a strong game. They closed out lanes, prevented shots from getting through and made the Pens chase in their own zone.

Are you worried or concerned, or is this just an example of taking all of these injuries in stride? If so, then this is going to be a bumpy run.