SB Nation - Michael Rupp

Tales of the Tape: Michael Rupp vs. Bryan Allen

JDunman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:03:57 -0000

You may call me lazy, but Hooks did a good job with the setup for this fight, so I'm just going to quote him.

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.

So with that, (Noted Goal Scorer) Michael Rupp and Bryan Allen.

I could describe this fight blow for blow, but really, all you need to know is that after some exchanged shots, Allen tried to skate away and Rupp took the opportunity to punch him in the back of the head. The shot sent Allen's head into the glass, knocking his helmet off. Go ahead and watch it again. You know you want to.

The board shot gives the win to Rupp. How about that?

Next up is Montreal, where our old friend Big Georges Laraque skates. If he does end up fighting with a Penguin, I hope it doesn't turn into the crapfest we got last season against Eric Godard. I'm still bitter about that one.

Poll

Who won the fight?

Michael Rupp

191 votes

Bryan Allen

4 votes

Draw

3 votes

198 votes | Poll has closed

New Jersey Devils Departures and Replacements at the Quarterpoint

John Fischer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:51:44 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

How does Niclas Bergfors, the rookie scoring winger for the Devils, compare to Brian Gionta, who was the team's second line right winger last season? (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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In this past offseason, the New Jersey Devils have lost some significant players to free agency. Here's a list of the notable departed players from last season:

John Madden signed with Chicago
Brian Gionta signed with Montreal
Scott Clemmensen signed with Florida
Mike Rupp signed with Pittsburgh
Bobby Holik retired

To replace those spots, the Devils gave Nicklas Bergfors a real shot to make the team as a scoring winger and has stayed up ever since. Also, after training camp, the Devils assigned Rod Pelley to center the fourth line as Bobby Holik did for much of 2008-09. With respect to the other three spots the Devils signed Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Andrew Peters, and Ilkka Pikkarainen as "tough" wingers; signed Rob Niedermayer to play center on the fourth line; and signed Yann Danis as a backup goaltender.

A reader suggested that I compare how these players are doing with respect to how the departed players are doing at the quarterpoint mark of the season. A quick comparison of stats via NHL.com follows after the jump.

Second Line Right Wing - The Departed: Brian Gionta

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Brian Gionta	19	8	5	13	3	8	2	0	1	20:53	65	12.3

The Replacement: Nicklas Bergfors

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Nicklas Bergfors	21	5	9	14	0	6	3	0	2	15:23	55	9.1

Now, Gionta broke his foot; but prior to that he was enjoying his hockey with Montreal. He's been scoring goals and playing on Montreal's top line. Only injury has really slowed down Gionta so far this season. Who actually is playing right wing on the second line is debatable as Jacques Lemaire switches his lines from game to game, often within the game. Based on his role as a scoring winger, I feel Bergfors would be the appropriate choice as his replacement. While the rookie doesn't have as many goals, he's got one more point than Gionta with less average time per game, and he has shown a good tendency to shoot. Of course, Bergfors should remain more productive just because he's healthy; but I feel he needs work with his consistency. After putting up 5 points in 2 games, he only has 2 shots on net in his last 4 games. He can't dip into spells like that, not as an offensive winger. But so far, so good.

As an additional note, David Clarkson potting in 7 goals (3 PPG) and 8 assists is a significant amount of production in Gionta's departure not necessarily being a big deal. Since Clarkson's role changes along with where he's moved to in the lineup (e.g. more physical on a fourth line, more defensive on a third line), that's even more impressive than Bergfors' start as a rookie.

Third Line Center - The Departed: John Madden

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - John Madden	21	4	4	8	-1	10	0	0	0	16:47	36	11.1

The Replacement: Rob Niedermayer

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rob Niedermayer	13	2	5	7	3	4	0	0	0	17:38	19	10.5

Madden has been playing his brand of defensive hockey for the benefit of Chicago. Rob Niedermayer was a late signing in preseason, but has been a mainstay on the Devils' third line until he got injured. Niedermayer has fit in well and even provided some early production as a nice bonus. Niedermayer was actually used more often than Madden has been in Chicago; but Madden has the advantage in shots against differential per 60 minutes in even strength situations over Niedermayer according to the numbers at Behind the Net. Had Niedermayer not get hurt earlier this month, the comparison would be more meaningful. As of now, it's Tim Sestito holding the role and there really isn't much of a comparison there. But when Niedermayer does get healthy, he'll retake his spot as the third line center.

Fourth Line Winger - The Departed: Mike Rupp

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Michael Rupp	23	4	2	6	2	29	0	0	0	9:05	25	16.0

The Replacements: Andrew Peters, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Ilkka Pikkarainen

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Andrew Peters	13	0	0	0	-4	18	0	0	0	5:49	10	0.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond	7	0	0	0	-3	0	0	0	0	5:16	2	0.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ilkka Pikkarainen	13	0	1	1	-3	6	0	0	0	8:17	7	0.0

Yeah, this isn't really close. Rupp has been very useful in his limited role with Pittsburgh and has gotten more ice time on average than any of these three players. Whereas these three Devils wingers are incredibly limited and haven't contributed much of anything this season. Even in hits, Rupp has 53 - which is 5 more than these three Devils combined (Peters has 17, Pikkarainen has 17, and Leblond has 14). Granted, the position isn't crucial for success; so it's not like the Devils are sorely missing Rupp. Yet, you want a contribution from all your lines and the fourth line hasn't done much of that for New Jersey.

Fourth Line Center - The Departed: Bobby Holik

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2008 - Bobby Holik	62	4	5	9	-2	66	0	0	1	10:11	79	5.1

The Replacement: Rod Pelley

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rod Pelley	20	0	2	2	-6	11	0	0	0	7:11	18	0.0

Since Holik is retired, I'm using his numbers from last season for comparison. And it's not really that bad. Holik didn't contribute much outside of getting limited action per game, throwing a couple hits, winning faceoffs, and contributing a little production. I have no issue with Pelley's offense, but if he got minutes similar to Holik's then it should improve slightly. Pelley does have one big advantage over Holik. Pelley's not likely going to get benched in the second half of the season for getting aggressive and taking really dumb calls regularly. Then again, Lemaire hasn't shown much faith in the fourth line as seen by their average ice time, so it may be a moot point. So far, Pelley has done OK in that spot.

Backup Goaltender - The Departed: Scott Clemmensen

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Scott Clemmensen	5	247	3	1			17	4.13	139	122	.878	0

The Replacement: Yann Danis

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Yann Danis	3	140	2	0			5	2.14	65	60	.923	0

Scott Clemmensen has had a rough time in Florida as Tomas Vokoun's backup. He's been shelled for goals and not inspiring any confidence in his team. A big contrast to how he played in relief of Martin Brodeur when Brodeur was injured. Danis has been earning the confidence of the Devils' coaching staff however. They gave him two starts in back-to-back situations and was given the start in Dallas on Saturday after two losses. Sure, Danis was pulled in that Dallas game, but he had no real chance at the goals and I doubt he'll be placed in exile for it. While he hasn't played as much as Clemmensen, Danis has the better numbers and will likely continue getting a few more games here and there in New Jersey. Best of luck to Clemmensen in turning it around in Florida.

Looking just at the numbers, it's clear to me that the Devils have done an adequate job in filling in these larger holes in the roster. Granted, if Gionta wasn't injured, then it may be a different story. But we can only compare what has been done and honestly, the only real big gap is at fourth line winger as Rupp's job has not really been replaced. You can argue that third line center is an issue now with Rob Niedermayer injured and leaving Tim Sestito - an AHL callup - to take over with spot duty (though the job may be Dean McAmmond's now).

Perhaps this is to be expected. After all, despite going winless in their last three games, the Devils are still 14-5-1 and only a point outside of the Atlantic Division lead. From that alone, one could say the Devils have not been rocked too hard by the losses of these players. However, it is heartening to see that some of the replacements for their positions are generally doing as well as the departed players for the most part. Hopefully, this continues for the rest of the season.

Feel free to disagree or agree with how I'm looking at the departed and replacement players. Are you happy with the replacement players who aren't fourth line wingers? Do you wish any of those departed players didn't leave New Jersey as they did over the summer? Do you have a better way of comparing these players, or a different perspective? Please let everyone know what you think in the comments.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Oct 26

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:24:15 -0000

Exams for Martin, pandolfo today - (The Bergen Record)
NJ Devils vs. NY Islanders Hockey - (The Star Ledger)

Injuries to Martin, Pandolfo pain Devils - (The New York Post)
Devils are Road Warriors - (Msgnetwork)
Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
New Jersey Devils' Stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
No Shutout for Martin Brodeur, But Devils Get a Win - (fanhouse.com)
How bout them Devils? - (hockeybuzz.com)
Brodeur just misses history in Devils' win - (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Pens' Rupp stirs bad blood against Devils - (Pittsburgh Tribune)
Wherein We Tackle Very Important Issues - (Interchangeable Parts)

LOWELL DEVILS
Minard's Hat Trick Leads Falcons Past Devils, 4-2 - (LowellDevilsHockey.com)
Minard tricks Devils - (The Lowell Sun)

MISCELLANEOUS
Peace between Meadowlands and Newark - (Dailyrecord.com)

Carolina Rally Falls Short - Pittsburgh Wins in Shootout, 3-2

Bob Harwood Waeghe — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:47 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

2 months ago: Carolina Hurricanes' goalie Cam Ward (30) defends as Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang (58) tries to score as Hurricanes' Tim Gleason looks on at right during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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The Carolina Hurricanes started out like a ball of fire, fell behind by two goals, but then poured it on in the third period to tie things up before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout last night, 3-2. Cam Ward stood on his head once again and made a couple of spectacular saves to keep the Canes in it. One particular save against Bill Guerin will make highlight reels around the continent today.

Carolina started the contest by hitting everything in sight. The team had 22 hits in the first period alone. While they did create some offensive pressure, Marc-Andre Fleury was solid in net and allowed nothing.

At about the 14 minute mark in the first period, the Carolina defense made a mistake and pinched in too much. The Penguins jumped all over the opportunity as the puck came to Evgeni Malkin and he found a hard skating Michael Rupp streaking toward the Carolina goal. Rupp, who normally plays on the fourth line, made a beautiful move on Ward and put the puck in the net to give the Pens the lead.

The goal deflated the Canes and Pittsburgh took over the game for awhile after that. The visitors ended up with more shots on goal in the period, 9-8.

The second period started much like the first one ended, with the Penguins controlling play. Near the four minute mark, Cane-killer, Malkin put a puck past the Carolina goalie which seemed to have eyes. The score was 2-0 and the visitors had all the momentum. The Canes were out-shot 14-9 in that period but Cam Ward tightened up his game after that second goal.

The final period might have been the best played by the Hurricanes this year. After being out-shot and out-hit in the second, they had new energy in the third. They controlled play in the Pittsburgh zone for much of the start until Ray Whitney slipped one by Fleury. It was "The Wizard's" first goal of the year and his 100th in a Hurricanes jersey.

After the game, Whitney modestly gave credit to his teammates for his success in Carolina. "I have been fortunate to play with players like Eric Staal, Matt Cullen, and Rod Brind'Amour. You can not be successful without players like that surrounding you."

With the score 2-1, the Pens would renew their offensive push and started to make trouble for the Carolina defense. That's when Ward robbed Guerin on a bam-bam play with the Penguin sniper getting a perfect pass right on the doorstep. Ward had already committed to his right, but stuck out his glove to stop the shot. The goalie also left a couple of other Pittsburgh shooters shaking their heads earlier in the night.

Ray Whitney would deflect in the tying goal at about the 10 minute mark, but try as they might, the Canes could not put the game-winner past Fleury. It was as an exciting period as you could ask for, with up and down, non-stop action.

The overtime period was all Pittsburgh though as the Canes constantly battled to clear their zone and dump the puck while the Pens concentrated on scoring opportunities. The Pens had four shots on goal while the Canes had zero.

The shootout went to six rounds. Jussi Jokinen and Sidney Crosby exchanged goals as second shooters for each team. Samsonov, Cullen, Whitney, Staal, and Ruutu missed shots for the Canes. (Cullen came very close as he hit iron with his attempt.) Chris Kunitz scored the game-winner.

Carolina players and coaches were happy after the game, feeling it was their best effort of the season. They are hoping they can carry forward the positive momentum for the game Saturday night in New Jersey.

Game Notes:

Carolina finished with a season high, 48 hits. Tim Gleason led the way with seven. Alberts and Kostopoulos had six each. Tuomo Ruutu finished with four, but got the hit of the night as he crushed Kris Letang on the forecheck.
The Canes were out-shot 38-29 as Cam Ward made 36 saves in regulation and OT, as well as four more in the shootout. He was named the game's first star.
Carolina got off the slide regarding faceoffs, (56%), led by Rod Brind`Amour with 82%. (9 of 11).
Joe Corvo led the defense with four blocked shoots. Ward and Gleason each had three.
Tim Gleason led both teams with 29:37 of ice time. Corvo was right behind with 29:01
The Penguins looked very good at times and without Ward's heroics, the game could have been a lopsided affair.
There was a meager crowd considering the event, (14,053), and many of those attending were Pittsburgh fans. Perhaps the Carolina crowds are starting the season out slowly, much like the team seems to do year after year?
Tuomo Ruutu had two assists to go with Whitney's two goals. The Canes offense looked better when Whitney and Samsonov changed lines in the third period.
The Hurricanes will not be home for another two weeks and will start the annual State Fair road trip in New Jersey on Saturday night.

(Here is some video I took of Cam Ward's postgame interview)

The Big Black 'n Gold Machine keeps rolling....Pens win 4-1 in Ottawa

Hooks Orpik — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:31:50 -0000

More photos » by FRED CHARTRAND - AP

2 months ago: Pittsburgh Penguin Tyler Kennedy, center, (48) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Craig Adams, right, (27), Alex Goligoski (3) and Matt Cooke (24) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa, Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Fred Chartrand)

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Another game, another workman-like effort and another win for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They're up to 4-0 on the road off the latest result against Ottawa. All summer long we heard "hangover this", "not enough rest and time off" that, but the players haven't seemed to notice or let that bother them much at all. Pittsburgh's been business-like this year; effort in, wins out. So far it's worked.

On a night where the two big boys didn't find the scoresheet, the 3rd line produced. Tyler Kennedy's two goal effort was another big night (another game winner too) and Jordan Staal iced the game with a goal in the third period.
Three goals in as many games for Staal now, they're using him in his traditional center role, but also picking and choosing spots to get him up on Evgeni Malkin's line. Staal got a shift with Malkin and Sidney Crosby on the powerplay too, gotta find a way to get the big guy some minutes and Pittsburgh is using him more fluidly than in year's past. With good reason, as the results have been there.
If we lived in ancient Greek times, a poet might write a diddy about Kennedy's slapper from just inside the blueline that smoked Pascal Leclaire. Instead TK only gets a couple pixels on some blogs, such is the times.
Marc-Andre Fleury was again rock solid with 30 saves on 31 shots. 9 of the shots came off the old Shark sticks of Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo, Fleury only saw three total shots off of the Sens top gunners of Daniel Alfredsson, Alexei Kovalev and Jason Spezza.
Solid night for the raccoon-eyed Craig Adams: 2 assists, +3, 3 blocked shots and 4 hits in 13:17 of work for Adams. His brothers-in-black-eyes (Michael Rupp and Eric Godard) had good nights too with Rupp picking up an assist and 2 hits. And Godard, well he played.
Bad night for the powerplays units on both sides -- or a good night for the penalty kills if you're a "glass half full" type of person. Pittsburgh went 0 for 4 with the man advantage and Ottawa faired even worse going 0-5 including, an extended two man advantage. Better believe coaches are going to go to the video to pin-point missed chances and blown opportunities on both meeting rooms tomorrow.
In what's becoming a trend, the Pens are answering goals against them quickly. The very next shift after Michalek opened the scoring, Bill Guerin drove the net, collected his own rebound and buried it while falling to the ice. That seemed to take a lot of wind out of the sails of the Ottawa players and crowd, who never really got back into the game again.

Ottawa looked out of sync and never found a rhythm, their own off night or a product of the Penguins frustrating them and making them look bad? As always, it's probably a combination of both. Anytime you go on the road and play a solid road game and take the two points away, it's a good night. Pittsburgh played strong again, bumping their record to an impressive 5-1-0. Another day, another dollar for all-business Pittsburgh Penguins.

The show moves on the road to Carolina on Wednesday, a team that's surely not forgotten about getting swept in the Eastern Conference finals last spring.

Tales of the Tape: Toronto Maple Leafs 10/10/09, Special 3-fight edition!

JDunman — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:45:58 -0000

When you hear that a Penguins game has had three fights in it, you'd expect the opponent to be the Flyers or the Rangers. Imagine my surprise when I checked the game against Toronto and spotted three fighting penalties. Three! That's one more fight than the Pens had against the Leafs all last season!

It probably would have been a good idea to space these out yesterday, when there was an entire day off, but I was preoccupied, so we're going to put all three of them here. The first one is before the jump, with the other two following.

Eric Godard vs. Colton Orr

Totally called it. Godard and Orr fought four times last season, so it's no surprise that the two would get down to it fairly quickly. Like 2:19 in the first period quickly.

Not one of their better fights, honestly. Some back and forth punches to the helmets before Orr falls backwards to the ice. Now the question is did Godard's hit cause Orr's fall, or did Orr simply slip to the ice trying to dodge Godard's hit? I'm going with the former, giving Godard the win here. This is the subject of the entry's poll, as I can only post one per entry...and the other two really aren't very debatable.

Craig Adams vs. Jamal Mayers

Remember last time when I said Craig Adams wasn't a usual suspect for fighting? Looks like someone took offense, because here he is again, this time dropping his gloves against Jamal Mayers. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out quite so well this time around.

Quick blows started this one off with Mayers seeming to get a shot or two more to connect with Adams' head. After a bit of struggling with the grip, Mayers goes for the hiptoss takedown, but Adams blocks. Not such a good idea, as Mayers responds by punching Adams in the face and knocks him down in the other direction. We've all learned an important lesson here. Sometimes it's better just to get tossed around. Loss for Adams.

Michael Rupp vs. Jay Rosehill

Perhaps looking to avenge his face-punched teammate, Michael Rupp took on Jay Rosehill in the second period.

Rupp started off strong with a couple of good blows, but as the two got their holds on, Rosehill utilized the sneaky trick of jabbing with the fist holding the jersey. Rupp tried to get back into it, but took another jab before trading some pretty heavy swings (and misses) back and forth. Quite likely dizzy from all the spinning, Rupp let Rosehill get in a little too closely and took some shots that knocked off his helmet and dropped him to the ice. Loss for Rosehill.

Of course, if you don't agree with my calls on these two fights, feel free to yell at me in the comments.

So with a win and two losses, it wasn't the best showing for the Pens. Ottawa has only thee fights thus far this season (compared to the Pens' 7), with two of them coming from Matt Carkner. Spending last season in the AHL, he had one fight against the Baby Pens, going up against Aaron Boogaard.

Poll

Godard/Orr - who won the fight?

Eric Godard

73 votes

Colton Orr

16 votes

Draw

21 votes

110 votes | Poll has closed

Tales of the Tape: New York Islanders 10/3/09, Michael Rupp vs. Tim Jackman

JDunman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:15:09 -0000

There are certain teams that I expect the Pens to end up fighting when met. The Flyers come to mind right off the bat. The Rangers are not surprising, nor are the Capitals. The Islanders? Not so much. Especially not two in one game. Well, that's what I get for assuming - game 2 of the season saw two of the Penguins newest faces end up getting fighting majors. We'll start with the first.

The fight broke out at 9:32 of the first period. Michael Rupp started throwing blows against Tim Jackman of the Islanders. Both threw several right hands, with Jackman knocking off Rupp's helmet before they went into a tender embrace. Jackman threw a couple more punches before Rupp reached in and pulled off Jackman's helmet. A couple more blows from either side, and the linesmen finally came in and pulled the two huggers apart.

Based on the early blows, I'd have to give this one to Jackman. He landed more blows and knocked off Rupp's helmet. Still no takedown, but based on several comments I got last season, that may not be a bad thing.

I suppose it should be noted that Michael Rupp fought 16 times last season for the Devils. His first fight of the season was a loss against our very own Eric Godard. How about that? Jackman had 19 fights in the NHL, though none of which were against the Penguins.

We'll take a look at Jay McKee's first Penguins fight against Brendan Witt later in the day. Stay tuned for it.

Poll

Who won the fight?

Michael Rupp

40 votes

Tim Jackman

40 votes

Draw

64 votes

144 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins

James Mirtle — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:00:17 -0000

by Gene J. Puskar - AP

View full size photo »

Who's in: Nate Guenin, Brent Johnson, Chris Lee, Jay McKee, Mike Rupp
Who's out: Philippe Boucher, Mathieu Garon, Hal Gill, Miroslav Satan, Robert Scuderi, Petr Sykora, Mike Zigomanis

Outlook: Another top team tight against the salary cap and forced to watch some incumbents leave for big paydays, the Penguins had to settle for bargains in the summer to replace the bodies lost.

Two of the team's top four minute munchers in Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill both signed lucrative free agent contracts elsewhere, while bit parts like backup Mathieu Garon and forwards Petr Sykora and Miro Satan were not offered contracts. The good news was that GM Ray Shero was able to re-sign a couple of his key cogs, reupping with both Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko for a combined $3.8-million on one-year deals.

Replacing Scuderi and Gill on defence was another matter, however, and the only newcomer on that front is veteran shot block king Jay McKee, who signed for a song after being bought out by the Blues. As a result, expect to see a lot of youngsters Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski on the back end and some growing pains on the penalty kill without Scuderi's steadying influence.

In terms of offensive gains, a full season of Chris Kunitz, Guerin and Sergei Gonchar in the fold should be enough to replace Sykora and Satan's dwindling contributions, while the if it ain't broke mentality makes sense when it comes to loading the minutes up on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal.

There may be a small Stanley Cup hangover given they've lost some depth, but expect the Penguins to be in the thick of the Eastern Conference title race all season nonetheless.

X-factor: Kris Letang

For a more in-depth Penguins preview, visit PensBurgh
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Pens finish in the Eastern Conference this season?

1

92 votes

2

73 votes

3

72 votes

4

58 votes

5

16 votes

6

6 votes

7

0 votes

8

0 votes

9

0 votes

10

0 votes

11

1 votes

12

0 votes

13

0 votes

14

0 votes

15

14 votes

332 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 Pittsburgh Penguins Season Preview

FrankD — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:00:32 -0000

Keeping with the trend across SBN, here's your Pittsburgh Penguins 2009-10 Season Preview.

2008-09 recap: Well, we can sum this up with a lot of unnecessary wordage or we can just cut right to the chase. Given the fact that the new season kicks off in less than a week and every player has mentioned they are putting the success of last year on the back burner, I choose the latter.

Who's In: Jay McKee (STL), Alex Goligoski (WBS farm team), John Curry (re-signed), Bill Guerin (re-signed), Ruslan Fedotenko (re-signed), Mike Rupp (FA), Brent Johnson (FA),

Who's Out: Hal Gill (MTL), Rob Scuderi (LA), Mathieu Garon (CLB), Petr Sykora (MIN), Miroslav Satan (unsigned), Philippe Boucher (retired),

Injuries: Max Talbot, shoulder; tentative return set for November

Team Strengths: Minus Petr sykora and Miro Satan, the entire offense is more or less intact. Keeping this unchanged, combined with the enthusiastic and discounted returns from Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko, should hopefully leave the Pens and fans with the same up-tempo offense that took down the Cup last season. Pittsburgh's top line will likley be comprised of Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Guerin. Funny to think only 1/3 of that line was even starting for Pittsburgh last year at this time.

Marc-Andre Fleury proved his worth in the playoffs last season and may finally get the recognition he deserves in 2010. The important factor that can't go overlooked is his ability to play well in high-pressure situations - you know, like the dying seconds of the third period in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He's starting to get that reputation all goaltenders strive for. The sort of guy who steps up and makes big saves at big times - aforementioned Lidstrom save in the finals, Alex Ovechkin in the semifinals, Jeff Carter in the quarterfinals.

Even backup goaltender Brent Johnson brings experience and strong rebound control to the Pens which hopefully stands as some reassurance in the event that MAF disappears for a few weeks like he's done the past two seasons. Given the risk of injury to either, it's also reassuring to know that John Curry rests not too far away in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Despite his inexperience at the NHL level, Curry showed signs of flashiness last season and more than a few impressive saves during the preseason.

Team Weaknesses: Even though the Pens waved good-bye to Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi and Philippe Boucher this offseason, you can't just say defense. You have to ask, "defense?" With a question mark. That's because the overall competence is somewhat unknown, even if guys like Brooks Orpik, Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang are still in place.

Jay McKee came on board with the Pens in July after having his contract bought out by the St. Louis Blues. He's still untested for the Penguins but took a discount with hopes of winning the Cup. He's a shot-blocking, blue collar sorta guy who will make every second on the ice count.

The Pens also look to add Alex Goligoski to the blue line this season, an offensive defenseman who saw some time with the parent club last season when Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney each missed time we injuries. GoGo showed signs of offensive prowess last season but may very likely have to improve on his defensive side of the game.

Kris Letang, entering a contract year where he's rumored to be asking for $4-million per, will have to play like a $4-million defenseman. Offensively Letang leaves more to be desired but it would seem everyone in Pittsburgh is rooting for him in that respect. Much to his credit, Tanger shot the puck more frequently last season and according to camp reports has upped the defensive aspect of his game.

Predictions for 2009-10 season: How can any Pens fan say they expect anything less than a repeat? The fact that it's realistic and not entirely unattainable stands as evidence to the fact that they have as good a shot as any, if not better than some. However here comes another season of all this Stanley Cup hangover talk. Two straight seasons of playoff hockey, both of which sent Pittsburgh's season well into June, may catch up with the team. Young as they may be, this is obviously a concern. It'll be a long season where any team that beats the Pens didn't just beat Pittsburgh, but instead they beat the "Stanley Cup Champs." Some sort of surprise injury always pops up at some point in the season but Pittsburgh has always managed to work around it. And what of all these experts and pundits that claim the Penguins won't make another run for it? I say bring it. Leadership is strong and the Pens already have their much-anticipated taste of victory. They won't settle for anything less than a repeat and tend to play better with the odds stacked against them.

They're not worried, I'm not worried, and you shouldn't be either.

BREAKING: Pens make 13 cuts, Eric Tangradi, Luca Caputi to Wilkes-Barre

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:26:53 -0000

Eric Tangradi, who posted on twitter last night that he was jokingly embarassed about Pensburgh ribbing him about his interview skills, has just written on Twitter that he is "off to Wilkes-Barre".

The Penguins were expected to make cuts today, a day after back-to-back games in the past two nights gave them a chance to see nearly everyone still left in camp.

And from penguins.com:

Thirteen players have been assigned to the club’s top minor-league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL). They are forwards Wade Brookbank, Luca Caputi, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson, Konstantin Pushkarev, Wyatt Smith, Eric Tangradi, Joe Vitale and Tim Wallace, defensemen Robert Bortuzzo, Jonathan D’Aversa and Chris Lee and goaltender Brad Thiessen.

The Penguins have re-assigned 2009 first-round pick Simon Despres to Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

After the jump we take a look at who's left....

The moves leave the Penguins with 16 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders remaining in training camp. The updated roster is attached.

FORWARDS

Locks:

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

Forwards on the bubble (fighting for 1 or 2 spots): Ryan Bayda, Paul Bissonnette, Chris Conner

DEFENSE

Locks:

Brooks Orpik/Segei Gonchar
Mark Eaton/Kris Letang
Jay McKee/Alex Goligoski

Defensemen on the bubble (fighting for 1 or 2 spots): Nate Guenin, Ben Lovejoy, Deryk Engalland

Thoughts:

--Konsantin Pushkarev came to Pens camp on a tryout, will/has he agreed to go to Wilkes-Barre? Pushkarev could add some skill at some point, and given the lack of purely skilled wingers it'd be great for the organization if he doesn't bolt to Europe.
--The forwards still in the hunt (Bayda, Conner and Smith) all have a lot more NHL experience than the youngsters sent packing today (Caputi, Jeffrey, Johnson, Tangradi). It's clear the Pens want a vet for NHL depth and give the young guys a chance to develop by playing every night in the A rather than sitting in the press box in the NHL.
--Bissonnette was an unlikely player to make the NHL roster out of camp this year, and with Eric Godard AND Mike Rupp locked up he's even more unlikely to stick this season....But Biz Nasty's staying and a lot of his peers are again heading to the eastern part of the Commonwealth, he's surviving yet again.
--The Penguins don't list Deryk Engalland on their team page, but they didn't mention him getting cut and say there are 9 defensemen left, so I'm assuming he's still in play for an NHL job.