SB Nation - Paul Bissonnette

Coyotes vs. Lightning - Game Preview #20

OdinMercer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:14 -0000

Woo! A one game winning streak for the Phoenix Coyotes! Way to go! Kidding kidding, but it's time to get on a roll again and Rick Tochett and the Tampa Bay Lightning are just the team to make that happen tonight. The Bolts roll in to Jobbing.com Arena sporting a (7-4-6) record. What is it with teams and the OTL lately anyways? Whatever. I know this, I have a friend on the internet that is a cousin of rookie Lightning forward James Wright. So yeah. Take that!

Five for Winning:

Don't Be Slumpbusters: Vincent Lecavillier and Martin St. Louis only have 5 combined goals. Don't be the ones to get them out of the streak by giving up a bunch of cheap ones.

Sharing the Credit: Ilya Bryzgalov did great in goal on Saturday, by he shared the credit with the rest of the team. "The guys blocked everything, tremendous PK. They played so bravely, blocking everything, sliding in to the slot hard, just everywhere, competed hard." But we don't get that win without some great saves buy the Hot Dog King of Glendale. He's been the backbone of this team and we need him to keep coming up big.

Goals from unexpected places: The last few games we've gotten goals from Paul Bissonnette, David Schlemko and Keith Yandle. No offense to those guys, but we weren't looking for much offensive production outside of maybe some assists from them so that's been great. We'll need continued production form "unlikely" sources to do well this year, so it's nice to see some guys with early season goals.

...However we aren't getting goals from the usual suspects: Radim Vrbata got one against Dallas, Robert Lang got a couple and Scottie Upshall did a few games ago, but our "Big Names" have been pretty quiet as of late. Shane Doan has gotten some assists, but hasn't found the back of the net consistantly, Peter Mueller hasn't done much since getting his first of the year and others like Petr Prucha, Matthew Lombardi and Martin Hanzal have played well, but just haven't gotten the puck to go in. We need to start seeing some more goals for soon.

Just get rolling again: We've been a streaky team all year. We NEED winning streaks, and not to be giving up a game everytime we win one. The Lightning have some talent, but are certainly beatable. They have 2 points we need, so let's go get 'em!

Note: Kevin Porter has been recalled from San Antonio. No word on if he'll be in the lineup for tonight's gome or if he'll be a scratch.

GO YOTES!

Coyotes vs. Stars - Game #19 Preview -

OdinMercer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:17:25 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

about 1 month ago: Montreal Canadiens' Tom Pyatt (94) and Phoenix Coyotes' Scottie Upshall chase the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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Doing this on the fly tonight as I am on the road in scenic Bisbee, Arizona tonight with an iffy internet connection so here we go...

The Phoenix Coyotes got off to the hot start in October, but have hit a losing skid coming into November. The Coyotes had been 9-4 to start the month, but since then have gone 1-4 and are sliding down in the very competitive Pacific Division Standings. The loss to Montreal was a tough one as the team had plenty of chances, but couldn't cash in. They need to find a way to get things back on track and soon. They have a chance to catch up to at last one team in the division tonight as they take on the Dallas Stars. The Stars got stated pretty slow, but have been buoyed by the fact that they have managed to pull out 6 OT points out of their ten total losses.

Five for Winning:

Get the Power Play Working: The Coyotes squandered 4 chances against Montreal, but overall have been very good this year going 25% on the PP. That's a vast improvement over he last few years, but is something that needs o continue for this offense challenged team.

Continue to Get the New Defense on Task: With all the injuries our call ups need to improve. They weren't always the weak links, but they need to play bigger and the forwards need to help with coverage at times. It'll take an entire team effort to get through this injury bug.

Jovo is still out: The Coyotes website says that he hasn'teven skated with the team since being injured, so we'll be without him again. Who ever though Coyote fans would be sad about that fact? But he's played big this year and the team is certainly less without him.

Bryz still getting the starts: Just like we thought at the beginning of the year, Bryz will continue to get the bulk of the starts. He has been so-so as of late giving up 3 or more goals in each of the losses this month. That goes to show you how much we lean on the goaltending at the moment.

Bissonette to the First Line?: Yeah, not likely, but the goon did get his first NHL goal against the Habs on Thursday. It was a dirty one, but it counted. Plan on him getting in the lineup again tonight against the Stars' Agitators.

GO YOTES!

Gameday afternoon links: Two ex-Caps playing tonight? Women's hockey fight! The curse of blue! And more!

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:11:34 -0000

As you can see one post below, tonight's going to be Brent Johnson's official debut with the Penguins...Head coach Dan Bylsma hints that tonight could be a chance for youngster (and fellow ex-Capital) Chris Bourque to get in the lineup as well. [Penguins.com]

A look at the Coyotes, including a link to a story ft. old buddy Paul Bissonnette, who's looking forward to his Pittsburgh return. [Empty Netters]

Did you notice that Sidney Crosby made sure to grab the puck he scored the shootout clinching goal with? Many people thought it had some sort of personal significance for him to want it. But, as usual, Cap Crosby is looking out for team wins, not gaudy individual achievements. [Penguins' twitter pic]

Thanks to a Super Bowl trophy, the Stanley Cup and a baseball team that barely avoided 100 loses, Pittsburgh is the sports city of the year. Thanks, Pirates! [Penguins.com]

The NHL Network has a 30 minute special on Crosby's day with the Stanley Cup (with special, scene-stealing guest Maxime Talbot!). It's a good piece. I love how generous and friendly some of the younger Penguins (specifically Crosby and Jordan Staal) are in children's hospitals, those moments are special, so check it out. [NHL.com]

Check the fanshots for some good stuff, like joining a last-minte fantasy pool, a ton of great videos and a very interesting debate about what if Crosby got traded (in lieu of the ESPN piece on Wayne Gretzky). Sure it'll never happen, but it's good debate points. [Pensburgh Crosby trade debate]

Jay McKee was Rob Scuderi before Rob Scuderi was Rob Scuderi. (Ya follow?) [Faceoff Factor]

Penguins cused while they wear the blue jerseys? We don't think so, it looked like the Penguins' effort last season didn't seem too high when they wore blue. Related: Michel Therrien was the coach for 7 of the 10 times last season that the Pens wore blue. [The Pensblog]

For the ladiez: a look at the NHL catalog, and the models in it [Socal Black 'n Gold]

Sticking with the fairer sex, did everyone see this women's hockey fight between Canada and the USA? [Puck Daddy]

Is this the record? Less than a week into the season and they're already calling Ron Wilson's firing in Toronto [Canoe.ca]

Fresh from vacation, James Mirtle wonders just where Jim Ballsillie stands now with the NHL, and whether or not Canada is any closer to a 7th team. [From the Rink]

The Coyotes Busy Day... Balsillie Out, TV Contracts and more!

OdinMercer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:09:20 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie's tears taste delicious.

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So it's been a super busy day in Coyotes land. Let's break down what's happened as fast as I can and there will be more in depth as the night goes on.

First and foremost, WE WIN! (Mostly) More importantly JIM BALSILLIE LOSES! The judge finally ruled today and said that "In the final analysis, the court cannot find or conclude that the interests of the NHL can be adequately protected if the Coyotes are moved to Hamilton without first having a final decision regarding the claimed rights of the NHL and the claims of the debtors and [Balsillie]," He then rejected Balsillie's bid with prejudice, which means he's done. Hopefully this is the last we hear of his name in the Phoenix area. Though what team will be next in his sights is anyone's guess. To think he's through though... but maybe he finally got the point. I doubt it though.

In other news, Fox Sports Arizona has announced a new TV deal with the team. FSN will carry 50 games, all in HD with another 13 on tape delay playing after the games. Radio colorman Tyson Nash moves to the TV side to join Dave Strader.

The Coyotes also added Paul Bissonnette, Signed Matt Watkins and Sent Ryan Hollweg to San Antonio. I'll get more into all of these, but there's the basics folks!

Coyotes Claim Paul Bissonette Off Waivers From the Penguins

OdinMercer — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:54:10 -0000

From Coyotes Press Release:

GLENDALE, ARIZONA -- Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have claimed forward Paul Bissonnette off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bissonnette, 24, appeared in 15 games with the Penguins last season, recording one assist and 15 penalty minutes (PIM). He also played in 57 games for Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, where he registered 9-7-16 and a team-leading 176 PIM.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Bissonnette has appeared in 161 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre, collecting 13-17-30 and 387 PIM. He has also played in 101 career ECHL games with Wheeling and has recorded 16-53-69 and 162 PIM. Prior to his professional career, Bissonnette, a native of Welland, Ontario, played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with Saginaw and Owen Sound.

Bissonnette was originally selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Pens claim Chris Bourque off waivers, lose Paul Bissonnette to Phoenix

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:58:22 -0000

More photos » by Dean Duprey - AP

Couldn't fit the upper half of Mike Weber's body in this picture. Bourque is generously listed at 5'8, officially.

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Chris Bourque is a 'tweener -- very good at the AHL level but hasn't established himself as NHL'er. It appears he'll get the chance in Pittsburgh. The writing was on the wall yesterday when the Penguins waived all of their bubble players. And it makes sense: Bourque is years younger than Chris Conner or Ryan Bayda and could potentially be a contributor at the NHL level.

Over at Japers Rink there will be a lot bitterness they'll show at losing Bourque for nothing....And losing him to Pittsburgh on top of that! Whether the Pens have picked the Capitals pocket for a significant piece to the puzzle remains to be seen, but Bourque could be effective for the Pens. Aggravating a rival is nice, but "CBo" is a legitimate guy to play for the Pens this season -- his cap hit of $578,000 is nice and he's young.

If you've never seen Bourque play, he's almost a mix of a Max Talbot/Tyler Kennedy smallish player that works very hard and is a very fast skater. He'll hit, he'll run around a lot out there and he'll do what he can to help the team. Obviously Bourque has some limitations in size and skill, but given the choice he's a better player and has a lot more potential than a Bayda or Conner.

But the waiver wire give-th and the waiver wire take-th as Phoenix has reportedly claimed Paul Bissonnette. Bissonnette had a wild ride in the Penguins organization -- few remember but he was actually one of the last cuts in 2003 as a defenseman. Then a couple years in junior and some middling years between the ECHL and AHL that saw him switch to forward and pickup a role as a fighter with the "Biz Nasty" moniker. After some outlandish behavior (like wearing a professional wrestling championship belt during pre-game warmups) Bissonnette fell out of favor with management and was actually sent hom from camp and wait for a trade. The trade never came because no one wanted him and somehow he got over that impasse and became a model player for Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh.

Bubble burst: Penguins cut Ryan Bayda, Paul Bissonnette, Chris Conner, Deryk Engelland and Nate Guenin

Hooks Orpik — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:57:56 -0000

Conventional wisdom stated that one of the three final candidates at forward would make Pittsburgh's roster out of training camp. It also said that the Penguins would pick between three candidates on the defense.

Ray Shero is calling the shots and he took all of our conventional wisdom, scoffed and threw out the window.

The Pittsburgh Penguins cut their active roster to 21 players, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.

The Penguins placed five players on waivers with the intention of assigning them to the club’s top minor-league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL). They are forwards Ryan Bayda, Paul Bissonnette and Chris Conner and defensemen Deryk Engelland and Nate Guenin.

The Pens signed veteran Martin Skoula (see post below) to be the depth defenseman, but now this move leaves them with only 12 healthy forwards. One of those forwards is enforcer Eric Godard who doesn't figure to be an "every night" player, nor does he seem likely to even play more than 5-6 minutes a night.

While the Penguins hinted they may get a roster of 20 or 21 players, they may not want to rely on 12 forwards. This is the time of year that a lot of forwards are on the waiver wire, could Shero have his eye on one of the following guys currently on waivers?

Chris Bourque (WASH) --Ray's son is small but a fierce player. He skates hard, finishes checks and at 23 years old still has some potential and upside. He'll never be an NHL all-star, but he could carve out a decent career.
Christop Schubert (OTT) -- Can play forward or defense and could excel with a change of scenery from Ottawa...But his salary is relatively high at $900,000 and is no guarantee to be anything better than what Pittsburgh already has.
Ryan Hollweg (PHO) -- Runs around like a crazyman. But he's nothing the Pens don't have in Godard or Mike Rupp, could be overload of tough guys that can't play.

This could all be for nothing: perhaps Ray Shero likes having only 12 forwards on the roster and likes the cap savings of not carrying extra bodies. If/When injuries happen he can dip into Wilkes-Barre and bring up a scorer, a grinder, a checker or a mix of the above at any time.

Then again, by cutting absolutely everyone on the bubble and looking outside to bring in Skoula, Ray Shero is keeping all the options on the table and is going to make the moves he can to keep improving and adding to the team.

Stay tuned...

Who ya got: Making the roster edition (forwards)

Hooks Orpik — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:36:10 -0000

So, by all accounts we've got three guys fighting for one spot. Who ya got?

The Contestants:

Ryan Bayda

Pros: Has the most NHL experience (179 reg season games), is decent at PK'ing, decent all-around player who could add a little bit of everything.
Cons: While decent all-around, he doesn't really excel at any one aspect, which makes it kind of easy to move on without him, if the Pens so chose.

Paul Bissonnette

Pros: Fights. Fights very well. Isn't afraid of fighting.
Cons: Eric Godard and Mike Rupp are going to be on the roster, which begs the question: just how many players does a hockey team need that aren't very good at, well, playing hockey?

Chris Conner

Pros: Fast and can add some offensive ability to the team, has a decent amount of experience (79 NHL games)
Cons: Very small at 5'8", 180 pounds. Only scored 7 goals in those 79 games, may not be able to be consistent at the NHL levels against the biggest and toughest competition around.

So....who ya got to be the 13th forward?

It seems like a wide-open race: the Penguins gave Conner a chance last night on the 3rd line, Bayda's played well in the pre-season games and before you count Biz Nasty out, remember he made the NHL roster out of camp last year when the odds were stacked against him. Any convincing cases that still need to be made for these guys?

Poll

Assuming there's only one spot available, who would you like to see stay in Pittsburgh and make the NHL roster out of training camp?

Ryan Bayda

196 votes

Paul Bissonnette

61 votes

Chris Conner

166 votes

423 votes | Poll has closed

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.

Truculent in Toronto....Pens fall 3-2 to Maple Leafs

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:13:23 -0000

More photos » by Frank Gunn - AP

2 months ago: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jordan Staal, right, shoots past Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn (2) during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game in Toronto on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

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Again welcome to the preseason recap, designed with a little commentary and a little re-telling of what happened, in case you couldn't get to see the action..

1st period

--With the three normal leaders that wear letters not in the lineup, Mark Eaton, Ruslan Fedotenko and Jordan Staal are all serving as alternate captains tonight, if you care about such things.

--Early on a good shift by Mike Rupp, Nick Johnson and Ryan Bayda and some real good work by Jay McKee and Alex Goligoski to keep the puck inside the blueline. The puck eventually finds Bayda out front and with Rupp attracting a lot of attention Bayda lifts one over Vesa Toskala for the game's first goal.

--Robert Bortuzzo with a little bobble on the PP in his own end kills sometime and then a forward (I believe Dustin Jeffrey or Nick Johnson) ices the puck...On the powerplay. Ouch.

--Physical game as to be expected; Jordan Staal and Fedotenko get rocked in the open ice with clean hits, Matt Cooke draws some revenge with a nice hit of his own.

--Bayda heads to the bench on Pittsburgh's first penalty on a trip. Apparently Bayda is very strong with his stick, as just by putting it behind the Leaf's skate caused him to jump in the air about a foot and a half. It was a trip, but a very well sold one

--The speedy and diminutive Chris Conner gets sprung by Mike Rupp of all people for a breakaway shortly after the penalty gets killed. Conner outraces the Leafs defense, flashes to the backhand and slips it 5 hole on Toskala. 2-0 Pens.

--As a wise man predicted, a fight breaks out between Paul Bissonnette and Jay Rosehill. Ok, so the two are no strangers to each other. Again, Biz Nasty gives him the business, connecting with a bunch of rights and a flurry of rag doll lefts (while keeping Rosehill's own jersey over his face). Blindly Rosehill throws a few and tackles Bisonnette.

--Of current: shots are 9-1 Pens, the scoreboard is 2-0 Pens and the fightcard is 1-0 Pittsburgh. Sidney who? And that Evgeni guy? Pssh.

--Shots end up 9-5 by the end of the period, not much eventful but Brent Johnson was there when he had to be.

After the jump, the next two periods..

2nd period

--Yesterday The Pensblog mentioned how Pierre McGuire always referred to the Pens forward as "Billy Guerin". Well I noticed another, the head coach is named "Danny Bylsma". If he starts calling him "Jordy" Staal, or "Marcy" Fleury, we've gone too far. As if it hasn't gotten there already.

--Tim Wallace knocked the crap out of Jamal Mayers, injuring the Toronto player. It was a big hit but it wasn't late nor did Wallace leave his feat before connecting, but Mayers didn't see it coming. The way Mayers fell back dazed after impact looked scary but after a while he was able to skate to the bench under his own power.

--Toronto's first goal on a lazy play by the Pens; Bortuzzo chipped the puck from back around to Matt Cooke who lunged and the puck but couldn't get it by TML defenseman Mike Komisarek. The Leafs work it around and some guy named Bozo (actually Tyler Bozak) passes it to someone who might be Jordan's Swedish cousin (Viktor Stahlberg) for a goal. 2-1 Pens.

--Brent Johnson was real slow to get up, as Bozak did run into him and knock him back as he was trying to move to his left. Johnson was limited by a hip injury in the recent past, even though he said he is healthy one has to wonder if he aggravated something. "Johnny" would stay in the game after a prolonged stoppage.

--A lot of people told me I'd be impressed with Mike Rupp after I struck a very sour initial tone from news of his signing. I might be starting to turn their way. The big guy took a great shift, he's a good skater for his size (better than I gave him credit for) and he wasn't playing the toughest competition but was working the puck all over the offensive zone.

--Chris Conner used his speed to make Ian White hold him. Conner's done a lot of little things right.

--On that powerplay, your opening players: Alex Goligoski and Ruslan Fedotenko on the point, Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy up front. Even for pre-season that's tough.

--Mike Komisarek checks Cooke from behind and Staal got in Komisarek's face. Bad idea. Komisarek knocks Staal down, then physically picks him up and punches him a few more times for good measure before Staal can tackle him. Good to see Staal try to standup for a teammate but ouch.

--And somehow in that Cooke gets 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct in addition to the two fighting majors. Chalk that up to Cooke's reputation. Komisarek did legit drill him from behind and Staal/Cooke were kind of in a pile when Komisarek was beating Staal up. Not sure what that was all about.

--Nick Johnson does do a good job to get in the way of shooting/passing lanes and makes a difference there doing things that a lot of forwards don't/can't do.

3rd Period

--John Curry (who played all game last night) is in net for the beginning of the period. Johnson was moving slow after he gave up the goal, one has to believe he isn't feeling 100%, the only question now is: how bad is it?

--Chris Conner can absolutely burn it up. I remember seeing him play some with Dallas in NHL action but I do not remember just how fast he is.

--Francois Beauchemin levels Tim Wallace on a pass from Jay McKee that hung Wallace out to dry. Biz Nasty is on the case at once and Beauchemin accepts the fight. It's uneventful, as the strong Beauchemin did well to clamp down on Bissonnette's arms and not give him much to be able and do.

--Mike Rupp got in Stahlberg's face, challenged him to go but no deal. Guess big Mike figured if Jordan got beaten up by a Toronto tough guy his near-namesake ought to suffer the same fate.

--Mark Eaton two uncharacteristic penalties in the third, Tomas Kaberle with a big shot, Curry was up for that and he also made a stop on Bozo, err Bozak on the rebound attempt. Curry looking sharp.

--Leafs 2009 first rounder Nazem Kadri one-timed a great shot but it rang squarely off the post.

--In the dying seconds Wyatt Smith did well to win two faceoffs against Kadri. But the Pens kept icing the puck and Smith lost a third one to Mikhail Grabovski and Kadri ends up burying one with 1:05 left in the game.

OVERTIME

--Leafs put shots off the left post and the right post in succession. When asked for comment John Curry said "hey, they pay may to cover the net, and not a single inch more" (not really).

--With about 6 seconds left the Pens got a draw in the offensive zone and Bylsma drew up a play, which worked almost to perfection. Staal wins the draw back to Kennedy who quickly feeds Nick Johnson. Johnson one-times it into the net. Just one problem: Johnson's stick breaks and the puck doesn't make it.

SHOOTOUT

Round 1
--Kadri stickhandles quickly about 50 times and goes forehand for the goal. Kid's got some sick moves.
--Staal tries to make a move and go backhand, but Toskala gets his let out.

Round 2
--Bozo comes down, tries to do something but Curry's not having it.
--Chris Conner comes down accelerating late but the shot is no good.

Round 3
--Lee Stempniak trickles a shot five hole through Curry on the walk-off shot. Leafs win 2-0.

THE GOOD
--Alex Goligoski was awesome tonight. Last night I gushed over Kris Letang, tonight I was nearly as impressed by the way Goligoski was playing. In a word, Goligoski looked comfortable, leading all players with 30:15 of ice-time.
--The competition for the 13th forward: Chris Conner had a great night with the goal and was showcasing his speed. Tim Wallace had big hits all over the place. Paul Bissonnette challenged everyone but the guy selling cotton candy to fight. Nick Johnson played a good positional play and was good at both ends of the ice.
--The TSN broadcast never said anything but Ben Lovejoy only had one shift for 31 seconds, he must have gotten injured somehow. Through injury comes opportunity and the other five defensemen; notably Nate Guenin got to play 27:04 and Robert Bortuzzo got 21:02. Neither stood out for wrong reasons.
--Guenin played 6:18 of short-handed time, far more than any of his teammates, if the coaches wanted to see what he had perhaps there could be nothing better for him than the fact Toronto didn't score a goal with the man advantage.

THE BAD
--A preseason game with two injuries is not good. Even if the injuries were to the backup goalie and a guy fighting for a roster spot in Lovejoy, you never like to see guys not be able to finish. Also Jamal Mayers of the Leafs didn't return after Tim Wallace leveled him, hopefully he'll be OK.
--Mark Eaton was on the ice for both goals against and took two penalties. Not a great tuneup for one of the Penguins' most reliable players, but I doubt it'll matter much in the big scheme of things.
--To these eyes (which don't belong to a pro scout) Wyatt Smith and Dustin Jeffrey were two players that didn't do much to distinguish themselves. I highlighted some forwards in that good that I thought played really well, but Smith and Jeffrey had low-key games, to me anyways. Low key isn't always bad, but when you're trying to win an NHL roster spot, it can't be good.
--Ryan Bayda certainly wasn't low-key with a goal and a penalty taken, but I can't remember noticing him that much in the latter half of the game. He only got 12:31 of ice-time, he might not have played much but he didn't stand out after taking the penalty, which can't be good for his hopes either.

THE INTERESTING
--Even though Ryan Bayda's played in 179 NHL games ever since the 2002-03 season, NHL.com still doesn't know who he is. Now we have to cut them some slack with so many players bouncing all over the place and just the sheer number of different players to appear in an NHL pre-season game, but even though Bayda is relatively experienced, he didn't make the NHL.com statsheet for Pittsburgh tonight

For the second night in a row the Penguins blow a third period lead in Canada. But, considering the circumstances, it's certainly nothing to fret over. Some pieces are looking good, now it's time to make some cuts and join the two rosters together as we trek towards opening night.