SB Nation - Brooks Orpik

Fight, fight, fight; score, score, score, score, score, score. Pens embarrass Flyers 6-1

Hooks Orpik — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:07:29 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Brian Boucher got used to this sight tonight.

Flyers vs Penguins coverage - Broad Street Hockey

The Philadelphia Flyers, if nothing else, are known as a physical rough-and-tumble bunch. The Pittsburgh Penguins matched that willingness with three fights early (and a busy day tomorrow for Dunman!). Hockey is more about just the fisticuffs and the Pens are able to do that too, scoring six of the seven goals from Sidney Crosby, Bill Guerin, two by Jordan Staal, Ruslan Fedotenko and Evgeni Malkin.

One team is in a groove, getting good goaltending and playing strong defense....And the other is not right now. The results were as clear as the scoreboard; a 6-1 virtual whitewashing by Pittsburgh.

Riley Cote was the only Flyer that escaped a minus in the plus/minus column, and he got a grand total of two shifts and 0:31 of ice-time. Conversely, only Tyler Kennedy and Craig Adams were the only Pens that weren't pluses. Just one of those nights.
Shots ended up being 35-27, hardly the edge to demonstrate the zone time and puck control that Pittsburgh had all night long. Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang led the way five shots on goal a piece.
Strong effort by Marc-Andre Fleury getting in front of 26 of 27 shots. The Flyers did throw them on him, and he was there. Fleury's 8-1-1 and has given up 2 or fewer goals in eight of his last ten games and is sporting a .927 save percentage over that stretch.
About the only place the Pens didn't dominate was in the faceoff circle; Philly won 60% of the draws, no Penguin player who took more than one draw had over a 50% rate.
The blowout allowed the Pens to mix things up. No forward played more than 18:50, much under the season averages of guys like Crosby and Malkin. Defensively, only Sergei Gonchar played more than 20:00 minutes -- and even his 23:39 was under yearly average. Philly, playing catchup, had seven of their players go over the 20:00 minute mark. Might this show up in the second game of the home-and-home?
Brooks Orpik had 2 assists, Eric Godard had a nice flip that got him an assist, Staal wristed a nice shorty and a tap-in rebound, Fedotenko went 1 and 1, as did Malkin....You could go almost all the way down the line. Almost everyone who dressed made nice plays and a lot of them ended up in the net. Just one of those nights.

One of those nights indeed. Pittsburgh re-takes their lead for most wins league wide and the Flyers must be as frustrated as ever. Things change, and change quickly in the NHL. Philadelphia will get a shot in the arm with their crowd --and stewing over their performance -- on Thursday. If the Pens aren't out the gates running, make no mistake, Philly (with a 9-7-2 home record) will make them pay. But if the boys in black-and-gold have another showing like tonight, it'll likely be the same result.

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

5 days 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.

Did Larry Brooks make up a story just to stick it to Glen Sather?

Jim Schmiedeberg — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:00:22 -0000

by Paul Sancya - AP

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Greg over at Metro Hockey has a fantastic story about some investigative reporting done by Adrian Szkolar, a Ranger fan and student at Stony Brook University.

Last week Larry Brooks ran this story about the Rangers failure to offer Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik a contract when he was a free agent. You can click the link for the full Brooks' article, here is an excerpt:

Snubbed apparently because the GM was too busy angling to sign the not-even one-and-done Dimitri Kalinin after previously investing $11.5M annually in free agent defensemen Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, Orpik re-upped with Pittsburgh for six years at an annual $3.75M cap hit.

As usual, tough words from Brooks on Sather. Larry has been on Glen's case for a long time, that's no secret to anyone who follows the Rangers on a daily basis. But with the evidence presented, it looks like Larry may have made this one up.

When Orpik re-upped with Pittsburgh, it was reported that Orpik turned down more money from the Rangers to stay with PIttsburgh, this was reported by Rossi.

The offers Orpik, 27, could have accepted from two other teams -- one of which was the Atlantic Division rival New York Rangers - would have paid him a higher annual salary.

So, Adrian went digging, first going to Brooks to ask him to clarify the situation, then to Rossi, who had reported directly from Orpik that the Rangers had an offer on the table for him.

Brooks naturally did not like being questioned, and the email exchange between him and Adrian is pretty interesting, because even though Adrian is presenting Brooks with pretty overwhelming evidence, Larry refuses to budge on the story he wrote.

You can read the whole story here, including the various emails between Adrian, Brooks, and Rossi.

I think the main question that sticks out for me is: Hasn't Glen Sather made enough mistakes that the media doesn't need to make any up?

Full props to Greg and Adrian at Metro Hockey, they did a great job with this.

Pens comeback falls short, lose to Carolina 3-2

Hooks Orpik — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:22:34 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Did you know these guys are.......both sponsored by Bauer?

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Hurricanes vs Penguins coverage - Canes Country

For the opening goal, Andrew Alberts (he of 2 goals in his 291 NHL game career before tonight) walked in and had a lot of room when BFF's Erik Cole and Brooks Orpik were tied up right out in front. The Canes would extend the lead to 2-0 when Jussi Jokinen took a great pass by Joni Pitkanen and drove right past Jay McKee and Mark Eaton. Carolina would take a three goal lead when notorious Penguin-killer Ray Whitney dangled around in the offensive zone while no fewer than three Penguins (Ruslan Fedotenko, Kris Letang and Max Talbot) remained stationary.

The tide would turn though, Letang made an excellent pass up to Bill Guerin, who flipped it over for Sidney Crosby. Crosby made one of those unique plays where he kinda chopped at the puck and it winded up in the net. The next shift the Noted One buried it to make the deficit just one.

And just like that, there would be no more scoring. The Penguins pressed and pressed but Carolina goalie Manny Legace was up to the task and wouldn't allow any more. Almost unbelievably, two months into the season this is the Hurricanes first win away from the RBC Center.

Guerin did a good job waking the Pens up with a fight against Gleason. Gleason's hands must be sore after ringing a lot of punches of Guerin's helmet.
The difference of the game turned out to be the power-plays. The Pens anemic PP went another "0 fer" night, this time 0 for 3. Carolina was 1-5. Also the fact that the Canes were able to earn two more PP's by their hard work and puck possession helps too.
Marc-Andre Fleury had an odd night. Didn't seem like he was seeing the puck too well. His defense wasn't helping him out much either in the early going. The whole team was in something of a funk or haze for a while there, it was strange.
If you didn't know Sidney Crosby missed last game with a sore groin, you'd never know based on his play. A solid 26:32 of icetime, he fired 4 shots on goal, a hit, a blocked shot, a takeaway, a giveaway and a 55% winner on 22 faceoffs.
In fact, every member of the Pens (except Jay McKee) was credited with at least a shot on goal. It wasn't for a lack of throwing rubber at Legace that Pittsburgh didn't win.
Credit Carolina for blocking shots; 17 in all. They knocked down six of Letang's efforts. They may be in last place, but they certainly didn't roll over and die.
Not many signs of life (again) from guys like Max Talbot and Ruslan Fedotenko. The wingers have to come through and these guys aren't having much luck.
0-1-1 since waiving Chris Bourque, is the glue of the team gone? (Kidding, kidding).

Being the defending Stanley Cup champs means you catch efforts like this. Doesn't matter if the team across the ice is in first place or last, they're looking to take down the Pens. Luckily for Pittsburgh they have a few days to figure things out and get ready to go to Montreal; where guys like Crosby, Letang and Pascal Dupuis always love to play. Hopefully that shot in the arm can carry through.

From Chris to Oskars: Meet Your Philadelphia Flyers 2010 Olympic Hopefuls

Travis Hughes — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:40:04 -0000

Chris Pronger skates for Team Canada at the Salt Lake City games in 2002.

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If you ever poke around at the new SBNation.com (and if you don't, then what are you doing with your life?), you've no doubt noticed SBN Hockey's running feature over the last week or so. Each site on the network has taken a look at their respective team, noting which players are locks to make their national teams and which players have outside chances at traveling to Vancouver next month.

While most of the Flyers are Canadian -- seriously, it's absurd the number of Canadians on this roster -- and will have trouble cracking a stacked roster, there are some who will make it. Of course, there are also other players who will make the squad in other countries, and you might be surprised at who has a shot.

After the jump, we'll break down the Flyers roster and see who has a chance at representing their country in Vancouver this February.

Team Canada

The pressure is on for the host country. After a disappointing showing in 2006 at Turin that saw Canada come home without a medal, anything less than the gold will be unacceptable north of the border.

Chris Pronger: There's absolutely no doubt that Pronger will be representing Canada in Vancouver. He's an experienced Olympian, winning the gold with Canada at Salt Lake City in 2002. He also played for his country in the 2006 Turin games and the 1998 Nagano games, as well as in the 1997 World Championships and the 1993 World Junior Championships. Pronger, along with former Anaheim teammate Scott Niedermayer, will be expected to lead the Canadian blueline. Packing His Bags.
Mike Richards: It's hard to see how Canada could keep Richards off the roster. The captain of the Canadian team that won the World Junior Championship in 2005, Richards has played internationally on three different occasions. Packing His Bags.
Jeff Carter: While not as strong a lock as Richards, Carter still has a very strong shot at making the team this year. He's versatile, obviously proven in the NHL, and he's got international experience, winning the WJC gold with Richards in '05. A Solid Bet.
Simon Gagne: It appears that Gagne will be held out by injury. He was probably about as likely to make the team as Carter prior to sustaining his injury during the Flyers season, but considering he won't be playing hockey when Team Canada announces their roster this month, it's hard to imagine Gagne will get another chance to represent his country. It's a shame, too, considering he played for Canada in the 2006 and 2002 Games. Staying Home.
Also staying home: Arron Asham, Blair Betts, Danny Briere, Dan Carcillo, Riley Cote, Claude Giroux, Ray Emery, Scott Hartnell, Ian Laperriere, Jon Kalinski, Darroll Powe, Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent

Team USA

USA is expected to ice a much younger team than they have in recent Olympic games. Only six players over the age of 30 were invited to their summer camp, and there's no guarantee that all of those players will make the team. Guys like Chris Chelios, Keith Tkachuk, and Brian Rolston were left out of camp as general manager Brian Burke tries to create a younger team that can bring USA Hockey back to the summit.

There are only three Americans on the Flyers roster. They'll announce the roster on NBC during the Winter Classic.

James van Riemsdyk: JVR wasn't invited to USA's summer camp and he wasn't even expected to make the Flyers this season. But to say the 19-year-old has been impressive in the early stages of his pro career is an understatement, and there's no doubt he's at least opened some eyes with the USA brass. Will that get him a roster spot, though? It's tough to say. It's true that the youth movement on the team is here to stay, but it might be a little too early for JVR. He's got a lot of other players to beat out, but he deserves consideration and he'll likely get it. 50/50.
Matt Carle: He wasn't invited to the summer orientation camp either, but when you lead NHL defenseman in plus/minus, you'll open some eyes as well. He'd be a dark horse candidate for sure, and he could be dismissed as a player padded by playing with Chris Pronger. But when you look at some of the other players that attended the summer camp -- Tom Gilbert, Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, -- you could see Carle getting a spot over some of those guys. A Possibility.
Staying home: Brian Boucher

Team Finland

Led by goaltender Antero Niittymaki, Finland won the silver medal at Turin in 2006, beating Canada in the process. They aren't favorites to medal in Vancouver, but to say they couldn't surprise would be severely underestimating the Fins.

Kimmo Timonen: Kimmo is an absolute lock for Team Finland. He's their best defenseman, no doubt. There's really not much else to say. He's to Finland as he is to the Flyers -- a solid rock of a defenseman that can be counted on to play huge minutes. Packing His Bags.
Mika Pyorala: He made the preliminary roster over the summer, and making the Flyers certainly helps his chances to make the Olympic roster. He's not a lock at this point, but general manager Jari Kurri has been to Philadelphia to watch Pyorala play and has said good things about his play -- "he's a smart player at both ends of the ice," "you know what you are getting with him." Solid endorsements. Wouldn't Be Surprised.
Former Flyers To Watch: Antero Niittymaki, Joni Pitkanen, Ossi Vaananen, Sami Kapanen

Team Latvia

Probably the weakest team in the Olympics, NHL.com didn't even bother to preview them in their series over the summer. It's understandable, though. They have very little NHL talent on their roster, but one of those players does play for Philadelphia.

Oskars Bartulis: Even as an AHL player, Bartulis was one of the best Latvian players in North America. Now that he's in the NHL and playing solidly, it seems as though Bartulis will suit up for his country in February. He's played in pre-tournament games for Latvia, but didn't play in the World Championships. Things have changed now that he's made the jump to the NHL, and you can be sure that the Latvian brass won't let Bartulis go unnoticed. A Strong Bet.

Team Norway

They surprised by qualifying for Olympics, but could they stage an upset or two? There is only one Norwegian in the NHL. He plays in Philadelphia.

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen: Tollefsen has been injured for most of the season, but he is expected to be fine by February, so it would be an utter shock if he wasn't named to Team Norway. Packing His Bags.
Former Flyers To Watch: Patrick Thoresen

Team Sweden

Former Flyers To Watch: Peter Forsberg

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

Sidney Crosby (8 goals, 9 assists, played in all the games)

323 votes

Evgeni Malkin (4 goals, 7 assists)

29 votes

Mark Eaton (only defensemen to play in all games of season)

47 votes

Mike Rupp (5 goals this month)

142 votes

Pascal Dupuis (5 goals)

28 votes

569 votes | Poll has closed

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

26 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

Brooks Orpik expects to play against Thrashers, Nate Guenin sent down

FrankD — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:25:32 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Orpik smash.

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Scratch another one off the shelf (or in the case of Pens Universe, remove a picture from the mantle). Brooks Orpik is expected to play against the Atlanta Thrashers, which I'm sure will send Hooks into a gitty fit as he takes this one in at Philips Arena.

As a result of Orpik's return, defenseman Nate Guenin was sent back down to WBS. Guenin played in two games for the Pens and picked up zero points, finishing only with a -2 rating.

For a team that has a lot of decisions to make on the blue line after this season, I have to say it's at least a benefit to see some of these younger guys filling in during this bout of injuries. Many of us can't catch WBS games anywhere, so to see them on the ice, no matter how short the stint may be, gives a decent reference point outside of just some preseason play.