SB Nation - Sidney Crosby

Christmas special: Giving gifts to the Penguins

Hooks Orpik — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:00:29 -0000

Resident SB Nation blog Canes Country had a great idea and wanted to hand out some gifts to their players. So what do we do with great ideas? That's right, shamelessly rip them.

After the jump, what I'd give to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Craig Adams: A goal. Dating back to his time in Chicago, Adams has gone 66 games in the regular season without lighting the lamp. It's not a necessary facet of his game, but it sure would be nice for him to get one.

Matt Cooke: A silent night or two. Cooke's always in the middle of something, be it a non-stop forecheck or suspect hit -- both giving, or receiving. He's the busiest guy that's hands are always in the dirt, a nice relaxing breather is in order.

Sidney Crosby: An Olympic gold medal, another scoring championship and a second Stanley Cup in as many years. You know, just to put a nail in the coffin about who the best hockey player in the world really is.

Pascal Dupuis: Hands to match his feet. One of the hardest working players in the NHL, if he only had the skill to finish the chances his speed and motor earns him.

Mark Eaton: A little recognition. It aint sexy being a defensive defenseman in the NHL and Eaton may fly under the radar more than any player the Penguins have.

Ruslan Fedotenko: The power the grow the most badass playoff beard ever. And the chance of a long playoff run to be able to do so.

Marc-Andre Fleury: The chance to play in the Olympics and show the world (again) why there's no better goaltender in the world right now when it comes to winning.

BIll Guerin: The fountain of youth. The grizzled veteran is having the time of his life and keeping up with all the young bucks. It can't last forever, but it sure is enjoyable for everyone right now.

Eric Godard: An exercise bike. He only plays 4:46 a night on the nights he even gets in the lineup.

Alex Goligoski: His groove back. The Goose was on the loose in the beginning of the season, but since he suffered an injury he hasn't scored a goal since November 3rd and only has 4 assists in his last 12 games.

Sergei Gonchar: Sustained health. The Pens are an amazing 36-9-8 with Gonchar in the lineup since the beginning of the 2008-09 season and a dreadful 34-29-5 without him. That's a trend that's not a coincidence and not likely to change.

Brent Johnson: An iPod loaded with all the Led Zepellin songs. Give Johnny some of his beloved music to hear while he's backing up Fleury.

Tyler Kennedy: A shave. That mandated mustache (for losing the shootout competition) is looking pretty ragged. It'll be gone when December's over, thankfully for everyone.

Chris Kunitz: A second chance amongst Pens fans. A lot of vocal people jumped on Kunitz's back early in the year for his lack of production, but with 7 points in his 4 games, can he turn the corner and warm the detractor's hearts?

Kris Letang: A new contract at a reasonable rate that keeps him in Pittsburgh for a long time. Afterall 22 year old defensemen with 200+ NHL games (reg and post-season) don't just grow on trees and Letang has so much more still to offer for many years to come.

Evgeni Malkin: Some of Momma Malkin's home-cooking. Geno's followed his Conn Smythe season with uneven results, getting his parents back to America would be a blessing that could only lift his spirits on the ice.

Jay McKee: A bullet-proof vest. He's taken more shots than a diabetic.

Brooks Orpik: A full head of steam to meet a forward entering the zone with the puck on his stick and his head down.

Mike Rupp: That his legend as the Noted one doesn't die down in the new year.

Martin Skoula: A couple nice suits and ties that he can wear in the press box. Nothing personal, his play has been more than sufficient but Skoula watching from above would mean the top 6 defensemen are healthy.

Jordan Staal: A healed up beak. It hasn't stopped his iron-man streak, and hopefully nothing else will.

Maxime Talbot: Momentum. It's been tough for everyone's favorite Superstar to come back from off-season shoulder surgery. He hasn't been able to gain any traction jupming back into the action, but once he gets his legs under him those customary clutch goals will surely follow in the spring months.

And let's not forget about the coaches and management...

Mike Yeo: A comprehensive book and video about power-play strategies, for his own good to take a little heat off a guy who's trying his best.

Tony Granato: The chance to run an NHL team of his own sooner than later.

Dan Bylsma: A bottle. To capture that magic that has him above all other coaches in his brief time behind the bench.

Ray Shero: This year's title of NHL Executive of the Year for all his wise choices that have set the table for all the on-ice success we've seen and that is still ahead.

Mario Lemieux: What do you get the guy that has almost everything? How about another bottle of fine wine and the knowledge of appreciation from Pens' fans around the world for his unparalled contibutions to a single franchise in NHL history.

Finally, a big tip-cap to Pensburgh readers and commenters, who've made this blog one of the fastest growing hockey blogs in the past year. You're the reason that Frank, Dunman, Lavender and myself strive hard to bring you the best and freshest content and perspective around. A joyous, safe and fun holiday for you all, surrounded by those you love the most.

Holiday links: Staal's nose is off, Fights of the decade and more Olympics

Hooks Orpik — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:00:24 -0000

As Sean Avery might say: Gordie Howe picks up Sidney Crosby's sloppy seconds and carries the Olympic torch. [NHL.com]

Get up to date on how Baby Pens prospects are doing. [Hockey's Future]

"It felt like my nose was off" said Jordan Staal. [Penguins.nhl.com]

Just last month they said he was hindering the Penguins more than helping...Now Sidney Crosby is the #3 player (and top skater) in the league. [Puck Prospectus]

A look back at hockey in the 2000's [The Hockey News]

Keep track of when countries will name their Olympic rosters in the coming days by checking this skeddy. [From the Rink]

Jonathan Bombulie hits one out of the park with the Top 10 AHL fights of the decade. The Youtube era: the most wonderful time to ever be alive? I think so. [Penguins Insider]

A great idea: Giving out some gifts to Hurricanes players [Canes Country]

Martin Brodeur still has a further to go to get an undisputed shutout record. [Puck Daddy]

It's not just about the money for Ilya Kovalchuk, but let's be honest $10-11 million a year doesn't hurt. [The Fourth Period]

One to forget: Penguins destroy Senators 8-2

Mark Parisi — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:18:04 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Ottawa Senators goalie Pascal Leclaire wonders if he has a twin out there somewhere, maybe being king of the French, as he makes a rare save in Wednesday's loss. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Browse more photos »

After two periods, the shots were 39 to 24 in favor of the Ottawa. The chances were grossly lopsided in Ottawa’s favor. And the score was six to one for Pittsburgh. There were signs it was going to be an ugly night early with Alex Kovalev missing a gaping open net, Marc-Andre Fleury making save after save, and captain Daniel Alfredsson leaving with a left shoulder injury.

The Senators came out angry in this game, hitting, shooting, and battling. Chris Neil, in particular, brought a physical game as he was looking for – and finding -- someone to hit on every shift. Shean Donovan also immediately brought his energy back to the fourth line as they generated some quality scoring chances early in the game.

Unfortunately, things quickly unraveled in the second period, as the Penguins could suddenly do no wrong. They repeatedly put together beautiful passing plays that embarrassed the Senators defenders. Let’s take a closer, but short, look at the carnage before trying to move on.

Sens Hero: That’s right, there was just one tonight… Peter Regin.
Five shots, all scoring chances. 12 for 22 on faceoffs, including the win that led to Anton Volchenkov’s goal. Superb backchecking. It was far and away Regin’s best night in a Sens jersey, and it’s a shame that it was wasted.

Sens Zeroes: Everyone else, with the exception of Alfie.
Hard to blame the team for giving up in this one -- especially when it could have easily been 3-1 after the first period – but six goals will suck the wind out of anyone’s sails. The effort was there early, but the goals were not.

Sens Killers: Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Bill Guerin, Sidney Crosby.
With the way these four played, the Penguins could have put children in their lineup and won. Pittsburgh’s entire third period strategy was to feed the puck to Guerin to try and get him a hat trick. No, I’m not joking.

Man up: Jordan Staal wore a full face shield for a few stitches on his nose. Just sayin’.

Thanks a lot, Murray: Bryan Murray’s call to the NHL’s director of officiating, Terry Gregson, seemed to pay off, as the team had six power plays tonight. They promptly converted none of them.

Conversely... Pittsburgh had eight power plays, and they eviscerated Ottawa for three goals on them. The Penguins came into the game dead last in the league at 15% on the power play.

Man up #2: Matt Cooke wouldn’t fight Shean Donovan.

Welcome back: Pascal Leclaire looked a little tired tonight but had no chance on any of the goals he let in. He should have said his jaw was still sore and skipped this one. Brian Elliot was just as helpless on his two goals.

Joke of the night: Pittsburgh's announcers arrogantly speculated if Chris Kunitz's four-point second period was a record. It's not, as Bryan Trottier holds the record with six.

Here is a shot chart for the masochists:

The team does not play again until Saturday, when they visit the division-leading Sabres in what will be a crucial game. Let’s hope they use the break to clear their heads of tonight’s debacle and bring the same energy as they had in the first period of tonight’s game.

A Festivus for the rest of us: Pens spank the Senators 8-2

Hooks Orpik — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:04:35 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

It was all smiles for Penguins players and fans alike in a big 8-2 victory.

Browse more photos »

Senators vs Penguins coverage - Senators vs Penguins boxscore - SB Nation blog Silver Seven

On a night where some celebrate the "holiday" of Festivus, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened up with the airing of grievances before putting on their on Feats of Strength. On the receiving end was the Ottawa Senators who'll enter their holiday break on the heels of a 8-2 thumping.

Early in the first Pittsburgh struck first when Evgeni Malkin got a tap-in on a beauty of a feed from Sidney Crosby. The Sens would tie it when Anton Volchenkov wired a slapper past Marc-Andre Fleury off of a clean faceoff win by Peter Regin. Ottawa would throw 24 shots on Fleury this period, but that's the only time they'd beat him.

It was in the second period that the floodgates really opened. About a minute in, on the power-play, Bill Guerin walked out of the corner and put his second shot by Pascal Leclaire. About six minutes later Jordan Staal separated player from puck by his own goal, rushed it all the way up the ice and converged with Max Talbot and Chris Kunitz on some nice passing for the 3-1 lead.

Four minutes later, Kunitz deflected a Guerin shot to stretch the lead to 4-1. Then Guerin got a power-play goal to make it 5-1. And right before the period ended, Malkin shrugged off a Volchenkov hit to get himself in position to one-time a pass from Kunitz and just like that it's 6-1 after two periods.

The Senators would relieve Leclaire for Brian Elliott, but there'd be no mercy. Matt Cooke fed a nice pass to Sergei Gonchar early in the third for yet another goal. Then on a 2 on 0 break, Crosby and Malkin batted it back and forth before Geno got his hat-trick, 8-1. The Sens would tack on a Chris Kelly goal late in the game to narrow the gap to it's final score.

With Russian National czar Vladislav Tretiak in the building, Malkin got 3 goals and Gonchar went 1g, 2a. He couldnt have been more impressed by the performance those two future Olympians put on.
I couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Herb Brooks having a chuckle looking down to watch his Penguins put on such a show in front of his former Soviet rival from way back when.
Not to be out-done, Billy G was the man of the hour with 2 goals, 2 assists and 9 shots on goal (with 5 more blocked or missing the net). Linemate Chris Kunitz was in on it too with 1g, 3a. It was a magical night, and every shift it the 2nd period it seemed they were finding paydirt.
The power-play redeemed itself going 3 for 6 and showed dangerous looks at the net all game long. The movement of players is noticably up from games past, which is paying dividends.
Marc-Andre Fleury was sublime with 45 saves on a 47 shot effort. He was the early story of the game before all the offensive fireworks when he saw 39 shots in the first two periods. Without Fleury coming up strong early, the course of the game would have been totally altered.
Sidney Crosby was no slouch himself with 3 picture perfect assists and a winner on 18 of his 25 faceoffs (72%).
Penalties were an issue all night, with both sides on either end of questionable calls. Entering the game the big story was Ottawa coach Cory Clouston griping about the lack of calls his team has been getting lately. The Sens got their chances (they went 0 for 4 through two periods) but a lot of makeup calls were made.
Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson left the game early due to a Craig Adams hit. Alfie was stretching out to keep the puck and got sandwiched between Adams and Gonchar. There was no intent to hit the head --evidence by the fact it's said to be a shoulder injury, and Adams did not leave his feet to deliver the hit. As long as hockey is a contact sport, that's just an unfortunate result of the play.
That didn't stop Milan Michalek from jumping Adams, as is customary for any big hit these days. Michalek only got a 2 minute minor for his transgression (Adams wasn't penalized for the hit or extra-curricular activity) which was fair for the context. But in the broader scope of things, are these jumpings necessary?
The passes the Penguins pulled off was an exhibition unto itself. Sure you had Malkin to Crosby to Malkin for a goal, but when guys like Cooke, Talbot and Staal are dishing out some sweet sauce, you know it's a great night.

After scoring just 1 goal in their past two games, the Penguin offense was hitting on all cylinders and left for holiday break on quite the nice note. They were able to flex their muscles here a little and show that they are OK. Even though they always were OK, it's nice for confidence sakes for them to express it.

We'll pick things up again with the game on Sunday when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town, but if you have the holiday blues, fear not. A lot of fresh content tomorrow here on Pensburgh including some links and a look at what gifts we'd like to give to each of the Penguins. But aside from that, from all of us here at Pensburgh our best wishes for a happy holiday season to one and all.

And in the spirit of Festivus, the party isn't over until someone pins Mike Rupp. That's the feat of strength, folks!

2010 Olympics: Picking Team Canada

James Mirtle — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:05:00 -0000

by Jeff McIntosh - AP

View full size photo »

With the Canadian Olympic brass finally set to name their roster a week from today, expect a whole bunch of these lists over the coming days. For mine, I've tried to offer a bit of a statistical bent — although without relying solely on numbers to pick the team.

All of the stats I'm using are from Behind The Net and prior to last night's games. The metrics are "rating," an advanced form of plus-minus; "quality of competition," which measures the strength of opponents; "points per 60 minutes"; and "on ice goals for and goals against per 60 minutes" (along with goal differential).

Players that scored the highest across the board are ranked higher and those marked in yellow are my picks for the team. Keep in mind that this is based solely on even-strength play, so some of these players offer more on the PP and PK that's not ranked here.

Goaltenders

I didn't delve too deeply into the netminder side of things simply because there are only three Canadian-born goalies with more than 11 wins this season, and they'll be the ones that make the team: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Should one go down to injury, I'm not even sure who No. 4 would be given their play this season. Canada's famed depth at the position isn't all that evident this year.

Defencemen

Into the numbers we go. I've included 12 blueliners I think represent both those talked about and those who should be considered for the team (with my choices to make it in yellow):

	NAME	TM	RATING	QCMP	P/60	GF/60	GA/60	GF-GA
1	BRENT SEABROOK	CHI	0.72	0.16	0.95	2.54	1.69	0.85
2	MIKE GREEN	WSH	0.84	-0.02	1.65	4.22	2.57	1.65
3	CHRIS PRONGER	PHI	0.90	0.11	1.06	2.02	1.64	0.39
4	DREW DOUGHTY	L.A	1.08	0.00	1.10	2.99	2.19	0.80
5	DUNCAN KEITH	CHI	-0.28	0.14	1.44	2.34	1.98	0.36
6	DAN BOYLE	S.J	0.31	0.00	1.19	3.47	2.56	0.91
7	SHEA WEBER	NSH	0.55	0.08	0.84	3.13	2.40	0.73
8	MARC-EDOUARD VLASIC	S.J	-0.36	0.09	0.79	2.68	2.19	0.50
9	JAY BOUWMEESTER	CGY	0.10	0.02	0.37	2.25	1.78	0.47
10	SCOTT NIEDERMAYER	ANA	-1.13	0.11	0.75	2.14	3.20	-1.07
11	DION PHANEUF	CGY	-0.34	0.05	0.67	2.99	2.79	0.19
12	ROBYN REGEHR	CGY	-1.31	0.05	0.74	2.33	2.76	-0.42

If we were to go strictly by the numbers, Niedermayer wouldn't make the team, and Doughty and Weber would. Both youngsters have had great seasons and given some of the other teams I've seen picked, they have a lot of popular support.

My reasoning was putting together three really solid pairings: One made up of Keith and Seabrook, as they've been the best duo on the NHL this season (save for maybe last night); One made up of veterans Niedermayer and Pronger, who had a lot of success together in Anaheim; and one made up of Bouwmeester and either Green or Boyle, a solid third pairing with one excellent defensive player and an excellent offensive one.

Doughty's youth concerns me more than anything, as I saw plenty of games last season when he was still overmatched. He's going to be a pillar on the Canadian blueline going forward, however, and may go as the No. 7 just to gain some experience.

Weber meanwhile just gets lost in the numbers game. He'll also play a major role with Canada down the line.

Phaneuf and Regehr, however, rank last among the metrics I've used here and shouldn't in my mind make the team. There are other players available who do what they do better.

Forwards

Once again, I've included 32 forwards I think represent both those talked about and those who should be considered for the team (with my choices to make it in yellow):

	NAME	TM	RATING	QCMP	P/60	GF/60	GA/60	GF-GA
1	SIDNEY CROSBY	PIT	1.68	0.12	3.37	4.27	2.58	1.68
2	NATHAN HORTON	FLA	2.03	0.09	2.82	3.61	2.71	0.90
3	JOE THORNTON	S.J	1.25	0.07	3.04	3.82	2.25	1.57
4	JONATHAN TOEWS	CHI	1.71	0.09	1.92	3.25	1.48	1.77
5	PATRICK MARLEAU	S.J	1.50	0.02	3.18	4.12	2.35	1.77
6	DUSTIN PENNER	EDM	2.31	-0.04	3.28	4.13	2.67	1.46
7	RYAN SMYTH	L.A	2.13	-0.04	2.59	4.18	2.59	1.59
8	MIKE FISHER	OTT	1.13	0.09	2.21	2.86	2.21	0.65
9	RYAN GETZLAF	ANA	1.25	0.07	2.58	3.33	2.90	0.43
10	PATRICE BERGERON	BOS	0.31	0.18	2.43	3.07	2.81	0.26
11	MIKE CAMMALLERI	MTL	2.16	0.04	2.11	3.22	2.32	0.91
12	DANY HEATLEY	S.J	0.54	0.08	2.28	3.69	2.61	1.09
13	VINCENT LECAVALIER	T.B	1.15	0.06	2.37	2.75	2.25	0.50
14	PATRICK SHARP	CHI	1.26	0.06	1.93	2.96	1.55	1.42
15	JAMES NEAL	DAL	0.95	0.03	2.83	3.67	3.11	0.57
16	JAROME IGINLA	CGY	-0.13	0.10	2.43	2.75	2.43	0.32
17	COREY PERRY	ANA	0.91	0.08	2.31	3.41	3.19	0.22
18	STEPHEN WEISS	FLA	0.55	0.11	2.15	2.82	2.94	-0.11
19	MARTIN ST. LOUIS	T.B	0.45	0.09	2.22	2.92	2.92	0.00
20	MIKE RICHARDS	PHI	0.58	0.10	1.37	2.23	1.99	0.25
21	BRENDEN MORROW	DAL	1.18	0.04	1.58	2.79	2.06	0.73
22	JASON ARNOTT	NSH	0.89	0.01	2.03	3.05	2.03	1.02
23	BRAD RICHARDS	DAL	0.29	0.03	2.87	3.52	3.39	0.13
24	ERIC STAAL	CAR	0.91	0.08	2.00	3.33	3.83	-0.50
25	JORDAN STAAL	PIT	-0.11	0.04	2.20	2.93	2.44	0.49
26	STEVEN STAMKOS	T.B	0.24	0.09	2.09	3.00	3.13	-0.13
27	JASON SPEZZA	OTT	-0.61	0.16	1.37	2.33	2.88	-0.55
28	MARC SAVARD	BOS	0.23	0.04	2.03	2.25	2.03	0.23
29	JOHN TAVARES	NYI	0.65	0.03	1.33	2.54	2.66	-0.12
30	JEFF CARTER	PHI	-0.68	0.05	1.62	2.24	2.86	-0.62
31	SHANE DOAN	PHX	-1.12	0.05	1.07	2.01	2.49	-0.47
32	RICK NASH	CBJ	-0.69	0.03	2.01	2.90	4.01	-1.11

Nash, like Niedermayer, gets a pass because of his experience, both in the NHL and internationally, but neither are having great years. Doan, Carter, Staal, etc. aren't so lucky and I'd leave them behind.

Crosby is, by almost every measure, the top Canadian forward. Thornton, Iginla and Toews are three more no-brainers, and given their success, I think it makes sense to take Thornton's Sharks linemates Marleau and Heatley and try and squeeze some of that chemistry into Team Canada.

Getzlaf-Perry and St. Louis-Lecavalier are two duos to keep together, meanwhile, and all four have been playing better of late even though their teams have struggled. That leaves Richards and Fisher as my depth guys to win faceoffs and kill penalties, which both can do with the best of them.

If you're not a Fisher fan, Sharp and Bergeron could also fill that 13th forward role well.

As for players who are playing well who I left behind, keep in mind that the statistics are only based on 34 or 35 games to this point. Sure, Horton's been a stud in the early going, but his entire body of work isn't enough to get him a spot at the Olympics. Ditto for Penner, Cammalleri and Neal — although don't be surprised if these are the sorts of players we're talking about four years from now.

There's my picks — drop a note in the comments or as a FanPost with yours.

Happy holidays everyone.

Checking up on special teams: Power play (30th overall), Penalty kill (11th overall)

FrankD — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:56:28 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

The PP unit celebrating a goal. Not something you see every day with the Penguins.

Browse more photos »

Penguins fans don't exactly need any sort of statistic to tell them just how bad the power play has been, but just in case inquiring minds want to know it's not the brightest of spots on this team. When the Penguins have the man advantage, and send out any number of combinations that may include Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and/or Sergei Gonchar, to name a few, they officially rank last in the NHL. Dead last. 30th overall. Worst. Power play. Ever.

Well maybe not ever. But saying the Pens are converting only 13.8% of their opportunities definitely appears better on paper than saying something like, "Oh, they're only picked up 22 goals in 159 attempts." Yes, 159. And unfortunately you can't even chalk it up to making the most of whatever opportunity they get, because the Penguins are second overall in the league for power play opportunities, just one behind Dallas' 160.

So, how about that PK then, huh? At 83% the Pens penalty kill is ranked 11th overall, just a nudge away from Ottawa (83.4%), Minnesota (83.6%) and Phoenix (83.8%). Out of 141 time shorthanded , Pittsburgh has allowed only 24 goals and scored five shorties (second in the league). So maybe there IS a bright spot in the PK. Of course if you want something to be there you can always find it.

I'm not here to point fingers. The blame game hardly produces results. I am, like many Pens fans, genuinely curious as to why/how this power play is not clicking. What are they missing? What is the real issue here?

Last season assistant coach Mike Yeo received tons of criticism for the power play's performance, but if I'm not mistaken Tony Granato is now playing a part in the team's special teams. So can you really blame a coach at this point?

Martin Brodeur Makes History with 104th Career Shutout! New Jersey Devils Vanquish Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0

John Fischer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:55:57 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

The New Jersey Devils played a fantastic game in Pittsburgh and they congratulate Martin Brodeur for becoming the all-time leader in shutouts with 104. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Browse more photos »

What a fantastic game for the New Jersey Devils. The Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins played one intense game right from the start. This was a game between the two best teams in the league and both teams left it all on the ice. And the Devils didn't just beat the Penguins. They Devils vanquished them by a score of 4-0. They conquered the Igloo. The Devils won all three road games in Pittsburgh.

It was a great, full 60 minute effort by the New Jersey Devils and it will never be forgotten. Tonight, Martin Brodeur earned his 104th career shutout. He is now the all-time leader in career shutouts, surpassing the ridiculous total put up by Terry Sawchuk. And to think, it came against a very hot (remember, they won their last 5 games prior to tonight) Pittsburgh Penguins team. A Pittsburgh Penguins team who was averaging over 3 goals per game on offense. A Pittsburgh Penguins team lead by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, two of the best hockey players on Earth.

And Martin Brodeur stopped them all. Brodeur made 35 saves and he was fantastic. 8 saves on the penalty kill. Shots from the slot, shots right in front, wraparounds, shots from the point, and point blank shots. The post had to make an appearance to deny Sidney Crosby late in the game, but Brodeur's glove was just as good near the end as it was all season long. Unlike his last shutout - against Buffalo - Brodeur truly had to be great against Pittsburgh. He was better - he was perfect.

And that's how he made history in becoming the all-time leader in shutouts. Thank you, Martin Brodeur.

Here's the recap from NHL.com. Visit Pensburgh for the Pittsburgh point of view, which surely must be filled with disappointment. If nothing else, WATCH THE HIGHLIGHTS. Watch Brodeur make big saves. Watch the Devils score some fantastic goals. Watch the Devils triumph in Pittsburgh. All thanks to NHL.com:

The best part about this game going down as one for the ages after Martin Brodeur's record-breaking shutout was that the Devils played a great game against the Penguins. Both teams went hard after every loose puck, they went hard after each other, and only for the middle of the second period did one team fall flat - and the Penguins paid for it with two goals against.

The third line of Jay Pandolfo, Rob Niedermayer (9 for 15 on the faceoff dot), and Nicklas Bergfors was solid against Pittsburgh's top opposition. Pandolfo and Niedermayer in particular were great on the penalty kill tonight, as the Penguins were punchless yet again on the man advantage. The second line of Brian Rolston, Travis Zajac, and Jamie Langenbrunner had a few good chances (Langenbrunner struck the post with a powerful slapshot, he nearly made the game 5-0 New Jersey) and were able to keep up pressure when available. I wish Zajac didn't go 5 for 15 on faceoffs, but that can be forgiven tonight. Even the fourth line was noticeable, namely Vladimir Zharkov hustling all over the place.

But the line of the night wasn't on Pittsburgh. (Though Evgeni Malkin made his presence felt with 6 shots on net and 21:54 of ice time.) No, it was EMP. Patrik Elias-Dean McAmmond-Zach Parise. They were dominant for the first 40 minutes of the game and the only complaint I have for Jacques Lemaire is why did he switch up the top two lines for the third period? Not that ZZ Pops was bad; but there was no need to change. Nonetheless, EMP bombarded the Penguins in the second period. Zach Parise didn't score a goal, but you can't complain with nine shots on net and three assists. He will get his goals soon enough. Dean McAmmond continued to play out of his mind, surely making the fans at the Igloo wonder who in the world is Dean McAmmond. With two shots, two assists and swarming down low throughout the second, they will remember the name: McAmmond. And Patrik Elias did cash in on a rebound for the Devils' third goal and got the puck to Parise who made the rebound that Mark Fraser put in for goal #4 and to send Marc Andre Fleury to the bench. Elias had 3 shots along with his points and the line did as well as they did against Atlanta on Saturday. I don't know why Lemaire split them up, but he did. I want to see this line continue to flourish, if only while they are still hot.

Poor Marc-Andre Fleury! He had some sloppy defensive coverage in front of him, sure, but he was just beat by four great shots on net. Bryce Salvador put his shot perfectly from the point - his goal was certainly no fluke tonight. Niclas Bergfors came down hard on the wing and found the hole to the far post on the power play early in the second. Elias shot was perfectly placed from the loose puck, and Fleury got a piece of Fraser's strike from the high slot but not enough of it. Not even 32 minutes into the game, Fleury concedes 4 goals on 16 shots - two from defensive defensemen even! - and he was replaced by Brent Johnson.

Johnson didn't get to rest much. The Devils kept pushing forward throughout the rest of the game for that fifth goal and came close more than a few times. The Penguins defense righted themselves for the third period; but New Jersey did put 14 on the backup keeper. Jamie Langenbrunner came the closest by virtue of smacking the iron with a slapshot shortly after Fraser's goal. In a way, Johnson should be fortunate that the Devils missed a few passes and shots on scoring chances in the third period. A few other decisions on some of those odd man rushes and the Devils easily score another goal or two.

By contrast, the Devils defense held steady. With about 5 minutes left or so in the second, the Penguins started to bring more and more pressure to get, well, something. You can tell from their puck possession and their body language that they aren't ending the night with nothing. Thanks to Martin Brodeur and some clutch defensive work, the Penguins, of course, got nothing.

Despite the Penguins put 35 shots on Brodeur and the PK allowed 8 shots on net, the Devils made very few mistakes in their own zone. Only twice did they cough up the puck to a free Penguin in their own zone. First, early in the second, an errant pass went right to Evgeni Malkin but Brodeur stopped him cold to bail out the defense. Second, Oduya makes a bad clearance right to a Penguin in the high slot, but thankfully he decides to try and find Jordan Staal with a pass down low and Oduya is able to pick off the pass.

Outside of that, the Devils were dominant in the slot and cleaned up a lot of rebounds. Credit Brodeur too for controlling those rebounds so well, but the 6 blueliners did an equally good job in getting clearances, settling the puck, and getting the puck up to the forwards. They had 12 blocked shots total, and the Pittsburgh offense helped out with 17 missed shots and more than a handful of poor passes on offense that the Devils took away. Johnny Oduya, in my opinion, had a great game. He had 3 blocks, he gave 22:09 of solid work, he jumped up on offense at the right time and without getting caught, and he recovered from one of his few mistakes of the night.

While the year isn't over, this has to be one of the best games if not the best game I have seen from the New Jersey Devils in 2009. They went into the building of the defending Stanley Cup champions; a hot Penguins team, a high scoring Penguins team; and a Penguins team led by Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury having great seasons. A tall order for any team. And they gave a consistent 60 minute effort. They didn't sit on leads, the penalties they took were either necessary or just bad calls by the ref (someone want to explain what Zharkov did for his minor?), and they matched Pittsburgh in intensity and workrate. Even if Crosby scored at the end or the Penguins got a fluke goal, no Devils fan would be unhappy with how well the entire team played tonight. The 4-0 win by New Jersey was honestly earned by the whole team. A fantastic victory rewarded with a four day break through Christmas.

Of course, the star of the night was Martin Brodeur and that's the way it should be. A shutout against anyone is difficult. Moreso when it's on the road and against an elite opponent. But Martin Brodeur has always been a goaltender who doesn't let the hype go to his head. He focused giving his team a chance to win, he played his way and without nerves, and he got the desired result. And so we have seen history tonight.

Thank you all for commenting in the GameThread, thanks to Steve for putting it up, and again thanks to all the readers. Please leave your thoughts about tonight's game in the comments.

And again, thank you, Martin Brodeur. I don't care what others may say, you truly are the best goaltender of all time. Here's a short collection of highlight saves he's made in the past via NHL Network:

Martin Brodeur sets all-time shutout mark, Devils down Pens 4-0

Hooks Orpik — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:29:06 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

3 days ago: New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur makes a glove save in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh Monday, Dec. 21, 2009.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Browse more photos »

Devils vs Penguins coverage - Devils vs Penguins recap - Devils vs Penguins boxscore - In Lou We Trust

Fresh off a five game winning streak, the Penguins looked mostly lifeless against their division rivals the New Jersey Devils. The huge story of the night is, of course, Martin Brodeur. Brodeur set the all-time shutout record, passing Terry Sawchuk with his 104 blanking effort of the night.

Nothing worked well for the Pittsburgh from the get-go, when defensemen Bryce Salvador threaded a puck through several bodies (most of them Penguins) to open the scoring. New Jersey would roar out of the gate when official new Penguin killer Niclas Bergfors drilled a shot by again an obstructed Marc-Andre Fleury. The Pittsburgh PP would get two chances, but convert neither early in the second before Zach Parise, Dean McAmmond and Patrik Elias had a great shift and eventually buried it to stretch the lead for 3-0. Just a few minutes later, about half-way through the second Mark Fraser scored again and it was time to put Fleury out of his misery.

Brent Johnson came in and stopped the bleeding --unfortunately not literally for Jordan Staal who caught a puck to the face. Staal would return at the beginning of the period, sporting a full shield and looking a lot worse for wear. From there the Pens and Devs killed time to the end of the game.

Sidney Crosby rung a shot off the post with about 1:40 left, and with about :40 left Evgeni Malkin had a great chance. Brodeur was up for it, and it was his night.

Frustrating night for everyone in black-and-gold. Max Talbot got baited into a 10 minute misconduct late in the 2nd and threw his helmet when walking to the room. One of those nights where nothing worked.
8th straight game for Malkin taking a penalty, this time a hook. Not to be out-done, Crosby took an interference minor when he slashed the stick out of a player's hands. (Yeah, the bloggers are frustrated too, can you tell?)
Fleury deserved a better fate,on every goal he never got a good look at the puck, or there was a mad scramble in front of him. Hard to fault a goalie when the team in front of him plays so poorly.
Johnson did really well to finish things out, making 14 saves on 14 shots. Things could have gotten really ugly if Johnny wasn't sharp.
Kudos for the Pittsburgh crowd to give a nice round of applause to Brodeur, recognizing his achievement. Almost fitting he breaks the record against a team that he has a .890 career save percentage against and one that's chased him out of the games more than any other.
The lone brightspot was the faceoff circle: the Pens won 59% of the draws, including Crosby's 19 wins on 26 draws (73%) and Staal's 8 wins on 11 tries (73%). But that's kind of like saying Custer's boys got a few good shots in at Little Big Horn.
You think that was a bad joke? Listen to this zinger by Paul Steigerwald on FSN (with about 1:40 left in the game) Referring to how hard former Hobey Baker trophy winner Mike Mottau got hit, Steiggy quiped: "Not as hard as Hobey Baker went down though -- he went down in a plane crash!" He then laughed and apologized for joking about "how he left us" before laughing some more.

No winning streak lasts forever, sadly, and this is in the flames of Hobey Baker's plane wreckage at five games. Not a bad stretch, but the Penguins have now only scored 1 goal in the past two games. They'll have one chance to feel good about things before the brief Christmas break when the Ottawa Senators come to town on Wednesday.

Penguins lead the league in shootout wins with six

FrankD — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:22:37 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

Browse more photos »

We've had a good share of discussions here on Pensburgh surrounding the concept of the shootout lately. Since it came into effect after the lockout, experts, players and coaches have sided with it or against it. For all that can be said of the shootout though, it's an element of the league that remains until the playoffs. In other words, love it or hate it, you have to deal with it.

But for the Penguins, and especially us fans, we shouldn't have any problem dealing with it. While most of us may be confident enough in this corp of players to think they could take it down in sudden death come playoff time, for the time being it's nice to know that whenever the Pens go up against anyone in the shootout they remain one of the toughest teams to beat.

Following last night's 2-1 shootout win over the Sabres, the Pens are now 6-0 in the shootout. Guys like Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury just know how to step it up an extra notch and really shine in the one-on-one element.

It may "just" be one extra point at the time, but as we look to close out the first three months of the season, the Penguins have six extra points in the standings because of how well they do after they take it past overtime. It all adds up in the end, especially for a team that gives every indication of a playoff berth.

After the jump, we take a look at how each Penguin shooter (and goalie) is doing in the shootout.

Player	Goals	Attempts
Sidney Crosby	5	6
Kris Letang	3	6
Chris Kunitz	1	1
Evgeni Malkin	0	1
Alex Goligoski	0	1
Bill Guerin	0	2

Player	Saves	Attempts
Marc-Andre Fleury	13	14
Brent Johnson	6	6

Both Fleury and Johnson combine for a .947 save percentage, also the best in the league in the shootout. Buffalo ranks second with .833.

Again, say what you will about the shootout, but this group of guys knows how to get it done. You also have to chalk up some praise for Dan Bylsma, who insists on making a game out of the shootout during practice. Each guy gets a chance to work on some moves, Fleury gets a chance to defend against some of the best shooters in the league and, in the long run, the Pens will be a better team because of it.

The Flower's blooming in winter: Pens beat Buffalo 2-1 in shootout

Hooks Orpik — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:15:08 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

Patrick Lalime burst onto the scene in 1996 as a rookie as a great goalie with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kris Letang was 9 in 1996. Go backhand to win it? Don't mind if you do.

Browse more photos »

Penguins vs Sabres coverage - SB Nation blog Die By The Blade

Buffalo is a team built in stablity. They've had Lindy Ruff as a coach since July 1997, an almost impossible for an NHL coach (consider that Dan Bylsma is the second longest tenured coach in the Atlantic Division, after just 10 months on the job). They play a hard, strong brand of hockey that all the players buy into, which shows since they're #1 in the East with just 74 goals allowed so far this year.

And Buffalo needed it tonight, as they just played and defeated Toronto last night and didn't have the services of their #1 goalie (Ryan Miller) and their #1 pure goal scorer (Thomas Vanek, injured) tonight. Even without Miller, their team defense shined and made Pittsburgh play their game in their building, which the Pens were able to hang in there for 65 minutes.

Jason Pominville opened the scoring with a wrister from in close that Marc-Andre Fleury had no chance on. Chris Kunitz would convert late in the first period to tie it up 1-1 on a seeing-eye puck that Buffalo backup Patrick Lalime had no chance on. Beyond that, the goalies and defenses would not be cracked until the shootout. Plenty of chances abounded for both sides, but they either missed the net or were answered by the goalies.

As I mentioned in the last recap: the Pens shootout specialists in Fleury, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby give them such a huge advantage in skill and confidence right now. It showed once again, as Pittsburgh improves to a perfect 6-0 in games decided after 65 minutes. Letang (3 for 6, 3 game deciding goals on the year) made no mistake smoothly going backhand to open thing up. Crosby didn't score (now 5 for 6) even though the puck probably did end up in the net under Lalime. No matter Fleury was perfect going 3-3 in stops (he's now 12 for 13 on the season).

The Penguins story of the game is missing the net. They only got 24 shots on goal, with 20 shots blocked and 19 more missing target. Patty Lalime was playing like it was 1996 all over again, but with 19 misses (several near misses for what would have been goals), it didn't help Pittsburgh's cause.
Evgeni Malkin's penalty woes (that we touched upon in the last recap) continue. He took a lazy tripping penalty 1:49 into the 3rd period and then when that expired, he played the puck when the door swung open, before he left the box, getting an interference penalty. Pensburgh reader JustinM looked it up and found this is as little known rule, 56.2 in the official NHL rulebook. Learn something new every day.
Malkin also singlehandedly missed 7 shots on goal. His sights were just a little off. It seems like he's in a little of a rut right now, but more importantly he's working to get his chances. Once players that skilled get chances, eventually they start to go in the net.
Fleury is now 10-1-1 in his last 12 games; giving up two or fewer goals in 10 of those games, with an outstanding save percentage of .929 in this stretch. He's seeing the puck and making some amazing stops.
Mark Eaton went down with an apparent lower body injury in the 2nd period when he crashed into the boards after defending Mike Grier. Alex Goligoski (24:00 played) and Sergei Gonchar (27:08) picked up a lot of the burden for Eaton. We wait to hear an update on his status.
The Pens power-play went 0 for 5 but they showed great puck movement and got some great looks. It was a case of "a lot of swedish, not much finish", as they just couldn't put it home. But the new design is working.
Buffalo's power-play, for their part, is 1 for their last 23, including 0 for 8 tonight which had a significant 5-on-3 advantage. That they couldn't convert was a key in the game too -- which you have to credit the Pittsburgh PK'ers and Fleury for holding it down.
Paul Gaustad has GOT to make Team USA for the upcoming Olympics. He played 23:24 tonight with a shot on goal, a hit, 2 takeaways, 1 giveaway, 1 blocked shot and won 16 of 25 faceoffs, and a lot of them were won very cleanly.
As an aside, the home team chooses if they want to shoot first or second, and they almost always decide to shoot first, leaving the visitors to shoot second --potentially placing a lot of pressure on them if the initial shot scores. This is just the opposite of a baseball game, where the home team bats second. It just struck me as odd that it's two polar opposites.

On the road, you take what you can get and the Pens use their specialists to earn the extra point. They're up to 51 points, which keeps them on pace with New Jersey for tops in the division and conference. They mucked, grinded and played a game against a tough defensive team, and came out with the win. Guys like Fleury and Letang have to be flying high with confidence, with the only question mark being the health status of Eaton, which we'll surely give you updates in the near future as information becomes available.