SB Nation User Blog: FrankD

Malkin picking up the pace, may return sooner than later

FrankD — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:01:26 -0000

Malkin picking up the pace, may return sooner than later

Good news coming from The Post-Gazette. Geno is back on the ice practicing and taking on an extra work load in effort to get back into the swing of things. He's now listed as day to day. I'd like to think the injury to Orpik is the last for at least a little while. Now maybe we can focus on when players will return...

The city of Pittsburgh has it's own cereal, and only one man can rock the Penguins cover

FrankD — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:20:24 -0000

Who did you expect, Janne Pesonen? That's right folks, the city of Pittsburgh is taking a page out of the Buffalo Bills' book in marketing a cereal. You've heard of Flutie Flakes (maybe), you've heard of the more recent addition Terrell Oats (perhaps), now feast your eyes on Pittsburgh's own brand of cereal, City of Champions.

To me this was just too funny not to share. Plus I was looking for any reason to temporarily distract our collective attention away from the injuries mounting up in the Pittsburgh camp, so this will do for now.

I consider myself an avid collector of random pieces of Penguins merchandise. This includes, but is not limited to, the Mario Bun, Jaromir Jagr's peanut butter and a Clark bar that congratulates the Penguins for their back-to-back Cup wins in the early 90s. Don't get me wrong, I also have a few solid pieces like a Jagr auto'd plaque and a few Mario Starting Lineups, but I try to vary it up as much as possible. A surprised "What the hell?" when someone checks out the collection is almost certain.

If you're looking to add a box to your collection then you can pick one up at PLBSports.com. So far it's only available online, but later this month it will also hit the shelves in Giant eagle stores. There is also a contest out there offering up a chance for two fans to meet up with Max Talbot and Hines Ward, fittingly featured on the Steelers' version of the cereal. Check out the details here, because you know adding an autographed box of cereal to your memorabilia collection is just about as unique as it can get.

The fat man in me is curious to know what this tastes like, but the collector in me will not so much as crack the lining on the box.

NESN - Across Enemy Lines

FrankD — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:37:19 -0000

NESN - Across Enemy Lines

A little Q&A session I did with the New England Sports Network in anticipation of tonight's game against the Bruins. Definitely had a few interesting questions tossed my way (like will MAF pass Tommy B and where will Sid finish all time on the Pens' scoring leaders?)

Let's take a look at the Boston Bruins

FrankD — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:02:30 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas

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[SBN Bruins blog - Stanley Cop of Chowder]

The Bruins and Penguins have a lot more in common than just the black and gold (more like yellow for Boston, but whatevs) as they square off tonight at TD Bank North Garden.

Injuries. Illness. You know, the fun stuff.

We know about Pittsburgh's injuries, so really there's no sense in bringing them up again here (for now at least). But Boston isn't entirely immune to the injury bug either. Milan Lucic, broken finger. Marc Savard, broken foot. Michael Ryder, flu(?). David Krejci, swine flu (although he recently returned to practice). Much like the Penguins' injury report, this doesn't take into account the guys out there playing through the typical bumps/strains/bruises that come with the territory.

The wins aren't coming easy for Boston, when they do come at all. On Thursday the B's were less than a minute away from getting shutout 1-0 to Montreal before Patrice Bergeron tied it up and sent it to OT and a shootout. In the end Montreal edged out the win but Boston picked up a hard-fought point in the process. That's the sort of team Pittsburgh's going up against tonight. Both teams will be scratching and clawing for a point or more.

Bergeron leads all Bruins with 10 points (5g, 5a), while Zdeno Chara and Derek Morris follow closely behind with nine points a piece. Let's also see if the Pens consider keeping an eye on former Penguin (x3) Mark Recchi, who's still showing that time is not a factor here in his 22nd NHL season. The Recchin' Ball has five points on the year (3g, 2a).

There's a good chance we'll see Tim Thomas get the start between the pipes for Boston tonight, although his 1-3-1 record over the last five starts is anything but flattering. But just in case, back-up netminder Tuukka Rask is the other option. Rask has seen a little bit of work over the past few seasons, starting only one game last season (a win) and three the year before (2-1). So far this season he's 3-1-1 with a win in two-staight.

The Bruins are 1-2-1 for the month of November and 7-7-2 overall, good enough for 10th in the East.

Puck and thread drop at 7pm. Join us. After all, it has to be better than a 5-0 loss to San Jose.

...right?

Injury update: Kris Letang out two weeks with shoulder contusion

FrankD — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:40:42 -0000

Kris Letang

#58 / Defenseman / Pittsburgh Penguins

Height: 6-0

Weight: 201

Born: Apr 24, 1987

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Kris Letang	1	6	7	1	6

"Contusion" - that's the word the Penguins' official site used. I opt to just say "bruised shoulder." For some reason whenever you break it down into simpler terms it doesn't sound nearly as serious. Kinda like how the term "tendinitis" is basically just a sore joint.

Call it whatever you want. Either way the Penguins are without Kris Letang for the next two weeks. Add him to the list along with Tyler Kennedy, Sergei Gonchar, Max Talbot and Evgeni Malkin. Have I missed anyone? I don't think so, but this is really started to get to be a bit much.

I did some calculations to see what this really means for the Penguins. I hate to break it to you but the results are not positive.

First, add together the injured jerseys: 25+48+55+58+71 you get 257.

Add goals for (54) get 311.

Add half goals against (because seriously, only half of them were really earned) and get 333.

Times by 2 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances and you get

\m/ 666! \m/

Season's over!

(please note sarcasm)

Cam Ward and Henrik Lundqvist hit with injuries

FrankD — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:15:38 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

A freak injury will keep Cam Ward out of the Carolina lineup for at least a month.

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I know, it's a Penguins blog. So why am I writing about two goaltenders from two other teams? Because, without praising any sort of injury to another player or team, it merely shows that the Penguins aren't the only team dealing with injuries early on. Misery loves company, right?

Sure, it's bad enough the Penguins are facing an uphill battle in the face of all the recent injuries to big names like Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar and most recently Kris Letang, but there may be a similar issue with a few other teams around the league. I'm highlighting two in particular in this post, based strictly on the fact that two teams in the East are trying to manage without a number-one goalie.

Last week I tossed together a post that highlighted the list of injuries for each team. Most of the guys listed are still on the shelf, but two recent additions may more or less pose as a balancing act in the East. In other words, as banged up as the Penguins are, they're not the only ones fighting through the bug early on.

In what came mere inches from being censored for television, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward will miss up to a month or more after Columbus forward Rich Nash lost his footing and literally slit Ward across the leg with his skate. This injury isn't far off from the one Teemu Selane sustained last season after an awkward fall that sent him down to the ice and onto his own skate.

Video of Ward's injury:

Just a freak accident that will keep Ward out for upwards of a month. In the wake of this news, Carolina went out and signed NHL veteran Manny Legace.

On top of injuries to Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky this past weekend, the New York Rangers will also have some obvious concern for Henrik Lundqvist. No word exactly on what the injury is but as of right now it's labeled simply as "undisclosed." I know, the details are overwhelming, but when a guy like Henrik misses his scheduled start you tend to give it some attention.

Again, this post isn't entirely relevant to the Penguins but I think it is relevant to the Penguins' interests. A few teams in the East are, minus bruises here and there, considerably healthy: The Devils and Islanders are just two of em specifically in the Atlantic.

Many have said the season is still young. This is no doubt true. But don't be surprised or upset if the Penguins drop a few spots in the standings. After all, that's to be somewhat expected at this point. But even tomorrow night's opponent (Bruins) are dealing with a good amount of injuries as well. We'll get into that more as we edge closer to game time.

What do you feel is the biggest key to Pittsburgh's success right now? Or at least, trying to maintain it? Personally I think a healthy Marc-Andre Fleury is the big difference maker, and I mean that with full confidence in Brent Johnson as well. If the Pens lose him for any reason then I think the rough patch here goes from bad to way worse.

Alex Goligoski questionable, Tyler Kennedy doubtful, Pens recall defenseman Deryk Engelland

FrankD — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:47:34 -0000

by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

Alex Goligoski may be battling the flu - perfect timing for an already banged-up Penguins team.

View full size photo »

Tally up another one in the injury department, although it would appear Goligoski is more a victim of the flu or exhaustion rather than any injury. Or at the least, we can hope it's only the flu and not labeled such so as to cover up some sort of other, more detrimental problem. After yesterday's morning skate, Dan Bylsma alluded to the fact that GoGo is "worn down" and "a little bit tired." More on that in the Post-Gazette.

With that in mind, the Penguins have recalled defenseman Deryk Engelland in what I can only imagine is an option available for Dan Bylsma come gametime. From what I'm reading and seeing around the interwebs, GoGo will try and make the effort to play tonight but is still listed as a game-time decision.

Tyler Kennedy is listed as doubtful for tonight's game against the Sharks, but Bylsma hasn't officially ruled him out just yet. Guess that would make him a game-time decision as well. This issue tends to be a lingering one for TK. Ankle? Groin? Hard to say. The guy apparantly played injured against the Ducks, not that you could tell with the speed in which he was skating with and the two assists he picked up before all was said and done.

If all goes sour for the Pens by the time the puck drops, we could be watching a Pittsburgh team skating without the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Tyler Kennedy and Alex Goligoski. Also, purely speculative of course, they could be skating with a banged-up Sidney Crosby.

This one's gonna be tough.

After the jump, a little background info on Deryk Engelland, in the event we see him on the ice onight.

From the official team release:

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled defenseman Deryk Engelland from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, it was announced by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.

The 6-foot-2, 202-pound defenseman has two assists in 11 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this year and has been a steady presence on the blue line for WBS, appearing in all of the club’s 160 regular-season and 35 post-season contests the last two seasons after signing with the team in July, 2007.

Engelland, 25, has posted 33 points (5G-28A), 302 penalty minutes and a plus-7 rating in 171 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He has added six points (1G-5A) and 20 penalty minutes in 35 playoff games and helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earn a berth in the Calder Cup Final in 2008.

Engelland is looking to make his National Hockey League debut. The six-year pro has worked his way up the ranks to the NHL following stints in Las Vegas, South Carolina and Reading of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), and Lowell, Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL.

The Chetwynd, Alberta native played five seasons of junior hockey with Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League.

Let's take a look at the San Jose Sharks

FrankD — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:49:29 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

If we learned anything from his days in Ottawa, it's that Dany Heatley likes scoring against Pittsburgh.

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[SBNation Sharks Blog - Fear the Fin]

[SBN Cali blog - Battle of California]

I'll admit - I was prepared to concede at least one game on this west coast road trip. Prior to playing the Kings, I was ready to make it this one against the Sharks. Now? Not so much.

I wouldn't necessarily call that outlook pessimistic either. The Kings and Sharks are good, much like Pittsburgh, but are currently not affected by injuries to the same degree in which the Penguins are. That easily gives each team a one up over the Pens, so really coming out of this west coast trip 2-1 is, as far as I'm concerned, a success.

3-1 after the trip to Boston on Tuesday would be even better, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

On Thursday night the Sharks watched their six-game win streak come to an end in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Red Wings. However, they still haven't lost a game in regulation since the Lightning smacked them around 5-2 back on October 22, so San Jose's point streak is still alive and well. It's no surprise then that San Jose sits atop the Pacific with 24 pts (11-4-2) and are serious contenders with Colorado for the #1 spot in the West.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh this isn't the first round of the playoffs. In other words, San Jose is still a viable threat. Look no further than the top three for San Jose: Patrick Marleau (11g, 11a), Joe Thornton (4g, 17a) and offseason drama queen Dany Heatley (10g, 8a). And just for the record, Devon Setoguchi and his seven goals should not be taken lightly either. Evgeni Nabokov is once again a force between the pipes, holding down a 10-3-2 record that ties him with Marc-Andre Fleury and LA's Jonathan Quick for second most wins by a goaltender (Colorado's Craig Anderson is first with 11).

Again, this game does not end the road trip, although it will send the Pens back east to wrap up the fourth of four on the road against the Bruins Tuesday night. I'd imagine a stopover in Pittsburgh is on the agenda, but I'm no team secretary so I can hardly confirm that.

Puck and thread drop at 10:35. Come by and hang out for the night.

SBN Power Rankings - Penguins 1st in East, 1st overall

FrankD — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:35:26 -0000

SBN Power Rankings - Penguins 1st in East, 1st overall

Like I said on the rankings page, atop the rankings while fighting through games without Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar and Tyler Kennedy is a scary thought.

Let's take a look at the Los Angeles Kings

FrankD — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:45:16 -0000

More photos » by Danny Moloshok - AP

Apparently this is how the Kings enter the ice. I get it.

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SBN Cali blog - Battle of California

Frozen Royalty

Game two of Pittsburgh's west coast road trip brings them to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Kahleefawnya for yet another late game (for most of us at least).

The 9-4-2 Kings are off to a surprisingly good start - good enough to pin them at fourth in the West and just three points behind San Jose in the Pacific.

And hey, just one game after Sidney Crosby did his best Rob Scuderi impression the Pens now go up against the man, myth and legend himself. Of course, Scuds did find himself in an interesting situation a little over a week ago when he landed a textbook hipcheck on Columbus's Jason Chimera. If you look at the hit for yourself (video link), you'll see that it's not so much a dirty hit as it is just a perfect display of what has always been a hit style surrounded by controversy. Was it low? Did he take out the knees? It doesn't really matter at this point. We all know Scuderi from his years in Pittsburgh and no one would say the guy is a goon. Nonetheless, Chimera would be fine and Scuderi would be fined. No suspension.

Jonathan Quick is the guy you'll see in net for the Kings. He's been in net for all Kings games, except one loss, (quick math: making him 9-3-2) and is 3-0-2 in his last five. This might be worth keeping on file: In LA's two shootouts (SJ on 10/28, Van on 10/29) Quick has yet to come up with a W. Compare that to Fleury and Johnson, each 2-0 in the shootout this season.

Other names you want to keep an eye on: NHL point-leader Anze Kopitar (11g, 13a), Ryan Smith (8g, 9a), Dustin Brown (4g, 9a) and Drew Doughty (3g, 10a).

Last season the Pens beat the Kings 4-1 in the only regular season matchup between the two.

Puck and thread drop at 10:30. Be there.