SB Nation User Blog: Hockey Beard in SLC

Penguins Recall Forward Mark Letestu

Hockey Beard in SLC — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:35:44 -0000

Penguins Recall Forward Mark Letestu

Bringing up a baby pen for the roadie...lets come back injury free boys.

Free-agency update ... Beat reporter Rob Rossi gives the lowdown on activity between the Penguins...

Hockey Beard in SLC — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:39:19 -0000

Free-agency update ...

Beat reporter Rob Rossi gives the lowdown on activity between the Penguins and their players who can become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday:

LW Ruslan Fedotenko: No offer yet. He is seeking a multi-year deal. Talks will intensify today, though he is leaning toward testing the market.

D Rob Scuderi: Talks will continue today, but Scuderi will test the market. However, his camp will meet with Penguins one last time before making any final decision. He is seeking a multi-year deal.

D Hal Gill: His situation mirrors that for Scuderi.

C Mike Zigomanis: His camp was actively engaged in talks with Shero, and a deal could be reached before Wednesday.

RW Petr Sykora: No offer. However, the Penguins have not ruled out bringing him back.

RW Miroslav Satan: No offer. His return is unlikely. He will test the market.

D Philippe Boucher: No offer. His fate is tied into Scuderi and Gill. He will test the market.

G Mathieu Garon: No offer. He will test the market.

This from the Trib Total Media Headlines

"The President is calling and my phone is running out of batteries and has very little charge."

Hockey Beard in SLC — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:30:02 -0000

"The President is calling and my phone is running out of batteries and has very little charge."

Dan Bylsma reacting to President Obama's congratulatory call.

Versus has some of the best commercials, and this one turned out to be prophetic. Just replace the...

Hockey Beard in SLC — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 01:30:36 -0000

Versus has some of the best commercials, and this one turned out to be prophetic.

Just replace the last shot of Lidstrom hoisting the cup with the one of Sid, Geno, Staal, Flower, or Talbot...or anyone of the Penguins...

Individual Stats for Game 7's

Hockey Beard in SLC — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:39:37 -0000

Saw this as I was watching the NHL Network

Pittsburgh:

4-0 all time on the road in Game 7's

Fedetenko - 4pts (3 G, 1 A) 3 W 0 L

Crosby - 3pts (2 G, 1 A) 1 W 0 L

Dupuis - 3pts (3 G, 0 A) 2 W 0 L

Guerin - 3pts (3 G, 0 A) 3 W 2 L

Malkin - 2pts (0 G, 2 A) 1 W 0 L

Staal - 1pts (1 G, 0 A) 1 W 0 L

Fluery - GAA 2.00, SV% .905, 1 W 0 L

Detroit:

11-4 all time at home in SCF Game 7

Hossa - 3pts (0 G, 3 A) 1 W 3 L

Lidstrom - 3pts (0 G, 3 A) 4 W 2 L

Holmstrom - 2pts (2 G, 0 A) 2 W 0 L

Zetterberg - 2pts (0 G, 2 A) 1 W 0 L

Datsyuk - 2pts (1 G, 1 A) 2 W 0 L

Draper - 1pts (1 G, 0 A) 3 W 1 L

Osgood - GAA 2.33, SV% .903, 2 W 3 L

"Like every kid growing up, you play street hockey, you play in the outdoor rinks and you always...

Hockey Beard in SLC — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:00:21 -0000

"Like every kid growing up, you play street hockey, you play in the outdoor rinks and you always dream of that opportunity. I've watched Game 7 on television and you dream of making it to the NHL, but playing in a Game 7 is something you dream about. We've got an amazing opportunity here."

Sidney Crosby on Game 7

Coach Bylsma on Game 6 "I like it being a defining moment," Bylsma said. "Everyone in that room...

Hockey Beard in SLC — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:23:27 -0000

Coach Bylsma on Game 6

"I like it being a defining moment," Bylsma said. "Everyone in that room should be ready to play their best game and make a difference, by doing what we do as a team. Everyone needs to be ready to have the puck on their stick and make THE play or make THE defensive play or block THE shot or make THE save. That's what we need. We need a defining game."

"We haven't really thought about it too much. We've heard all the chatter about him coming back....

Hockey Beard in SLC — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:05:11 -0000

"We haven't really thought about it too much. We've heard all the chatter about him coming back. It doesn't change anything for us to be honest. Even if he does come back, we all have a lot of respect for the player he is but that being said, I don't know how effective he's going to be if he comes back and he's playing at whatever level he's playing at."

Brooks Orpik on Pavel Datsyuk's return in Game 5

Pavel Datsyuk expected to play in Game 5: Will it hurt or help?

Hockey Beard in SLC — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:57:57 -0000

With the announcement today by Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock that forward, and NHL-MVP candidate, Pavel Datsyuk is expected in the line-up on Saturday for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, a question comes to mind: Will Datsyuk's return help or hinder his team in their quest for a back-to-back championship?

Personally, I don't know what has changed in the last 20-some-odd hours to make Datsyuk's return inevitable for tomorrow. It is also a bit weird for Babcock to come right out and announce yet another line-up change so early before Game 5. I was under the impression that it is a strategic advantage to let the other team stew for as long as possible about your line-up in order to get them to spend time preparing for various different line combinations, in the attempt to get them to waste time. Now, with the proverbial "cat out of the bag", Babcock is setting up Datsyuk to step in as the "knight in shining armor and save [the Red Wings]" as Detroit Goalie Chris Osgood puts it.

In fact, we need to look at Datsyuk's inevitable return as a gamble, one that may ultimately back-fire and give the Penguins just what they and their fan base would go bonkers over; a chance to close out the series and hoist Lord Stanley's Cup in their own house, Mellon Arena.

Datsyuk has a paltry 1 G and 6 A in 13 games played this post-season, hardly inspiring. To compare, lets look at Phillipe Boucher (Pittsburgh Defenseman) who has 1 G and 3 A in 9 games. Perhaps it is unfair to compare the two, considering Datsyuk is one of the 3 candidates for the Hart Memorial Trophy based on his regular season play. But I think we need to look at just what Detroit will be getting out of this line-up change.

We have already seen a line-up change from Game 3 to 4, which resulted in lack-luster play by Detroit's various lines and an overall sense of weariness from the Red Wing bench. Would another change less than 48 hours later provide a better performance? Or would it cause the listing ship to take on more water? Marian Hossa seems to think that Datsyuk's return would help stabilize the team, and re-energize them and their home crowd for Saturday's game. To the media he stated:

"It's always tough when one of the best players can not play," Hossa said. "It would be a huge boost for the team if Pav can play. He couldn't go (in Game 4), and we're still hoping for the next game."

Grasping at straws or is this the Yellow Brick Road that will lead them to the merry land of Lord Stanley again?

With 4 games in 6 nights in the bag, the next 2 will take 5 days to play. But the most important game for both teams will be on Saturday, when one squad will assert themselves firmly in the driverseat headed to the promised land.

Tyler Kennedy on his Game 4 Goal "With centers like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal,...

Hockey Beard in SLC — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:11:07 -0000

Tyler Kennedy on his Game 4 Goal

"With centers like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, you have to learn quickly that after you pass the puck, you go to the net and if you don't put your stick down, you're crazy," Kennedy added. "On the goal, I raced to get the puck and gave it back to Kunny (Chris Kunitz) and then when I headed to the net and Chris gave it to Sid, I knew I had to get my stick down. I knew where the puck was going to go.

"That's all I had to do, because Sid just rang it in off my stick."