Pittsburgh Penguins

[Rehdaun]

Spot on with the stars play like stars comment. Malkin has been decent but hasn't put up numbers anywhere near is average. I thought Kessel's 61 points last year was pathetic. He's on pace for 41 so far this year. He needs to step it up. And then there's Crosby, on pace for 1/2 of his expected output. I still have faith that something will click and that they will turn it around. They aren't so far out race that they can't recover but it's getting harder and harder as the season goes on.

I don't think there's anything anyone can do about the health issue. As long as we have band-aid-boys on the team, the Pens will have above average amount of injuries. Some can't be avoided like Dupuis blood clots but some can. I distinctly remember one of Letang's concussions came from him having his head down while playing the puck in the corner. And he got his clock cleaned for it. Until he adjusts (and I think he did adjust eventually) it will happen again and again.

[Rehdaun]

Not the result anyone wás hoping for. Played well in the 1st and into the 2nd. Sheary scored the first of his career from a great Crosby pass. Pens gave up a shorty to Bergeron about minute into the 2nd. Daley tied it up about a minute later. Even when Eriksson gave the Bruins the go ahead half way though the 2nd I thought the Pens still had a chance.

Boston broke it open in the 3rd with 3 unanswered goals and that was that. Boston 6 Pittsburgh 3.

Sullivan is now 0-3 and the Pens have now lost four straight. No time to dwell on the past. The Pens host the Hurricanes tomorrow night, 7 PM at the Consol Energy Center.

Let's see if the lines get switched up yet again as Sullivan tries to ignite some spark. We should also be seeing Matt Murray make his debut. Maybe he's the spark that the Pens so badly needs.

[Rehdaun]

12/18 Boston Quick Note.

Hornqvist saw some time on Malkin's line EV toward the end of the game with Kessel shifting over to the other wing.

Desperation move? Will it stick?

[Nehithaw]

This is getting rIdiculous, with a capital I.

They will turn things around eventually, we all know it, but it still stings.

Oh, and thanks Rehdaun for the heads-up with the lines yesterday . I had been considering picking up Conor Sheary in the Comish Dynasty for quite some time. I finally picked him after seeing your post and was fortunate enough to do it before he scored a goal and got an assist - one of the guys in the league would surely have picked him up if he was available

[the_faceO_o]

Kessel on the LW? WTF?! Precursor to the Kessel-Crosby-Malkin line I suppose....

12/18 Boston Quick Note.

Hornqvist saw some time on Malkin's line EV toward the end of the game with Kessel shifting over to the other wing.

Desperation move? Will it stick?

[Rehdaun]

Daniel Sprong has been sent back to juniors. Scott Wilson has been brought up. It wasn't that they were playing Sprong that much anyway. They shouldn't have keep him up this long IMO.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/p...s/201512190127

[Rehdaun]

Canes 2 Pens 1. All three power play goals. Another loss but at least it wasn't a blowout. Carolina put up two in the first with Pittsburgh answering early in the second. Even though they lost, the Penguins played well.

Both top lines were noticeable, with the Malkin-Kessel-Hornqvist line driving possession. Malkin looked hungry out there. Murray had a nice showing in his debut stopping 24. He looked calm and cool in net.

Next game Columbus @ Consol on December 21. Last game before the holiday break.

[Rehdaun]

12/20 Practice Notes:


Letang back skating, in a no contact jersey. Crosby missing from practice, listed as day-to-day.

Lines with Crosby absent...
Hornqvist-Malkin-Sheary
Kunitz-Bonino-Kessel
Perron-Cullen-Wilson
Plotnikov-Fehr-Porter

[Rehdaun]

Bryan Rust called up yesterday.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/p...s/201512200229

Crosby out tonight.
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/678969770520145920

Murray gets the start.
https://twitter.com/penguins/status/678972169544536064

[Rehdaun]

Looks like game lines are relatively unchanged from practice. From warm-ups.

PATRIC HORNQVIST	EVGENI MALKIN	CONOR SHEARY
CHRIS KUNITZ	NICK BONINO	PHIL KESSEL
DAVID PERRON	MATT CULLEN	SCOTT WILSON
SERGEI PLOTNIKOV	ERIC FEHR	KEVIN PORTER

BRIAN DUMOULIN	BEN LOVEJOY
OLLI MAATTA	TREVOR DALEY
DAVID WARSOFSKY	ADAM CLENDENING

[Rehdaun]

12/21 Columbus @ Pittsburgh Game Notes

Pens WIN! One in a row! Pittsburgh 5, Columbus 2. Sullivan gets his first win. Murray gets his first win.

Malkin got the Pens scoring started with a power play goal in the second. Bonino assisted on both Kessel's goals, both in the second. Warsofsky scored his first, a power play goal at the end of the second. A Malkin empty netter closed it out.

Small scare in the second with a knee on knee between Boone Jenner and Evgeni Malkin. Malkin briefly left but returned later in the period. Looked in pain when he left but looked fine after coming back.

The Kessel-Bonino duo looked dangerous
Malkin was Malkin
Murray looked solid in net
Crosby was out with a lower body injury

[Rehdaun]

Pittsburgh @ Minnesota Pregame notes

Crosby and Letang set to return.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/p...s/201512260093

Murray starts
https://twitter.com/MolinariPG/statu...11632600064004

Scott Wilson, tied for the AHL lead in goals with 15, was brought back up from the baby Pens. He looks to be on the third line with Bonino and Kessel.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/p...s/201512260091

The duo of Bonino-Kessel looked great last game. Kunitz looked a little invisible in my opinion. Kunitz moves back to L1 with Crosby and Perron while Wilson takes his spot.

Morning skate lines

CHRIS KUNITZ	SIDNEY CROSBY	DAVID PERRON
CONOR SHEARY	EVGENI MALKIN	PATRIC HORNQVIST
SCOTT WILSON	NICK BONINO	PHIL KESSEL
KEVIN PORTER	MATT CULLEN	ERIC FEHR

BRIAN DUMOULIN	BEN LOVEJOY
OLLI MAATTA	KRIS LETANG
TREVOR DALEY	IAN COLE

[stotan]

Anyone else's ESPN showing no stats for Murray on their roster, even though he is in fact starting?

[Rehdaun]

Pittsburgh @ Minnesota Postgame notes

Pittsburgh 3 Minnesota 1

Murray looked solid with 23 saves on 24 shots. Allowed Zucker his ninth in the second.
The time off for Crosby seemed to do him good. He was all over the ice. Got the scoring started in the second and added an assist on Hornqvist's goal also in the second.
Nice to see Hornqvist get the monkey off his back. First goal since December 2.
A scare about 3 minutes into the third with an illegal hit to Letang's chin. Letang left the ice, took and passed concussion protocol. Missed only a few shift.
The Pens came out strong with 11-4 and 16-8 shot differential in the first two periods.
Fehr scored his fourth.

All in all it was a strong game by Pittsburgh.

Next game, tomorrow in Winnipeg 8PM.

[Rehdaun]

Pittsburgh @ Winnipeg Postgame notes

Winnipeg 1 Pittsburgh 0

No Letang. Held out of the game due to precautionary reasons. Said he wasn't feeling well. Might be because of the hit to the chin last night.
Lines were similar to last nights to start the game. Porter dropped to the fourth line as Plotnikov draws into the lineup on the Bonino-Kessel line.
Goaltending was excellent on both sides with Zatkoff giving up a penalty shot to Little in the first.
Tight play for most of the game, opening up a little in the third.

Interesting top-6 toward the end of the game with Pittsburgh shortening up the benches.

Malkin	Crosby	Hornqvist
Kunitz	Bonino	Kessel