Penguins 2008 Preseason Thread

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08264/913645-61.stm

The Penguins have their preseason opener vs. Tampa Bay Lightning 7:38 p.m. tonight in Mellon Arena.

Eric Godard stood before his stall in the Penguins' locker room yesterday and, blood seeping from a gash over his right eye, pondered a fairly straightforward question:

Does he, as one of the league's more accomplished heavyweights, find it to be more fun to win a fight or to score a goal?

His answer came quickly. And rather emphatically.

"Scoring a goal gets you pretty excited," Godard said, smiling. "Because it doesn't happen as much."

Truth be told, it's not even close.

Godard, who is scheduled to be in the lineup when the Penguins face Tampa Bay at 7:38 p.m. today in their preseason opener at Mellon Arena, has appeared in 200 regular-season NHL games. In that time, he has three goals, five assists and unofficially 49 fights. Twenty-one -- 10th-highest total in the league -- came last season, when he played for Calgary.

The Penguins signed Godard, 28, as an unrestricted free agent in July after deciding they were unable, or unwilling, to spend the money required to retain enforcer Georges Laraque, who subsequently went to Montreal.

Laraque is widely regarded as the premier heavyweight in the league, but Godard -- who cracks the top 10 on most lists, and the top five on many -- said he feels no additional pressure because of who he is replacing.

"I'm aware of who was here and stuff like that, but I'm not here to fill his shoes," he said. "I'm here to fill my role on this team. Everyone has to have a certain role and do it for the team to be successful."

Godard, it should be noted, handles his duties with great, uh, enthusiasm, which is not the case with Laraque.

Proficient a fighter as he is -- and make no mistake, he could one-punch a rhinoceros -- Laraque has an aloof, almost scholarly, approach to that aspect of his job. Most of the time, he fights only when there is no option (that's why wise opponents almost always make certain he has one) and recoils at the thought of trading punches with anyone from outside his weight class.

But while Laraque's actions often appear to be governed by a code rooted in the Marquess of Queensberry rules, Godard often executes his duties with a nasty edge that wouldn't be out of place in an alley brawl.

"He's got meanness to him," general manager Ray Shero said.

Godard was bloodied during the training-camp scrimmage yesterday, but his wound was caused by a stick, not a fist.

Although Godard doesn't have to worry about proving himself to his new bosses -- "Our people have always liked him," Shero said -- he believes that there are some benefits to having a fight or two before the regular season begins.

"You have to get in a few to get the feeling back," he said. "Nothing gets you in shape quite like a good scrap."

NOTES -- The Penguins pared their training-camp roster to 42 by sending forwards Luca Caputi, Joe Haddad, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu and defenseman Jonathan D'Aversa to their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, and defenseman Alex Grant (St. John's) and forwards Keven Veilleux (Rimouski) and Casey Pierro-Zabotel (Vancouver) to their junior teams. ... In addition to Godard, the Penguins' lineup tonight is scheduled to include forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pascal Dupuis, Jordan Staal, Janne Pesonen, Ryan Stone, Kris Beech, Jeff Taffe, Miroslav Satan, Petr Sykora and Bill Thomas, defensemen Sergei Gonchar, Ben Lovejoy, Alex Goligoski, Brooks Orpik, Mark Eaton and Darryl Sydor and goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and Dany Sabourin.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

Since I'm catching up on what I've missed so far, these next few articles will be in reverse chronological order

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08263/913397-61.stm

Penguins Training Camp: Eaton aims to shed the injury bug
Defenseman, paired with attacker Letang, seeks to prove himself

For the rest of his teammates, the offseason started late and ended quickly. But summer came in February for Mark Eaton.

That's what happens when you have surgery in mid-winter and find yourself staring at a long, lonely stretch of time with no hockey.

"In February, I started my summer program," the defenseman said yesterday after the Penguins went through their second day of training camp.

It has been nearly nine months since Boston's Marco Sturm knocked Eaton's feet out from under him, leaving him with a torn ligament in his right knee and halting his season at 36 games.

The added insult is that it was the second year in a row that Eaton had a curtailed season because of an injury that required surgery. He played in 35 games in 2006-07, his first season with the Penguins, after an early-season check into the boards by San Jose's Jonathan Cheechoo left him with a dislocated left wrist that required repair.

"Two seasons, questionable plays, and just awful injuries," Eaton said. "You could use the word 'snakebitten' a little bit. Hopefully, I've used all that bad luck up."

Eaton, 31, became an unrestricted free agent July 1 but immediately re-signed with the Penguins for three years at $2 million per season, an indication that those running the organization are optimistic it won't happen three seasons in a row.

"The last two years have been very frustrating," he said. "Prior to my first year here, injuries weren't really too much of an issue with me. It's just snowballed the last couple years."

Eaton displays qualities that seem to make it worth the gamble, including those that don't show up in his totals of 16 goals and 53 points over his NHL career.

He is a prototypical defensive defenseman who excels at blocking shots and killing penalties. When he got hurt last season, he had been even or plus in plus-minus rating in 28 of 36 games and led the Penguins with 89 blocked shots.

A year ago, Eaton worked with then-rookie Kris Letang in training camp but eventually became a regular partner with Sergei Gonchar.

After Eaton got hurt, Brooks Orpik settled in as a good match with Gonchar, so Eaton is back with Letang at camp.

"I can already notice a difference in how his game has matured," Eaton said of Letang. "I think it's a good pairing for us. He can do his thing offensively and know that I'm back there."

Letang also finds the pairing effective.

"We have good chemistry after two scrimmages," he said. "I'm the guy who's going to move the puck, try to join the rush and create some offense. He's good at blocking the puck, staying at home, playing defensively. He can hit, too."

After playing in less than the equivalent of one full NHL season over the past two campaigns, Eaton expected some rust.

"It's been a long time," he said. "It's one of those bittersweet things. I've been looking forward to it for nine months, but, on the other side of it, you know it's going to be tough because it's been nine months."

He added that he feels "better than I thought. The knee is not an issue."

At one point, Eaton said he hoped to get back during the playoffs if the Penguins made a long run, which they did, advancing to the sixth game of the Stanley Cup final before losing to Detroit.

But he got a red light in terms of trying to help in the postseason.

"When I got the surgery, that was kind of my intention -- to rehab as hard as I can and try and get back if they were able to make a long run," Eaton said. "I kind of left it in the doctor's hands, and I guess somebody had to be the voice of reason."

So he continued to work out and watch. He was included in team travel during the playoffs, but that didn't make sitting out a lot easier.

"That hurt more than the injury," said Eaton, who is 16 games shy of 400 for his NHL career, which began with Philadelphia but primarily was spent with Nashville before he signed with the Penguins as a free agent.

Although the team is without Ryan Whitney for at least a couple more months after foot surgery, the defensive group is intact from last season with an extra body or two.

That leaves Eaton feeling that he's got to prove himself the way he did when he was breaking into the league.

"I felt like a rookie again coming in here with the nerves," he said. "But I just worry about playing. I'll let the coaches and management worry about playing time and all that."
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08263/913396-61.stm

Penguins Notebook: Malkin addresses fans ... in English

Sure, general manager Ray Shero got a standing ovation, and center Sidney Crosby had the girls screaming.

But the real treat during the Penguins' Town Hall Meeting last night at Mellon Arena was Russian center Evgeni Malkin addressing the crowd of several thousand in English.

"Hi, people," he said, then answered a question posed to the six players on the stage about their favorite moment from the team's playoff run last spring.

"I think it's Petr Sykora scoring in the third overtime," Malkin said of the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final in Detroit.

Also during the hour-long program, CEO Ken Sawyer showed slides of artist renderings of the new arena being built across the street, president David Morehouse said the season-ticket waiting list was up to more than 2,000 accounts representing more than 5,000 seats, and center Max Talbot showed off his best runway strut.

The other players appearing were goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and defensemen Brooks Orpik and Ryan Whitney, who said he hopes to be back from foot surgery in December.

It was the third year the Penguins held the pep rally for season-ticket holders.

Therrien takes his lumps

Penguins coach Michel Therrien was in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday when 6-foot-5 forward Keven Veilleux lost an edge during the final practice of the day at training camp.

When Veilleux fell, he knocked down Therrien, who left the ice. The coach returned later, looking stiff and sore, and apparently has painful bruised ribs.

Slap shots

Forwards Jonathan Filewich, Ryan Stone, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Joe Haddad and Veilleux, and defensemen Jonathan D'Aversa practiced but were held out of the daily scrimmage so the staff could take a look at other prospects. ... Rob Scuderi sat out yesterday's activities because of bruised ribs. ... Camp again is open to the public today. The first practice is at 9 a.m.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08262/913046-61.stm

Finnish newcomer Janne Pesonen will be one of the most watched and studied players on the ice over the next week.

Penguins Training Camp: Pesonen's first goal: Prove he belongs in NHL

Janne Pesonen isn't the most-gifted player in the Penguins' training camp. Or the most celebrated. Or the most promising.

But he just might be the most-scrutinized guy there over the next week or so.

Mostly because no one knows where, if at all, he will fit into the franchise's plans.

It could be that, when the Penguins start the regular season Oct. 4, Pesonen will be logging quality minutes on one of their top two lines. It's also possible that when they fly to Stockholm for the opener, he'll be on a bus to Wilkes-Barre, preparing to making his North American debut in the American Hockey League.

Is he destined for stardom? To become a minor footnote in franchise history -- Rob Dopson or Harry York, anyone? -- by midseason? To have a decent, but unremarkable, career at this level?

"It's way too early to decide anything," general manager Ray Shero said yesterday, after watching the first round of training-camp workouts.

This much, however, is apparent: The potential rewards of signing Pesonen are considerably higher than the risks. He has a two-way contract, which means he will earn a significantly reduced salary if he plays in Wilkes-Barre.

Pesonen's game, built on skating and skill, seems best suited to a top-six role, but he played left wing with Jeff Taffe and Tyler Kennedy yesterday on what looked suspiciously like a fourth line.

He got the attention of management, and the hundreds of fans who attended the workout, with his speed. It was particularly evident when he split two defensemen for a breakaway in the mid-practice scrimmage, although goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and bumpy ice conspired to prevent him from scoring.

That didn't seem to upset the front office much -- "I've seen Fleury stop Jeff Carter on a breakaway, too," Shero said -- but Pesonen clearly was unhappy that he failed to convert that opportunity.

"Don't even ask," he said, smiling. "I love scoring goals and helping my team to win games. You want to score if you get a chance."

That is a subject on which Pesonen is qualified to speak. At length.

He did, after all, accumulate 34 goals and 44 assists in 56 games with Karpat in the SM-Liiga, Finland's top league, last winter.

"He looks to be a smart player," Shero said. "He's around the puck."

If Pesonen's game proves to be as impressive as his command of English -- he credits that to his schooling and interaction with former teammates who speak the language -- he will be a major contributor this season.

The transition to the NHL can be difficult, though, in part because the playing surface here is smaller than in Europe. That not only leads to more hitting, but can change the time and shooting angles an attacking player has.

Pesonen insists the smaller ice doesn't bother him -- "You can feel more in the game when you get hit," he said. "Last spring, I played a couple of games in smaller rinks, and I liked it" -- but it remains to be seen whether scoring goals will be more difficult for him here.

Pesonen said that, although he played the left side the past few seasons, he worked extensively on the right before that, so he has no qualms about playing either wing.

That kind of versatility should work to his advantage. Same with the commitment he showed, at age 26, by leaving his homeland to seek a higher level of competition.

"It's a great challenge for me," he said. "I've had a few great seasons in Europe. This is a good chance to come here. It's everybody's dream to play in the NHL someday, and I took the challenge now."

And he's doing it here, Pesonen said, because the Penguins were the best fit for his skills.

"There were a couple of other [offers from NHL clubs, but] it was obvious that I was going to come here because they wanted me," Pesonen said. "There couldn't be a better team for me in the NHL right now than the Penguins."

NOTES -- Right winger Miroslav Satan, playing alongside Sidney Crosby, scored two goals in the White team's 3-1 scrimmage victory. Max Talbot got the other White goal while Jordan Staal, working on Evgeni Malkin's left wing, scored for Black. ... Paul Bissonnette, drafted as a defenseman, skated on left wing and projects to play there in the American and National leagues, assistant general manager Chuck Fletcher said. ... Winger Luca Caputi (hip) was held out of the scrimmage, but participated in drills.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08261/912703-61.stm

Penguins Training Camp: It's new, strange world for Satan

His instructions were to go across the street, but, when Miroslav Satan emerged from the sports medicine building of the UPMC complex on the South Side, the only thing on the other side of Water Street was water -- the Monongahela River.

So, he turned left. Nope. Just a parking lot. Finally, he got directed to the right, to the workout area of the indoor football facility.

At least he got an inkling of how difficult it can be to navigate in his new NHL city.

There's every chance things will go more smoothly when Satan joins the Penguins for the first training camp practices today at Mellon Arena.

"Hopefully, I can fulfill everybody's expectations," Satan said yesterday as the team was finishing up its preseason physicals and medical tests.

Those expectations run fairly high for Satan, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract as a free agent over the summer.

For one thing, Satan is penciled in as the replacement for Marian Hossa, who signed with Detroit. That makes him the top candidate to be the new right winger for captain and top-line center Sidney Crosby. Coach Michel Therrien has said Satan will see time on that line.

"I'm looking forward to it," Satan said, but he was at a loss to predict exactly what that will be like.

"I'll be happy to tell you more after [I skate or play with him some], but there's not too many players like him. I don't think I've had the chance to play with a center of that quality."

Crosby, entering his fourth NHL season, has had a parade of linemates. He has found there's no real secret to developing good chemistry with different wingers.

"It's always a matter of playing to your strengths," he said. "When guys are put together, it's for a reason. Usually the way they play complements each other. It's a matter of just playing with one another, getting used to tendencies."

In Hossa, Crosby had a winger who, like him, worked diligently at both ends. Satan is more of a pure scorer.

"He's a shooter. He's a goal-scorer," Crosby said. "There's no secret that he knows where to go. My job doesn't change. I'm usually the one passing, so I have to find him."

Satan, 33, isn't sure his ability -- or at least his willingness -- to backcheck is fully appreciated.

"I played in Buffalo for many years, and I think we had a good defensive [system] in place," he said. "Any system we'll have here, I'll feel it out and do the best I can. I think I showed in the past that I can play both ways and on the [penalty kill] also."

Satan spent the past three seasons with the New York Islanders, where he wasn't surrounded by the skill the Penguins have.

Last season, he scored only 16 goals, to go along with 25 assists for 41 points.

That broke a string of nine NHL seasons in which he had at least 25 goals and 45 points. He has topped 30 goals four times and 60 points six times.

It could be that Satan just had an off year, one made worse by a right knee injury that, while it didn't force him out of the lineup for an extended time, bothered him enough that he had just one goal between late December and late February.

Or perhaps it was a matter of getting caught in the web of a struggling team. The Islanders had a league-low 189 goals last season and finished last in the Atlantic Division.

"Probably a combination of both," Satan said.

"Last year was last year. It wasn't my good year, and I'm looking forward to turning the page and playing with this team. Hopefully, this style here is going to fit me more."
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

If Satan can regain his old form, he can certainly make up more than 50% of what Hossa brought at half the price. I'm looking forward to seeing him on the line with Crosby

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_589176.html

The joke making the rounds at the Penguins' pre-training camp golf outing Monday was that something must be wrong.

Why else would coach Michael Therrien be smiling?

That's a side of Iron Mike his players don't often see, but as Season 4 of the Therrien Era gets set to commence (Season 4 counting his 51-game relief stint behind the bench in 2005-06), a truce of sorts has seemingly been achieved.

story continues below

The players have come to accept Therrien's tough-guy methods as a means to an end.

And Therrien has apparently eased up just a bit on the tough love, either because he sensed that he needed to or because in the second half of last season and in the playoffs, there just wasn't that much to complain about.

The Penguins' coach-player relationship works well enough that the standard speculation about how long Therrien will last doesn't apply this time.

These Penguins know who they are, where they want to go and how they intend to get there.

The rabbit they'll be chasing is the same one they gamely stalked in last season's Stanley Cup final.

The Detroit Red Wings remain the standard, in part because of their array of talent but mostly because of the way that talent has committed to playing its system and the consistency that's been achieved as a result.

The Red Wings employ not only some of the best players in the world but some of the most committed.

The good news entering 2008-09 is the Penguins do, too.

They've had their share of world-class players more often than not since the mid-to-late 1980s. But in good times or bad there was always a country-club atmosphere permeating the operation in the years that Mario Lemieux wore a sweater. Sometimes the Penguins won in spite of that. Other times, they couldn't overcome it.

But in the new NHL, with the balance that's been achieved in the salary-cap/free-agency era, structure and discipline have become as significant as speed and play-making.

The Penguins lacked all of the above when Therrien took over, and he was more than willing to break as many eggs as necessary while attempting to turn the inherited residue into an omelet.

The transition wasn't what you would call smooth, but the results have made the bumpy ride worthwhile.

The Penguins began accepting Therrien's system-first approach in the second half of 2006-07.

And they became really good at playing it on a nightly basis late in 2007-08, to the extent that they now resemble the Red Wings team they pushed to six games with the Cup at stake last spring, the last four of which were decided by just one goal.

The Pens will attempt to take the final step this season operating under a dynamic of mutual understanding.

The players realize Therrien's methods are ultimately designed, not to belittle them but to make them better players and the Penguins a better team.

And Therrien is more convinced than ever that the players care.

No wonder he succumbed to those out-of-character smiles Monday.

Based on the potential of this year's bunch, the act could become habit-forming.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_589156.html

They're headed in different directions, and goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury and Dany Sabourin know it.

"A lot of places he could be (in the mix) for No. 1," Fleury said of Sabourin, who won 10 games for the Penguins last season despite not playing after Feb. 21 due to Fleury's superb performance upon returning from a right high ankle sprain.

"I'd love to see that for him. But I'm here, you know."

Sabourin, indeed, knows that Fleury, who signed a seven-year contract worth $35 million over the summer, is the Penguins' goaltender of today and many tomorrows.

That is the main reason what he calls "the obvious" is so difficult to face, especially given the close bond he shares with Fleury, a fellow French-Canadian speaking goaltender.

"The obvious thing is (the Penguins) have committed to 'Flower' for seven years, and that's a long time," said Sabourin, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. "I'm 28, and it's in the back of my mind for sure. In my mind, I can be a No. 1. That's my goal.

"I'd be happy to come back here, but I don't want to be a backup. My goal is to be No. 1. That's what I'm looking for."

The Penguins are left with little choice but to groom Sabourin's potential replacement, especially if he seeks a significant raise on his $525,000 salary.

John Curry, the organization's No. 3 goalie after a standout first professional year with AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season, likely can be retained next season for a cost similar to Sabourin's current salary. But Curry, despite a 24-12-3 record and 2.83 goals-against average last season, is no Sabourin, goaltending coach Gilles Meloche said.

"We have a real luxury with Dany, and I'm not sure a lot of people see it that way, but it's true," Meloche said. "People forget he won 10 games last season. He played two games -- at Montreal (31 saves in a 2-0 win Jan. 19) and at Vancouver (35 saves in a 2-1 win Dec. 8, 2007) -- that, I told him, were two of the best games I've seen any goaltender play.

"He knows what it takes, mentally, to play in this league. He has the talent (to be a No. 1). Technically, he's as sound as any goalie in this league. He still has a chance.

"But he also knows that every game he plays this year, he's playing for his career."

Fleury, who at 23 and coming off an inspired playoff run (14-6, 1.97 GAA) has finally become the goaltender the Penguins envisioned upon choosing him first overall at the 2003 entry draft, said Sabourin is "probably my best teacher."

"I look up to him," Fleury said. "It's the hardest job - to not play a lot and be good when you do. I'm not so good at it. Dany has been good at it since (the AHL).

"It's because he's so good technically. He's better than me. He's never out of position. That's why he's so reliable when he comes in after not playing a lot. He comes in, and the pucks hit him square. And his mind is always right. Everybody can count on him because he's good at being prepared.

"I really look up to him."

But Sabourin is the goalie looking up at Fleury on the depth chart...

"And that's not going to change. 'Flower' is one of the best," Sabourin said. "I don't want to be a backup forever, even for him. I'll try to have the best season I can, day by day. That's my job on this team.

"But I want to be somebody's 'Flower.'"
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_589152.html

• Defenseman Rob Scuderi (bruised ribs) did not participate in training camp for a second consecutive day. The Penguins provided no timeframe for his return. Scuderi did not speak with the media Friday. He last practiced Wednesday and was paired with Hal Gill. The Penguins opened camp already down a regular defenseman -- Ryan Whitney, who is expected to miss at least three months after offseason surgery to correct a left-foot deformity.

• Left wing Luca Caputi, the organization's No. 2 prospect, had termed the possibility of playing in the Penguins' exhibition opener tonight at Mellon Arena a "dream come true." But Caputi was one of six prospects assigned to AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton yesterday. He was joined by forwards Joe Haddad, Dustin Jeffrey, Nick Johnson and Mark Letestu, and defenseman Jonathan D'Aversa. The Penguins also returned forwards Keven Veilleux and Casey Pierro-Zabotel, and defenseman Alex Grant to their respective junior clubs.

• Centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will play against Tampa Bay tonight (7:30 p.m.). Additionally, fans will get a first look at notable free-agent additions Miroslav Satan, Janne Pesonen and Eric Godard. Top prospect defenseman Alex Goligoski will dress, as will forward Bill Thomas, a Fox Chapel High School graduate. Tampa Bay forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts, members of the Penguins' Cup finalists, did not travel with the Lightning for the game.

Digits

11 -- Full-squad practices the Penguins will have before their regular-season opener against Ottawa in Stockholm on Oct. 4

42 -- Players remaining in camp after yesterday's roster moves
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/chippediceblog/

The Orpik Endorsement
Posted September 19, 2008 9 :52 AM

Some thoughts from Day 3 of training camp:

*With every passing drill, it becomes more obvious that defenseman Brooks Orpik has become a clear leader for the Penguins. Not that coach Michel Therrien makes habit of taking our advice, but if there is a better candidate for an alternate captain, we don’t know of one.

*On that very subject, though, we have a thought, and it may surprise you. But before we share, we would love to know which current player you think should join defenseman Sergei Gonchar as an alternate to captain Sidney Crosby?
Click to expand...

A healthy start
Posted September 16, 2008 12 :28 PM

Chipped Ice reports no pressing problems Tuesday during the Penguins’ individual physicals. In fact, mostly all players proclaimed themselves rested and ready to go despite the shortest hockey offseason in franchise history.

Some examination day quick hits:

*Defenseman Ryan Whitney, out until at least January following August surgery to correct a left foot deformity, said he is pleased with the first month of post-procedure progress. Whitney added that second-year defenseman Kris Letang is ready to assume more offensive responsibilities as his potential off-point replacement on the first power-play unit.

*Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury joins many teammates haunted by reminders of the Penguins’ loss in the Stanley Cup final. Fleury said he tried to avoid TV and newspapers in his native Quebec province due to reports of various Canadian-born players’ “Cup Day.” Fleury joked that he had to be especially careful during friendly chats, as many friends made habit of asking too often how he felt about the final defeat.

*Defenseman Brooks Orpik, sounding more and more like an ideal alternate captain candidate, insisted that newcomers will have any easy time fitting in with the Penguins’ nucleus. “We’ll bring them along,” Orpik said. “It’s not even a concern.”
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589153.html

Burning question: How many starts are too many for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury?

Breakdown: Fleury, 23, signed a seven-year contract worth $35 million over the summer, and the Penguins expect him to carry the goaltending load. His career-high in appearances was 67 in 2006-07, when he won 40 games.

PuckSpeak: "It's tough. When you are used to playing a lot, you kind of forget how many games you've played. You just play every night. All I want to do is play good. I'm not worried about how many (games). Maybe 82 is too much. But it's a long season, and you want to be fresh for the playoffs. So you think about that." -- goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury

Looking ahead: A rash of hip injuries for goaltenders in recent years may have clubs' reconsidering how often to ride the No. 1 goalie. Penguins goaltending coach Gilles Meloche endorses pause for thought on that subject.

"Those hip injuries, especially with the (butterfly) style, could be a result of all those games," said Meloche, a goaltending veteran of 788 NHL games. "Technically, that style is tough on the knees and hips. It's something to think about."

Meloche said the durability of New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur, who has appeared in no fewer than 70 games in each of the past 10 seasons, should not be the standard for any franchise's treatment of a No. 1 goaltender.

"He plays more of a stand-up style," Meloche said. "That makes a big difference. It doesn't wear on a goalie as much."

Meloche said he is unsure how many games Fleury will play this season.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589007.html

Penguins center Max Talbot is known as a clutch player on the ice.

But in the locker room, he has another reputation.

"He's a goofball," goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. "The guy is funny. He's always making me laugh."

Off the ice and on it, Talbot knows how to have fun. He doesn't feel pressure -- he thrives off it. His game-tying goal with 34.3 seconds left in regulation to send Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final into overtime is a perfect example.

"I've always been a clutch player," Talbot said. "I hate to say it. I don't want to sound cocky. My mindset is, when we're down a goal or we need to win, I just get more into it, and you kind of know you're gonna get it."

There could be more of those game-breaking plays in store for Talbot, particularly because he arrived at camp healthy. Talbot suffered a high-ankle sprain last December and was bothered by the injury all season. Talbot didn't make excuses, though.

"Whatever little injury you have, it doesn't matter in the end," he said. "You still have to perform."

Even though Talbot won't blame the nagging injury for his decrease in production in the second half of the season, the numbers say it all. In 24 games prior to the injury, Talbot recorded 11 points, including seven goals. Following the injury, Talbot recorded just five goals and 10 assists throughout the remainder of the regular season.

Talbot took off just three weeks in the offseason and focused on returning to camp at full strength. By the beginning of August, he started to feel 100 percent.

"It was a priority for me to come back here healthy," he said. "It was a short offseason to try to heal everything."

Talbot, who enters the final year of his four-year contract with the Penguins, said his level of play won't change.

"Whatever year you're at, you still need to do your best every day," Talbot said. "You don't play for yourself. You play for the team."

Talbot played a key role on the Penguins' third line last season. He also filled in sparingly on the first or second lines.

"I think when we were successful last year is when the third and fourth lines were (scoring)," he said. "Hopefully, the third line can do that this year, and when some guys are hurt or something I can always jump on that first or second line. I love taking more responsibility."

Penguins coach Michel Therrien seems to be thinking similarly.

"You have to consider Max," Therrien said. "He's really improved a lot. He's ready to be a top-three line guy."

Talbot's role won't only increase on the ice. His teammates depend on him just as much in the locker room.

"There's not a dull moment with Max," Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. "He's full of energy. He plays that way on the ice, and that's what we saw (Thursday). It's always a bonus in your dressing room when you have someone upbeat like that."

For Talbot, having fun comes natural.

"I like to keep it loose," Talbot said. "Every day you show up at the rink, you feel fortunate."
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_588842.html

Another article on Pesonen

If Finnish forward Janne Pesonen is what he claims - a guy who likes "challenges ... going to the net ... a fighting spirit who (works) hard" - he might prove to be one of general manager Ray Shero's shrewdest acquisitions.

Not that Shero will crave even slight credit if Pesonen's star shines as brightly as it did in the Finnish Elite League, where last season he was the dominant offensive player (34 goals, 78 points) for champion Oulu Karpat.

"I've never seen him play," Shero said Wednesday before Pesonen took the ice at Mellon Arena for a late-morning practice on the opening day of training camp. "I'm as interested as anybody."

Anybody includes increasingly rabid Penguins fans, about a thousand of which attended practice yesterday - many, no doubt, wanting to see if Pesonen's act played as impressive in person as it does on YouTube.com.

"My buddies have sent me those (Internet video links)," Pesonen said. "You'll have to ask them about that."

Assistant general manager Chuck Fletcher didn't need the World Wide Web to scout Pesonen.

In fact, Pesonen is with the Penguins - on a one-year, two-way contract, as is mandatory according to the collective bargaining agreement - because Fletcher is one of his greatest fans.

Fletcher served as Anaheim's assistant general manager from 2002-06, and the Ducks selected Pesonen as the 269th pick in the ninth round at the 2004 entry draft.

Pesonen said Anaheim was not a good fit, but the Penguins may be a different story. The Penguins lost first-, second- and third-line wingers over the summer as forwards Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone and Jarkko Ruutu signed elsewhere as free agents.

Even though they added forwards Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko and Matte Cooke as replacements, Fletcher and European scout Patrik Allvin sold Shero on signing Pesonen ($875,000), who was fielding offers from other NHL clubs.

"He's not an 18- or 19-year-old kid trying to find his way," Fletcher said of Pesonen, 26. "There's not a lot of risk because, clearly, he has the skill to be successful (in the NHL). I've thought that for a long time, and talking to Janne, he's ready for the challenge of proving himself against top competition."

Pesonen averaged 0.77 points per game over parts of six seasons in the Finnish Elite League.

The Penguins dare not pencil him onto their season-opening roster, let alone for a spot on one of the scoring lines anchored by centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But coach Michel Therrien liked what he witnessed from Pesonen yesterday.

"I thought he looked pretty good," said Therrien, who lauded Pesonen's speed, conditioning and puck positioning. "But the exhibition games will give us a better look."

Pesonen skated at left wing on a line with forwards Jeff Taffe and Tyler Kennedy during an intrasquad scrimmage yesterday. He did not appear bothered by the comparatively smaller NHL ice surface or physical nature of North American hockey.

Pesonen spoke confidently of carving an identity as a European who plays like a North American, but he also acknowledged the difficult transition that awaits.

"It's the biggest challenge I can imagine," Pesonen said.

Pesonen, a four-time champion with Karpat and the 2007 playoff MVP, said he is not opposed to learning the finer points of the North American game in the AHL.

"Whatever it takes," said Pesonen, who need not clear waivers to play in the AHL. "I want to win games and be at a top level. If it's not open in the beginning of the season, maybe it's open a little bit later."
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 20, 2008

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

<table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr style="font-weight: bold;" align="center"><td colspan="4" rowspan="1">Everybody form a line</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4" rowspan="1">Notable forward lines and defense pairings deployed by the Penguins during an intrasquad scrimmage on the first day of training camp:</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Category</td> <td>Left wing</td> <td>Center</td> <td>Right wing</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring line 1</td> <td>Pascal Dupuis</td> <td>Sidney Crosby</td> <td>Miroslav Satan*</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring line 2</td> <td>Jordan Staal</td> <td>Evgeni Malkin</td> <td>Petr Sykora</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Scoring line 3</td> <td>Ruslan Fedotenko*</td> <td>Max Talbot</td> <td>Matt Cooke*</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Checking line</td> <td>Janne Pesonen*</td> <td>Jeff Taffe</td> <td>Tyler Kennedy</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4" rowspan="1">*Free-agent addition</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Category</td> <td>Players</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Defense pair 1</td> <td>Brooks Orpik, Sergei Gonchar</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Defense pair 2</td> <td>Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Defense pair 3</td> <td>Kris Letang, Mark Eaton</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Defense pair 4</td> <td>Darryl Sydor, Alex Goligoski</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td></tr></tbody></table>

Universe · Sep 20, 2008

I can't wait to see Satan retain somewhat of his previous form. He was so talented so it will be neat to see if he's got it in him still.

cpawfan · Sep 21, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08265/913957-61.stm

Gonchar hurt in 1st period
Defenseman has shoulder injury

A few months ago, the Penguins had a surplus of NHL-caliber defensemen.

If they keep losing them at the current pace, however, they might end up holding open auditions to fill jobs on their blue line before much longer.

Sergei Gonchar joined the list of injured defensemen early in the Penguins' 5-4 shootout loss to Tampa Bay in their exhibition opener at Mellon Arena last night, courtesy of a hit by former Penguins farmhand David Koci.

Gonchar, whose left shoulder appeared to take the brunt of Koci's check near the right-wing corner in the Penguins' zone, went to the bench and, after spending a few minutes there, adjourned to the locker room and did not return.

There was no immediate word on the precise nature or severity of his injury, although a separation is possible. Gonchar is expected to be evaluated today and might undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging examination early this week.

Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik, voicing a sentiment expressed by several teammates, said "the hit was a little late," but that seemed to be a minority opinion.

"Koci finished his check," coach Michel Therrien said. "He was a presence out there."

Gonchar is the Penguins' top defenseman -- "He's the leader on the back end," Orpik said -- and is the third player at his position the Penguins have lost of late.

Ryan Whitney is expected to be out until December because of foot surgery and Rob Scuderi hasn't skated since Wednesday because of a hip injury, although team officials say his problem does not appear to be serious.

If Gonchar is unable to play for an extended period, it likely will enhance the chances that Alex Goligoski will open the season in the NHL.

"It's tough, especially before the season, to have guys like [those] going down," Goligoski said. "Those are top-minute guys."

Management is convinced that Goligoski is ready to be a regular at this level, but he does not need to clear waivers to go to the American Hockey League and adding him to the payroll would nudge the Penguins closer to the NHL's salary-cap ceiling.

Not long after Gonchar left, Eric Godard, who has succeeded Georges Laraque as the Penguins' enforcer, had a spirited exchange of punches with Koci.

"Godard did a good job of sticking up for his teammate," Therrien said.

"That was a good sign from him."

Gonchar began the game in his customary role -- on the No. 1 pairing and the right point of the power play -- but several of his teammates were in niches they haven't usually filled in the past.

Jordan Staal, as expected, played left wing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora and opened the scoring 51 seconds into the game, beating Lightning goalie Karri Ramo with a wrist shot from the left dot.

Malkin, meanwhile, manned the left point on the No. 1 power play and killed penalties alongside Staal, while Sidney Crosby got extensive short-handed work in pairings with Pascal Dupuis and Miroslav Satan.

Crosby scored the Penguins' fourth goal while shorthanded, picking off a pass by Tampa Bay uber-rookie Steven Stamkos at the Penguins' blue line, then beating Ramo from the left side on a two-on-one break.

Staal, Crosby and Satan joined Malkin and Gonchar (and later Goligoski) on the top power play; the second group featured Janne Pesonen, Kris Beech and Petr Sykora up front, with Darryl Sydor and Goligoski (and later Ben Lovejoy) on the points.

Therrien also deployed a five-forward unit during a two-man advantage in the second period. Crosby and Malkin worked the points, while Satan, Staal and Petr Sykora were up front.

That group needed 33 seconds to manufacture a goal by Sykora, who added a five-on-four goal midway through the third period.

NOTES --- Janne Niskala, Wyatt Smith and Brandon Bochenski (two) got the Tampa Bay goals against Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped 26 of 30 shots during regulation and overtime. ... Therrien got two broken ribs when forward Keven Veilleux fell into him during practice Thursday. ... The Penguins have sold out all single-game tickets for 10 of their 40 home dates. They have an average of about 500 left for each of the other 30. ... Attendance was 16,287.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 21, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_589358.html

A short training camp could prove shorter for defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who was injured Saturday in the Penguins' 5-4 exhibition shootout loss against Tampa Bay at Mellon Arena.

Gonchar, an alternate captain and the club's power-play quarterback, left the game midway through the opening period after he was driven into the boards in the Penguins' zone by Lightning forward David Koci. Gonchar, favoring his left arm, headed for the dressing room at the next break in play and did not return.

Coach Michel Therrien said Gonchar would be further evaluated today.

The Penguins are already down two regular defensemen: Ryan Whitney, out until at least December after August surgery to correct a left foot deformity, and Rob Scuderi, day-to-day with bruised ribs.

Brooks Orpik, Gonchar's defense partner, said Koci's hit last night was late, but not dirty.

"It was tough to see because it came about 10 seconds after (Gonchar) moved the puck," Orpik said. "It was late. I don't know what else to say about it. But it was just late, I thought."

Therrien said Koci, a minor-leaguer in the Penguins' organization from 2001-06, simply "finished his check" on Gonchar. Koci is the third-most penalized player in AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's history.

Koci, playing his first game with Tampa Bay's organization, described the hit in question as "pretty clean."

"I came with speed. My hands were down. I hit him exactly when he passed the puck. I think it was a clean hit," Koci said. "I hope I didn't hurt him. I didn't mean to hurt him. I'm just trying to make a spot on this team, try to play hard. I'm sorry for what happened. I feel bad. I just want to play hard. I didn't mean to do something dirty."

Another Penguins' defenseman, Mark Eaton, missed several shifts after blocking a shot in the second period. He returned to the game and Therrien said "he's alright."

The game marked the exhibition opener for both clubs. It was the first contest at Mellon Arena since the Penguins lost Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final to the Detroit Red Wings on June 4.

A crowd of 16,287 welcomed the Penguins last night with an enthusiastic "Let's Go Pens!" chant.

Notes: The Penguins' announced 10 sellouts for the upcoming season only hours after single-game tickets were made available yesterday morning. A limited number of tickets remain for the remaining 30 regular-season home games, an average of 500 per game. The sellouts include the home-opener against New Jersey Oct. 11 and a Cup final rematch with Detroit Feb. 8, 2009.
Click to expand...

cpawfan · Sep 21, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_589340.html

You can't spell Malkin without an "A."

Calling him "one of our leaders," coach Michel Therrien said Saturday center Evgeni Malkin "definitely" is under consideration to serve as an alternate captain this season -- a move that would have the endorsement of captain Sidney Crosby.

"He's a great candidate, and we're going to help him," Therrien said before the Penguins played Tampa Bay in their exhibition home opener -- the first contest at Mellon Arena since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final.

"We know (Malkin's) potential ... not only as a player, but as a leader, too."

When Therrien replaced Eddie Olczyk as coach Dec. 15, 2005, he immediately named Crosby an alternate captain. That move drew criticism. But Crosby prospered from the increased responsibility and believes a similar circumstance for Malkin would be the right move.

"I think so," Crosby said. "He's a guy that we're going to depend on a lot. If he's the guy that gets a responsibility like that, it's well-deserved."

Therrien said he will take the remainder of training camp to reach a decision on what player -- or possibly players -- will replace departed left wing Ryan Malone as an alternate captain. But Malkin, 22, who signed a five-year extension worth $43.5 million over the summer, is on the short list of contenders.

Malkin, second in MVP voting and the scoring race last season, said yesterday the time is not right to become an alternate captain.

"There are more people, older ... not me, no way," Malkin said. "Maybe a couple years more. I need to speak English."

Malkin, whose first language is Russian, is still not comfortable speaking English. But teammates such as defensemen Brooks Orpik and fellow Russian and alternate captain Sergei Gonchar insist Malkin is fluent enough to handle primary responsibilities of an alternate -- officially to speak with on-ice officials, unofficially to deal with the media.

"Maybe the language would be a little bit of a problem in the beginning," Gonchar said. "But I do believe he's getting better. He's more comfortable. He's going to speak more and more (this season). It's kind of (a) natural (progression)."

Gonchar added that making Malkin an alternate captain is "worth considering ... if you look at the picture long-term."

"At this point, he may not feel it's the right decision yet," Gonchar said. "If you look at the situation, for the team's well-being, it's going to help him to develop into a better player and be more responsible."

Crosby, 18 when he donned an "A" as a rookie, said receiving the letter "probably added a little bit of responsibility."

"I think it made me better," Crosby said.

Forward Max Talbot, who roomed with Malkin for road trips last season, described him as "definitely a leader on this team."

"It's not by talking, but by acting," Talbot said. "He's always there in the big moments."

Malkin morphed from a willing sidekick to Crosby into a dominant offensive centerpiece after Crosby was injured with a right high-ankle sprain Jan. 18. Over the final 36 games of the regular season, Malkin scored 24 goals and recorded 54 points to finish with 47 goals and 106 points.

He scored seven goals and recorded 17 points in the Penguins' opening 10 playoff games, but registered just two goals and five points over their final 10 postseason contests -- including only a goal and two assists in the Stanley Cup final.

Orpik, a close Malkin confidant, said the Penguins would never have reached the final without Malkin's mature performance during a mostly Crosby-less final two months of the regular season.

"Guys, especially when Sid was down last year, definitely looked at him to, I wouldn't say carry us, but he definitely was a leader up front," Orpik said.

"It's something I think he takes upon himself. He might not be vocal, but I think he kind of likes it, to be honest -- being a leader of the team and taking that starring role."
Click to expand...

Universe · Sep 21, 2008

Close game. Stamkos had a good game I heard.

cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

Time to catch up again

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589398.html

• Many of the Penguins' top players will not play tonight in an exhibition game at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m.). Notable players on the trip are defensemen Hal Gill, Mark Eaton and Kris Letang and forward Max Talbot. However, those players will face former teammates. Forwards Ryan Malone and Michel Ouellet are expected to play for the Lightning. Malone, the first Pittsburgh-born player in Penguins' history, will play for the first time against his hometown NHL team. Ouellet played for the Penguins from 2005-07.

• There is no local television or radio broadcast of the game, though fans can follow a "PodCast" with radio broadcaster Phil Bourque at the Penguins' official Web site (pittsburghpengins.com).

• Defenseman Rob Scuderi, who has not practiced since last Wednesday due to bruised ribs, said his injury is "not too serious." "But it affects everything -- every time you try to move, you aggravate it," Scuderi said. "It's frustrating. The first couple of days were tough, but I feel pretty good now." Scuderi, who was injured in the first scrimmage of camp, said he should return to practice "in a couple of days."

• General manager Ray Shero on the standing ovation he received from season-ticket holders that attended a "town hall meeting" last Thursday at Mellon Arena: "You never know when you're going to get them, so it was nice," said Shero, who added that the gesture was a career-first. "The success we had last year was because of the coaches and players. The ovation, to me, is more of a reflection of my staff, as well."

Digits

6 -- Winning goals scored by Malone for the Penguins last season, a team-best

10 -- Goals scored by Roberts in 54 regular-season games with the Penguins
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Penguins 2008 Preseason Thread

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Universe Hall of Fame

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Universe Hall of Fame

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Penguins 2008 Preseason Thread

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Universe Hall of Fame

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Universe Hall of Fame

cpawfan Monsters do exist

Share This Page

Useful Searches