Penguins 2008 Preseason Thread

cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08266/914088-61.stm

This is not alien territory for Ryan Stone.

He has been here -- poised to claim a spot on the Penguins' regular-season roster -- at least once before.

The circumstances, however, are different this year. Stone isn't just competing for a job in the NHL; he might well be fighting for his future in the organization.

Stone, 23, a left winger, will be assigned to the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre if he doesn't convince management that he deserves to be one of the 24 players who will travel to Sweden for two season-opening games against Ottawa.

Stone has been sent to the Baby Penguins before, of course, but this time, he might never make it across the Commonwealth because he would have to clear waivers before playing in the AHL.

"It's a big camp for him, there's no doubt," general manager Ray Shero said. "I don't want to say, 'make-or-break,' but it's the first time we have to expose him to waivers if we don't keep him on the team."

Stone, a candidate to play on the fourth line, had a limited opportunity to impress management Saturday night, when he logged 7 minutes, 8 seconds of ice time in a 5-4 shootout loss to Tampa Bay in the exhibition opener at Mellon Arena.

He'll get another chance when the teams meet again at 7:38 tonight in Tampa, and his performance in preseason games this week likely will determine where he's working in a couple of weeks.

"The [preseason] games are going to be critical," assistant general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "It's a whole different evaluation tool, once you get into a real game playing against players wearing a different-colored jersey.

"It's going to be important for Ryan to have good games, to show his skills set on a consistent basis."

Stone skated on a line with Jeff Taffe and Eric Godard Saturday, and those are the kind of linemates he can expect to have if he sticks in the NHL. Although he had 99 points for Brandon in his final year of junior hockey, Stone failed to accumulate as many as 40 in any of his first three seasons as a pro and his lackluster skating is a conspicuous liability.

He does, however, have good size -- he's 6 feet 2, 207 pounds -- and can play a rugged, abrasive game. That could be important for a team that lost considerable grit with the departure of wingers Jarkko Ruutu, Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts.

"He's got to prove he's one of the top 13 or 14 forwards," Fletcher said.

"For Ryan, that's playing to his strengths -- using his size, he has some skill and he has the ability to finish checks and play a physical game. He just needs to bring all the elements to the table every day in training camp."

Saturday, he fought Tampa Bay's Zenon Konopka and had one early game shift in which he hit Janne Niskala and Vladimir Mihalik in the span of a few seconds.

"Ryan played a physical game," Fletcher said. "He certainly stepped up and did a good job with Konopka. ... He showed some of the things he can bring to the table."

Stone has a handful of NHL games on his resume, having appeared in six between Jan. 10 and March 12 last season. He never played more than 7:45, however, and acknowledged that he never settled in enough to show all he was capable of contributing.

"You're not as comfortable," he said. "You're not playing relaxed. It's kind of choppy play when you get called up here and there. When you're on the team and you know who's around you, you get more comfortable, feel better playing the game that you can."

That Stone can be a valuable member of an AHL club is clear. Although he had just 11 goals and 28 assists in 65 games with the Baby Penguins last season, Fletcher credited him with being a key element in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's surge to the Calder Cup final.

"He was a key guy on our team," Fletcher said. "He didn't have a huge year, offensively, but he did play a physical role, he played the power play, he played penalty-killing. He was a player who was relied on by the coaching staff in every situation. He played a pretty mature game and was used in every situation."

Stone isn't ready for such a diversified role in the NHL -- and might never be -- but he's intent on never finding out whether he would be able to slip through waivers.

"I'm going to make it as hard of a [decision] as I can for them," Stone said. "If they send me down, it's going to be my own fault."

NOTES -- Although Penguins officials seem resigned to Sergei Gonchar's left-shoulder injury forcing him from the lineup for an extended period -- one measured in weeks, not days -- there still is no official word on its precise nature or severity. Gonchar is expected to have an MRI today or tomorrow. ... Evgeni Malkin earned positive reviews for his poised performance on the left point of the power play Saturday, and team executives said he expressed no reservations about being used there.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589397.html

Burning question: How important is an enforcer during the exhibition season?

Breakdown: With players across the NHL trying to win roster spots, targeting stars becomes a way to impress coaches and management. Enforcers must keep those opposing players honest.

PuckSpeak: "It's something we talked about before the game. You've got to be aware when certain guys are on the ice."

-- defenseman Brooks Orpik, after the exhibition opener Saturday at Mellon Arena

Looking ahead: If the Penguins needed a reminder of the exhibition-season dangers, they received one against the Lightning. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar was slammed into the boards by Tampa Bay forward David Koci, who Gonchar's teammates believe was late upon impact.

Koci, a former Penguins' prospect, acknowledged that he was trying to impress his new coach, Barry Melrose. His method was to seek contact at every opportunity.

Penguins' coach Michel Therrien termed Koci "a presence" after the game, and rugged forward Eric Godard took it upon himself to respond by engaging Koci in a fight.

"It's a very important thing, everybody's got to do it -- to stick up for your guys," Godard said Sunday after a practice at Mellon Arena. "Guys are going to try and take runs. A lot of guys, that's their job. That's the way it can be. It's one of those stupid things that happens."
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08267/914304-61.stm

Matt Cooke knows Jarkko Ruutu.

Matt Cooke played with Jarkko Ruutu.

But Matt Cooke is no Jarkko Ruutu.

Not the way Cooke sees it, anyway.

Sure, he and Ruutu were teammates in Vancouver for a few years, and Ruutu's departure via free agency this summer probably is the biggest reason Cooke is on the Penguins' payroll today, since it sent general manager Ray Shero in search of a replacement agitator.

Still, even though their job descriptions are similar, Cooke is adamant that they go about their work in decidedly different ways.

"I don't go out and stick [opponents] after the whistle and yap and do all those types of things," he said. "I try to play in between the whistles.

"It's a completely different approach [than Ruutu's]. I'm going to try to get guys off their game and get guys to worry about me, but not by sticking them in the back of the legs or punching after the whistle, that kind of stuff."

Ruutu, who signed with Ottawa in July, is one of the game's most accomplished pot-stirrers, and isn't shy about straying outside the rule book to do it. He's a fixture on lists of most-hated opponents, and comes by it honestly.

Cooke, who joined the Penguins as a free agent a few days after Ruutu moved to the Senators, can be every bit as annoying as Ruutu, but figures his greatest impact -- literally and figuratively -- is rooted in his aggressive work in the attacking zone.

"I'm a guy who goes in and creates space for our team, because on the forecheck, every time I go in, I'm going to finish my check," he said.

"I'm going to play hard, keep guys accountable on the other team so that, if it's my line or somebody else's line out there, they're going to take that extra look over their shoulder. It takes that split-second away so that they don't have time to make the play [they want]."

Cooke did not play in the Penguins' 3-2 exhibition victory against Tampa Bay at the St. Pete Times Forum last night or their 5-4 shootout loss to the Lightning at Mellon Arena Saturday, but he can expect to stay busy for the balance of the preseason.

Shero said yesterday that Cooke "most likely" will dress for the remaining three exhibition games, including one against Toronto at 7:40 p.m. tomorrow at Mellon Arena.

Precisely where Cooke will fit in with the Penguins isn't clear, although most indications at this point are that he'll be the third-line right winger.

Regardless of the precise niche he fills, however, Cooke is convinced that he will be more of a factor in the offense than Ruutu, who had 16 points in each of his two seasons with the Penguins.

"I want to produce offensively," Cooke said. "I look for myself to score 15 goals, over 30 points."

He managed 10 goals and 13 assists in 78 games with Vancouver and Washington last season, but put up 30 points in 2006-07. He posted career-bests in goals (15), assists (27) and points (42) in 2002-03.

Although his experience in the Eastern Conference is limited to those 17 games with the Capitals (in which he had three goals and four assists), Cooke believes offenses are less restricted here.

"I think there's a little more freedom to play with your instincts, on the offensive side," he said. "I found in the West, it was very structured."

Although he has been used on the right side since camp opened, Cooke is versatile enough -- and willing -- to play any position up front.

"It doesn't really matter to me," he said. "If I got asked to play center, I'll play it. I'm easy."

Except, like Ruutu, for the guys who have to play against him.

NOTES -- Kris Letang, Max Talbot and Tyler Kennedy scored for the Penguins last night, while Jussi Jokinen and ex-Penguins right winger Michel Ouellet got the Lightning goals. Penguins goalie Dany Sabourin stopped 22 of 24 shots and John Curry turned aside all 15 he faced. ... Defenseman Sergei Gonchar's injured left shoulder was examined by Dr. Charles Burke yesterday, but the MRI that might provide more insight on the extent of the damage still has not been scheduled. ... Another round of roster cuts will be made today. ... Defenseman Rob Scuderi, out with bruised ribs since Wednesday, resumed practicing yesterday. "[Rebounding from] four days off this time of year isn't an easy thing to do," he said. "You get pretty rusty pretty quick. But it's just good to be out there, to feel good and be able to breathe and move around." ... TSN, a Canadian network, will televise the game tomorrow.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589427.html

Assistant coach Mike Yeo, director of a Penguins' power-play attack that has finished no lower the fifth in the NHL each of the past two seasons, admitted before practice Sunday there is no way to downplay the advantage of defenseman Sergei Gonchar working the point.

"There isn't a better power-play quarterback in hockey," Yeo said of Gonchar, who leads all NHL defensemen with 111 goals and is second to only six-time Norris Trophy-winner Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit with 431 points since 2000.

"The puck goes through Gonchar. When the puck goes up top to him, with his skill and vision, (opponents) have to respect it, and that opens up space for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. (Gonchar) does so many little things that nobody else does, things that you can maybe take for granted. But he's the only one I see doing them."

Exactly when Gonchar will next "do those big little things" is anybody's guess.

Injured Saturday on a hit by Tampa Bay forward David Koci in the Penguins' exhibition opener at Mellon Arena, Gonchar's left shoulder will undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test sometime this week. He did not practice yesterday.

The Penguins will play Tampa Bay at 7:30 p.m at St. Pete Times Forum.

Losing Gonchar for an extended period of time - "just speculation" that general manager Ray Shero wanted no part of yesterday - would certainly make the Penguins' goal to repeat as Atlantic Division champions more difficult.

Six weeks ago, the Penguins owned the luxury of a suitable power-play replacement for Gonchar - defenseman Ryan Whitney, who scored 16 of 32 goals the past two seasons on the advantage.

Whitney is out until at least December after undergoing surgery in early August to correct a left-foot deformity. The Penguins face being down - for an extended period of time - two defensemen slated to take up $9 million in cap space this season.

Shero entered August with a defense corps eight-deep with significant NHL experience, including veterans Darryl Sydor and Mark Eaton fighting for spots among the top six.

Pending results of Gonchar's MRI test, Sydor and Eaton are now in that top six - at least until Rob Scuderi (bruised ribs) returns - along with Kris Letang and rookie Alex Goligoski.

Letang, the only right-handed shot among the group, and Goligoski each possess upper-level offensive skill, according to Yeo. Shero and coach Michel Therrien have lauded Letang's shot and encouraged him to use it more in his second season. Assistant general manager said Goligoski "certainly has the intelligence and on-ice vision to create. He's a smart player and makes intelligent reads."

Letang and Goligoski each said yesterday they would welcome the chance to fill in for Gonchar, if needed, and Yeo did not rule out either as a possibility.

However, there are indications Sydor may be the favorite.

"The years in Dallas when I worked the power-play, I never had a hard shot, but what I focused on was my (wrist shot) and just getting the puck to the net," Sydor said. "You want to just get the puck to the net, especially with this team, and let them do the work.

"Keep it simple and know what you have to do. That's the key for whoever is back there if (Gonchar) is out. I'd love to get the opportunity. I've done it for years.

"We have guys - some of them young - who can handle the job. But we're all hoping 'Sarge' will be OK, because he does that job better than anybody."
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08268/914490-61.stm

Penalty-killing isn't new to winger Pascal Dupuis, but he found an added dimension to the art of playing short-handed Saturday in the Penguins' preseason opener.

It's not that Tampa Bay had a monster power play; the Lightning used a lineup heavy on minor leaguers. It's just that Dupuis hadn't had much experience killing penalties alongside center Sidney Crosby.

"You do have to step it up," Dupuis said of pairing with someone of Crosby's caliber who can be an offensive threat against opponents' power plays.

"If there's a loose puck or you have the puck won, you try to hold it maybe one more second to see if he's going to get open or if he's going to try to beat one guy."

Dupuis and Miroslav Satan, Crosby's other regular winger so far this preseason, split time with the center on short-handed shifts in that game. It's possible Crosby will fill that role again tonight when the Penguins play Toronto in their final preseason home game.

Crosby, entering his fourth season, has not been a regular penalty-killer. He played some short-handed last season, mostly in the waning seconds of opponents' power plays.

In the 5-4 shootout loss Saturday, he was explosive while killing penalties. He pounced on a turnover by Tampa Bay top prospect Steven Stamkos to score an unassisted short-handed goal at 17:07 of the third period for a short-lived lead. Earlier, after losing a faceoff against Jussi Jokinen in the Penguins' end, Crosby bowled Jokinen over, blocked a shot and raced the other way with the puck before goaltender Karri Ramo made a glove save on him.

Crosby, who led all Penguins forwards with 4:29 of short-handed ice time and helped shut down all five Lightning power plays, said it wasn't so much that he was being a bulldog.

"I'm not used to that, so I was probably running around a little bit, trying to get a feel for things," he said.

Jordan Staal and Max Talbot are well established as penalty-killers, and the team has several other forwards who have experience, including Dupuis, Satan and Tyler Kennedy. The team's other top center, Evgeni Malkin, logged 3:44 short-handed in the game, an indication that he, too, could be used more extensively as a penalty-killer this season.

In the return game Monday at Tampa Bay, with Crosby, Staal, Dupuis, Satan and Malkin out of the lineup, Talbot was paired with Bill Thomas and Kennedy skated short-handed with Janne Pesonen.

"The good thing about our team this year is we've got a lot of guys who can penalty-kill, so you'll probably see a lot of different looks," Crosby said.

Seeing Crosby, the 2006-07 NHL scoring leader, on the ice could make those on opposing power-play units approach things a bit differently because he always is a threat to take the puck the other way.

"They've got the speed," Dupuis said of top offensive players who kill penalties. "They work hard. They anticipate a lot. They read the play well. And they can intercept plays."

Crosby doesn't consider himself a big risk-taker.

"There's a very small margin for error," he said. "You get caught on the wrong side of the puck, and the puck's in your net. Or you get lucky and you're on the right side and you've got a great opportunity. That just comes with feel.

"The main thing when you're out there killing penalties is to kill it, not to score. If you can bring a little bit of fear into teams when you're out there, that's great, but the main thing is to kill it."

If Crosby adds penalty-killing to his regular repertoire this season, it could boost his overall minutes. There were those who thought his averages of 20:50 per game last season, 20:45 in 2006-07 and 20:07 as a rookie were a little low.

He's satisfied either way.

"I had no problem with my minutes before," he said. "I think I played pretty hard minutes. For the most part, I feel like I expend a lot of energy. If I'm capable of playing 22, 23 [minutes] consistently without [affecting] the overall, game-by-game kind of fatigue, that's fine with me."

NOTES -- Doctors continue to wait for the swelling in Sergei Gonchar's left shoulder to subside before he undergoes more testing, possibly including an MRI, but indications remain that the team's top defenseman will be out for some time after being injured Saturday. ... Forwards Kris Beech, Ryan Stone and Jonathan Filewich were among 13 players assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. That leaves 29 players -- 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders -- on the Penguins' roster, which must be cut to 24 before the team leaves Saturday for Sweden. The others sent to the Baby Penguins are forwards Adam Henrich, Aaron Boogard, Tim Wallace, David Gove and Christopher Minard, defensemen Deryk Engelland, T.J. Kemp, Ben Lovejoy and Joey Mormina, and goaltender David Brown. ... Coach Michel Therrien missed practice while having his two broken ribs re-evaluated.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589621.html

• Forwards Bill Thomas, Max Talbot and Tyler Kennedy scored for the Penguins in a 3-2 victory over the Lightning Monday at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. Kennedy scored the winning goal at 4:54 of the third period. Thomas, a Pittsburgh native, assisted on Talbot's goal. The game featured several fights - a carry over from a physical affair in an exhibition game Saturday at Mellon Arena.

• Goaltender Dany Sabourin started for the Penguins. It marked his first appearance since Feb. 21 - a 5-4 regular-season victory at Montreal. Sabourin stopped 22 of 24 shots. He was replaced by John Curry at 9:45 of the second period.

• Most Penguins' regulars, including centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and No. 1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, did not travel to Tampa for the game last night.

• Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, injured on a hard hit by Tampa Bay forward David Koci during the Penguins' exhibition opener, was examined by team physician Dr. Charles Burke yesterday. He is not expected to have an MRI test today, but he likely will this week. Gonchar favored his left arm while leaving the ice not long after Koci's hit midway through the opening period.

• Defenseman Rob Scuderi practiced yesterday at Mellon Arena. Scuderi had not practiced since last Wednesday because of bruised ribs. He was injured after being hit in the first scrimmage of training camp.

Digits

3.44 -- Tampa Bay goaltender Olaf Kolzig's career GAA against the Penguins in 38 regular-season games.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08268/914847-61.stm

Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar will be sidelined indefinitely while recovering from a dislocated left shoulder.

There was no immediate word on whether he will have surgery, and general manager Ray Shero said this evening that it is too early to speculate on when he might be able to return to the lineup.

Gonchar was injured when he was checked into the boards by Tampa Bay winger David Koci during an exhibition game at Mellon Arena last Saturday.

Gonchar is the second Penguins defenseman who will be out of the lineup when the regular season begins Oct. 4. Ryan Whitney, who is recovering from foot surgery, is not expected to play until December.

Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski are the favorites to inherit most of the offensive responsibilities usually shouldered by those two.

"We have guys capable of stepping in," said center Sidney Crosby, himself nursing a minor groin strain.

"[Whitney and Gonchar represent] big holes to fill, but we have to have guys step up.

"It's a similar situation to last year, when we had guys missing and a lot of guys stepped up."

The Penguins will open the regular season with a pair of games against Ottawa in Stockholm, Sweden Oct. 4 and 5.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589783.html

• The Penguins reduced their training camp roster to 29 players. Thirteen players have been assigned to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The most notable players among the bunch are forwards Kris Beech, Ryan Stone and Jonathan Filewich. The Penguins have 16 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goaltenders remaining in camp. Forward Janne Pesonen, a 26-year-old free-agent acquisition, made the cut. Pesonen, who played in the Finnish Elite League last season, signed a one-year contract with the Penguins in July and has since impressed the coaching staff.

• The Penguins exhibition game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:30 p.m. today at Mellon Arena will not be broadcast on television or radio. A podcast will be available on the Penguins' Web site.

• Only 10 days remain until the Penguins open their season in Stockholm, Sweden, with two games against the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins will play two more exhibition games before camp ends. "I think with each game we get closer and closer to our team," captain Sidney Crosby said. "We're all getting excited. I said before, 'It's never that fun competing against your own guys in scrimmages and things like that.' So now that we're starting to get some preseason games, our team is kind of coming together, and that's the exciting part for everyone."

Digits

40 -- Games Bill Thomas played for the Phoenix Coyotes in three years with the organization.

1 -- Years Thomas spent on Fox Chapel's varsity team.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08269/914932-61.stm

Gonchar to miss season opener
Left shoulder said to be dislocated
Thursday, September 25, 2008
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The diagnosis finally is in for Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar. The prognosis will take a bit longer.

Gonchar got a dislocated left shoulder when he was hit by Tampa Bay winger David Koci in an exhibition game Saturday night at Mellon Arena.

General manager Ray Shero said it is premature to speculate on when Gonchar might be able to play, and that no decision has been made on whether surgery will be performed.

"'Indefinite' is really the way to put it, because we don't know," Shero said. "I don't think we're going to know more maybe until next week, when he has a chance to see some other doctors, get some other opinions about what avenues he can take for getting better."

Gonchar, who already has begun his rehabilitation, is the second Penguins defenseman who will be out of the lineup when the regular season begins Oct. 4. Ryan Whitney, recovering from foot surgery, is not expected to play until December.

"I don't think you can replace a player like Gonchar or Whitney," coach Michel Therrien said. "Those are top players in this league. But it's an opportunity for our young players to prove themselves, that they belong in the NHL."

Specifically, the injuries to Whitney and Gonchar could translate to increased offensive responsibilities for Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski.

"We like what we've seen of Alex, but, at the same time, it's early," Shero said.

Goligoski said he is "a lot more comfortable at this level than I had been before," but acknowledged that losing Whitney and Gonchar will test the Penguins' defensive depth.

"Obviously, they are unbelievable hockey players and they're definitely going to be missed, but the idea is to try to 'hold serve' until they get back," he said. "We have a lot of defensemen who can play in the NHL."
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08269/914902-61.stm

Penguins give Bissonnette chance to stick as winger
Thursday, September 25, 2008
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Some people might be surprised that Paul Bissonnette still has a place on the Penguins' training-camp roster.

Understandably so.

Even the decision-makers in the Penguins' front office likely are, if they pause to reflect on Bissonnette's place in the organization -- or lack of one -- just a year ago.

After all, his preseason visit here last fall could have been timed on a stopwatch.

Bissonnette wasn't invited to participate in the prospects' camp or tournament last September, and, after a few days at the regular camp -- without taking so much as a single shift during a scrimmage -- he was sent away.

Not demoted.

Exiled.

The Penguins didn't assign him to their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, but to their ECHL team in Wheeling.

Because the Nailers' camp wasn't scheduled to open for several weeks, Bissonnette had plenty of time to skate with a junior team in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and to reflect on how little hope there was of resurrecting his career with the franchise that claimed him with a fourth-round draft choice in 2003.

"It was pretty rough, just a tough situation," Bissonnette said. "There are a lot of sleepless nights. You just wonder what's going to happen with your career, your future."

There still are questions about his future, but not about whether he has one with the organization.

Bissonnette still has to be considered a front-runner to be sent to Wilkes-Barre when the Penguins make their final preseason cuts, likely Saturday, but general manager Ray Shero and his staff are adamant that Bissonnette remains a viable candidate to open the season in the NHL.

He has shown enough that he played in the Penguins' 3-2 preseason victory against Toronto at Mellon Arena last night. It was his second exhibition appearance in the past three nights, proof that management is taking a serious look at him.

"He's certainly a strong candidate to get NHL action this year," assistant general manager Chuck Fletcher said.

In the past, there were times Bissonnette exercised questionable judgment, on and off the ice -- like when he wore a fake pro wrestling title belt during a pregame warmup, earning a suspension -- but there is a maturity, a sense of stability, about him now.

Bissonnette began to rehabilitate his image -- and his career -- with a renewed commitment to his craft last season.

"He showed a lot of resiliency, a lot of hunger," Fletcher said. "I think he saw that he was a long way from where he wanted to be."

Bissonnette's transformation has included a change of positions. A defenseman when he broke into pro hockey, he now labors as a blue-collar winger.

Bissonnette skates well, is a strong forechecker, plays with an edge -- he picked up the nickname "Biz Nasty" in the minors -- and is rather fearless. He fought Tampa Bay winger David Koci twice Monday and traded punches with Maple Leafs tough guy Jamal Mayers last night.

"He's big and tough," Fletcher said. "He's a tough kid, and he's committed to doing what he has to do to play in the NHL."

NOTES -- Petr Sykora, Ruslan Fedotenko and Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins last night, while Alexei Ponikarovsky and Mikhail Grabovski beat goalie Dany Sabourin for the Leafs. ... Center Sidney Crosby (groin) was held out of the game as a precaution, but said he expects to return when the Penguins visit Toronto tomorrow.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589780.html

Penguins forward Bill Thomas grew up watching Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. The Fox Chapel native never dreamed he'd play for both hockey legends.

For Thomas - who spent the past three seasons with the Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes organization - playing for a team owned by Lemieux would be an even bigger thrill.

Like any Pittsburgh-born hockey player, Thomas grew up idolizing Lemieux.

"Obviously, growing up here, (Lemieux) was a huge factor of me starting hockey," Thomas said Tuesday. "He's the reason a lot of people started hockey here. It was an exciting time. Growing up in Pittsburgh, you cheer for Mario. (In Phoenix), when they asked who was my favorite NHL player, I couldn't really say Lemieux."

"Obviously, I didn't know where hockey was going to take me at that time," Thomas said. "Things just started falling into place. I don't know how I got here, but I'm happy."

Assistant coach Mike Yeo said Thomas has proved himself during the abbreviated camp, and he'll continue to compete for a roster spot.

"He's obviously worked very hard," Yeo said. "We like the way he skates. We like the way he thinks about the game. He's certainly showing he's very coachable. It's nice for us to play him in certain situations and see how he's reacted."

Thomas made his NHL debut during the 2005-06 season and recorded 17 points in 40 career games with the Coyotes. Last season, he played mainly for the minor-league San Antonio Rampage, although he appeared in seven games with the Coyotes.

"To have (Gretzky) as a coach is intimidating," Thomas said. "I'd never met him before and was able to meet him, and he's able to talk to you and get to know you on a personal level."

Thomas experienced another surreal moment when he was called up to play in a Dec. 3 game against the Penguins at Mellon Arena. The Coyotes lost, but Thomas was inserted in the starting lineup and played in front of 30 friends and family members.

"As a kid growing up, I always wanted to play here, play against them or play for them," Thomas said. "At the time, I didn't know I would sign with the team."

Thomas will have the opportunity to be just the second Pittsburgh native to play for the Penguins. The other, of course, is Upper St. Clair native Ryan Malone, who is in his first year with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I think it's great for youth hockey in this area," Yeo said. "It's great for them to see that maybe that opportunity is there for them one day to play in the NHL and maybe better to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins."
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That's because Gretzky was Thomas' coach at the time.

Yesterday, Thomas moved one step closer to making Lemieux's team. He survived the roster cut, which sent 13 players to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

"I feel like I'm playing well," Thomas said. "I'm confident on the ice. I'm happy to still be around. Hopefully, I'll make the team."

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Thomas has been with the Penguins since he signed a one-year contract in July. He recorded an assist Monday night in the Penguins' 3-2 exhibition win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was also credited with a goal, which later was attributed to defenseman Kris Letang.

In the past two seasons with the Coyotes organization, Thomas was sent down on the final cut. But the 25-year-old forward is resilient. When he was at Fox Chapel, he was cut from the varsity team as a freshman before making the team as a sophomore.

cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_589952.html

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, the second leading point-producer at his position since 2001, is out indefinitely with a left shoulder separation. General manager Ray Shero announced the status update of Gonchar today, via a statement, prior to the Penguins' exhibition game at Mellon Arena against Toronto.

Gonchar was injured Saturday on a hit by Tampa Bay forward David Koci midway through the opening period of the Penguins' exhibition opener at Mellon Arena. He left the ice favoring his left shoulder and did not return. He has not practiced since.

"Sergei will continue to be evaluated as our team medical personnel consider several treatment options," Shero said in the statement. "In the meantime, we will look for our other defensemen to step up and fill the void created by his absence."

Earlier today, coach Michel Therrien said two young defensemen - right-handed shot Kris Letang and rookie Alex Goligoski - are candidates to fill the roles vacated by Gonchar and defenseman Ryan Whitney, out until at least December after surgery in August to correct a left foot deformity.

Gonchar and Whitney accounted for over 65 percent of the Penguins' defensive scoring last season. Gonchar has worked the point spot on the top power-play unit since his arrival in 2005-06.

"I don't think you can replace a player like Gonchar or (Ryan) Whitney," Therrien said. "But this is an opportunity for young players to prove they can play in the NHL.

"If Goligoski is able to prove he is capable of cracking the lineup, he's going to have an important role. Same thing with Letang."
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_590029.html

Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist and the Pittsburgh Penguins got three special-team goals to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in a preseason game Wednesday night.

The Penguins, playing without star center Sidney Crosby, got two power-play goals and a short-handed tally.

Crosby sat out with a sore groin that isn't considered serious. Most of the other Penguins regulars did play, with the exception of top defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney, who are out with injuries. Starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury also was given the night off as Dany Sabourin played.

Petr Sykora scored his third power-play goal of the preseason and newcomer Ruslan Fedotenko also scored on a first-period power play for Pittsburgh.

Alexei Ponikarovsky's power-play goal with 4:38 to play for Toronto broke up the shutout, and Mikhail Grabovski added a goal with the Maple Leafs' goalie pulled with 11 seconds to play.

Most of the Maple Leafs' regular lineup was on display with the exception of in goal. Veterans Vesa Toskola and Curtis Joseph were not in uniform, and rookie Justin Pogge started. Pogge stopped 18 of 21 shots.

The two teams will play again Friday night in Toronto. That will be the final preseason game for the Penguins (2-0-1) in North America before they head to Europe to open the season Oct. 4 against Ottawa.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_590181.html

Burning question: Why has center Evgeni Malkin replaced injured defenseman Sergei Gonchar at the point on the Penguins' top power-play unit?

Breakdown: Malkin moved to the "off" point late last season upon center Sidney Crosby's return from an ankle injury. During the Stanley Cup final, Malkin said he was uncomfortable with the defensive aspect of playing a point position.

PuckSpeak: "Last year, I didn't play good (at the point). But this year, I'm more comfortable. I don't know, but maybe it's all the practice from last year. It's OK. It's pretty good." -- Malkin

Looking ahead: Malkin did not go so far as to predict that he and Crosby would drive opposing penalty-killers crazy with quick-tap passes. But he is looking forward to a close power-play proximity to Crosby, who makes the right side of the ice his so-called office on advantages.

"Being on the same side is pretty good," Malkin said. "Sid can pass to me, I can get it back to him - we can get good puck control, fast passes, better shots."

Crosby said Malkin's skills are "similar" to the ones that have made Gonchar the sport's most respected power-play quarterback.

"They both see the ice really well, they both have a great shot, and one-on-one they're going to give a good chance to beat guys," Crosby said. "They've got the full package. But 'Gonch' has got a little bit more experience back there. That's probably the big difference."
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_590174.html

The timeframe for defenseman Sergei Gonchar's recovery from a left shoulder dislocation is likely between six weeks and six months.

Gonchar, out since last Saturday when he was hit by Tampa Bay forward David Koci, said Thursday he will meet with an orthopedic specialist on Monday -- part of a continued attempt to educate himself on non-surgical alternatives.

He has already been examined by team physician Dr. Charles Burke and an orthopedic specialist.

"It's either, 'You're doing surgery' or 'You're not doing surgery.'" Gonchar said of his options. "I still have time before we do anything. Either way we're going, I have to make sure my shoulder is strong and all the swelling is going down."

The Penguins officially list Gonchar as "out indefinitely." General manager Ray Shero said Wednesday that Gonchar is rehabbing the injury, but he is not willing to speculate on recovery time.

Rehabilitation to full health from a dislocated left shoulder usually takes six weeks, Dr. Trent Gause of North Hills-based Tri Rivers Surgical Associates said yesterday.

Dr. Gause, not familiar with the specifics of Gonchar's injury, said recovery from surgery to correct a left-shoulder dislocation is between "four and six months, especially for a contact athlete."

"It's always a debate with an athlete if you fix the shoulder or let him go back and play," Dr. Gause said. "If it's a recurrent problem, then you fix it with surgery."

Gonchar said this is his first shoulder injury.

Gonchar has yet to receive a magnetic resonance imaging test due to swelling around the left shoulder. He "knew right away" his shoulder was seriously injured by Koci's hit.

Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, a close confidant of Gonchar, knows that feeling. Malkin's left shoulder was dislocated Sept. 20, 2006, in a collision with teammate John LeClair. It was Malkin's first NHL exhibition game, and the injury -- which did not require surgery -- kept him out four weeks.

"All dislocations are different," Shero said.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08270/915232-61.stm

After practice today, the Penguins will pack their skates and sticks and everything else hockey-related and fly to Toronto for a preseason game tonight.

The tools and travel of the trade are second nature for the Penguins, but while hockey is their first choice, many have an interest in other sports and even have an idea about another sport or two that might have turned into a livelihood.

Defenseman Mark Eaton, for instance, grew up in Delaware near Philadelphia. As a center fielder in baseball, he once tried out for the Phillies.

"Around senior year, I had to pick what sport I wanted to pursue," he said.

Winger Pascal Dupuis said that with the aid of a tanning bed, he could envision himself being competitive in beach volleyball -- along with tennis, that's a sport several players mentioned -- and is drawn to bowling and two-man whitewater canoeing.

But baseball is out. Twice, at ages 11 and 12, Dupuis snapped a bone in his arm while launching a snowball.

Center Max Talbot likewise turns up his nose at baseball.

"I was running back and linebacker in football, but I like running back," Talbot said. "I like to touch the ball, run it right up the middle."

Talbot's good friend, Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie, won the Olympic silver medal in 3-meter springboard last month, but Talbot can't swim. He thinks he could have success in weightlifting and wouldn't mind trying a marathon based on some history with distance running.

Although hockey players have a reputation for being good golfers and often do well in celebrity and charity events, this group of Penguins doesn't have a lot of aspiring pros in that sport.

"I'd like to be a good golfer, but you have to be really good or else you have to spend so much time in qualifying school, and I don't know if I'd want that hassle," said defenseman Hal Gill.

Gill, all 6 feet 7 of him, was a good quarterback at Nashoba Regional High School near Boston and listed football as his top alternative sport, but he also mentioned an offbeat event.

"I would say the discus," he said. "I like that. I did it in gym and I was good at it."

Defenseman Brooks Orpik took a different approach to the idea of another sport.

"Who's got the best job? A left-handed baseball starter?" he said. "You pitch every fifth day. That's what I would wish for.

"But, realistically speaking, I don't know. A safety in football would be fun, like [the Steelers' Troy] Polamalu, but I don't have the hairdo."

Orpik is one of several Penguins who was a catcher, but he never would have picked baseball.

"The life span's a little short," he said.

Center Sidney Crosby, on the other hand, liked being the backstop in baseball.

"I played catcher growing up. That would be my best chance to make it [in another sport]," , he said. "I used to like catcher. It's a lot more action. You're calling pitches, and there's a little more thinking involved. It was cool. You had to study the other team a little bit, so it was a bit like preparing in hockey."

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury also was a catcher. He also played football for a year, too, but not in a position anyone would guess for a wiry guy --defensive end.

"I didn't have a clue about football, all the rules and that stuff," he said. "I didn't play much, but I loved it. When they kicked it, I would run back and try to steal it from the [return] guy just so I could run with it a little more."

Fellow goaltender Danny Sabourin played shortstop in baseball and did a stint in basketball, "but I don't know the name of the position," he said. "The big guy in the middle. Like Shaq."

Strapping forward Jordan Staal and his brothers played a lot of sports. He was an outfielder in baseball, a receiver in football, a center in basketball and competed in track.

"I always did long jump and triple jump. I usually won," he said. "For the sprinting, I usually did the 200, but I ended up getting killed. The bigger I got, the slower I was."

He and his brothers put together a crude high-jump apparatus.

"It wasn't very high, but we were pretty good at it," he said. "We had, like, two mattresses. We had a wooden stick to go across, and it didn't feel too nice when you landed on it because there were a couple sticks or branches poking you."

Nothing like the equipment in pro hockey.

NOTES -- Defenseman Sergei Gonchar will see another doctor Monday about his dislocated left shoulder because the two he has seen are split on whether he needs surgery. "I want to get as much information as I can before making a decision," said Gonchar, who was hurt Saturday early in the team's first preseason game and is out indefinitely. "I was very frustrated. I felt like I had a good summer and I was ready for the season." ... Center and captain Sidney Crosby, who sat out the preseason game Wednesday against Tampa Bay because of a sore groin, practiced yesterday and hopes to be in the lineup tonight at Toronto. "It feels pretty good," he said. "I want to play as much as I can before we start." ... Coach Michel Therrien (broken ribs) returned to practice.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/archive/s_590378.html

Burning Question: How important is it for the Penguins to get off to a good start in 2008-09?

The Breakdown: The Penguins have gotten off to relatively slow starts in each of the past two seasons, only to begin stacking wins and moving up the Eastern Conference standings in the second half of each campaign.

PuckSpeak: "We'd love to get off to a better start. We haven't been known to get off to the greatest of starts, not terrible ones but not the greatest ones, either. I don't think we plan it, that's for sure. There's no real easy part of the season but definitely the start is very important." -- Penguins captain Sydney Crosby

Looking Ahead: Given the injuries on defense and the number of new players that must be assimilated into the Penguins' way of doing things, a hot start ought not to be expected. The Penguins were 16-15-6 heading into January in 2006-07 and 17-16-2 on Dec. 21 last season before taking off. Anything around .500 in the early going this time around ought to be perceived as acceptable, given the circumstances.
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cpawfan · Sep 27, 2008

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08271/915686-61.stm

The Penguins reduced their active roster to 25 by cutting two players

today.

Forward Connor James and defenseman Danny Richmond were assigned to

their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre.

The Penguins must remove one more player from their roster by Friday.

Players still on the NHL payroll include:

Forwards -- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pascal Dupuis, Jordan Staal,

Petr Sykora, Janne Pesonen, Jeff Taffe, Matt Cooke, Max Talbot, Ruslan

Fedotenko, Eric Godard, Tyler Kennedy, Paul Bissonnette, Miroslav Satan

and Bill Thomas.

Defensemen -- Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi, Darryl Sydor, Mark Eaton, Alex

Goligoski, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Sergei Gonchar (injured) and Ryan

Whitney (injured). Gonchar and Whitney will go on injured-reserve and

do not count against the league-imposed roster limit.

Goalies -- Marc-Andre Fleury, Dany(cq) Sabourin and John Curry.

The Penguins are allowed to carry an extra player for the games in

Stockholm. Curry is expected to be sent to Wilkes-Barre after the

Penguins return from a pair of season-opening games against Ottawa

there Oct. 4 and 5.
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