Pens vs Islanders Game Day 81. Wrestlemania 2? Not likely, expect offensive revenge.

Many many weeks have passed since the "Debacle on Long Island" took place on February 11th. This long over due rematch is finally going to take place as the fans invade Nassau Coliseum with many signs that will say "Bury Gillies." Emotions will be running wild during this game tonight.

From my recap:

Between Gilles at the end of the game taunting an injured and concussed Tangradi, Martin making a run at Talbot near center ice trying to sucker punch him, the slash on Letang's right knee before the end of the first period, the fact that the Islanders kept taunting Fleury in the 2nd period and coming down and giving him crap, OR the fact that they did run Johnson into the net twice, one time taking out both him and Letang, but this game pissed me off to new heights.

Just in case anyone missed this tidbit of news, Eric Godard will be in the lineup tonight instead of Chris Conner. I have mixed feelings about this and here's why; this game needs to be won in the goal column, not the fight cards. We all know what Godard is good for, throwing his meat hooks around and tagging people in the face, now not everyone knows Chris Conner's value but to put it simply, gets to the dirty areas to keep pucks alive in the offensive zone, sets up good opportunities even if not always capitalized on. This means that Bylsma is prepared at least, for one fight involving Godard, at the sacrifice of an offensive minded player, and that fight is probably going to be against Gillies or Haley. Haley if you remember took a run at Johnson, and they scrapped, during that time Godard left the bench to go to Johnson's aid and suffered a 10 game suspension because of it. Gillies, well we all know why Gillies needs to be buried.

So to answer back in this budding rivalry, the Penguins will need to find their offense against Al Montoya and this joke squad of a hockey team. Jordan Staal has increased his performance in the past 2 games after going scoreless for 5. Tyler Kennedy continues to have a career year, Max Talbot and Pascal Dupuis are more than capable of putting up goals in this game, but I'd like to see James Neal and Alexei Kovalev get some work done this game on the goal sheets. They weren't there for the debacle and therefor won't care for the events other than team camaraderie, but should still be looking to rifle shots past Montoya to light the lamp. Really would like for Neal to get some confidence going into the playoffs via more than just a shootout win.

Tonight is even more so important because this is one step closer to finding their way to the top of the division. Philly is only 1 point ahead of us now in the standings, they play Buffalo. Buffalo is looking to keep it's own playoff spot and will be playing hard to win these 2 points. Philly already lost one of their remaining 3 games, it is huge to have today go that way, they will want to play hard to keep their number one spot. The Islanders are going to want to beat us to bring us down a peg, keep us in check with reality, but it is going to be necessary to win this game, and Sundays game against Atlanta to seal the division and flip this playoff table in a different direction. A win tonight and a Philly loss puts us at the top of the division by a point. A win tonight and a Philly OT loss keeps us tied. A loss and a Philly win and we're stuck in 4th. An OT loss and a Philly win we have a chance to tie at best and is unacceptable. Winning tonight is the only option for continuing their path of persevering through adversity.

A win tonight brings the Penguins closer to #2 in the conference and #1 in the division. A win tonight brings Dan Bylsma one step closer to a Jack Adams award. If he wins tonight, and wins in Atlanta, and takes the division win, it is a no brainer he is coach of the year if it wasn't clear enough already. So this, is the second to last must-win of the year, and it is against a team that both the coaches and players probably have no respect for what-so-ever, so it is imperative we show that lack of respect by pushing the goals dial up to 11.

Tonight's lines will look something like this based on practice:

James Neal - Mark Letestu - Alexei Kovalev
Chris Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Arron Asham - Maxime Talbot - Pascal Dupuis
Michael Rupp - Craig Adams - Eric Godard

Between the Pipes for the Penguins? Game time decision between Marc Andre Fleury or Brent Johnson. Expect Fleury.

Another must win in a series of must wins. Get the 2 points and hope to see Philly lose in the standings.

GO PENS!

Bylsma for Jack Adams, defeating Florida and playoff talk.

Zybenek Michaleks one timer game winning goal. All 12 Panther fans in attendance were visibly upset.

After the Penguins come from behind victory against the Panthers on Saturday night, they held onto their home ice advantage for another night battling to stay one point ahead of Tampa Bay after they had won earlier that day. Philly after losing in a shootout last night brought their total to 103 points again, regaining first place tied with the Capitals. When I saw Washington in the top spot for even a second, I could taste the bile.

This squad has only three games remaining in their regular season culminating with a game against the Thrashers on April 10th in Atlanta. They'll play their final home game of the regular season in Consol Energy Center tomorrow night against the Devils, hoping to cap their new barn's season off at 25(24)-14-2 with the win against New Jersey. Afterward they'll hope to finish their road dominance with a record of 24(22)-11-6 with the remaining road games on Long Island and in Atlanta.

Tyler Kennedy enjoying a career year.

As many of us writing about the Penguins have stated before today, Dan Bylsma should be a sure choice for the Jack Adams award. This was before he totaled 100points for the team this season, and in some cases before he won his 100th career game. The man has kept a team riddled all year with injuries in the top four of the Eastern conference, and 3 points outside of Philly for first place in the Atlantic. Without the assistance for half a season of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, plugging holes with Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pens, and Shero's brilliance during the end of the trading season.

Through all the adversity Bylsma has been able to keep this team churning out points by using a solid and consistent system between both the WBS baby Penguins and the Pens organizations. The seamless transition for the players between their AHL duties and their NHL duties helped when this team had to fill in the gaps after losing both of their star Centers, and a myriad of forwards and defensemen through out the season. This is just the 7th time in franchise history the Penguins have achieved 100 total points as a team, and it was done while battling through adversity.

Kennedy celebrates a career high 20th goal.

This was not all his work alone however but for consideration in the Jack Adams award he certainly has to be the number one choice, no other coach in the league has had to battle through this much adversity and media frenzy, including going through a 24/7 filming month where camera crews were constantly circling the team.Players have stepped up to do the work that the superstars are not there to do. Players like Tyler "They call me Crosby" Kennedy with his shoot first mentality has finally been able to bury a lot of goals behind the net, putting up 20goals and 22 assists now sits currently 5th in total points on the team. He is leading the team in scoring since Crosby has been injured.

Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz have done their fair share of work as well. Kunitz in the scoring department and Jordan in the unlimited ice time department. Jordan has played career high minutes on ice lately averaging 21 minutes on ice a game, which is 90 seconds more than his previous seasons. He is playing in almost every situation, and not as just a 3rd line shut down center. His defensive prowess and ability to dish out assists has definitely been on display this year. Chris Kunitz has been lighting the lamp consistently all year, sitting at 22goals and 25 assists. Coming back from injury he's scored 11 points (4G 7A) in the 12 games he's participated in, he was blanked for only 5 of those games. During this stretch of time Kunitz was able to come out with a 5 game point streak bolstering a weak offense.

Pens have won the first of the final 4 games in April, looking to tack on the last 6 points necessary and solidify home ice advantage once and for all this season. In other news, Big Brent Johnson was not at practice today because he was attending the birth of his new daughter. Hopefully she doesn't grow up to be a fighter like the Lawgiver, or maybe so. Craig Adams was sporting a Mohawk and the joke was if he scored the game winner Mohawks everywhere. Well he didn't get the game winner but he got the empty netter after Florida botched their goalie bench for an extra attacker as a power play expired.Wonder how many people in the Burgh' have mohawks now?

Battling through adversity with relentless work ethic, passion and integrity, the Penguins way, the pack of wolves mentality. Everyone who could possibly step up for this team has made an effort to step up, and it shows in the standings.

Pens face the Devils tomorrow at 7pm in Consol Energy Center to get within 1 point of Philly in the standings.

Penguins vs Redwings gameday 73. Pittsburgh comes to Joke Town.

Welcome to Joke Town.

After swallowing a pretty tough pill yesterday in Pittsburgh, the Pens got on a flight headed over to Detroit for the second half of another back to back set of games. This is the second time this year the Pens and the Flying Tires will face off against each other. What you might of missed in the last game was Chris Conner breaking an almost 5 year drought on penalty shots with this beauty:



This of course was against MacDonald in net, not Jimmy Howard or Chris Osgood. Howard will be in net tonight for the Wings, Pavel Datsyuk will not be in the line up tonight for them however and that will add a bit of breathing room for the pens. They'll still have Zetterberg out there though, and of course Bertuzzi.

The upcoming stretch of games has officially become the toughest set of games the Penguins are going to have to go through all year, probably even tougher than when 40 of the skaters were injured. Of the upcoming games to finish March only the two against the Devils and Panthers are games against non playoff teams. Including Philly twice, this game against Detroit, and Tampa on the 31st. You also can't discredit the Devils due to the fact that they were playing lights out hockey since the middle of January, even if they will ultimately fall short of their goal. Pens must win and get 2 points to pull out ahead of Tampa in the playoff race and keep 4th place in the standings. Tampa Bay has been off the previous two days and plays the Islanders tomorrow in Tampa.

Cooke will most likely be suspended for his shenanigans in the game yesterday for the rest of the regular season, however Arron Asham is now ready for hockey and will be in the line up in Cookes spot today. The Penguins lines today from practice looked something like this:

James Neal - Dustin Jeffrey - Alex Kovalev
Chris Kunitz - Jordan Staal - Tyler Kennedy
Arron Asham - Maxime Talbot - Pascal Dupuis
Mike Rupp - Craig Adams - Chris Conner

Zbynek Michalek - Paul Martin
Kris Letang - Ben Lovejoy
Deryk Engelland - Matt Niskanen

Between the pipes for the Penguins? BIG Brent Johnson!

Lets go Pens! Do it.

Nikolai Khabibulin and Chris Neil get into it. Goalies (not) fighting everywhere.

So apparently the past 2 weeks Brent Johnson has made a trend of Goalies not taking anything from anybody. Khabibulin and Neil get into a little bit of a spat today during the Sens vs Oilers game. Apparently Neil kept his cool and I haven't seen any footage yet but this is the fourth altercation involving a goalie in 2 weeks. Brent Johnson vs DiPietro, Tim Thomas vs Carey Price, Brent Johnson vs Haley, and now Khabibulin and Neil.

***Update*** So still no footage but heres some photos of them jawing. In so far as I know, there were no fighting majors listed, so I suppose you can't really call this one a goalie fight, but it definitely still stands, that goalies are not taking any crap from skaters lately.

Good trend I guess for the excitement of it all, but really Johnson is the only one actually hitting people and taking hits.

Penguins vs Islanders... Hate fueled rant? Nah. Game Recap

My God...

346 Penalty minutes, from 14 fighting majors, and 21 game misconducts. What the hell...? I said the Isles were expecting to get physical, but this was an all out brawl Royal Rumble style.

 "The first half of the game, was a hockey game." said Dan Bylsma during the post game press conference, "The second half of the game, was not. I certainly did not anticipate the third period looking like that." When Bylsma was asked if he expected the game in April to be similar, "It's tough to forget a game like that." Hopefully, we don't get another fiasco like the show in Long Island last night when the Penguins go back April 8th, it was a disgrace.

Between Gilles at the end of the game taunting an injured and concussed Tangradi, Martin making a run at Talbot near center ice trying to sucker punch him, the slash on Letangs right knee before the end of the first period, the fact that the Islanders kept taunting Fleury in the 2nd period and coming down and giving him crap, OR the fact that they did run Johnson into the net twice, one time taking out both him and Letang, but this game pissed me off to new heights.


Gilles taunting Tangradi, fan filmed:


Right out the gate in the first period, it looked like we were going to be treated to a long, cold night on Long Island, and that could not have been more true. Speaking of gates, by the end of the game, an iron gate was put up in the runway between locker rooms. The Isles came out tough, as was expected, there was good hitting in the first, but unfortunately for the Penguins, there was a lot of offense... 4 goals by the Isles they slipped passed Johnson in the first. Talk about getting revenge for a fight. Johnson did stop a penalty shot but that's basically about the extent of Johnson's saves.

Sadly that wasn't it. When the second period begins, we're barely three minutes into it before 2 more goals are scored. After an all line scrum, Bylsma decides to put Fleury in, and honestly, I have absolutely no idea why he even bothered to shake Fleury's confidence. As expected, the Isles were not going to let up in this game and they end up dumping 2 more past Fleury himself. The Penguins did get 2 goals off of a 5 minute Power Play after the first all team scrum. Letang and Staal tallied the power play goals.

In the video above you basically get the run down of all the fights, penalties, the cheap run, everything. You also get the Tangradi hit that leads to his concussion symptoms, and the fact that Gilles is a complete and utter asshole. You also see Haley and Johnson fight, as Big Brent Johnson will fight you if you come at him, I can only presume that was the other reason why Disco Dan put BBJ back in the net, the first being to save Fleury from these animals.

After the second all line scrum and another 5 minute power play situation for the Penguins. Tyler Kennedy scores another goal, whoopdedoo it's 8-3. The fighting didn't end after the second all team scrum. Vitale got into it at the end, in what was literally the longest Pens game of the regular season so far, that didn't go into overtime. I blame the ref's and coaches not knowing what to do with who was left.

By the end of this game I think the Penguins had about 2 guys on the bench, 5 guys on the ice, with guys in the box through the whole game basically. Despite all of that, Vitale still threw down, I guess he was feeling left out.

So Thursday Bylsma receives his 100th win as a Penguin's coach. Friday night Bylsma is treated to a $10,000.00 fine and is under review for an automatic Suspension. He watched his team fall into utter disarray until Goddard spared him anymore punishment by leaping off the bench to 'save' Johnson, who doesn't need saving. Goddard gets an automatic 10 game suspension and Bylsma is asked to leave. Not too big of a deal I guess considering Godard hasn't performed well and only basically instigates at this point, we have Engelland for that. Tangradi, as I said above suffered a hit in the final minutes of the third period, and is suffering from concussion type symptoms. This means that the Penguins have lost 2 more forwards and have already made an extra call up from Wilkes-Barre for tomorrow's afternoon game against the Rangers.


The good news? Talbot and crew don't seem to be too dejected from this game, as they were all smiles riding in the Cab's to Central Park to practice on an outdoor rink today. The team dressed at MSG but after their bus encountered an accident had to get off and get the cabs. Hard birthday for Talbot last night but he's a hockey player and he'll get over it.

I leave you with Steigerwalds disgust at this game. One of Steigerwalds finer moments, especially after the first period he said P.A Parentaeu was his friggen boy. Steiggy...

Brent Johnson lays out Glass Jaw DiPietro with one elbow.

In case you missed it, or you just want to relive the awesome again and again, here it is straight hot off the youtube presses.




Fan submission from their glass seats:


Hell of a game Pens!