Crosby's still on Ice, Jeffrey with possible ligament damage and the Test tube is fully repaired.

Some injury updates for everyone regarding Sidney Crosby, Dustin Jeffrey, and Mark Letestu. Letestu who's been out with some shoulder soreness is going to be back in the line up with the first line between Kovalev and Neal. In even strength situations this line combination has scored three points in the short time they've been together, as well as two points on the powerplay while sharing center duties with Jordan Staal. The last time Letestu came back from injury after missing an entire month he had a goal and an assist on February 26th against the Maple Leafs during the 6-5 slugfest.

Letestu is hoping to come out and have a repeat of that performance putting points on the board for the Pens; "I just talked to coach and he's throwing me out there," Letestu said during an interview after the morning skate. "It's like Groundhog Day for me. I've been through this once before. Hopefully, I'll have the same kind of game that I had coming back from the other injury tonight." Letestu was recently awarded with the Penguins Rookie of the Year honors, despite missing 18 games. So far for the year he has 12G and 12A in 58 games played.

In this edition of what seems like Injured Centers Weekly, we also have Dustin Jeffrey who underwent an MRI recently. Bylsma had this to say about the knee ailment: "Jeffrey had an MRI yesterday and there is some damage to his knee. It needs further evaluation to determine how much it is at this point and time. There's no timetable right now, but it did show some damage. They need to do further investigation to as much as it is." I would wager to guess that Jeffrey probably has some ligament damage and won't be returning unless it's in the deep rounds of the playoffs.  Jeffrey will be sorely missed for moments like these:

Beating two of the best goaltenders in the game with virtually the same shot? That will be missed indeed. Jeffrey added a lot of value to this team during it's injury ridden season. Jeffrey produced 7goals and 5assists in the 25games he played, ending at a +5 and averaging 13:19 TOI in games, his longest night was a 17:14 minute run against Montreal where he was held scoreless. His best performance was against Boston where he scored  2 goals off 4 shots in 14:51 total ice time., including the game winner above on Tim Thomas. Jeffrey's play this year most likely has earned him a permanent spot on the roster depending on how contracts and training camp go next offseason.

Now for the big Bing, Sidney Crosby. He's been practicing more and more, with more intense skating session each time and it is rumored he will be out on the ice in full practices with the team within the next week or so. It's possible he could get time in before the start of the Playoffs but might be unlikely in order to preserve him for the first round. While it would be ideal to have him out with Neal and Kovalev as soon as possible to gel with these two very big and very different forwards, we will only have practice to look forward to for now. Take a look at the most recent video from Crosby's practice this morning 3/29:


Up and down both ends of the ice balancing the puck on the stick between the two goals and trying to set up for a shot off the faceoff circle. Having just hit the ice, literally (only once!), recently I can tell you that doing that isn't easy, and it's good to see his hand eye coordination isn't affected all too terribly much. His shots look much more accurate than ever, but it could be a byproduct of not having seen him play in so long. Penguins nation and the rest of the hockey world are waiting with bated breath and mixed emotions on the return of Sidney Crosby. Will the young phenom return at the dominating pace he was at before the injury? Scoring 66points (32goals 34assists) in 44 games, or will his timing and shots be off? From the looks of the video, I'd say a 75% healthy Crosby is going to dominate anyone who gets in his way.

A concussion may have knocked him down a peg and sent him back to reality after the punishment he was dishing out, but don't expect him to be afraid of players, playing away from the dangerous situations anymore than he already does or missing too many shots wide or over the net. He definitely still has the accuracy, the will and determination to win, so the other 15 teams going to the playoffs will need to start preparing for a Penguins team that once again has it's shining star on the ice.

To be sure we're not discussing only our centers, Brent Johnson was healthy and back out on the ice today for the Penguins, and as a result of that the Pens have sent Thiessen back to the AHL and the baby Pens. WBS beat the Hershey Bears yesterday to continue their dominance of the AHL, even without the best goaltender in the league. Johnson will not be in net tonight against the Flyers, as newly coined MVP Marc Andre-Fleury will be in net tonight facing off against them in his 5th straight game. Unlike the others however, this one cannot go into overtime and must end in regulation.

"If I had to vote for the Hart Trophy, the Hart in my heart would be 'Flower.'"- Max Talbot after this mornings skate.

Whats the Deal with Neal?

James Neal, more than just a funny face... Part of the trade between the Penguins and the Stars involving Alex Goligoski, and Matt Niskanen. Niskanen has been doing a great job on Defense in place of Gogo, but James Neal had a lot more expectations by press, fans, and the organization ahead of him. So where is the production many of the Penguins faithful have wondered. So far it's been in Overtime or the Shootout, not in regulation, though not for lack of trying however.

Many of the Penguins nation have been upset with his production so far, putting up only one goal and four assists in the 15 games he's played since being traded. During the first six games Neal was held pointless and went for a -3 for that stretch of time.Then in the game against the Sabres on March 8th Neal finally got one behind the net and got an assist to break his scoring slump. Yet afterward he has yet to be able to score a goal in regulation despite putting up three assists, this doesn't necessarily mean he isn't hungry for the net or failing to get the puck past netminders, it just isn't happening in regulation time.

Which brings me to the value of a James Neal powerforward type of wingman, he thrives under the pressure and capitalizes on the other teams mistakes and cracking under the same pressure. When the game is on the line he makes all the right split second decisions you would expect a big time name to make. The plays he makes to keep the puck in the offensive zone in overtime, or the passes to T.K and other players that lead to goals or near goals are a work of art. His work in the shootout though is earning him a reputation of being a goalie killer, even if it won't translate to the playoffs entirely.

Of the past four games the Penguins have been in, they have gone to the shootout. Neal has participated in all four, scoring in three of the four and twice to win the game for the Penguins. Once against Detroit, and Friday evening against the Devils. Another Penguins wingman picked up before the trade deadline, Alexei Kovalev, won the other two games in a shootout for the Penguins and has scored in three of the four as well, Kovalev too is not producing as many points as Pens fans would like. Take a look at this shot Neal puts past Brodeur of the Devils, sealing their playoff fate on Friday night:

James was brought here to be the wingman for Sidney Crosby and to end the discussions of "Wheres that winger for Sid?" The problem though is that he hasn't put up nearly enough points to warrant that position. To put it in perspective, in the past 9 games Chris Kunitz has come back from injury and scored four goals and five assists, with a five game point streak during the stretch, where as Neal has only contributed three assists. It's his body of work you don't see in highlights that Neal shows his value, shots that don't get elevated enough, or just get barely blocked by the goaltender or even worse, ping off the crossbar. His ability to battle downlow and along the boards for the puck, his excellent passing ability and puck control, we forget these things when looking at just the numbers.

It's difficult too for Neal being the biggest target on the first line, that puts him on the other teams Defensive spotlight. Without a Sidney Crosby or an Evgeni Malkin out there to take the defense away from the wingmen it's a lot harder to get production from those forward positions. This is why Kunitz has more goals and points than Neal so far, he isn't under as tough of a defensive matchup. Teams do not fear the first line of this team, they merely acknowledge it's strengths and weaknesses, until James is out of the defensive spotlight he will continue to struggle to put up the points he was used to in Dallas, where Brad Richards took most of the attention away from the wingmen and allowed Neal to do his dirty work.

Many fans were comparing Neal to Poni' the trade that well, should of never been. The one blemish on the trading reputation of GM Ray Shero. Those fans were too quick to jump to conclusions in my opinion, as Neal has played with four different centers since coming to the team, and will play for a fifth different center if(when) Sidney Crosby comes back to the team healthy. Which could be as soon as a few games prior to the end of the regular season.Without being able to build up any chemistry with his line, how can we expect him to produce so quickly?

The all too obvious truth is that no one knows how James Neal and Sidney Crosby are going to work with each other, but after seeing Sid in practices getting that stick handling and passing and shooting going again the rest of the NHL should be scared of the prospect of a 18-87-72 line or even a 18-87-14 line. I'm of the opinion that if Neal gets time to work with Sid, with his heavy shot and his hockey intelligence the lamp will be lit time and time again and Neal will be a welcome long term addition to this Penguins team that is now going to the Playoffs for the fourth straight year after suffering through very... very dark times prior to the lockout.

Devils vs Penguins Gameday 75. We're going streaking!

Coming into the fourth match up with Playoff or hopeful playoff contenders, the Penguins are 2-1 so far after shootout wins in Detroit and Philly's arenas. Chris Kunitz is playing absolutely lights out hockey, tallying an assist in last nights win over the Cryers, he extended his point streak to 5 games, he also had the shootout game winning goal. Last time these two teams met the Devils won in extra time tying the series 2-2 for the year.

New Jersey must win out essentially to get anywhere near playoff contention, the Penguins on the other hand with a win tonight and a Hurricanes loss in regulation will clinch a playoff birth for the Penguins and take some of the stress off them. Jersey is fully intent on raining on this parade, after the injury to Dustin Jeffrey last night (Right knee) there is a question mark as to how effective the first line will be now. Mike Comrie will be filling in for Jeffrey, Comrie hasn't played since November due to a hip injury that required surgery. Analysts thought the world of Comrie in the preseason but in his stint in the regular season before injury wasn't impressive. It will be interesting to see how he does with Neal and Kovalev as his wingmen considering they've not played with him, all three are new Penguins as of this year.

Neal and Kovalev had several opportunities last night that were turned aside so it is good to see that the shots are there but they aren't getting behind the net. Tyler "Crosby" Kennedy is still doing a good Sid the Kid impression and has scored a career high 18 goals this season, with him and Kunitz providing the offensive charge, the acquisitions need to step up their game and help this hot duo. No practice this morning officially, Sid and Testtube practiced at 9am, Devils skated around 11am, then there was an option Pens skate.

Lines will look something like this:

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

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

Between the pipes for the penguins? Marc Andre Fleury.
Brad Thiessen will not be in net tonight, Fleury has been given the nod.Fleury has a 3 game shutout streak on March 25th dating back to 2007, they did not play on march 25th in 2010. Here's hoping the Flower will keep that streak alive as well.

It's time to show these teams who's boss and who doesn't need superstars to succeed. 2 more points needed here Pens, lets shut the Devils and the Canes down in the same night!

Do it!

Crosby's on ice. 3-25-2011 Jeffrey down and out.

He is looking better and better every damn time he goes out there and hits the ice. This time the waterbottle plays victim to Crosby's shot, watch it explode in the video. Thiessen is the goalie on net, best goalie in the AHL but up against a practicing Sid? No chance.

In other news, yesterday during the game against Philly, in a hit similar to the one that Malkin took in the Sabres game that ended his season, Dustin Jeffrey went down in a heap and couldn't get himself off the ice and had to be helped off. Jeffrey is listed with a leg injury, and most likely won't suit up again for the Penguins this season. Due to this injury Mike Comrie has finally been called up from I.R to play again, even after I said he probably wouldn't. I wished he wouldn't because the guys we had were all gelling together but here we are, against the Devils tonight, with Thiessen most likely in goal and Comrie heading the top line? This Season gets stranger and stranger as the days go on.

If the Penguins win tonight in regulation or OT and the Canes lose in regulation, the Penguins will clinch their Playoff berth and we can all breathe a sigh of relief that it's finally settled.

Penguins vs Flyers Gameday 74 Battle for P.A.

Pennsylvania... Land of opportunity, land of the Blue Collar folk, and Brotherly love. However there will be no love for our "brothers" in Philadelphia. The last time these two teams met, the Philly Cryers ended a 12 game winning streak heading into the Winter Classic. The last time these two teams played the Penguins were on the top of the world and no one was going to stop them, at least that's how it seemed... Unfortunately their momentum was put to a crawl, however despite that the Penguins are still just 5 points outside of this Flyers team for first place, but the Flyers have a game in hand above the Pens.

Without a doubt, Penalty Killing must be improved on in this game, since Cooke's ejection in the game against the Rangers, the Penguins have let in 4 power play goals, and have dropped their percentage down to 85.9% PK and tied for 1st in the league with the Kings and the Capitals.Cooke's presence on PK will be missed for the remainder of this season but someone will need to step up to make things happen out there.

Goaltending is a question mark today, as Brent Johnson will not be attending this back to back pair of games, Brad Thiessen has been assigned to the Penguins and has traveled to Philly to meet the team. Brad will back up Fleury tonight in net, and possibly start tomorrow against the Devils as there is another game on Sunday against the Panthers. In Thiessens 42 games he has a32-7-1 record, 1.88GAA .924SV % and 7 shutouts.

Player to watch for? Chris Kunitz who is hotter than hot right now with 4 goals and 4 assists in 4 games. Everyone kept talking about Ben Lovejoy and his production, meanwhile Kunitz was coming back from a 12 game injury like it never even happened. He didn't score the first two games against Buffalo and the Habs but now that he's gotten his wheels back it definitely shows why he is one of the top scorers on this team. Expect Kunitz and Kovalev to do something tonight, Neal needs to eliminate his regulation time struggles but Overtime Neal is beastmode.

All of the Pen's defense practiced today but Orpik will not be in the line up until Tuesday at the earliest. Your lines look something like this based off of practice:

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

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

Between the Pipes for the Penguins? Marc Andre Fleury!

Lets go Pens! Do it!

Penguins Recall Brad Thiessen from WBS; Orpik practices with team, travels to Philly.

Due to personal reasons/undisclosed injury Brent Johnson is not able to be in attendance with the team, this means that another call up from Wilkes-Barre is happening. This time though they're calling in for the force field that is known as Brad Thiessen, the number one goalie in the AHL with a .924 save percentage 1.88GAA, 7 shutouts and a record of 32-7-1! All the best for BBJ and his reason for being away during this tough two game stretch. The question now, do the Devils see Thiessen or will he battle Bobrovsky in Philly?

In other news Brooks "Crazy Eyes aka Free Candy" Orpik is back at practice and expected to return to duty on Tuesday against Philly for round 2 at home in Consol. Bylsma hopes to have him back for the last 5-6 regular season games and of course for the full stint of the playoffs. This means that Lovejoy will most likely go back to being either undressed or sharing time with Engelland. This is very good news for the P.K and Defense, as one of the last pieces available to come back to the team is about to be set back into place.

Waiting patiently for Sidney Crosby.

Free Cookie

So the suspension was levied yesterday and even though everyone knows it already, the NHL and Mario Lemieux aren't happy about Cooke's behavior. 5 suspensions for Cooke means he gets 10 games and the first round of the playoffs. That's all I'm gonna say about the matter.

"I made a mistake. I'm the one that's accountable for that. I take full responsibility for it. I'm sorry to my teammates, my management, my coaching staff and my organization. It's something that, moving forward, I'll make different." - Matt Cooke.

Sidney Crosby, grant them the strength to defeat your enemies.

Free Cookie.