My Playoff Predictions: Stanley Cup Final

My picks from Conference Finals......

Eastern Conference Finals:

I said Pens in 6. What really happened was Pens in 5. This was a dominating performance by the Penguins. They took a three games to none lead in the series and never looked back. Marian Hossa was everything the Pens traded for and then some. He had 4 goals and 5 assists in the five games and helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 17 years.

Western Conference Finals:

I said Stars in 6. What really happened was the Wings in 6. I don't know what happened to Dallas, but they didn't look like the same team that beat the Sharks and Ducks with ease. The Stars looked slow and didn't show much effort untill game 4. The Wings are an awesome team that will cause havic for the Pens, but this will be a test like no other for the Wings.

My picks for the Stanley Cup Final:

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh. These two teams haven't played eachother since early last season which makes this series almost unpredictable. I think the Pens can win the Cup this year if they play their style. Detroit is good, but their fan support has been anything but great this post season unlike the Penguins fans who have been going crazy!!! The Pens have that look in their eye that the want to win it all and they beleive in themselves that they can. Detroit on the other hand look like they know they can win, but could careless if they lose it all. With Pittsburgh not losing a game on home ice since February 23, I don't look for them to lose a game now. Detroit has been very impressive at home as well, but Dallas was able to steal one up there. With that being said, I say Pens in 6. They will split the first two games, and the Pens will win both at home, then go back to detroit and lose, then they will come back home, and win it in front of the home crowd. Lets Go Pens!!!

Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley.....

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pittsburgh Penguins have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time in franchise history, and the first time in 16 years. The Penguins did it in style by crushing their cross state rival, the Philadelphia Flyers 6-0. The Pens were in complete control from start to finish, leaving no doubt that they will be playing in the Finals later this week, or early next week. The Pens started the scoring two minutes and thirty seconds into the game and never looked back. Ryan Malone was on a mission, and proved it by scoring twice and adding a helper, and Marian Hossa may have shut up all of his critics by scoring once and adding three helpers, making him tied for second in playoff scoring. Sidney Crosby was, well, Sidney Crosby

by adding a 2 assists making him first in the playoffs for scoring, and Evgeni Malkin made his presence felt by scoring a beautiful goal from behind the net. The stars were shining in Pittsburgh today, but none were more noticeable than Marc-Andre Fleury. He made 21 saves, and two of those were highlight reel saves. He has been the Pens most consistent player since returning from injury and is among many others these playoffs, he is shutting his critics up by his stellar play between the pipes. This has been a special run the Penguins have put on, and I believe they are to good of a team to stall out in the Finals. Detroit seemed to be cruising for an easy win over Dallas, but Dallas hasn't gone away silently and they have won the last two making the series 3-2. I think the Pens can beat either of the teams as long as they play their game and stay out of the box. They can skate with Detroit, and they can play the physical game that Dallas plays. The Pens also have to realize they haven't won anything yet and the real challenge awaits them. They are going to need these next few days to rest up and get healthy, and try to maintain their focus. The Pens will have momentum going into the Finals with a great win on home ice today and a boat load of support from the city. Lets Go Pens!!!

Today's Three Stars:

1. Ryan Malone-2 goals, 1 assist
2. Marian Hossa-1 goal, 3 assists
3. Marc-Andre Fleury-21 saves
   
   

The Pens take the first two!!!

The Pens have a goal this year in the playoffs and it has become very apparent. The Pens took game one by a score of 4-2, and decided to keep things rolling with another 4-2 victory last night. I was at the Mellon Arena last night experiencing my first playoff game in person and it was nothing short of spectacular. The crowd was roaring and seemed to get louder after every big hit. The crowd got even louder when Tyler Kennedy beat the life out of Scottie Upshall. Kennedy threw some "hay makers" that landed on Upshall's face which lead to Scottie looking up at the rafters. The crowd fed off of the fight and so did the Penguins. Late in the third Crosby tallied giving the Pens the 1-0 edge at the end of one period. On came the second period, where the Pens usually play well, but it wasn't as kind this time. The Flyers tied the game at one a piece, but as usual, the Pens regained the lead. Shortly after the game was 2-1, Sidney Crosby had a goal taken away because there wasn't conclusive evidence that the puck crossed the goal line. The refs couldn't tell, but everyone at home and at the arena knew it was in. The goal was disallowed and the game went on. The Pens were given a power play late in the second, but due to an awful pass by Malkin, Mike Richards went the other way on a short handed break away, and scored. Going in to the third I had a good feeling that the Pens would pull it out. Sure enough the Pens were able to pull it out. Max Talbot scored the game winning goal in his first game back after braking his foot against the Rangers in game three. Fleury played yet another solid game making 30 saves leading the Pens to a 4-2 victory. The fourth goal came from my favourite player Jordan Staal on an empty net.

The Pens were great on the power play, except for that one slip up, but we will let it slide for now, they were decent on the penalty kill, and they out shot the Flyers. Fleury had another great game and so did Biron. I was mad at the officiating because they wern't very consistant in their calls. The one call that bothered was the Ruutu dive???? Biron punched Ruutu in the face and Ruutu fell to the ice and was sent to the box for unsportsman like conduct? I am happy with the outcome, but hopefully the refs do a better job in game three. Lets Go Pens!!!!!!!!!!

Three Stars:

1. Sidney Crosby- 1 goal, 1 assist
2. Max Talbot- 1 GWG
3. Mike Richards- 1 SHG

My Playoff Predictions: Conference Finals

My picks from last round.....

Eastern Conference:

I said Montreal in 6. What really happened, Philadelphia in 5. I knew Philly crushing the Canadiens was a possibility, but I was shocked at how bad Montreal played. The Canadiens didn't put traffic in front of Biron until game 5, but it was to late. Not only was the Montreal power play bad, their goal tending was brutal, due to the simple fact that Carey Price is so young and inexperienced at the NHL level.

I said Pens in 6. What really happened, Pens in 5. The Pens did everything they I said they had to do in order to win....score on the power play and find a way to win on Madison Square Garden ice. The Pens also got excellent goal tending from Marc-Andre Fleury, he has been the key to the playoffs so far which has put some smiles on peoples faces.

Western Conference:

I said Aves in 6. What really happened, Wings in 4! Talk about a complete melt down. The Avalanche had everything from bad goal tending to key players going down to injury. The Wings played great, but the Avalanche fell apart. This was disappointing after all they hype.

I said Stars in 6. I called this one because it was obvious. The sharks are a good team, but the Stars are a hungry team. The Stars were lead by their captain Brendan Morrow to a Western Conference Final birth. Morrow had 2 overtime goals, one coming in the fourth overtime in game 6. He also had a couple massive body checks in this series none bigger than the one he laid on Milan Michalek who was left motionless afterwards.

My Picks for th Conference Finals:

Eastern Conference Finals:

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia. This is one of the greatest rivalries in the NHL today. The season series was won by the Flyers 5-3. For as impressive as 5-3 looks, it doesn't serve justice of how the series went. The Pens lost the first four, but then won three in a row and then ended up losing the final game of the season, but not only was the final game pointless, the Pens look as if they didn't try. The special teams will be the deciding factor in this series. The Flyers penalty kill hasn't been anything to get over excited about and their power play has been average. The Pens have been dominant on both sides of the special teams game. If the Flyers want to take runs at Crosby, the Pens will eat them alive. I say Pens in 6. The Pens are on a mission!!!

Western Conference Finals:

Detroit vs. Dallas. The Wings won the season series 3-1, but the past is the past, this is the present and Dallas has proven that so far this year throughout the playoffs. The Wings so far have had it relatively easy. The Stars have not. This will be a great series because it has always been a great rivalry. The Stars, like the Pens, are on a mission so I don't see them losing to the old, and probably rusty due to the long layoff, Red Wings. Stars in 6.

Next Stop, Eastern Conference Finals!!!!!!!

Well the trade deadline paid its dues yesterday in the Penguins 3-2 overtime victory. The Pens blew a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes of the third period and could not solve Lundqvist in regulation, but with a few minutes remaining in the third, Chris Drury high sticked Ryan Malone in the face causing bleeding giving the Pens a four minute power play that would last into OT. The Pens didn't score on the power play, but they did build momentum off of it. Midway through the OT period Sidney Crosby skated the puck through center ice, across the blue line, and dropped it off to Pascal Dupuis who miss handled it but the puck ricocheted off of Ranger defenseman Daniel Girardi and rolled to Marian Hossa who buried the puck and brought the Mellon arena roof down!!! The Mellon Arena was the loudest I have ever heard it and because of the excitement, the TV cameras could not focus on the mob of players surrounding Marian Hossa. The Pens blew a couple of leads in this series and if that trend continues, it could come back and bite them. I thought when Malkin scored the second goal for the Penguins, they were going to sail to an easy victory. It was one of the best goals I have ever seen. Malkin came down one on four and started to lose the puck, but spun around and shot the puck into the back of the net on the backhand. But little did I know, the Rangers would come back. They scored twice in the third period one minute and twenty-two seconds apart. The Mellon Arena was stunned, but the players never lost their focus. Because the Pens never lost focus, they were able to beat the Rangers. With the Penguins winning, they now get set to play the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Flyers were dead last in the league last season, and are now playing to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers are a dirty team and they know it. The only upside to them being a dirty team is their penalty kill hasn't been very good in the post season and the Pens power play has been one of the best in the playoffs. If the Flyers are going to take a lot of penalties, the Pens will eat them alive. This being said, the Flyers won't be able to play their game and they will have to make adjustments before the series even starts. The Pens have to be careful as well. Although the Pens were unbelievable on the penalty kill against the Rangers and Senators, the Flyers have a very talented power play that was ranked first for a while throughout the regular season. This series is going to be full of heavy hits and probably a few fights. The Penguins need to keep their foot on the gas and never let up on the Flyers. The Pens also need to get traffic in front of Biron, something the Canadiens did not do until game five where they scored four goals. The Pens definitely have the better looking team out of the two, but they need to play smart hockey and keep their heads on swivels.

Key Players:

Pit.- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin always have huge games against the Flyers. Sidney Crosby almost averages 2 points per game against the Flyers in his career. Evgeni Malkin started ripping the Flyers apart when Marian Hossa showed up. I expect big things out of these three players.

Phi.- R.J. Umberger and Danial Briere. Umberger had 8 goals last series against the Canadiens and he always has a knack of scoring against the Penguins. Umberger is a Pittsburgh native so he always has that extra edge when he plays in the "Burgh" and if the Pens don't pay close attention to him he will kill them. Same goes for Briere. Briere used to own the Penguins when he played for Buffalo and some of that "ownage" carried over to Philly.

You Can't Win 'em all.

The Pens suffered their first loss of the post season in game 4 against the NYR in Madison Square Garden. I don't mind when the Pens lose, but the fashion in which they lost was sickening. The Pens showed no effort what so ever and the Rangers barely beat them. By pretty much giving the Rangers the win, I hope it doesn't give the Rangers life. The comforting news about this series is the Pens have home ice advantage which means game 5 will be played in Pittsburgh where the Rangers haven't played well the past two seasons or in this post season. Everything that was working for the Pens they went away from on Thursday. They didn't score on any of their power play opportunities, they didn't kill off the Rangers power plays, and they didn't stay out of the penalty box. With the possibility of Sunday being Jaromir Jagr's last game in his NHL career I expect him to throw everything he has at the Pens similar to what he did in game 4. With the Rangers being beaten up I would hope the Pens to establish their physical game they had in games 1 and 2. The power play also needs not to stand and wait for the Rangers to make defensive moves. The Pens power play looked almost flat and uncaring. Hopefully this changes in game 5. The Mellon Arena should be rocking on Sunday and hopefully that gets the Pens read to play. The Pens will probably be without center Maxime Talbot due his broken foot, so I expect to see Gary Roberts in the lineup and Adam Hall taking over Talbot's roll. The Penguins need to keep their cool and play their game and the end result will end with a hand shake. Lets Go Pens!!!

Key Players:

Pit.-Sidney Crosby, I expect him to come out flying because the Rangers made him angry at the end of game 4 and when Sid is angry, he is and unstoppable force.

NYR-Jaromir Jagr, as I already stated this could be his last NHL game and if so, it will be in front of the crowd that saw him play for the first time.

Here We Go...3-0!!!!!!

The Pens are now 7-0 in the post season, and 3-0 in their series with the Rangers. After last night's game, the Rangers have to be wondering what they have to do to win. They out shot the Pens 39-17, but could not contain the Penguins power play. They won game three 5-3, but it ended up being a special teams game. The Pens killed off 6 Ranger power play opportunities including two 5 on 3's and scored twice on three power plays of their own. The game started off right when Marian Hossa buried one just over a minute into the first. from then on the Pens played great defensively, except for a brief period of time in the second period, but over came adversity and prevailed.

Three stars:

1. Evgeni Malkin-2 goals, 1 assist
2. Marc-Andre Fleury-36 saves, .923 sv%
3. Jaromir Jagr-1 goal, 1 assist (Jagr looked like the Jaromir that Pittsburgh came to know and love...I tip my hat to him on an awesome performance.)
   

2-0....again!!!!!

The game on Friday and today's game may have caused a few heart attacks here in the Pittsburgh area. With the Pens coming back and winning on Friday after being down 3-0 in the first half of the game and winning today in a shut down fashion really makes people wonder if it is the Pens year. On Friday the Pens had some last minute heroics from Evgeni Malkin which left the Rangers hanging the heads wondering what happened, and today the Rangers' heads were looking to the rafters wondering what they had to do to put a puck past Fleury. Fleury got his second career playoff shutout today stopping all 26 shots that he faced. My main man Jordan Staal buried a beautiful power play goal, his second from Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Whitney. It was a sick pass from Malkin and Staal left Lundqvist out to dry. Today had a feeling that it was going to be a low scoring affair, but I didn't think it was going to be a 1-0 nothing game for 59 minutes and 33 seconds. The Pens sealed the deal late in the third when Adam Hall got his first of the playoffs from 140 ft. away. The puck was a clearing attempt by Hall that trickled into the gaping net. The Mellon Arena can sense something special with this Penguins team, and so can I. Game three is Tuesday in Madison Square Garden where the Pens have struggled this year, but have excelled in the playoffs. Lets Go Pens!!!!!!

Three Stars:

1. Marc-Andre Fleury-26 save shutout.
2. Jordan Staal-GWG.
3. Henrik Lundqvist-30/31 saves.

My Playoff Predictions: Round 2

Lets see how my picks fared in the first round....

Eastern Conference:

I said MTL in 5. What really happened, MTL in 7. I didn't expect the Habs to have this much trouble with the Bruins. I thought this would be a quick series, but the Bruins fought hard. The jury is still out on Price, he had his up and downs, but he won and its a whole new round.

I said Pens in 6. What really happened, Pens in 4! I expected the Sens to fight like they did in the regular season, but the Pens dominated.

I said Caps in 6. What really happened, Flyers in 7. I knew this series had a possibilty to go to seven games, but I didn't expect Ovechkin to disappear for half the series. Ovechkin was nowhere near the player he was in the regular season, I was disappointed. Kudos to Backstrom, he is amazing.

I said Rangers in 7. What really happened, Rangers in 5. This came to a surprise to me. I expected Brodeur to keep this series in check, which he did to a point. The Rangers gave up more goal to the Devils, than they wanted, but it didn't happen, so on to the next round they go.

Western Conference:

I said Wings in 6. I called it. The Wings didn't win this series as impressively as they should have, I don't think they will make it past the next round.

I said SJS in 7. I called another one. The Flames gave the Sharks some serious trouble. I really don't have a liking for the Sharks, but hey what can I do. They shut down the Flames in the neutral zone in game 7.

I said Wild in 7. What really happened, Aves in 6. This series was a good one, possibly my favorite one. The wild weren't bad, but where did Gaborik disappear to? I think the Aves will be in the Western Conference Finals.

I said Ducks in 6. What really happened, Stars in 6. The Ducks got into penalty trouble, and the Stars power play beat them. New Stanley Cup Champion this year.

My Picks for Round 2:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal vs. Philadelphia. This series will be interesting. The Habs swept the season series, but that was the past. The Bruins exposed the Canadiens. If you play physical against them, they can be defeated. The Habs need to just score on the power play. The Flyers special teams were sloppy so I'll say the Canadiens in 7.

Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers. This will be a great series, possibly one for the ages. The Rangers took 5 of 8 in the regular season, but did not play well on Mellon Arena ice. If the Rangers take a lot of penalties against the Pens, Pit will win, also Pittsburgh needs to find a way to win on Madison Square Garden ice. They were brutal there this year. I say Pens in 6.

Western Conference:

Detroit vs. Colorado. The Wings weren't impressive at all in round one, and the Aves were dominant. The season series was 4-0 in favour of Detroit, but the Wings goal tending will do them in. I say Avelanche in 6.

SJ Sharks vs. Dallas Stars. The series was 3-1 in favour of the Stars. The Sarks had trouble with the Flames and the Stars blew by the defending cup champs. This will be a good series, but the Stars will pull it out. Stars in 6. Rematch of the 1999 Western Conference Finals. Stars vs. Aves.

Pens and Rangers

The wait is over, the Pens will face off against the New York Rangers in the second round. It seems that it has been a year since the Pens last played, and I'm sure Ranger fans feel the same way. This series will be a classic. Great goal tending at both ends, high scoring probability, and in your face style of play. These teams fared pretty even in the regular season. The Rangers won the season series 5-3, but they won 3 of those games in October and November....the Pens weren't playing so well then. I'm interested in Sean Avery and Jarkko Ruutu. I think they will try to out pest each other and hopefully Ruutu comes out on top. The key to the series will be special teams. If it comes to special teams, I have to give the edge to the Pens. The Pens power play wasn't anything to get overly excited about in round one, but their penalty kill was unbelievable! The Rangers on the other hand weren't bad with the power play, but they struggled with the offensively challenged New Jersey Devils on the penalty kill, not to mention they gave a couple 5 on 3's to the Devils. If the Pens get a ton of power play chances, the Rangers will have trouble in the series. If the Pens avoid stupid penalties, I don't see how they can lose. This will be a hard fought series with hopefully a good outcome in favour of the Pens.

Key Players:

Pit.-Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Jordan Staal. Crosby plays well against NYR, and so does Staal. Fleury needs to stay solid, he hasn't shown any blemishes so far and he needs to continue that.

NYR-Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist. Jagr kills the Pens due to the hate he developed for the Pens while in the burgh' and Drury is clutch, hence his nick name "Captain Clutch." Henrik needs to be Henrik, if he is not solid, the Rangers won't be.

Game 1 is Friday, and the rumor is Sidney Crosby asked for it to be a "white out." Lets Go Pens!!!!

4-0 Sweep!!!

The Pens got their revenge last night by knocking the Ottawa Senators out of the playoffs. The Sens eliminated the Pens last year in the first round by beating them 5 games to 1. Pittsburgh this year one upped them by sweeping the series. The Sens were never really in this series from game one although they showed some life in game three, but could not prevail. I thought the Sens would come out swinging in game four, instead they did just the opposite. There was no scoring in the first, but the Pens out shot Ottawa 14-5. The second period came along, and Pittsburgh didn't wait long to score. One minute and forty seconds into the second, Evgeni Malkin score his second career post season goal on the power play assists coming from Sidney Crosby and Sergei Gonchar. Scotiabank Place was silent sensing that the Senators season was all but over. The Senators didn't go away silently. Cory Stillman knotted the scoring up at one. It was an ugly goal, but the Sens would take it. It was Stillman's second of the series assisted by Wade Redden and Anton Volchenkov. The Pens knew that they could not let the crowd back into the game and by doing so they put up there second tally of the game. Jarkko Ruutu took a beautiful pass from Tyler Kennedy and scored a sick "spinarama" goal that left the Senators wondering what would they have to do to gain momentum. It was Ruutu's second career playoff goal and first as a Penguin assisted by Tyler Kennedy. Two minutes later the Senators thought they tied the game again, but upon further review the War Room in Toronto ruled it a non-goal due to Antoine Vermette kicking the puck into the goal. The Senators from that point on never showed life again. The third period was quiet, but Marc-Andre Fleury came up huge when called upon. With under a minute remaining Sidney Crosby ensured the Penguins a second round birth by shooting the puck into the empty net. It was Crosby's second goal this post season and it was unassisted. The game ended 3-1 in favor of the Pens, and the series ended 4-0 in favor of the Pens as well. The Pens won't know who they will play for a few days now which should help forward Gary Roberts nurse his groin injury.

The only Ottawa Senator that wanted to win the series, let alone a game was Martin Gerber. He played outstanding in every game making saves he had no business making leaving a few Penguin players looking up at the rafters wondering "What do I have to do to score a goal?" The Senators "Big Three" in Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatly were pretty much non-existent throughout the entire series making life a living hell for Senators coach Bryan Murray. The Pens on the other hand had excellent goal tending from Marc-Andre Fleury and outstanding play from their "Big Three" in Crosby, Malkin, and Hossa. If the Pens can keep this torrid pace throughout the second round and the rest of playoffs, I have trouble believing that they will lose to anyone in a seven game series. Lets Go Pens!!!

Three Stars:

1. Evgeni Malkin-1 goal
2. Martin Gerber-31 saves
3. Marian Hossa-9 shots on goal

3-0 One More to Go!!!!!

Pittsburgh knew going into tonight that Ottawa would be fighting for their lives, but they didn't know that Senators captain, Daniel Alfredsson would be in the line up. Alfredsson has killed the Pens over the years, and I was a little scared he would continue his Penguins dominance. I was wrong. Alfredsson was nearly invisible along with teamates Dany Heatlty and Jason Spezza. The only reason Alfredsson dressed for tonight's game was to try to motivate his team, and get them out of this current funk they have been in. The Sens came out flying to a roaring Scotiabank Place crowd, but were not able to reward the "Sens Army" with an early goal. In fact, the first goal did not come until the second period when 18 year old rookie, Nick Foligno scored his first career playoff goal assisted by Jason Spezza. It was an awesome goal, that really brought the arena to life. Nick Foligno wasn't the only player t get his first career playoff goal, Pen's forward Maxime Talbot scored an awesome goal on the backhand which woke the Penguins' bench up. The goal was assisted by Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. The second period came to an end with a score of 1-1, but the Pens were starting to look like the team that won the first two games of the series. The third period started and it did not take Sidney Crosby to make some noise. Crosby broke a Pittsburgh Penguins record for the fastest goal in a period in a playoff game. Greg Malone, father of Pittsburgh Penguin forward Ryan Malone, previously held the record scoring 14 seconds into the period. Crosby beat that record out by 2 seconds giving the Penguins the 2-1 lead. It was Crosby's first of this years playoffs, and it was assisted by Marian Hossa and Robert Scuderi. Scuderi's assist was his first ever NHL post season point. One minute and twenty-eight seconds after Crosby scored, Jordan Staal tallied (1) from Tyler Kennedy and Jarko Ruutu. This was Tyler Kennedy's first ever NHL post season point as well. The game seemed all but over until Marian Hossa decided to get the monkey off his back and score a goal. It was a power play goal and his first of the playoffs, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Ryan Malone. Final Score, Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 1.

Side Notes: Marc-Andre Fleury had a phenomenal game stopping 33 shots out of 34. He was a little shaky at the start, but settled down, and came into his own. The only thing that bothered me this game was the power play. The Pens went 1 for 8, with a brief 5 on 3. The Pens are lucky they have a nice lead in the series and don't have to rely on the power play because the second round, pending they make it, they will have to do better than 12.5%. Some upsides to the game were a few players getting their first career post season points. I tip my hat to Nick Foligno, Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, and Robert Scuderi. The Pens have to feel good about themselves going into game 4 with a 3-0 series lead. Wednesday will be a battle and hopefully they seal the deal. Lets Go Pens!!!!!

Three Stars:

1. Marian Hossa-1 goal, 2 assists
2. Sidney Crosby-1 goal, 1 assist
3. Nick Foligno-1 goal

Pens Lead Series 2-0!!!!!!

Last night was another dominating performance by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens fired 54 shots on goal which is a franchise record for a playoff game. If it wasn't for Senators Goalie Martin Gerber the game might have been over in the first period. The scoring got started late in the third by Pens defensman Sergei Gonchar (1) from Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. It was a 5 on 3 power play goal. At the end of the first period, the Pens had 20 shots on the board!!! The second period came and the shooting gallery continued. Roughly five minutes into the period the Pens got another power play marker this time from Petr Sykora (2) assisted by Evgeni Malkin and

Sidney Cosby giving the Pens the 2-0 advantage. Petr Sykora wasn't done yet. Five minutes after Sykora scored Brooks Orpik came out of the penalty box and received a pass from Evgeni Malkin which sprung him on a brake away. Gerber made a great save on Brooks, but he didn't freeze the puck. The Sens turned and looked to clear the zone, but miss played the puck and Ryan Malone passed the puck to Evgeni Malkin who found Petr Sykora (3) open for a one timer and the Pens were on top 3-0. The Mellon arena was ecstatic and I think the Pens got caught up in the excitement a little too much because less than a minute later ex-Penguin Sean Donovan (1) scored assisted by Chris Neil and Mike Commodore. Although the Pens were out playing the Sens, the game was close thanks to Martin Gerber. I knew going into the game that it would not be as easy as it was on Wednesday for the Pens. Sure enough, there was no quit in the Ottawa Senators. Late in the second period Tyler Kennedey took a hooking penalty and the Senators capitalized. The goal came from Cory Stillman (1) assisted by Dany Heatly and Andrej Meszaros. The second period ended with a score 3-2 in favor of the Pens, but the Pens were out shooting Ottawa 40-19!!! The Pens fired more shots in the first two periods of game two than they did in three period in game one! The third period began and the Pens kept on putting shots on goal, but Gerber had the answer. Penguins forward Marian Hossa had a beautiful chance to put the game away, but good not tap the puck in to the open goal. Soon after Hossa's missed opportunity the Sens Cody Bass scored his first career post season goal assisted by Randy Robitaille and Mike Commodore. The Sens started looking like the team that had fired 40 shots in the first two periods. The third period was winding down and it was looking like overtime was a legit possibility until Penguins' forward Jarko Ruutu was high sticked in the face by Senators forward Martin Lapointe. Penguins' coach Michel Therien called a timeout to draw up a play. The timeout ended and the Pens put their power play unit to work. With 1:02 remaining on the clock Ryan Malone brought the Mellon Arena to its feet when he scored his first post season goal on the power play to give the Pens the 4-3 lead. The goal was assisted by Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa. The Ottawa Senators pulled Martin Gerber to get the extra attacker and Ryan Malone scored his second goal of the game assisted by Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa again. It was an empty net which put the Pens up 5-3 in the game and 2-0 in the series.

The only thing that really bothered me last night was the Pens defense not clearing bodies from the front of the net. On every goal the Senators scored there were players whacking at Fleury's pads trying to knock the puck through into the goal. The Pens have had this problem all year. This is the reason they brought in defensman Hal Gill who has been stellar since he has arrived. If the Pens are to close out this series and move on to the second round, they need to be more physical in front of their own net. The Pens proved they could do this in game one against the Senators on Wednesday. Other than the defense needing to be more physical I have no problems with their play. Also if the Pens are able amount 54 shots a game, I don't see them having any issues through out this post season. Off to Ottawa for game 3. Lets Go Pens!!!

Three Stars:

1. Petr Sykora- 2 goals
2. Evgeni Malkin- 3 assists
3. Ryan Malone- 2 goals, 1 assist

Pens vs. Sens: 1-0 Pens!!!!!!!

Tonight was a game to remember for Pens fans, and a night to forget for Sens fans. The "Mellon" was rockin' early on and it didn't take long for "Scary" Gary Roberts to add to the fire. Gary Roberts scored 68 seconds into the first period assisted by Georges Laraque and Maxime Talbot giving the Penguins the coveted first goal and a ton of momentum. After the Roberts goal, the Pens were rolling. Eleven minutes later Evgeni Malkin came streaking into the Sens zone on a 2 on 1 with Peter Sykora and set up Sykora for a sick one timer that put the Pens up 2-0. The second period came and went with no scoring from either team, but key penalty killing. The Pens killed two 5 on 3's that lasted 52+ seconds. The biggest factor in tonight's game was Marc-Andre Fleury. Not a lot of chances were given to the Senators due to a stellar performance by the Pens "D" and when the Sens finally did get a scoring chance, Fleury was there to deny them. The third period was starting to wind down, when Evgeni Malkin seemed to take his play to a whole other level which payed dividends in the end giving Malkin his first career playoff goal. The goal was a beautiful goal which brought the house down in Pittsburgh and from then on it was smooth sailing for the Pens. Malkin's goal was assisted by Ryan Whitney and Ryan Malone. Nearly five minutes later Gary Roberts scored another goal, his (2) from Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa, which put the icing on the cake in game one. The game wasn't over, due to a few nice scraps between Ryan Whitney and Wade Redden, and Gary Roberts and practically the entire Senators team!

The Pens dominated the play from the drop of the puck and hopefully this continues into game 2. Marc-Andre Fleury made a statement tonight by recording his first career post season shutout and removing all doubt that he could carry the team through the playoffs. Malkin also played a phenominal game, he had 1 goal and 2 assists and controlled the game when he was on the ice. Gary Roberts played one of his best games as a Pittsburgh Penguin tonight having the GWG and another goal to go along with it. Pens fans, don't get carried away just yet, being that it has only been one game and there is a lot of hockey yet to play. Expect a tough, competitive game on Friday from the Sens. Lets Go Pens!!!!!!

Three Stars:

1. Marc-Andre Fleury- 26 saves, 1.000 sv%
2. Gary Roberts- 2 goals
3. Evgeni Malkin- 1 goal, 2 assists

My Playoff Predictions: Round 1

Eastern Conference:

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins. This series may be a landslide, but since it's the NHL playoffs anything can happen even though Montreal won the series 8-0. The Canadiens will be going into the playoffs with a rookie phenom, Carey Price tending goal. I think the the playoff pressure might get to Price, but he has a very solid defensive core to fall back on. My only worry for Price is if he has a shaky start to the series and the Canadiens lose, the Montreal media might crucify him and GM Bob Gainey destroying Price's confidence. Good news for Boston though, Patrice Bergeron should be back for the series after missing practically the whole season due to a concussion. My pick: Montreal in 5.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators. This is a rematch of last season's first round match up which didn't end the way the Pittsburgh Penguins had hoped. Ottawa took the series last season 4-1 and went on to the cup finals where they were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks. That was last season and the teams this year look totally different. Ottawa won the season series between the Pens 3-0-1, but the Sens never saw the Pens' complete roster. I have to go with the Pens in this series due to the fact that they have a healthy lineup non like their foes the Ottawa Senators. The Sens will be missing captain Daniel Alfredsson or Penguins killer Mike Fisher. Chris Kelly is questionable for the series due to a hairline fracture in his leg. Another reason I have to go with the Pens is because of Martin Gerber's playoff past...nothing to get excited about that's for sure. Pens in 6.

Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers. This is going to be one series I think everyone should tune into. First, I am excited to see Alex Ovechkin in a game that means something. Ovechkin has been unbelievable this season helping the Caps get into the playoffs for the first time in five years. Second, I want to see how the Flyers Coach John Stevens handles the playoff pressure in his first playoff debut with the Flyers. The season series was split 2-2 which leads me to believe that it will be a close series, but with Christobal Huet's play as of late has been outstanding, so I say Caps in 6.

NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils. This will be an eventful, defensive, low scoring series which has to be expected with the likes of goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Marty Brodeur between the pipes. The Rangers took the season series 7-0-1 which should make this series appear to be all but over, but I don't ever count out Martin Brodeur. He has the ability to steal games let alone a playoff series. This will be a tight one, but I have to go with the Rangers in 7.

Western Conference:

Detroit Redwings vs. Nashville Predators. The Redwings won the series 5-3 which is why I am so confused on why the so called "experts" are picking the Redwings to run over the Preds. The Predators have gone 6-3-1 in their last ten games due to great goal tending from both Dan Ellis and Chris Mason. Goal tending could be the deciding factor and that would favour Nashville, but the Wings are so deep and so well coached it's hard to say they will lose. Wings in 6.

SJ Sharks vs. Calgary Flames. Again many people are picking the Sharks to run over the Flames, but I don't think it will be as easily done as it may seem. The Flames seemed to be a relaxed team heading into the post season which I think should help them tremendously. The Sharks on the other hand have only lost one game in regulation in their last 21 games! They are so hot right now it is scary, but this is nothing new to the Sharks. They seem to finish up strong every year looking like "world beaters" but end up being bounced early into the playoffs. This is going to be a close series, closer than what most people are expecting. Sharks in 7.

Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche. The Wild hold the upper hand in the season series by going 5-2-1 against the Aves, but Colorado has acquired some familiar faces at the trade deadline which seems to be helping them a lot. Peter Forsberg has been on fire the last four games netting 1 goal and 10 assists and he should be a huge factor in the first round. The Wild seemed to send a message this season by acquiring some tough guys via trade and waivers which should help them push around their opponents instead of last season's opening round embarrassment. I think these teams are evenly matched, but a goaltender is going to have to steal a game, so I am going to pick Niklas Backstrom and the Wild in 7.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Dallas Stars. This season series was split 4-4 which makes for an awsome playoff series. I think that the Ducks will prevail only if goaltender J.S.Giguere's back holds up. I personally believe he was their best and most consistent player last season in the playoffs, and I don't expect anything less from him this year. The Stars as well are equipped with a goaltender that could help bring the cup back to Dallas. Turco hasn't been bad this season even though he had a minor injury, but he leaves people to believe that he could hold the fort for the Stars. The Ducks bring a physical game to the ice that I don't think the Stars can match so I am going with the Ducks in 6.

Playoff Time!!!!

Well the regular season has come to an end with the Pittsburgh Penguins finishing second in the Eastern Conference to the Montreal Canadiens. It was a season filled with obstacles that seemed impossible for the Penguins to overcome, for instance, the injuries to captain Sidney Crosby and starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, but they did, and they ended up winning the Atlantic Division. Since the Pens finished second they will be taking on the Ottawa Senators, a team that seemed to be "world beaters" in the beginning of the season and a team that was hoped to be avoided at least until the second round, in the first round. Although the Senators got off to a torrid start, they have really struggled since late November. The Senators troubles really came into focus when the Pens beat them on Thanksgiving Day in a shootout. After that game the Senators have not been anywhere near the team they were last season. The Senators have had the worst record in the NHL since January 1, 2008. They have been plagued with injuries as well losing two of their three star forwards at the same time. Not only have the Senators struggled with injuries, they have had some on and off ice problems with last season's starting goalie, Ray Emery. Just as things seemed to look a little brighter at the end of the tunnel for the Sens, Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Mike Fisher were both hit and injured in the Sens second to last game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs and have been virtually ruled out for the series against the Pens. This is a huge loss for the Sens which should benefit the Penguins and help them reach that coveted round two.

Key Players:

Pens: Evegeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa, and especially Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury will have to keep this current hot streak up into the playoffs in order for the Pens to go far and the Pens "Big Three" will have to produce some serious offence.

Sens: Dany Heatly, Jason Spezza, and Martin Gerber. Heatly has been nearly invisible when Daniel Alfredsson has been out of the lineup and Jason Spezza has been streaky this season and has had some injury trouble as well, so he will have to keep his head on a swivel at all times. Martin Gerber hasn't had any playoff runs worth getting worried over if you are a Pens fan, but he hasn't been bad this season, but as of late he has been struggling along with the rest of the Senators squad.

I will have my playoff predictions posted sometime tomorow evening because I will be in attendence of the Pirates game tomorow afternoon enjoying some time away from school. Lets Go Pens!!!!

Atlantic Division Champions!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Pittsburgh Penguins could not get any help from the Boston Bruins, so Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin decided to win the Atlantic Division by themselves. Not only was this game huge for the Pens, it was bigger for the fans knowing the Flyers probably won't make the playoffs, pending the Capitals win out.

Now to the game. Going into tonight's game, the Pittsburgh Penguins knew the task ahead of them was not going to be easy. The Pens also knew the Flyers would come out trying to enforce physical play, so Michel Therien decided to put Georges Laraque on the ice. Three minutes in Laraque dropped the gloves against Riley Cote and absolutely went off on his face. Georges Laraque showed Cotes why he is one of the most feared players of all time in the NHL. After the fight was over, Philly started taking runs at Penguins' captain, Sidney Crosby. After that the Pens started looking like a team that did not want to play anymore in fear of Crosby, Malkin, or Hossa getting hurt. Scott Hartnell of the Flyers opened the scoring up 8:58 into the first, his (24) assisted by Daniel Briere and Vaclav Prospal. Segei Gonchar of the Pens answered one minute and twenty-six seconds later on the power play, his (12) from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Pens had some momentum but that quickly changed when Hal Gill tripped Joffery Lupul, putting the Flyers on the power play. The Flyers being a desperate team put their #2 ranked powerplay to work and it lead to Jeff Carter getting his (29) from Jofferey Lupul and Braden Coburn at 13:13 of the first. The period ended with Philly leading 2-1, but there was still 40 minutes of hockey left. Going into the second period, the Sidney Crosby abuse continued and that made Sid angry...not a good move on Philly's part. The Pens drew a 5-3 all because Scott Hartnell couldn't control himself. An angry Sidney Crosby didn't waste time in knotting the score up. Sid got his (23) on the PP from Marian Hossa and Sergei Gonchar at 6:26 of the second. A mirror twelve minutes later, the Pens got another PP and Evgeni Malkin buried his (47) from Ryan Whitney at 14:33 of the second. The Pens headed into the third period up 3-2 looking to win their first Atlantic Division title. Sidney Crosby made sure the Pens got the title by scoring another PPG, one of the nicest goals I have ever seen, his (24) from Marian Hossa and Sergei Gonchar at 18:26 in the third leaving the Flyers hoping and praying that the Washington Capitals lose.

Side notes: The Pens went 4 for 6 on the PP which is a huge after being shutout on the PP against the Rangers. Sidney Crosby had 2 goals and 1 assist to go along with Mlakin's 1 goals and 1 assist. Sunday's game is going to be scary, I just pray the Pens escape it with the same roster that goes into it.

Pens vs Flyers preview: Round 1

The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting prepared for their last home game of the regular season against the the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins will have a chance to lock up the division pending the Devils do not lose tonight the the NY Islanders and the Flyers will be fighting to stay in the top 8 in the Eastern Conference. Its going to be a hard fought match, and could also be a preview of the first round of the playoffs. Following the game the Penguins will be giving their jerseys to selected fans in attendance and will be taking pictures with them. This is a tradition the Pens have been doing for a couple of years now and it is a fan favorite. To more important matters, the game. The Pens are down in the series right now 4-2 and would love to make that deficit only one game, but as I said, it's going to be a battle. If the Flyers lose, they could be facing elimination from the playoffs. Pittsburgh lost the first four games of the season to the Flyers including an embarrassing 8-2 loss in Philly, but the Pens bounced back winning the next two by scores of 4-3 and 7-1. If Pittsburgh beats them in both remaining games of the year, I feel the Flyers will miss the post season and possibly the firing of head coach John Stevens. I'm hoping for a clean game from both teams, but that doesn't always happen when you play the Flyers, plus, the Pens can't suffer anymore injuries than what they already have this season. The puck drops at 7:30 et. at the Mellon Arena in beautiful Pittsburgh, PA.

Key Players:

Pit: Evgeni Malkin-He usually shows up big against Philly and he needs to have a big game to shut people up about him not playing as well when Crosby is back in the roster.

Phi: R.J. Umberger-He is returning after missing six games due to a sprained knee he suffered in Pittsburgh.

Pens Fall Short

The Pens snagged a point today from the Rangers making the the first team in the Eastern Conference to reach the 100 plateau. Despite the loss the Penguins will be able to hang on to first place in the Eastern Conference even if the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators tomorrow. The Pens came out sluggish yet again against the Rangers so Penguins forward Ryan Malone dropped the gloves against Sean Avery of the Rangers to try to stir things up. The two exchanged blows to each others heads before they both toppled to the ice. Things couldn't have been much worse for the Penguins after period one. They were out shot in the period 9-1, but the only upside was, it was still 0-0. The second period started the same way the first ended. Midway through the second Jeff Taffe of the Penguins was called for holding, and after the whistle blew Penguins defensman Ryan Whitney took the pushing and shoving a little to far so the refs assessed Whitney with a two minute penalty for roughing giving the Rangers a 5 on 3 man advantage. The PK started off well for the Penguins with a vicious forecheck by Ryan Malone. The Rangers got it together after receiving a few "boo's" from the crowd and stormed into the Penguins zone. The Rangers set up their power play and Jaromir Jagr scored which seemed to be a high stick on the puck by forward Scott Gomez, but after further review the goal was granted to Jaromir Jagr (21) coming from Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan. This came as a wake up call to the Pens who seemed to find another gear and really turn the pace of the game up a notch. The second period ended 1-0 in favor of the Rangers, but the Penguins showed some life. In the third period both teams killed an early penalty, but the Pens found a crack in the Rangers defense and buried one. Brooks Orpik of the Pens laid a huge hit on Jaromir Jagr of the Rangers which lead to Maxime Talbot's goal (12) assisted by Georges Laraque and Ryan Malone. It was a beautiful passing play by the Penguins which left the Rangers defense reaching. The third period ended with a score of 1-1, even after a late surge by the Penguins in which Henrik Lundqvist came up huge. The OT period started and Pittsburgh defensman Sergei Gonchar took a hooking penalty 24 seconds into the five minute OT period. It didn't take long for the Rangers to take the second point, season series, and second game of the home and home series when Chris Drury was left alone at the point and blasted one past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury giving Drury his (24) goal of the season coming from Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez.

A couple of things bothered me about the Penguins tonight. They didn't play a full 60 minutes of hockey. You can't expect to win in the playoffs, let alone any game if you don't play the full 60 minutes. They also failed to clear the puck at key moments in the game, for instance, in OT Jordan Staal had a chance to send the puck down the ice, but fanned on the opportunity which lead to the game winner by Drury. The Penguins PP tonight was a train wreck. They went 0-4 with 2 shots on goal and 2 shots against. They weren't shooting when they had clear lanes, their passing was sloppy, and the point men couldn't hold the puck in to save someones life. Its only one game and I'm thankful they got a point, but I'm disappointed in the fact that they could have locked up the division. Next up, the Philly Flyers.

Pens vs. Rangers: Round 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to the "Big Apple" tonight to take on the New York Rangers. This game will complete the season series between the two teams which the Rangers lead 4-3 and will also complete the home and home series between the two clubs. Pittsburgh took the first game of the home and home series yesterday with a 3-1 victory on home ice. The win for the Penguins eliminated the Rangers from reaching Atlantic Division title. The last division title for the Penguins came back in 1993. The Penguins' division at the time was called the "Patrick Division" which consisted of these teams: Washington Capitals, NY Rangers, NY Islanders, NJ Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. A win tonight could guarantee the Penguins their first Atlantic Division title.

Hopefully Marc-Andre Fleury gets the start in goal tonight for the Penguins, nothing against Ty Conklin who has been outstanding this season, but Fleury is playing his best hockey of his career and seems to be comfortable in net. I would also like to see Ryan Whitney playing defense again, but I have been impressed with his attitude and willingness to adjust to the left wing.

Key Players:

Pit: Marian Hossa

NYR: Scott Gomez

Pens Win!!!!

The Pittsburgh Penguins played a tough, physical, playoff type game today against the New York Rangers. The scoring was opened up by a power play goal by Rangers' forward Brandon Dubinsky (14) assisted by Jaromir Jagr and Christian Backman at 3:03 in the first period. Pittsburgh looked flat against the New York squad but that quickly changed when Georges Laraque delivered a massive hit on Rangers' defenseman Christian Backman midway through the first. Soon after, newly aquired Pittsburgh forward Marian Hossa blasted one home, his (29) at 10:21 in the first period. Assists came from Sidney Crosby and other newly aquired forward Pascal Dupuis. Still tied at 1, Ryan Malone of the Penguins drew a hooking penalty from defensman Fedor Tyutin of the Rangers. One minute and twenty-eight seconds later, Sidney Crosby tried splitting the defense and was slashed by Fredrick Sjostrom giving the penguins a 5 on 3. With 2 seconds remaining in the 5 on 3 Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin scored (46) assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Sidney Crosby. From then on the game was a defensive struggle with great penalty killing from both teams. The scoring drout ended late in the third when Maxime Talbot of the Penguins scored his (11) of the season assists coming from Jordan Staal and Rob Scuderi. Todays win was not just any regular season win, todays win put the Pittsburgh Penguins on top of the Easter Conference and eliminated the Rangers from winning the Atlantic division. Pittsburgh is now in the driver's seat in the east and control their own destiny. Tomorow there is a rematch of todays game in NYC at Madison Square Garden. With the 8th seed in the playoffs catching up with the Rangers, I expect a battle tomorow at the "Garden."

Side Notes: Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been stellar since coming off his high ankle sprain. He had 26 saves today giving him 8 wins in his last 10 appearances. He now has 18 wins on the year with a .919 sv% and a 2.40 GGA.