Podcast City. Playoff Preview.

We talk about:

• Pens/Devils (Kinda)
• Pens/Canes (Kinda)
• Preview the playoffs and our predictions for each series.

Listen by clicking HERE

Go Pens

Remember the Igloo and Other Playoff Notes

As you all might remember from last year, after the Pens fell down 3-0 to the Flyers, the Pensblog called out the CEC and told fans to Remember the Igloo.

We want to continue that tradition.  We want CEC to rock like the Igloo used to during the playoffs. We know that the Pens killed the whiteout today. RIP Whiteout.  But we need intensity like this.

Moments like that were what made the Civic Arena the best. We're not telling you the do's and don't's on how to be a fan, we're just asking you to be as loud as you can be and give this team everything you have if you are lucky enough to go.

Here is the Penguins Because It's The Cup video.

As our good buddy Cy Clark (aka Malkamania) would say, Let Them Know You're There.

Plum High School did their annual Penguins lipdub and it was posted today.
Here take a look.

Always gotta look forward to these.

Another big note:
Sidney Crosby has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and could be cleared to play.

Mario's TV will be set up in the Ghost of the Civic Arena. Free to everyone.

It's definitely that time of the year.

If you're a man, and are able to, make sure you start your playoff beard by Wednesday.

Go Pens
#RememberTheIgloo

Stanley Cup First Round Preview

So the playoff field is set. 16 teams, 1 goal.

We have made our predictions and We're sure you're all DYING to know who we have picked to win.

1. Pittsburgh vs 8. NY Islanders

Haylie:     Penguins in 5
Brandon:  Penguins in 5
Andrew:   Penguins in 5


2. Montreal vs 7. Ottawa




Haylie:     Canadiens in 7
Brandon:  Canadiens in 6
Andrew:   Senators in 7


3. Washington vs 6. NY Rangers

Haylie:     Capitals in 6
Brandon:  Capitals in 6
Andrew:   Capitals in 7


4. Boston vs 5. Toronto

 



Haylie:      Bruins in 7
Brandon:   Bruins in 6
Andrew:    Bruins in 7


Western Conference

1. Chicago vs 8. Minnesota

Haylie:     Blackhawks in 5
Brandon:  Blackhawks in 5
Andrew:   Blackhawks in 4


2. Anaheim vs 7. Detroit

Haylie:      Ducks in 6
Brandon:   Ducks in 6
Andrew:    Ducks in 6


3. Vancouver vs 6. San Jose

 




Haylie:     Sharks in 5
Brandon:  Sharks in 7
Andrew:   Sharks in 6


4. St. Louis vs 5. Los Angeles

 


Haylie:     Kings in 7
Brandon:  Blues in 7
Andrew:   Kings in 7

First Annual Penguins Award Winners

Last Sunday, we asked you to vote for our little awards that we created.  We asked and you guys delivered.

So the moment you all have been waiting for, who won your votes.

The first award we are going to give out is:

Goal of the year:

The nominees for goal of the year were:

Evgeni Malkin vs Tampa Bay
Brandon Sutter vs Montreal
Pascal Dupuis vs Toronto

And the winner of Goal of the Year for 2013 IS:

EVGENI MALKIN VS TAMPA BAY with 77% of the vote



The second award we are going to give out is:

Hit of the year

The nominees for Hit of the year were:

Kris Letang 2 for 1 hit vs Tampa Bay
Douglas Murray on Brian Boyle vs New York Rangers
Brooks Orpik on Chris Kreider vs New York Rangers

And the winner of Hit of the year is:

KRIS LETANG 2 FOR 1 HIT vs TAMPA BAY with 64% of the vote

The third award that we are giving out is the Save of the year:

The nominees were:

MAF on Matt Martin of the New York Islanders
MAF on Brain Little of the Winnipeg Jets
MAF on Derek Stepan of the New York Rangers

And the winner is:

MAF ON DEREK STEPAN with 50% of the vote

The next award will go to The player who has surprised us all the most this season.

The nominees for biggest surprise are:

Mark Eaton
Beau Bennett
Paul Martin

And the winner of biggest surprise is:

PAUL MARTIN with 55% of the vote


The next award will go to the player who has been the biggest disappointment this season.

The nominees are:

Tyler Kennedy
Deryk Engellend
Tanner Glass

And the winner is:

TYLER KENNEDY with 73% of the vote

Quick commercial break:

The next award will go to the player who received the biggest shaft job by not making it into the lineup nearly as much as we thought he should have.

The nominees are:

Dustin Jeffrey
Simon Despres
Robert Bortuzzo

And the winner is:

SIMON DESPRES with 81% of the vote

The next award will be an award for Ray Shero.  This award is based on the trade that we thought was the best one that he made this season.

The nominees are:

Eric Tangradi to Winnipeg for a 7th Round Pick
Jussi Jokinen to Pittsburgh for a Conditional 7th Round Pick (Carolina)
Douglas Murray to Pittsburgh for a 2nd and Conditional 2nd (San Jose)

And the winner is:

JUSSI JOKINEN TO PITTSBURGH FOR A CONDITIONAL 7TH with 95% of the vote

The next award is a big award.  It goes to the moment we deemed the biggest moment of the season.

The nominees are:

Tyler Kennedy OT Winner vs Philadelphia
Comeback win after being down 4-1 in Philadelphia
Brandon Sutter caps late comeback win over Boston

And the biggest moment of the year is:

PENGUINS COMEBACK WIN IN PHILADELPHIA with 59% of the vote

Final Commercial break before we announce who is the Penguins MVP for the 2013 season.

And the nominees for Team MVP are:

Sidney Crosby
Marc-Andre Fleury
Pascal Dupuis.

Drumroll please

And the winner is:

SIDNEY CROSBY with 68% of the vote.

We thank you all who read this and voted for us.

We hope you all follow us throughout the playoffs and beyond.

Go Pens.

3 Sentence Recap. Pens WIN

 8

3

Pens Won.  Playoffs Start Soon.  Woooooooooooooooooo.

Bruins/Sens tonight determines who comes to Consol.

Go Pens

Game 48. Pens vs Canes

Consol Energy Center. 7:30. ROOT

We've reached the last game of the regular season. Tonight the Pens (35-12-0) will face the Carolina Hurricanes (19-24-4)... Or should we just say the Staal brothers? Carolina won the first meeting (4-1) and Pittsburgh won the second (5-3). This game marks the first time that Jordan Staal has played in the CEC since being traded to the Canes last summer. Tough season for them, they have missed playoffs this year, the 6th time in the past 7 seasons.

Just a little walk down memory lane, everyone...

We will be seeing two familiar faces coming back to the line-up tonight, Paul Martin and James Neal will playing.

LINES:

(Via Daily Faceoff)

Kunitz - Malkin - Neal
Iginla - Jokinen - Dupuis
Morrow - Sutter - Cooke
Glass - Adams - Kennedy

Eaton - Letang
Murray - Niskanen
Despres - Martin

Fleury

Tlusty - E. Staal - LaRose
Ruutu - J. Staal - Westgarth
Wallace - Skinner - Dwyer
Bellemore - Blanchard - J. Staal

Faulk - Gleason
McBain - Corvo
Sanguinetti - Bergeron

Peters

Stuff:

• Crosby participated in his first team practice since his injury on Friday afternoon. Still said to have no timetable on return.
• Orpik and Vitale remain day to day with lower body injuries.
• The Pens' penalty kill has successfully killed off 16 of 19 times (84.2%) over the last five games.
• The Penguins have won their final home game of the season for 9 straight years and won their final regular-season game regardless of location for 4 straight years. Hopefully that streak continues tonight.
• Tonight is the “Shirts Off Our Backs" night at the game.

GO PENS.

The Moose is on the Loose. Pens LOSE

2

3

Don't really care what happened in this game, so all I have to say is:

MOOOOOOOOOOOOSE.

Ahh the good old days.

Some positives I guess to take out of this game:
Matt Cooke got past the forensics bullshit and scored.
Jussi Jokinen scored his 932nd goal since being acquired by the Pens. What a player.
James Neal and Paul Martin will play Saturday
Best in the World was cleared to practice. He'll be in the lineup Game 1 more than likely.
Fleury probably has his baby in the next couple days, probably has a lot of weight on his shoulders with that right now.
This game was completely and utterly meaningless.

The Pensblog pointed out in their recap that the Islanders are in Buffalo tonight. If the Sabres win that game in regulation, then first round is Pens-Islanders.

Lumbus stayed alive in the West last night.  We're 100% on that bandwagon.

Pens play the entire city of Thunder Bay, Ontario Saturday night at the CEC.  Expect to hear Steiggy get confused on Staal players.  Drink everytime they mention they are brothers.

Until then.

Go Pens.

Game 47. Pens at Devils

Prudential Center. 7:30. ROOT

Second to the last game of the regular season tonight, folks. The Pens (35-11-0) are facing the New Jersey Devils (18-18-10). Our boys won the first meeting with the Devils (5-1) and lost the second (3-1). There's not much to really say about this game, honestly. The Devils were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday.

LINES:

(Via Daily Faceoff)

Dupuis - Malkin - Iginla

Morrow - Jokinen - Bennett

Kunitz - Sutter - Cooke

Adams - Glass - Kennedy

Letang - Eaton

Murray - Niskanen

Despres - Engelland

Fleury

Henrique - Loktionov - Kovalchuk

Elias - Zajac - Clarkson

Zubrus - Josefson - Sullivan

Carter - Gionta - Kostopoulos

Greene - Larsson

Volchenkov - Zidlicky

Gelinas - Harrold

Brodeur

And for the sake of this post not being completely boring, here's some pretty cool personal milestones that some of the Penguins players could reach during these last two games of the regular season (thanks to penguins.nhl.com):

• Craig Adams is looking to play in every regular-season game for the second-straight season and third time in four years.
• Matt Cooke is looking to play in every regular-season game for the second-straight year.
• Sidney Crosby is looking to establish a career high in plus-minus at +26 (previous best: +20 in 2010-11).
• Pascal Dupuis is looking to play in every game for the second-straight season. To establish a career high in plus-minus at +30 (previous best: +18 last year). His next goal will be his 21st of the year; the second-highest total of his career (25 last year).
• Marc-Andre Fleury currently has a 2.35 goals-against average. His career low is 2.32 (during 2010-11).
• Tanner Glass is looking to play in every game for the first time in his career.
• Chris Kunitz is looking to establish a career high in plus-minus at +28 (previous best: +23 in 2006-07). His 20.4% shooting percentage would be a career high (previous best: 17.3% in 2010-11). Needs one game-winning goal to equal his career high of six (2007-08). Looking to play in every game for the second-straight year and third time in his career.
• Kris Letang is looking to become the first NHL defenseman to average a point per game or better since Mike Green in 09-10.
• Brandon Sutter is looking to play in every game for the third-straight season.

Other Stuff:

• Pens power play has gone 9 for 30 (30%) over its last six games.
• Kunitz has reached the 50-point mark for the second season in a row and for fifth time in his career after scoring against Buffalo on Tuesday.
• Crosby is expected to be seeking medical clearance to resume playing. Hopefully all goes well and we'll see him in playoffs. EDIT: CROSBY IS CLEARED FOR TEAM PRACTICE.
• Orpik and Vitale are in Pittsburgh with lower body injuries and are day-to-day.
• Via @penguins: Neal and Martin are back to full practice but will not play tonight. Martin hopeful to play Saturday.
• Letang has now picked up points in his last 5 games (2G-5A-7PTS). He is the only blueliner in the NHL right now that is averaging a point per game this season. Also, Tanger has only had 8 penalty minutes during the ENTIRE season despite him averaging the most TOI on the team at 25:41 per game, which also ranks him at 7th in the league for TOI. Yeah, suck it PK. LETANG FOR NORRIS!



GO PENS.

Podcast City

4th podcast.

We talk about a lot of crap.  Don't feel like listing it all.

Andrew has a giant slip up right off the bat.  Make sure your volume is up.

Hope you enjoy our tribute Steve.  

Listen HERE

Go Pens

When Bob McKenzie Talks, We Listen

So Bob McKenzie was on NBCSN tonight with Liam McHugh talking about all things playoffs during pre-game of the Kings-Red Wings game.

The topic of Sidney Crosby came up so here's the video



Game 1 can't get here any faster!

Go Pens.

Steve Ott Sucks Pens LOSE

2

4

Most irrelevant game of the year.  Steve Ott sucks.

Only thing that really mattered in this game was Iggy scored, Kunitz made Ryan Miller look like Ryan MiLOLOLOLOLer at one point, and Geno returned and was flying.  Brooks Orpik left with lower-body injury, no one knows the extent of that injury.

Caps, Islanders, Blues, and Sharks all clinched playoff berths.

Rangers, Senators, and Jets all fighting for two spots.

Pens at Devils Thursday in Dirty Jersey at like 7:08.

While you're reading this, Vote for our Penguins Awards!

Pens Awards Ballot

Have fun on the golf course Buffalo.

We'll leave you with a video for the recap because that's just how much we care.

See you next time someone talks about a penis or Sirhan Sirhan.

Go Pens.

Game 46. Pens vs Sabres

Consol Energy Center. 7:30. ROOT

 

The Pittsburgh Penguins (35-10-0) come home tonight to face the Buffalo Sabres (19-21-6). Sabres are have lost their last 2 games, while the Pens are now on a 7 game winning streak. Pens won the first matchup with the Sabres (4-3) but lost the second (4-1), while also ending their epic winning streak at 15 games. The Sabres will not be making a playoff appearance this year and tonight will be their second to last game of the season.

 

Good news, Pens fans: Malkin, Letang, and Fleury will all be back in the line-up tonight.

LINES:

 Iginla - Malkin - Dupuis

Kunitz - Sutter - Cooke

Morrow - Jokinen - Bennett

Glass - Jeffrey - Adams

 

Orpik - Letang

Murray - Niskanen

Eaton - Engelland

 

Fleury

 

 

 

Vanek - Hodgson - Stafford

Ott - Grigorenko - Hecht

Ennis - Porter - Flynn

Gerbe - Foligno - Scott

 Ehrhoff - Sekera

 Pardy - Pysyk

 Weber - Ruhwedel

 

Miller

 

 

Stuff:

• Crosby, Martin, and Neal are all still out due to varies injuries.
• As of right now, the Penguins are only 3 points behind the Chicago Blackhawks in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.
• Crosby is still leading the NHL in points by 1 point. Martin St. Louis is now in the number 2 spot with 55 points.
• Pascal Dupuis, man. Best plus-minus in the league with a +31.

GO PENS.

Ottawahhhhhh. Pens WIN

3

1

So this game pretty much had the makings of everything that we expected it to have.  The Senators were telling the media all day that nothing was going to happen, Matt Cooke answered questions from the media about the February 13 incident that injured Erik Karlsson and apparently told one of the members of the Ottawa Sun that he had no balls, and Eugene Melnyk was in his CSI Lab all day trying to figure out how to read forensics, maybe he was just trying to teach Bryan Murray how to talk without a lisp.  Dustin Jeffrey made a strong case to stay in the lineup last night scoring the first goal and assisting on the 2nd one.  Brenden Morrow continued his hot streak recording the primary assist on the first two goals, and his pass to Iggy on the 2nd goal was just downright nasty.  Tyler Kennedy actually scored and Vokoun was strong in the net.

Keep in mind the Penguins were without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Beau Bennett.  Basically it was the Penguins JV Team vs Ottawa.

The game basically started with the Senators jammed up.  Matt Cooke took the second or third shift of the game and every Senator forgot they were playing hockey and they were chasing Cooke around the school yard.  Chris Neil went straight to Matt Cooke asking to fight and followed him around for like 5 minutes.  Chris Neil is lower than dog shit.  After that, Cooke went to the corner and one of the Senators D guys forgot he was playing hockey and interfered with Cooke, no dice on that Power Play though.  Game was kind of meh for a little after except everytime Cooke touched the puck, it was BOOOO MATT COOKE BOO.  Shortly after, Douglas Murray made a hell of a stretch pass to Dupuis, who then dumped it off to Brenden Morrow who set up Dustin Jeffrey for a perfect one-timer, perfect shot. 1-0.

Not long after that, Jeffrey-Morrow-Iginla were out there for a shift.  DJ won a battle in the corner and then Morrow went over to get the puck.  Morrow got all of Ottawa's defensemen to follow him to the puck in the other corner, Craig Andersen hugged the post but Jarome Iginla snuck in the back door and Morrow fed him with a perfect pass. 2-0 Pens.

Ottawa then forgot they were playing hockey.  Some shit happened towards the end of the period.  Bortuzzo fought some guy, I'd look it up, but he's probably irrelevant.  Chris Neil tried to get Orpik to fight, but Big Mac came over and wouldn't have any.  Pretty sure Chris Neil probably shit his pants or something. Somehow Big Mac got 2 for roughing and 10 min misconduct for instigating a fight that never happened.  Not sure how thats possible.  Period.

2nd Period was pretty meh.  One brightside in this Period was the PP opportunities that the Penguins were getting, they were dictating the play.  Dustin Jeffrey got slashed in the face behind the Penguins net sometime in the period and the refs I guess were looking at the Matt Cooke banners in the crowd or something.

Anyways while Jeffrey layed on the ice, Eugene Melnyk's forensics lab rained down with a bunch of "Matt Cooke Sucks" chants.  Stay classy Ottawa.

The 3rd begin much like the 2nd.  Nothing really happened for awhile.  Then I think the Sens realized that the Jets beat Buffalo, and they decided they needed to play hockey instead of Kick the Cooke or whatever.  At one point, the Pens took a penalty with :03 left on a power play.  Not a bad penalty, dude stopped skating in front of Morrow and he accidentally tripped him.  Alfredsson won a draw back to Sarge, who dished it to some dude and beat Vokoun.  Luckily the Sens penalty expired so it counted as a PP goal. 2-1.  Crowd picked up some intensity after the goal.  Sens were kind of everywhere for awhile until they took another stupid penalty, the crowd cried.  Pens dominated the power play but no dice.  There were a few minutes left in the period and Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy were out there.  Puck got dumped to the corner and Cooke skated in after it.  Senators guy decided he was just gonna glide in and try to interfere with Cooke getting to the puck.  Cooke won the battle and dished it out to everyone's favorite player Tyler Kennedy who burried it bast Andersen. 3-1. Game.

1. Brenden Morrow

2. Douglas Murray

3. Pascal Dupuis

Stuff:

• Douglas Murray destroyed Chris Neil after Neil admired a shot on Vokoun.  Neil got jammed up and Murray just smiled at him.  What a human.
• Pens powerplay was 0-5 but recorded like 13 shots on goal.  Craig Andersen was best PK for Ottawa
• Iggy scored again
• Morrow 2 assists
• DJ 1 goal 1 assist. Deserves to be back in lineup tonight.
• TK actually scored
• Cooke played decent despite basically having a bounty on his back
• Bob Grove ripped the refs during the 2nd intermission
• Vokoun won his 8th straight away game.  What a pickup by Shero in the offseason.  Could be underrated deal of the year.
• Fleury and his wife Vero had their first baby girl yesterday, named Estelle.
• Jets beat Buffalo last night to move to within 1 point of Ottawa

Pens play in like 12 minutes against Buffalo at home tonight.  Game was PPD from Saturday.

Go Pens