Jon Pennline — The Penguins are currently eight points ahead of the Boston Bruins for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Even more impressive, they are seventeen points ahead of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers in the race to claim the first Metropolitan Division championship in league history. And yet, that all means diddly squat. Why? Because this team has nearly reverted back to the 2012 Penguins, a team that filled the net but often hung their goaltender out to ... Read More
Archives for January 2014
The Pens could use more forward depth
At this point of the regular season, only six members of the Pittsburgh Penguins have played in all 47 possible games this season. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost to injury with 279. A number substantially higher than that of the second-place Anaheim Ducks with 228. At the beginning of the season, it was the defensive core that was plagued by the injury bug. Present day, Pittsburgh's forwards are getting caught up in the injury woes that has this team headed straight for 300 ... Read More
What lies ahead for the 2014 Pirates
The 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates gave something to fans they had been waiting over 20 years for — hope. The long, painful streak of losing seasons finally came to end, and yes, there was even playoff baseball in October at PNC Park. Just a few years ago, this seemed next to impossible. During most, if not all of the 20 years of losing, there was a sense that things would never get better. One-hundred loss seasons, poor drafting (Brian Bullington over Zach Greinke?) and the perennial off-season ... Read More
The morning after
Post game analysis and notes --Olli Maatta is the real thing. His set up of Taylor Pyatt for the Penguins second goal was smooth. His fake shot and ability to skate down low showed patience, instinct and skill. Pyatt returned the favor, in his own way, on the game-winner by firmly screening Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth. The Penguins could use a lot more of both. --The Washington Capitals third and fourth lines were noticeably better than the Penguins counterparts. Brooks ... Read More
Maatta’s late goal pushes Pens past Caps
If the Washington Capitals can't beat a Pittsburgh Penguins team that was missing half of their top six forwards and relied on their third line center to play wing, they may never beat them in a seven game season when everyone is healthy. The Penguins constantly climbed back from a one goal deficit then won the game on Olli Maatta's wrist shot with 1:54 remaining in the game to edge the Capitals, 4-3 on Wednesday night. In a game that featured nine players that will represent their country ... Read More
Recap: Late Run for Duquesne Falls Way Short
Duquesne (8-7) went on a 30-2 run in the final 4:49 of the basketball game Wednesday night in Philadelphia against St. Joseph’s, but it wasn’t nearly enough to give them the victory. If anyone would have told coach Ferry before the game that his team would go on that kind of a hot streak, but still lose the game 84-75, he would have been beside himself. The loss puts an end to Duquesne’s three-game road win streak and is the Dukes’ second straight loss to an A-10 opponent, dropping their ... Read More
Pitt’s unselfishness continues to carry team
Throughout Jamie Dixon's era as the Pitt head coach, we have heard the fact that Pitt is an unselfish and defensive minded team about a thousand times. That mantra has carried the Panthers to outstanding success over the past decade plus, but during Pitt's first season in the ACC, they are taking playing unselfish, great team basketball to another level. One of the reasons that Dixon's teams have always relied on unselfish play is they never really had a go-to guy at the offensive end that ... Read More
Why private and public schools should compete in different leagues
There have been many programs that dominate its sport around the country in recent history. You have the University of Connecticut Huskies women’s basketball team winning 90 games in a row. The Penn State women’s volleyball team winning five of the last seven national championships and winning 109 straight games. Lastly, you have the University of Alabama football team that has won three national championships in the last five seasons. In Pennsylvania, there is a new kind of dominance that is ... Read More
Scuderi and Orpik challenge Penguins dogma
The Pittsburgh Penguins have long been known as the “Country Club” organization. Along with offensive hockey, comfortability is the standard from the fourth line up to the ownership box. In that context, recent critical comments from Rob Scuderi followed by Brooks Orpik should be seen as a seismic blast across the generally obtuse nature of the organization, which also includes the coaching staff. Scuderi categorized the Penguins lust for offense as “globetrotter” hockey. Orpik correctly cited ... Read More
Pitt stays perfect in ACC with road win over Georgia Tech
With the way he has been playing lately, you had to wonder how No. 22 Pitt would fare on a night where Lamar Patterson didn't have his best scoring game. It turned out to be no problem at all. Talib Zanna scored 22 points, James Robinson added 16 and Pitt pulled away in the second half, remaining perfect in the ACC with a bruising 81-74 victory over Georgia Tech on Tuesday night. With Patterson not shooting well and Durand Johnson out for the season with a torn ACL, Pitt was committed ... Read More