1/31/15

My Final Game at Mellon Arena

Five years ago today, I attended my last Penguins game at the Mellon Arena. It was a Sunday afternoon game against the Detroit Red Wings. The game was being broadcast on NBC. Marc-Andre Fleury got the start in goal for the Penguins and Jimmy Howard got the start for the Red Wings. The Penguins got an early chance to score the first goal when Red Wings' forward Pavel Datsyuk was assessed a two-minute high sticking penalty at 3:31 of the first period. The Penguins were unable to cash in. The Penguins were given another opportunity when Red Wings' forward Valtteri Filppula was called for a two-minute hooking penalty at 12:15. Again, the Penguins were unable to capitalize on the power play. The Red Wings got the first power play opportunity at 15:59 when Penguins' defenseman Sergei Gonchar was given a two-minute tripping penalty. The Red Wings were unable to score. After one period of play, the game was scoreless. The Red Wings were given another power play opportunity at 6:28 when Penguins' forward Evgeni Malkin was assessed a two-minute tripping penalty. The Red Wings were unable to capitalize. The Red Wings got their third consecutive power play opportunity at 14:22 when Penguins' defenseman Mark Eaton was called for a two-minute holding penalty. The Red Wings were unable to score. The Penguins drew first blood when Sidney Crosby tucked a backhander past Howard at 16:46. After two periods of play, the Penguins led 1-0. The Red Wings were given an opportunity to tie the game when Penguins' forward Matt Cooke was called for a two-minute goaltender interference penalty. The power play was brief, as Red Wings' forward Drew Miller was given a two-minute high sticking penalty at 3:49. The Penguins were unable to score on their brief power play. The Red Wings tied the game at 11:10 when Daniel Cleary deflected Brad Stuart's shot past Fleury. At the end of regulation, the score was tied at 1-1. At 3:39 of overtime, Penguins' defenseman Sergei Gonchar was assessed a two-minute hooking penalty. This was a golden opportunity for the Red Wings to win the game. The Red Wings failed to score and the game went into a shootout. Jimmy Howard stopped Kris Letang's attempt. Pavel Datsyuk's shot missed the net. Sidney Crosby got the Penguins on the board when he roofed the puck past Howard. Jason Williams' shot was stopped by Fleury. Evgeni Malkin sealed the deal when he tucked the puck past Howard to give the Penguins a 2-1 shootout victory.

1/31/15

Penguins Send Down Andrew Ebbett

The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned forward Andrew Ebbett to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Ebbett, 32, has one goal, five assists, and six points in 21 games this season.

1/30/15

Despres' Overtime Goal Guides Pens to Victory

The Pittsburgh Penguins faced off against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury got the start in goal for the Penguins and Cory Schneider got the start for the Devils. The Devils were given a golden opportunity to take an early lead at 6:39 of the first period, as Penguins' forwards Steve Downie and Maxim Lapierre were assessed roughing and hooking penalties respectively. The Devils were unable to capitalize. The Penguins got an opportunity to score first when Devils' defenseman Mark Fraser was called for a two-minute interference penalty. The Penguins were unable to cash in on their first power play opportunity of the game. After one period of play, the game was scoreless. The Penguins got another power play opportunity at 8:40 of the second period when Devils' forward Dainius Zubrus was called for a two-minute holding penalty. For the second time in the game, the Penguins were unsuccessful. At 19:56, Penguins' defenseman Kris Letang and Devils' forward Dainius Zubrus were assessed two-minute slashing and cross-checking penalties respectively. After two periods of play, the game was still scoreless. The Devils drew first blood when Steve Bernier tucked a wrap-around past Fleury at 6:08 of the third period. At 16:31, Devils' defenseman Peter Harrold was assessed a two-minute high sticking penalty. The Penguins took advantage at 16:49 when Chris Kunitz shot the puck bar down to tie the game at 1-1. At the end of regulation, the game was tied 1-1. At 2:21 of overtime, Simon Despres fired a shot off the goalpost and in to give the Penguins a 2-1 overtime victory.

1/30/15

Red Wings Make Multiple Moves

The Detroit Red Wings placed defenseman Brian Lashoff on waivers. Lashoff, 24, has no goals, two assists, and two points in 11 games this season. The Red Wings also called up defenseman Alexey Marchenko from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. Marchenko, 23, made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in the 2013-14 season. He has no goals, assists, or points in one game. To make room, the Red Wings assigned defenseman Xavier Ouellet to Grand Rapids. Ouellet, 21, has two goals, one assist, and three points in 21 games this season.

1/30/15

Blue Jackets Activate Murray

The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Ryan Murray from the injured reserve. Murray, 21, has no goals, assists, or points in four games this season. To make room, the Blue Jackets assigned forward Josh Anderson to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Anderson, 20, has no goals, one assist, and one point in six games this season.

1/30/15

Jets Send Down T.J. Galiardi

The Winnipeg Jets assigned forward T.J. Galiardi to St. John's of the American Hockey League. Galiardi, 26, has one goal, no assists, and one point in 26 games this season.

1/30/15

Bruins Call Up Subban, Send Down Svedberg

The Boston Bruins called up goaltender Malcolm Subban from Providence of the American Hockey League. Subban, 21, has yet to make his NHL debut. To make room, the Bruins loaned goaltender Niklas Svedberg to Providence. Svedberg, 25, has a record of (5-5-0) with two shutouts in 12 games this season.

1/28/15

Cal Clutterbuck Fined

New York Islanders' forward Cal Clutterbuck was fined $2,000 for diving and embellishment. The incident occurred at 19:04 of the second period in the January 19 game between the Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers. Flyers' forward Jakub Voracek was assessed a two-minute hooking penalty, but Clutterbuck was not penalized for diving. Clutterbuck, 27, has four goals, six assists, and 10 points in 44 games this season.

1/28/15

Blue Jackets Place Jeremy Morin on Injured Reserve

The Columbus Blue Jackets placed forward Jeremy Morin on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Morin, 23, has one goal, two assists, and three points in 32 games with the Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks this season.

1/28/15

Coyotes Call Up Brendan Shinnimin

The Arizona Coyotes called up forward Brendan Shinnimin from Portland of the American Hockey League. Shinnimin, 24, has no goals, assists, or points in two games this season.

1/28/15

Flyers Send Down Rob Zepp

The Philadelphia Flyers loaned goaltender Rob Zepp to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. Zepp, 33, has a record of (3-1-0) in six games this season.

1/27/15

Penguins, Blues Swap Goc, Lapierre

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Maxim Lapierre from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Marcel Goc. Lapierre, 29, has two goals, seven assists, and nine points in 45 games this season. Goc, 31, has two goals, four assists, and six points in 43 games this season.

1/27/15

Hornqvist, Letang Return to Lead Pens to Victory

The Pittsburgh Penguins faced off against the Winnipeg Jets tonight in their first game after the All Star Break. Thomas Greiss got the start in goal for the Penguins and Ondrej Pavelec got the start for the Jets. The Penguins drew first blood at 7:09 of the first period when Nick Spaling lit the lamp to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. At 19;48, Jets' forward Chris Thorburn was assessed a two-minute hooking penalty to put the Penguins on the power play. The Penguins were unable to score in the remaining 12 seconds of the period, but they held a 1-0 lead after one period of play. At the start of the second period, the Penguins were unable to cash in during the power play. Chris Thorburn tied the game when he scored at 2:13. At 12:26, Penguins' defenseman Kris Letang and Jets' forward Chris Thorburn each received two-minute slashing penalties. The Jets took a 2-1 lead when Jacob Trouba scored a 12:47. With five seconds remaining in the period, Steve Downie tied the game with his ninth goal of the season. After two periods of play, the score was tied at 2-2. Just 59 seconds into the third period, Adam Lowry scored to give the Jets a 3-2 lead. The Penguins were given a golden opportunity to tie the game when Blake Wheeler was assessed a two-minute slashing penalty at 2:54. The Penguins took advantage and were able to tie the game when David Perron tickled the twine at 4:23 to tie the game at 3-3. The Penguins went back on the power play at 7:39 when Adam Lowry was issued a two-minute charging penalty. The Penguins struck again when Brandon Sutter scored his 10th goal of the season at 7:52 to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead. Patric Hornqvist sealed the deal when he scored an empty-net goal at 19:32 to preserve the Penguins' 5-3 win. Hornqvist scored a goal and Letang registered five assists in the game. This was a great win for the Penguins. They will play again tomorrow night against the Washington Capitals.

1/27/15

Radek Dvorak Retires

Former NHL forward Radek Dvorak has retired. Dvorak, 37, played in 1,260 career games for the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, and Carolina Hurricanes. He recorded 227 goals, 363 assists, and 590 points in his career.

1/27/15

Sharks Call Up Three

The San Jose Sharks called up forwards Tomas Hertl and Barclay Goodrow and defenseman Mirco Mueller from Worcester of the American Hockey League. Hertl, 21, has eight goals, nine assists, and 17 points in 48 games this season. Goodrow, also 21, has two goals, five assists, and seven points in 31 games this season. Mueller, 19, has one goal, two assists, and three points in 24 games this season.

1/27/15

Martin Brodeur Retires

Former NHL goaltender Martin Brodeur has retired. Brodeur, 42, played in 1,266 career game for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues. He has a career record of (691-397-105-71) with 125 shutouts in his career. He will now join the St. Louis Blues' front office.

1/27/15

Senators Sign Brad Mills

The Ottawa Senators signed forward Brad Mills to a one-year, two-way contract. Mills, 31, has played in 34 career games for the New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks. He has one goal, one assist, and two points in his career.

1/27/15

Capitals Call Up Cameron Schilling

The Washington Capitals called up defenseman Cameron Schilling from Hershey of the American Hockey League. Schilling, 26, has no goals, assists, or points in two games in his NHL career.

1/27/15

Zac Rinaldo Suspended

Philadelphia Flyers' forward Zac Rinaldo was suspended eight games for his hit on Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Kris Letang in the game on January 20. Rinaldo was assessed a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct at 15:36 of the first period after he hit Letang. He will surrender $73,170.72 for the eight games that he will miss. Rinaldo, 24, has no goals, two assists, and two points in 36 games this season.

1/26/15

Penguins Call Up Four

The Pittsburgh Penguins called up forwards Andrew Ebbett, Scott Wilson, and Bryan Rust and defenseman Scott Harrington from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Ebbett, 32, has one goal, five assists, and six points in 18 games this season. Wilson, 22, has no goals, assists, or points in one game this season. Rust, 22, has one goal, one assist, and two points in 14 games this season. Harrington, 21, has no goals, assists, or points in nine games this season.

1/26/15

Kyle Okposo Out 6-8 Weeks

New York Islanders' forward Kyle Okposo will miss six to eight weeks with an upper-body injury. Okposo, 26, has 14 goals, 30 assists, and 44 points in 46 games this season.

1/26/15

Stars Call Up Two

The Dallas Stars called up defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Jyrki Jokipakka from Texas of the American Hockey League. Oleksiak, 22, has one goal, seven assists, and eight points in 31 games this season. Jokipakka, 23, has no goals, five assists, and five points in 19 games this season.

1/26/15

Flames Call Up Three

The Calgary Flames called up forwards Sven Baertschi and David Wolf and defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon from Adirondack of the American Hockey League. Baertschi, 22, has no goals, three assists, and three points in 14 games this season. Wolf, 25, has yet to appear in an NHL game. Wotherspoon, 21, made his NHL debut with the Flames in the 2013-14 season. In 14 games, he has no goals, four assists, and four points.

1/26/15

Sergei Bobrovsky Out 4-6 Weeks

Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will miss four to six weeks with a groin injury. He sustained the injury in the game on January 21 against the Winnipeg Jets. Bobrovsky, 26, has a record of (16-15-2) with one shutout in 33 games this season. Due to the injury, the Blue Jackets called up goaltender Anton Forsberg from Springfield of the American Hockey League. Forsberg, 22, has a record of (0-1-0) in two games this season. The Blue Jackets also called up forward Josh Anderson from Springfield. Anderson, 20, has no goals, assists, or points in four games this season.

1/26/15

Maple Leafs Call Up Two

The Toronto Maple Leafs called up forward Josh Leivo and defenseman Petter Granberg from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Leivo, 21, has one goal, no assists, and one point in nine games this season. Granberg, 22, made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in the 2013-14 season. He has no goals, assists, or points in one game.

1/25/15

Canadiens Call Up Christian Thomas

The Montreal Canadiens called up forward Christian Thomas from Hamilton of the American Hockey League. Thomas, 22, has no goals, assists, or points in three games this season.

1/25/15

Kris Versteeg Placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve

The Chicago Blackhawks placed forward Kris Versteeg on the long-term injured reserve due to a left hand injury. He was injured when he blocked a shot in the Winter Classic. Versteeg, 28, has nine goals, 18 assists, and 27 points in 34 games this season.

1/24/15

NHL Announces 2016 Outdoor Games

The NHL has announced three outdoor games that will take place in the 2015-16 season. The first game will be the 2016 Bridgestone Winter Classic, which will take place on January 1, 2016. The game will be played between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins and it will take place at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots. The second game that will take place will be on February 21. The Minnesota Wild will host the Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium, home of the University of Minnesota football team. The third and final game will take place on February 27. The Colorado Avalanche will host the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies. These should all be very exciting games.

1/23/15

Stars Extend Travis Morin

The Dallas Stars signed forward Travis Morin to a two-year extension. Morin, 31, has no goals, assists, or points this season.

1/22/15

Penguins Send Down Three

The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned forward Andrew Ebbett and defensemen Derrick Pouliot and Scott Harrington to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Ebbett, 32, has one goal, five assists, and six points in 18 games this season. Pouliot, 21, has one goal, two assists, and three points in eight games this season. Harrington, also 21, has no goals, assists, or points in nine games this season.

1/22/15

Shootout: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, the NHL added the shootout to help decide the winner of the game. If both teams were tied after the five-minute overtime period, the game would go to a shootout. Before the shootout was added, if both teams were tied at the end of the five-minute overtime period, the game would end in a tie and both teams would get a point in the standings. Prior to this season, the NHL decided to do a dry scrape of the ice rather than putting down a strip of clean ice for the shootout. I have a beef with the current shootout. I do not like it at all. I used to like it, but ever since they have changed the format, I think that the NHL should do away with the shootouts altogether. The thought of the shootout is silly. Both teams are sending out their top players just to try to win the game. When these players go up for their attempt, they try to make it a talent show. This is not legitimate hockey. I think that the NHL should change the overtime format from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3 and if the game is still tied after the five minutes is up, the game should end in a tie. Many of you may disagree with me on this topic, but this is my belief. Let me know your opinion in the comments below.

1/21/15

Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin Miss Game

Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Kris Letang and forward Evgeni Malkin missed tonight's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Letang, 27, has nine goals, 23 assists, and 32 points in 40 games this season. Malkin, 28, has 19 goals, 32 assists, and 51 points in 45 games this season.

1/21/15

Kevin Bieksa Injured

Vancouver Canucks' defenseman Kevin Bieksa will be out indefinitely with a broken left hand. He was injured after he blocked a shot in Tuesday's 4-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bieksa, 33, has three goals, six assists, and nine points in 45 games this season.

1/21/15

Red Wings Send Down Teemu Pulkkinen

The Detroit Red Wings assigned forward Teemu Pulkkinen to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. Pulkkinen, 23, has one goal, no assists, and one point in six games this season.