Faceoff Factor

Penguins News & Notes

Jesse Marshall | National Hockey League

Oct 13, 01:34 AM | Hype this story!

Here are just a few random thoughts and musings from tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

He never met a shot he didn’t like

Tyler Kennedy’s affinity for shooting the puck from virtually any angle was on display tonight. Kennedy lead the Penguins in shots on goal with six, adding his two goals into the mix as well. His blistering slapper from the near boards had LeClaire dumbfounded and put the game away for the Penguins.

Kunikaze Insurance

Having tough guys like Eric Godard and Mike Rupp is always a good thing, but there are a few additional elements to take into consideration when we’re talking about deterring the other team taking runs at Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

One of those insurance policies is Chris Kunitz.

Players have to take notice of when Kunitz is on the ice. His physical presence is astounding and his hitting ability, for a player of his stature, is arguably the most devastating on the team.

Rupp and Godard can deal damage with fists, but when a rival winger takes a run at a Crosby or Malkin, two problems arise. Can either of those enforcers catch the offending player on the ice at the same time, and can they initiate contact without earning an instigator?

With Kunitz, we don’t have that problem. If someone gets out of line, Kunitz does what he did tonight and at the end of the Philly game. He hunts down the opposing team and destroys someone in the boards.

Ottawa took a few liberties tonight, but when Kunitz lambasted a Senator defenseman at the end of the game, things suddenly quieted down.

Black Eye Brigade

If you’re familiar with the cult classic film “Beerfest”, you’ll remember that the Jan Wolfhouse earns a black eye at the hands of the German’s at the beginning of the film. He decides to keep the black eye for an entire year until the next Beerfest. Randomly throughout the movie, Jan Wolfhouse is socked in the face to renew the black eye he earned so long ago.

Mike Rupp, Craig Adams, and Eric Godard ought to adopt that strategy. Adams and Godard are both sporting prominent black eyes that give the Penguins fourth line an added sense of toughness.

Five is fine for Fleury

After giving up a few nickle performances in the pre-season, Marc-Andre Fleury is 5-0 in this young season and has looked absolutely stellar on the ice.

Fleury admittedly said he’s changing the way he mentally prepares for the game, citing that he’s less nervous now and just goes out to play.

As we’re seeing, when that happens, athletic ability takes over and Fleury showcases why he was a first overall pick in the National Hockey League. Reminder: Fleury is only 24 years old.

Will this be the season that he reaches his 40 win mark again?

Shot Blocking Machine

Any questions people had about Jay McKee’s ability to play at a high level have been answered so far. McKee looks healthy and seems to be right at home in the Penguins line-up.

McKee is in a spot that Penguins fans have become accustomed to thanks to the efforts of Rob Scuderi. He’s leading the league in blocked shots. McKee was back at it tonight when he stuck a leg out to break up a two on one by the Senators.

When it comes to McKee, fans should be excited and pleased. Ray Shero did a great job with this signing. He’s a meaner, nastier, and grittier version of Rob Scuderi.