Faceoff Factor

Keep An Eye Out For...

Jesse Marshall | Pittsburgh Penguins

Oct 3, 01:08 PM | Hype this story!

On a team that is as offensively talented as the Pittsburgh Penguins, it can be tough to pinpoint just one or two things to keep an eye out for. There are a few guarantees, however. We can pretty much bet that Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby will be battling for supremacy atop the NHL scoring race for the duration of the year; we can bet that Marc-Andre Fleury will flash a glove save that will make a few waves on youtube weeks afterward, but what else? In this article, I’ll provide my own “what to watch” for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

Without further adieu…

Keep an eye out for: Brooks Orpik. It wasn’t that long ago, before the free candy era, that Brooks Orpik was celebrating his new year by playing left wing on the Penguins fourth line. The change was controversial, and Therrien detractors came out of the wood work. The move was an outright embarrassment to Orpik, but when he returned to defense, he brought back the vicious attitude that he had when he entered the NHL. That attitude is no better highlighted than it was in the cup finals, when Orpik had his famous 4 hit shift. Orpik will now wear the “A” for the Penguins, and he’s getting his big checks, lets see if he can keep the momentum from last year and earn them.

Keep an eye out for: Jordan Staal. This one is a no-brainer. Jordan Staal looked completely refreshed in camp this year and has finally been moved out of the third line center role that seemingly made him so unhappy. We’ve seen what Jordan Staal can do with Evgeni Malkin before. In his rookie season, Staal scored 30 goals and put on an offensive clinic some nights playing alongside Malkin. That chemistry seemed to be rekindled in the preseason, let’s see what Staal can do playing on the wing like he desired. This is a contract year for Jordan, so expect big things.

Keep an eye out for: Paul Bissionnette. This one won’t be hard at all. Should Bissionnette make the team, he’ll make his presence known on the ice each shift he takes. Not to discount what heavyweight Eric Godard can bring to the table, but “Biz Nasty” is a better skater with better hands. I’d expect that he’ll be eager to drop the gloves with some well known heavy/middleweights to make a name for himself rather quickly. What’s more, Bissionnette’s story is one that Penguins fans are happy to see. It wasn’t that long ago that he was playing defense, buried on the depth charts in Wheeling. His move to LW has given his career a jolt, and we’ll be watching this year as the next chapter unfolds.

Keep an eye out for: Mark Eaton. This one might be a bit harder, because the things that Mark Eaton does in the defensive zone go grossly under appreciated. However, I am of the mindset that Mark Eaton is our best defensive defenseman. The move to re-sign him gained a bit of controversy, but with the injuries to Gonchar and Whitney, it has paid off already. Eaton is a steady presence in the defensive zone and an absolute whale of a shot-blocker. If Eaton can stay healthy this year, he’ll finally pay the dividend that Penguins fans have been looking for, and he’ll certainly make things easier on goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

Keep an eye out for: Tyler Kennedy. I don’t think anyone on the ice matched the intensity and fast pace that Tyler Kennedy has exhibited in camp and the preseason. Kennedy’s willingness to mix it up and create havoc on the forecheck will be exciting all year. He’s earned his spot on this team and it doesn’t appear that he’s even close to relinquishing it. Kennedy will most likely make a move to center this year, giving him even more creative license in the offensive and defensive zone.

Finally, keep an eye out for: The newcomers. By newcomers, I mean Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko. It appears they’ll both be playing with franchise center Sidney Crosby. If that’s the case, they could both be on the verge of a career year. Fedotenko has looked stellar in the preseason, and expect Satan to do his typical act of finding soft spots on the ice and releasing some wicked wrist shots. Even when Hossa was a Penguin, I do not think that Crosby has ever played with two dynamic players such as Fedotenko and Satan. These two are proven, we know that Satan can score goals, and Fedotenko has won a Stanley Cup.

So, there you have it. Feel free to add your own. This list could just keep going, and that’s a testament to the talent that graces this team.

Enjoy your Friday, readers. Hockey season starts tomorrow.