A Potpourri Of Penguin Tidbits

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 20, 10:10 PM | Hype this story!

There is so much going on in Pittsburgh right now that it often can be difficult to cover everything as in-depth as we would like to. As a result, many stories get left untouched.

Tonight, I’m going to take a few minutes to piece together some of the more interesting Penguin news pieces in a quick-hit fashion.

Sykora Sidelined
Brooks Orpik is known for his bone-crunching hits that have, on occasion, taken opponents out of games with injuries. Tuesday night, however, was a different story, as a teammate was the one left bloodied and hurting.

Petr Sykora suffered a broken nose after colliding with Orpik late in Tuesday’s preaseason game against the Montreal Canadiens. The talended winger missed the remainder of the game and Wednesday’s on-ice practice. He returned to the ice today and will have his nose reset tomorrow.

Sykora is expected to miss the next two preseason games (both against the Detroit Red Wings) tomorrow night and Saturday night.

Sid The Shorthanded Kid?
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette coach Michel Therrien is contemplating using Sidney Crosby as one of the team’s top six penalty killers.

Last year, Therrien used four penalty killing forwards, a method that seemed to work well. This year, however, he wants to add two forwards to the mix so that he can have three units, thus keeping players fresh.

While Crosby would be a great fit on the penalty kill, blocking shots and playing a more physical game in his own end could lead to injuries. Other candidates for the job include Jarkko Ruutu, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Christensen and Adam Hall (if he makes the team).

Longterm Lease Signed
A longterm lease to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh finally was signed today. The team will remain in the city — and new arena once constructed — until 2040.

The lease also confirmed that the plan for the $290 million new arena is ready to be put to use.

“This (gaming) financing will provide the funds the arena needed,” governor Ed Rendell said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “These actions, plus the action of the Legislature last July in approving the state’s gaming and economic development fund, assures that the funding is in place and that we are going to be playing hockey in Pittsburgh for the next 25 years. That’s an extraordinary achievement.”

Town Hall Meeting
The Penguins held a Town Hall style meeting tonight with season ticket holders. Several players were on hand to answer questions. Our very own “Stoosh” attended and is expected to have a full recap sometime tonight or tomorrow. Look for it, as it’s sure to be a great read.

Comments

  1. Joel

    Sep 20, 11:47 PM

    The story I’m most intrigued by is Crosby on the penalty kill. Brings back memories of Mario’s single season short-hander record!

  2. DaBich

    Sep 21, 07:47 AM

    Thanks for the update on Sykora.
    Bring it on, Stoosh!!!

  3. Matt Bodenschatz

    Sep 21, 10:52 AM

    Joel, I agree — having him on the PK would be huge, if only for the threat he brings, not to mention what he actually would do. But, at the same time, I don’t believe it to be a necessity, especially when we had the league-leading short-handed goal scorer last season in Jordan Staal. I am just not sure I want to risk the potential injuries and fatigue that could come with the job.

    Dabich, no problem, and thanks for the great comments yesterday.

  4. Joel

    Sep 21, 12:58 PM

    It’s a good point about the potential injuries – I’d be crushed if he sustained an injury while killing a penalty.

    Perhaps it would be an idea to just increase Crosby’s PK participation a little bit. Perhaps only use him for the second shift of a PK (when the other team’s top PP line probably won’t be out there) – and only when we’re down a goal or two. If nothing else it will make the PP a little more tentative.

    And you’re right – Staal is a beast on the PK. I remember there were some games last season when I wasn’t that upset when we got a penalty – as it meant Jordan would probably get a scoring chance!

  5. Matt Bodenschatz

    Sep 21, 01:03 PM

    Joel, you’re right on. I am not suggesting he should be banned from participating, but rather that he should not be considered a regular member of the PK unit. Throwing him out there on occasion to keep defenders honest is a legit option. I would also suggest using Malkin on occasion in the same manner.

    But again, both players are far too valuable to this team offensively (both at even strength and on the powerplay) to risk injury and/or fatigue by playing them with a man disadvantage.

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