We don't need no stinkin' bunnies...

Yes. I'm back. I know it's been an entire month of me not posting.. I am sorry. There has been a lot of news, too. It's pretty sad that March only ended up with one post. You can't get much worse than that! Anyways, it's now April and that means the regular season is winding down. We have only a few games left at Mellon Arena. *tear* Ok, I'm back... Pens have clinched a spot in the playoffs which is good news. I'm ready for playoff beards! April also brings Easter. You know, that holiday with bunnies and chocolate. Well, here's something better than a giant chocolate bunny or egg: a giant chocolate Stanley Cup! It's totally awesome. Here's a video on how the good people at Hershey's made it!

Other news to celebrate, Kris Letang's big 3.5 million-dollar contract that will keep him in Pittsburgh through 2013! Since Gonchar has been out of the lineup, Kris has been seeing some serious ice time, around 26 minutes per game.

However, I hope this doesn't mean we still cannot sign Gonchar this year though. I don't want to see him go. He is such an integral part of this team and I am not ready to see him go yet. I want Sarge to retire a Penguin. He completes Brooks. He has a wicked slapslot from the blueline, is a seasoned veteran, and important presence in the locker room. He's helped Malkin connect with the team and fans. They are like bffs. Gonch, in his first game back today against Atlanta had a goal and an assist. Gonch is still playing awesome for his age and most definitely deserves a spot on our bench.

Speaking of defensemen... one of our newest additions to the team, Jordan Leopold, just scored his first goal as a penguin today with the game winner in overtime! Wooo! Good job Ray Shero!

My Little Poni

I just wanted to be the first blog to use that title. haha. I'm probably not, though.

The trade deadline came and went without anything too crazy happening. We still have Billy Guerin (all you haters must be pissed), Fedotenko, the glorious Jordan Staal, and that guy who sucks so much, Rosby? Yeah, Crosby sucks. Hmmm, I don't think so. He's too busy being awesome and admiring his gold medal. Everyone who freaked out that we would have to get rid of Malkin, Crosby, Staal or one of our defensemen because of a lack of salary cap room has little faith in Ray Shero.

We acquired Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Leafs for the great Martin Skoula and one of our top prospects, Luca Caputi. I am a bit disappointed about Caputi. He was doing awesome in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, playing with the Baby Pens. Plus, now the Morning Freakshow Luca Caputi Rap has been rendered useless now. I feel bad for poor Marty because as soon as we traded him to the Leafs, the Leafs traded him to the Devils. Does this mean Skoula has now become my enemy? Frenemy? S and B? BFF?

Today's game against the Stars will be Poni's debut and everyone's been talking about it. He's a left winger so it'll be interesting to see which line he ends up on. Everyone's been saying "he's for Sid" but I am hoping Disco Dan will do something else.

We also were able to snag denfenseman Jordan Leopold from Florida in return for a 2010 2nd round draft pick. We've already seen what he can do in our last two games. Not bad... never hurts to add a d-man who shoots left.

Lastly, we dealt D-man Chris Peluso for a 6th round draft pick. Not really in tears over that one. Chris was still playing hockey at the college level. Didn't know him; he won't be missed.

Alright, puck drop in in five to ten minutes. Let's see if we can come up with some other nicknames for Poni during the game.

Let's Go Pens!

Sid > everyone

I was never planning on blogging the Olympics because I knew it would be a huge undertaking that I wouln't be able to handle especially since I would miss most of the games due to tape delay and the fact that they were being played while I was at work. I didn't want to blog about the games way late so I just decided not to. I'm not going to write up a huge recap right now either. I just want to say that I thought the US team looked really strong this entire tourney and think they did a good job. They should be proud to say they made it to the Gold Medal game and played well. It was a tight and low-scoring game, just like I thought it would be. Be proud you medalled at all, because Russia is really kicking themselves right now. They had the talent, they just screwed up and ended up playing Canada earlier than they thought they would. As much as I hate hate hate Patrick Kane, he scored a good amount of goals over the course of the Olympics.. more than Sid, but hey, Sid is always there. He's not a flashy player, he stays in the trenches and plays the puck to teammates. Sid is there when it matters, like in overtime during the Gold Medal game to score the game winning goal. Yeah.

I am so happy the Olympics are over and we get to return to NHL games, where players fight and Mike Rupp scores hat tricks. I've missed Billy G's wisdom, Max Talbot's bad hands, Staalsy's shorties, Feds' rosy red cheeks, TK's energy, Kris Letang's sex hair, and MAF's shirtless post-game interviews in the locker room after a win. I can't wait to have Sid and Geno be reunited as the two-headed monster. I look forward to having Brooks dish out free candy to dirty Flyer players and Gonchar's wicked slapshot speed past Henrik Lundqvist on Thursday. I'm ready to have all five of our Olympians home in Pittsburgh and inside the Igloo.

Of course, I know the trade deadline Olympic freeze ends tonight and could bring hell on earth tomorrow. I hope Shero doesn't do anything completely crazy and give me a heart attack at work. Please, I don't want to die on the floor of my cubicle all alone in a building that has really shitty lighting and psychos.

A final note: I am very proud of how all our boys played in these games, but especially Sidney. He is our captain. I am so proud he wears the black and gold. We love you, Sid.

Go get 'em Tuesday!

WTF NBC

Not that we don't always have something to grip about when it comes to hockey aired on NBC, but this is just absolutely ridiculous when it comes to the Olympics. We're used to having to suffer through Pierre's long monologues before games and his "Inside the Glass" crap segments during game breaks, but this is when everyone in America is watching. This is USA Hockey's chance to show everyone how awesome of a sport hockey is and NBC is really screwing them over.

I don't know how many times NBC has cut in to a live game with only two minutes remaining in the first period. That's such bullshit. No one cares about women's curling... at least I don't.

NBC is sticking the much-hyped Canada-USA game on Sunday on CNBC. Really, NBC? That could be great for USA hockey, but no. Let's screw it up.

MAF is supposed to get the start on Sunday, so I hear, via twitter.... I can't confirm it though. That will be really exciting though. Seeing Sid wearing the A in the last game was special and great to see. He deserves it. From what I've seen, he's worked hard in these games so far, but that's not a stretch from his usual gameplay. We all know even when he gets three, he just goes for four. :)

Everyone is freaking out over Jagr's comments about being a free agent soon and how he's always talked about coming back to Pittsburgh and playing for Mario because he owes his entire hockey career to him and that he would play for the minimum salary. Makes me wonder about who the Pens would trade to get Jagr. People are hinting that maybe Feds won't make it through the deadline. We will see...

You can do it! Bela Karolyi style

The 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies begin tomorrow in Vancouver. We are lucky enough to have five of our Pens representing their homeland: Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin for Team Russia, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury for Canada, and our fav boy from Buffalo, Free Candy, Brooks Orpik, sporting the red, white, and blue for USA.

I've got to say, Sarge dominated all of the boys in the Olympic photoshoot. He looks fierce. Sid had the most out of everyone with five, but all three of Gonch's were awesome. Sid's fierst photo is precious though. Brooks looks adorable as usual and poor Geno is just trying to get a good shot in... he got one... sort of... Fleury got one good one. I expected better photos from him with his big smile.

I can't just pick one photo of Brooks because he is just so adorable in all of his shots.

I could have easily posted the third, alright?

What a BAMF.

Congratulations to all of our Olmpians.. this should be fun to watch.

Oh wait, except we aren't going to get to watch CAN v USA on regular programming because NBC fails at life.

According to this article, NBC is choosing to air "ice dancing" (wtf is that, figure skating?) instead of hockey on the 21st. Why, you may ask?

"More women than men watch the Olympics. So chicks before sticks."

That is disgusting. I find that really insulting as a woman who loves hockey. I would rather gag myself than watch figure skating. NBC will never get it that no one who watches hockey likes figure skating... they keep trying to shove it down our throats by airing it after Sunday games, but no one cares.

Hopefully everyone here in the states gets MSNBC because that is where the game is getting pushed to. There are several game being aired on CNBC as well and I am not familiar with that station. All I know is I better get it, and in HD too.

If you'd like to see the tv schedule for all the hockey games, you can visit this link. Be sure to put in your own zip code and choose your correct cable provider.

Billy G = Leadership

Billy G = fucking Leadership One of the best things we got at the trade deadline last season was Bill Guerin from the Islanders. People said he was old and questioned what he could bring to the team. I hope all those people have shut up by now. I have a friend, a Pens fan, who still thinks Guerin sucks and swears he'll be traded. You are so wrong, man. Billy G has proven that he is a huge asset to the Penguins organization by being a leader on and off the ice. We've seen it time and time again, whether it's picking out clothes for children in need at Dick's Sporting Goods or yelling at Sidney to let others have a turn during practice, Bill Guerin is a leader.


Ray Shero gets it. Here's a quote from our trusty GM explaining how acquiring Billy has enhanced this team:

"We took a chance and all the credit goes to Billy because he proved that he still had the passion to play and he's been absolutely fantastic for our group on and off the ice."

The NHL has a nice article up on their website about veteran leaders. Billy G never gets enough credit so it's nice when people start to recognize it and see what I see. A BAMF. But he's more than that.

You can read the full article here. There also a video on that page!!! It's called "Hockey's Finest Veterans" and it's got epic music. I suggest you watch it. Besides, most of the clips are of Billy G.

Billy G, you kill me.

Billy G doesn't always score the prettiest goals, maybe some of them are garbage goals, but I'll take them... every single one.

I leave you with this, a quote written on one of the walls in the ladies' room at the Igloo.

"Through Bill Guerin, all things are possible."

And this:

I'm really glad someone else feels the same way I do.

Sod, links, n'at

I have been telling you how special Jordan Staal is for a while now, so what's better than reading about him some more? =) My friend Hooks Orpik over at Pensburgh wrote a nice piece about Staalsy in honor of his 300th game played. Please check it out. I hope Ray Shero loves JStaal as much as I do and will do whatever it takes to keep him in Pittsburgh for a long time to come. I know we don't have much salary cap room what with the likes of Malkin and Crosby, but Jordan is more than just a center and is worth keeping. I would hate for any of the Staal trade rumors to come true.

It appears there was some talk of Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle wanting to buy the Pirates. This, of course, is a brilliant idea, even though I really could care less about baseball. The boys over at thePensblog have the story. You can read up on it here.

ESPN is also reporting on the subject, telling us that Pirates owner, Bob Nutting, says the team is not for sale. You can read that story here. It's more the legal money issues side of things...

"Lemieux, the Hall of Fame player, bought the Penguins in federal bankruptcy court in 1999 -- a year later, he came out of retirement became pro sports' first owner-player -- and has since seen them become one of the NHL's most successful franchises."

Dude, just sayin'...

How awesome would it be if Super Mario owned two-thirds of the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh?!

Read the articles and tell me what you think.

Lazy Sunday

One thing that was great this weekend was the chance to watch the Penguins on regular broadcasting, even if it was NBC and Pierre McGuire. I got to watch the Pens beat the Flyers, which is always a good time, and see the entire game which is something I don't often have the opportunity to do. This game was on at 9:30 in the morning , but it was worth waking up early to watch. Letang had a great game. He wasn't afraid to check guys and it's noticable that he's been fighting to get to the puck more in his last couple of games. It's great to see that extra effort is paying off for him. He was fierce on the ice Sunday. You've got to watch the highlights and check out his fight, even if it was short-lived. Awesome! It starts at about 1:56 into the video.

Billy G's moustache that night... epic!

Also, there is a great new Verzion commercial featuring the Penguins that first aired on Sunday.

Penguins fans truly are the best in the world!

Playing catch-up

Hey guys, sorry I know it's been awhile again. I'm not doing too well in January at posting everything. Here are a few videos that I wanted to share with you all from the past week or so.

First one is Kris Letang's adorableness on Inside Penguins Hockey. I realize this is only part 2 of the segment, but it's the funny part. If you want to see part 1 you can watch it here.

Watch at 2:30 into the video and also at 5:22. Listen to his answers.

The Sex hair is back!!!! haha

Kris Letang 1057393027, Dan 0

Steve Mears: "Best advice anyone ever gave you?"

Kris: "Never give up even if you're small and skinny."

Love it!

Second one is a secret hidden part 2 to the amazzzing Sid and Max dryer commercial which aired earlier this season. Those two are just hilarious together and so entertaining to watch.

The third one is Sidney's Tim Hortons commercial which just sends chills down my spine every time I watch it. It warms my heart. I die. Sid's voice-over is enough to make any girl's heart melt. It's precious.

The final video is the Pens and Pins event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Geno is > all bowling. Watch how it appears he doesn't even put his fingers in the ball's holes, he just palms it and lets it go. He is adorable and his English is getting sooo good! :)

3rd line madness

Watch these highlights from a few games ago. I meant to post them earlier, but sometimes you get busy. Sorry for the delay and enjoy!

Penguins vs Flames (1-13-2010)

Crosby scored using one hand on his stick. That is impressive!

Jordan Staal minute mark: 2:39 to 2:55 watch him! just watch him, simply amazing! =)

MAF had some awesome saves in that game and TK, what a beast he is! Outr 3rd line is freakin' amazing. That's all you can say about them. They certainly defy ordinary every night they're out on the ice, giving it their all.

Penguins vs Oilers (1-14-2010)

Watch at 3:19 MAF is a BAMF!!! hardcore! Muurrrrderrrr! You can't spell BAMF without MAF! haha

This game was exciting because it was a come-from-behind win for the Pens. The game was hard to watch, but real fans watch the entire game and the 3rd period saw our outstanding 3rd line just come alive and attack the goal.

TK's goal was sick. Way to get us on the board. Our 2nd goal to tie the game at 2-2 was all Staal, COoke got the rebound. Excellent teamwork. And btw, OMG OMG it was a PP goal. What, our PP is still alive? Yes, just barely. Dupuis gets credit with the third goal, but Staalsy created that. Just beautiful hockey by Jordan Staal. Just a little tap and Dupes gets a stick on it and it finds its way into the net.

Staal > Kovalchuk

The Penguins were finally able to break their five-game losing streak.

Jordan Staal was a beast last night against the Thrashers.

He's got to be a plus-some kind of crazy number right now. He's got goals being scored every time he's on the ice. I can't believe that Yzerman didn't pick him for Team Canada. It's ridiculous! It was suggested earlier in the week that if Bergeron's injury had been worse, Jeff Carter would have taken his spot and not Jordan. Jordan had two goals in this game! It's too bad he couldn't get a hat trick. Tyler Kennedy was a big part of those goals. He plays so hard and it shows. Just a great job by those two guys. I love them.

Army tried to take out Staal at center ice (bad!) and Feds scored. Karma's a bitch, ain't it, Colby?

Here are the highlights of this great game.

It's so nice to see Kris Letang score a goal. I love him and I love that he nailed Kozlov. It was awesome! I wish we could get a clip of that!

Luca Caputi was in to replace injured Chris Kunitz and he definitely showed it was the right move on Dan Bylsma's part, by scoring on Malkin's beautiful pass. Geno owned that puck and brought it all the way into the zone on that play. He created that. Just amazing.

I hope Feds is ok after Colby kind of tripped him up and he went crashing into the net. I heard he was limping after the game.

And because I can't stop myself from posting a Staal interview, post-game interviews:

Kovalchuk goals: 0

Staal goals: 2

holla

Full steam ahead

Today's a big day. We've got the Steelers at Miami early and the Penguins at Panthers later. Steelers managed to just barely squeeze out a win last week against the Ravens and are battling for a playoff spot at 8-7. Even if they win today, there's still a lot that needs to happen for us to nab a spot. The Penguins have lost four games in a row. Florida is alive and kickin' with Pittsburgh fans, of this I am sure. It's time to suit up and get your head in the game, boys. With Gonchar out with what is a suspected foot injury after blocking a shot and immediately skating off the ice, our D-men really need to step it up a notch, particularly on the power play. I'd like to see Letang score a goal...

Here's a great video of the Pens' new year resolutions. Dupuis and Tanger are just adorable, Max gets all philosophical on us, Mike Rupp is basically like, "F you, Potash!", and Sid is his usual self.

Surprisingly, Don Cherry makes sense for once and agrees with me that Jordan Staal should have made Canada's Olympic roster. I'm glad someone else thinks so too. You can watch that clip between the 5:00 minute and 6:00 minute marker of this video. Thanks to Seth at Empty Netters for the find. Usually I don't watch Coach's Corner because a) I don't live in Canada to see HNIC and b) I don't like Don Cherry.

Too bad Don Cherry calls him Jason at first! FAIL.

One last thing, I want to congratulate our own Free Candy, Brooks Orpik, for making Team USA's Olympic roster. We hoped you would, we know you will crush some skulls in Vancouver, Brooksie. It is disappointing that Alex Goligoski wasn't picked, but not all that surprising either. Gogo is a great D-man and I'm glad we have him on the Pens, but Orpik deserved a spot over him. What is surprising is that Billy Guerin was not selected. I can see that Yzerman might want to have a young team that's got talent, but I think you really need that experience too and that's what Bill Guerin brings to the table. He is a seasoned veteran in the League and a bad ass. He's 39 so this was basically his last chance to be on the team. So boo. Score more goals for us, Billy, so that you can prove everyone wrong.

History lesson

This is a cool special that aired on FSN Pittsburgh and I think you should watch it. Personally, I think Pittsburgh + history + hockey = amazingness. Wait, this is a history lesson, not math. Anyways, Ghostwalker40 has graciously uploaded it in three parts for us to enjoy today. Please be sure to check out his youtube channel for more awesome videos. Also, be sure to follow him on twitter. He is awesome and we in the blogosphere community love him.

I just realized I use the word "awesome" quite a bit. You know what, shut it, I'm from SoCal =)

Pittsburgh is Hockeytahn

Part 2

Part 3