Chance of a sweep should motive the Pens

With the 5-4 win in overtime on Sunday night the Penguins have a real chance to finish this series as early as possible on Tuesday night and sweep the Columbus Blue Jackets and earn a period of rest whilst their next round opponent, either the Capitals or Leafs continue to wage a war of attrition against each other.

If the Penguins do win on Tuesday night then it will be the first time they have swept a team since they swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2008-2009 Championship season in the Eastern Conference Round. The last first round sweep by the Penguins was the year before when they swept the Ottawa Senators before going on to lose to the Red Wings in the final.

The Penguins showed a different style of their play yesterday, they showed a resilience to come from behind which, up until this point in the series, they had not needed to do. Marc-Andre Fleury started the game poorly and the team had a big hill to climb but they manage to dig themselves out of a hole and really take a stranglehold on the series.

Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust were two huge impacts on forward and really took their chances. Bryan Rust seemed to take over the role that Hornqvist usually is more known for on the second line and crashed the net often, he benefited on both of his goals through this tactic. Guentzel was slightly different, staying around the net but cashing on rebounds and, on the game winner, a fantastic move by Crosby behind the net.

If the Penguins score early and control Game 4 the Blue Jackets then it could get out of hand. However, under Sullivan the Penguins are much calmer after the whistle and should be able to stop the urge to respond. Lets hope the Penguins close it out on Tuesday.

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Will DOPS blow the Calvert crosscheck?

Matt Calvert needs to be suspended for his late crosscheck on Tom Kuhnhackl in Game 2. He is having a hearing today but it is worrying that, through  Pierre LeBrun, the league doesn't think it is worth a suspension. That doesn't even take into account the fact he went back to Kuhnhackl and face-washed him and had a go at him for not wanting to fight, whilst in pain.

The Blue Jackets are stuck in a similar playing style against the Penguins this year, focusing on hitting at all times rather than doing it at select times, when it will be helpful. Doing so is tiring them out and the Penguins are not phased by this style of play, it doesn't work against them as evidenced by the two games so far.

It is odd that the Blue Jackets have gone down this path when during their record breaking streak they didn't play that way. They focused on using actual skill alongside physical play which was harder to play against. Playing physical against the Pens and trying to get under their skin hasn't worked since we played the Flyers in the 2012 play offs.

Under Tortorella the Blue Jackets are a much more physical and have had a few moments where they have overstepped the mark into more unwanted plays that should be met with the swift hand of the Department of Player Safety. I think actions like Calvert's happening because of that kind of mindset and it doesn't help.

As I'm typing this the league has announced that Calvert will spend one game suspended and you can say they blew it. An intent to injury someone with a stick should be more than one game. A one game suspension is a weak response and sends a message out that you will get off lightly if you do the same. A strong suspension of 4/5 games would have been more appropriate.

In my opinion the Department of Player Safety is run by amateurs who have no idea what they're are doing. The league is run by dinosaurs who are holding it back by thinking in the past. Getting rid of them and moving forward with new ideas and and actual safety department would help. But it won't happen and the league will seem surprised when a star player is injured for a long time on one of these "one game" hits.

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Pens to face Blue Jackets - Prediction

The match-ups are set and the Penguins will face the Blue Jackets for the first time since they met in 2014 where the Penguins won 4-2. The Blue Jackets surprised many this season with their first ever 50 win season and they challenged for the Division Title until the end when they tailed off. There will be wish from revenge but the Penguins are a formidable team.

The Penguins secured home ice against the Blue Jackets last week following their win over the New Jersey Devils and the Blue Jackets loss to Winnipeg. The Blue Jackets were on a six game losing streak before they snapped that in a win over the Maple Leafs on Sunday night. A win that also condemned the  Maple Leafs to the Capitals.

The Penguins have been riddled with injuries this season so to do so well is a good sign that the players coming up are able to handle the big roles that they have been tasked with an can fill in. Some have raised questions about whether they should even be returned to the AHL. The available depth this team has is incredible and with a couple of players still coming through there is a bright future.

The best chance the Penguins have is to get their key players and to stick to the game plan they deployed last year with speed. The Blue Jackets are a tough hitting team and will try to slow the Penguins down by taking away the boards forcing them into the center. But focusing too much on hitting will open them and expose them.

Columbus is still a tough match-up though despite their recent form. They have a strong defence and Bobrovsky has had a superb season leading him to be a close candidate for the Vezina trophy. That will go to Holtby though. With Letang out for the play offs our defence is more exposed and will need someone to step up and take those minutes. Columbus could look to expose that.

I think this will be a fairly close series but I don't see it going all the way to seven games. With a fully fit team the Penguins should be too strong for the Blue Jackets even without Letang and my prediction is the Penguins in 5 games with us facing the Washington Capitals in the next round where we will be eliminated.

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NHL decides not to go to the 2018 Winter Olympics

The NHL chose today to announce that they're not going to the Olympics next year in Pyeonchang in South Korea. Doing so it ends a 20 year association with the quadrennial event. It means that there is a really question mark over what Canada and the USA do next. Not to mention European players who might want to represent their country but play in the American or Canadian Leagues.

Not going to the Olympics smacks of a backwards move to me when the league should be looking at attract more people to the sport through additional fans and, where possible, players. This decision not to go to Pyeonchang when the league has made noise about going to 2022 to China makes it even more ridiculous to understand.

Players in the NHL are now left with a dilemma. Do they defy the league and accept the punishment they face and go to the Olympics, knowing they'll likely be suspended or lose pay? If top European players like Ovechkin back up their repeated desire to attend what punishment would the NHL deem satisfactory because for top players that would hurt the league more than the players. Lower level players wouldn't have such a luxury though.

I've seen one point raised regarding players out of contract this year in that they could ask for permission to attend the Olympics as part of any contract. It's a risky move but one that could be utilised by players that are determined to attend. Other players who are perhaps more fringe NHL players but believe they have a chance to attend could head to Europe for a lucrative contract for a year. I don't see many doing that but some elder statesmen could.

One thing to look out for is if the players use this in the next round of talks when the CBA expires after the 2021-22 season stating that they will not sign a deal unless the NHL gives guarantees going forward that the players will be able to go to the Olympics. That is a long time away though so a less likely options.

Looking at it from a business point you can understand that the NHL would want some compensation and insurance from the IOC which, apparently, they don't get. And permission to promote the game with the Olympic image would help but other pro leagues in Europe seem to be able to cope with this fine, so why should the NHL be any different.

Going forward it is going to be interesting to see if any players dig in and demand to go and what the response will be. I'm hoping that the  IOC and NHL get back around the table to sort this out because not having NHL players at the Olympics would suck.

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Pens play off picture clearer with recent games

With the back to back losses against Ottawa and the Islanders the Penguins play off picture is clearer and shows a more likely path that they will have to take to get to the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins have been continually nursing injuries and have been treading on water for a few games, their scoring presence has been notable depleted. The previous two games exposed the tiredness of the defence if anything.

The Penguins had some hope that Columbus would beat the Capitals and take two points from them to allow a potential catch but that game went to OT and the Penguins followed it up with two points from four. The Blue Jackets beat the Flyers today to go back above the Penguins on ROW and the Capitals are currently beating the Coyotes in an expected win.

This would leave all three teams with just 8 games left and looking at the schedules and what is needed to overcome the deficit of 3 points should the Capitals win tonight. If, somehow, they don't win then it is all open again due to the games between the top three. Should they win though then it is probably the toughest path that the Penguins could have been given.

Even if the Penguins had come first in the division they would have to play one of the two at some point. They had to go through the toughest route last year though facing the Rangers and then the Capitals. This year, should they get through to the Eastern Conference final, they should have an "easier" opponent due to the weak Atlantic conference.

The key for the Penguins in the final stretch should be to get key players back and at least try and get home ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round. Take it from there.

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Crosby hits 40 - Pens rolling after Florida win

Sidney Crosby hit 40 goals for only the second time in his career, the other being in the 2009-10 season when he scored 51 goals and took home his only Rocket Richard trophy. He is on course to finish this season with 47 goals and a strong chance of winning the trophy. The only challenge at the moment is Brad Marchand, of all people.

With the number of injuries that the Penguins had suffered recently this had the possibility of being a troubling game against a team that has caused us problems in the past. However, Florida have been struggling lately and came into the game on a 3-6-1 record in the previous 10 games. They're certainly not going to make the play offs now.

Fleury was given the start today and since the trade deadline he has been superb, after his shut-out today he is now riding a 1.67 GAA and .946 SV% since then. He played well today but wasn't called into action that much, Florida only had a few quality chances but never really threatened. The defence mostly kept the puck out of the shooting lanes which restricted Florida to just 21 shots in the whole game.

The Penguins made Reimer look uncomfortable early on at the other end and could have scored a couple in the first period before Hornqvist's goal with the puck seemingly staying out at the last minute. Hornqvist's goal was a mixture of golf and baseball with Kessel chipping the puck over the net to him to baseball swing into the net.

In the second the Penguins pushed on and the top line of Guentzel, Crosby and Sheary started to cause problems with the Panthers thanks to their continued physical presence and refusal to give up on the puck. All three of Crosby's goals for his hat-trick were assisted by both the above. Crosby's first was a similar one to the goal he scored against the Devils but nearer the net with a wicked wrister over Reimer. The second was much more skillful with a no look backhand in front of the net that complete confused Reimer.

As if to put an exclamation point on the game, Crosby finished it off with a quick release after Guentzel found him with a quick, no look dish. Crosby made this game his own and carried the team with the absence of so many players. Now he is tied for the points lead and leads in goals, he could win both still.

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Pens sign Aston-Reese

The Penguins announced tonight that they had signed highly rated College free agent Zach Aston-Reese. Reese had been playing with the Northeastern University in the NCAA and has scored 31 goals and 32 assists in just 38 games to make him the sole lead in goals and joint top in points. Aston-Reese has signed an entry level contract with the Penguins but will start with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins on an Amateur Tryout Contract.

He will likely play for them for the rest of this season and in the play offs. Wilkes-Barre will appreciate the extra offensive presence in their team with them currently missing Rowney, Archibald and Sundqvist to the Penguins due to their injury problems. Aston-Reese needs to be given time as any prospect is but if he pans out to be similar to Sheary or Rust then the Pens will be more than happy.

Aston Reese is one of a number of players to now choose the Penguins as a destination after their university days. He joins, from memory, Sheary, Archibald, Di Pauli, Prouw and Bengtsson who are part of that collective. When the players cost absolutely nothing in terms of picks or prospects given in return then you can only smile. Rutherford has really helped the Penguins going forward with his signings and it is possible that Aston-Reese is another success story.

It is also possible the Penguins target Mike Vecchione who finished one point behind Aston-Reese this season but having played in Union College it is possible he chooses a New York based team. The Penguins will no doubt be interested and Aston-Reese will be fun to watch develop.

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Pens closing in on Caps despite injuries

The Washington Capitals have been at the top of the tree for a while in the league and since the deadline many have named them as their Stanley Cup finalist from the East but since then they have slumped and slowly but surely the Penguins and the Blue Jackets are catching up with them. This is despite the Penguins suffering constant injuries to top players.

The Penguins have now won their last five in a row following their victory over Vancouver last night. They're on a Western Canadian road trip and have just the red hot Calgary Flames next but have now beaten Tampa, Buffalo, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver in a row.

Pittsburgh have faced injury problems as mentioned with the biggest impact being felt on their defence which currently sees Trevor Daley, Kris Letang and Olli Maatta out. Maatta and Daley are out long term, until the play offs start whilst Letang's status is unknown. Forwards haven't escaped scot free with Hagelin the latest to be ruled out, for four weeks. The Penguins have only just got Conor Sheary back from injury and Bryan Rust is still out.

As I have mentioned before Crosby has been very hit and miss in 2017 but rebounded with a strong game with two late assists and nine shots in the game with his hobbit line re-united. He is snake bitten right and if he can kick on then he could still win both the Art Ross and Rocket Richard but he needs a good run of a few games. Malkin of course could still win both but with Hagelin out now he is stuck with Kunitz which isn't good.

Going forward the Penguins have a much softer schedule compared to Washington with Calgary and the  Senators the only two play off teams in their next 8 games. Meanwhile the Capitals have to finish their California trip tonight and then have to face the Wild and Blue Jackets in the next five along with the in form Calgary. Interesting to the end.

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Will the Western Canada trip decide if Crosby can win the Art Ross this year?

After yesterdays 4-3 comeback win the Penguins tied the 2nd place spot in the division ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and prepared themselves for their Western Canada trip in possibly the best way. However, whilst Evgeni Malkin was firing all cylinders Crosby was held pointless again for the third game in five and fourth time in the last ten games.

McDavid currently has a five point lead over Crosby in the Art Ross standings but Crosby has two games in hand on him and Patrick Kane, who is in second with 70 points to Crosby's 69. However, Crosby has been struggling to produce in some games lately. Which raises the questions whether he is now too far behind McDavid to win it and whether he should concentrate on the Rocket  Richard which he leads with 34 goals to Laine's 32 goals.

Some of that has been down to the fact that the Penguins have been beset by injuries on their wings for the past few months. The biggest miss was Conor Sheary who was a regular on Crosby's line and made it click. In the game against Buffalo Sullivan appeared to be open to change and gave some time to a combination of Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary which completely controlled the game. If he can get a clicking combination back it could help.

In the four game road Canadian trip the Penguins are playing the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames before continuing the trip in the Eastern side of Pennsylvania.  Those four teams are 27th, 20th, 17th and 10th in goals against in the league. So is some potential there for a good haul. Especially with the attacking game that is more prevalent in Edmonton which leaves them exposed at times in defence.

Looking at the next week it could be key in deciding if Crosby can win the Art Ross or Rocket Richard. He has four games this week and McDavid has three, meaning one of the games in hand will be used up. On his current pace McDavid would end the week with 78 points. So Crosby will need to score eight points in those four games to match him. It will be a hard task to match but this being Crosby it isn't impossible. Doing the above would leave around 15 games to go on a tear and, possibly, hit 100 points?

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Penguins acquire Streit and Corrado on deadline day

Despite not managing to land Matt Duchene the Penguins did at least manager to add depth to, and improve, their defence. Because of injuries the Penguins had to act following Daley and Maatta both being ruled out for 6 weeks and being placed on LTIR. Having already added Ron Hainsey earlier in the week, the Penguins added Frank Corrado and Mark Streit today.

Streit is a veteran at 39 and was actually traded to the Lightning first before being sent further along to the Penguins. Presumably, the Penguins didn't want to deal with the Flyers directly. Streit is a top power play player and has played against Pittsburgh in that role before during the Islanders series a few years ago.

Streit in his last year of a contract that was originally 4 years for a total of $21m. He's an unattached free agent in the summer but it wouldn't be surprising if he retired, plenty of time to go though. So far this season he has 21 points through 49 games with an average time on ice of 19:23. I would expect he would have more sheltered minutes on the Penguins, dependant on injuries and how it plays out. Streit only cost a fourth round pick in 2018.

Elsewhere the Penguins also acquired the struggling Frank Corrado. Corrado turns 24 this month and has been the focal part of a "#FreeCorrado" campaign in Toronto for a while as there is a belief he never really got a fair shot and spent too much time in the press box. He has only played 2 NHL games this season and 18 with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL but he has 69 games to his name. He has been sent down to Wilkes-Barre and if he does well he may be able to feature more permanently in the NHL next year.

To get Corrado the Penguins gave up a large, dead cap in Eric Fehr. Fehr was waived yesterday and Toronto traded for him rather than claim him to clear a contract in a trade. They also acquired Steven Oleksy and a fourth round pick this year. To remove the burden of Fehr's contract that is a fair price.

The only real disappointment for deadline day is that we couldn't find a trade partner for Fleury which means he goes forward and could be claimed by Las Vegas if we ask him to waive his NMC and he obliges, allowing us to protect Murray. But that is a while away.

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What does the market look like for Fleury?

Tampa Bay were in a similar position to the Penguins this season with a strong goaltender originally starting out as the number one in net, only to be replaced by an improving rookie goaltender. As a result the Tampa Bay Lightning traded Ben Bishop yesterday to the LA Kings for very little. In total they traded him for Peter Budaj, Erik Cernak and a pick.

The Penguins have been involved in talks around Fleury's future to the media throughout the season with many believing the best time to trade him would have been on Free Agency Day last year. The reasoning rightly being that there are more likely going to be open spots for him there. He wasn't traded and he is still with the team.

A number of teams have been mentioned throughout the season with those being Calgary, Dallas and, to a lesser extent, St.Louis. The latter team has come up more recently due to talk that the Penguins are interested, alongside the Capitals, in Kevin Shattenkirk. The logic is that any deal seeing Shattenkirk's cap hit coming to the Pens will need to see a fairly large contract going back and Fleury is the only one that really fits. Do I see St.Louis going for him? No. I don't think we will get Shattenkirk and I think the asking price will be too much to realistically want to achieve.

Dallas have had goaltending issues all season despite having the most expensive goaltending tandem in the league. Quality has not come with that price tag. That has made them a prime topic for trade discussion. The most likely situation is that one of Lehtonen or Niemi would come back in either a straight swap or as part of a bigger deal. However, the Stars are out of the play offs by 9 points and with a game extra played so I don't see them making moves. Even if they do trade for Fleury they won't get extra cap room to spend on re-signing players this summer, so there is no real benefit for them. 

That brings up the last team, Calgary. The most likely destination. Brian Elliot would almost certainly come back and due to the cap restraints on Calgary right now they would need to send back a similar sized contract too. Dennis Wideman is the most likely candidate due to the Penguins wish to improve on defence. However, with the Flames in the play off spots, will they want to trade away and affect their chances of making it?

In all, there aren't really many landing spots for Fleury which is a worry. But the last two options the  Penguins have if he isn't traded are to either buy him out or ask him to waive his NMC so that they can protect Murray instead. The next 48 hours will be hectic.

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Hainsey becomes the newest Penguin

With the news today that Daley would be out for 6 weeks Rutherford didn't waste time in bringing in a new body and some reinforcements for the upcoming play off battles that will almost certainly involve a series against Washington or Columbus at some point. Barring a miracle we will play them.

The cost for Ron Hainsey is fairly cheap for a serviceable elder statement in the league with experience and, in Hainsey's case, a strong set of skills on the penalty kill. Which is an area where the Penguins have struggled. In full the trade reads that the Penguins gave up a 2nd round pick this year and American Hockey League defenceman Danny Kristo for Hainsey at 50%.

To me that is a fair price and a good deal for both sides. If Hainsey was at full cost then  I reckon you would have seen a 3rd instead of a 2nd but even then, the 2nd will likely be pick number 46 and beyond. That is a late pick to give up and not one that you will regret giving up if it gives you a player who can really improve your team. This will be Hainsey's first play off game in his career at the age of the 35 but he has worked with Rutherford before, whilst in Carolina.

It is highly likely that the Penguins will put Maatta and/or Daley on LTIR to give them maximum space at the trade deadline and allow them the possibility of adding a top forward for the play off run. It also means there is less of a rush to trade Fleury due to him potentially taking up cap that is needed elsewhere in the team. 

The deadline is on Wednesday the 1st March and I expect the Penguins will be involved but I don't expect Rutherford to absolutely deal. He will want the right deal and he has been in this game long enough to know that he can always say no. 

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Will the Penguins target a defenceman going forward?

Following the game against the Winnipeg Jets the Penguins called up Cameron Gaunce to make up for the loss of Justin Schultz to a concussion with an indeterminable timetable and Olli Maatta for six weeks. Both have been key players for the Penguins this season, Schultz more-so and their absence causes problems due to the heavy reliance it puts on player more accustomed to playing in the AHL.

With Olli Maatta out for six weeks the Penguins have placed him on LTIR which means they will have an extra $4m to play with at the trade deadline, should they wish to trade for a new defender. Of course, they'd much rather have Maatta fit not just because he is needed but also as a potential trade chip. Outside of him they only really have Pouliot. Guys like Schultz and Daley are too important to trade away.

The Penguins don't need to go mad, they have a strong team and Maatta will hopefully return for the play-offs but signing an extra person for the bottom four would be helpful. Shattenkirk is a name that has been mentioned but I think the asking price would be too high and his cap hit of $4.25m means we'd be spending all our space on one player. Unless that player is someone who is going to be completely brilliant and have an impact from day one then I'd rather spread it.

The Penguins could with help on their forward core so I think they'll look to pick up two fairly cheap players to fill those holes. If they trade Fleury they could get a little extra in cap space but any trade is likely to be with the same cap going both ways, or close to. With a number of players coming off contracts next season there is a bit more freedom to go for players signed up for another year.

Nick Kypreos has mentioned before that the Flames are still interested in Fleury and the Penguins could solve two issues with one trade. However, the Flames are up against the cap with only $3.2m cap space. That space comes from Smid being on LTIR. Straight off the bat Giordano and Hamilton are unreachable to be traded and Jokipakka and Bartkowski are unlikely to attract interest.

That leaves ex-Penguin Deryk Engelland, TJ Brodie and Denis Wideman available. TJ Brodie is signed long term so I would expect they would rather trade Wideman or Engelland. If the Flames are interested in Fleury too then that would make a make a trade for Wideman much more likely than one for Engelland. It depends whether the Penguins want a defender who is better offensively or defensively. If the Flames trade for Fleury then it is a certainty that Brian Elliot will be coming back the other way.

I'm going to look at more players the Penguins could target going forward but it is likely that the Penguins will be involved in the deadline. Lets just hope we don't over pay.

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What is up with 2017 Sid?

Coming into 2017 the league was at Crosby's mercy. He could do no wrong and seemed to score from all sorts of angles without any difficulty. He was keeping McDavid company despite having fewer games played and was on course for a potential Art Ross and Rocket Richard double. Since 2017 rolled in he has struggled and not looked like the same player.

Before this year Crosby was sitting at 26 goals and 16 assists through 32 games putting him at a 1.31 Points per Game pace. So far in 2017 he has added just 4 goals and 14 assists in 16 games, which is a 1.13 Points per Game pace. That is a drop of 13.74% in production. He has nearly the same number of assists in those 16 games but that is somewhat distorted due to the 4 point and 3 point games Crosby had against Washington and Boston which included and accounted for 35% of his assists in 2017.

Crosby's biggest change in this year compared to the last is his drop off in goal scoring. He was a street ahead at the top of the Rocket Richard standings beforehand but since his gap has shrunk and he is just one ahead of a resurgent Jeff Carter. Alex Ovechkin is only 4 back in 7th place. Crosby has in 2017 a 9.5% Shot percentage compared to a rate of 23% in 2016. Crosby's career average is 14.7% and I would expect him to improve going forward. Other players are closing in though so he needs to go back to what was working if possible.

As mentioned above, Crosby has kept his assist play going but he has had to deal with a number of changes to his lines this year as the Penguins have had a number of injuries to their key players that have required the lines to constantly be shuffled. From memory he has played with Kunitz, Cullen, Hornqvist, Rust, Sheary, Guentzel and Wilson already. Sheary seemed to have a lot of chemistry with Crosby before he got hit with an injury. Kunitz, to me at least, is no longer a top six player which has meant his left wing from becoming a revolving door.

One of the ideas is that Crosby is just spent physically and, possibly mentally. Perhaps he needs a break. It might sound ridiculous as he is a professional athlete but aside form the off season he hasn't had a real break from hockey in a while. The Penguins went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, he played in the World Cup of Hockey and has played 48 games this season. The Penguins have a few day gaps between the two coming games so hopefully he can get some rest. I don't think he is hiding an injury as I think that would be far more obvious.

Whatever is wrong with him is slightly concerning but it says a lot about Crosby that concerning is a 1.13 Points per Game pace. Hopefully he can rebound and get his 1000th point against the Canucks and push on.

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Crosby nearing 1000 points

Crosby is nearing 1000 points and could very well hit it this week with the Penguins playing three games before next Monday against the Flames, Coyotes and Avalanche. Those three games are against teams that aren't strong defensively so could prove very fruitful for Crosby and I would expect he will hit it against the Avalanche at the Pepsi Centre on Thursday night.

Crosby missed the first 7 games this season and returned against the Florida Panthers on the 25th October and started the season with a goal on the man advantage. 2016 was Crosby's year and was wonderfully topped off with the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in June after besting the San Jose Sharks and he continued his good play straight off the bat.

There have been prolonged periods this season where Crosby has been completely unstoppable. He has continued point streaks numerous times, the longest being for 9 games from the 26th November against the New Jersey Devils to the 14th December against the Boston Bruins. Crosby is currently only one point behind McDavid who sits first in the Art Ross race with 60 points. Crosby is also leading the Rocket Richard with 30 goals but the field is closing in on him.

Crosby has been a superb captain for the Penguins and whilst 2017 has been a bit quieter, with 16 points in 13 games, he is still a dangerous player and come April he will no doubt switch gear again to help the Penguins attempt at repeating. I'm looking forward to seeing Sid hit his 1000th point and the continuing dominance of the league thereafter. I just wish it was happening on home ice.

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Rowney makes Penguins debut

Carter Rowney made his Penguins debut in a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators last night. He was called up almost as soon as the All-Star break was over to fill the vacant spot needed due to Evgeni Malkin's injury.

Rowney is a late bloomer at 27 and has helped with key production for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins this season with 21 points through 26 games so far for them. Putting him 8th on the team although he has missed over 20 games this season. Without those he would be joint top with Guentzel.

Rowney had a decent game despite not scoring a point or notching a goal in his first game like Guentzel did. He finished the game with a 63.16CF% along with 2 Hits in just over 9 minutes Ice-Time which gives the impression the Penguins eased him in last night. He will learn a lot in his time in the NHL which will be a huge help going forward.

The Penguins win last night continues their dominance at home this season and was a key win without Evgeni Malkin who is likely to miss this weekends game against the Blue Jackets and the Blues. In his absence the lines have been juggled and they seemed to be effective last night. It was good to see Hornqvist scoring again and continuing to do the dirty work.

The Penguins have a stretch of games coming up that look winnable and could give them a good chance of finishing as a high seed in this years standings. I would be disappointed not to see the Penguins get at least 6 points from their next five games.

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Penguins season going well so far

Heading into the All-Star break the Penguins are currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference behind Columbus and Washington and fourth overall, Minnesota being the lone Western Conference. The Penguins aren't experiencing any of the traditional Stanley Cup hangovers that seem to follow teams that  win the cup in the following the season. There was a wobble early in January but the Penguins have rebounded from that to finish with a stable season so far before the break.

The Penguins have rebuilt themselves under Sullivan as a mostly attacking team that looks not just to score a few but to completely destroy the opposition and with the talent on the team they're a threat on each of the four lines. They lead the league with 172 goals through their 48 games played so far, an average of around 3.6 a game. The nearest is the Rangers on 167 games through 49 games.

In the past the Penguins tended to struggle more on the defence, especially when they had the likes of Orpik sitting in the top four. The defence is better this year than it was in years past with a goal difference of + 31 but it sits in 20th place in the league behind current non playoff teams like the Islanders and Sabres. The Penguins have been blighted by injuries throughout the season to key players but this is something that needs to be worked on.

The goaltending is no doubt the biggest player personnel talking point. Matt Murray has had some problems at time but he is still young and learning. However, Fleury has failed to stand up to the challenge at all this season and he should be traded if possible at the deadline. His play has affected the team and certainly cost them games throughout the season so far due to his lack of concentration and poor rebound control.

If I had to pick a player who has been the best so far that would of course be Crosby. He missed the first seven games of the season but has made up for lost time and is second in the scoring race with 55 points through 42 games, 4 behind Connor McDavid. The Oilers have played three games more than the Penguins however so it is closer than the four point gap.

Overall I think that the Penguins can be pretty happy with their season so far. There are a few tweaks that need to be made and I think the defence needs to be shored up but the issues the Penguins face compared to other teams are minuscule. They're set up perfectly for another run at the cup and that is all that matters.

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Conor Sheary: The roughest of diamonds

Conor Sheary wasn't expected to be an effective NHL player but he has confounded those critics to become a key part of the Penguins top six. Many people have criticised players like him in the past for being too small and not being strong enough claiming they aren't the "typical" hockey player. What Sheary lacks for in size he more than makes up for in skill.

Finding a competent winger for Crosby has been an issue for the  Penguins for the past few seasons. Over the past five years Crosby has spent time with the likes of Chris Kunitz,  Pascal Dupuis, David Perron and James Neal. With those players themselves being the most common.

Two of those, Kunitz and Dupuis have fallen off the cliff offensively and had to retire through health issues respectively. David Perron was started his Pittsburgh career with 21 points in his first 31 games but his production dried up with 17 points in the following 67 games. He showed a lack of compete and was traded after poor games against the Hurricanes and Lightning. James Neal tended to only play on the first line through injuries to other players.

Sheary has been given an opportunity by Sullivan and has taken it with open arms, he struggled offensively a little with 10 points in his first 44 games but this season he has played incredibly strongly, as if a league veteran. Playing with Crosby will no doubt have rubbed of on him and Crosby is the type of person to help mentor and train a younger player. We saw some of that in the play-offs on THAT OT Goal against the Lightning.

Sheary isn't just excelling at the offensive side of things either, he is a smart player who is adept at puck possession, he is listed 8th on the team in CF% with players over 100 minutes TOI with 52.95%. 55% and above is considered elite so to be that close is great to see. Part of his good offensive awareness and play could be down to Sullivan's usage, deploying him in the offensive zone 62.3% of the time. That is high, even for a forward.

Whatever Sheary is doing, is working. He is playing like a veteran in the league with the understanding to go with it. Having someone like him gives the team great attacking options and depth as he can be utilised in the future on any line needed. Watching Sheary going forward will be fun and there are two players, Guentzel and Sprong who are looking to follow him.

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Detroit loss exposes continuing frailties on defence

After a loss against the Detroit Red Wings on their last trip to the Joe last night the Penguins are on their first three game regulation loss streak under Mike Sullivan since he took over from Mike Johnston in December 2015. The Penguins have conceded 15 goals in three games and with Letang receiving an injury in the Detroit game it isn't looking like it will be getting easier.

Letang has again had a rough season with injuries and left the game late in the first period after colliding near the net and falling into the boards. He tried to return but could last more than one very quick shift before he disappeared down the runway. You could tell it wasn't good from his reaction when he went down.

Without Letang in the Penguins were down a defenceman and in some respects that showed through tiredness and the Red Wings just completely overworking the Penguins.  Letang really helps control the transition from the defence to offence so with him out expect to see some changes to the game plan. We can also expect the likes of Warsofsky to be given increased ice time in his absence.

Up front Crosby is currently experiencing a dry spell in front of goal. He is still assisting and getting points but he is missing that scoring touch that he excelled so well with before 2017 began. Hopefully this is just a system of the current poor spell the  Penguins are having but he could do with some help upfront with his linemates contributing more.

The Penguins powerplay has been a point of consternation for a while with very poor consistency and a lack of possession at times kills the ability to strike. The powerplay seems to be performing better under Schultz lately but there is still an issue about shot selection. Often the pass will be taken over a good shot and that needs to stop.

With Murray back the Pens might be able to get back to something more normal under Sullivan but with Letang and Dumoulin now both missing it will be hard. The Capitals next. Fun.

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Should the Pens get Landeskog?

According to Adrian Dater the Penguins are interested in Gabriel Landeskog and General Manager Jim Rutherford has contacted Joe Sakic regarding a possible trade. A number of teams have been mentioned and it isn't surprising that the Penguins are one of those name dropped.  The Penguins are always looking to improve their team and Landeskog would absolutely do that on their forward corps but can the Penguins get him?

So far this season the Avalanche are dead last in the NHL with 27 points through 39 games. They've struggled for a few years since their last playoff appearance in the 2013-14 season and they're not going to make it this year. The team is bare on depth and is ripe for a rebuild programme. How they do that remains to be seen but personally, I wouldn't trade guys like Landeskog. He is young and they'll need players like him going forward. But, say they decide to pull the trigger, the asking price will be steep.

Looking at the Avalance you would think that a top six forward and a top four defenseman would be the priorities. The Avalanche have the fewest goals this season with just 79 through 39 games, an average of 2.02 a game. They also have the worst defence with them conceding 130 goals in those 39 games and that includes 10 in a 10-1 loss to the Canadiens.

Landeskog and Duchene could be considered to be having slumps this year. Landeskog has just 13 points in 29 games. That would be Landeskog's worst through a full season at his current pace. Duchene is currently on 24 points through 35 games which, through an 82 game season, would see him finish with around 56 points. Far from his high of 70 points in 71 games back in 2013-14 under Patrick Roy.

Looking at Colorado's back end you can see why they're struggling. They're devoid of any top four quality outside of Tyson Barrie. The only plus aside from Barrie is that Zadorov is young and improving. Those two players should be the key to the Avalanche defence going forward. Someone like Dumoulin or Maatta would be a key to add, or, with lower value, Pouliot.

The forwards corps has been a troublesome thing in previous years before Sullivan joined and I would be reluctant to trade them. I could see someone like Hagelin being expendable but I would be more hopeful of Colorado also taking Kunitz. But they won't want him. With a couple of young prospects knocking on the door in Guentzel and Sprong there will be some change going forward up front but I would not be comfortable giving up one of those in a deal. I want to see them develop in Pittsburgh.

Overall, I'm not sure that there is a deal for Pittsburgh to make without overpaying and if there is heavy interest then I think the Penguins should step aside and let other teams bump up the asking price. The offence is clicking and I think only minor changes are needed, not a major one like this.

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Pens win streak record could have company tonight

The Penguins longstanding 17 game win streak could be met tonight with the Columbus Blue Jackets hoping to match it and have the possibility of breaking it against the Rangers at home on Saturday night. The Penguins set their win record way back in the 1992-93 season and only Jaromir Jagr is still playing from that team.

The streak is a massive surprise, it would be a massive surprise no matter who was on it as the parity between a lot of teams is so close that you just wouldn't be able to predict. Sometimes you get a powerhouse team that just dominates a season and you can see them going on a long winning run based on their schedule but Columbus don't fit that mould.

Their schedule started off with some fairly lower level opponents but it has included some tough challenges against the likes of Pittsburgh and Boston not forgetting Minnesota who were on their own winning streak at the time.

The Blue Jackets streak has included a thumping win over the Penguins and doesn't show any sign of slowing at the moment. It will be interesting to see if they can continue this and use it to build their season and make it so this isn't just a highlight seen in April when they're on the golf course. I don't see them missing the playoffs but stranger things have happened. Like Columbus winning 16 straight games.

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