Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, Mike Sullivan contradict on concussion evaluation

Posted on by Jen Neale

When Sidney Crosby did a header at full speed into the end boards, the collective hockey universe gasped as the superstar appeared slow to gather himself.

Crosby went to the bench, and stayed there briefly. He came back out to finish the period.

It was clear to anyone with functioning eyeballs that the concussion spotters did not do their intended job here, despite their expanded protocols established by the NHL.

Crosby returned to play the rest of the game. It’s not like the Pittsburgh Penguins would risk the health of their most valuable resource; one who missed Game 4 due to a concussion. Right?

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Guentzel’s hat trick puts Blue Jackets on brink of elimination (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

In the playoffs, Jake Guentzel has more goals (4) than the Chicago Blackhawks (0)

The 21-year-old rookie earned a hat trick in a wild 5-4 overtime victory by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win gives the Penguins a 3-0 series lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Cam Atkinson scored eleven seconds into the first period, blasting the roof off of Nationwide Arena. Guentzel answered three minutes later burying his of the contest from a weird angle and while on one foot.

Two minutes later, Cam Atkinson scored again. One minute after that, Zach Werenski’s power play goal gave the Blue Jackets a 3-1 lead.

Bryan Rust’s two goal second period drew the Penguins even.

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Penguins vs. Blue Jackets: Puck Daddy’s 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview

Posted on by Jen Neale

The 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived, so have Puck Daddy’s preview of all playoff series. Enjoy!

The Pittsburgh Penguins (50-21-11, 111 points) entered the 2016-17 season as the defending Stanley Cup Champion, minus their top goaltender and superstar forward. Matt Murray broke his hand in the World Cup of Hockey. Sidney Crosby experienced another concussion everyone swears didn’t happen during the World Cup.

The team was pretty much fine without them. Crosby returned after missing six games. He finished the season collecting his second ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy with 44 goals. Crosby averaged better than a point a game with 89 points in 75 games.

As for Murray, he made his first start in the tenth game of the season. He quieted those who doubted the consistency of his Stanley Cup performance by amassing a 32-10-4 record. As expected, Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury (18-10-7) split time in net with Murray getting 47 starts to Fleury’s 34.

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Andersen leaves game after Sestito makes contact with head (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

That loud, guttural scream you heard from the greater Toronto area came as Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Anderson lay down in the fetal position on the ice.

In the second period, Andersen comes just beyond the top of his crease. Sestito appears to attempt to set a screen as the Penguins take a shot from up high. The butt of Sestito makes contact with the head of Andersen causing the netminder’s head to whip violently to one side.

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Crosby’s Tuesday night: spear O’Reilly, score incredible goal, lose teeth

Posted on by Jen Neale

Sidney Crosby’s game against the Buffalo Sabres encompassed everything we love about the NHL as presented in three exhibits.

Exhibit A: Spearing of an opponent.

OK. This might not be something we all enjoy when it happens to someone on our favorite team. Yet, when it happens to a guy of questionable intestinal fortitude, we might (MIGHT) be slightly OK with it.

Less than five minute into the game, Crosby plays a game of ‘dirty pool’ with Ryan O’Reilly.

The Sabres forward has his back to Crosby when the Pittsburgh Penguins’ captain takes an upward swing at O’Reilly’s, ahem, sack of pucks.

(OH MY HOW O’REILLY PERSEVERED THROUGH THAT MOMENT. Someone give him an award.)

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Connor McDavid kicks in own-goal, then totally redeems himself (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

BREAKING NEWS! Connor McDavid is human. He is capable of making a mistake.

Friday night in Edmonton, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin enters the offensive zone and takes a slap shot on Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot. The puck hits Talbot and dribbles off the netminder towards the open net.

McDavid makes the initial kick-save…

… but the puck goes right into the leg pad of Talbot as he’s turning around. It ricochets quickly and just nearly misses McDavid’s skate before heading into the net.

The goal is credited as unassisted to Malkin for his 32nd of the year.

You can put The Chosen One in Edmonton, but sometimes you can’t wash the Oil off The Chosen One.

UPDATE:

As the great philosopher Harry Dunne once said:

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Sestito earns four game suspension for boarding Enstrom (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

The Department of Player Safety suspended Tom Sestito for four games after boarding Toby Enstrom in a raucous first period of Wednesday night’s game. He will forfeit $12,777.76 in salary. This is Sestito’s first suspension since 2011.

Sestito was called up by the Pittsburgh Penguins to take the spot of an injured Patric Hornqvist. The game was the ninth for Sestito this season and first since Nov. 16.

In a scant 1:02 TOI versus Winnipeg, Sestito racked up 20 minutes in penalties and was tossed from the game after boarding Enstrom.

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Brandon Dubinsky dances and dangles for OT winner (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

Brandon Dubinsky’s hatred of Sidney Crosby fuels his play versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. It usually results in Dubinsky getting penalized (and/or later suspended) for something he did to Sid.

It was clear that John Tortorella wanted Dubinsky out there versus Crosby and playing at home he could make the matchup work. Mike Sullivan countered by having Sid skip a shift or two or play an extra long shift so he’d only face Dubinsky for a few seconds.

This leads to Dubinsky building up a fire that could only result in a spectacular game winning goal in overtime after Sid ends his shift.

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Sidney Crosby gets point No. 999 and that’s it (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

Sidney Crosby was on the verge of creating an international incident (in hockey) by going point-less in three straight games.

Thank Gord! Mike Sullivan finally put him on the ice with the offensive powerhouses of the Pittsburgh Penguins in order to get Sid off the schneid and past career point No. 998.

Just as you assumed, the two players are: Jake Guentzel and Bryan Dumoulin.

Stationed at the goal line Sid receives a pass from Dumoulin, settles the puck and times a darn near perfect pass of his own to the net-crashing Guentzel. Boom. Score.

SWEET RELIEF!

That was the only point Crosby would pick up in the game leaving him at No. 999 in his career. He won’t have to endure the questions of when he’s going to hit No. 1,000 for too long. The Penguins take the ice next on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

Crosby submits ‘how did he do that?’ goal of the year (Video)

Posted on by Jen Neale

Sidney Crosby does amazing things on the ice almost every night. Scoring point No. 995 was no different.

Chris Kunitz passes Crosby the puck through approximately a million St. Louis Blues players. Crosby receives the pass on his backhand while down on one knee.

With one of the best backhands in the game Crosby makes it look easy as he roofs it in the semi-lunge position.

As the great Tracy Jordan once said, “I love [that goal] so much, I want to take it behind a middle school and get it pregnant.”

After that spectacular goal, it was just another three point night for the Pittsburgh Penguins captain. He assisted on Justin Schultz’s ninth tally of the year and added an empty netter to seal the game for the Pens at 4-1.

Crosby has three points to go before hitting number 1,000.