Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Pittsburgh-Penguins

Who Starts In Goal For The Penguins?

by Paul on 05/13/13 at 05:23 PM ET
Comments (1)

from Tim Baines of the Ottawa Sun,

It’s got to be a head-scratching decision for Pittsburgh Penguins management types.

Do they go with wildly inconsistent Marc-Andre Fleury or older, steadier Tomas Vokoun in the opening game of their Round 2 playoff matchup with the Senators Tuesday night?

Do they dare ride with Fleury, the 28-year-old who was regarded highly enough to be named to Canada’s 2010 Olympic team, now the guy who may be playing himself out of consideration for next year’s Olympics?

A 6-4 loss to the New York Islanders in Game 4 was the breaking point. Fleury stink, stank, stunk. Vokoun won the next two games as the Penguins dispatched the tenacious Islanders.

While there’s no goaltending controversy in Ottawa, it’s all the rage in Pittsburgh.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Penguins Win In Overtime To Move On To The EC Semi-Finals

by Paul on 05/11/13 at 10:08 PM ET
Comments (11)

Brooks Orpik scores his first ever playoff goal in OT.

The Penguins will now face the Senators in the 2nd round.

added 10:19pm, video of the OT goal...

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Video- Sidney Lemieux

by Paul on 05/10/13 at 08:49 AM ET
Comments (6)

Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: sidney+crosby

All Eyes On Vokoun

by Paul on 05/09/13 at 02:53 PM ET
Comments (9)

from Stu Hackel of Sports Illustrated,

The eyes of Pittsburgh -- and the rest of the NHL -- will be trained on the Penguins' goal where Marc-André Fleury won't be standing in the crease when Game 5 of their series against the Islanders begins.

Instead of the athletic 28-year-old Fleury, who has 79 games of playoff experience, two trips to the final round, and a Stanley Cup on his resume, 36-year-old veteran Tomas Vokoun will guard the net. A veteran who distinguished himself on too many non-playoff clubs over the years, Vokoun has but 11 postseason appearances -- none since 2007 for Nashville -- and has never won a playoff series.

The switch is a gamble that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has to make because Fleury has gone from being a springtime hero to springtime liability in the last few years. He's been unable to cover up the low corners, and he's comically fumbled the puck and had it leak through him. We've seen it before and we're seeing it again. Doubt has crept into his mind and affected his teammates, and you can't win in the playoffs with doubt surrounding your goalie.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Game By Game The Islanders Gain Confidence

by Paul on 05/08/13 at 01:11 PM ET
Comments (0)

from Katie Strang of ESPN,

Even without top-pair defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who was forced from the game with an upper-body injury in the second period, the Islanders seem encouraged by their chances from here on out.

They’ll take momentum into Game 5 and the knowledge that these Penguins are a beatable team.

Although an inexperienced squad, the Islanders have matured, both from earlier this season and maybe even earlier this series, into one capable of managing the momentum swings and surges within a game.

“We put so much effort into getting here, there was no doubt we wanted to make the most of this opportunity," Tavares said. "We weren’t just satisfied being here. We believe in this room, obviously. ... There are a lot of guys stepping up for us here and that’s what we need.”

more

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Video- The Scrum At The End Of The Pens/Islanders Game

by Paul on 05/08/13 at 09:04 AM ET
Comments (25)

Some talk late last night and this morning about this scrum  at the end of the game.  It's playoff hockey, nothing out of the ordinary about this.

Evgeni Malkin and Travis Hamonic did receive 5 for fighting, but I don't see anything that would deserve further discipline, but that is just my opinion.

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: evgeni+malkin, travis+hamonic

Video- A Bad Night For Marc-Andre Fleury

by Paul on 05/07/13 at 10:30 PM ET
Comments (16)

Islanders and Penguins now tied 2-2 in the series.

You have to think Vokoun gets the start in game 5 for the Penguins.(Nabokov wasn't great either, but good in the 3rd when it counted the most.)

Here is goal #6 given up by Fleury tonight.

 

 

And below, watch the 3rd goal given up by Fleury.

He just is off his game and maybe a night off will do him good.

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: marc-andre+fleury

Islanders Like Their Chances

by Paul on 05/07/13 at 03:04 PM ET
Comments (5)

from Katie Strang of ESPN,

Following a Game 1 rout in which the Isles were easily dispatched 5-0, they have rebounded well with a win in Game 2 and a strong performance in Game 3, despite falling in overtime.

But it's not just about their ability to compete with the top-seeded Penguins. The Islanders believe they can pull off the upset.

"We know we can beat them," said second-line center Frans Nielsen. "We want this to go as far as possible. This series, we've felt they have a lot of guys on their team that can't skate with us. So we want this one to go to seven, because we want to get [it] as tough as possible."

Nielsen said speed has been the Islanders' biggest advantage.

"I think when we're moving our feet, they've got guys up front, on the [defense] that we can see are struggling a little bit," he said. "We've gotta skate with 'em. If we stop skating, we don't have a chance.”

more and a look at the Penguins' injuries...

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Video- Discussing The Islanders’ Penalty In OT

by Paul on 05/05/13 at 07:54 PM ET
Comments (11)

from Arthur Staple of Newsday,

Brian Strait took two penalties against Sidney Crosby in Game 3. The first, a hooking call early in the third, was the sort of call a player of Crosby's stature will get -- it wasn't much of a hook, but all eyes are on No. 87.

In overtime, though, Crosby earned the call, getting good position on Strait, driving to the net and forcing Strait to grab Crosby and haul him down. Crosby set up Chris Kunitz for the power-play OT winner barely half a minute later.

"(More frustrated) with myself on that one," Strait said. "I just got a little overaggressive on him. I lost body position along the boards, and you can't lose body position against a guy like that."

Jack Capuano didn't love the fact that the Penguins got the extra call in OT. "There was a hook against (Mark) Streit early, we had a similar play and didn't get a call," he said. "I just hope they're consistent with the calls."

continued and watch Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick discuss the OT penalty on Strait below...

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Video- Penguins Go Up 2-1 In Series With OT Goal By Kunitz

by Paul on 05/05/13 at 03:39 PM ET
Comments (13)

Chris Kunitz with the power play goal in overtime.

 

Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: chris+kunitz

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