Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ five Olympic competitors are looking especially sharp going into the upcoming 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver as each player contributed significantly to the point earned in the team’s game against the Nashville Predators on Sunday afternoon.
After going 1-0-2 in the stretch before the Olympic games, which puts the team only one point behind the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division standings, the players are ready to say goodbye to the Steel City and represent their countries in the two-week tournament.
“I’m excited to get there and to see what it is like,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Sidney Crosby, Team Canada’s alternate captain, notched the first goal of the game and his 42nd of the season at 14:43 of the first period after Team Russia’s Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin got the puck to him at the near circle. The Penguins captain then one-timed the puck past the glove of the Predators Dan Ellis.
With the thought of the Olympics in the back of his mind all season, Crosby said that he has been anticipating his arrival in Vancouver for a long time.
Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
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QUICK ANALYSIS
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| The Penguins gained an advantage on the scoreboard against Nashville but was never able to pull away and bury the Predators. Nashville battled back to force an overtime and shootout session.
The Penguins fell in the shootout – their first loss in a shootout this season – but still earned an important point in the standings. Pittsburgh enters the break with a 36-22-4 record and is only one point behind New Jersey in the Atlantic Division race.
Considering all the injuries the Penguins have endured this season, being one point back behind the Devils and sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference is a healthy position for the team.
The entire NHL will now go into lockdown as the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver takes center stage. After that begins the 20-game sprint to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Those final 20 games will determine how things shake down for the postseason. Pittsburgh is in a solid spot right now but would obviously like climb a little higher by season’s end. |
Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
After the game, players headed to the Olympics in Vancouver were going their separate ways. Crosby, Fleury and Nashville defenseman Shea Weber were scheduled to fly to Columbus to pick up fellow Team Canada members Rick Nash of Columbus and the Chicago contingent of Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, after the Blackhawks’ game against the Blue Jackets. Those seven then were scheduled to fly to Vancouver together.
“One minute we’re playing against each other, and now we’re flying to Vancouver,” Crosby said. “It’s pretty quick. We’ll have to adjust pretty quickly.”
Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and Predators defenseman Ryan Suter, U.S. Olympic teammates, also were flying together to Vancouver, as were Malkin and Penguins teammate Sergei Gonchar, who will represent Russia.
Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
The world — or at least that portion of it waiting impatiently for the Olympic hockey tournament — held its breath Sunday when Penguins center Sidney Crosby was in obvious pain after blocking a close-range slap shot by Nashville’s Kevin Klein.
Crosby limped onto the home bench at Mellon Arena and was doubled over in pain for a short time.
Websites, including some belonging to national media organizations, began displaying posts expressing concerns over Team Canada’s star player.
Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
There are 20 games left in the Penguins’ regular season, and almost that many issues that could trouble them as they enter the Olympic break.
Like how, with three-quarters of their 82-game schedule past, they remain prone to defensive-zone breakdowns, poor decision making and needless penalties.
How their only true winger with more than 13 goals is a 39-year-old, and how another, Ruslan Fedotenko, is now laboring on the No. 4 line only because there isn’t a fifth.
Posted on February 15th, 2010 by DJ
Photos
In their last game before the Olympic break, the Penguins lost to the Nashville Predators, 4-3, in a shootout today at Mellon Arena.
Cal O’Reilly and Martin Erat scored in the shootout for Nashville.
The Penguins got the only goal of the first period at 14:43 during a power play. Sidney Crosby, at the top of the right circle, slammed a one-timer off of a Sergei Gonchar pass into a sliver of open net on the short side.
Evgeni Malkin got the second assist, assuring that he will take a 13-game points streak into the Olympics, where he will represent Russia in Vancouver.
