Bleacher Report - Articles by Sergey Zikov

What I'm Grateful for This Thanksgiving: Pittsburgh Penguins Edition

Sergey Zikov — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:27:25 -0500

As Thursday and Thanksgiving approaches, it's a time to give thanks for the things we have in life—in the work place, at school, at home, and in the world of sports.

Being a Penguin fan since I first set foot in the 'Burgh in 1999, I've seen good times, dreadful times, and then back to the top once more.

From the moment Sidney Crosby was drafted in 2005, Penguin fans have had a lot of reasons to be hopeful for the future. And finally this past June, all of those fantasies became reality.

As you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and watch the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions DVD, here are a few things that I am most thankful for.

I Am Grateful for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Coach Todd Reirden

He might not be a household name by any means, but that doesn't mean his efforts are not appreciated. As the head coach of the Baby Penguins, he has one of the most difficult jobs in professional hockey.

He not only has to help prospects in the organization become better hockey players, but he must help them in a way so that they may succeed at the NHL level. At the same time, he receives phone calls on a weekly basis from Dan Bylsma, saying that the Penguins need another player off his roster.

While the technology for cloning human beings hasn't been perfected, you wouldn't know it. Reirden and Bylsma are carbon copies of each other, at least in terms of a playbook. Reirden has the Baby Penguins playing the very same system as Bylsma's senior Penguins, giving guys like Derek Engelland, Ben Lovejoy, and company the ability to step right in at an NHL-level.

Thank you, Coach Reirden.

I Am Grateful for All-Star Coverage

The Penguins team boasts two all-time greats in the field of media coverage. Of course, that refers to Post-Gazette writer Dave Molinari and radio broadcaster Mike Lange.

Molinari, only recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, has provided Penguin fans with superb analysis for nearly 30 years now. From the best of times to the worst, Molinari has always been there with spot-on writing that keeps the fans in touch with the Penguins, while giving usually terrific opinions as well.

Lange is a one-of-a-kind announcer that most teams in the league would give anything for. By now, Penguin fans can rattle off dozens of his trademarked phrases, ranging from "He beats Kolzig like a rented mule! " to "He's smilin' like a butcher's dog! " His commentary is loved so much that many fans will mute the television so they can listen to Mike Lange on radio.

Thank you, Dave Molinari and Mike Lange.

I Am Grateful for the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, and Detroit Red Wings

Wait. Those are the Penguins' three fiercest rivals today. How does that work?

Without passionate, talented, and hated rivals, what good is the game? Nearly every one of the most memorable games in the last several years, from a Penguins perspective, have come while playing against one of these three teams.

Many fans will say the Capitals-Penguins clash last year was the best playoff series in a decade. While mostly every Penguin has a healthy dislike for the Red Rockers, we must respect them as well because when the two teams meet, there is a unmatched buzz around the arena.

The Philadelphia Flyers are the Penguins' oldest rival, being from just across the state. And now the two teams have met in the playoffs each of the past two years. Would "shh" mean anything to you if it wasn't for the implications and rivalry between the teams?

And to Detroit, the Western opponent that we seem to only see when the stakes are as high as they can be: Best of three this June?

Thank you, arch-rivals.

I Am Grateful for Sidney Crosby's Anticipation

When you think about Captain Crosby, you think of his passing skills, his leadership, his finishing around the net, or his ability to make things happen on the ice. But his anticipation is perhaps most important.

It's the first order of business for a center, but often the most overlooked aspect of the game. Crosby has turned himself from inept in the circle to one of the best faceoff men in the game. He currently leads the NHL by a large margin with 294 faceoffs won. Quite honestly, the man in second place, Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, isn't even a close second.

His ability to win draws on a consistent basis has done wonders for the Penguins. It allows his teammates to keep possession in the offensive zone on a power play, clear the puck on a penalty kill, or allows the running a set play with only a few seconds left on the clock.

While finding a centerman is easy, finding one that can excel in the circle while being a dominant player all over the ice is very rare indeed.

Thank you, Sidney Crosby's anticipation.

I Am Grateful for a Healthy Sergei Gonchar

From an outsider's perspective, Crosby and Malkin are the two diesel engines that make the Penguins go.

This is true. But it could also be said, that if there is one player the Penguins can least afford to lose, it's Sergei Gonchar.

Gonchar is most known for his ability to run the power play. He can shoot the puck with a great deal of velocity from the point, but also do it very accurately at the same time. Aided by his tremendous lateral movement, he can find any opening between the blue line and the cage.

But his position is "defenseman." And from a defensive standpoint, his skills also greatly assist Marc-Andre Fleury in net.

He blocks shots, hits, and has the endurance to play 25-26 minutes a night if needed. You can't even count how many times he has relieved an opposing player of the puck with his fast stick work.

Thank you, Sergei Gonchar.

I Am Grateful for the "Trib Tron"

For those of you who don't know what the "Trib Tron" is, it's a giant screen TV placed on the lawn outside of Mellon Arena for playoff games. The big screen allows thousands of fans who couldn't get tickets to the game the ability to still experience a hockey atmosphere, watching the game around many other fans.

During the Stanley Cup finals, an estimated 12,000 fans showed up with folding chairs, blankets, coolers, and plenty of black and gold attire. All of this just to sit outside the arena and enjoy the game with friends. Well, strangers too.

While watching the TV costs absolutely nothing, it has helped build the Penguins' fan base among young school-age fans who may or may not have a previous hockey background.

Thank you, Penguins' marketing department.

I Am Grateful for Ray Shero's Sixth Sense

Penguins General Manager Ray Shero has a sixth sense. Every year, it never fails. He makes the exact move that the team needs to succeed.

Bringing in Marian Hossa in 2008. Making the coaching change to go with Dan Bylsma over Michel Therrien. Dropping Ryan Whitney. Adding fourth-liners Craig Adams and Mike Rupp.

Thanks to Shero, the Penguins have also done a superior job in the draft. It's not just the first round picks like Crosby, Malkin and Staal. But so many other players in the NHL now and the depth in the AHL are all due to Shero.

A true master at getting the most out of second, third, and fourth round picks, his mission to add depth to the franchise has already put wind to the sails.

He has the Midas Touch.

But when legendary GM Craig Patrick was relieved in 2006 in favor of Shero, fans didn't know exactly what to expect. Now, the motto has become I.R.W.T. (In Ray We Trust). While managing the cap, he has managed to keep the core of the Penguins intact for a long time to come.

Thank you, Ray Shero.

And Most Importantly, I Am Grateful for Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle

When Mario Lemieux walked away from the game of hockey as one of the all-time greatest players in history, he set an incredibly high bar of standardslol—not only for future stars in the Penguins organization, but for himself in any of his post-playing endeavors.

But as gaudy as his numbers were, his accomplishments as the owner of the Penguins might even best them. In the short time since purchasing the team, he has transformed it from one of the worst teams in sports to a contender for the present and future.

When Penguin fans show up at the Igloo, they now can look across the street at the new home in 2010, the Consol Energy Center. If it wasn't for Mario, that property would not be under construction. And if the new Hill District palace wasn't to be, the Penguins would now be winning championships as the Kansas City Scouts. But you didn't need me to tell you that.

Words don't do what Lemieux and Burkle have done for this franchise justice.

Thank you very much, Mario and Ron.

Is Mike Rupp the Missing Piece on the Pittsburgh Penguins' Power Play?

Sergey Zikov — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:40:26 -0500

"...Gonchar lugs the puck out of the Penguins' end, tries to run the gauntlet through center ice. He dumps the puck in around the wall for Sidney Crosby, Crosby to Malkin. Malkin works his way up the half wall, back to Gonchar. Sergei Gonchar steps in, fires wide.

"Crosby gathers the rebound behind the cage, under pressure and he's hit hard from behind, but makes the play to Billy Guerin. Guerin, wheels to the outside and back up to Eaton. Eaton to Gonchar, back to Eaton, they play catch at the blue line. Oh, and he's stripped of the puck and the Penguins have to retreat.

"Gonchar back to retrieve the puck from Fleury, passes up to Malkin. Malkin dances through a pair of defenders, passes to Crosby in the corner. Crosby, back to Malkin. Malkin fires! Rebound, oh and nobody's there to put it home, and the penalty expires..."

While the previous call is fictitious in nature, Penguin fans can hear Paul Steigerwald making the very calls all too well.

If you haven't guessed already, it depicts a standard Penguin power play, a man advantage that has nearly become a man-disadvantage.

Earlier in the season, the Penguins went eight straight games without a power play goal (0-for-29 in that time, just for the record) and quite often handed opponents momentum after a failed five-on-four.

However, since power play quarterback Sergei Gonchar has returned to the lineup, the unit has improved dramatically and the results on the scoreboard have shown it.

Just kidding.

Even with Gonchar back in the lineup, the Penguins' power play has looked fantastic on paper without producing a whole lot on the ice. Imagine a baseball player coming to bat with a croquet mallet or someone trying to bowl with a tennis ball. The swing or stroke might look phenomenal, but the results would be horrific.

Why? Because something isn't right with that picture.

The same is true with the Penguin man advantage. While the unit does boast Gonchar and the two superstars in Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, they are firing blanks because there is a missing piece.

That's Mike Rupp.

When General Manager Ray Shero acquired Rupp from the New Jersey Devils during the off-season, most fans believed they added a tough, gritty, defensive forward that could fit right in on a fourth line.

Rupp has certainly lived up to all of those expectations, as he boasts four fighting majors and places fourth on the team in hits.

But he also has proved to be much more than just a fourth liner in Dan Bylsma's up-tempo forechecking game.

He's already tallied five goals on the season in 23 games, one short of his career high. It's a pretty safe bet to say that he'll not only pass his best mark of six, but eradicate that figure as well.

As you would imagine for a man with his gargantuan size (6-feet-5, 235 pounds), all of those goals have come within five feet of the cage. After all, isn't the objective always to "get to the net"?

Almost as a joke, Bylsma inserted fellow enforcer Eric Godard on the second power play unit in a 6-1 washout victory over the Montreal Canadiens. It was all fun and games, except for one small thing - it actually made sense.

With Godard in front of the cage, the second power play looked more dangerous in a minute of ice time than it had at any previous point in the season.

Although they did not produce a goal, Godard had a great chance off a juicy rebound and you'd almost have to believe that if a guy with a better goal-scoring pedigree was in his place, that puck would be having a tea party in the back of the net.

Cough. Cough.

I don't want to mention any names, but give me Mike Rupp for $500, please.

Just going back to last night's win over the Florida Panthers, the Penguins tied the game late. Why? Because Rupp pitched a tent, rolled out the sleeping bags and started up the grill in front of Panthers' netminder Tomas Vokoun.

His presence in front of the net allowed Malkin the time and space to make a play behind the net that eventually led to the goal.

Let me rip a page from the Detroit Red Wings' playbook for a second. For the past several years, Detroit's power play with Tomas Holmstrom wreaking havoc in front of the cage has been one of the best in the NHL, with an impossible 25.5 percent efficiency mark last season.

What does it do, apart from driving defensemen out of their minds? It draws their attention away from the more skilled players, examples Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

With more time and space, they can move around without being harassed constantly. Meanwhile, Holmstrom provides a screen, deflection, or rebound vacuum in front of the net.

But make no mistake. Mike Rupp is not Holmstrom. He doesn't need to be.

With Rupp's size and goal scoring ability from close range (yes, I never thought I'd be making that statement, either), he would be able to draw at least one defender to him at all times, allowing the Penguins to get away from the dreaded box penalty killing formation that they see so often.

He is certainly not half the shooter that Bill Guerin is, nor does he have the energy of Chris Kunitz. But his ability to draw defenders away from Crosby and Malkin just by sitting in front of the net might be a priceless asset to the first power play unit.

Will it work? Who knows for sure.

But one thing is for sure. We'll never know if Bylsma doesn't try it. How much worse can a powerplay operating at 14 percent get anyway?

Maybe FSN color commentator Bob Errey can help with some insight on Rupp's skill - "Those aren't the hands of a fourth-liner, those are the hands of a 50-goal scorer!"

Sounds good to me; let's give it a shot.

Rubin Kazan Win Second Straight Russian Title, Zenit Cling to Third

Sergey Zikov — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:08:24 -0500

Exactly 25 years ago to the date, Zenit St. Petersburg claimed the club's first ever Soviet First Division crown.

But on the anniversary of that historical date, Zenit once again was able to witness a trophy presentation. Except it wasn't captain Aleksandr Anyukov lifting the Holy Grail of Russian football, it was their worthy opponents in Rubin Kazan.

In late July, the two sides played to a wildly entertaining 0-0 draw at the Petrovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg. Zenit, who saw Georgian defender Dato Kvirkvelia take two consecutive yellow cards in a matter of five minutes, pushed for the winning goal nearly the entire second half.

Then-manager Dick Advocaat threw everything forward, but his men were unable to find the golden touch.

But the new-look Zenit, now led by former defensive midfielder Anatoliy Davydov, found themselves out of title contention after a draw with cellar dwellers Spartak Nalchik and a loss in the snow to FC Moscow. Although they were not able to win the Russian title, a spot in the Champions League was still up for the taking.

For the second meeting, neither team was at full strength.

Zenit was missing half of the back line, with Dong-jin Kim unavailable and Fernando Meira still making a recovery. Rubin would not have the services of Argentinian striker Alejandro Dominguez, who was restrained from the pitch due to his contract.

Although the first half of play was a bit sloppy at times, the play and tempers picked up just before halftime. Zenit keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev came out of his cage to win a ball away from Rubin leading scorer Alexander Bukharov, but in doing so, also caught him in the neck with a spike. Appropriately awarded a yellow, but the two sides swapped words in the process.

It all exploded just before the whistle.

Zenit striker Fatih Tekke thought he won a ball from Rubin captain Sergei Semak, but Semak didn't see it the same way. And when Tekke held the ball away from him, the pushing and shoving started.

All 22 players converged outside the Rubin box for an exchange of pleasantries. When the dust settled, Tekke as well as Anyukov and Kazan center-back Roman Sharonov were awarded cards.

In the second half, Kurban Berdiyev came out with a different, but intelligent plan. Knowing well that four different Zenit players were carrying the baggage of a card, his marching orders were quite simple—drive right at Zenit defenders.

With the addition of Petr Bystrov (no relation to the speedy Zenit winger), Rubin began putting on a demonstration of how to win free kicks but make a mess of their execution.

In a matter of 10 minutes to follow the restart, Berdiyev's men earned five free kicks from just outside the box. But each time, they were unable to challenge Malafeev despite having a shot from a very promising position.

Rubin was carrying the vast majority of the play, with 65 percent of possession time. But Zenit was still finding ways to navigate through their normally stout defense. The only thing that was missing was a finish.

Davydov made a very puzzling substitution as Rubin began turning up the pressure. He chose to remove striker Mateja Kezman, who was having a quietly solid match, in favor of Igor Semshov .

It has nothing to do with Semshov. He has proved to be a far better option when coming off the bench as a substitute. But why not take off the already carded and completely ineffective Tekke? Nearly every time he had touched the ball, it resulted in a Kazan defender swiping the ball from him.

As the match pushed on, Rubin was begging for a goal. After a rather reckless challenge by Konstantin Zyryanov, Rubin had more corner kicks. Except every time Christian Ansaldi attempted his corner, the ball never failed to find Zyryanov. Three consecutive times, Zyryanov simply just dumped the ball away without Rubin even having a play on it.

After a now-patented 90th-minute substitution by Davydov, the celebration was on in Kazan even though the game ended scoreless.

A few minutes earlier, news had reached the Central Stadium that CSKA Moscow defeated in-city archrival Spartak. CSKA striker Tomas Necid gunned the Army Men through 3-2, officially ended Spartak's dream of capturing the title.

For Rubin Kazan, the title is their second in seven years of competing in the Russian Premier League.

For Zenit, the Blue-White-Sky Blues sit on 51 points and in 3rd place, thanks to goal differential over Lokomotiv Moscow. But in order to qualify for the Champions League, the schedule does them absolutely no favors. With one matchday left, they must host the league runner-up Spartak in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, Lokomotiv heads to Khimki, a relegation side that has lost 14 straight matches and hasn't earned a point since July.

But if there is any comforting factor, is that Khimki earned a rare draw at Lokomotiv Stadium on the first matchday of the season, a venue where the Engine has been nearly unstoppable.

Is Dan Bylsma Looking for Reasons to Keep Pittsburgh Penguins Out of the Lineup?

Sergey Zikov — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:18:51 -0500

A few hours before Saturday night's game with the Boston Bruins, Dan Bylsma and the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that top-line left wing Chris Kunitz would miss two weeks with an always ridiculously specific "lower body injury."

Bylsma calmly explained to the media, "Chris [Kunitz] has been dealing with a lower-body injury for a while now. At this point in time, we're going to take two weeks off for a rest period to try and get him healthy."

This was hardly anything unforeseen, as Kunitz had received one of Bylsma's trademarked "maintenance days", where he was excluded from the team's morning practice.

This is also not the first time that the Penguins have announced that a player would be missing two weeks for a rest period. In fact, Bylsma could probably record his press conference and then each following day, simply press the rewind button and play it back for reporters. The only difference of course, would be changing the player name.

It started two weeks ago when superstar center Evgeni Malkin was given a two-to-three week mandatory rest period to heal his shoulder.

After an average game by No. 71's standards, the Penguin staff made the choice that nobody wanted to make. Sitting Malkin, especially against his will, it was the right decision to painlessly end his streak of 254 games played.

It was only the beginning.

Following Malkin, down went Tyler Kennedy (groin, indefinite), Kris Letang (shoulder, two weeks), Brooks Orpik (lower body, two weeks), and Kunitz (lower body, two weeks). A parade by any definition, except for the fact that nobody was cheering, throwing candy or playing music.

But the question must be asked: Is Dan Bylsma looking for reasons to keep players out of the lineup?

Disco Dan is no idiot. He knows full well that a number of his core players have logged over 200 games in the past two seasons and have enjoyed the benefits of nearly no summer offseason. He knows full well that a number of his core players will be leaving the team in February to play Olympic hockey in addition to the regular 82-game NHL season.

Would the Penguins honestly be able to play Bylsma's highly aggressive offensive style for another 82 games, and more assuming they qualify for the playoffs, without wearing down by April-May?

In the final three rounds of the playoffs last season, the Penguins saw first-hand what can happen.

While mandatory rest for numerous key Penguins is a great thing for the future, the Penguins B team has been anything other than stellar. They lost four straight before a thrilling comeback win over Boston, but are 0-for-28 on the powerplay in the last eight games. The defense, down half of it's six opening night starters, has been porous at best having allowed five or more goals on three seperate occasions.

Only the individual players know how they feel, but would a similar condition keep them out of a playoff game? We'll never know for sure, however it would seem unlikely.

There's no question that with the current ailments, Bylsma is more than willing to take absolutely no chances with players playing at less than 100 percent. Even an otherwise minor bruise, as sustained by Malkin, is a warrant for two weeks on the shelf for recovery time.

But they are injuries nonetheless. Which if it was not true, why would Bylsma sit so many of his players at the same time, instead of trying to spread out their mandatory rest?

At this point, it seems like no Penguin player will be on the ice for all 82 games and everybody is entitled to their "Weekend Pass" of a sense.

Plus, it's never a bad thing to get some Baby Penguins in the lineup, like Chris Conner , Ben Lovejoy, or newly-promoted Mark Letestu . It's not what the crowd who spent good money necessarily wants to see, but the knowledgeable fans should be easy to accept that the former fourth-liner Bylsma wants the best for his players.

This just in.

Alex Goligoski is next.

"He's been banged up. It was a maintenance day. Monday, we'll take a look at him again." Bylsma said of his only offensive defenseman not already on the injury report. There is a good chance that Goligoski does not suit up against Anaheim, and it's almost too predictable what might come next.

Yep. Two weeks of mandatory rest with a lower body injury.

Oguchi Onyewu Should Seriously Consider a Loan To Rubin Kazan

Sergey Zikov — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:31 -0500

There are certain things in the world that are just meant to be together. Shoes and socks. Milk and cereal. Pencil and paper. You get the idea.

Add U.S. international defender Oguchi Onyewu and Rubin Kazan to that list.

In early July, Italian giants AC Milan made a move and signed the towering center-back from Standard Liege. Although he was expected to move on from the Belgian champions after a world-class Confederations Cup, the final destination was unknown. But in need of some depth on the back line, Milan made it's move.

Onyewu has since made two appearances with Milan. First, during their American preseason friendlies as a substitute, then in the Champions League against Zurich.

But he has yet to make his Serie A debut, mostly thanks to a patellar tendon rupture suffered during national team service. But even in the two matches he came on in favor of Alessandro Nesta, his style of play did not seem to suit the Italians.

This isn't necessarily his fault.

Sure, you can always point to lack of chemistry with a new team. But more importantly, Onyewu is a stay-at-home defender who is much more comfortable playing in his own box, clearing away crosses and corners.

In contrast, AC Milan is a club that wants to control ball possession in the offensive zone and play as little football inside their own half as possible.

While Onyewu has shown throughout his career that he can be a threat inside the box on corners with his head, that is not where the strengths of his game lie.

However, it hardly matters. His injury will keep him off the field at least until January or February. But during the winter transfer period, if he wants the best for his career, he should seek a loan to Russian champions Rubin Kazan.

Yes, the same team that defeated mighty Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Yes, the same team that then proceeded to record a clean sheet at Kazan's Central Stadium against the Barcelona squad that averaged 2.8 goals a match in La Liga a season ago.

And yes, the same team that has now won two straight Russian Premier League titles.

"Gooch" and Rubin Kazan are a match made in heaven.

For many clubs in Europe, the focal point of the team is up front with the strikers. Or perhaps in the attacking midfield. That's not how Rubin manager Gurban Berdyev wants it to be done. With Rubin, the focus is always on their powerful center-backs.

Their pairing of Spanish back Cesar Navas (6-foot-5) and Roman Sharonov (6-foot-1) has been phenomenal in European play. But their Achilles heel is lack of depth. Plus, Sharonov will be turning 34 next season.

In Rubin's defend first, then counterattack system, Onyewu could thrive. And thrive at a Champions League level of play.

Worried about his playing time in Russia? Don't be. Berdyev has 26 men on his current roster and every one has seen the field in certain situations. Worried about the language barrier? Navas speaks English as well as anyone I know.

As for comparing Rubin with the U.S. national team, they are carbon copies of one another. Both teams feature a fleet-footed striker who is prolific at the fast break. Both teams feature a rugged midfield. And most importantly, they rely on their center-backs to clean up the box infront of the keeper and are perfectly comfortable letting teams come to them.

Practice makes perfect right?

What better way than to consistently play in the same system as your national team? While the words "AC Milan" might look a lot better on a resume and Onyewu is certainly a player that has the talent to play there, but Milan is not the best fit.

Go east and prosper, my friend!

Pittsburgh Penguins' Recent Cold Streak a Necessary Part of Growth

Sergey Zikov — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:45:44 -0500

When the Pittsburgh Penguins started the season tying the best October record by a defending Stanley Cup champion, they exceeded everyone's expectations. Nobody thought the team would shoot out of the gate looking like a juggernaut that just cleaned the deck with opposing teams.

But they did. And they were winning without playoff hero Max Talbot .

It was all too good to be true in the Steel City. Penguin players were even forced to answer questions like, "Do you ever get tired of winning so much? "

While every answer was nearly the same for everyone, it was a question that nobody minded fielding.

But now, that tune has changed considerably. Dan Bylsma's Penguins have lost 60 man games from many important players on the team and can't find any way to win. With half the Opening Night defense on the Injured Reserve as well as the NHL's leading scorer from a year ago, the once mighty Penguins had their claws removed.

Bylsma has been forced to put many players in roles that they normally would never play regularly. Alex Goligoski has seen over 25 minutes of ice time nearly every night. Chris Bourque has seen time on the first and second lines, while only a month ago he was waived by the Washington Capitals.

Seeing the opposing team celebrate goals in front of them has been a common occurance.

That is a very good thing.

While many fans are leaving Mellon Arena unhappy with the current product on ice, there is a reason to smile even still. And it doesn't have anything to do with the impending return of one No. 71.

Although the Penguins will most likely welcome Evgeni Malkin back to the lineup on Saturday against Boston, all of the losing is slowly putting the drive and desire back into the time on ice.

It almost became a given that the Penguins would be able to outwork opponents and force the play to the offensive zone on sheer skill alone. They were used to taking a multiple goal lead into the third period and have the ability to lay off a bit. They were hardly lazy, but not facing any adversity is never a good thing.

On their recent West Coast trip, they were outmuscled, outworked, and outclassed by Los Angeles and San Jose. Three words that haven't applied to the Penguins in a very long time.

But against the New Jersey Devils, things were different.

While the Penguins did not win and again couldn't capitalize on the powerplay, the effort to begin the game looked exactly like the same Penguin team that had a fire under them all playoffs. The new guys want to be out there more. Players who have seen an increased role are learning what they need to do to be effective.

They are aware that nothing comes easy any more. They are aware that no inch of ice comes for free. Everything needs to be won, because no team they play will come in with a poor effort against the defending champions.

Injuries are obviously going to give minor league players a chance at the NHL level. Getting experience for them in November is invaluable. Better now than putting a guy on the ice for the first time in the first round of the playoffs, needing to fill in for a key player. If there is ever a so-called good time to sustain injuries, it's early in the year because it helps get everyone involved.

The drive to win has been restored in Sidney Crosby , as he was easily the most dominant player on the ice once again. His teammates feel the energy. And the injured players who are out, can not wait to get back on the ice to help the team.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel and the Penguins will look to shoot into the daylight once more when they start to get healthy.

KHL Power Groupings: Salavat Yulaev Ufa Is Unstoppable

Sergey Zikov — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:12:50 -0500

After a short break for the annual Karjala Cup in Finland, the KHL has resumed play. After 20 games of a season, a better picture of who the top teams will be comes into clearer focus. So let's check out the rankings.

(All records are as of 11/12/2009)

The Elite

Salavat Yulaev Ufa (16-3-3, first-Chernyshev)

Last Five: 5-0-0

Salavat Yulaev is absolutely on fire under Russian national coach Vyacheslav Bykov and have been scoring goals at will. They are the definition of an offensive juggernaut. In their last five outings, they have registed victories of 6-0, 6-1, and 7-1, with two of those coming away from home.

They fitting lead the league by a mile in goals scored with 86, but maybe more impressively, every player on the roster has a positive plus/minus. Alexander Radulov leads the pack with 11 goals, 26 points and has a plus-13 in 20 games.

Metallurg Magnitogorsk (18-3-0, first-Kharlamov)

Last Five: 5-0-0

As nearly complete opposites as their foes from Ufa, Magnitogorsk wins with superb goaltending and defense, quite a difficult feat in an very offensive-oriented league. But they only allow 1.71 goals per game and have four shutouts already, thanks to the stellar play of 22-year-old netminder Ilya Proskuryakov.

They will be happy to lull a team to sleep, but don't be fooled. They can play offense too. With the brothers Fedorov and a motivated Stanislav Chistov, the Steelers' depth is unmatched anywhere. Every skater has registered at least a point.

The Very Good, But Have Some Work to Do

SKA St. Petersburg (16-5-2, first-Bobrov)

Last Five: 3-1-1

Barry Smith's squad has shown flashes of true brilliance, but haven't been able to continually play at a very high level. After failing a test against Salavat Yulaev, they lost a pair of very winnable games, including a dismal 4-1 defeat to Dinamo Riga.

But with a host of NHL veterans, including Sergei Zubov, Sergei Brylin, Alexei Yashin, and Petr Cajanek, this team has all the talent of an elite team.

Goalie Robert Esche has been nothing short of impressive as well and has dreams of receiving an invite to the U.S. Olympic Team.

The Plucky Combatants

Avangard Omsk (12-5-4, second-Chernyshev)

Last Five: 2-1-2

The Vanguard have been living and dying by the shootout in their recent games, as they can't seem to be able to close games out in regulation time. Jaromir Jagr has been scoring, but a true secondary option hasn't stepped up to relieve the Czech veteran. They have looked like a great team with Anton Babchuk patrolling the back line, except he has missed a few games along the line.

Former Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Kari Ramo has done a fine job, but has been feeling the heat recently from upstart 27-year-old Evgeny Tsaregorodtsev.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (13-6-3, first-Tarasov)

Last Five: 4-0-1

Yaroslavl established themselves early that they were a team that can score with anyone in the league, and they don't care how many they allow. This team is never out of a game. Fueled by Sergei Konkov, who just can't stop scoring with three multi-goal games all coming away from home, the Lokomotive just keeps rolling.

Their only blemish in the last five was an overtime loss at Magnitogorsk.

Dinamo Moscow (12-7-2, second-Bobrov)

Last Five: 4-1-0

A beneficiary of a friendly home stand, Dinamo won four straight games at the Minor Arena. Although it finished with a sour 5-1 defeat to Dynamo Minsk, they did pick up points against SKA and Metallurg.

Mattias Weinhandl has 13 goals to pace a hard-working team. But they just don't appear to have the weapons to keep pace with SKA in the division.

The Talented But in Need of Help

Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (12-8-2, second-Kharlamov)

Last Five: 3-2-0

The Petrochemists from Tartarstan have been a true revelation. But they need some help. They have been involved in a number of wild shootouts recently, as nearly every other game they are allowing or scoring six goals.

Their main problem isn't getting points from weaker opponents. It's their inability to do much against the league's best that holds them back.

Barys Astana (11-6-5, third-Chernyshev)

Last Five: 3-1-1

They've abused some lower level teams and not had so much fun against upper-level competition. But the Kazakhs, only in their second season playing in Russia, find themselves competing in possibly the most offensive-minded division in hockey. Coming up next for Andrey Shayanov's men is Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Can Dan Bylsma and the Pittsburgh Penguins Slow the Snowball Effect?

Sergey Zikov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:09:39 -0500

Two weeks ago, the Penguins were sitting at the top of the NHL and looked next to unbeatable, with four lines performing at a very high level. The 5-1 hammering of St. Louis was one of the most dominant three periods of hockey you'll see, outshooting the Blues 20-3 in the first and 43-23 in the game.

That now seems like a very long time ago.

The following afternoon, Head Coach Dan Bylsma revealed that powerplay quarterback Sergei Gonchar would once again be heading to the injury report, and he would miss four to six weeks. At that moment, the Penguin faithful held their breath, but felt like the defensive corps had enough depth now to overcome an injury.

Bylsma's Penguins then defeated Florida in a shootout without Gonchar, and all was "OK" for the time being.

Then, the New Jersey Devils came in and set the trap, which the Penguins fell face-first into. Being suffocated out in your own building is never a pleasant feeling, but the loss was the least of their concerns. High-energy and second leading scorer Tyler Kennedy was added to the shelf with an undisclosed groin injury.

To date, the young winger and an ideal compliment on the best third line in the NHL, had been playing excellent hockey, despite flying under the radar. But once again, the Penguins felt they could get by, as the Wilkes-Barre Baby Penguins have plenty of skilled forwards to choose from.

As if it was supposed to happen, yet another Penguin was cut down by the injury bug. Conn Smythe winner Evgeni Malkin , who just doesn't miss games, had a shoulder injury that would keep out the leading point-getter from a season ago for a few weeks.

But nobody saw that coming, right?

It's the snowball effect in it's finest example. In a ruthless display of checks-and-balances, when a force becomes too powerful, an impending disaster is waiting to hamper it. And just as the Penguins were hitting full stride against St. Louis, the injury bug invaded the Mellon Arena, much like the Visigoths brought down the mighty Roman Empire.

All of a sudden, the Penguins went from four productive lines to one. Sidney Crosby 's unit has remained intact, but every other line is a mix-and-match pairing of guys who have barely played together.

As it proves, the Kings and Sharks wasted no time in dumping a bucket of ice water on Disco Dan, waking him from an eight-month dream that has been his NHL coaching career to date.

Dan Bylsma is looking his toughest test of his career right in the face as more minor-league players continue to invade the Penguins' starting roster. Before the game in San Jose, Bylsma had never lost two straight games in regulation. That changed in a hurry. His powerplay streak has hit 0-for-21 in the last five games and even Marc-Andre Fleury had to be pulled for the first time all season.

While some Penguins refuse to blame injuries, there is no way to not look at it. If a fire destroyed half of your house, would it be appropriate to say that the fire wasn't a reason why some of your possessions are now in ashes?

The magic number is now five. Five. Pyat. Cinq. However you say it, five key components of the Stanley Cup run last year that are out of the lineup. But what can Bylsma do to slow down the avalanche of injuries, a list that seems to grow with each game?

At the moment, he plays a lineup with a few offensive playmakers and a truck load of role players. Essentially, the Penguins have morphed into the Florida Panthers, or for lack of a better comparison, a team that you can count on one hand the number of goal-scorers they have.

There might not be any indication of this greater than the shot chart. The Penguins have been outshot in each of their last three games, a dismal reality for a team that prides itself on getting to the offensive zone and creating a forecheck. Even when they are getting shots, very few are from a genuine scoring area and the opportunities in front of the net have been scattered around like toys from a toddler's play set.

It's understandable that you can't replace Malkin or Kennedy overnight. You just can't.

But it's fair to say that Chris Bourque and Chris Conner are not goal scorers. Not even guys who can set up goals. They are nice role players and good complimentary energy guys, but not the kind of players that can score. As part of those two receiving time, the Penguins have gone from undersized to dangerously small.

Two defensemen under 5'10", a handful of players under 6'0", and now two replacements that are a similar size as a student rusher at the Mellon Arena.

There's a time and a place for role players. But at the moment, Bylsma needs the best offensive players in WBS, because teams won't give an ounce of respect to the goal scoring abilities of Conner, Bourque, or now the slap shot of Derek Engelland .

The team was physically dominated against the Kings and once again against the Sharks. Something has to give.

Luckily for the Penguins, Dan Bylsma has an extra day to figure some things out before Tuesday night in Boston. Malkin could be back in the lineup, but nobody can count on that happening. And getting embarrassed again for five goals can not be a continuing trend, not even this early in the season.

Russian Premier League Matchday 28 Preview

Sergey Zikov — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:40:52 -0500

There might only be three matchdays left in the 2009 Russian Premier League season, but absolutely nothing is decided and many prolific showdowns still dot the schedule.

Only two things are certain—Rubin Kazan have clinched a Champions League berth in 2010 for the second consecutive year, and FC Khimki have been relegated to the First Division after only stockpiling 10 points in 27 matches.

So let's take a look and what could be decided this weekend in Russia.

Match of the Week

Rubin Kazan (17-5-5, 1st) at CSKA Moscow (13-5-9, 5th)

Russia's two Champions League participants are set to clash for an afternoon session at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. But for the amount of success Rubin has enjoyed recently, they have not defeated CSKA since April 29, 2006.

That was then, and this is now. And at the moment, both teams are playing the best football of the year. Both clubs are coming off heart-pumping draws with Manchester United and Barcelona, the two Champions League finalists from a season ago.

This matchup will be decided in the midfield. Both teams play solid defensively. But can Rubin's midfield corps provide adequate service in for the two 15-goal strikers, Alejandro Dominguez and Aleksandr Bukharov?

On the other hand, CSKA's midfield duo of Milos Krasic and Alan Dzagoev will be needed if the Army Men want to make anything happen going forward, as their striker carousel just continues to go round and round. Tomas Necid has seen the starts in Champions League play, but Necid and two Brazilians—Carvalho and Guilherme—have seen considerable time up front.

The X-factor might just be Rubin's prowess away from home. So far this season, they have only fallen once in league play away from home.

Prediction: CSKA Moscow 1-1 Rubin Kazan

Featured Matches

Spartak Moscow (17-4-6, 2nd) at Krylia Sovetov Samara (9-6-12, 10th)

On paper, Krylia Sovetov doesn't have a prayer at staying with Spartak's high-powered offense. But however, Samara has a history of being able to hang around and keep Valeri Karpin's side in check. When the two sides met up at Luzhniki in late July, Samara actually scored first and left the capital with a 1-1 draw.

But for Spartak, the youth movement is in full swing and the kids are scoring at will. Receiving starting roles have been Pavel Yakovlev (18), Sergei Parshivlyuk (20), Zhano Ananidze (17), Rafael Carioca (20), and Yevgeny Makeev (20). Among all the young talent in Spartak's line, Welliton is well on his way to becoming the second Brazilian-born striker in a row to lead the league in scoring.

He currently has 20 goals and Oleg Veretennikov's modern day league scoring record of 25 goals in sight. With three matches left, it is certainly a possibility at the pace he can fill the net.

Even with new players, the drive to win is always present, as they have been chasing Rubin Kazan for over half the season, coming incredibly close from time to time but the lead has eluded them every one. Now that the difference is down to one point, the "Meat" can almost taste the lead.

Prediction: Krylia Sovetov Samara 0-3 Spartak Moscow

Terek Grozny (9-7-11, 9th) at Zenit St. Petersburg (13-8-6, 3rd)

Zenit's title dreams were effectively demolished in the snow last weekend against FC Moscow, but a Champions League berth in 2010 is still within their grasp. Anatoliy Davydov suffered his first domestic loss of the season and with a depleted lineup due to injuries and Zenit is walking a tightrope over the River Neva.

On the other side, Terek has been in shambles. They have not scored in 220 minutes of play and lost their manager Vyacheslav Hrozny when he resigned on October 20. Their lone victory in October came against relegation side Khimki at the beginning of the month.

Zenit should receive a boost as center-back Fernando Meira returns to the lineup. But the team will need to exorsize some demons, as their visit to Chechnya earlier in the season was a scene right out of a nightmare. Terek scored the go-ahead goal in the 89th minute and then Konstantin Zyryanov was denied a penalty on a Terek handball inside the box in stoppage time.

Only this time, Zenit will have the advantage of Mateja Kezman, who has improved dramatically with every additional match.

Prediction: Zenit St. Petersburg 3-1 Terek Grozny

The Others

FC Moscow (13-8-6, 4th) at Kuban Krasnodar (5-9-13, 15th)

FC Moscow is the club that nobody wants to see. They are Russia's pests, sitting in a position to qualify for the Champions League. With a well-organized defense and a counterattack that isn't effective until it's least expected, the Citizens just keep finding ways to win.

Earlier in the season, they obliterated newly-promoted Kuban. But now Kuban, Russia's most athletic team, can't keep balls out of their own net as they've been involved in a number of high-scoring affairs recently.

Prediction: Kuban Krasnodar 2-4 FC Moscow

Amkar Perm (7-8-12, 14th) at Lokomotiv Moscow (12-9-6, 5th)

Last year's surprise team, Amkar Perm, has hardly enjoyed the same success as a season ago when they qualified for the Europa League. They currently sit just a few points above the drop zone and must get a result to stay clear. Oddly enough, their finest performance of the year (a 1-0 home victory over Fulham) meant absolutely nothing.

Opposing their progress is the Lokomotiv, who is nearly unstoppable at their home yard. They haven't lost all season and have scored nearly three quarters of their goals in the comforts of Lokomotiv Stadium.

Prediction: Lokomotiv Moscow 1-1 Amkar Perm

Saturn Moscow (11-6-10, 7th) at FK Rostov (7-10-10, 12th)

The Aliens have silently put together a very solid season and have an honest chance at a Europa League spot if they can bank a couple victories before the season ends. While Saturn haven't had a whole lot of success against upper-level clubs, they have looked like an offensive juggernaut against lower ones.

They hammered four past Rostov earlier, but the plucky Yellows has slain a few giants this year. But they are in a world of misery after suffering enormous defeats at the hands of Rubin and Spartak.

Prediction: Rostov 1-3 Saturn Moscow

Can Anatoliy Davydov Lead Zenit St. Petersburg To The Promised Land?

Sergey Zikov — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:05:14 -0500

Taking over as a manager halfway through a season is never an easy task. Taking over as a manager halfway through a season and replacing the most successful coach in club history makes for an incredibly challenging job.

But Anatoliy Davydov, the most capped player in Zenit history, received that call after UEFA Cup-winning manager Dick Advocaat was removed due to a string of horrific performances by the club.

When he took over on August 10, he was in a tricky spot.

In 10 days, his club would travel to Portugal for the first of a home-and-home playoff in the new Europa League.

Except things did not go as planned and Zenit crashed out with a 1-1 draw at the Petrovsky Stadium, having a place in the group stage stolen away by a final minute equalizer that stunned the crowd.

Questions of Davydov's effectiveness already started to surface and management brought in two Italian specialists for interviews, Roberto Mancini and Luciano Spalletti as potential replacements. But no agreement was found with either man, and Davydov remained at the helm.

Almost unfairly doubted, Davydov kept his nerves and silently continued a fine display of coaching as he led the team to six straight wins after falling out of the Europa League.

Part of that streak included a 2-0 victory over Champions League rival CSKA Moscow, a victory that propelled Zenit into a spot in Europe's premier football exhibition themselves.

However, Davydov has faced a new challenge as injuries continue to mount.

Center-back Fernando Meira, Left-back Dong-jin Kim, play-maker Alessandro Rosina, and valuable substitute Szabolcs Huszti have all suffered some sort of injury, shortening Zenit's bench considerably and forcing normal bench players into unexpected full-time action.

And, it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Just as the team was putting serious heat on the top two, Spartak Moscow and Rubin Kazan, the injury bug struck and snuffed out any realistic chance of a domestic championship.

Davydov's streak was also broken, as the team fell in the snow to FC Moscow, the first league match that he failed to earn at least a point. With four new starters and a weak bench, Davydov ran out of viable options.

Now, with three matches left in the season, can Davydov finish the job and guide Zenit back to the Champions League?

His road is not an easy one.

After hosting Terek Grozny, the team faces the leagues 1-2 punch, travelling to Rubin Kazan and then finishing the season with arch-rival Spartak Moscow. It's an ending that could be all-or-nothing for Zenit, as anything less than three points can be considered a defeat.

But to date, Davydov continues to mix with his formations and players. Every week, he trots out a new lineup and alters his tactics ever so slightly.

In his first couple matches as a manager, he wanted to encourage youth. Young U-21 striker Pavel Ignatovich received his first senior team appearance under Davydov, in the Europa League as well. The call-up was well deserved, as the 20-year-old has celebrated 17 goals in 23 starts for Zenit's second team. Although he technically did not score, he did put the ball in the net, only for it to be questionably flagged for offsides.

But no sooner did he get youngsters Aleksei Ionov and Russia U-19 star Maksim Kannunikov into action, he changed his mind again and forgot about the youth movement. It's all about the veterans and only veterans now.

He has experimented in formations from a 4-6-0 to a 3-4-3 and everything in between. He's been predictably unpredictable and cemented his status as a man that isn't a fan of a consistent strategy. If no strategy is a good one, Davydov has directed organized chaos because quite simply, nobody has a clue what strategy he'll call on next.

With all the mixing and matching of players and tactics, there has been one that suits Davydov's liking from the beginning. Zenit's primary focus must be on team defense, which is nothing truly surprising coming from a man who played 26 years of professional football as a defensive midfielder.

Make no mistakes, Davydov is a class act, always well-versed in speech and has an undeniable wealth of knowledge. Just maybe he was better suited to manage the reserves, a task he had done superbly well in the past several years.

But results were coming. With a full compliment of defenders, Zenit posted a streak of four consecutive shutouts and allowed one goal or less in eight straight matches.

However, his true test as a manager, is not how badly he can thrash relegation side Khimki or Kuban Krasnodar.

Zenit needs three points against the two best teams in the league.

While a Europa League berth is well in hand, the supporters and players expect more. With the recent Champions League triumphs of Rubin and CSKA, two clubs that Zenit has had modest success against, the confidence factor is not a major problem.

"We need to win three games, very difficult matches. But difficult, not impossible. If Spartak wins the Championship at Petrovsky, this would be a disaster." said Belgian center-back Nicolas Lombaerts.

Lombaerts should get a boost this weekend if fellow center-back Meira is ready to play once more after injury, as the two defended extraordinarily well as a tandem under Davydov, playing a major role in the shutout streak.

But, before Zenit can think about dethroning Rubin, they must get a result at home against a rugged Terek side that beat the Blue-White-Sky Blues 3-2 earlier in the season.

Either way, the next three matches will likely decide whether Maxim Mitrofanov must find a new coach in the offseason or handsomely reward Davydov for his performance.

Manchester United-CSKA Moscow: When Is it Okay To Support a Rival?

Sergey Zikov — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:56:22 -0500

The UEFA Champions League is home to the finest football on the planet, bar nothing. It's an exlusive club, in which the only members are the top teams from around the continent.

So naturally, the appeal is tremendous. From the Urals to the Pyrenees and everywhere in between, good football is appreciated everywhere.

Unfortunately, my favorite team is not one of the teams in the Champions League this season4. So up until now, I have been able to watch the matches without showing passionate support towards any team. Just being able to see a great match was all that I really cared about.

With that mindset, I turned on the match between CSKA Moscow and Manchester United, hoping to see more of the same excellence that the two sides showed a few weeks ago when they clashed at Luzhniki Stadium. Looking at the recent form of the Army Club, I was pleasantly content to watch as they fell out of the running for the Russian Premier League title.

Only 10 minutes in, Darren Fletcher destroys a shot but he unfortunately misses by a finger's length. CSKA survives for now. I laugh at the thought of what could be in a few hours.

Another chance for Manchester, but this time it's the veteran Michael Owen who can't beat Igor Akinfeev .

Except this time, it wasn't so funny. I couldn't help but applaud the man between the pipes, the man who will guide Russia in the playoff with Slovenia. He might play for the Red Devils in the future, but he will always be in goal for Russia.

CSKA starts to get forward now, applying pressure to the inexperienced United back line. But as soon as they get anything going, Tomas Necid gets booked for a handball. Looks accidental, but nonetheless he deserved a yellow card. So much for that opportunity, what a waste.

No, I spoke too soon.

Young star Alan Dzagoev steals a pass, streaks in alone, and makes a fool of United defender Wes Brown, but for a second it appears he ran himself out of space to the right of Edwin Van Der Sar. And just when it no longer seemed possible, the wonder kid flicks a shot over the Dutchman's shoulder.

Wait, what? They just scored?

Gooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaal!!! Dzagoev!

How in the world did he pull that off? It was Arshavin-esque, just like the Arsenal forward's low-angle shot against Blackburn in March. Suddenly, the team name didn't seem to matter any more. Dzagoev is the future of Russian football and I couldn't help cheering for him.

But almost immediately, the lead was vanquished. Owen scores for United, but appears to be offside. Except it doesn't matter what it appears like, the referee Olegario Benquerenca rules that it's a good goal and we're all square at Old Trafford. Not much for Akinfeev to do about that, just a nice turn by Owen and excellent finishing as usual.

The tempo just rose about 80 BPM in the last few moments and the crowd finally is involved in the match.

No, this can't be.

Another goal?!

Serbian international Milos Krasic takes a ball, barely onsides, runs around Van Der Sar in the box and fires the ball into an empty net while falling backwards. The announcer believes the goal is coming back for offsides, but no! It stands, and CSKA regains the lead through pure chaos!

That's three goals in just over five minutes. When the two sides scrapped at Luzhniki, nobody found the back of the net until mere minutes before stoppage time. Is Leonid Slutsky actually going to let this team run, as opposed to the very defensive-minded schemes he utilized with Krylia Sovetov?

As soon as it looks as if CSKA is going to trot to the lockers up a goal at the break, United produces a flurry of action just before the whistle. But Akinfeev is up to the task once more, denying Paul Scholes and Federico Macheda. If the Old Trafford faithful isn't becoming sick, watching him make save after save, they might be after halftime.

When the whistle blew, it was time to grab a snack. And think a little in the process.

Now I've been a passionate Zenit supporter my entire life. On 364 days of the year, I dislike everything that has to do with CSKA Moscow. Watching Vladimir Bystrov fire a rocket past Akinfeev to seal a 2-0 win for Zenit at the end of September was extremely satisfying to say the absolute least.

But not today. This one day of the year, I was supporting the Moscow-based rivals almost passionately. They were one of Russia's representatives in the Champions League and I've always been a fan of the "RPL" as well.

The second half begins, no substitutions from either side. That's interesting, but Sir Alex must feel confident coming out down by a goal.

That confidence shouldn't have lasted too long. Dzagoev earns a free kick and delivers a perfect ball. And look here, Vasili Berezutsky, the hulking center-back, is unmarked at the back post for an easy header.

Gooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaal! 3-1, for CSKA? Most predictions I saw had that scoreline backwards. How does United forget about a man his size? He had a five yard personal space bubble to work with just to the left of Van Der Sar's post.

The Red Devils try to conjure up another quick response, but earn themselves a yellow in the process. The Stretford End believes they have themselves a penalty as Fletcher flops to the ground. Instead, he's carded for a dive. For one time, I agree with Benquerenca. He won't be a popular man for that choice but it is the right one.

As expected, here come the United reinforcements. Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra are ready to make their appearance.

United still can't get much going, but an interesting substitution as Dzagoev comes off in favor of Carvalho. The Brazilian free-kick master can sure play offense, but I've never been sold on his defensive prowess. I'm not sure Slutsky is either but who else would he bring on?

And that's when Akinfeev goes from being just a keeper to something out of a video game at it's highest level of difficulty.

Neville, Owen, Rooney, Macheda, Rooney again, and Scholes.

Akinfeev robs them all within a five minute span as United's attack finally begins to take form.

Then, just when it looked like United had no chance of beating Akinfeev, Evgeni Aldonin's handball put the Red Devils in an ideal free-kick situation. Idiot. And no mistake this time as Scholes drills a header past Post No. 1 to make it 2-3. Nothing Akinfeev can do there, he was frozen in his tracks.

Four minutes added on.

Antonio Valencia, who won the match late for Manchester in Moscow, has done it again. Except this time, it involved much more luck than his first goal. His shot looked to be sailing into the crowd, not even remotely close to the net. But in an attempt to stop the shot, young defender Georgi Schennikov gets a head on it to deflect the ball at a painful angle, just out of the reach of Akinfeev.

3-3. What the hell.

And now Deividas Semberas is sent off for CSKA, although that was merited. Two yellows and his day is done. But somehow, the match is still going. Four minutes were added on and it went for over six.

Just like that, Manchester United finds a way to come back once again, booking their place in the knockout stage. On the other side, CSKA heads home with only a draw after leading by two with a 40 minutes to go.

They didn't win, but you couldn't tell that. This team that hasn't had much success recently in the Russian Premier League, all of a sudden looked right at home for the vast majority of the evening at Old Trafford. Once again, on one of the biggest stages in European football, a Russian team was not intimidated and came away with points from a world-class opponent.

At the moment, the future of Russian football looks very bright indeed.

Guus Hiddink Picks Russia's Finest For One Last Push to South Africa

Sergey Zikov — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:23:33 -0500

It's now or never.

Guus Hiddink has one more chance - the playoff - to guide Russia to a place in South Africa. After failing a German test twice, the fate is just. The new enemy is no slouch, as the overachieving Slovenians pride themselves on team defense and the ability to play in any weather conditions.

Although Hiddink's side took an unexpected tumble in the FIFA World Rankings, the chosen 24 men plan on preventing another tumble in qualification.

On July 28, 1942, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin issued Order No. 227 - "Ни шагу назад," or "Not a Step Back!" Against Slovenia, Hiddink's men will need all the offense going forward they can find. There's no lack of experience in his selected 24. Every player has considerable international duty on their resume.

As the playoff mandates, the first leg will be played at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Nov. 14 under Norwegian referee Terje Hauge. Four days later, the two sides will clash once more in Maribor under Frenchman Laurent Duhamel.

Goalkeepers (Club, Caps)

Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow, 37), Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit St. Petersburg, 16), Vladimir Gabulov (Dynamo Moscow, 5).

Post No. 1, Igor Akinfeev.

As expected, Igor Akinfeev will be the man guarding Russia's goal for both matches. He has played every minute of Russia's 10 qualifiers to date, so seeing anyone else between the pipes for so crucial a match would be unthinkable. Despite many links to big clubs like Manchester United, Akinfeev has been superb not only for CSKA, but with the national team as well.

Hiddink's reliable No. 2 is Vyacheslav Malafeev , the veteran Zenit stopper who has shown fine form in the recent months. It was a little surprising to not see him in net for the pointless clash in Azerbaijan, but either way, Hiddink has a quality backup in the case of a disaster.

Making his return to the national team after injury is Vladimir Gabulov , who has been out since late September after taking a boot to the face from Spartak Moscow striker Welliton. Although it's incredibly unlikely that he finds his way into game action, it's good to see him back.

Defenders (Club, Caps)

Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow, 53), Vasili Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow, 40), Aleksei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow, 34), Aleksandr Anyukov (Zenit St. Petersburg, 46), Yuri Zhirkov (Chelsea, 32), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow, 21), Renat Yanbaev (Lokomotiv Moscow, 7).

CSKA's powerful center back.

Sergei Ignashevich is no surprise on the backline. He has also played all 900 minutes in qualifying in front of teammate Akinfeev. The powerful center-back can always be counted on for solid defense, and he even scored the eventual game-winning goal against Wales. The always-useful Berezutsky brothers will again be called on, but whether either plays is a mystery.

Zenit St. Petersburg right-back Aleksandr Anyukov has recovered from an illness that kept him out against Azerbaijan and a couple league matches. But the marauder is never afraid to get forward, and often does, working to supply balls in for Arshavin and company.

Renat Yanbaev , the usual backup left-back has been recalled, and could start if usual No. 1 Yuri Zhirkov can not. Yanbaev played a great game against Wales, being tested early and often by Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy and passing with flying colors.

The Chelsea man has been once again fighting off injuries. While he did make a start against Germany, it was painfully obvious that he wasn't near his best.

Dynamo's human cannon Denis Kolodin has also been recalled. He hasn't played for the national team since June against Finland, but he is apparently fit enough to go after his injury. The second center-back position is open to competition from Vasili Berezutsky and Kolodin.

While Anyukov and Ignashevich are locks to start, the other two slots will come down to returning injured players being match-ready or not.

Midfielders (Club, Caps)

Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan, 62), Igor Semshov (Zenit St. Petersburg, 42), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Everton, 30), Vladimir Bystrov (Zenit St. Petersburg, 29), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St. Petersburg, 28), Dmitri Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow, 19), Igor Denisov (Zenit St. Petersburg, 9), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow, 5), Aleksei Rebko (FC Moscow, 3).

Possibly the latest bloomer in international football.

This is the one position where nearly nobody is a lock to start, and almost all of them have at some point throughout qualification. The man who is most certain is Vladimir Bystrov of Zenit. He has held his reputation as one of the fastest players on the planet and currently can't stop scoring in the Russian Premier League.

He excelled against Germany, having Jerome Boateng sent off, and turned himself into a man that nobody in their right mind wants to defend.

Another man who could surely start is late-bloomer Konstantin Zyryanov . Every one of his seven international goals have come after his 30th birthday. A technically sound midfielder who can play whatever position he's asked, he seems to never run out of gas.

Former team captain Sergei Semak has been a half-and-half player of late, sometimes starting and sometimes coming off the bench. After captaining his Rubin Kazan side to a victory over Barcelona, his leadership and experience might be a necessity in a playoff.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov might have also played his way back into the starting lineup with a string of excellent showings for Everton.

Zenit defensive midfielder Igor Denisov had the gargantuan task of dealing with Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger and company against Germany and should start once more due to lack of positional competition. It's safe to say that no Slovenian presents the same challenge as the world-class German midfield. It's hard to see newcomer Aleksei Rebko earning the start over the more accomplished Denisov.

Igor Semshov hasn't been in peak physical form lately, but still has value as an offensive substitution if necessary. Young sensation Alan Dzagoev will also be available and could also see time after strong performances in the Champions League. He also showed nice chemistry up front with Arshavin, setting up his goal against Azerbaijan.

Forwards (Club, Caps)

Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal, 48), Alexander Kerzhakov (Dynamo Moscow, 49), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur, 31), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Stuttgart, 16), Dmitri Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow, 45).

Captain Rossiya.

Shhh. Andrei Arshavin is the man behind the curtain pulling the strings. He is constantly at the center of the attack and rightly so. While he hasn't been a scoring machine in qualifying, he's set up his fair share of goals. He's as much of a lock to be in the starting 11 as anybody on the roster.

The enigma that is Roman Pavlyuchenko has been an outcast with Tottenham and out of favor with Hiddink. But he leads all scorers for Russia in qualifying with five goals. He might be forced into a start on his finishing ability alone, as nobody else has managed to show a golden touch. Alexander Kerzhakov has been awful with Dynamo and should not start again.

While Pavel Pogrebnyak has failed to make any sort of impact with the national team in qualifying, he has value as a 70th-minute substitution if Hiddink needs more offense. He is always a threat inside the box, but remains entirely ineffective outside it.

Last and literally least, Dmitri Sychev receives a surprise call. He has played a whole six minutes in qualifying, coming in during the 84th minute of a 2-1 loss in Dortmund. Nevertheless, the ancient relic is back with the national team, though he is a longshot to see the field.

Exclusions

Possibly the most notable exclusions are two Rubin Kazan players. Both center-forward Aleksandr Bukharov , currently the top Russian-born scorer in the domestic league, and 23-year-old teammate Aleksandr Ryazantsev were omitted.

Ryazantsev has been playing at an extraordinarily high level and his heat-seeking missile at Camp Nou only gave him more confidence.

Only Guus knows why the two were left out in the cold. But it doesn't matter now. The 24 selected players have one goal only.

Find a way to South Africa.

Pittsburgh Penguins Players of the Month, October 2009

Sergey Zikov — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:36 -0400

Although the Pittsburgh Penguins capped off the month of October with a Halloween loss to the Minnesota Wild, there has never been a better opening month in franchise history.

With 11 victories in October, they not only topped the best Penguins mark in the month, but also tied the best start by a defending Stanley Cup champion.

But the great success has came at a great price, as Evgeni Malkin , Sergei Gonchar, and Tyler Kennedy have all missed multiple games and nobody knows for sure how many more the trio will be forced to sit out.

Either way, the Penguins have waddled on without them.

Let's look at the players who made the biggest difference in their early-season success. All ratings are based off a scale from zero to 10, where 0-2 is abysmal, 3-4 is poor, 5 is average, 6 is a good effort, 7-8 is a standout performance and 9-10 is an awe-inspiring show.

Defensive Player of the Month

No. 3 Alex Goligoski

Average Rating: 6.61

Best Performance: Oct. 2 vs. New York Rangers.

On SCBR-Day, Goligoski came out with a purpose to prove that he belonged in the NHL. Earning time on the top powerplay unit alongside Gonchar, he showcased his strong passing abilities to set up the first goal of the season. But his offensive surge wasn't done, as he also fired the shot that Kennedy re-directed for the eventual game-winning goal.

But maybe more impressively, he also showed what he could bring defensively. Technically a replacement for the departed Hal Gill, he brought a new element of speed and agility to the defensive corps.

Shining Moment: His increased role.

After the Penguins utterly dismantled the St. Louis Blues on October 20, the team received a shocking piece of news that quickly brought them back from the exosphere. They would once again have to do without Gonchar.

But the door was kicked wide open for Goligoski.

In the final five games without Gonchar, he recorded three goals and five points in total and amassed a superb rating of plus-12. And he scored no larger goal than the game-tying marker in Columbus that gave the Penguins a chance to win the two points in a shootout.

Final Monthly Line: 14 GP, 5 Goals, 7 Assists, +12 rating.

Offensive Player of the Month

No. 87 Sidney Crosby

Average Rating: 7.50

Best Performance: October 28 vs. Montreal.

Oct. 28 will always hold a special place in the mind of Sidney Crosby. It was the date where he registered his first career hat trick against the arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers three years ago as part of an 8-2 eradication.

But coupled with the fact that the game is against his childhood favorite team, the motivation will always run higher. And boy, did he impress.

He scored with a dart of a wristshot from outside the left post. He scored from a 360-backhand to the spice cabinet. Then he scored one-on-one with Jaroslav Halak to put the finishing touch on the ensuing Mellon Arena hat shower.

And Bingo was his namo-o.

Shining Moment: Enduring Atlas.

In Greek mythology, Atlas was a Titan who was punished by Zeus for betraying his fellow mates. For his punishment, he was forced to the end of Gaia and hold up the Earth.

On Oct. 23, Crosby did his best to honor Atlas. On a day where almost no other Penguin showed up for work and the team gave up two first period goals to the Florida Panthers, he took matters into his own hands and did everything.

He won 21 faceoffs, he scored on the powerplay, he scored short-handed to tie the game, then he won the extra point by scoring in the shootout. When the Penguins needed someone to carry them, the Captain was willing and ready to do exactly that.

Final Monthly Line: 14 GP, 9 Goals, 7 Assists, +10 rating, 1-0 record in fights.

Unheralded Player of the Month

No. 17 Mike Rupp

Best Performance: Oct. 14 at Carolina.

He only saw 7:20 of ice time, but he sure made it count. Making the transition from the Devils' red-line trap to the Penguin forechecking assault isn't an easy one, but Rupp has done a tremendous job. He scored his first goal in a Penguin uniform in spectacular fashion, leaving Cam Ward staring to the heavens as if he'd just seen Haley's Comet.

Shining Moment: An increasing role.

At first, Rupp would be used in situational hockey, barely seeing six or seven minutes a game. Now, he has earned time alongside Malkin or Crosby and he hasn't disappointed, matching his goal total from a season ago in 12 games. Plus, an ongoing hitting competition with teammates Matt Cooke and Brooks Orpik isn't too bad either.

Ahead in November, a number of challenges await the Penguins. First, they will head west for an always-daunting three game set with Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles. Then they will make another appearance on national TV when they take on the Boston Bruins on Versus.

Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar could both be back by Thanksgiving, and the Penguins close out the month with a trifecta of New York-based teams. Who will step up and be the Players of the Month in November?

Columbus Blue Jackets 3-4 Pittsburgh Penguins: No Quit in These 'Guins

Sergey Zikov — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:32:07 -0400

The Penguins casualty list isn't pretty. Reading off the names, it almost becomes painful.

Heading into a building where they historically haven't had a whole lot of success, the table was set perfectly for their unblemished road record to receive its first black mark of the season.

Think about it.

How productive could the Blackhawks be without Toews, Seabrook, Byfuglien and Sharp? Or how about the Red Wings without Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Cleary and Helm? Maybe they could still win, but it would be much more difficult.

The Penguins started out the game about as bad as they possibly could. In front of a fired-up sellout crowd at the Nationwide Arena, Matt Cooke drew an early high-sticking call to send out the powerplay.

Except the man advantage looked like a man disadvantage.

The Penguins couldn't keep the puck in the zone, never tested Steve Mason and found themselves skating around in their own zone. Then with a few seconds left, the Penguins took a penalty themselves to put the Blue Jackets on a powerplay.

But the enjoyment didn't end there. The Penguins kept taking penalties and Brent Johnson stood strong in net, filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury.

After a questionable slashing call on Brooks Orpik , Rick Nash smashed a rebound into a wide open cage, sending the Blue Jackets faithful to utopia just before the end of the period. The Penguins looked sluggish, they were playing too much defense and taking far too many penalties.

It doesn't matter who's on the ice. That isn't a winning formula.

Dan Bylsma's men didn't come out strong in the second period either. Nash scored again and it looked like Groundhog Day. The last time the Penguins visited the Nationwide Arena, they fell behind 3-0 early and couldn't figure out Mason.

Two more penalties by the Penguins had the Blue Jackets sitting pretty. But that's where Psycho Kunitz took over.

On the penalty kill, Chris Kunitz broke in alone and was tripped up, but no call was made. Nash slammed into Mason trying to back-check and Crosby grabbed the rebound behind the net. With a flick of his wrist, he got Kunitz the puck again and No. 14 made no mistake roofing it above the two Blue Jackets in net.

The momentum was beginning to swing. Now the Penguins had a chance on the powerplay. But as soon as they had anything going, Columbus scores just as the penalty expires to regain the two goal lead.

Drones.

The Blue Jackets shifted into their defensive shell, trying to preserve a win. After blown leads late, they had no intention of repeating that performance.

With seven minutes left in the game, Penguin captain Crosby gets sent to the sin-bin and the game looks all but over. Another powerplay for the Jackets should seal the deal.

But the Penguins kill it off.

Of all things, the Penguins picked up momentum when Crosby absolutely destroyed Marc Methot near the bench. How many fingers would you hold up when counting how many times a hit by Crosby has shifted momentum? Probably zero.

But it did, and the Penguins are suddenly all over the homestanding squad. Ruslan Fedotenko bags the rebound goal with three minutes left, and it's game on.

A few seconds later, El Gaucho Alex Goligoski blasts a wristshot past Mason. Tied.

Then, the two sides head to a shootout, and what to expect. Crosby scores the game winner again, making it four-for-four on the season.

Goaltender

B. Johnson: 7.5 . Made a number of stunning saves early on to keep the Penguins within striking distance. Then once again, was a brick wall in net during the shootout, stopping every attempt.

Defense

Eaton: 5.5 . Not a terrific defensive game. Allowed the pass to get through on a two-on-one that lead to the third Columbus goal.

Goligoski: 7 . For the first 55 minutes of the game, didn't manage to create much offense. But the game is 60 minutes, and he was fully aware of that. Scored the game-tying goal with 140 seconds left on the clock.

Letang: 4.5 . Just didn't have "it." Had a pair of juicy chances at one-timers and couldn't pull the trigger on either. Was not solid on the powerplay.

McKee: 6 . Came on more later in the game, like many others.

Orpik: 5 . Took two poor penalties, one which lead to the opening goal. But showed great poise on the blue line to set up Fedotenko's goal.

Skoula: 7 . Easily his best game in a Penguin uniform. Was very productive while playing offense and great defensively. Deserved to play more than 18 minutes.

Forwards

Adams: 5.5 . Made his presence felt by hitting and tightened up his penalty killing after allowing a first period PP goal.

Bourque: 6 . Speed doesn't slump. His game revolves around it, and he proved to be a very nice sidekick alongside Jordan Staal. Had a few quality chances but needs to stay out of the box.

Conner: 5.5 . Made a few inspired drives, using his tremendous speed. But seemed overmatched sometimes and clearly wasn't adept at playing defense in the NHL.

Cooke: 6.5 . A hitting force as usual.

Crosby: 8.5 . Set up two goals then scored the winner in the shootout. Had a minor injury scare in the second period as he landed awkwardly, but never missed a shift. Not a great day in the circle but still won 12 draws.

Dupuis: 6.5 . What flu? Whatever illness was plaguing him earlier, it is gone. Was sensational on the penalty kill and very nearly had a shorthanded goal.

Fedotenko: 7 . Has a knack for scoring goals when the Penguins need them most. Tied the game late on Long Island, now scores with three minutes left to give his teammates a chance to tie.

Godard: 4 . Almost never saw the ice as he only played two shifts.

Guerin: 5 . Played like a groundhog. Would poke his head out for a few minutes, then not be seen for large stretches at a time.

Kunitz: 8.5 . What one goal can do for you. Played with a purpose and looked like he wanted to (and planned to) score five times. All over the place, causing havoc behind the Blue Jacket defense. Scored shorthanded then added an assist on the game-tying goal.

Rupp: 6.5 . Might have only played 39 games in a Blue Jackets uniform, but made no mistake in hitting every white jersey he saw. Thanks to his hitting power, the Jackets wore down as the game progressed.

Staal: 6 . Looked dangerous on occasion shorthanded, but never managed to make much happen offensively.

The Penguins head back home immediately where they face Petr Sykora and the Minnesota Wild at the Mellon Arena. Fleury will be back in net for the second of a back-to-back. With a win, the Penguins can set the record for most wins (12) in October for a defending Cup champion.

Can the Pittsburgh Penguins Keep Flying Without Evgeni Malkin?

Sergey Zikov — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:55:15 -0400

On Jan. 18, 2008, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby slammed feet-first into the boards after a collision with Paul Ranger of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The injury kept Crosby out for two months, but all was not lost.

Evgeni Malkin was ready to carry the load, and he proceeded to record 54 points in the time that Crosby was out of the lineup. His performance not only kept the Penguins in the playoff hunt, but led the team to an Atlantic Division title.

This time, it will be the other way around.

Crosby will have to carry the Penguins once more in Malkin's absence.

In a shock announcement by coach Dan Bylsma, the Conn Smythe winner will miss two to three weeks with a strained shoulder. The injury apparently isn't a new one, as Malkin has been playing with some discomfort for over a week.

"I can play good, but it's early in the season." said Malkin. "I feel good. It's not a big problem and I'm fine. I'll be watching and supporting the team on the trip."

Although Malkin attempted to reassure Penguin fans, the fact still remains: The Penguins will face some major tests on their West Coast road trip and they will be without the NHL's leading scorer from a season ago.

He will be watching in the luxury box, sitting next to the growing list of injured Penguins that includes fellow Russian Sergei Gonchar and Game Seven hero Max Talbot .

Not a place for a superstar.

Currently, the Penguins sit at 10-2-0 with 20 points and lead the Eastern Conference. But can they keep up the torrid pace, despite the building injuries?

With precautionary treatment, Malkin should return to the lineup just before Thanksgiving, after some rest and rehabilitation. But that is the very problem. In that time, the Penguins face some very challenging competition. Their West Coast trip sees them visit the Kings, Sharks, Ducks, and then the Bruins on Versus.

Although Malkin is tied for the team lead in points, he only has four goals on the season, three of those scores coming on the man advantage. But in the 12 games so far, he has not been a dominant force in a lot of those. Especially over the last few games with the injury, in which he has only scored once since the overtime win in Carolina.

Meanwhile, Crosby has been on fire, scoring five goals in the last three.

In Malkin's absence, look for Luca Caputi to receive a call-up, as he has played tremendous hockey with Wilkes-Barre so far. The lines will also need restructuring, as Jordan Staal looks to see considerable more ice time in the next few weeks.

Crosby's line will also need to continue it's fine play of late. With Chris Kunitz finding traction, Bylsma will need to rely on his top guns even more.

The injury is not serious, nor should be the level of panic among fans. While losing Malkin is a gigantic loss, if there is a good place to lose him, this is it. Quite obviously, he could play through the injury, so it is nothing serious. He needs to sit for a few weeks. When you play better than 250 straight games in the NHL, black and blues are bound to happen.

As for the team, their depth will be tested.

Crosby can carry the team, but secondary scorers will need to shine. Tyler Kennedy remains out with an undisclosed injury, but hopefully he can return by the weekend, as the Penguins will need his goal-scoring more than ever.

Get well soon, Evgeni, and let's hope that the Penguins can find a way to get through the next few weeks.

Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1 Montreal Canadiens: Crosby Bags the Hat Trick

Sergey Zikov — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:21:01 -0400

In the NHL, a defining point of any team is how well they rebound from a poor performance.

The Penguins had a dreadful performance on home ice on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. They never got to their game and simply never challenged Martin Brodeur enough. But that was then, and is in the past.

But getting a response against the Canadiens was absolutely necessary.

They would be without Tyler Kennedy however, as he was a scratch due to an undisclosed injury. Kennedy was second on the team with five goals coming in. But either way, holes need to be plugged and the system has to march on.

Sidney Crosby got the scoring off first, thanks to a turnover forced by Chris Kunitz at the point. Kunitz managed to control the flying puck, get it to Bill Guerin, and find a wide-open Crosby just to the left of Jaroslav Halak.

But the first period was a bit sluggish on the part of both teams. The Canadiens got to the forecheck from time to time, but costly turnovers prevented them from scoring or really producing any solid chances.

Whatever Dan Byslma told the players at the intermission, it worked. The Penguins came out flying in the second period and never looked back. Their tenacity overwhelmed the Canadiens and taught them no mistake would go unpunished.

Crosby bagged his second, as the Penguins buzzed around the net. Kunitz couldn't capitalize in front of Halak, but the rebound came out to Crosby. With his back to the cage, Crosby backhanded over the sprawling Canadien netminder and made it look simple.

Then, on a delayed penalty to Montreal, a handful of Penguin grit players produced the second goal thanks to Mike Rupp on the doorstep.

A few minutes later, Crosby made it rain. He beat Roman Hamrlik once again, and slid the puck through the five-hole of Halak. Once again, the Penguins scored right around the net and Halak had little assistance from his defense.

Carey Price came in for the Canadiens to start the third period, but it made no difference. The Penguins continued to press and got to the powerplay, despite leading 4-0. Bylsma marched out a top PP unit that featured enforcer Eric Godard as the power forward and Mark Eaton at the point. And the unit looked surprisingly effective, as Godard nearly scored twice.

But Alex Goligoski came back on and quickly extended his point streak to six games, blasting a shot past Price. He had all day to shoot, and took his time to measure up the shot. Far too little respect by Montreal.

Kunitz sprinkled the jimmies and chocolate chips on the victory as he broke in alone on the powerplay, courtesy of a nifty pass from Chris Bourque. And as he fired the puck under Price, he booted his scoring slump out the door as well.

Players missing? No problem. Coming off a poor performance? Who cares. What happened? 6-1, Penguins.

Goaltender

Fleury: 7. Never faced a ton of shots, and his only fault was allowing a five-on-three goal to Tomas Plekanec. Was only seriously challenged a few times, and was up to the task on all of them.

Defense

Eaton: 7. Contributed when he could. Picked up an assist after smashing a puck on net on a six-on-five chance Halak wasn't able to handle.

Goligoski: 7.5. The man with the 'stache scored his third goal in four games, and is riding a six-game point streak to the top of the list of scoring defensemen.

Letang: 6. Had a great backdoor opportunity, but couldn't cash in. Showed smooth skating and passing all night. Although he saw a good amount of time on the powerplay, hasn't seen a ton of chances with Goligoski at the point.

McKee: 6. Never had much work to do, as the Penguins' defense was rarely tested after the first period.

Orpik: 8. A terrific night. Lead the team in hits, blocked shots, and kept the Canadiens' powerplay quiet for the vast majority of the evening. Even picked up a point, assisting on Crosby's third.

Skoula: 6. Didn't see a ton of time, but did a great job getting the puck out of the zone as quickly as possible.

Forwards

Adams: 6.5. Had a solid day of killing penalties.

Bourque: 6.5. Got the start on the side of Evgeni Malkin, and looked more and more comfortable on the forecheck. Picked up his first point in a Penguin uniform by springing Kunitz loose on a breakaway.

Cooke: 6. Wasn't as effective without his partner in crime, but still managed to enjoy himself.

Crosby: 10. Registered his third career hat trick and missed the four-bagger by a quarter of a centimeter. It didn't matter which defender Montreal put on him, he turned them inside-out. Won 16 faceoffs for good measure.

Dupuis: 5. Played a slower game and didn't do a whole lot when he was on the ice. But that could easily be contributed to his recent illness that forced him to miss the last few practices.

Fedotenko: 5.5. A somewhat quiet game, but continued to see time at the point on Bylsma's second powerplay unit.

Godard: 6. Georges Laraque was not in the lineup, so had nobody worthwhile of fighting. But was oddly effective in front of the net on the powerplay, screening Price and nearly scoring.

Guerin: 8.5. Didn't score, but showed his passing touch as he picked up three assists on the night. Also went plus-three.

Kunitz: 9.5. He has never had a four-point night in his career until now. Assisted on all three of Crosby's goals, then scored his first of the season in the third period.

Malkin: 7. After Crosby's hat trick, he looked like he wanted to replicate the feat for himself. Shot the puck with a purpose, but just didn't have the magic touch. Still managed a point for his 10th assist of the year.

Rupp: 6.5. What do Mike Rupp, Jordan Staal, and Bill Guerin have in common? They all have three goals for the year. He was brought in to bring a physical presence on the fourth line, and while he's brought all that, he also has brought a scoring touch.

Staal: 6. Was solid on the forecheck but abysmal in the faceoff circle.

In dominating fashion, the Penguins move to 10-2-0 on the new season. They now leave the confines of the Igloo for Columbus, where they face the Blue Jackets and Rick Nash on Friday.

Who's Side Are You On? Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and The Olympics

Sergey Zikov — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:43:42 -0400

For some time now, the debate has been "Which Penguin is the best hockey player, Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby?".

You could certainly make a terrific case for both players. But when most Penguin fans ponder the question, they soon realize that they simply don't care. It doesn't matter. As long as both of them are wearing black and gold, they are loved equally.

However, that will change in February as the two superstars remove the Penguin sweater in exchange for their respective national teams.

Crosby will be at the helm of the Canadian defense, defending Vancouver and their country in a run for another gold medal. Malkin on the other hand, will be leading the Russian vanguard that is hungry for its first Olympic Gold since the Unified Team in 1992.

They most likely aren't going alone. Crosby has Marc-Andre Fleury or Jordan Staal for company while Malkin has Sergei Gonchar.

This creates quite a stir among Penguin fans. Of course, if you are a Canadian or Russian, the choice is insanely easy. But for the Pittsburgh born-and-bred American hockey fans that have no prior connections with either nation, who's side do you pick?

Let's take a look.

Pros for Sidney Crosby and Canada:

Mario Lemieux . The greatest player in Penguin history was a Canadian. And now, he not only owns the Penguins but the Kid lives at his house, or mansion. Some fans may already have a previous history of supporting the Canadian team, thanks to Lemieux.

After all, who can forget his inspiring performance to play through the pain as Canada's captain in 2002, leading the team to the gold medal? Can we expect the same type of international heroics from the youngest Penguin captain?

Close Proximity . As the northern neighbor of the United States, many fans could find it easy to support Canada if the American team doesn't do so well. After all, it is only a six hour drive from Pittsburgh to Toronto. And who hasn't enjoyed a Labatt Blue at the Mellon Arena?

Familiarity . While Crosby is certainly on the team, you may also be a big fan of Staal or Fleury? But besides the Penguins, there are also a ton of other familiar faces on the roster. From legends like Brodeur, Iginla to a Hall of Fame history with Yzerman and Sakic, you just can't get enough of Hockey Canada's magnetic appeal.

Local Boy . When Crosby became the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup, he instantly became Pittsburgh's favorite son and earned a place in Southwestern Pennsylvania folk lore. To you, he's only Canadian by birthplace. But now, he's a true blue-collar Pittsburgher that bleeds black and gold.

How can you possibly cheer against that? He's only worn the "C" for half his professional career.

But it's not all perfect, so to the negatives.

Cons for Sidney Crosby and Canada:

Rivals . Can you actually force yourself to support a team coached by Red Wings boss Mike Babcock, features Devils netminder Martin Brodeur between the pipes, and potentially four Philadelphia Flyers?

Or would it feel downright awkward to see Sid dropping passes off for Jeff Carter?

Despite the fact that Crosby is centering the top line and you want him to do well personally, it's just too darn hard to bring yourself to support a team filled with so many rival figures.

Canadian Bacon . If you believe this movie should be a reality show, enjoy saying "Eh" to mock a Canadian, and feel like Canadian currency isn't worth more than Monopoly money, it might be hard to support the northern nation. It's "USA! USA! USA!" and there's no chance you're pulling for a neighboring country.

Underdog . You're a fan who loves an underdog. Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals and three silvers between the Olympics and the World Championships. The Canadians will also be the unquestioned favorite heading into Vancouver this winter.

What's the fun in pulling for a team that has all the talent in the world and is expected to win it all? Why not cheer for an major underdog like Great Britain?

Now, for Malkin.

Pros for Evgeni Malkin and Russia:

Personality . While Crosby is always more composed and focused, Malkin is a jester who is never afraid to voice his opinions. Bottom line, when he speaks, Penguin fans listen. He doesn't do interviews much, but his broken English is always fun to listen to in comparison with other teammates.

The rest of the Russian team shares a similar flair. Is it really hard watching a team that has so much fun?

Offense . If you're a fan of a team that has the chance to score ten goals in a period, then Malkin and Russia are for you. This team plans on scoring as much as possible, and enjoying themselves while they do it. You enjoy a good defensive chess match as much as the next fan, but sometimes a goal-fest can just be mesmerizing.

Steel Town Syndrome . Fans that have lived in the Steel City for the majority of their lives know what the city values. As the former industrial capital of the United States, hard work and grit are worth gold by themselves. Malkin was born in a town very similar to Pittsburgh, an industrial capital of Russia.

While he isn't a Pittsburgher himself, he hails from a town that embraces all the same ideals.

The Geno . Any time Crosby has gone down with an injury or been unable to play, Malkin has carried the Penguins on his back. Just watch his goal against Carolina about 15 more times.

And now the negatives...

Cons for Evgeni Malkin and Russia:

KHL . You hate the KHL. It can go to hell for all you care. They have tried to swipe Malkin from the Penguins and have taken a number of talented NHL players. Since half of the Russian team is made up of KHL players that you've never heard of, supporting Russia is quite difficult.

It's the rival league of the NHL and you won't ever support it.

Rivals . Just like with Crosby and Canada, many rivals play for Russia. Could you support Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, or Pavel Datsyuk? They have all given the Penguins headaches in the past.

Cold War . For some fans, Russia is still an enemy of the United States. Most of the hockey players were born in the Soviet Union. While you might enjoy watching Malkin play, listening to the Gosudarstvenny gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii just brings back too many memories of resent.

They speak in a different language, they use a different alphabet, and they all come from a land thousands of miles away. That is a formula for disaster.

Any more pros or cons? Who will you be cheering for? Or are you just the fan that wants to see good hockey and doesn't care who wins?

Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Florida Panthers: Captain Crosby Saves the Day

Sergey Zikov — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:05:49 -0400

Sidney Crosby has done more in the first 300 games in the NHL than most do in their careers. The list of achievements just goes on and on.

But still in the first 299, there is something that he has never done - score shorthanded.

That changed on Friday night against the Florida Panthers. And on a day where nobody else in Black and Vegas Gold seemed to have their best stuff, the Captain came to the rescue once again.

Almost immediately labelled a "trap" game by the coaching staff, the Panthers and Steve Reinprecht played the role perfectly. They caught the Penguins napping at the beginning of the game and got their powerplay to work early. The Panther forecheck was greatly aided by a number of Penguin giveaways in the defensive zone.

Reinprecht buried some garbage on the man advantage after Craig Adams failed to get the puck out of the zone and Jay McKee turned the puck over in front of the cage.

Then only a few minutes later, the Panthers buzzed around in the Penguin zone again, with the Penguin defenders looking like gargoyals frozen in time. Panther forwards had all the open ice in the world to work with, and Reinprecht bagged his second of the period off a ricochet.

Groans of agony from the Mellon Arena crowd, who could almost see which way this game was headed.

Chris Kunitz attempted to snap the Penguins out of the horrible lull by fighting defenseman Keith Ballard old-school style. You know, forget the helmets.

The Penguins generated a few solid chances, but nothing of much value. Many times, they had to resort to shots from the perimeter that were painlessly gloved out of the air by netminder Tomas Vokoun, who always seems to play his best against the Penguins.

Finally building some momentum in the third, Crosby fired home a powerplay goal from a few yards to the left of Vokoun. After a shanked pass by Evgeni Malkin at the point, he immediately redeemed himself with a diving play to keep the puck in.

But just when everything is going the local way, the Penguins get nailed with an unnecessary interference call that puts the Panthers up a man with four minutes left.

Never fear, Sidney Crosby is here. Killing penalties too.

Disco Dan put the two-headed monster out on the PK together and somehow found a way to produce an odd man rush. Malkin flies down the side, draws three men to him behind the net, leaving Crosby wide open in front of the net to bury his first career short-handed goal.

The two sides play some bonus hockey and head to a shootout. We all know where this is going. Crosby scores in the shootout (again, for the third time in three tries).

Two more points for the Penguins and they win their seventh straight game, thanks to Mr. 300.

Goaltender

B. Johnson: 7.5 . Another solid start in relief of Fleury. Was hung out to dry by his defense on the two Panther goals, but shut everything down after that. Stopped a breakaway, a three-on-one, and all three Panthers in the shootout.

Defense

Eaton: 5.5 . Played 22 minutes of uneventful ice time. Could have jumped into the attack more than he did.

Goligoski: 6 . Had a nice game defensively and set up Crosby's powerplay goal with a brilliant cross-ice pass. But he was clearly not comfortable running the point, as he absolutely refused to pull the trigger.

Letang: 6 . Not his finest performance either. Gave the puck away a few times too many, especially trying to make a fancy play in the offensive zone.

McKee: 5.5 . Blocked a few shots and improved as the game went on. Should have received a primary assist on Reinprecht's first goal. Almost tried to be too aggressive late in the game and it nearly cost the Penguins.

Orpik: 5 . Went down far too early, trying to block Nathan Horton's shot, which led directly to the second Panther goal. Also took a pointless penalty with four minutes remaining that could have killed the Penguins comeback. Tried to make up for his mistakes with hitting, and succeeded to a minor degree.

Skoula: 6 . Low risk, low reward style of hockey. Made no plays worth remembering, but was also solid defensively and didn't give up on any pucks. Showed that he is committed to doing what it takes, blocking his fair share of shots.

Forwards

Adams: 5 . Chose the fancy play over the easy one on the penalty kill and it backfired into a Panther goal. Improved a fraction as the game went on but never seemed to have his best stuff.

Bourque: 6.5 . A game-time decision to play, he was one of the few who came prepared to go right off the start. Saw a decent chunk of time alongside Malkin and Fedotenko.

Cooke: 6 . Easily the Penguins best penalty killer, apart from Brent Johnson. Consistently took the body any chance he had.

Crosby: 9.5 . Scored on the powerplay, shorthanded, and in the shootout. Won 21 faceoffs. Played nearly 26 minutes of entirely deserved ice time and was quite honestly the only reason why the Penguins walked away with two points.

Dupuis: 4.5 . Lost a fair amount of time to Chris Bourque. Had a great opportunity on a semi-breakaway, but made an utter mess of his only chance to shine.

Fedotenko: 5.5 . Dan Bylsma's experiment with him at the point on the second powerplay lasted about 30 seconds. Needed to shoot the puck on a few different occasions and just didn't.

Guerin: 6 . Appeared to have a goal in the third period, as he jammed the puck past Vokoun. But the score was wiped out immediately due to an apparent hand-pass by Crosby. Also got to try his luck in the shootout, although he was unsuccessful.

Kennedy: 6.5 . Had the Mellon Arena faithful holding their breath as he dashed down the left side of Vokoun and nearly had him beat with a beautiful curl-and-drag move. Why he continues to see no powerplay time is beyond much reasoning, as he remains one of the Penguins best shooting options.

Kunitz: 7 . Gave everything he had to get the team back into the game. Started by fighting Ballard and drove to the net every chance he had. Probably should have scored.

Malkin: 6.5 . Well, at least he tried. Couldn't seem to hit the net for his life in the second period, and also made a number of ill-advised passes. But his smart play produced both of Crosby's goals.

Rupp: 5 . Saw almost no action, for whatever reason.

Staal: 6 . Denied at the net mouth on an incredible save by Vokoun, who seemed to read his mind. Showed no fear in blocking a slapshot from heavy-hitter Bryan McCabe. Oddly went to the locker room halfway through the second period, but returned for the third.

Well, the Penguins faced some adversity from a Florida Panthers bunch that needed a solid showing after a dismal performance against the Sabres. But thanks to the leadership of Crosby, the Penguins clawed their way back to keep the streak alive.

The Penguins have no time off, as they hit the ice again tomorrow at 7:30 to face the division rival New Jersey Devils. Marc-Andre Fleury will be back in net as scheduled.

Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 St. Louis Blues: Classes Are Now in Session!

Sergey Zikov — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:11:40 -0400

Every year, the Pittsburgh Penguins hold camps and clinics for all ages of youth hockey players around the Pittsburgh area.

It's a great chance for young children learning how to play hockey to get instruction from current or past players for the Penguins. However, the first camp held by the Penguins was a little different.

The Penguins held class at the Mellon Arena tonight and opened the lesson for public viewing.

As a mildly intoxicated gentleman sitting next to me put so delicately, "We're teaching these f---ers how to play hockey!"

Of course, "these f---ers" would be describing the visiting St. Louis Blues.

The class was instructed by a professor tandem of Drs. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, who both earned their professional degrees in puck management and shooting the puck.

For this lesson, graduate assistants Tyler Kennedy and Ruslan Fedotenko also were available for individual help and additional instruction.

Kennedy got the class kicked off with a bang, as the third line buzzed around in the Blues end like they so often do. He took the puck to the right of the cage, had all day to place his shot, and ripped a slapshot past the goaltender Chris Mason.

The Penguins went on the powerplay less than a minute later due to a poor high-sticking penalty to St. Louis. This time, Dr. Malkin took charge of the class. Taking a perfect set-up from Sergei Gonchar, Malkin launched two shots at Mason before a third found its way to the back of the net.

Continuing a run of excellence, the Penguins moved on to "Lesson No. 2: How to Forecheck in the NHL". Led by the third line and Dr. Crosby, the Penguins closed out a textbook first period, outshooting the Blues 20-3. And those three shots for St. Louis came with under two minutes left in the period.

On to the second.

The Penguins scored back-to-back again, this time from Fedotenko and Matt Cooke. Over 30 shots only half way through the second period.

From there, the Penguins merely cruised across the finish line, also adding another goal in the final period from Alex Goligoski.

To be completely fair, Blues netminder Mason was the only student who came prepared for class. He was peppered with shots early and often. But he stood his ground and did his best to keep his team in the game. Although he was pulled at the end of the second, the move was more for a momentum shift. He was easily the best player in a white uniform on the ice.

Another hard earned victory for the Penguins and they run the record to 8-1-0 on the season.

Goaltender

Fleury: 7. Honestly never had much to do. Didn't face a shot til the end of the first period and looked sharp on the few that he did see. Won his eigth start in as many attempts to set a new career best.

Defense

Eaton: 6.5. Not one to pick up a bunch of points, but saw some powerplay time on the second unit and made it count, picking up a helper on Fedotenko's snipe.

Goligoski: 7. Bagged his second goal of the season off a beautiful feed from Crosby. Also had a nice defensive game when called upon, but his smooth outlet passes cut down on the time he spent in the defensive zone.

Gonchar: 7. Helped set up Malkin's powerplay goal, but strangely did not play the final period due to an "awkward injury". A cause for concern no doubt, but initially didn't appear to be anything serious.

Letang: 7.5. Two assists on the night and commonly carried the play into the offensive zone himself. Did a tremendous job on the man advantage. Gave the Blues no room or chance to set up shop while he was on the ice.

McKee: 8. Played a terrific game against his former team. Oddly enough, found himself playing offense more than defense and he was rewarded for his forechecking with a rare assist. Blocked four shots, nothing new there.

Orpik: 6.5. Rarely had much to do and almost had to go out of his way to hit someone.

Forwards

Adams: 6. Played an astronomical 16 minutes of ice time, nearly a full four minutes over his seasonal average.

Cooke: 8. Got a slick deflection goal, bagged an assist for his forechecking persistence, and took every possible opportunity to drive anyone in a white jersey into the boards.

Crosby: 8. The Blues had no answer for him all night. He had ample space on the ice anywhere he pleased, and was given the respect to make a number of incredible passing plays. Even did a little scrapping with David Backes. Oh, and he dominated in the faceoff circle, again.

Dupuis: 6.5. Had one goal for the evening. Get behind the Blues net and stay there. For the most part, he succeeded.

Fedotenko: 7.5. Broke out of a minor scoring funk, burying a smooth wristshot past Mason on the powerplay. The Ukrainian took his chances on net, firing a season-high five shots on net.

Godard: 6. Once again, had no real reason to get into a fight. But nearly had himself a goal on the doorstep.

Guerin: 5.5. Played a bit on the man advantage but also had stretches of time where he went missing completely. Not that he needed to score, with so many other players stepping up.

Kennedy: 7.5. Scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season off a ridiculous shot. He didn't score the game winner this time, but he started the scoring spree. A buzz-saw on the forecheck as always, combining perfectly with Staal and Cooke.

Kunitz: 6. Still has not scored this season, despite having a few chances. More importantly however, did his job to create space for Crosby.

Malkin: 9. Someone had his Wheaties this morning. Not only was a dominant offensive force, firing 12 pucks on net and scoring on the powerplay, but was a physical force as well with a handful of hits. Popped up all over the neutral zone, swiping the puck from unexpecting forwards.

Rupp: 6.5. A fairly quiet night after scoring goals in two consective games. Looked like the Blues didn't want any part of him along the wall.

Staal: 7. Made an effort to get the puck on net almost every time he touched it. That included bad angle shots and one-handers. Intercepted his fair share of passes at the red line and caused havoc in the offensive zone.

Class dismissed.

The Penguins will host the Florida Panthers on Friday night at the Igloo, a game that could potentially be Martin Skoula's debut in a Penguin uniform. Even if the injury to Gonchar is not anything serious, the Penguins were already looking for a chance to get Skoula into a game. This would be an ideal chance, simply to give a veteran like Gonchar a day off.

On a side note, the Penguins defense has not allowed more than two goals in a game since the win at Philadelphia. As the Panthers remain one of the least effective offensive teams in the conference, they will rely heavily on Tomas Vokoun.

Forward Penguins.

Throw in the Hats!: The 10 Different NHL Hat Tricks

Sergey Zikov — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:26:30 -0400

They say that all good things come in threes.

For any player that is able to earn himself three goals in a night, he also might just earn a shower of hats from the faithful fans. That is, if he has a great night in the right building.

But the privilege of hats is only granted to a select few players. Some players, by virtue of their role on a team, might never record a hat trick in their entire career. That hardly means their play is unworthy.

So let's look at some of the types of hat tricks in the NHL.

1. The Standard Hat Trick

Well, this one is easy enough. Drain three goals and let it rain!

2. The Gordie Howe Hat Trick

The one has been around since the Stone Age, but it has remained unchanged since then. You need a goal, an assist, and a scrap. It's a display of skill, finishing, and toughness.

Not for a player who doesn't like to roll around in mud or for the guy who might just leave his stick and gloves on the bench. Just in case. Are you up for Gordie's challenge?

3. The Mario Lemieux Hat Trick

Le Magnifique was not only one of the finest players to ever play in the NHL, but he was also wonderfully well rounded. He was a force in any situation. So, he was played in any situation. Bag an even strength goal, a power-play goal, and a short-handed goal. For Lemieux, no problem. Let's see it, sparky.

4. The Joe Thornton Hat Trick

You need a good partner for this hoe-down. Get three assists and you've got yourself a Thornton Hat Trick. Because you know you can't put the puck in the net yourself, the "A" is all you'll get. And maybe some celebratory hats.

5. The Alexander Ovechkin Hat Trick

Goals scored in a shootout have never counted towards a players' season total. Quite honestly, because if Marek Malik can score in the one-on-one dance, so can you. But no! Score two goals in regulation and add another in the shootout and you've got the Ovechkin hat trick. Now go jump into the glass like you'll never score again!

6. The Alexander Semin Hat Trick

Not to be confused at all with the Ovechkin trick, the Semin hat trick doesn't require you to give as much effort. Especially on defense. Score two goals and pretend like it's easier than walking, then take a lazy hooking penalty.

While your teammates are killing your two minutes in the sin bin, make sure to look around as if you're still confused why you're in the box.

7. The Dave Schultz Hat Trick

Every team needs a tough guy, and Schultz led the league in penalty minutes five different times. So what other way could there be? A minor penalty, a fighting major, and a game misconduct should do it. As you walk down the tunnel and the crowd fires hats onto the ice, make sure to give an opposing fan the one-finger salute.

8. The Colton Orr Hat Trick

The man will fight with anyone. But one man in particular is ideal. A point, a hit, and a fight with Eric Godard will do the trick. The hit will be easy. The point is a little more challenging. Finding Eric Godard is a piece of cake. En garde!

9. The Eric Godard Hat Trick

The man will fight with anyone. But one man in particular is ideal. A point, a hit, and a fight with Colto...wait a minute. Ah, never mind. You get the idea.

10. The Fourth-Liner's Hat Trick

When you aren't a playmaker, you play on the second line. When you aren't a sharpshooter, you play on the third line. When you aren't that great with skates or a stick, you play on the fourth line.

But never fear, you can still be useful-ish. Get credit for an own-goal, block a shot, and play under five minutes of ice time. Wait, that was your first career goal? Well here's that puck they put in their own net.

Bonus: The Pierre McGuire Hat Trick

This one is easy. Talk about the Red Wings, talk about Mike Babcock, and then talk about Ken Holland, all in less than 45 seconds. It has to be done during a Chicago Blackhawks game. Throw in a five-minute fighting major to complete the hat trick, because McGuire hates scrapping.

Any other ideas? Let's hear them!

Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 Tampa Bay Lightning: What Powder Blue Curse?

Sergey Zikov — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:23:42 -0400

To start the new season, a number of potential potholes faced the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Stanley Cup Hangover. Who, us? Not on our watch, Smithy.
The Four-Game Road Trip. Not a chance. No arch-rivals or Canadian visit is tripping this team up.
The Powder Blue Jerseys. Hmm...

When the Penguins announced 12 dates that they would be wearing the alternate powder blue jerseys, the decision was not only scrutinized but it was also an object of many jokes.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette poked fun at the jerseys, proclaiming "The Penguins announce 12 guaranteed losses".

Even Head Coach Dan Bylsma said while returning home after a long road trip can be a tricky scenario, wearing the powder blues would be a good thing because two negatives equal a positive.

If the Penguins and Marc-Andre Fleury wanted to keep the winning streak going, they would have to dispose of the Lightning.

The Penguins got out early, capitalizing on the first powerplay chance of the night. Evgeni Malkin's slapshot bounced right out to Bill Guerin, who only had to deposit the puck into a wide open cage. They needed to come out strong, and started the game by outshooting the Lightning 7-1.

Sergei Gonchar also had a dead accurate shot. He scored twice, or so it appeared. After further review, his second goal was deemed to have been redirected by the blade of Pascal Dupuis.

The Penguins also had an extended 5-on-3 towards the end of the second period, but the Lightning did a terrific job to kill off their disadvantage and keep themselves within striking distance.

That didn't last long.

After two consecutive kills to begin the third period, the Lightning finally started to get something going on offense. But the Penguins were quick to extinguish that. Dan Bylsma sent out his fourth line - sort of. The usuals, Rupp and Godard, were centered by none other than Sidney Crosby.

Crosby set up shop behind the Lightning net, then found Rupp in front of the cage. The veteran enforcer quickly surveyed his options and flicked it past Niittymaki for his second goal in as many games.

And just like that, the Penguins sent the sellout crowd home happy.

Goaltender

Fleury: 7. Seven wins, a score of seven. Never really faced any serious tests and the only goal he allowed was a fluke bounce matched with a fine finish from Stamkos. Made sure to give a lot of credit to the excellent defense in front of him.

Defense

Eaton: 6. Took one for the team on the penalty kill that left everyone in the building holding their breath. But he was just fine and finished off the game.

Goligoski: 6.5. Had some positives and some negatives. While his puck handling in the first 30 minutes was anything but stellar, he was a different player in the second half. His passing was superb, including a dazzling backhander at the blue line.

Gonchar: 8.5. Showed why he might just be the best powerplay quarterback in the entire league. Scored on a wristshot and appeared to score on a slapshot too, but still had a two point night. Was also +3 on the evening.

Letang: 6.5. Tremendous skating as usual, but may have been most impressive when he demolished James Wright in the corner at the end of the third.

McKee: 8. Blocked six shots in the final 8 minutes of the game. The Penguins were up 4-1 at the time. That's about all you need to know.

Orpik: 7.5. His hitting prowess was on full display, starting almost immediately as he rocked Steve Downie's world. Picked up a rare point in the first period.

Forwards

Adams: 5.5. Played a mostly quiet night of hockey, but did contribute a shade over 7 minutes of quality penalty killing time.

Cooke: 5.5. Another guy that never really got a chance to shine, with so many powerplay chances on both sides.

Crosby: 7.5. Before the game, he made it clear that it wasn't a big deal that he only had one assist on the season coming into the game. He added two more to that total, including a beautiful backhand pass to Rupp for the goal. Had a few moments on the powerplay when he might have been thinking too much about the pass and not taking a shot.

Dupuis: 6. Was credited with a goal in the second period, his first of the year. Also made his speed felt on a couple occasions, as the Lightning defensemen couldn't seem to catch up with him.

Fedotenko: 5. Had a pair of fine chances on the powerplay and couldn't make much of either one.

Godard: 5.5. What's there to do when there is nobody to fight? Hit guys and create space. He only played six shifts but managed to get a hit or draw a man to him on every one.

Guerin: 7. Scored one of the most challenging goals of his career in Ottawa a few nights ago. But tonight, he pocketed one of the easiest he will ever get. Potentially could have had two, but we won't get greedy.

Kennedy: 6. Made sure to shoot the puck almost every time he touched it. Oddly enough, only saw 10 minutes of ice time and no time on the man advantage.

Kunitz: 5. Nothing great, nothing bad.

Malkin: 7. Had a productive night shooting the puck. His first blast of the night created Guerin's goal. Had a bit of a controversial play as he bumped into Niittymaki on Dupuis/Gonchar's goal, but the referee deemed that it wasn't enough to take away the tally.

Rupp: 6.5. Scored his second goal in two games, this time getting an helper from Captain Crosby. It's a question that you never thought you'd have to answer. But can Crosby and Malkin turn the veteran into a 30-goal man?

Staal: 6. Contributed solid penalty killing time as usual and very nearly had a breakaway chance off Vinny Lecavalier's blunder at the point.

Well, the Big Black and Gold machine just keeps on rolling. And it doesn't matter if they're wearing powder blue. Next up for the Mighty 'Guins will be the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, regretfully a Versus broadcast.

The Penguins haven't seen much of the Blues in recent memory, but they face a pair of former teammates in Darryl Sydor and Ty Conklin.

Team Russia Olympic Stock Market Report: Proskuryakov Turns Up The Heat

Sergey Zikov — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:06:15 -0400

With roughly four months to go before the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, many questions remain unanswered in the form of the starting lineup. The top forwards are nearly set in stone, but who comes after that? Let's take a look.

Goaltending

For the foreseeable future, Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov is the No. 1 man unless he suffers an injury or his play drastically falls apart. While the second seems incredibly unlikely, stranger things have happened. He has hardly been terrible, but a 2.88 GAA is a little higher than he'd like it to be.

However, his sidekick Ilya Bryzgalov has been nothing less than a brick wall in net for the Coyotes. He has already recorded two shutouts in five games and leads all starting goaltenders with a minuscule 1.17 GAA. His 95 percent saves mark isn't too bad either. But if he wants the starting job, he'll have to keep that up all through the fall.

The third spot is not so clear.

Semyon Varlamov has been shaky at best in his three appearances and already allowed eight goals.

The only KHL goalie invited to camp, Alexander Eremenko, has hardly been able to replicate his successes from last year. He had a record of 27-6 and a 1.74 GAA in 36 starts for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in 2008-09, but he has already lost three games and hasn't been nearly as sharp.

But a new face that has emerged is 22-year-old Ilya Proskuryakov of Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The wonder kid has been as close to untouchable as you're going to get in a professional league. He's 12-2, has saved 94 percent of his shots faced, and has allowed one or less goals seven times.

While he continues to perform at that kind of level, he might just impress Slava Bykov enough to hand him the third goalkeeper job over Varlamov and Eremenko.

Defense

The obvious concern is with Andrei Markov. The veteran defenseman is scheduled to miss 3-4 months due to a tear in his ankle tendon and is questionable for the Olympics. If he is truly unable to play, the Russian blue line becomes even thinner.

The likes of Sergei Gonchar, Sergei Zubov, Anton Volchenkov, and Denis Grebeshkov are as good as locks. Several former NHL players now in the KHL, like Alexei Zhitnik, Oleg Tverdovsky, and Vitali Vishnevsky are also vying for spots.

There might just be an answer for Markov, however.

Denis Kulyash has had a phenomenal season with CSKA Moscow, leading all defensemen with nine points. He's a bit like Nashville's Shea Weber - he has a gigantic slap shot and is a physical presence on defense - but his skills are just not as refined as the All-Star Canadian. He didn't receive an invite to the initial camp, but with Markov out he might just be too good to pass up.

Forwards

Malkin, Ovechkin, Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, same old same old. Let's move on.

Finding skilled Russian forwards has never been a challenging task. It's finding a productive forward that can also play good two-way hockey.

Sergei Mozyakin was overlooked when the first training camp squad was named, but he has always been a solid player in the World Championships and is once again one of the league leaders in scoring for Atlant Moscow. Currently producing at over a point-per-game ratio, Mozyakin is half the reason why Atlant is having a decent offensive year.

But one major omission from the team has been Alexei Yashin.

The former Islander star is also having a great season for SKA St. Petersburg and has been a master in setting up plays. While the 35-year-old might not be able to give as many minutes as he used to, he is still one of the league leaders in assists despite barely seeing 15 minutes of ice time.

Tune back in next time for more updates on the Big Red Machine!

The "Defy Ordinary" Pittsburgh Penguins Need an Old Look to Match Style of Play

Sergey Zikov — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:43:55 -0400

What's in a uniform, exactly?

Since the Pittsburgh Penguins won their second consecutive Stanley Cup in 1992, the Penguins have skated in many different jerseys.

From the pigeon to the diagonal word "PITTSBURGH" and that awful black-and-silver bars sweater that has now become a symbol of the dark ages, the Penguins have seen as many uniform changes as any team in the league.

The Dark Ages.

However, the new era of Penguins brought out the old powder blues from the late 1960s for the NHL's Winter Classic a couple years ago and haven't looked back since. The item has become a big seller for the fans and the team itself added the blues as an official alternate Penguin sweater.

And as good marketing goes, the Penguins wore the alternate blues ten times during the 2008-09 season.

But very much like their predecessors who played to a god-awful mark of 20-45-11 in the powder blues, the current Penguins could only manage three victories out of the ten tries. The bad mojo forced the front office to scrap the final two dates and revert back to the primary home jerseys.

Whether the poor play was necessarily the jersey's fault or more evident of the coaching and injury woes, the record still stands.

And now, sitting pretty at 6-1-0 on the new season, the Penguins are scheduled to wear the powder blues for the first of 12 occasions this Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Almost guaranteed, there will be a large number of fans in the crowd sporting the same color jerseys or tee-shirts.

But while the blues are a hit with the fans, why rekindle a look that the Penguins couldn't wait to get away from in the '70s? Bring back the look of a champion!

Pittsburgh is a town of unity. Every sports team in town bears the colors of the flag, the black and gold forever. The Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins are unlike any other family of teams in the country in that regard. Powder blue is not a shade of black or gold.

Both the Steelers and Pirates also wear third jerseys. The Steelers do not wear the same jerseys as the ones from the glory years of the 1970s, but instead feature a similar block-style numbering. The Pirates, well, they have had days of honoring the "We Are Family" Bucs, but that hasn't worked out so well.

The Penguins however, are different from the others in one main area.

Their fans.

12,000 New Generation fans watching the Trib-Tron.

With the young superstars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, many high school and college students find it especially easy to connect with the Penguins. Tons of fans have bought their first Penguin jersey in the last year and proudly wear the numbers 87, 71 or 11.

But with many people only getting a first taste of hockey, the knowledge of Penguin history is fairly bare. They know that the Penguins won two consecutive Cups in the early '90s under Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. But they never got to experience the passion and excitement that those Penguins brought to the rink.

And that is were the older fans come in.

Fans that still own a Black and (not) Vegas Gold jersey. Fans that still wear a Zarley Zalapski "Who the heck is that?!" sweater to the Mellon Arena.

For an old-school coach with old-school style of grinding, blocking shots and playing fundamental hockey, the early '90s look would fit these "Defy Ordinary" Penguins perfectly. Well, there's no such thing as perfection, but we can come close enough.

While the vast majority of the post-lockout NHL is all about "Offense! Offense! Read all about it!", the new Penguins play with a distinct style that has early 1990s written all over it. The new Penguins are loaded with as much skill as any other team in the league, much like they were under Mario. But their defense and hard work brought the Cup to town, not scoring titles.

Forget about the powder blues. Leave those to the fans.

It doesn't matter if the Penguins play to a 10-0 or 0-10 record in them this season. Don't tell me that Crosby or Malkin wouldn't have the "look" wearing the same jerseys as Mario and Jagr. No, the Penguins can't bring the old magic back, but they can easily give the old sweaters to the new kids.

If the Mellon Arena is to receive a proper send-off, a special way to do it would be bringing the two generations of Penguins together while wearing the two jerseys that made each one a champion.

Carolina Hurricanes 2-3 Pittsburgh Penguins: ECF Rematch, Part One

Sergey Zikov — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:14:06 -0400

The last time the Penguins made their way to the RBC Center was on May 26, a day where they swept the Cardiac Canes out of the playoffs to capture their second straight Prince of Wales Trophy.

But that was then. The Hurricanes and Eric Staal are looking for some redemption after an embarrassing four game set with the Penguins. Eric had to sit in a corner while his younger brother Jordan enjoyed the Stanley Cup. If that doesn't light a fire under you, not much will.

Aside from the usual brother versus brother storyline, the two goaltenders needed to make a mark in hopes of making the Canadian Olympic roster.

The unbeaten Marc-Andre Fleury up against former Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward.

From the drop of the puck, the Canes buzzed around in the Penguins zone with a purpose, but had nothing going. A huge helmet-jarring hit on Kris Letang by Tuomo Ruutu brought the Carolina faithful to their feet, but the euphoria was short lived.

The Hurricanes, pressing up too far, allowed fourth line winger Mike Rupp to break in alone and break out a disgusting move, going forehand to backhand. "Those aren't the hands of a fourth liner, those are the hands of a 50-goal scorer!" exclaimed FSN color man Bob Errey.

The Hurricanes worst nightmare, Evgeni Malkin, struck four minutes into the second period, stunning Ward top shelf from an acute angle. The black and red might have signed up a few new defensemen, but they still don't want to defend against No. 71.

Two third period deflections from Ray Whitney evened up the contest, and the two squads headed to extra time once again. And the Penguins needed a shootout to preserve a perfect road trip, no problem there. Crosby and Kunitz snatched the extra point from the lion's mouth.

Goaltender

Fleury: 8.5. It's hard to say that a 6-0-0 record doesn't do a man justice. But he made every necessary save and was especially strong in the shootout, stopping four consecutive Hurricane shooters. His confidence is sky-high and so is his play.

Defense

Eaton: 6. A somewhat quiet night for the noted shot-blocker. Had a few moments of uncertainty, but he is better off not needing to constantly jump forwards.

Goligoski: 6.5. Delivered crisp and accurate passes nearly every time he had possession of the puck. Still has room for considerable improvement keeping the puck in the zone on powerplays.

Gonchar: 6.5. Made a few intelligent defensive plays and logged a game-high five minutes on the man advantage.

Letang: 6.5. Great skating. Kept his head on after getting eradicated by Ruutu.

McKee: 5.5. Saw a game low in ice time and only had a chance to be effective in the time that he was killing penalties. Tried to replicate Rob Scuderi's save in Game Six, but didn't find nearly as much success as "The Piece."

Orpik: 7. Seems to always excel against the Canes, who have held a hatred for him ever since he demolished Erik Cole. Blocked a handful of shots and heard the boos after hits.

Forwards

Adams: 6.5. The Penguins garbage man continues to do all the jobs nobody else wants to do. Always brings grit and heart to the ice.

Bourque: 5.5. Didn't see a ton of time, as he was filling in for enforcer Eric Godard. Showed a few moments of promise on the forecheck alongside Crosby or Malkin but was unable to create any offensive chances.

Cooke: 6. Stuck to his game of forechecking and hitting.

Crosby: 8.5. Watch out. Captain Crosby has another trick up his sleeves. He's now managed to add a one-timer from the side to his arsenal, a shot that he has worked on with master Sergei Gonchar. Had the Hurricane defense going in circles a few times and scored a beautiful goal in the shootout to keep it going.

Dupuis: 5. Picked up an assist on a give-and-go that lead to Malkin's goal, but that's about all he contributed.

Fedotenko: 5. Another mediocre performance where he has showed poor finishing. Continues to forecheck well but his only goal of the year came off a poor defensive play on Long Island.

Guerin: 6.5. Had a couple good looks at net, but none greater than his chance on the doorstep in the third period. All he needed to do was poke it into the half empty cage but Ward pulled off an incredible glove save to rob him.

Kennedy: 6.5. Forechecked well once again and fired his fair share of shots at Ward. But the Hurricanes netminder obviously saw what he did against Ottawa and was ready for his shot from the circle.

Kunitz: 7.5. Introduced himself to a few Hurricanes quite nicely, but made his biggest impact in the shootout, scoring the game-winner in the 6th round. He hasn't scored in regulation so far, but a shootout winner is nice too.

Malkin: 8.5. Paul Maurice had all summer to think about how to defend the Conn Smythe winner. But he and the Hurricanes still haven't got a clue. He set up Rupp on a breakaway and then blasted his third goal of the season in the second period. Came within a millimeter of ending the game in overtime as Ward barely got a piece of his snapshot.

Rupp: 7.5. He might not see a ton of ice time, but he sure knows how to use it. He has looked more comfortable in every additional game under Disco Dan's system. Scored his first goal in a Penguin uniform in spectacular fashion, leaving Ward in utter shock.

Staal: 6.5. Made his biggest contribution in the hitting department. But it would be nice to see him get an opportunity on the shootout.

The Penguins completed their best opening road trip in franchise history, going a perfect 5-0-0 away from Mellon Arena. Now, they get to enjoy the home cooking for the next five games, starting on Saturday when they host Ryan Malone and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Penguins will also wear their powder blue jerseys, to the dismay of many fans. As nearly everyone is aware, the retro look saw the Penguins play to a mark of 3-7 last season.

But at this point, it won't matter what jerseys Crosby, Malkin, or Fleury are wearing.

Ottawa Senators 1-4 Pittsburgh Penguins: A Game of Hits and Misses

Sergey Zikov — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:08:50 -0400

Any kid who has ever played the Milton Bradley game of "Battleship" knows that it's all about hits and misses.

Take your chances, hope that some luck is on your side and sink the five opposing ships before they can sink all of yours.

Quite a basic concept really.

While the game can be entertaining if the shots are going your way, it can turn quickly to frustration if the luck is lost and you can't hit any ships no matter how hard you try. But shooting all over the place trying to find that pesky Destroyer can make you lose all hope in winning.

That about paints the picture from tonight's clash at Scotiabank Place. The Penguins not only brought their desire and skill to the table, they were also aided by a few fortunate bounces off the end boards.

On the other hand, the Senators couldn't have hit the starboard side of the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they nearly missed more shots than the ones that actually got through on Marc-Andre Fleury. Despite scoring first, Alexei Kovalev missed a wide open net off a rush that was merely a preview of coming attractions.

Tyler Kennedy scored twice in the second period and nearly had the hat trick on a three-on-one in the third that forced a terrific save from Pascal Leclaire. And quite honestly, if Leclaire hadn't brought his "A" game to the arena, the Penguins could have scored six or seven.

After an uninspired five-on-three for the Senators that created exactly zero scoring chances, Senators tough guy Chris Neil attempted to stir the pot, but like the Senators powerplay, accomplished absolutely nothing.

Thank you very much for the two points.

Goaltender

Fleury: 8. Played a nearly flawless 60 minutes to run his record to 5-0 on the season.

Defense

Eaton: 7. Was a game-high +3 and contributed excellent defense on the penalty kill, blanking the Senators power play on four chances.

Goligoski: 6. Showed good awareness for a young defenseman but was never involved much in the offense. Saw spotted time on the man advantage and couldn't crack the aggressive penalty kill of the Sens.

Gonchar: 6.5. Played more time in his defensive zone than Dan Bylsma would have liked. Took one of the strangest penalties of the new season after jumping in to protect Fleury. Nearly cost the Penguins when he turned the puck over to Jarkko Ruutu to the right of Fleury.

Letang: 7. Has taken a deliberate stick to the face and had his finger bitten in the last two games, but played like nothing had ever happened. Showed why he is more elusive than a number of forwards on the ice.

McKee: 7. Leads both the Penguins and the NHL in blocked shots and did his work on the penalty kill.

Orpik: 5.5. Played an uneventful 19 minutes of ice time.

Forwards

Adams: 7.5. Ray Shero looks more and more like a genius with every game Adams plays. He kills penalties, hits, blocks shots, and wins faceoffs. He'll even get into a fight if necessary. Registered his first two points of the season by assisting on Kennedy's double.

Cooke: 6.5. Played a great defensive game once again. Also proved to be a forechecking menace along with Jordan Staal.

Crosby: 7. Was held point-less on the evening but that didn't stop him from doing other things. Had a breakaway chance in the second period, only to see his rising shot barely deflect off the glove of Leclaire. His new one-piece stick has granted him the confidence to take more shots.

Dupuis: 4.5. Gave the puck away on a couple different occasions and quite simply didn't play close to his best game.

Fedotenko: 5.5. Took a couple shots and got involved in a scrum, a rare sight to see No. 26 in the middle of some pushing and shoving.

Godard: 4. Saw four minutes of ice time and had no need to drop the gloves.

Guerin: 7. Made the most of his chance. Although he initially made a mess of the play, he calmly snatched the rebound off the boards and dumped it past Leclaire for his second goal of the season.

Kennedy: 8.5. His first goal came off a deflection from a Senator defenseman, but his second tally sure didn't. He broke in alone on the right wing and blasted a shot past Leclaire from the circle. Chances are, the confused Senator goalie probably never even saw the shot.

Kunitz: 6. Picked up a convenient assist on Guerin's goal and delivered a few bone-rattling hits. And as the great Bob Errey pointed out, Force = Mass x Acceleration, and Psycho Kunitz's acceleration is as good as anyone on the team.

Malkin: 6. "Geno" was also held point-less and shotless for most of the game, but made his presence felt on the back check, most notably stripping Kovalev of the puck on a Senator advantage. Paid a tribute to Christopher Columbus by attempting to navigate through every player on the ice wearing red.

Rupp: 6.5. Before the season, he pointed out that making the adjustment from a trap-style defense in New Jersey to the upbeat Penguins offense would take some work. His work paid off tonight, as he continues to look more and more comfortable on the forecheck. Picked up an assist on Staal's goal.

Staal: 8. Did a terrific job in the circle and scored his third goal in as many games. His goal came in typical Penguin fashion as his forecheck caused another turnover in the offensive zone.

Next up for the 5-1-0 Penguins are the Carolina Hurricanes, a team they last saw in the Eastern Conference Finals. Since the Penguins swept the Canes away, the Raleigh faithful will be looking for some vengeance. But the Hurricanes had struggled, especially defensively as they have allowed 17 goals in five games.

But I think one Evgeni Malkin might have something to do with the outcome on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Penguins 0-3 Phoenix Coyotes: Absolutely Nothing Doing

Sergey Zikov — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:53:48 -0400

Two games into the new season, the Penguins were on pace to go 82-0-0. It took a mere 40 seconds for that to change. Matt Cooke took an early interference penalty, starting a parade to the sin bin that saw the Penguins run up ten minors.

Evgeni Malkin got the gate for a double minor for a high-sticking that led to the Coyotes first goal, a blast from veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski. And while the Desert Dogs continued to stock up on powerplay chances, the Mellon Arena faithful sat on their hands waiting for anything positive to happen.

Down two-nil in the second period, the Penguins sustained a forecheck for over 45 seconds, and Alex Goligoski appeared to score.

The horn went off and the fans exploded, but immediately the goal was waved off because Cooke was heading to the box again after Jovanovski dropped to the ice easier than a house of cards.

After establishing a lead, the plot kept repeating itself like a bad nightmare. Bring the puck out of their own end, run into five Coyotes standing at the red line, and try to navigate through the trap only to have the puck stolen away and dumped back in to their own zone once again.

Lather, rinse and repeat.

On some nights in the Igloo, you can't hear yourself think. But tonight, the cotton candy man brought more excitement to the fans than the action on the ice.

Goaltender

Johnson: 6.5. A poor result was no indication of his personal performance. While Marc-Andre Fleury made a spectacular save on a two-on-one against the Rangers, Johnson made the play of the game to stonewall Shane Doan. Deserved much better, the forwards just gave him no support.

Defense

Eaton: 6. Did a decent job on the penalty kill, but just isn't Rob Scuderi.

Goligoski: 3.5. Apart from his disallowed goal, was by far the worst defenseman on the ice wearing black and vegas gold. Was never comfortable with the puck and made a number of poor passes that resulted in turnovers.

Gonchar: 5. The usually stout powerplay captain had nothing to work with and no chance to set anything up offensively.

Letang: 4. His atrocious giveaway with a minute left to play that led to an empty net goal put the finishing touches on an already disappointing night.

McKee: 5.5. Blocked a couple shots and saw over four minutes of penalty killing time, but that's about it.

Orpik: 4. Took an undisciplined penalty out of frustration that gave the Coyotes their second powerplay goal of the evening.

Forwards

Adams: 6. Played nearly half of his ice time - 5:12 to be exact - on the penalty kill.

Bourque: 6. Showed flashes of skill from time to time and also found himself playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin for a short while. But his Penguin career began when he wiped out on the forecheck in the first period, an awful omen.

Cooke: 3.5. Botched a breakaway chance after springing loose from the box, which turned out to be the Penguins best chance all night. Took three minor penalties, one which took away a would-be Penguin goal.

Crosby: 3. One of the worst performances he has ever turned in. Took several poor penalties, lost 71 percent of his draws and gave the puck away on counless occasions.

Dupuis: 5. Didn't see much ice time. When he did, he was on the PK like many others.

Fedotenko: 5.5. Created a nice scoring chance in the second period but should have took the shot himself instead of looking for the perfect play. However, showed few effects of any injury he might have sustained on Long Island.

Guerin: 3.5. As good as invisible.

Kennedy: 4. It's hard to produce when you're not on the ice. Only saw 12 minutes while his season average was nearly two minutes more.

Kunitz: 5.5. One of the more noticeable Penguins, but got himself in trouble more times than not trying to make things happen in traffic. Was not a force along the boards as he so often is.

Malkin: 4. Harassed all night long by Jovanovski, but made a mess of the few scoring chances he did get.

Rupp: 5. Did his best to get the crowd involved with big hitting, but it honestly just wasn't there.

Staal: 7. Dominant in the circle, winning 92 percent of draws. But he never had any help from his linemates. That didn't stop him from giving his best effort though.

Next up, the Penguins travel to the Wachovia Center to face the arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers. On one level, having a game the next day gives the Penguins the chance for instant redemption after a dreadful performance.

On another level, the Penguins need to find their grove in a hurry or they won't stand a chance in the City of Brotherly love.

Has the Naturalization of International Footballers Gone Too Far?

Sergey Zikov — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:55:51 -0400

In the modern era of football, the bronze doors of opportunity are open to players from all over the world. You see it constantly.

Brazilians playing in Russia. Greeks playing in England. Koreans playing in France. Cameroonians playing in Holland. You get the point.

But while the opportunities for club football are practically endless—though many national leagues enforce a limit on foreign players—international competition is a different beast altogether.

Historically, it was an incredibly simple concept. Play for the country that brought you into the world or don't play at all. It was a tremendous honour, the ability to represent your country with pride. The jersey and flag were sacred symbols that needed to be defended at all cost.

But in recent times, things have changed. Naturalization has brought a new element to the international stage.

While nearly every country has different regulations and requirements for naturalization, the motives are identical in every situation. Smaller nations or countries that have a glaring weakness to their roster now look to naturalization to fill certain holes.

Marco Senna for Spain. Mehmet Aurelio for Turkey. Eduardo for Croatia. Cacao for Germany. All four play an important role on their respective teams and all four share a bond, as each was born nowhere near Madrid, Istanbul, Zagreb, or Berlin respectively.

At first glance, they are all Brazilians. A common trend now, but certainly not the only one. Many players of African descent have found their way into assorted national teams.

Indeed, a Ghanaian-German defender, Jerome Boateng, is scheduled to make his international debut for Germany this weekend in a crucial showdown in Moscow.

But in some cases, the naturalization is easy.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic shares a Bosnian and Croatian background, but represents Sweden. Although his parents were anything but Swedish, he has lived in Malmo for the majority of his life and there was little doubt which colors he would wear.

However, the question remains, should naturalization be allowed? And to what extent is it too much?

That question has no answer in Moscow at the moment.

Young Brazilian-born striker Welliton Soares de Morais, more affectionately known as simply Welliton, has played the majority of his professional career with one of the most tradition-laden clubs in Russian history, Spartak Moscow.

Since joining Spartak in the summer of 2007, Welliton has blossomed into one of the finest strikers in the Russian Premier League. He has scored 16 goals in 23 matches to lead Spartak to second place in the table, good enough for a Champions League berth in 2010 if they should hang on.

Hi ho Silver!

But honestly, third place would get them in as well. Not like that's what Welliton and company are shooting for.

Back in 2007, Welliton didn't exactly arrive in Moscow with trumpets blaring. His decision to wear the No. 11 shirt made him an unpopular man with the fans, as the same number was worn by Spartak hero Andrey Tikhonov during the 1990s.

While he has grown on many fans since then, there are others who will never be impressed by the 22-year-old Brazilian.

On the eve of one of the most important matches in Russian football history, Welliton found a way to stir the pot and add another thought to the already cluttered brains of Guus Hiddink and his coaching staff.

"If I get the offer, I'd play for Russia," said Welliton during an interview with Sovietsky Sports.

Continuing on, he added "The [Brazil] national team coaches only pay attention to those playing in the top clubs, but I played for little-known Goias and had no chance of being scouted."

The interesting part was the timing. Recently, his fellow Brazilian teammate for Spartak, Alex, received a call-up to the Brazilian team for the qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela.

Welliton's desire to play on an international stage is clear, but when is naturalization too much? Russia have never fielded a naturalized player in over 80 years of competition. And there is no need for an additional striker, as the team features players such as Roman Pavlyuchenko, Alexander Kerzhakov, and Pavel Pogrebnyak.

While Welliton's Russian is good enough to spit out "Dobriy den! Kak dela?", he is hardly fluent in the language spoken by his comrades.

Most Russian fans are divided on the issue. While half the supporters agree that nationalization shouldn't happen because that is what club football is for, others feel that if others can do it and bolster their roster, why can't we?

So while the argument continues, the facts will remain the same.

Germany will come to Moscow most likely fielding a team with half the players coming from a different ethnic background. Russia will field a team of 11 born and bred Russians.

Should naturalization be acceptable for international football?

A Stanley Cup Hangover? It's Not on Sidney Crosby's Agenda

Sergey Zikov — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:59:22 -0400

Two games out of an 82-game schedule won't tell many tales about how good a team will actually be in the long run.

So a couple of early-season victories over New York for the Pittsburgh Penguins hardly prove that the 2009-10 edition will be a success. Or a failure, for that matter. In theory, the two wins are only good for one thing: the four points in the standings.

But for fans, the magic word of the first six and a half periods of hockey is resilience. The ability to recover.

Since the Penguins lost Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill, and Petr Sykora in free agency, hockey experts have been forecasting a Stanley Cup hangover for the champions.

And why not?

They have made two consecutive trips to the finals, a taxing journey that has left the Black and Vegas Gold with a pair of very short summer breaks. Over the past two years, the Penguins average 104 games per season. Or should we just say a lot of bruises and sore legs.

A poor run of pre-season results led to further belief in the hangover. The Penguins won a sum total of one pre-season game, not that it matters, but losing five straight games of any nature heading into the regular season is hardly ideal.

Then there was the groin injury to captain Sidney Crosby. Again. That damn groin.

But as he so often does, the King Penguin proved his critics wrong. He was not only on the ice in the first two games, but playing 20 minutes of ice time and putting pucks in the net.

There's no hangover on his agenda.

It's not like Penguins have been blasting teams away. They have won twice by a goal and needed a shootout to dispose of last year's basement dwellers. There have been stretches where the Penguins have played anything but great hockey.

Against the Rangers, they took a 3-1 lead into the third period. At the time, Dan Bylsma's squad was out shooting, out hitting, and outplaying the Blue shirts.

But the Rangers came out strong and cut the lead to one after new acquisition Marian Gaborik scored his first of the season.

With a Stanley Cup hangover, the Penguins would have allowed a tying goal in the next several minutes.

But no.

All of the pre-game hoopla and euphoria over raising a third Cup banner wasn't enough to take the Penguins focus off the task at hand. The crowd could also sense the momentum was slightly beginning to swing and got behind the home team.

The Penguins tightened up defensively and continued to push forward on offense like they were the ones going for a equalizing goal. Marc-Andre Fleury walled off the cage and preserved the victory.

The next night, the Penguins headed to Long Island, where 2009 first overall pick John Tavares made his NHL debut.

The atmosphere at the Coliseum was as electric as it's been since the 1980s. To make things worse, the Islanders scored on a deafening five-on-three advantage and Tavares scored his first goal.

But the Penguins tied the game at 2-2 in the third. That lasted 17 seconds.

On the next shot, Trent Hunter beat Fleury through a screen.

With a Stanley Cup hangover, the Penguins would have been stunned by the crowd and momentum going entirely against them.

But the captain and his mates kept pushing, and got another tying goal with less than four minutes to play. Ruslan Fedotenko, scrapping around the net like there's a minute left in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference finals and the Penguins are down a goal, took out the garbage and forced the game to overtime.

It's resilience, really.

Two games don't matter. But Crosby and the Penguins are already proving that what happened in the past will stay in the past. And even though every team will be gunning for them, the new 'Guins are up to the task.

New York Islanders 3-4 Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Two Ratings

Sergey Zikov — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:08:59 -0400

Not even 24 hours after the Pittsburgh Penguins recorded their first victory of the season, they headed to Long Island for a showdown with the new-look Islanders.

The Nassau Coliseum was full of emotion before the game, as the crowd was buzzing in anticipation for the debut of first overall pick John Tavares. But the Penguins planned on spoiling his first NHL game.

However, the Penguins came out flat in the first period. Despite Sidney Crosby scoring his second goal on a breakaway, the Mighty 'Guins gave up a five-on-three after Brendan Witt destroyed Ruslan Fedotenko.

The Penguins also allowed another powerplay goal in the second period, this time to Tavares. Assistant coach Mike Yeo was upset at the offensive performance, to say the absolute least. So, the Penguins came out flying in the third period, outshooting the Islanders 18-5. But Islanders netminder Dwayne Roloson stood tall, and the game went to overtime.

The two teams needed a shootout, but Crosby and Kris Letang made quick work of the Islanders and the Penguins walked away with two more points. So let's check the ratings.

Goaltender

Fleury: 7. The Flower allowed three goals, but none of them were exactly his fault. Two came on the powerplay, one with a two-man advantage, and the other while screened. Made a tremendous save on a breakaway from Tavares, a save that prevented the Islanders from going ahead by two.

Defense

Eaton: 8.5. An absolutely wonderful performance. Showed that he still has the playoff scoring touch and blocked seven shots. Also contributed four minutes on the penalty kill and helped keep the Islanders powerplay off the board in the final minutes.

Goligoski: 6. Played a considerable amount of powerplay and penalty killing time, but had numerous tense moments while taking the puck.

Gonchar: 7. Received a game-high 28 minutes of ice time and used it to deliver a handful of big hits. While not known for his hitting presence, he provided a physical edge. Also assisted on Fedotenko's late tying goal.

Letang: 7. Another solid game. Is improving defensively. Scored the opening goal in the shootout.

McKee: 2. Played two minutes before receiving a 10-minute game misconduct. After Brendan Witt went headhunting and hit Fedotenko, he jumped in to take matters into his own hands. His instigator gave the Islanders a five-on-three, which they scored.

Orpik: 6.5. Decent defensively. Should have scored.

Forwards

Adams: 6. Nothing bad, nothing good. Just did his job as a fourth line player. Saw some time against the Islanders top lines.

Cooke: 6.5. Led the team in shots and shots attempted. May have scored against a goaltender who wasn't as dialed in. Showed flashes of brilliance on the forecheck alongside Jordan Staal.

Crosby: 9. Couldn't have done much else right. Constantly put the Penguins in position by winning 17 faceoffs. Opened the scoring on a breakaway and ended the game in the shootout. The new stick has added a new dimension to his shot, and it has shown in the first two games.

Dupuis: 6.5. A somewhat productive game. Made a couple nifty plays on the penalty kill to keep the Islanders out of the zone and away from Fleury.

Fedotenko: 8. Made possibly the two most important plays of the game. First, he banked a pass from the defensive zone off the boards to hit Crosby in stride on a breakaway. Then he took a slapshot from Gonchar and deposited the garbage goal to tie the game late.

Godard: 4. Did next to nothing in terms of productive ice time, except for getting in the faces of a few Islanders. Had a few moments where it looked like he might drop the gloves, but it never happened.

Guerin: 6. Not a tremendously effective return to Long Island and took a questionable penalty with under three minutes to play in the third period that gave the Islanders a chance to win it in regulation.

Kennedy: 6.5. Was close to invisible in the first two periods, but became more effective with his speed when the Islanders began to wear down after defending so much. Saw extra time late with the Malkin line.

Kunitz: 6.5. Delivered the hit of the evening when he blasted Radek Martinek behind the net, a la Colby Armstrong.

Malkin: 7. Came on late when he made an incredible heads-up play in the corner to find Gonchar wide open. Sarge then delivered an unobstructed shot on net that Fedotenko buried.

Rupp: 5. Got into his first fight as a Penguin and that's about it.

Staal: 6.5. Was at his best on the penalty kill, but more importantly, started to see time on the first powerplay unit with Malkin and Crosby.

The Penguins will now have a four-day layoff before they face the Phoenix Coyotes at Mellon Arena on Wednesday. Dan Bylsma and the 'Guins will look to have a maximum six points when they head to Philadelphia on Thursday.

Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 New York Rangers: Opening Night Ratings

Sergey Zikov — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:09:43 -0400

Free ticket giveaways. The "Trib Tron" in action during the regular season. The last Opening Night at the Mellon Arena, also known well as the Igloo. And most importantly, raising a third Stanley Cup banner signaling a truly new generation of Penguin superstars.

It was a great night for hockey.

But despite all the pregame frivolities, the Penguins still had a game to win, as the division rival New York Rangers came to town looking to spoil the party.

Except Marc-Andre Fleury and the two-headed monster had other ideas. They had no intention of falling flat with a Cup hangover. Both hundred-point men scored and Fleury utterly robbed Vaclav Prospal on a two-on-one, bringing back memories of Game Seven against the Capitals.

Most importantly however, the Penguins held off a late Ranger rally for the two points, with the three stars all wearing black and gold (Crosby, Tyler Kennedy and Alex Goligoski). But let's give out some early grades.

All grades will be out of ten possible points, with ten being the optimal score.

Goaltender

Fleury: 7.5. The Flower never faced a whole ton of shots and couldn't have done much about the first Ranger goal. Made a highlight reel save on Prospal to keep a 1-1 score. Also made a few nice saves in the final period when the Rangers were pushing for a tying goal.

Defense

Eaton: 5.5. Nothing spectacular from the veteran, as there usually isn't. Blocked a few shots and was steady defensively for most of the evening.

Goligoski: 8. Looked like he had been playing on an NHL powerplay unit for years. Made a terrific passing play on Malkin's goal, but also showed excellent defensive abilities as well. Currently leads the Penguins in points after one game.

Gonchar: 6.5: His presence was felt almost immediately, as the Penguin powerplay clicked on its first opportunity. Appeared to score the first goal, but it was actually redirected in by Malkin. Disappeared for certain durations of time in the last two periods.

Letang: 7: Another defenseman who logged points, but he also paced the team in blocked shots, quite unusual for the offensive-minded Canadian. Had a healthy 19 minutes of ice time.

McKee: 6. A decent debut for the shot blocker extraordinaire. Got in the way of three shots but saw the least amount of ice time of any defender. Made a handful of intelligent defensive plays.

Orpik: 4.5. Never showed anything truly outstanding. Took two so-so penalties and was lucky the Rangers never capitalized on their advantages.

Forwards

Adams: 6. Did all the little things a fourth-liner needs to do. But should have scored. Instead, King Henrik made two incredible saves at point black range to keep the puck out and keep his team in the game.

Cooke: 6.5. Saw a good amount of penalty killing time and was instrumental in shutting out the Rangers powerplay.

Crosby: 7.5. Showed no effects of any groin problems whatsoever. Pulled off one of the more incredible spinning backhand shots imaginable and forced a superb save. Deposited his first tally of 2009-10 hanging out in front of the cage after a broken three-on-two. Also won a game-high 13 faceoffs.

Dupuis: 5.5. Started on a line with Malkin and Fedotenko but quickly proved that was a match destined to get broken up in the next few days.

Fedotenko: 6. Had a few chances, as just about anyone will playing with the Art Ross winner. Never helped the cause or hurt it.

Godard: 5. Spent a shade over three minutes on the ice, and half of that was spent fighting Donald Brashear. The fight itself was essentially a draw, he also got into a scrum with Brashear behind the Rangers net in the second period.

Guerin: 6. Assisted on Crosby's goal, but that was about it.

Kennedy: 8. A force every time he made his way onto the ice. Led the Penguins in shots and seemed to constantly pop up behind Ranger defensemen. Made a nice play to deflect in Goligoski's second period shot, whether he knew about it or not.

Kunitz: 8. A forechecking maniac all night long. Also delivered several bone-jarring hits in the offensive zone. Deserved at least a point for his efforts.

Malkin: 6.5: Showed terrific hand-eye coordination to deflect in the first goal of the new season. However after that, he tried to do too much by himself, holding the puck too long or trying to beat three defenders at a time.

Rupp: 5: Didn't see a whole ton of playing time, only beat out Eric Godard in that category. But he absolutely destroyed defenseman Michal Rozsival in the offensive zone.

Staal: 7. Showed his penalty killing prowess once more, but his powerplay time also saw growth. Coming into his own as a forward and went end-to-end with a display of power and agility.

The Penguins head to Long Island where they take on the New York Islanders tomorrow at 7pm Eastern. First overall pick John Tavares will be making his NHL debut and the Stanley Cup champions plan to crash the party at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum.