Not your typical Flyers

Since the 1994-95 season, the Philadelphia Flyers have missed the playoffs just once. In this decade they’ve won at least 40 games a season seven times.

Philadelphia Flyers (15-15-1, 31 pts.) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-10-1, 45 pts.)

So when Philadelphia visits Mellon Arena tonight for the first of back-to-back games against the Penguins, it might have a little bit different of a feel, considering the Flyers are currently tied at the bottom of the Atlantic Division out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

To summarize the recent Flyers’ free fall, John Stevens was fired on Dec. 4 with a record of 13-11-1 and the Flyers have gone 2-4-0 under new coach Peter Laviolette. Starting goaltender Ray Emery underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn muscle in his lower abdomen and will be out of the lineup for six weeks — an injury the organization was aware of but tried and failed at rehabilitating, leading to his current state.

Defenseman Braydon Coburn is currently walking around in a boot and is a longshot to start for a Philly team that has been outscored 20-13 in its last six games. Fans are questioning the team’s identity and feel they play without a sense of purpose.

Expect a desperate, frustrated and possibly angry group tonight.

Crosby will play tonight vs. Canes

The Pittsburgh Penguins experienced a first Monday morning, as every single player on the roster participated in the morning skate.

Carolina Hurricanes (6-17-5, 17 points) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-9-1, 41 points)

Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Alex Goligoski all recently missed games to injury, but joined the rest of the team on Mellon Arena ice this morning. For a team that has suffered through a slew of injuries to key players at seemingly every position, it’s a big and positive step forward.

Crosby announced after the skate that he will play. He said the pain in his groin is gone and he’s fine to return to the lineup.

“I’m in,” Crosby said. “I’ve had a good couple days of rest and got it worked on. There’s no more pain. That’s all I really wanted to get rid of. I can deal with it right now.”

Kunitz and Goligoski are a longshot to play tonight. Today was their first time back skating and players rarely appear back in game situations that quickly.

Pens aim for better start Saturday

The Penguins were, admittedly, a bit sluggish in the opening two periods of Thursday night’s 4-1 win against Colorado.

Chicago Blackhawks (17-6-3, 37 points) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (20-9-0, 40 points)

Even though they outshot the Avalanche, the Penguins were outplayed and outpaced for much of the opening two frames. A goal with seven seconds left in the first period allowed them to get on the board and a errant whistle in the second negated a Colorado goal to keep the game tied, 1-1, going in to the third.

“I don’t think we were happy with our game the first two periods,” Bill Guerin said Thursday. “We didn’t get to our system, to our style of play. In the third period we made a conscious effort to do it.”

Good teams can get away with that and win when playing opponents that aren’t stout defensively — such as Colorado’s and its goals against total, which stands at 93 this year. However, when the Chicago Blackhawks visit Mellon Arena Saturday, the Penguins likely won’t have that same benefit.

Previewing Game 3: Pens vs. Coyotes

When the 2009-10 schedule came out, this game probably wasn’t one you looked at and said, “Man, that will be a good one.”

Phoenix Coyotes (1-0-0) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0-0)

However, after Phoenix’s 6-3 win at Los Angeles — a team expected to be much improved this season — the Coyotes should give the Penguins a tough test in just their third game of the season.

As we all know, Phoenix is right where the Penguins were not too long ago — fighting to complete on the ice while fighting to stay put off it. The Coyotes’ future might be more up in the air than the Penguins’ ever was.

After one game, it appears the on-ice fight might be one they can win this year.

Banner raised, Pens win

It was what we all expected it to be: a monumental night.

Penguins 3 – Rangers 2

Win or lose, this game and night would have been a victory. Watching the banner raised to the rafters in the Mellon Arena brought everything full circle. The 3-2 win just added extra.

Max Talbot’s ovation, Marc-Andre Fleury’s ovation, Sid’s, Geno’s … getting to cheer for the guys on home ice was what everyone needed to finally call it a season.

As for the game itself, the Penguins looked solid. With it being the first game, no one knows how either the Pens or Rangers will turn out. We don’t know their identities, tendencies or strengths.

What came from watching both teams play was just a jumble of thoughts…

Game #1: Rangers vs. Pens

Well, the not-so-long wait is over, folks.

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Is it just me, or does it feel like we were tailgating outside of the Igloo a week ago? Wasn’t I just embracing complete strangers at Mario’s in the Southside after winning in Game 7?

Well, it’s been almost four months (112 days) since the Penguins hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup and the season begins tonight as they raise their Stanley Cup banner, playing the Rangers at Mellon Arena in the opening game of their 2009-10 season. The Rangers were a team that played well against the Pens in 2008-09 and with winger Marian Gaborik on board, have a lot of potential.

As always under GM Glen Sather, their big question is, can they live up to that potential?

It’s funny, though, because few remember how much the Rangers actually helped the Penguins on their journey to Stanley Cup glory. Let’s take a trip back to Saturday April 11, 2009, and I’ll explain…

Penguins names forever engraved, receive rings

Two more honors that go to the Stanley Cup champions occurred as the Pittsburgh Penguins received their championship rings and saw their names engraved for eternity.

The rings were presented Tuesday night, with the banner-raising ceremony before Friday’s home opener being the final event for the Stanley Cup champions. The Penguins names will remain on the Cup for 61 years. After that, the ring with their names will be removed and sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The celebrating is almost over folks. Once that banner finds a spot in the rafters at Mellon Arena, it’s back to work.

More pictures, click read more …

Our Igloo, our home

If you haven’t seen this video yet, it’s a great way to get ready for the upcoming season for the Penguins — the last ever in Mellon Arena.

Wouldn’t it be nice to raise the Stanley Cup on home ice for the first time ever in the last season at the Mellon?

The long journey starts soon!

—

Chris | PPT

Honorable Mention — Winter Classic

Everyone watching the game got a special feeling when Ty Conklin stopped Buffalo’s third shooter, Maxim Afinogenov, sending Sidney Crosby to center ice with the game on his stick.

I turned to my friends and said, “if Sid scores, this is everything Gary Bettman could have ever dreamed of.”

It was theater to the 10th degree.  I hate using a Pierre MacGuire saying, but it’s true.  The game was like the NHL’s Super Bowl and the league’s Tom Brady had one last drive to win the game.

Crosby took the puck, skated in on Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, slowly drove in and, at the last second, fired the puck between Miller’s legs to win the game.  It was the beginning of something special for the Penguins.  It was a kick start to the first Stanley Cup Finals appearance for Pittsburgh since 1992.  Lastly, it gave tons of Penguins fans, and the nation, a glimpse of how exciting the new style of NHL play could be.

Minor league moves

Guenin

There were other moves within the Penguins’ organization yesterday, June 3.

The Penguins signed Nate Guenin, a defensemen formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers, and saw Chris Minard and Jeff Taffe leave for greener pastures.

Minard was signed by Edmonton while Taffe signed with Florida.  The terms of both contracts are unknown at this point.

Both were leaders on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season and vital parts of their offensive attack.  It will have great effects for the Pens’ AHL affiliate.  However, they will have a much better chance at making it in the league with their new teams.