Just wanted to share a video in case you haven't seen it. This happened in Minnesota and involved Vancouvers Rick Rypien and a fan. The fan in this case was clapping that Rypien got tossed out of the game, and well, you watch. If you were the comish, what would you do with Rypien?
UPDATE: Rypien's punishment has been handed out today by the NHL. He has been suspended 6 games. I believe this amounts to a slap on the wrist. I was looking more for 10-20 games.
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Goalie Controversy? Not according to Coach Bylsma
I was just checking out the practice report on the Penguins Official Website. There is an interview with Coach Bylsma conducted after the practice. This is what Coach had to say concerning Marc Andre Fleury....
On having two good goaltenders:
"Brent has come in and played really well and has been outstanding for us. He got an opportunity to play an extra game or two because he’s been going so well. But there’s a ton of games left and Marc-Andre Fleury is going to be the guy who’s going to play 60-plus games for us. He’s going to get back in there, and we know he’s going to play really well for us. So it’s great to be able to have Johnson go in and play really well for us and go in and get some wins. But we all know that Marc is going to do the same for us."
On if he is just going with the hot goaltender:
"In this situation, Johnny played really well, and we went with the guy who has been winning some games for us. It hasn’t been that way all the time, but it was in this case. But again, Flower’s going to play 60-plus games and win a lot of hockey games for us. The way Johnny has played is that he stepped in and won some games for us, so we know that when he goes in there he’s going to give us a great game. "
On if Fleury will play during the upcoming road trip:
"We will see Marc back this road trip. "
So although Brent Johnson has clearly outplayed Fleury to start the season, which lead to Coach Bylsma calling Fleury out publicly, the Coach is now showing some love and confidence in the Flower. In many fan circles, Fleury has already been buried. And I cant say he doesnt deserve some of it. He is coming off a subpar season and did not look good in his first 3 games this year. However, Fleury has always been a little streaky and has shown he has what it takes to win the cup. We may have to live with the soft goals now and then. We also have come used to the spectacular saves that seem to happen at least once a game. Fleury is our goalie. At 25, he should be entering his prime. He will be fine. Bylsma knows it, the team knows, I know it!
On having two good goaltenders:
"Brent has come in and played really well and has been outstanding for us. He got an opportunity to play an extra game or two because he’s been going so well. But there’s a ton of games left and Marc-Andre Fleury is going to be the guy who’s going to play 60-plus games for us. He’s going to get back in there, and we know he’s going to play really well for us. So it’s great to be able to have Johnson go in and play really well for us and go in and get some wins. But we all know that Marc is going to do the same for us."
On if he is just going with the hot goaltender:
"In this situation, Johnny played really well, and we went with the guy who has been winning some games for us. It hasn’t been that way all the time, but it was in this case. But again, Flower’s going to play 60-plus games and win a lot of hockey games for us. The way Johnny has played is that he stepped in and won some games for us, so we know that when he goes in there he’s going to give us a great game. "
On if Fleury will play during the upcoming road trip:
"We will see Marc back this road trip. "
So although Brent Johnson has clearly outplayed Fleury to start the season, which lead to Coach Bylsma calling Fleury out publicly, the Coach is now showing some love and confidence in the Flower. In many fan circles, Fleury has already been buried. And I cant say he doesnt deserve some of it. He is coming off a subpar season and did not look good in his first 3 games this year. However, Fleury has always been a little streaky and has shown he has what it takes to win the cup. We may have to live with the soft goals now and then. We also have come used to the spectacular saves that seem to happen at least once a game. Fleury is our goalie. At 25, he should be entering his prime. He will be fine. Bylsma knows it, the team knows, I know it!
good, great, and greatest Penguins news
I'm a day late on this one. My work and personal schedule this week is pretty demanding. The Penguins had 3 pieces of great news yesterday at practice. One even surprised his teammates.
The good news is Aaron Asham was back on the ice practicing. Asham has had a shoulder injury since the Oct. 1 exhibition against Chicago. He has yet to play a regular season game with the Penguins. You should be able to count on 10 or so goals for Asham this year and a physical gritty play. Before the injury, he was paired on a 3rd line with Cooke and Talbot. It will be interesting to see how he fits in and who must go when he does return. He is targeting a return in the next week.
The great news from yesterday is that Brooks Orpik returned to practice. Orpik has been out with a groin injury since Oct 9. He did play in the Pens first 2 games. The injury is something that has bothered him since earlier in training camp. Hopefully this layoff gave the groin time to heal and strengthen. Orpik is a rugged blueliner. He was slated to play along with Michalek and be the Pens shutdown defense duo. With Michelek still out for a couple to several weeks, Orpik will have to find a new partner. Orpik may be back as early as Thursday against Nashville
The greatest Penguins news of the day yesterday came when Jordan Staal skated out with the rest of the team for practice. Staal had been skating before practice for the last week. From the reports, Staal looked great. He has not practiced or played a game for 6 months. He has been hassled by foot surgery which then became infected. Conditioning has to be an issue but Staal is young(22 years old) and has shown to be in excellent health and able to rebound in the past. Prior to the start of this season, Staal had never missed a regular season game due to injury in his NHL career. Staal was a finalist last year for the Selke trophy, which is given to the NHL's best two way defensemen. This year, there are big expectations of Staal's line. Evgeni Malkin has moved from center to wing to make room for Staal to move up from a 3rd line center to 2nd line. Staal scored 29 goals in his rookie season, mostly playing with Malkin. Staal admits he may need a couple more weeks to work on some things before being game ready, but joked "I think I could play tomorrow". Maybe not tomorrow, but Staal will be back soon and the club will be getting one heck of a player back.
The good news is Aaron Asham was back on the ice practicing. Asham has had a shoulder injury since the Oct. 1 exhibition against Chicago. He has yet to play a regular season game with the Penguins. You should be able to count on 10 or so goals for Asham this year and a physical gritty play. Before the injury, he was paired on a 3rd line with Cooke and Talbot. It will be interesting to see how he fits in and who must go when he does return. He is targeting a return in the next week.
The great news from yesterday is that Brooks Orpik returned to practice. Orpik has been out with a groin injury since Oct 9. He did play in the Pens first 2 games. The injury is something that has bothered him since earlier in training camp. Hopefully this layoff gave the groin time to heal and strengthen. Orpik is a rugged blueliner. He was slated to play along with Michalek and be the Pens shutdown defense duo. With Michelek still out for a couple to several weeks, Orpik will have to find a new partner. Orpik may be back as early as Thursday against Nashville
The greatest Penguins news of the day yesterday came when Jordan Staal skated out with the rest of the team for practice. Staal had been skating before practice for the last week. From the reports, Staal looked great. He has not practiced or played a game for 6 months. He has been hassled by foot surgery which then became infected. Conditioning has to be an issue but Staal is young(22 years old) and has shown to be in excellent health and able to rebound in the past. Prior to the start of this season, Staal had never missed a regular season game due to injury in his NHL career. Staal was a finalist last year for the Selke trophy, which is given to the NHL's best two way defensemen. This year, there are big expectations of Staal's line. Evgeni Malkin has moved from center to wing to make room for Staal to move up from a 3rd line center to 2nd line. Staal scored 29 goals in his rookie season, mostly playing with Malkin. Staal admits he may need a couple more weeks to work on some things before being game ready, but joked "I think I could play tomorrow". Maybe not tomorrow, but Staal will be back soon and the club will be getting one heck of a player back.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Who is Brent Johnson?
We all know Brent Johnson is supposed to be Marc Andre Fleury's backup. We also know that Johnson has outplayed Fleury to this point and has put up the following numbers..
4 wins, no loses
1.49 GAA
9.50 save%
So who is this guy and where did he come from?
Brent Johnson was born in 1977 and is 33 years old. He stands 6'3" and weighs 199. He was born in Farmington, Michigan. Brent Johnson was drafted in the 5th round, 129 overall by Colorado in 1995. He played junior hockey for the Owen Sound Platers of the OHL. In 97-98, he moved up to the Worcester Ice Cats of the AHL. He began his NHL career with the St Louis Blues in 98-99. He was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in 03-04. He was signed by Vancouver before the 03-04 season but claimed off waivers by the Washington Capitals soon after. On July 21, 2009 Johnson was signed to a 1 year contract as a free agent to back up Fleury. This past April he was signed to a 2 year extension which runs through the 11-12 season. Johnsons grandfather was Sid Abel, who is in the Hall of Fame. Abel played 41 games for the Pittsburgh Hornets in 38-39 before going on to the Detroit red Wings. There he played along side Gordie Howe and won 3 Stanley Cups. His father also had Pittsburgh ties. His name is Bob Johnson(not Badger Bob). He was a goaltender and had a brief stint with the Penguins in 74-75.
Here are Johnsons career statistics:
So is he the real deal or just a flash in the pan who is having a hot streak right now?
Well, as you can see from his career stats, he has shown flashes of better than average goaltending. 00-01 and 01-02 with the Blues come to mind. He has also had a couple rough season, 05-05 and 06-07 with the Capitals bear this. He has tremendous size for a goaltender at 6'3". He has quick legs and is good getting pucks out of the crease. His glove hand appears solid. For his age and size, he appears to be very quick and can go post to post with ease. His long legs are an asset as he has made several spectacular saves stretching out.
We all know how hockey can be, especially goaltending. One day you're the hero, next day you are the goat(just ask Fleury). Right now, Johnson is the hero. Whether he can sustain this play is really not known. His highest amount of games played was in 01-02 when he played 58. He did finish 34-20-4 with a 2.18 GAA. Thats very good but also almost 10 years ago. One thing is clear, Johnson is very capable. He is someone who the team can count on when needed. He has proved that. Marc Andre Fleury was, is, and still will be this teams franchise goalie. Fleury will get chances to redeem himself. But if Fleury does falter, we all can breath a little easier knowing Brent Johnson is there to back him up.
4 wins, no loses
1.49 GAA
9.50 save%
So who is this guy and where did he come from?
Brent Johnson was born in 1977 and is 33 years old. He stands 6'3" and weighs 199. He was born in Farmington, Michigan. Brent Johnson was drafted in the 5th round, 129 overall by Colorado in 1995. He played junior hockey for the Owen Sound Platers of the OHL. In 97-98, he moved up to the Worcester Ice Cats of the AHL. He began his NHL career with the St Louis Blues in 98-99. He was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in 03-04. He was signed by Vancouver before the 03-04 season but claimed off waivers by the Washington Capitals soon after. On July 21, 2009 Johnson was signed to a 1 year contract as a free agent to back up Fleury. This past April he was signed to a 2 year extension which runs through the 11-12 season. Johnsons grandfather was Sid Abel, who is in the Hall of Fame. Abel played 41 games for the Pittsburgh Hornets in 38-39 before going on to the Detroit red Wings. There he played along side Gordie Howe and won 3 Stanley Cups. His father also had Pittsburgh ties. His name is Bob Johnson(not Badger Bob). He was a goaltender and had a brief stint with the Penguins in 74-75.
Here are Johnsons career statistics:
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | Owen Sound Platers | OHL | 18 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 904 | 95 | 0 | 4.98 | — |
| 1995–96 | Owen Sound Platers | OHL | 58 | 24 | 28 | 1 | 3211 | 243 | 1 | 4.54 | — |
| 1996–97 | Owen Sound Platers | OHL | 50 | 20 | 28 | 1 | 2798 | 201 | 1 | 4.31 | .891 |
| 1997–98 | Worcester Ice Cats | AHL | 42 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 2240 | 119 | 0 | 3.19 | .899 |
| 1998–99 | Worcester Ice Cats | AHL | 49 | 22 | 22 | 4 | 2925 | 146 | 2 | 2.99 | .896 |
| 1998–99 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 286 | 10 | 0 | 2.10 | .921 |
| 1999–00 | Worcester Ice Cats | AHL | 58 | 24 | 27 | 5 | 3319 | 161 | 3 | 2.91 | .911 |
| 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 31 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 1744 | 63 | 4 | 2.17 | .907 |
| 2001–02 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 58 | 34 | 20 | 4 | 3491 | 127 | 5 | 2.18 | .902 |
| 2002–03 | Worcester Ice Cats | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 125 | 8 | 0 | 3.84 | .880 |
| 2002–03 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 38 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 2042 | 85 | 2 | 2.47 | .900 |
| 2003–04 | Worcester Ice Cats | AHL | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 365 | 14 | 0 | 2.30 | .910 |
| 2003–04 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 493 | 20 | 1 | 2.43 | .901 |
| 2003–04 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 486 | 21 | 0 | 2.59 | .914 |
| 2005–06 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 26 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 1413 | 81 | 1 | 3.43 | .905 |
| 2006–07 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 30 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 1644 | 99 | 0 | 3.61 | .889 |
| 2007–08 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.04 | .925 |
| 2007–08 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 19 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1032 | 46 | 0 | 2.67 | .908 |
| 2008–09 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 902 | 37 | 0 | 2.46 | .908 |
| 2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 23 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1,108 | 51 | 0 | 2.76 | .906 |
| NHL totals | 270 | 121 | 100 | 31 | 14872 | 655 | 13 | 2.62 | .903 | ||
So is he the real deal or just a flash in the pan who is having a hot streak right now?
Well, as you can see from his career stats, he has shown flashes of better than average goaltending. 00-01 and 01-02 with the Blues come to mind. He has also had a couple rough season, 05-05 and 06-07 with the Capitals bear this. He has tremendous size for a goaltender at 6'3". He has quick legs and is good getting pucks out of the crease. His glove hand appears solid. For his age and size, he appears to be very quick and can go post to post with ease. His long legs are an asset as he has made several spectacular saves stretching out.
We all know how hockey can be, especially goaltending. One day you're the hero, next day you are the goat(just ask Fleury). Right now, Johnson is the hero. Whether he can sustain this play is really not known. His highest amount of games played was in 01-02 when he played 58. He did finish 34-20-4 with a 2.18 GAA. Thats very good but also almost 10 years ago. One thing is clear, Johnson is very capable. He is someone who the team can count on when needed. He has proved that. Marc Andre Fleury was, is, and still will be this teams franchise goalie. Fleury will get chances to redeem himself. But if Fleury does falter, we all can breath a little easier knowing Brent Johnson is there to back him up.
Pens vs Sens thoughts and some good Penguins stats
I did not get to see any of the game last night. Damn work schedule! I did catch some on the radio. It sounds as though I missed a pretty good one. The power play was 2-3. Crosby and Malkin both score. Letestu continues his amazing rookie start. Gogo adds another point.
Sergie Gonchar did not fair too well last night. He was on the ice for all 5 Penguins goals. I loved Gonchar while he was here but I am very glad the Pens decided to go another direction. Gonch is clearly winding down his career. I'm sure he has a lot of hockey left and he will have moments where his skill shines, but the Penguins now are younger, faster, and better. If Goligoski can continue his progression, the Pens will not miss a beat.
.
Brent Johnson continued to shine, stopping 32 of 34 shots. I am going to do a piece on him later. Where did this guy come from? Is he just hot or is he the real deal?
Last night was only the 2nd time this year that the Penguins got outshot and outhit. Ironically, the Pens have won both games. The other being against New Jersey.
Here are some interesting stats so far this season...
Sergie Gonchar did not fair too well last night. He was on the ice for all 5 Penguins goals. I loved Gonchar while he was here but I am very glad the Pens decided to go another direction. Gonch is clearly winding down his career. I'm sure he has a lot of hockey left and he will have moments where his skill shines, but the Penguins now are younger, faster, and better. If Goligoski can continue his progression, the Pens will not miss a beat.
.
Brent Johnson continued to shine, stopping 32 of 34 shots. I am going to do a piece on him later. Where did this guy come from? Is he just hot or is he the real deal?
Last night was only the 2nd time this year that the Penguins got outshot and outhit. Ironically, the Pens have won both games. The other being against New Jersey.
Here are some interesting stats so far this season...
- The Pens lead the East in goals with 23
- They are 3rd in the league in major penalties
- They are tied for first in the league for most power play goals with 8
- They lead the league for most power play opportunities with 40. The next team has 32
- They are 4th in the east with a 20% power play
- Crosby is 4th in the league with 8 points, 3 behind the leader...Marian Hossa...ugh!
- Kris Letang is tied for 2nd in the league with a +7
- Crosby leads the league with 3 power play goals
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pens vs Sens 10-18-10
Sorry, not much time today. It has been announced that Brent Johnson will be starting tonight against the Senators. Coach Bylsma continues to play the hot hand and send Fleury a message.
All injured players, Orpik, Asham, and Michalek, Staal all skated today before the morning skate. None are going to be in the lineup tonight.
This will be the first time Sergie Gonchar will face the Penguins since leaving via free agency. Gonchar has struggled so far this season with only 1 assist. The Sens power play has been awful, coverting only 1 of 20 chances. Other ex Penguins in the Senators lineup include Alex Kovalev and Jarko Ruutu.
The Senators are 1-3-1 on the year and lost their last game 4-3 to the Canadiens Saturday.
I'll try to update later if possible but looks like I will be pretty busy today
All injured players, Orpik, Asham, and Michalek, Staal all skated today before the morning skate. None are going to be in the lineup tonight.
This will be the first time Sergie Gonchar will face the Penguins since leaving via free agency. Gonchar has struggled so far this season with only 1 assist. The Sens power play has been awful, coverting only 1 of 20 chances. Other ex Penguins in the Senators lineup include Alex Kovalev and Jarko Ruutu.
The Senators are 1-3-1 on the year and lost their last game 4-3 to the Canadiens Saturday.
I'll try to update later if possible but looks like I will be pretty busy today
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Tale of 2 Captains..Mike Richards crying foul
Last night the Penguins took it to the Flyers. They outplayed them, won the battles, out physicalled them, had better goaltending, and played smarter hockey. The final score reflected it..5-1 Pens. So what do you think Flyers Captain Mike Richards had to say after the game? Maybe he gave the Penguins credit? Maybe he agreed the Pens played a solid game? Nope! Richards proceeded to cry about the officiating and specifically Matt Cooke.
Lets compare this to the Pens Captain and leader, Sidney Crosby. After the season opener in which the Flyers beat the Penguins, 3-2, this is what Crosby had to say...
"We hit some posts, took some shots he didn't see. We did some good things. You want to win the first one, every guy in here wants to, everyone that came tonight wanted to see us win it. But that's the game. It's unfortunate."
Now that is a leader. He pointed out the good things and tried to find something to build on. He didnt slam the Flyers. He didnt blame the refs. He didnt make excuses.
Mike Richards took the other road. He claims he chased Matt Cooke around last year wanting to fight but when Matt Cooke called him out last night, Richards wanted nothing to do with him. His reasoning was..when Sidney Crosby fights Daniel Carcillo, he will fight matt Cooke. Well, Richards, dont flatter yourself. NOone will EVER mistake you for Sidney Crosby. You are not even in his league!
Richards on the penalties the Flyers took and specifically about Lovejoy..."It's tough when you play Pittsburgh. You know they are going to be falling down pretty easy"...Well Richards, lets see if you fall down when someone jams their stick blade into you mid section.
So while Richards might be fueling the fans in Philly and making excuses, he is the captain of the team and the supposed leader. It's time to stop making excuses
Lets compare this to the Pens Captain and leader, Sidney Crosby. After the season opener in which the Flyers beat the Penguins, 3-2, this is what Crosby had to say...
"We hit some posts, took some shots he didn't see. We did some good things. You want to win the first one, every guy in here wants to, everyone that came tonight wanted to see us win it. But that's the game. It's unfortunate."
Now that is a leader. He pointed out the good things and tried to find something to build on. He didnt slam the Flyers. He didnt blame the refs. He didnt make excuses.
Mike Richards took the other road. He claims he chased Matt Cooke around last year wanting to fight but when Matt Cooke called him out last night, Richards wanted nothing to do with him. His reasoning was..when Sidney Crosby fights Daniel Carcillo, he will fight matt Cooke. Well, Richards, dont flatter yourself. NOone will EVER mistake you for Sidney Crosby. You are not even in his league!
Richards on the penalties the Flyers took and specifically about Lovejoy..."It's tough when you play Pittsburgh. You know they are going to be falling down pretty easy"...Well Richards, lets see if you fall down when someone jams their stick blade into you mid section.
So while Richards might be fueling the fans in Philly and making excuses, he is the captain of the team and the supposed leader. It's time to stop making excuses
Pens vs Flyers thoughts..Its about time!
OK! Now thats more like it...The Flyers, fights, some dirtiness, Sidney Crosby scoring goals, the Flyers losing control, sending Philly fans home disappointed....Last nights game was everything the season opener wasnt and the result was much better!
The power play was 2 for 8. Crosby broke out in a big way with 2 goals, and assist, and 8 shots. He looked much more himself out there. Malkin played a strong game despite not getting a goal. And what more can you say about Gogo and Letestu. Another solid game by both players.
With another solid effort and some great saves and positioning, Brent Johnson is now 3-0 with a 1.32 GAA and .953 save%. Compare that to Fleury's 0-3 with 3,41 GAA and .853save%. Fleury is giving up a full goal per 10 shots more than Johnson. There is no doubt Johnson is the better goaltender RIGHT NOW. Moving forward its going to be some tough decisions for Coach Bylsma. Fleury is your franchise goalie but I don't see how you can sit Johnson.
The power play was 2 for 8. Crosby broke out in a big way with 2 goals, and assist, and 8 shots. He looked much more himself out there. Malkin played a strong game despite not getting a goal. And what more can you say about Gogo and Letestu. Another solid game by both players.
With another solid effort and some great saves and positioning, Brent Johnson is now 3-0 with a 1.32 GAA and .953 save%. Compare that to Fleury's 0-3 with 3,41 GAA and .853save%. Fleury is giving up a full goal per 10 shots more than Johnson. There is no doubt Johnson is the better goaltender RIGHT NOW. Moving forward its going to be some tough decisions for Coach Bylsma. Fleury is your franchise goalie but I don't see how you can sit Johnson.
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