SB Nation Pittsburgh - Penguins Drop Opener Against Flyershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2010-10-07T23:00:38-04:00http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15000122010-10-07T23:00:38-04:002010-10-07T23:00:38-04:00Claude Giroux's Third-Period Goal Lifts Flyers Over Pens
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<p>Sports Network | October 7, 2010</p>
<p>Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – <span>Claude Giroux</span>’s short-handed goal in the third period lifted the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.broadstreethockey.com/">Philadelphia Flyers</a> to a 3-2 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> in the season-opening game for both teams.</p>
<p>This was the first regular-season game at Pittsburgh’s new arena, Consol Energy Center. The Penguins had played at Mellon Arena, known more commonly as “The Igloo”, since entering the league in 1967.</p>
<p><span>Blair Betts</span> and <span>Danny Briere</span> also scored for the Flyers, who started rookie <span>Sergei Bobrovsky</span> between the pipes. In his <span class="caps">NHL</span> debut, Bobrovsky made 29 saves.</p>
<p><span>Tyler Kennedy</span> and <span>Alex Goligoski</span> tallied in the losing effort.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh goaltender <span>Marc-Andre Fleury</span> allowed three goals on 27 shots.</p>
<p>These two teams have combined to win the last three Eastern Conference titles. The Pens won the East in both 2007-08 and ‘08-’09 before the Flyers unexpectedly captured the title last spring. Philly lost to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Finals.</p>
<p>The Flyers’ goaltending situation, always an area of concern for the franchise, became unstable during the final stretch of the preseason when starter <span>Michael Leighton</span> injured his back — he is expected to miss the first month of the season. <span>Brian Boucher</span>, however, gave way to Bobrovsky.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh was ousted in the second round of the playoffs last season. They lost Game 7 at home to Montreal.</p>
<p>The Flyers opened the scoring with a power-play goal at the 2:51 mark of the second period. A hooking minor called on <span>Deryk Engelland</span> led to a faceoff inside the right circle. Captain <span>Mike Richards</span> gained control at the right point and sent a hard pass to the area below the right circle, where a deflection by Briere hit the back of the net.</p>
<p>Several minutes later, Pittsburgh was on the power play but Bobrovsky made two key saves, including a paddle stop on <span>Sidney Crosby</span> near the left post. With just under nine minutes remaining in the second period, Bobrovsky stopped <span>Mark Letestu</span> on a rebound try from the top of the crease.</p>
<p>Later in the second, Pittsburgh was awarded a power play at the 12-minute mark but again came up empty, then held the Flyers in check when they skated 5-on-4 soon after.</p>
<p>However, only 15 seconds after the Flyers power play expired, Betts tapped in a rebound at the right post for a 2-0 lead. <span>James van Riemsdyk</span> pushed a wrister toward the net from above the left circle and the puck deflected off the stick of <span>Darroll Powe</span> in close before Fleury got a piece of it. The rebound, though, kicked loose and Betts was all alone for the easy marker at 17:15.</p>
<p>It took 44 seconds of play in the third for the Pens to cut into their deficit. <span>Paul Martin</span> skated down the right-wing side and sent a backhanded flip pass across the low slot for Kennedy, who corralled the disc on the forehand and ripped home a wrister from a sharp angle below the left circle.</p>
<p>Martin, though, was part of a broken play which led to Philadelphia’s third goal. During a Pittsburgh power play, <span>Kris Letang</span> sent a soft drop pass in his own zone intended for Martin, who failed to control the puck. Giroux used a pokecheck to free the puck in the high right slot, skated past Martin, hustled in alone on a short breakaway and deked to his forehand to beat Fleury.</p>
<p>The battle became more interesting when the Penguins answered just 19 seconds later. A wrister from the centerpoint made its way through several bodies in front and skipped under the pads of the screened Bobrovsky. Goligoski was credited with a power-play goal, as the lamp was lit with one second remaining on the man-advantage.</p>
<p>Philadelphia kept the pressure in its offensive zone for a majority of the final frame, but the Penguins did produce several good chances for the equalizer. With under six minutes remaining, Letang had a look from the centerpoint, but his blast was deflected. Near the 18-minute mark, <span>Pascal Dupuis</span> unleashed a slap shot from the high slot that appeared to hit a part of the post before it ricocheted into the netting above the playing surface.</p>
<p>With 1:13 to play, Betts was whistled for hooking and Fleury was pulled for a 6-on-4 Pittsburgh advantage, but Bobrovsky and the Flyers held on for the win.</p>
<p>The Flyers improved to 20-16-7 all-time in season openers and 19-14-7 in road openers…This marked the sixth time that the Flyers opened their season against Pittsburgh…The last time the Flyers participated in the first regular season game of a new arena was in Minnesota when the Wild opened Xcel Energy Center in 2000…The last <span class="caps">NHL</span> goaltender to win his first career game was Jon Bernier (9/29/07 versus Anaheim)…Flyers defenseman <span>Chris Pronger</span> did not play. He had right knee surgery in the offseason and is still recovering. Pronger could return to the lineup within 10 days…Pittsburgh center <span>Jordan Staal</span> will miss the first six weeks after he underwent foot surgery to cure an infection…The Penguins were 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Flyers ended 1-for-4 with the extra skater.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/7/1737888/claude-girouxs-third-period-goal-lifts-flyersCharlie Wilmoth2010-10-07T19:44:10-04:002010-10-07T19:44:10-04:00Mario Lemieux Appears In Pre-Game Ceremony
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<p><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10280/1093424-100.stm">Penguins owner Mario Lemieux came to center ice</a> at the new Consol Energy Center this evening to take part in the pre-game ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new arena – and to remember an old one:</p>
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<p>When the lights came on for the official grand opening of hockey at the new home of the Penguins, Mario Lemieux appeared at center ice with a ceremonial bottle filled with melted ice from the Mellon Arena.</p>
<p>He held the container aloft to the cheers of a sellout crowd and poured the liquid onto the ice, linking the old surface with the new one at the Consol Energy Center in advance of the regular season opener against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.broadstreethockey.com/">Philadelphia Flyers</a>.</p>
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https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/7/1737546/mario-lemieux-appears-penguins-consolCharlie Wilmoth2010-10-07T14:54:32-04:002010-10-07T14:54:32-04:00NHL.com Visits Consol
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<p>This isn’t really new information, but if you’re heading down to Consol Energy Center for the first time tonight, <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=539886"><span class="caps">NHL</span>.com just posted an article on the features of the arena</a>. It might be a nice read before you head down to the game tonight. Fans will have access to their seats beginning at 5:30, and there will be a pregame ceremony starting at 6:45.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/7/1736977/nhl-com-previews-features-at-consol-energy-center-penguinsCharlie Wilmoth2010-10-07T11:59:27-04:002010-10-07T11:59:27-04:00Letang's Status Questionable, Pronger Out, Flyers Rookie Russian Goalie In
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<p>Pens defenseman <span>Kris Letang</span> did not practice this morning and has been ruled a game time decision with an illness. With the <span class="caps">NHL</span> and especially the <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Penguins,</a> an “illness” could be any number of physical ailments, so we’ll wait and see if Letang is truly under the weather or actually injured.</p>
<p>The news wasn’t so good for the Flyers, as star defenseman <span>Chris Pronger</span> has been ruled out of tonight’s game. Pronger was hoping to make it back from offseason knee surgery in time for the season opener, but that obviously won’t be a goal he was able to meet.</p>
<p><a target="new" href="http://flyers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=64095&navid=DL%7CPHI%7Chome">The Flyers also announced </a>that 22-year-old rookie goalie <span>Sergei Bobrovsky</span> will get the start tonight. “Bob” as he’s called has shown flashes of potential and great athleticism but has understandably had a few “welcome to the <span class="caps">NHL</span> moments” in the preseason courtesy of the best hockey players on Earth.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/7/1736546/letangs-status-questionable-pronger-out-flyers-rookie-russian-goalieJim Rixner2010-10-07T11:23:08-04:002010-10-07T11:23:08-04:00Pens Recall Eric Tangradi, Reason For "Demotion" Leaks Out
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<p>The Penguins <a href="http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=539838&navid=DL%7CPIT%7Chome" target="new">recalled winger</a> <span>Eric Tangradi</span> from Wheeling of the <span class="caps">ECHL</span> Thursday morning, about 12 hours after it was announced the young player was sent there. Many an eyebrow was been raised over this move. Why was it done?</p>
<p>Well, it’s complicated, but obviously necessary or else it wouldn’t have been done in the first place.</p>
<p><a href="http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2010/10/awkward-salary-shuffle-gets-penguins-prospect-eric-tangradi-sent-to-echl.php" target="new">Pro Hockey Talk</a> has a likely theory:</p>
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<p>They put center <span>Jordan Staal</span> on the injured non-roster list because he didn’t participate in training camp and placed prospects <span>Alex Grant</span> and Casey Pierro-Zabotel on injured reserve.</p>
<p>The injured non-roster list is something relatively new to us (or we’re totally ignorant on the Collective Bargaining Agreement) and Bryan Reynolds of Hockey Wilderness figured out what that means when discussing Wild forward <span>James Sheppard</span>. You can apply the same stuff to Jordan Staal in this case. In short, Staal being on the injured non-roster list doesn’t give the Penguins relief from his cap hit.</p>
<p>Lost in the jumble there somehow the Penguins are perilously close to or over the salary cap with the 23 active players they’ve got on the roster and Tangradi is one of the few players they could send to the minor leagues without going through waivers.</p>
<p>Until the Penguins can get Jordan Staal on the <span class="caps">LTIR</span> or have Grant or Pierro-Zabotel medically cleared, this awkward set up will hold up.</p>
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<p>Tangradi, it should be noted, is the <span class="caps">ONLY</span> current player who can be sent down the minors without passing waivers.</p>
<p>So why was he sent to the lower level <span class="caps">ECHL</span> instead of the higher-level <span class="caps">AHL</span> minor league team in Wilkes-Barre? Either way his contract comes off the <span class="caps">NHL</span> salary cap.</p>
<p>Think geography. It’s 60 miles from Pittsburgh to Wheeling, while Wilkes-Barre is about 265 miles away. And the <span class="caps">NHL</span> has a rule that a player demoted must show proof he actually arrived at the minor league level. So to save Tangradi a lot of miles and time, it makes more sense to have him take the quick jaunt to Wheeling.</p>
<p>And he’ll probably get really familiar with the trip in the near future, due to a weird wrinkle in the NHL’s lengthy and complicated salary cap world.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/7/1736450/pens-recall-eric-tangradi-reason-for-demotion-leaks-outJim Rixner2010-10-07T03:30:43-04:002010-10-07T03:30:43-04:00Penguins Set Roster, Ship Eric Tangradi To Wheeling
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<p>In a strange move, the Penguins set their 23-man roster on Wednesday in time for the season opener, then <a href="http://www.thepensblog.com/pensblog-news/jobber-posts/2010-2011-season-preview.html">sent Eric Tangradi to the <span class="caps">ECHL</span> Wheeling Nailers</a>:</p>
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<p>Left winger <span>Eric Tangradi</span>, who has been playing on the No. 2 line with <span>Evgeni Malkin</span> and <span>Mike Comrie</span>, was assigned to the Penguins’ <span class="caps">ECHL</span> affiliate in Wheeling, while goalie <span>Patrick Killeen</span> was summoned from the Nailers to the Penguins.</p>
<p>Indications are that Tangradi will rejoin the Penguins today.</p>
<p>Goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and <span>Brent Johnson</span> participated in Wednesday’s practice and seemed fine afterward, which suggests there is no need for a third goalie. What’s more, Killeen is no higher than fifth on the organizational depth chart …</p>
<p>One club official covertly confirmed that Tangradi’s demotion did not indicate any “red flags” had been raised about him.</p>
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<p>It was expected, meanwhile, that <span>Arron Asham</span> would be on injured reserve, but he’s still on the roster.</p>
<p>Pensburgh follows the Pens a lot more closely than I do, and <a href="http://www.pensburgh.com/2010/10/6/1735364/eric-tangradi-sent-to-wheeling">they too were confused about the Tangradi demotion</a>. They think it might be about cap maneuvering:</p>
<blockquote>I sent a few e-mails out to bloggers on <span class="caps">SBN</span> to get their input on the situation. Many suggested, what a lot of us speculated, that this is just a way to get around negotiating the cap and that placing Tangradi in Wheeling keeps him close to Pittsburgh so he can return, say, as soon as tomorrow.
<p>He must report to Wheeling however, and if I’m not mistaken I think the term used in situations like this is “physically report.” If it’s as simple as walking in a door, waving and stopping for a bathroom break before returning to Pittsburgh, then so be it.</p>
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<p>The Pens apparently told Tangradi he had made the team, and <a href="http://insidepittsburghsports.com/story/tangradi-assigned-to-wheeling/30066/">indications are that he’ll be back for the game</a>, so Pensburgh appears to be right that this is a cap move.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/7/1735996/penguins-set-roster-ship-eric-tangradi-to-wheelingCharlie Wilmoth2010-10-07T03:19:56-04:002010-10-07T03:19:56-04:00Penguins Kick Off Regular Season Against Flyers
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<p>The Consol Energy Center will see its first regular-season action Thursday night as the Penguins take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.broadstreethockey.com/">Philadelphia Flyers</a> at 7:00 PM. Here are some links as you prepare for the game:</p>
<p><b>-P- </b><a href="../../nhl/2010/10/5/1732380/pittsburgh-penguins-preview-2010-11-nhl">Here's SB Nation's Penguins season preview</a>, featuring four writers from <a href="http://pensburgh.com/">Pensburgh</a>.</p>
<p><b>-P- </b><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10280/1093266-61.stm">The Post-Gazette says the Penguins are poised to try for a Stanley Cup</a>.</p>
<p><b>-P- </b>In case you missed it, here are <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pittsburgh-penguins/2010/10/5/1728241/pittsburgh-penguins-story-lines-jordan-staal-marc-andre-fleury-sidney-crosby-dan-bylsma">SB Nation Pittsburgh's five story lines to watch</a> for the Pens this year.</p>
<p><b>-P- </b><a href="http://www.faceoff-factor.com/1pittsburgh-penguins/3774/annual-opening-week-roundtable">Here's a roundtable preview of the Pens season from Faceoff Factor</a>.</p>
<p><b>-P- </b>The PensBlog <a href="http://www.thepensblog.com/pensblog-news/jobber-posts/2010-2011-season-preview.html">previews the season as only they can</a>.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/10/7/2322193/penguins-kick-off-regular-season-against-flyersCharlie Wilmoth