Out Deviled

The Pens turned the tables on their nemisis from NJ and played 60 minutes of tough defensive hockey to shut out the Devils 3-0. All praise to Coach Therrien for the game plan and Thibault for playing tough in relief of MAF.

This was Pittsburgh first ever shut out of the Devs in NJ.

TSN report on the arena deal

Rendell 'confirms' arena deal

Post Gazette has quotes from Pa Gov Ed Rendell more or less confirming the arena deal is done. Crediting the casinos with helping keep the Pens in Pittsburgh.

It won't be official, official until Mario announces it, but its kinda official now.

Happy Day!!

Could this be it?!?

At the risk on jinxing the who thing...I point you to Pittsburgh station KDKA

Highlights:

-KDKA sources confirm that the new arena deal is done.

- KDKA’s Bob Pompeani reports that the city, the state, and the Penguins have all come to an agreement over how to build and pay for a new arena.

-Pompeani reports that an official announcement is expected before tomorrow night's home game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Personally I won't believe it till I see Mario standing in front of a podium.

Update:

Post Gazette is reporting it as breaking news Here

George Laraque's first fight as a Penguin

Among the other milestones in yesterdays dramatic (do they play any other kind of game?) victory over the Rangers was this scrum between big George Laraque and the Ranger's Colton Orr.

"I can't believe what I just saw"

The Pens just got the most improbably win I"ve ever seen. Down 4-1 with less than 10 minutes to play with a pulled MAF, Pittsburgh rallied behind beleaguered backup Joceyln Thibault to win a shootout.

They weren't just down 4-1. They were getting completely outplayed. Taking stupid penalty after stupid penalty. Ryan Whitney didn't even look like he had menatally crossed the Canadian border.

With the third period slipping away and the Pens again on the penalty kill, the man, Jordan Staal (who else) gets a short handed goal and the comeback was on. goals by Roberts (great pickup Shero, everyone still upset about losing Noah Welch?!?) and Ryan Malone (everyone wanted him traded but he comes to play again) tie it up and Thibault makes some tough saves to take it to overtime. With neither team able to score in the overtime period and Thibault not Fluery at goal, the game was still up for grabs. But TBo stood strong against Heatly and Christensen (does he ever not score in a shootout?) scored to give the Pens a 1-0 shootout lead. Malkin failed to score on the Pens second shot but the Sens couldn't score either and it came down to the third shot. The Sens managed to get their third shootout shot past Thibault which left it up to Sidney to finish the comeback. As he cooly blistered in his shot I could only think one thing...Eat That Rendell.

Bad Times in Rendellphia

The Pens ownership has declared an impass in the seemingly never ending Pittsburgh arena talks and will "aggressively" pursue relocating. In other words they really, really mean it this time. As opposed to before, when they were just pretending to pursue relocation.

Here is an idea guys, stop jerking everyone around. Come up with a bottom line of what the state is going to contribute to an arena, what the ownership needs to contribute. Factor in the cost of building a fan base, concessions parking and pouring rights and all that other junk and make your decision already.

The sad thing is that they'll probably move and then an arena will get built by someone and they'll put an expansion team in Pittsburgh. While the real Penguins are winning Cups in KC.

I sense the fans have grown weary of this high stakes game of hockey team chicken being played out in the media.

Update: Onorato comments on the Penguins impasse claims Audio

Pens battle back to take down NY in Shootout

Things looked bleak for the Pens after the first 40 minutes of last nights game at Madison Square Garden. Coming off their 5th consecutive scoreless period and just giving up two questionable goals to go down 2-0, a reporter on the MSG network asked Mark Recchi what kind of 3rd period comeback team the Pens were this year. He gave the standard cliched responses, but his face didn't mirror the confidence of his words.

Come back they did, however. Therrien must have had one heck of an intermission speech. The Pens got shorties from Staal (his 6th of the season) and Army to tie it at 2-2, and later a powerplay goal by Gonchar to make it 3-3. Pittsburgh then held on in OT and finally Crosby scored the only goal in a 6 shot shoot out to give the Pens the win.

Washington did the Pens no favors, losing a shootout of their own to Tampa Bay moving the LIghtning to 4rth place in the East one point ahead of the Pittsburgh.