Pens West Coast Swing - Operation Duck Hunt

Growing up I was always a fan of video games. After the Atari 2600, my favorite gaming system was the Nintendo Entertainment Center. The system came packaged with two games, one of which was Duck Hunt! I spent hours gunslinging with the NES pistol, shooting sets of 2, 3, and 4 ducks. Tonight, the Penguins will enact their version of the game.

The no longer mighty Ducks have yet to lose a game in regulation time and until recently were the leaders in the hunt for the President's Trophy with 24 points, posting a 10-0-4 record. The Penguins would love to be the first team to knock the Ducks off. They will have their hands full tonight, but they have been able to compete with any team in the league so far this season. The Pens played one of their worst games of the year against the San Jose were still in position to tie the game late in regulation.

The Penguins, 3-2 losers Saturday night, are looking to continue their early road success and are in position to move back into first place in the Atlantic Division with a victory.

Some troubling points of interest since the Flightless Bird left for Cali:

• Sidney Crosby is not shooting the puck. He has gone back to back games without a shot on goal and seems to be over passing at times. Though Crosby is a great set-up man, he is one of the best goalscorers on the team. When he gets open looks in the slot he has got to put the puck on net. There have been numerous occasions where Crosby comes through the neutral zone with speed and could continue to the net, but he pulls up at the top of the circle and looks to make a pass to a teammate breaking into the zone. This works 40% of the time; the others result in a loss of possession and a breakout the other way.
• Colby Armstrong's point production. Armstrong averaged close to a point per game once he was partnered with Sidney Crosby last season. This year, he has gone without a goal in the first 11 games and found himself demoted to the 4th line. He still brings energy to the rink on a nightly basis but he has got to produce. Any winger that is playing with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is going to be looked at to score goals. Armstrong is also guilty of not shooting enough, picking up only 3 SOG in his last 4 games. One of which was the shooting gallery 8-2 win over Philadelphia in which he had none.
• Ryan Whitney has got to play more physical and avoid turnovers in his own end. Whitney has been a workhorse on the Pens blue line this season. He has been productive in the offensive zone, but he needs to pay a bit more attention to his defensive game. Whitney logs an average of 25 minutes 21 seconds per game and is used in all situations, but sometimes looks skittish handling the puck in his own zone. Especially when he forced to make plays around his own net. These situations often result in a scoring chance for the opposition. Not that it happens every time, but 2 or 3 of them a game can be disastrous. This has been a problem since the earliest days of training camp and it needs to be addressed. He has definitely progressed as a player, but he cannot be one dimensional. Whitney also needs to start throwing his 6'4", 219 lb frame around a bit more, especially in front of Marc Andre Fleury.

For the most part, the Penguins are having one of their most successful Western road trips in recent memory, but a loss tonight could "Fowl" the mood. The Pens trip to this point is like a 2-1 lead in any game, the next "goal" is the huge, it makes the difference between a 2 goal lead and a tie. Let's hope that the Penguins can master tonight's game of Duck Hunt.


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Defenseman Mark Eaton, who was injured in when he was driven into the boards by San Jose Forward Jonathan Cheechoo, was sent back to Pittsburgh for evaluation. Several sources are saying that Eaton may have suffered a serious wrist injury, but no official word has been given as of yet. Eaton will definitely be missed on the Penguins blue line, where he leads the team in blocked shots and is typically matched against the opposition's top line. He has been a very solidifying presence for the Penguins defense. Brooks Orpik coming off of a hand injury is expected to take his place in the line-up tonight in Anaheim.

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The Penguins have already lost 37 man games to injury this season. At this point last year they had only logged 19.

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Interesting Sidney Crosby Stats from NHL.com
Sidney Crosby has picked up right where he left off last season. Crosby recorded 40 points (11+29) over his last 23 games last season following the Olympic break. So far this season, Crosby has recorded 18 points (6+12) in ten games. Since March 1, or his last 33 games, Crosby has recorded 55 points (17+38) and over his last 20 games (March 31), Crosby has 40 points (13+27).

Top Scorers since March 1, 2006
Mats Sundin 58 pts
Jaromir Jagr 57 pts
Sidney Crosby 55 pts
Joe Thornton 52 pts
Max Afinogenov 52 pts
Daniel Briere 51 pts
Brian Gionta 46 pts

Top Scorers since March 31, 2006
Mats Sundin 42 pts
Sidney Crosby 40 pts
Max Afinogenov 36 pts
Brian Gionta 31 pts
Joe Thornton 31 pts

Can also be read on www.hockeybuzz.com