Friday, March 13, 2015

Late goals help Penguins escape Oilers 6-4


By Will Graves
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/pit/
March 12, 2015

Late goals help Penguins escape Oilers 6-4

Pittsburgh Penguins' David Perron (39) puts the puck past Edmonton Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens (30) for a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh Thursday, March 12, 2015.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins spent 21 minutes building a massive lead over the Edmonton Oilers and the next 30 doing their best to give it away.

Three Stars

  1. Sidney Crosby
    1)Sidney Crosby
    #87, Pittsburgh
    G:1
    A:2
    Pts:3
    +/-:2
    PPP:1
    SOG:4
  2. Brandon Sutter
    2)Brandon Sutter
    #16, Pittsburgh
    G:2
    Pts:2
    +/-:2
    PPP:0
    SOG:6
  3. Derek Roy
    3)Derek Roy
    #8, Edmonton
    G:1
    A:1
    Pts:2
    +/-:-1
    PPP:1
    SOG:1
Poor backchecking. Spotty decision-making. The details that have been a hallmark during Pittsburgh's recent surge vanished.
Steve Downie and Patric Hornqvist restored order just in time, scoring just over a minute apart late in the third period to help the Penguins avoid an embarrassing collapse with a 6-4 win on Thursday night.
Downie's 12th goal of the season on a rebound at 14:38 put Pittsburgh back in front after the Penguins let a four-goal advantage slip away. Hornqvist doubled it 1:06 later with a snap shot from the left circle to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in nine games.
''We were lazy,'' Hornqvist said. ''We were comfortable. We didn't work hard enough to win. That can't happen again. Now we've learned our lesson. We have to stay with it.''
If the Penguins want to stay in the thick of the clustered Metropolitan Division, they don't really have a choice.
Brandon Sutter scored twice for Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby added his 23rd goal of the season and finished with three points. David Perron netted his 11th since coming to Pittsburgh from Edmonton in January and added an assist.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 25 shots but Pittsburgh needed an unlikely wake-up call from the Western Conference's worst team to win.
''There are swings in games, but we don't (want to) allow it to swing that far away and grab it back as quick as you can,'' Crosby said.
Anton Lander, Jordan Eberle, Benoit Pouliot and Derek Roy scored for the Oilers, who have lost six straight. Yet the blowout that appeared in the offing when Crosby made it 4-0 just 1:01 into the second never materialized.
Pittsburgh let the Oilers turn a listless rout into something far more compelling. Roy tied it 4-4 when he batted down a botched clearing attempt and knocked the puck past Fleury 10:04 into the third.
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Late goals help Penguins escape Oilers 6-4
Pittsburgh Penguins' David Perron (39) celebrates with teammates Paul Martin (7) and Patric Horn …
''We got better as the game went on,'' Edmonton coach Todd Nelson said. ''We battled back. We never quit, and against a team like that we can take something away from this game.''
Just not a victory.
Downie, dropped to the fourth line, reclaimed Pittsburgh's momentum. He pounded a rebound past Richard Bachman - who came in for ineffective goalie Ben Scrivens early in the second period - to put the Penguins back up. Hornqvist, off an assist from Crosby, gave Pittsburgh the breathing room it needed.
It wasn't quite the homecoming the Penguins expected after retooling at the trade deadline last week. They brought defenseman Lovejoy back into the fold and acquired Ian Cole for some needed depth at the blue line. The results were consecutive wins over Anaheim and Los Angeles followed by a shootout loss to San Jose.
Given a rare two-day break upon their return from the West, Pittsburgh's legs were plenty fresh for the sagging Oilers.
View gallery
Late goals help Penguins escape Oilers 6-4
Pittsburgh Penguins' Brandon Sutter (16) celebrates with Steve Downie (23) after scoring his sec …
Earning just their second win in Pittsburgh since 1993 hardly seemed like an option after the Oilers fell behind 3-0 before 15 minutes elapsed.
Sutter gave the Penguins the lead 4:16 in, breaking in alone on Scrivens and deking to his backhand to leave Scrivens badly out of position for his fourth shorthanded goal of the season, tied for the NHL lead.
Sutter's even-strength goal just over five minutes later required far less skill. He flipped in a rebound off Downie's shot for his first multi-goal game since April 6, 2014, against Colorado.
Crosby chased down a puck behind the Edmonton net and fed a streaking Perron racing in from the left circle later in the first. By the time Crosby powered in his 23rd goal of the season on the power play 1:01 into the second, the Penguins led 4-0 and Scrivens was done.
The Oilers, surprisingly, were not.
Lander and Eberle pulled Edmonton within two on a pair of dirty goals around the net as they crashed in on Fleury. When Pouliot flicked a shot over Fleury's shoulder 4:51 into the third the Oilers were within striking distance.
NOTES: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin assisted on Crosby's goal for his 700th NHL point (268 goals, 432 assists). ... Pittsburgh D Christian Ehrhoff missed his 18th game since sustaining concussion-like symptoms against New Jersey on Jan. 28. Ehrhoff skated with the team Thursday morning and could return on Saturday against Detroit.
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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Pirates' Harrison works full-time to give back to community


By Bill Allmann, Times Sports Correspondent 
http://www.timesonline.com/sports/
March 12, 2015


BRADENTON, Fla. — The 2014 season was a breakout year for Josh Harrison. He hit .315 and made the All-Star team while playing a career-high 143 games.
In the off-season, he built on his success by teaming up with Blessings in a Backpack to bring attention to family hunger. He can regularly be seen in television commercials boosting the cause.
“You don’t have to be an athlete to give back to your community,” Harrison said. “You can work a nine-to-five job and do that, but we know that, as athletes, we do have a platform that we can use.
“I don’t do it for personal recognition — none of the guys in this clubhouse do — but if we can help make people aware, it’s a good thing.”
Blessings in a Backpack provides nutritious food for elementary students for the weekends when schools can’t provide lunches. Starting in 2005 at just two elementary schools, the program, based in Kentucky, now feeds 72,000 students in 700 schools in 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Harrison was looking for an opportunity to do something, but it was Blessings in a Backpack that approached him and got him involved in their cause.
“It was word of mouth,” said Harrison, a native of Cincinnati, not far from the program’s hub in Louisville. “I was approached at a dinner and it sort of went from there. The dinner last year was the first of it, and we’ll talk more once I get back to Pittsburgh. Anything I can do to bring awareness to the problem, I’ll help.
“We all take things for granted that everyone doesn’t have.”
Once Harrison gets back to Pittsburgh, though, he’ll have a full-time job on Opening Day for the first time in his big-league career. He is penciled in as the Pirates’ starting third baseman, a stark contrast from last year, when he played at least eight games at five different positions.
He started the full-time transition to third base last season when the Pirates started the transition of Pedro Alvarez to first base, a switch that continues this training camp.
Harrison eventually played 72 games at third base last season, but he also played right and left field, second base and shortstop. He had played each of those positions before as well as pitched for 1/3 innings in 2013.
This spring, Harrison hasn’t been called upon to be quite so versatile. As with many starters, his early action was limited, then a slight ankle problem slowed it further. He had been limited to just a hit in three at bats through Tuesday’s action.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

As the Worilds turns: Steelers linebacker retires at 27


By Chris Bradford cbradford@timesonline.com 
http://www.timesonline.com/sports/
March 11, 2015


Jason Worilds, AP/Tony Gutierrez

Just a week removed from his 27th birthday and with millions of dollars potentially to be had for his services on the open market, Jason Worilds instead decided to walk away from the game on Tuesday night.

The now former Steelers outside linebacker's stunning decision to retire capped what was a wild first day of free agency in the NFL. Late Tuesday night Worilds' agent, Jason Bernstein, released a statement confirming his client's plans to call it quits after just five seasons.
"I appreciate all of the interest from the organizations that have reached out to us the past few days," the statement read. "With that being said, after much thought & consideration I have chosen to step away from football as I have opted to pursue other interests.
"I am especially grateful of the opportunity to play before some of the greatest fans in football today. Despite any concern and speculation that may ensue, I appreciate those that are respectful of my decision."
Worilds, who shared the Steelers' sack lead last season, would have likely fetched $7-8 million for next season. Several teams were believed to be interested in signing Worilds, including the Steelers, Philadelphia and Tennessee.
Last year, Worilds earned $9.75 million under the transition tag. A second-round pick in 2010, Worilds had 25.5 sacks, 129 tackles, three fumble recovers and one interception for the Steelers.
Worilds' decision leaves Jarvis Jones and Arthur Moats as the Steelers' only outside linebackers currently under contract for 2015. It could also pave the way for James Harrison, who became a free agent earlier Tuesday, to return.
Before news of Worilds' decision, the first day of NFL free agency came and went with little fanfare from the Steelers.
Veteran cornerback Ike Taylor is no longer under contract but Troy Polamalu remains with the Steelers, though the safety's future with the team remains very much in doubt.
After a busy Monday in which the Steelers locked up some organizational depth in tight end Matt Spaeth, linebacker Arthur Moats and a trio of restricted free agents, the Steelers were non-factors on the first official day of the NFL's so-called silly season, which saw a handful of blockbuster deals go down.
Although ESPN insider Adam Schefter did report that the Steelers "inquired" about Aliquippa native Darrelle Revis, even that was "unrealistic," according to the Worldwide Leader. The star cornerback was once again a free agent after the Patriots declined to exercise a $20-million option on him. Revis signed with the Jets, his former team, late Tuesday.
Polamalu is signed through 2016 and the Steelers are still hoping that he'll retire before they would have to release him.
Meanwhile, cornerback Brice McCain, who reached free agency on Tuesday, is scheduled to meet with Miami, according to multiple reports. 
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Brett Keisel has left an indelible mark on the Pittsburgh Steelers


By Scott Brown | ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers
March 9, 2015
Here is a story that is vintage Brett Keisel. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers share a practice facility with the University of Pittsburgh, and one day Keisel sought out Panthers offensive lineman Mike Grimm after watching the man-child lift weights. 

Keisel told Grimm, who redshirted last season and has yet to play a down for the Panthers, how impressed he was with his strength and work ethic. He made the kid's day by telling Grimm he has a bright future ahead of him. 

Grimm sports one of those beards that is so thin it looks like it was penciled onto his face, and Keisel couldn't resist. He left Grimm by saying with a grin, “Your beard [stinks].” 

[+] EnlargeBrett Keisel
Tom Pennington/Getty ImagesEven on a franchise with a league-best six Super Bowl rings, Brett Keisel left his mark.
So does what happened Monday, even if it was inevitable. The Steelers released Keisel, and this time it is probably for good. 

Keisel is 36, and his body has started to betray him as it pushes back after more than a decade in the rough-and-tumble NFL. What is astonishing about Keisel's longevity is he felt so lost and overwhelmed at his first training camp that he seriously considered leaving the Steelers. 

To say he found himself in Pittsburgh would be an understatement. 

Keisel is one of the last survivors from the defenses that led the Steelers to a pair of Super Bowls in a four-season span and served as a bridge to the dynastic teams that won four world championships from 1974-79. The 2002 seventh-round draft pick developed into one of the better 3-4 ends in the NFL and thrived, despite playing a position that doesn't get a lot of glory while on a defense brimming with star power. 

Keisel became beloved by fans as much for his steady play as for the persona that started when he grew a beard thick enough to catch Steelers' owner Dan Rooney's attention. It happened in 2010, when Keisel decided to stop shaving while the Steelers made their run to a third Super Bowl in six seasons. 

Rooney had been serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland when he saw Keisel's beard on a visit to Pittsburgh. He basically asked Keisel what in the name of Grizzly Adams he was doing, and Keisel offered to shave. Rooney, however, bemusedly signed off on the beard, and it became its own entity. It now has multiple Twitter accounts and has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. 

One of the most famous beards in sports came to represent his personality, and Keisel became the Steelers' ambassador as his career progressed. 

Few Steelers players did it better or longer than Keisel, on and off the field. 

Keisel, assuming he has played his last down, will be fine -- though for someone ultracompetitve, it will be an adjustment to find something to drive him the way football did for 13 seasons. 

His release serves as a grim reminder that time is undefeated, and everyone's time comes in a game dominated by youth. 

It felt like the end of an era when the Steelers did not bring back defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. It feels like even more of one now, with the Steelers sending another strong signal that they are fully committed to getting younger on defense. 

If the Steelers are finally moving on from a player who has meant so much to the organization and the city of Pittsburgh, Keisel can be satisfied knowing he wrung everything out of his body and talent. And he left an indelible mark on the only franchise that has won six Super Bowls.
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Monday, March 09, 2015

The Penguins are becoming one of the best defensive teams in hockey


By Adam Gretz | Hockey writer
March 8, 2015

Anze Kopitar #11 of the Los Angeles Kings skates with the puck against derrick Pouliot #51 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Staples Center on March 7, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. The Penguins won 1-0 in overtime. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

When you think of dominant defensive hockey teams the Pittsburgh Penguins probably are not one of the first teams that come to mind. Likewise, when you think of the Pittsburgh Penguins, dominant defensive hockey probably isn't the first thing that you think of.
Instead, it's probably offense, offense, offense. And maybe more offense.
It's probably time all of that started to change.
Yes, they still have two of the top scorers in the NHL (Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin). And even with one or two holes on their forward lines, it is still probably one of the deepest groups they have had in years and they are still capable of filling the net on any given night.
But what has really stood out about this Penguins team is how great it has been defensively, especially over the past couple of months.
Following Pittsburgh's 1-0 win in Los Angeles on Saturday night, which came just 24 hours after a pretty convincing victory in Anaheim over the NHL-leading Ducks, the Penguins are one of the top defensive teams in hockey.
Part of it is goaltending, where Marc-Andre Fleury is having perhaps his best NHL season to date. Or at least his best season in several years. But a large part of it is the way their defense is built and what it allows them to do.
The Penguins are currently tied for third in the league in goals against per game, and are allowing the fourth-fewest total shot attempts per game during 5-on-5 play.
And they're only getting better.
Since the start of February (a stretch of 16 games as of Sunday) the Penguins have only allowed 21 goals during 5-on-5 play, second fewest in the league over that stretch behind a New Jersey team that has played one less game, and are giving up just 45 total shot attempts per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, third best in the league over that stretch and a number that is significantly lower (by almost five attempts per game) than their overall season total.
There are two things that stand out here, not only when it comes to the overal numbers for the season, but also the recent improvement over the past month-plus.
First, they are currently without two of their top four defensemen. Olli Maatta (shoulder) is out for the remainder of the season, while Christian Ehrhoff is sidelined with concussion symptoms.
Then there is the overhaul that has taken place over the past eight months, not only in terms of defensive personnel, but also the of style of play as the team has made several moves that have basically traded size and strength for mobility and puck skills. It all started in July with Brooks Orpik and Deryk Engelland allowed to walk in free agency, where they received offers the Penguins could not -- and should not have been willing to -- pay.
It continued a week ago at the trade deadline. They traded Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres, two of the biggest and most physical defenders remaining on the roster, for Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy. Granted, Cole and Lovejoy can have a physical element to their game, but it's not the only thing they are capable of. They can skate. They can move the puck. They aren't just out there to throw their weight around and hit an opponent after he has already passed it to somebody else (which is something too many of their defensemen did in recent years).
When you look at the Penguins' defense now, with the one notable exception of veteran Rob Scuderi, every option they have is a very mobile player who is capable of making a play with the puck, whether it be jumping into the play in the offensive zone or gaining possession in the defensive zone and helping to quickly get it out to the forwards and get the play going in the right direction.
The X-factor in this group is former first-round pick Derrick Pouliot, the No. 8 overall selection in the 2012 draft and perhaps now the most important piece the Penguins received in that year's trade that sent Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes.
With Norris Tropy contender Kris Letang forming one of the best duos in the league on the top pairing with Paul Martin, there was some question leading into the trade deadline what the Penguins would do on their second pairing with Maatta sidlined for the remainder of the season. When healthy, Ehrhoff will be one of the options there. But who would be the other? Would they make another significant move to add a top-four defender, or would they be willing to trust Pouliot in his first full season of pro hockey?
Neither trade really addressed that spot, while Pouliot has recently made a pretty convincing argument that he is ready for a major role as he quickly transitions from blue-chip prospect to regular NHLer. Over the past few games his confidence both with the puck and without it has gone to a completely different level. Watching him aggressively jump into the play, challenge oncoming players at the blue line, and skate with confidence with the puck you would never know he is a 21-year-old rookie getting his first taste of NHL action.
Since he was drafted he has always been known more for his offensive ability while having some questions about his play in his own zone. Lately, he seems to be putting everything together. And while his defensive zone play seems to be getting better every game, he is also another mobile, puck-moving option on the Penguins' defense that helps make sure they play the best defensive hockey possible -- not having to play in the defensive zone at all.
If you're quickly getting the puck and exiting the zone, you don't need to worry as much about how you defend in your own zone or how well you can clear the crease or move bodies.
Following a recent win against Columbus, which at the time was probably Pouliot's most impressive game to date (only to perhaps be surpassed by the game he played in Anaheim on Friday night) Penguins coach Mike Johnston briefly addressed that point.
"That's the way he is as a player," Johnston said on March 1. "He can jump into the plays, find those holes, get the puck, and start to work with it. Those types of players, they put the other team back and don't force you to have to defend as much because you escape your zone so quick."
The second part there is the key, and it's pretty much what their entire defense is made up of at this point.
And it will only get better when Ehrhoff returns.
Because it's not a big, physical, imposing unit that isn't known for playing a "heavy" game, there is going to be some concern about how that will hold up come playoff time. But the type of players that tend to play that game often force you to have to defend more and can only lead to more problems.
Even though the Penguins are not scoring as many goals as they have in the past, they have the potential to be more balanced in that area than they have been in recent years. That, combined with the improved defensive play, is the type of thing winning teams are made of.
Data in this post via Hockey Analysis and War-on-Ice
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