The 'AB Won' Train Needs To Slow Down

COLIN DUNLAP
https://937thefan.radio.com/articles/dunlap-antonio-brown-won-train-needs-slow-down
March 11, 2019

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - The Steelers didn’t lose. 

Got that? OK, good. 

The Steelers didn’t get “fleeced” or “bamboozled” or any of those other words.

Got that? OK, good. 

In this whole transformation from Ronald Ocean to Mr. Big Chest (I think I have that right), the Pittsburgh Steelers --- most notably Art Rooney II, Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin --- aren’t the people who could have done a whole lot different.

At least in my estimation that’s the way things are at this point. That’s the way things always will be in my eyes. 

But it seems that too many who consume the Pittsburgh Steelers want to hook into the national narrative slung forward by the talking heads on your television that Antonio Brown played the organization like a fiddle and got exactly what he wanted. 

Again, I disagree. 

What the curious case of Mr. Brown Goes To Oakland truly is, is a man in his 30s who can’t self-regulate, doesn’t know how to act within the confines of how he should and he leaves his employer with no other choice than a mutual parting of the ways. 

He’s a quitter and has turned into a nuisance. 

This isn’t a guy who played any system or exposed the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a man who became a liability to keep around by the way he acted (no matter how talented) and needed to be shuttled off somewhere else no matter how minimal the return was. 

Particularly comical to me is the talk of how Antonio Brown’s actions might set precedent for other players to do the same --- either to the Steelers or another organization in the NFL. 

I’ll tell you what, wake me up the next time a player threatens a reporter, drives 100 mph on a suburban street, (allegedly) throws furniture off the balcony of a building and is jammed up in a domestic issue over a haircut all as a mechanism to get what they want and hasten a move out the door of a franchise they don’t want to be playing for. 

I’m here to tell you that isn’t going to happen again. This was an independent situation.  

  

I’m here to tell you Antonio Brown isn’t some trendsetter as too many in the national media are trying to make him out to be; instead he’s a rogue employee who simply couldn’t be kept around any longer because his behavior started to tip past the line of harmless and well into territory deemed dangerous. 

Long gone are the days when Antonio Brown simply drew flags here and there for dancing in the end zone when it wasn’t allowed --- at this point this is a man who seemingly has gone full-blown nutso. 

So the question isn’t did the Steelers get enough in return from the Oakland Raiders. 

The question isn’t about how Colbert and Rooney and Tomlin and the bunch failed or whatever. 

The question isn’t about how Antonio Brown and a couple of guys named Rosenhaus “fleeced” the Steelers and ultimately landed their client in a place where he wanted to be. 

The question is this: How in the world were Rooney and Colbert and Tomlin supposed to do anything differently when they were dealing with a man in his 30s who simply wouldn’t behave? I’m here to tell you they couldn’t. No one got fleeced --- instead the Steelers got rid of someone who was only going to be a detriment moving forward. 

The Steelers got rid of a guy who was once a hero and turned himself into a bum in this town. ​

Penguins end Bruins' point streak at 19 games

The Associated Press
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2019/03/10/bruins-point-streak-ends-19-penguins/3127037002/
March 10, 2019

Jared McCann #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores past Jaroslav Halak #41 of the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena on March 10, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH – For the first time in nearly two months, the Boston Bruins ran out of time. It tends to happen when the Bruins play in Pittsburgh, no matter how hot they are.

Jared McCann scored twice, Matt Murray finished with 39 saves and the Penguins handed the Bruins their first regulation loss since January with a 4-2 victory on Sunday night.

Boston came in 15-0-4 in its last 19 games for the franchise’s longest point streak since 1940-41. A goal by John Moore with just over a minute to go got Boston within one, but McCann’s empty-netter with 21 seconds left made the Bruins regulation losers for the first time since Jan. 19 against the New York Rangers.

“I think we can be proud of that, but not satisfied,” Moore said. “There’s no reason we can’t get back to work on Tuesday. That’s the special part about this group. Guys really push each other. We expect a lot out of each other.”

Then again, so do the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in seven games to strengthen their position in the race for a playoff spot. Pittsburgh rose to third in the Metropolitan Division with 13 games to go thanks in part to another steady performance by Murray and another jolt from McCann and Nick Bjugstad, who have thrived since arriving in a trade with Florida on Feb. 1.

McCann’s two goals – a short-handed breakaway in the first and his flip from near center ice in the waning seconds – gave him 16 goals on the season, eight of them coming in his 19 games with Pittsburgh. Bjugstad added his fifth with Pittsburgh, matching the total he put up in 32 games with Florida.

“They’re two real good players and they’ve embraced the roles we put them in,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

Jake Guentzel collected his team-high 34th goal for Pittsburgh, which kept Boston winless at PPG Paints Arena since December 2015 by jumping out early and then holding on late.  

David Krejci picked up his 19th for the Bruins and Jaroslav Halak made 33 stops, but Boston was on its heels for most of the first period while falling into a two-goal deficit from which it couldn’t recover.

“We were light on all the battles in the first,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “You could tell they were better prepared to win the pucks. It cost us a couple of goals.”

The Bruins used the franchise’s longest point streak in nearly eight decades to rise above the muddled portion of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Their six-week stretch included flashes of dominance and a flair for the dramatic. Boston arrived in Pittsburgh coming off a 6-0 homestand, one that culminated with last-minute victories over Florida and Ottawa.

Boston’s run came to an end against a team that seems to be gaining some momentum late in a bumpy and wildly uneven season, at least by Pittsburgh standards. Things appear to be evening out thanks in large part to Bjugstad and McCann’s fresh legs.

Bjugstad needed just 93 seconds to give the Penguins the lead, fighting for position at the far post and redirecting a centering pass from Zach Aston-Reese.

McCann made it 2-0 at 13:54 when he took a lead pass from Teddy Blueger and broke in alone on Halak before deking from his forehand to his backhand. Halak could only stretch out his glove in vain as McCann slipped home Pittsburgh’s 10th short-handed goal of the season.

“I feel like the harder you kind of fake it the more he has to respect it,” McCann said. “I just try to fake it as hard as I could and he bit on it.”

Krejci got Boston on the board early in the second when the puck emerged from a scrum in front of the Pittsburgh net and ended up on his stick in the left circle. He flipped it over a sprawled Murray to get the Bruins within one.

Pittsburgh’s potent power play has been a bit of a mess of late – just as likely to give up a goal as score one – and was a lifeless 0 for 4 when Sullivan put Guentzel on the top unit with Sidney Crosby. It paid immediate dividends.

Crosby raced into the zone down the left side and sent a perfect cross-ice pass to Guentzel, who quickly went backhand to forehand and lifted it by Halak to restore the two-goal cushion.

NOTES: Boston D Matt Grzelcyk left in the second period after his right arm was pinned awkwardly against the boards when he got hit by Pittsburgh F Patric Hornqvist. Cassidy said X-rays on Grzelcyk’s arm were negative … Both teams went 1 for 5 on the power play. … Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin did not score and remains two points shy of 1,000 for his career. … Aston-Reese exited with a lower-body injury.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Visit Columbus on Tuesday.

Penguins: Host Washington on Tuesday. Pittsburgh is 2-1 against the reigning Stanley Cup champions this season.

03/10/19 Condensed Game: Bruins @ Penguins

And just like that, he was gone

By Jim Wexell
https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/Article/Pittsburgh-Steelers-trade-Antonio-Brown-to-Oakland-for-pair-of-middle-round-picks-129914882/
March 10, 2019

What's the price of peace and unity?

Perhaps a bashing in the national media and on the message boards of the team's fan sites?

Well, that's the price Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was willing to pay last night when he shipped Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders for third and fifth-round draft picks.

Counting the replacement cost of player No. 51, the Steelers gained only about $500,000 in cap space by unloading the most productive receiver in team history. The Steelers won't have to pay Brown the $15 million he was due in salary this coming season, but they're hit with $14 million in prorated bonus monies from the ensuing two seasons left on his contract.

Analysts will continue to blather on about "dead money," but the fact is the Steelers lost a 31-year-old who put up spectacular stats but was also a spectacular pain in the butt not only in the locker and meeting rooms, but on the sideline and in the huddle.

Brown was targeted 19 times and gained 185 yards in his final game with the Steelers, but he still criticized the quarterback and then the franchise for publicly announcing that the quarterback will in fact remain in charge of that huddle.

I say good riddance. And it's easier for me to say it, since I had low expectations that this trade would turn into any type of draft-day boon for the Steelers. Way back on January 10, I relayed from our Answer Man his belief that they wouldn't get much more than a third-round pick.

That belief of course went up and down every time Mr. Big Chest opened his mouth. But in the end, the source was wrong, because the Steelers DID get a little more than a third-round pick.

Barely.

So, the Steelers have added the 84th and 142nd picks to an arsenal that grew by a compensatory sixth-round pick a couple of days ago with the trade of Marcus Gilbert.

Of course, Gilbert will be missed more in that locker room than Brown. On the field? Well, JuJu Smith-Schuster has worked his way into a Pro Bowler and will take over as the No. 1 receiver, while last year's second-round pick, James Washington, looks to continue his late-season ascension into the other starting spot.

The Steelers can add a deep threat in free agency, someone such as John Brown, and of course draft one in a very deep crop of receivers.

When tall deep threats such as Emanuel Hall and Miles Boykin - just quick examples - are expected to be available at the bottom of the third round and probably into the fourth, it's a deep crop.

t's actually a draft that's considered particularly rich in talent through the 100th selection. And the Steelers now own picks 20, 52, 66, 84, 123, 142, 176, 194, 209 and 221.

I'll go back to the Dan Marino-led Miami Dolphins once again for a historical comparison.

Entering Marino's 16th season, the Dolphins were coming off a 9-7 record in Jimmy Johnson's second season. You may recall that the Dolphins had pushed Don Shula out because he couldn't get back to the Super Bowl after rebuilding an entire team around Marino, who played well enough to prevent the team from plunging and rebuilding with top-10 talent.

The analogy of the teams that went to the Super Bowls with the two youngest quarterbacks in league history is too perfect not to continue to use. But the Dolphins entered that 1998 draft with picks 19-49-82-112-142, similar to this year's Steelers, as Ben Roethlisberger enters season 16, with picks 20-52-84-123-142.

The Dolphins, though, probably with as many holes as the Steelers have now, traded down 10 spots in the first round for four additional picks. They then traded a first-rounder in the next year's draft for a second-rounder in that '98 draft. They made one small trade up in the fourth round.

It didn't work. While the Dolphins made the playoffs and won a wild-card game that season, they were eliminated in the divisional round by Denver, 38-3. Marino made one more try for that elusive ring in 1999, failed, and then retired.

Obviously, the Steelers must do the opposite, and from what we learned about the trade attempt of Brown to Buffalo, they're leaning that way.

The Steelers attempted to trade Brown to the Bills, reportedly, for a move up of 11 spots in the first round, and a fourth-rounder. It wouldn't have been the sexiest trade for Steelers fans. In fact, many groused on social media. But it tipped us off that the Steelers are targeting a particular player, and the educated guess is that player is inside linebacker Devin White of LSU.

The Steelers have been desperate for a three-down inside linebacker since Ryan Shazier went down. They need someone to roam from sideline to sideline, cover backs, blow up screens, handle the run game, and even drop deep into coverage the way Derrick Brooks did inMike Tomlin's favored cover-2 scheme back when Tampa Bay won its Super Bowl.

And since White's ceiling reminds me of what Ravens great Ray Lewis became, let's throw Lewis into the comparative mix as well:

* Brooks 6-0, 229, 4.71 40, 28th pick of 1995 draft.
* Lewis 6-0.3, 235, 4.58 40, 26th pick of 1996 draft.
* White 6-0, 237, 4.42 40, pick to be determined.

But that pick probably won't be determined by the Steelers, who may have to settle for another middle linebacker who ran a 4.43 40 at the recent NFL Combine, Devin Bush (5-11, 234).

Now that the move up to pick No. 9 has been scuttled, dashing the hope of landing White, Bush becomes the favorite to be chosen by the Steelers at pick No. 20. Unless, of course, the Steelers move up, and the failed trade with Buffalo has certainly tipped off Colbert's intention.

Oh, wait, am I geeking out and meandering into talk about a draft that won't happen for seven weeks?

Sorry. The prospect of looking ahead has caused me to forget what I was saying about A.B., and that was, well, bye.

Jake Guentzel’s goal is to push Penguins into playoffs

By Kevin Gorman
https://triblive.com/sports/kevin-gorman-jake-guentzels-goal-is-to-push-penguins-into-playoffs/
March 8, 2019

Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena on March 5, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jake Guentzel doesn’t deny he is goal-oriented, even if the Pittsburgh Penguins winger is focused more on the standings than his statistics as he approaches a meaningful milestone.

It’s more about the race than the chase.

Guentzel’s overtime winner against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night was his 33rd goal in 67 games this season, which is more than Sidney Crosby (31), Phil Kessel (21) or Evgeni Malkin (22). Not only is Guentzel on pace to become the first Penguins winger to record a 40-goal season since James Neal in 2011-12 but he also is positioned to become their first player not named Crosby or Malkin to lead the team in goals in a full season since Ryan Malone in 2003-04.

That’s incredible, even to Guentzel.

“Just those two guys and what they’ve done in their careers, being prolific scorers, it would be a pretty special feeling,” Guentzel said. “But you know those guys are going to get their points and score. That’s what they do day-in and day-out. But it would be a pretty cool feeling.”

That Guentzel is outpacing a pair of Penguins all-time greats is eye-opening in this era of hockey, when a scoring winger such as Kessel has six seasons with 30-plus goals but hasn’t cracked the 40-goal mark.

“It’s impressive in any era of hockey,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s a lot of goals. He’s played extremely well for us this year. I’ve spoken about this a lot this year: What we’ve really been appreciative of Jake and his game is his consistency. That’s one of the biggest changes from last year. He’s brought it every night. When he does that, he’s a really good player for us, and it shows in his production.”

Most impressive about Guentzel’s scoring is he doesn’t have the benefit of being on the Penguins’ first-team power play. Only Chicago’s Patrick Kane (31) and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Toronto’s John Tavares (30 each) have more even-strength goals than Guentzel’s 29, with three coming on power plays and one short-handed.

That’s why his Penguins teammates rave about the hockey IQ of the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder, who has an instinct for finding the soft spots on the ice and scoring with a shot that stands out even to Crosby.

“He knows where to go, and when he gets it, he gets it off quick,” Crosby said. “I think he’s accurate, but he scores in different ways. The shot comes to mind, but he scores in and around the net, deflections and he’s not afraid to go to those tough-to-score areas, too. He can do it a lot of different ways, and that’s why he’s scored so many.”

That Crosby trails Guentzel by only two goals should make the final 15 games of the regular season even more riveting, not only to see who scores the most goals but also whether the linemates can propel the Penguins into the playoffs.

Two of Guentzel’s four career hat tricks have come against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who trail the Penguins by four points in Eastern Conference standings going into their game Saturday. Guentzel has scored goals against eight of the 10 remaining opponents, all but Nashville (whom he hasn’t played) and Detroit.

“I think the main thing right now is to win games,” Guentzel said. “If I score, I score. I’m just trying to do whatever to help. We’re in a tight race, so I’m trying to get points and get wins. If the goals come, they come. I’m just trying to play good. If I’m doing my part, scoring goals or creating chances, if that leads to us getting a better chance to win, that’s the main thing.”

Leading the Penguins in goals would be something special, especially if Guentzel pushes them into the playoffs.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email atkgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

MORE PENGUINS/NHL STORIES

Mark Madden: Penguins helping ensure Blue Jackets lose ‘all-in’ bet

Columbus rivalry makes Penguins’ Garrett Wilson feel right at home

Plenty to praise as Penguins take 1st of back-to-back games vs. Blue Jackets

Penguins goalie Matt Murray heating up as season hits stretch run

Phil Kessel ends scoring drought as Penguins blank Blue Jackets 

Penguins continue mastery of Blue Jackets in 3-0 win

The Associated Press
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2019/03/07/penguins-continue-mastery-of-blue-jackets-in-2-0-win/39165711/
March 7, 2019

Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena on March 7, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Sullivan isn't looking for an explanation. The Pittsburgh Penguins coach isn't sure there is one that can adequately describe why his team dominates the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"All I can tell you is, every game we play them is a hard-fought battle and the margin for error is slim," Sullivan said.

And every game ends the same: with the Penguins exchanging high-fives on their way to the dressing room while the Blue Jackets trudge off wondering how another one got away.

Matt Murray stopped 25 shots for his 10th career shutout and the Penguins opened a pivotal home-and-home with the Columbus by rolling to a 3-0 victory on Thursday night.

"We're finding ways to win," Sullivan said with a shrug.

The Penguins always seem to when the Blue Jackets are on the other side of the ice. Pittsburgh has won eight straight over Columbus. And while the Blue Jackets will get another shot at the Penguins at Nationwide Arena on Saturday night, Pittsburgh put on a defensive clinic in front of Murray to drop Columbus to just 2-4 since the trade deadline.

"I think we need something good to happen," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "They blocked 24 shots. We have a lot of shot attempts and a lot of good things, but we don't score a goal."

For the first time in more than a month, that wasn't an issue for Penguins forward Phil Kessel, who ended a 16-game scoring drought when he beat surprise starter Joonas Korpisalo just 2:22 into the first period to give Pittsburgh a lead it would never relinquish. The crowd erupted when he banked a shot from in tight off a sprawled Korpisalo and into the net for his first goal since Jan. 30.

"I got lucky tonight," Kessel said. "I thought it was going to come a little earlier than it did. It took me a little while. But hopefully now I can get a hot streak going or something."

Nick Bjugstad collected his ninth of the season for Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby took a high stick from Columbus' Boone Jenner in the third period but returned to add an empty-net goal and extend his goal streak to six consecutive games as the Penguins created a little bit of breathing room between themselves and the Blue Jackets in the race for a playoff spot in the crowded Eastern Conference.

Pittsburgh moved into third place in the Metropolitan Division, dropping idle Carolina to the top wild-card spot. The Blue Jackets are currently on the outside looking in. While Korpisalo overcame his sluggish start to finish with 28 saves, his teammates couldn't get anything by Murray.

Making his sixth straight start, Murray was solid. So were the guys in front of him. Pittsburgh's defensemen — including recently acquired Erik Gudbranson — prevented Columbus from creating consistent pressure by making sure Murray had a clear line of vision.

"They've been stepping up big time, clearing guys out from the front and blocking shots," Murray said. "They're just sacrificing a lot. I can't say enough about those guys back there."

Tortorella tried to downplay the importance of his team's final two meetings with the Penguins, though he made a curious decision to start Korpisalo — winless since Jan. 15 — over No. 1 goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, claiming the two-time Vezina Trophy winner needed to get some rest with the stretch looming.

The change in net did little to change the Blue Jackets' fortunes. Defenseman Scott Harrington was called for tripping barely two minutes in and Pittsburgh pounced. Evgeni Malkin collected a shot behind the Blue Jackets' net and fed Kessel at the far post.

Tortorella decided to challenge the goal, claiming goaltender's interference, but the call stood and Tortorella burned his only timeout before most of his players had even broken a sweat. Murray kept the Blue Jackets at bay and Bjugstad finished off a sequence of extended pressure by collecting a pass from Jared McCann then pivoting into space in the slot before beating Korpisalo between the legs with 1:13 to go in the second for his fourth goal since being brought over in a trade with Florida on Feb. 1.

The chippy play between the rivals separated by three hours geographically but by considerably more in terms of stature perked up at times. Pittsburgh's Garrett Wilson and Columbus captain Nick Foligno received fighting majors in the second period following a brawl that left Wilson's forehead bloody. Jenner received a double-minor for high sticking Crosby early in the third.

Crosby returned to finish off Columbus with his 31st, leaving the Blue Jackets with one last chance to solve the Penguins this season.

"Scoring and not scoring are both contagious," Columbus center Matt Duchene said. "All of us are obviously a little snake bit right now."

NOTES: Penguins D Kris Letang missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Pittsburgh is 9-1 while wearing its yellow third jerseys. ... The Blue Jackets were 0 for 3 on the power play. The Penguins were 1 for 5. Malkin's assist on Kessel's goal pushed his career point total to 997.

UP NEXT

Blue Jackets: Columbus has issues at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets are just 17-16-2 at home this season.

Penguins: Pittsburgh hasn't lost on the road to Columbus in the regular season since Feb. 17, 2017 (4-0).

03/07/19 Condensed Game: Blue Jackets @ Penguins

CULLEN, MARLEAU LAUGHING IN FACE OF FATHER TIME AS THEY CONTINUE TO REACH GAMES PLAYED MILESTONES

By Ken Campbell
https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/cullen-marleau-laughing-in-face-of-father-time-as-they-continue-to-reach-games-played-milestones
March 5, 2019

Matt Cullen #7 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is honored for his 1500th NHL game at PPG Paints Arena on March 5, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

When Matt Cullen steps on the ice Tuesday night for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their game against the Florida Panthers, he’ll become just the 20th player in NHL history to play 1,500 career games, an incredible feat for a guy who watched 34 players get selected before him in the 1996 draft. With the game, Cullen will also pass Mike Modano for second on the all-times games played list for American-born players.

Matt Cullen is 42 years old and he’s been on the verge of retirement every year for about the past five. In fact, he signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Wild last season in part to return to his home state and prepare for life after hockey. But here he is, back in Pittsburgh on a one-year deal, anchoring the fourth line, killing penalties and taking key faceoffs.

In an era when it seems the NHL is becoming more of a young man’s league and veterans are losing the battle of attrition, players such as Cullen have used conditioning and superior on-ice intellect to continue competing long past their best-before dates. Which then leads to the notion that it’s possible two of the most prestigious benchmarks for games played could be surpassed in the next couple of years by Cullen and Patrick Marleau.

Let’s deal with Cullen first. If he plays the rest of Pittsburgh’s games this season, he’ll have appeared in 1,516, which would put him 135 behind freak of nature Chris Chelios for No. 1 all-time among American-born players (and fifth on the NHL’s all-time list). That means Cullen would have to play almost two seasons in order to pass Chelios. At the very least, he’d need to earn two more one-year deals, with a buffer of 28 games over those two seasons to accommodate for injuries and/or healthy scratches.

It might be a tall order for Cullen, but it’s one that’s certainly possible. Cullen missed 11 games with a broken ankle earlier this season, but has been a pretty durable player late in his career. “He feels better than he ever has,” said Cullen’s agent, Pat Morris. “Nothing would surprise me. He plays like he’s 32 because he skates so well.”

Another thing working in Cullen’s favor is that if he can stay with the Penguins, he’ll be with an organization that has the biggest dearth of young prospects in the NHL, which would make the possibility of him being pushed out by a younger player less likely. A proven player who can still compete and keep up at the NHL level and do so for a reduced price, all the while reliably filling 10 to 13 minutes of ice time per game, can be a significant asset. In fact, there is not a forward on the Penguins who logs as much of the 2:09 in shorthanded ice time per game that Cullen does.

Patrick Marleau #12 of the Toronto Maple Leafs gets set for a faceoff against the Boston Bruins in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round in the 2018 Stanley Cup play-offs at the Air Canada Centre on April 19, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) 

Now onto Marleau, who is finding himself climbing the games-played chart seemingly every time he steps on the ice and could be within striking distance of the grand daddy of them all, Gordie Howe’s record of 1,767 games. Like Cullen, Marleau has no problem getting around the ice with players 10 years younger. He hasn’t yet reached his 40th birthday and has a year left on his deal and he has been remarkably durable. If he manages to play all 16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ final 16 games, he will have gone 10 full seasons without missing a single game.

He will also be at 1,657 games, which will move him ahead of Mark Recchi for fifth on the all-time list, 210 behind Howe. Marleau still has a year left on his deal in Toronto, which would reduce that number to 128 if he plays all 82 games for the Leafs in the 2019-20 season. Like Cullen, Marleau would need at least two contract years in order to catch Howe for top spot.

The bad news for Marleau is that he’s on pace to record his second-worst statistical full season since his rookie year and he looks to be clearly in decline. There is a lot to be said for the leadership/mentorship he brings to the young players and has clearly bonded with franchise players Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The Leafs wouldn’t save anything on his $6.25 million cap hit by buying him out and he has a no-movement clause. If this season truly represents a portent of things to come, Marleau will face long odds in his pursuit of Mr. Hockey.

But the fact that both Cullen and Marleau are even in the conversation to catch all-time greats such as Chelios and Howe is a testament to their staying power in a league ruled by youth. And speaking of veterans excelling, if Sidney Crosby scores a point Tuesday night, he’ll hit the 1,200 mark for his career. And it’s a pretty good bet the 31-year-old will do that, since he has scored at least a point in 10 of his past 11 games and has 6-16-22 totals in that span.

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TAGS: MILESTONES AND RECORDS, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Sidney Crosby is out of his damn mind right now

By Kyle Cantlon

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/sidney-crosby-damn-mind-right-now-043800439.html

March 5, 2019

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena on March 5, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Make no bones about it, Sidney Crosby is still the best player on Planet Earth.

With all the (justified) hype surrounding the younger generation of elite talent in the NHL right now — led by Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Johnny Gaudreau — along with the emergence of Nikita Kucherov as a production juggernaut over the past couple seasons and the never-ending offensive badassery of Alex Ovechkin, Crosby likes to remind us every now and then that he remains king of the puck game.

If you’ve been watching close enough, though, he’s pretty much doled out that reminder every time he’s suited up since coming into the league, but his recent stretch has simply been something else — arguably the best hockey we’ve ever seen him play, which is a hard thought to fathom.

Crosby’s “I’m still your daddy” tour continued full-steam ahead on Tuesday, as Pittsburgh’s captain was in on all three Penguins goals in their 3-2 overtime win versus the Panthers. He culminated his effort with an absurd flip pass to Jake Guentzel on the OT winner.

That egregious display of vision, spacial awareness and all-worldly playmaking ability came on the same night as a special milestone for No. 87, who notched his 1,200th career point on Pittsburgh’s first tally of the night.

Only 48 skaters have ever totalled 1,200 or more NHL points and, hitting the mark in his 927th career game, Crosby is the 11th fastest in NHL history to do so.

On the heels of a casual four-point outing versus Montreal on Saturday, Sid’s three-point night against the Panthers gives him seven in his last two games. Over his last five contests, Crosby has tallied five goals and 13 points. He’s been clipping at a 2.45 point-per-game pace over his last 11.

His last 31 games has been one of the most productive stretches of his career, with The Kid finding the scoresheet 48 times over that span while failing to register at least a point in only six (6!) of those contests.

No. 87 may not be the NHL’s best pure goal-scorer, passer, stick-handler or skater, but no one — maybe ever — computes the games and puts it all together on a consistent basis quite like Sid.

Jake Guentzel’s breakaway goal in overtime leads Penguins past Panthers

By Jonathan Bombulie
https://triblive.com/sports/jake-guentzels-breakaway-goal-in-overtime-leads-penguins-past-panthers/
March 5, 2019



Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his overtime goal with Sidney Crosby #87 against the Florida Panthers the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena on March 5, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Locked in a tight battle with a game Florida Panthers club Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a certain “it factor” to secure the two points in the standings they so desperately craved.

Jake Guentzel provided it.

Guentzel skated under a long, lob pass from Sidney Crosby and scored his second goal of the game 2 minutes, 16 seconds into overtime to give the Penguins a 3-2 victory at PPG Paints Arena.

“I’ve always been a believer that Jake has that ‘I-T.’ He just has it,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He can finish. It’s hard to describe it, but you know it when you see it and he has it.”

With the win, the Penguins moved into a tie with Carolina for the third and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, two points ahead of Columbus and four points behind Washington and the New York Islanders. The Penguins and Blue Jackets play a home-and-home series starting Thursday.

The victory also helped the Penguins snap a three-game losing streak in games decided past regulation. They’re 5-7 in overtime this season.

“It’s kind of hurt us a little bit this year,” Guentzel said. “I think it’s something we all took pride in, that we need to be better. They’re big points right now, so we need to be good.”

Guentzel started the play by poking a puck free in the defensive zone. Crosby corralled it along the boards and processed the scene in front of him like a state-of-the-art supercomputer.

Guentzel was skating up ice with defenseman Mike Matheson on his hip. For a moment, Guentzel made eye contact with Crosby, but the captain held onto the puck. At the rate of speed he was traveling, with a defender all over him, Crosby figured Guentzel probably couldn’t receive a direct pass.

“When I didn’t give it to him when he looked at me, he probably thought it was coming a different way,” Crosby said.

Guentzel did think that, and he was right. Crosby sent a Phil Mickelson flop shot into the neutral zone, hoping Guentzel could beat Matheson to the loose puck.

“I wasn’t too confident,” Guentzel said. “You know (Matheson is) a really good skater. I wasn’t sure. Just try to get body position and go from there.”

Guentzel fended off Matheson with his left arm, controlled the puck just inside the offensive blue line and quickly moved in on net. He faked to the forehand, beat goalie Roberto Luongo with a backhand shot and crashed into the boards.

“Coming that speed, I think you’re just trying to get it on net,” Guentzel said. “Must have got him on the fake and got it on the backhand.”

Guentzel has a team-leading 33 goals in a breakout season.

“When he gets hot, it’s just a matter of finding him,” said Crosby, who, with 25 points in his last 12 games, knows a thing or two about being hot. “He’s confident in his shot. He knows when to be patient and when to shoot it.

“You can tell right now. He’s really poised with it. He’s finding different ways to score.”

Upper St. Clair native Vince Trocheck did his best to deal his hometown team a crushing late-season blow, helping to set up a first-period Henrik Borgstrom goal and tying the score 2-2 on a bad-angle one-timer in the second period.

The Penguins got a key third-period penalty kill and 32 saves from Matt Murray to give Crosby and Guentzel the chance to steal the show in overtime.

“I think that’s part of the reason why he has so much chemistry with Sid,” Sullivan said, “because of that ‘it factor’ that he has.”

Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jonathan by email atjbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Sports | Penguins

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03/05/19 Condensed Game: Panthers @ Penguins