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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Pittsburgh Penguins</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:37:10 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:37:10 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Skoula scores 2 goals in Pens' win over Thrashers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ATLANTA(AP) -- Defenseman Martin Skoula wasn't thinking hat trick.
In fact, he had never scored two goals in a game before Saturday
night.

Skoula scored his goals - one in each of the first two periods -
and the Pittsburgh Penguins held off the Atlanta Thrashers in a
3-2 victory.

Atlanta scored both goals in the third period, the last by Maxim
Afinogenov with 18 seconds left.

"It had never happened for me before. I got lucky. It went in
twice," Skoula said.

It was only the third victory in eight games for the defending
Stanley Cup champion Penguins (15-8), who have been plagued by
injuries after opening the season by winning 12 of 15. The
Thrashers (10-7-2) fell to 4-5-1 at home.

Evgeni Malkin netted Pittsburgh's other goal.

Skoula, who had scored only one previous goal this season, gave
Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead at 7:38 of the first period. He beat
goalie Johan Hedberg with a long shot from mid-ice on the power
play.

Skoula made it 2-0 at 7:34 of the second, again on another long
blast, easily beating the sprawling Hedberg.

Was he thinking hat trick?

"Not really. I don't think it matters who scores. I'm not in
there to score hat tricks," he said.

"I'm happy for him. It's big having a defenseman score two
goals," Pittsburgh goalie Mark-Andre Fleury said.

"I felt good. I was pretty relaxed. I tried to set the tempo,"
said Fleury, who had a shutout until Chris Thorburn scored a
short-handed goal 9:40 into the third period.

"We haven't had a shutout (this season). It would have been huge
for us. But it's OK. We won. That's all that matters," he said.

"He (Fleury) was solid. We needed that. He made some big saves,"
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "For the first 40 minutes, that
was probably our best game."

Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot was awarded a penalty shot with 2:26
left in the second period, but missed the net.

"Fleury made some big saves and we hit a few posts," Hedberg
said. "This is a game of margins. Some nights you have them and
some you don't."

Pittsburgh outshot Atlanta 34-33.

"We could have been down 4-0 in the second period but Moose
(Hedberg) kept us in it. We had a lot of chances but Fleury
stood up and made some big saves," Thorburn said.

The Penguins, 8-4 on the road, had lost four straight away from
home after a 7-0 start on enemy ice. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh's
captain and leading scorer with 10 goals and 12 assists,
assisted on Skoula's first goal.

NOTES: Pittsburgh D Brooks Orpik returned after missing four
games due to a lower body injury. ... The Penguins were 4-0
against the Thrashers last season and are 27-8-2 overall,
including 13-4-2 in Atlanta. ... Afinogenov has six goals and
three assists in his last five games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136198-Skoula-scores-2-goals-in-Pens-win-over-Thrashers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/136198-Skoula-scores-2-goals-in-Pens-win-over-Thrashers</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:27:13 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Thrashers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (14-8-0) at Atlanta (10-6-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Thrashers had to settle for one point their last
time out, but lately they've been doing an impressive job of
collecting wins.

They can't claim the same success recently against the
Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Thrashers have won four of their last five games to move up
the Southeast Division standings, but they'll be trying to snap
a five-game slide against the Penguins on Saturday night at
Philips Arena.

Atlanta (10-6-2) has one of hockey's most consistent offensive
attacks, scoring 3.61 goals per game to rank among the league's
top three.

The Thrashers haven't scored fewer than three goals since Oct.
10, and scored 18 during a four-game winning streak from Nov.
8-15.

It looked like their streak of three-goal games might come to an
end Thursday against Boston as the Bruins led 3-2 with under a
minute to play, but Maxim Afinogenov scored with 41.4 seconds
left to send the game to overtime. After five scoreless minutes,
Patrice Bergeron scored the only goal of the shootout to give
Boston a 4-3 win.

"We did get a point. We battled back," defenseman Zach Bogosian
said. "It's not the outcome we wanted, but we got a point out of
it. That's kind of a positive."

It was the Thrashers' seventh consecutive loss to the Bruins,
and they'll be looking to snap a similar drought against the
Penguins (14-8-0).

Pittsburgh has outscored Atlanta 21-10 in winning the last five
games, including a four-game sweep last season behind four goals
and nine assists from Evgeni Malkin.

Malkin missed seven games with a strained right shoulder before
returning last Saturday against Boston, and the Penguins, who
had scored 12 goals in the time he missed, netted 11 in home
wins over the Bruins and Anaheim.

Malkin scored his first goal since Oct. 20 late in the third
period Thursday against Ottawa, but it hardly made a difference.
The Senators had scored four times earlier in the third, chasing
Marc-Andre Fleury en route to a 6-2 win.

Despite Pittsburgh's loss, it welcome two players back Thursday.
Defenseman Sergei Gonchar returned from a broken wrist that
sidelined him for 12 games, and forward Max Talbot, who scored
both goals in the Penguins' 2-1 Game 7 win in Detroit to clinch
the Stanley Cup, played for the first time since offseason
shoulder surgery.

"It was our first game for Max in a long, long time and he
brought his energy and he was effective, he was effective in the
offensive zone and I liked that," coach Dan Bylsma said.
"Sergei, we asked him to play a lot of minutes tonight. It's
tough for him to get back in there but definitely our power
play's a bit more dangerous with him out there."

Malkin's goal Thursday came on the power play, the second
straight game the Penguins - still without four of their top
five defensemen - scored with the man advantage.

The power play was 4 for 51 (7.8 percent) in the 12 games
Gonchar missed, but perhaps Pittsburgh can get it going versus
Atlanta. The Penguins were 8 for 20 (40.0 percent) with the man
advantage last season against the Thrashers, with Malkin
collecting a point on seven of those goals.

Ilya Kovalchuk, who has four goals and seven assists in four
games for the Thrashers since returning from a foot injury, has
three goals and two assists in his last 10 games versus
Pittsburgh.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135686-Penguins-Thrashers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135686-Penguins-Thrashers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:01:36 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Phillips leads Senators past Penguins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[OTTAWA(AP) -- Chris Phillips waited a long time to reveal his
offensive skills.

Phillips scored twice in his 800th regular-season game, and
Pascal Leclaire made 25 saves, leading the Ottawa Senators to a
6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

Phillips, who entered with one goal in 18 games, scored goals
2:03 apart in the third to put Ottawa up 5-1 and chase
Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

"I'm not expected to, for sure," Phillips said. "It feels good
to do it and it felt like one of those high energy games, for us
anyways, and it's nice."

Milan Michalek got his 100th career goal and Matt Carkner, Chris
Kelly and Jonathan Cheechoo also scored for Ottawa, which won
its second in a row. Mike Fisher had three assists for the
Senators.

"Philly had to wait until his 800th to get two in a row but that
was pretty sweet," Carkner said. "He played really well tonight
for us, a solid game and just that he got those two goals was
huge for us. We're very proud of him."

Jordan Staal scored early in the first, and Evgeni Malking had a
power-play goal late in the third for Pittsburgh, which gave up
six straight goals after taking a 1-0 lead 1:09 in.

Fleury, who made 19 saves, left 7:12 into the third after
allowing five goals. Brent Johnson stopped six of seven shots
the rest of the way.

Maxime Talbot made his season debut for Pittsburgh and Sergei
Gonchar returned to the Penguins' injury-depleted defense corps.

Talbot, who had surgery on his left shoulder in July, played for
the first time since scoring both goals in Pittsburgh's 2-1 win
over Detroit last spring in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup
final.

"It definitely feels good to be back," said Talbot, who was
called for tripping on his first shift and played a total of
13:17. "Obviously you want to come back in a winning situation
but personally I think I was lucky enough to have a couple of
good shifts and I had ice time so it's good to be back out
there."

Gonchar, who missed 12 games after he broke his left wrist on
Oct. 20, played 25:30, the most ice time of any player on either
team.

"I think good additions back in our lineup," coach Dan Bylsma
said. "It was our first game for Max in a long, long time and he
brought his energy and he was effective, he was effective in the
offensive zone and I liked that. Sergei, we asked him to play a
lot of minutes tonight. It's tough for him to get back in there
but definitely our power play's a bit more dangerous with him
out there."

Jay McKee - sidelined by an infected finger following Monday
night's 5-2 win over Anaheim - became the latest Pittsburgh
blue-line loss, joining Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik and Alex
Goligoski.

Carkner got his second goal of the season 12:16 in on a slap
shot past Fleury to tie it at 1 after Staal deflected Pascal
Dupuis' pass beyond Leclaire to give Pittsburgh an early lead.

Michalek reached his milestone to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead on a
power play 2:31 into the second. He deflected Daniel
Alfredsson's slap shot past Fleury for his ninth goal of the
season.

Kelly, who was sent off for tripping with 49 seconds left in the
second, scored his first goal of the season on a breakaway 1:29
into the third after coming out of the penalty box to put Ottawa
up 3-1.

"Right after the power play's over within a 30-second span we're
down 3-1 and they had the momentum at that point," Bylsma said.

Phillips drove a slap shot past Fleury at 5:09 and scored again
at 7:12 for his first multigoal game since Nov. 22, 2001.

Cheechoo beat Johnson with an unassisted effort for his second
goal at 13:06.

Malkin scored his fifth on a power play at 17:19.

NOTES: Gonchar had two goals and six assists in nine games when
he suffered his injury. ... Phillips, chosen first overall by
Ottawa in the 1996 entry draft, has 54 goals and 155 assists
since joining the Senators in 1997-98. ... Michalek, who
appeared in his 336th regular-season game, scored 91 goals with
San Jose from 2003-09.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135535-Phillips-leads-Senators-past-Penguins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135535-Phillips-leads-Senators-past-Penguins</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:15:30 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Senators Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Pittsburgh (14-7-0) at Ottawa (9-6-3), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins have found a way to end their scoring
slump, but they could certainly use Sergei Gonchar back for
their struggling power play.

Hampered by injuries, the Penguins may get some good news on
that front with Gonchar possibly set to return in a matchup with
the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh (14-7-0) has scored 11 goals in winning its last two
games after being held to three during a four-game losing
streak.

A 5-2 win over Anaheim on Monday was costly, though. Jay McKee
has an infected finger after being hurt in that game and will
miss two to four weeks.

McKee is the fifth of Pittsburgh's top six defensemen to be
sidelined since late October. The Penguins are playing with
three defensemen that have been called up from
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but they may not need another.

Gonchar may be ready to play after missing 12 games with a
broken left wrist. He missed 56 last season due to a dislocated
left shoulder.

Gonchar, who has two goals and six assists in nine games, is one
of the point men on the power play. The Penguins had gone eight
straight games without a power-play goal before Bill Guerin
scored in the first period versus the Ducks.

Guerin snapped a streak of 30 consecutive unsuccessful
Pittsburgh power plays that began in a 4-3 shootout win at
Columbus on Oct. 30.

Guerin, 39, has scored in two straight games after going without
a goal in his previous 11.

"I'm handling the ups and downs better as you get older," he
said. "When you're younger, you feel like the world is crashing
in on you because you haven't scored in a few games. You learn
how to roll with it, as long as the team's winning."

Guerin has seven assists while finding the back of the net five
times, scoring once in a 4-1 win at Ottawa (9-6-3) on Oct. 12.
The Penguins prevailed even though Sidney Crosby and Evgeni
Malkin were held off the scoresheet.

Crosby hasn't scored a goal in six regular-season games in
Ottawa but has four in five playoff contests there. He has one
goal in his last nine games overall.

Crosby will be facing a Senators team that has struggled
defensively at times without Anton Volchenkov (elbow).

Ottawa had given up seven goals in consecutive losses before
beating Toronto 3-2 on Tuesday night. The Senators also bounced
back offensively after scoring one goal in each of their
previous two games.

Mike Fisher scored twice for Ottawa, including the tiebreaking
goal in the second period, to give him nine on the season. The
veteran center didn't score his ninth goal last season until the
Senators' 60th game.

Fisher has helped the Senators overcome Jason Spezza's slow
start. Spezza has been held without a point in five straight
games and has one goal in 16 after scoring at least 32 in each
of his last three seasons.

Spezza has 10 goals and 17 assists in his last 16 games versus
the Penguins.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135121-Penguins-Senators-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135121-Penguins-Senators-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:22:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pens lose another player, 2 may return]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- The injury-thinned Pittsburgh Penguins are down
another player.

Defenseman Jay McKee has an infected finger that will keep him
out two to four weeks. He was hurt late in Pittsburgh's 5-2 win
over Anaheim on Monday, and is the fifth of the team's top six
defensemen to be sidelined since late October.

The Penguins, already playing with three defensemen from
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, may not have to recall another because
Sergei Gonchar is expected to return Thursday night in Ottawa.

Gonchar, one of the point men on the power play, has missed 12
games with a broken left wrist.

Forward Max Talbot, who scored both Penguins goals in a 2-1
victory over Detroit in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, also
could play when they open a three-game trip in Ottawa.

Talbot had surgery in July to repair a torn labrum in his left
shoulder.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135087-Pens-lose-another-player-2-may-return</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/135087-Pens-lose-another-player-2-may-return</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:51:21 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Guerin's goal, fight help Pens past Ducks 5-2]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Bill Guerin still has some goals left in him at
age 39. What's surprising is he has a few left jabs and right
hooks, too.

Guerin ended Pittsburgh's eight-game streak without a power-play
goal by scoring in the first period, Jordan Staal scored
short-handed and the Penguins wrapped up Anaheim's winless
four-game road trip by beating the Ducks 5-2 on Monday night.

Guerin, playing in his 1,206th NHL game, missed by an assist of
having the so-called Gordie Howe hat trick - a goal, an assist
and a fight. He fought in the third period with Ryan Getzlaf,
who is 15 years younger, trading several punches before Guerin
put the Ducks' alternate captain on his back to earn one of the
night's loudest ovations from the sellout crowd of 17,052.

"He got the hard part of the Gordie Howe," coach Dan Bylsma
said. "The parts he got, it was great to see the edge from his
game and the shot ... one he's put in numerous times in his
career. When he's at his best he's playing with an edge, and you
saw that."

Guerin's fifth goal came 5:13 into the first period and halted a
streak of 30 consecutive unsuccessful Penguins power plays that
began Oct. 30 in Columbus. With Pittsburgh ahead 1-0 on Matt
Cooke's backhander from a slot 91 seconds into the game, Guerin
beat Jean-Sebastien Giguere on a one-timer from the top of the
right circle, with Sidney Crosby assisting.

"We still definitely have some work (on the power play), but it
was good to finally get one," Guerin said.

Guerin has scored in successive games after going 11 in a row
without a goal.

"I'm handling the ups and downs better as you get older," he
said. "When you're younger, you feel like the world is crashing
in on you because you haven't scored in few games. You learn how
to roll with it, as long as team's winning."

The Ducks aren't. They looked weary and off their game early on,
failing to get a shot until Pittsburgh led 2-0 and taking the
game's first three penalties. They were coming off a 7-4 loss in
Detroit on Saturday in which they allowed five goals in the
third period, and this one wasn't much better.

Coach Randy Carlyle wasn't happy, holding a team meeting shortly
after the Ducks (6-10-3) left the ice.

"I've been on teams like this before and it's never easy," Todd
Marchant said. "It's almost seems like there's never light at
the end of the tunnel, but there is. There is time, time to turn
this around. We have the personnel, we have the talent, we have
the work ethic, we have the character in this room to do it."

The Ducks also lost at New Jersey and Columbus (shootout) during
their road trip and have dropped 10 of 13.

"We were playing some good teams, and the mistakes we made, we
paid for in every game," Scott Niedermayer said.

Marchant gave Anaheim a lift by scoring short-handed midway
through the first period after Evgeni Malkin gave the puck away,
but the Ducks couldn't solve Marc-Andre Fleury again until Teemu
Selanne scored his 10th late in the third.

Staal answered Marchant's goal by taking Deryk Engelland's lead
pass and beating Giguere high to the sick side about 4 minutes
into the second, his ninth career short-handed goal. Staal
scored an NHL rookie-record seven short-handed goals in 2006-07,
but had one in the two-plus seasons since - on Jan. 10 at
Colorado. He also scored short-handed in Game 2 of the Stanley
Cup finals in Detroit.

With seven Penguins players injured and out, Engelland was one
of five first-year players on the ice for Pittsburgh, which is
currently missing four of its top six defensemen.

Martin Skoula, playing more with all those defensemen injured,
scored his with Pittsburgh early in the third, with rookie
defenseman Ben Lovejay getting an assist for his second career
point. Cooke added his second of the game into an empty net with
13 seconds remaining, with Staal assisting.

NOTES: Getzlaf's 11-game scoring streak ended. Corey Perry
stretched his to 12 by assisting on Marchant's goal. ... Fleury
made 23 saves. ... D Nate Guenin, who grew up in suburban
Pittsburgh, made his Penguins' debut; he played 12 games with
Philadelphia earlier in his career.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134625-Guerins-goal-fight-help-Pens-past-Ducks-5-2</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134625-Guerins-goal-fight-help-Pens-past-Ducks-5-2</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:27:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Pens' Goligoski out for 2 to 3 weeks]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Alex Goligoski is expected to miss two to three
weeks because of an unspecified lower body injury, leaving the
Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins with only two healthy
defensemen among their top six.

The Penguins already were playing without Sergei Gonchar
(wrist), Kris Letang (shoulder) and Brooks Orpik (undisclosed
injury), plus forwards Max Talbot (shoulder), Tyler Kennedy
(groin) and Chris Kunitz (undisclosed injury).

Goligoski, who plays the point on the power play, is third on
the team with six goals and 14 points. He left Saturday's 6-5
overtime victory against Boston with an apparent left leg
injury.

The Penguins currently have three defensemen who began the
season in the minors: Deryk Engelland, Ben Lovejoy and Nate
Guenin.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134482-Pens-Goligoski-out-for-2-to-3-weeks</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134482-Pens-Goligoski-out-for-2-to-3-weeks</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:16:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Ducks-Penguins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Anaheim (6-9-3) at Pittsburgh (13-7-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins had scored one goal in their last 11
periods before Evgeni Malkin's return gave them a big boost in
their latest game, and they're hoping that high-scoring
performance wasn't an aberration.

The Anaheim Ducks are hoping the last period they played was.

Malkin and the Penguins will try to build on their six-goal
effort Monday night against Anaheim, which will be trying to
erase the image of letting up five third-period goals to last
season's other Stanley Cup finalist.

Pittsburgh (13-7-0) has suffered through a rash of key injuries
in recent weeks, losing Sergei Gonchar, Tyler Kennedy, Kris
Letang, Brooks Orpik and Chris Kunitz in addition to the
already-sidelined Max Talbot, still out following offseason
shoulder surgery.

Perhaps the most significant loss, though, came when Malkin
decided to sit for two weeks at the end of October to rest his
ailing right shoulder. The Penguins went 2-5-0 without the
2008-09 points leader in the lineup, totaling 11 goals and going
0 for 26 on the power play.

Pittsburgh went 0 for 3 with the man advantage in Malkin's
return Saturday against Boston, but the reigning Conn Smythe
Trophy winner made a difference 5-on-5. Malkin assisted on three
goals, including Bill Guerin's game-tying score with 0.4 seconds
left, and Pascal Dupuis' second goal of the game gave the
Penguins a 6-5 overtime win.

"We were missing Geno," Dupuis said. "He played great for us.
Obviously, it was a big boost for us for him to come back. He
played well. It looked like he didn't miss a shift."

Coach Dan Bylsma put Malkin on a line with captain Sidney
Crosby, a move he typically saves for end-of-game situations.
Crosby had a goal and two assists, with his three points
matching his total from the previous seven games.

"I know we get the message when we're together," Crosby said.
"We know we have to create things. It's hard for them to key on
one of us when we're together. Geno did a great job."

The last time the Penguins won before Saturday was in Anaheim on
Nov. 3, when Dupuis' third-period goal lifted Pittsburgh to a
4-3 victory.

The Ducks (6-9-3) won their next two before embarking on a
four-game trip, but they've been unable to find a victory on the
road. A night after falling 3-2 in a shootout at Columbus,
Anaheim let up five third-period goals in a 7-4 loss at Detroit
on Saturday.

"We got ourselves back up with them a few times but they kept
bumping back up," captain Scott Niedermayer said.

Anaheim scored three goals itself in the third period, including
Ryan Getzlaf's second of the season. Despite Getzlaf's struggles
to score, he's still setting up others. He also had three
assists on Saturday to extend his points streak to 11 games,
during which he has 19 points - 17 assists.

Linemate Corey Perry has nine goals and five assists in his last
nine games.

While Getzlaf has been producing, the Ducks are hurting for
depth at center without Ryan Carter and Saku Koivu. Carter has
missed the past two games after taking a shot off his skate at
practice Thursday, and Koivu has missed all three games during
the road trip with a lower-body injury.

If the Penguins are to break their 0-for-29 slump on the power
play, Monday may be the time to do it. Anaheim is 29th in the
league in penalty kills, allowing opponents to convert 26.7
percent of the time.

The Ducks are 2-7-0 with two ties all-time in Pittsburgh.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134217-Ducks-Penguins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134217-Ducks-Penguins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:26:53 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins snap 4-game skid, beat Bruins in OT]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Evgeni Malkin returned and woke up the
Pittsburgh Penguins' slumbering offense.

Playing for the first time in eight games following a shoulder
injury, Malkin had three assists. Pascal Dupuis scored his
second goal of the game 1:24 into overtime and Pittsburgh
snapped its four-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over the
Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

"We were missing Geno," Dupuis said. "He played great for us.
Obviously, it was a big boost for us for him to come back. He
played well. It looked like he didn't miss a shift."

Dupuis scored when goalie Tim Thomas mistakenly left a puck
along the boards, miscommunicating with defenseman Dennis
Wideman. Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal picked up the puck and fed it
to Dupuis, who tucked in his 100th NHL goal and fifth this
season.

"I don't know what happened behind the net, but I ended up with
the puck in the slot and basically just tapped it in," Dupuis
said. "One-hundredth goal of my career, game-winner, overtime,
I'll take it."

The Penguins' Bill Guerin sent the game to overtime when he
scored with 0.4 seconds left in regulation off a feed from
Malkin.

The Bruins, 2-0-3 in their past five, scored twice during the
final 5:47 of regulation to take their only lead. David Krejci's
5-on-3 goal tied it, and Marco Sturm put Boston ahead with 2:29
left.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists, and Jay McKee and Mark
Eaton also scored for the Penguins, who netted only three goals
during their skid. Pittsburgh scored once in the 209 minutes, 9
seconds before Saturday's game.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma put Malkin on a line with Crosby,
something the Penguins rarely do. Pittsburgh responded by
matching a season high for goals.

"I know we get the message when we're together," Crosby said.
"We know we have to create things. It's hard for them to key on
one of us when we're together. Geno did a great job."

"I think after the last four games, this was a big moment for me
and the team," Malkin said.

The Bruins had scored 11 goals in their previous eight games and
were shut out in their last two road games.

This game turned into a shootout, capped by a frantic final 13
minutes in regulation and overtime.

"We scored goals, yeah," Boston defenseman Derek Morris said,
"and we got a point, which was nice, but that's not our system
we're going to play. We did things we don't normally do and we
did them all in one game. We're lucky to get a point."

Eaton gave the Penguins their fourth lead when he finished a
setup from Crosby with 11 minutes left in regulation.

Krejci's second of the season came after Crosby was penalized
for tripping soon after a 4-minute penalty was given to
Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke for high-sticking Byron Ritz.

About a minute after Boston tied it, Crosby had a breakaway but
Thomas lunged to stop his backhanded shot.

That allowed Sturm to deflect in Zdeno Chara's shot from the
point past goalie Brent Johnson for the apparent winner until
Guerin beat the final horn with his slap shot.

Blake Wheeler, Michael Ryder and Morris also scored. Chara and
former Penguins forward Mark Recchi had two assists for Boston,
which had not scored a power-play goal in eight of its previous
nine games.

Eaton's goal was his second of the season and 22nd in 472 NHL
games. Just 1:42 in, McKee scored the 21st goal of his 760-game
career to end Thomas' shutout streak at 174:16 and the Bruins'
shutout run of 128:36.

The teams then alternated goals over the next 55 minutes.

Playing his 100th career game, Wheeler tied it at 1 6:47 later
with his fifth of the season, but Dupuis gave the Penguins the
lead back late in the first with his fourth.

Ryder tied it at 2 early in the second when he lifted a wrist
shot over Johnson's shoulder.

"I think we played a pretty good game and a couple of mistakes
just cost us the extra point," Ryder said. "We kept coming from
behind all night and managed to get the lead there at the end.
It was there for us, and when you're that close and lose one
like that it's real frustrating."

Crosby's 10th of the season was a deflection of Alex Goligoski's
shot midway through the second period that briefly gave the
Penguins a 3-2 lead.

But Morris scored when his shot from the point deflected off the
stick of Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland and past Johnson
15:02 into the second.

NOTES: The Penguins went 0 for 3 on the power play and are
without a power-play goal in eight games (29 opportunities). The
club record is nine, set in the team's first season. ... The
Bruins have killed 34 of the past 35 power plays against. ...
Penguins D Ben Lovejoy had an assist on Dupuis' first goal - his
first NHL point. ... Penguins C Mark Letestu made his NHL debut.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134072-Penguins-snap-4-game-skid-beat-Bruins-in-OT</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/134072-Penguins-snap-4-game-skid-beat-Bruins-in-OT</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:40:10 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Bruins-Penguins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Boston (8-7-3) at Pittsburgh (12-7-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins are suffering through one of the worst
offensive droughts in franchise history. The return of Evgeni
Malkin could be just what they need to end it.

The NHL's reigning scoring champion is expected to come back
from a shoulder injury Saturday night at Mellon Arena, with the
Penguins looking to avoid a fifth straight loss in a matchup
with the Boston Bruins.

Pittsburgh (12-7-0) began the season 12-3-0, but there were
problems on the horizon by the end of that stretch.

All-Star defenseman Sergei Gonchar, young forward Tyler Kennedy
and Malkin - who had 113 points last season - went down with
injuries, and the Penguins haven't gotten any healthier lately.

Kris Letang hurt his shoulder in a 5-0 loss at San Jose last
Saturday and fellow defenseman Brooks Orpik left with an
undisclosed injury in a 3-0 loss at Boston on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh had three players from its AHL affiliate in the
lineup Thursday night as it lost 4-1 to New Jersey. The
Penguins' last five-game skid was Dec. 27-Jan. 5.

The Penguins scored for the first time in 160 minutes, 41
seconds - a stretch 10 minutes shy of the longest drought in
franchise history.

"It's a matter of time," said captain Sidney Crosby, who ended
his career-high pointless streak at five games by assisting on
Ruslan Fedotenko's goal. "That's how hockey works, it's not
always fair and it doesn't always seem like it's right. I
thought there were some chances to be had and some goals to be
had."

Pittsburgh went 0 for 26 on the power play in its last seven
games, all of which were played without Malkin. The Penguins
returned winger Chris Conner to the minors Friday, a move that
paves the way for Malkin to play for the first time since Oct.
28.

Malkin scored or assisted on eight of Pittsburgh's 11 power-play
goals this season.

"You are adding the point leader from last year and a playoff
MVP," coach Dan Bylsma said. "It is certainly another weapon. It
is not only the points, the speed and how he plays with the
puck. ... There is a tenaciousness that he brings to the game
that adds not just in the point totals."

The Bruins' problems are similar to Pittsburgh's, as they are
converting 12.9 percent of their power-play chances - 0.9
percent worse than the Penguins - and missing key players due to
injury.

Forwards Marc Savard and Milan Lucic aren't quite ready to
return yet, but David Krejci was in Tuesday's win over
Pittsburgh. After Boston (8-7-3) scored three times in that
game, however, it fell 1-0 in a shootout to Florida on Thursday
despite outshooting the Panthers 40-23 and 19-1 in the second
period.

"We deserved the two points," said Tim Thomas, who fell to 1-3-2
in his last six games despite a 0.98 goals-against average.
"They got some chances, but we got more. It is a little easier
to take knowing that we won the last two."

Boston recorded points in its last four games, but was shut out
three times in its last six and totaled 11 goals in its past
eight.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133519-Bruins-Penguins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133519-Bruins-Penguins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:38:28 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Devils near road streak record, beat Pens 4-1]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- The New Jersey Devils' road winning streak keeps
going on and on. Or exactly how an unaccustomed run of losing
feels to the beaten-up Pittsburgh Penguins.

Niclas Bergfors had a goal and two assists and the Devils closed
within a victory of tying the NHL record of 10 consecutive road
victories to start a season, beating the slumping Penguins 4-1
on Thursday night.

Zach Parise added a goal and an assist, Travis Zajac had three
assists and Martin Brodeur made 25 saves as New Jersey improved
to 9-0 on the road. The Devils can tie the road streak record,
set by Buffalo in 2006-07, Monday in Philadelphia.

"Honestly, I don't even pay attention to that record," said
Bryce Salvador, who had an assist. "We're just really trying to
be consistent. We're hoping the road play starts rubbing off at
home and we'll start a good streak there, too."

New Jersey, 4-4 at home, won its seventh in a row overall and,
with 26 points, tied idle Washington for first place in the
Eastern Conference.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby ended a career-worst five-game
scoreless streak by assisting on Ruslan Fedotenko's goal in the
first period, but still had a frustrating night as the Stanley
Cup champions lost their fourth in a row.

With the Penguins down 3-1 midway through the third, Crosby put
a backhander off the left post and a wrist shot off the right
post seconds apart during a failed power play - Pittsburgh's
25th in a row. Crosby then trimmed a minute off the power play
by taking a holding penalty.

"Two posts was not easy (to take) right now," Crosby said. "It's
a matter of time. That's how hockey works, it's not always fair
and it doesn't always seem like it's right. I thought there were
some chances to be had and some goals to be had."

Just not by the Penguins on the power play.

They haven't scored with the man advantage since star Evgeni
Malkin left the lineup Oct. 29 with a strained right shoulder,
one of six injured players currently out of their lineup. Last
season's scoring champion took part in the morning skate and
could return as early as Saturday against Boston.

New Jersey took a 2-1 lead late in the second after Pittsburgh's
Bill Guerin went off for interference. Andy Greene's one-timer
from the center point banked off Penguins rookie defenseman Ben
Lovejoy, who was called up from the minors earlier in the day,
and eluded goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Zajac and Bergfors both
assisted.

"We were fortunate to get out of the first period down one,"
Zajac said. "I think Marty kept us in the game. We didn't do a
good job making plays, we turned the puck over a lot. That said,
we got one on the power play and went from there."

Fleury is 2-6 after beginning the season 8-0. He has lost four
in a row for the first time since Dec. 27-Jan. 5, and the
Penguins are 12-7 after starting 12-3.

"We got used to winning, so it's frustrating to get those
losses," Fleury said.

The Penguins started the third period on the power play after
Zajac drew a holding period to end the second but they couldn't
convert, and Parise scored his ninth of the season with 4:43
gone.

Pittsburgh's Jay McKee couldn't control the puck near mid-ice,
allowing Zajac to hit Parise in stride as he skated in from the
left circle. Parise has six goals and seven assists in nine road
games, the kind of production that's allowing New Jersey to
withstand injuries to Rob Niedermayer, Paul Martin, Johnny
Oduya, Jay Pandolfo and Dean McAmmond.

"I don't know what it is, we're just playing well," Parise said.

The Penguins, who have never been shut out in three consecutive
games, ended a scoreless streak of 160 minutes, 41 seconds when
Fedotenko scored during a scramble in the crease at 11:32 of the
first. Crosby started the play with a backhander from along the
goal line. The Penguins' scoreless streak record is 170 minutes,
27 seconds.

The Devils, who also won 4-1 in Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, tied it
at 1 when Parise grabbed the puck during a scramble along the
left wing boards and fed it to Bergfors in the slot for his
fifth.

David Clarkson scored for the second night in a row, into an
empty net with two seconds remaining.

NOTES: Penguins D Brooks Orpik is expected to be out for about
two weeks with an undisclosed injury that occurred during a
collision along the end boards with Bruins D Mark Stuart on
Tuesday. ... Brodeur remains one shutout away from tying Terry
Sawchuk's league record of 103. ... Pittsburgh won its first
seven on the road, only to drop the final three of a four-game
trip that ended in Boston.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133352-Devils-near-road-streak-record-beat-Pens-4-1</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133352-Devils-near-road-streak-record-beat-Pens-4-1</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:00:55 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Devils-Penguins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

New Jersey (11-4-0) at Pittsburgh (12-6-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The New Jersey Devils are looking to take a step closer to
matching the longest road winning streak to open an NHL season.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, are trying to end a
scoreless drought that is threatening to become a franchise
first.

The Devils seek their ninth straight road win Thursday night
when they visit the Penguins, who hope to avoid being blanked in
three consecutive games for the first time since joining the
league in 1967.

New Jersey's 8-0-0 road record is the second-best to start a
season behind Buffalo's 10-0-0 mark in 2006-07. If the Devils
win this game, then they'll try to match the Sabres' record
Monday in Philadelphia.

One of New Jersey's victories during its run came Oct. 24 in
Pittsburgh. Martin Brodeur carried a shutout midway through the
third period and Zach Parise had a goal and assist in the 4-1
victory,

Brodeur, a four-time Vezina Trophy winner, still needs one
shutout to match Terry Sawchuk's NHL record of 103. Already the
league's all-time wins leader with 567, Brodeur has three
shutouts among 21 career wins in Pittsburgh.

Parise leads the Devils with eight goals and 11 assists. Not
surprisingly, he's been the Devils' best offensive threat away
from home with five goals and six assists in eight games.

The pair helped lead New Jersey to its sixth straight win, 3-1
over Anaheim on Wednesday. Brodeur stopped 31 shots and Parise
assisted on Jamie Langenbrunner's goal 38 seconds into the
contest before scoring short-handed with 13 seconds remaining in
the second period.

That surge has moved New Jersey (12-4-0) into a tie with
Pittsburgh (12-6-0) for the Atlantic Division lead.

The Penguins followed Saturday's 5-0 loss to San Jose with a 3-0
defeat to Boston on Tuesday. Pittsburgh hasn't scored in 149
minutes, 9 seconds and has dropped three straight on the road
after a 7-0 start.

"We've got to find a way to score some goals," said captain
Sidney Crosby, who has gone a career-high five consecutive games
without a point. "That's the way it's been going the last week
or two for us. It's been a long road trip, longer when you don't
win. We've got to find a way to play better."

Crosby has scored 10 of 16 points this season at Mellon Arena,
and has fared well there recently against New Jersey with four
goals and three assists in a three-game run.

Crosby's drought, though, isn't the only reason for the
Penguins' woes. Pittsburgh has gone scoreless in 23 straight
chances with the man advantage since Oct. 28.

Should Marc-Andre Fleury start in goal for the Penguins, he'll
try to avoid losing four straight starts for the first time
since Dec. 27-Jan. 5 and try to turn around a wildly
inconsistent season.

Fleury is 2-5-0 with a 3.17 GAA in his last seven starts after
opening 8-0-0 with a 1.96 GAA. He's alternated losses and wins
in his last five home starts against New Jersey.

Both clubs are dealing with injury issues.

For Pittsburgh, Stanley Cup playoffs MVP Evgeni Malkin
(shoulder) hasn't played since Oct. 29 and is expected to miss
at least another week. Sergei Gonchar (broken wrist) likely
won't be back until December and Kris Letang (shoulder) and
Tyler Kennedy (undisclosed) are also out.

The Penguins also lost one of their most physical players
Tuesday as Brooks Orpik left in the first period with an
undisclosed injury and is day to day.

The Devils' Brian Rolston missed Wednesday's game with an
undisclosed injury or illness and joined Rob Niedermayer (upper
body), Johnny Oduya (lower body), Paul Martin (broken forearm),
Jay Pandolfo (shoulder) and Dean McAmmond (undisclosed illness)
on the sidelines.

"I guess we're getting used to it," Langenbrunner said. "We're
not the only team in the league that has to deal with it."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133115-Devils-Penguins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/133115-Devils-Penguins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:02:10 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Bruins shut out slumping Penguins 3-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON(AP) -- Ex-Penguin Mark Recchi knows Sidney Crosby too well
to think that his current slump might be a long-term condition.

"It's just one of those things where he's in a rut right now,"
Recchi said after tallying his 900th career assist in the Boston
Bruins' 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh. "It won't be very long
he'll be in it, I know that. He's a great player and when they
break out, they can go the opposite way, and everything they
touch turns to goals."

Crosby recorded only two shots and was held without a point for
the fifth straight game - four was already a career worst - and
the Penguins were shut out for the second game in a row.
Pittsburgh has not scored in 149 minutes, 9 seconds and has lost
three straight games - all away from home - after opening the
season 7-0 on the road.

"We've got to find a way to score some goals," Crosby said.
"That's the way it's been going the last week or two for us.
It's been a long road trip, longer when you don't win. We've got
to find a way to play better."

Tim Thomas stopped 27 shots for his second shutout of the season
and the 14th of his career to pass Andy Moog for 10th on the
Bruins' list as Boston won consecutive games for the first time
all season.

Matt Hunwick backhanded a rebound under the crossbar, then had
to wait 77 seconds for a whistle so NHL officials could consult
a video replay and give Boston the goal. Daniel Paille scored
his first goal with the Bruins, and Patrice Bergeron added a
short-handed empty-netter with 3.5 seconds left.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins, who are in
their longest losing streak of the season and their longest
since Dan Bylsma took over as head coach on Feb. 15 and led them
to the Stanley Cup championship.

But Stanley Cup playoffs MVP Evgeni Malkin is out with an
injury, along with Kris Letang, Sergei Gonchar and Tyler
Kennedy. The Penguins also lost former Boston College defenseman
Brooks Orpik in the first period to an unspecified injury.

And you don't need to look any farther than that to understand
Crosby's scoring slump, Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

"Being honest, it was a lot easier because we didn't have a lot
of guys to focus on," he said. "They're the defending Stanley
Cup champs, and when they're healthy they have a lot of
firepower. It was a lot easier to focus on him, with a lot of
the other guys out of their lineup."

Hunwick scored at 18:24 of the second period, but it took a bit
longer for the goal to count.

After he beat Fleury, three Bruins began celebrating and the TD
Garden foghorn sounded, but the referee waved off the goal. Play
continued until the next whistle with 17:07 left on the clock.
Referee Bill McCreary went over to talk to the replay official
and soon signaled for the goal to count, giving the Bruins a 1-0
lead and resetting the clock to the time of the goal.

With 16:26 left in the game, Recchi found Paille alone in the
Penguins' zone and he beat Fleury on the stick side to make it
2-0. The Penguins pulled the goalie for an extra attacker with a
minute left, then got a two-man skating advantage on a Boston
penalty.

But Bergeron bounced a shot from the middle of the Boston zone
into the empty net to make it 3-0.

NOTES: Bruins Hall of Famer Ray Bourque was in the building to
watch his son Christopher, a Penguins forward. ... During a
break in the first period, the Bruins honored arena usher Bill
Lynch, who helped wave down a subway train to stop after a woman
fell on the tracks over the weekend. ... It was the Bruins'
100th victory over Pittsburgh in 175 meetings. ... The Penguins'
next game is at home against New Jersey, which will be trying to
improve to 9-0 on the road. ... Pittsburgh was 0 for 2 on the
power play, making them scoreless on 23 straight.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132866-Bruins-shut-out-slumping-Penguins-3-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132866-Bruins-shut-out-slumping-Penguins-3-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:41:51 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins president recovering after heart attack]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[PITTSBURGH(AP) -- Pittsburgh Penguins president David Morehouse is
recovering from a heart attack in San Jose, Calif., where the
team played its last game.

Penguins' vice president of communications Tom McMillan says
Morehouse became ill as the team was preparing to fly out of San
Jose on Sunday, the morning after a 5-0 loss to the Sharks.

McMillan says Morehouse was still in an undisclosed hospital in
San Jose on Monday and should return to Pittsburgh in a couple
of days. McMillan says Morehouse had a "minor procedure" after
the heart attack, and is expected to make a full recovery.

The Penguins hired the 48-year-old Morehouse in 2004 to help
craft a financing deal for the $325 million Consol Energy Center
set to open next fall. He was promoted to president two years
ago.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132618-Penguins-president-recovering-after-heart-attack</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132618-Penguins-president-recovering-after-heart-attack</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:14:33 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Bruins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (12-5-0) at Boston (7-7-2), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Key injuries are mounting for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and their
power play has been rendered virtually non-existent as they've
lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.

The Boston Bruins can certainly relate.

Both teams are banged up heading into the first of two meetings
this week, but the Bruins may have center David Krejci back in
the lineup Tuesday night against the visiting Penguins, who will
be missing three-fifths of their top power-play unit.

Pittsburgh (12-5-0) won 11 of its first 13 behind captain Sidney
Crosby's nine goals and seven assists, but the Stanley Cup
champions began to lose some key pieces along the way.

The Penguins went into the season knowing they'd be without
forward Max Talbot, who scored both goals in June's
Cup-clinching Game 7 in Detroit, for at least six weeks, but
other significant names have gone down as well.

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar could miss another month with a broken
wrist suffered last month and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Evgeni
Malkin is still likely a few games away from returning from a
strained right shoulder.

Forward Tyler Kennedy has missed four of the past five games
with a groin injury and it's unclear when he'll return, and
defenseman Kris Letang suffered a shoulder injury at San Jose in
Saturday's 5-0 loss, Pittsburgh's second straight on the road
after starting 7-0-0.

"Sure, we have injuries and it's there as an excuse if you want
to take it," forward Matt Cooke said. "But if we want to win
hockey games we have to face adversity and find a way to win 1-0
if we have to. You have to adjust, work harder and work
smarter."

Gonchar, Letang and Malkin are integral parts of the power play,
which hasn't converted in 21 chances over the past five games
and is 3 for 36 since Gonchar was hurt.

Nearly 40 percent of Crosby's 103 points last season came with
the man advantage, and with the power play suddenly coming up
empty, Pittsburgh's captain has gone four games without a point
for the first time in his career.

Boston (7-7-2) has also been plagued by injuries that have
played a role in its slow start following a 116-point season.
Center Marc Savard will be out another two to four weeks with a
broken foot suffered in mid-October, and left wing Milan Lucic
is still likely a week away from returning from a broken finger
that's sidelined him for 10 games.

There's some good news, though. Krejci, the Bruins'
second-leading scorer behind Savard with 73 points last season,
returned to practice Monday for the first time since being
diagnosed with swine flu last week and will likely play against
the Penguins.

Krejci doesn't have a point with the man advantage this season
after collecting 19 in 2008-09 - he has five total in 14 games -
but Boston's struggling power-play unit finally broke out
Saturday. A miserable 2 for 42 over the past 13 games, the
Bruins got power-play goals from Mark Recchi and Zdeno Chara in
the first period of a 4-2 win over Buffalo.

"That's what we've been telling them - to relax," coach Claude
Julien said. "Eventually you're going to score goals. You know
if you stick with it, it's going to turn."

Chara's goal was his first after he scored 19 last season. The
Bruins had scored four goals in going 1-3-1 in their previous
five.

Boston, which visits Mellon Arena on Saturday, went 2-1-1
against the Penguins last season, getting a goal and three
assists from Krejci.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132561-Penguins-Bruins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132561-Penguins-Bruins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:13:53 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Pavelski leads Sharks over Penguins 5-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

SAN JOSE, Calif.(AP) -- Joe Pavelski's return from a broken foot
provided a jolt to the San Jose Sharks and helped deliver a
convincing victory over the Stanley Cup champions.

Pavelski had a goal and an assist in his first game back from
the injured list, Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves in his 49th
career shutout and the Sharks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins for
the seventh straight time at home, 5-0 Saturday night.

"He really didn't miss a step. It looked like he missed no time
at all," teammate Dany Heatley said. "He should have had two
goals, I stole the other one from him. He played real well
tonight and we're happy to have him back."

Pavelski missed the previous five weeks after breaking his foot
while blocking a shot against Anaheim on Oct. 3. He scored San
Jose's second goal and assisted on the fourth.

"There's a smile on everyone's face when he is back in the
lineup," coach Todd McLellen said. "He means so much to our
team, a very intelligent player. He brings a calmness to the
ice."

The Sharks played back-to-back games against the Stanley Cup
finalists, losing a shootout in Detroit on Thursday before
dominating champion Pittsburgh. San Jose led 4-0 less than 4
minutes into the second period, outshooting a Pittsburgh team
missing star center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar
17-3 at one point.

Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby was held pointless for a fourth
straight game for the fourth time in his career. He hit the post
with a shot early in the second but was unable to convert
against Nabokov and the Sharks.

"We just weren't ready to play the type of game that they came
ready to play," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

Heatley, Dan Boyle, Jamie McGinn and Manny Malhotra also scored
for San Jose, which has eight wins and a tie at home against
Pittsburgh since last losing to the Penguins at the Shark Tank
5-2 on Oct. 22, 1997, when Crosby was only 10 years old.

The Penguins had tied a team record with seven straight road
wins before losing 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday
night. They followed that up with the loss in San Jose, marking
the first time in 42 regular-season games under Bylsma that
Pittsburgh has gone consecutive games without a point.

"We were lackluster at points," forward Matt Cooke said.
"Everybody goes out on the ice with the intention of winning a
hockey game. Sure, we have injuries and it's there as an excuse
if you want to take it. But if we want to win hockey games we
have to face adversity and find a way to win 1-0 if we have to.
You have to adjust, work harder and work smarter."

San Jose knocked Marc-Andre Fleury out 1:41 into the second
period when Boyle wove through the Penguins defense on a long
rush up ice before beating Fleury with a wrist shot that made it
3-0. Fleury made 11 saves.

Brent Johnson didn't fare much better, allowing a quick goal to
Heatley. Joe Thornton made a perfect feed to Pavelski, who was
coming out of the penalty box. Johnson stopped Pavelski's shot
but Heatley tipped the rebound in for the 4-0 lead and the rout
was on.

Sharks enforcer Jody Shelley got into a pair of fights in the
third period, getting the best of Jay McKee and Eric Godard. The
first led to a power-play goal by Malhotra.

The Sharks dominated play in the opening period, outshooting the
Penguins 13-3 while scoring two goals. McGinn got it started
when Jed Ortmeyer forced a turnover at the blue line and sprung
McGinn up ice with a blind pass. McGinn's second-effort shot
from a bad angle got past Fleury and gave San Jose a 1-0 lead.

The Sharks then came though on the power play for just the
second time in six home games this season. Boyle fired a pass
from the point that Pavelski redirected past a helpless Fleury
for his first goal of the season.

"It had been a while, since last regular season," Pavelski said.
"I was just looking to get back into it and get a few chances."

NOTES: Pittsburgh C Tyler Kennedy was sidelined for the fifth
time in six games with an undisclosed injury. ... Pittsburgh is
2-14-2 in California since the start of the 1999-2000 season.
... Pittsburgh D Kris Letang left in the first period, holding
his right arm awkwardly. He did not return. ... Pittsburgh is 0
for 21 on the power play in its last four games. ... Nabokov is
8-1 in nine career starts against the Penguins.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132270-Pavelski-leads-Sharks-over-Penguins-5-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/132270-Pavelski-leads-Sharks-over-Penguins-5-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:59:12 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Sharks Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BRETT HUSTON
STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (12-4-0) at San Jose (11-4-2), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins' impressive winning streak away from
home is over, as is the San Jose Sharks' similarly lengthy
string of victories that was built largely during a road-heavy
stretch.

San Jose's streak of home dominance over Pittsburgh, however, is
very much intact.

The Penguins haven't won in their last eight visits to HP
Pavilion, a drought they'll hope to snap Saturday night in a
matchup of two of the NHL's early season heavyweights.

Pittsburgh (12-4-0) reeled off seven consecutive road victories
to begin the season, tying the second-best start in league
history, before blowing a 2-1 third-period lead Thursday in a
5-2 loss to Los Angeles.

"We didn't play great, and sometimes you get away with that,"
captain Sidney Crosby said after being held without a point for
a third straight game. "It's a good lesson for us. We have
gotten away with bad periods in the past, but tonight we didn't.
We didn't capitalize on our chances and we didn't play well in
the third, and in a tight game like that, you can't afford for
that to happen."

San Jose (11-4-2) was looking for its seventh straight win
Thursday in Detroit, but also gave up a lead in the final 20
minutes. Henrik Zetterberg's goal tied it at 1-all, then he and
Pavel Datsyuk beat Evgeni Nabokov in a shootout to hand the
Sharks a 2-1 loss.

Saturday's game against the Penguins will be the first of three
in a row at home for San Jose after playing nine of 11 on the
road.

"We fought hard for the one point, and we got five out of six on
the road," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "We would have taken that
before the road trip started."

Pittsburgh is playing without reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner
Evgeni Malkin and All-Star defenseman Sergei Gonchar, but those
absences aren't the reason San Jose should feel good about its
chances of extending its home record to 5-0-1.

The Sharks have beaten the Penguins six straight times at HP
Pavilion and are 7-0-0 with a tie against them there since
Pittsburgh last won Oct. 22, 1997.

Crosby, who doesn't have a goal in three career games versus San
Jose, has never gone four in a row without a point.

He'd have a better chance of breaking those droughts if the
Penguins can improve their power play. Pittsburgh is 0 for 17
with the man advantage in the four games it's played without
Malkin, and its 15.5 percent rate of success is among the bottom
third of the league.

San Jose has allowed one goal in its last 17 times short-handed.

Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy sat out against the Kings - his
fourth absence in five games - with an undisclosed injury, but
the Sharks also have a few injury issues.

Defenseman and captain Rob Blake was placed on injured reserve
Thursday with an upper-body injury, meaning he'll miss at least
a week. Right wing Devin Setoguchi - who has seven goals in 11
games - hasn't played since Oct. 24 with a leg injury, but
Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley have picked up the slack with a
combined 21 goals.

Marleau doesn't have a point in his last four games against the
Penguins, but Heatley scored 10 goals in his last nine versus
Pittsburgh while with Atlanta.

Nabokov is 7-1-0 with a 1.84 goals-against average in eight
starts against the Penguins.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131803-Penguins-Sharks-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131803-Penguins-Sharks-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:24:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Stoll, Kopitar lead Kings' late rally past Pens]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES(AP) -- If the Los Angeles Kings' outstanding start is
still escaping attention, maybe a come-from-behind win over the
defending NHL champions will attract a little notice for Anze
Kopitar and his young, hungry club.

Jarrett Stoll scored the go-ahead goal with 7:51 to play, and
the Kings rallied for a four-goal third period in a 5-2 victory
over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.

Kopitar, the speedy NHL scoring leader, tied it with his second
goal early in the third for the Kings, who improved to 6-0-2 in
their last eight games for the club's longest point streak since
November 2000. Yet that run only begins to illustrate the Kings'
confident, gritty play after six seasons out of the playoffs.

"Our maturity level is a lot higher," said Kopitar, who has 26
points in 16 games. "We're playing with a lot of desperation,
and that's a good thing. We were losing these kinds of games
last year, going into the third period behind the champions. Now
we're sticking with it for 60 minutes and getting the right
result."

Kopitar and his linemates, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams,
matched up with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby's group for
most of the night. They kept Crosby off the scoresheet while
combining for two goals before their teammates took over in the
third period.

"We're looking for that line to be an elite line in the game,"
Los Angeles coach Terry Murray said. "When you have that kind of
expectation on you (from) a coaching staff, then there is a need
to respond, and I'm seeing a more consistent effort that shows
(Kopitar) wants to be that player."

Jonathan Quick made a handful of stunning stops among his 21
saves in a standout performance for the Kings, who ended the
Penguins' season-opening, seven-game road winning streak with
that dramatic late surge.

Michal Handzus scored on a rebound just 23 seconds after Stoll's
one-timer on a clever pass from captain Dustin Brown, and Brown
added a goal with 2:30 left during a delayed penalty, putting a
flourish on a victory that could signal the Kings' early-season
excellence during a 10-4-2 start has some staying power.

"You can't deny that (Los Angeles) played well," Pittsburgh
coach Dan Bylsma said. "They forced us into a lot of the
mistakes that we made. No matter how well you play defensively,
when you're forced to play back there for long periods of time,
there are going to be loose pucks, and some of them can end up
in your net."

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots but couldn't slow down the
third-period barrage by the Kings, who haven't lost in
regulation since Oct. 17. Two nights after erasing a late
two-goal deficit at Phoenix for a 5-3 win, the Kings again
finished strong.

"We didn't play great, and sometimes you get away with that,"
Crosby said. "It's a good lesson for us. We have gotten away
with bad periods in the past, but tonight we didn't. We didn't
capitalize on our chances and we didn't play well in the third,
and in a tight game like that, you can't afford for that to
happen."

Jordan Staal and Chris Kunitz scored for the Penguins, who lead
the Eastern Conference with 24 points. Pittsburgh opened its
four-game road trip on Tuesday with a 4-3 win at Anaheim,
matching the longest road winning streak in franchise history
with just the Penguins' second win in California in nearly 11
years.

Pittsburgh dropped to 2-2 without Evgeni Malkin, last season's
NHL scoring champion, who is out with a strained shoulder.
Defenseman Sergei Gonchar also is out.

Just 27 seconds after the opening faceoff, Kopitar scored when
Pittsburgh's poor transition defense allowed Justin Williams to
slip the puck to him for an unimpeded rush at the net. He easily
deked Fleury out of position for his 12th goal - but 43 seconds
later, Staal fired a long slap shot past Quick for his fourth
goal.

The Kings' second-period dominance finally was rewarded in the
third when Kopitar corralled the rebound of Williams' shot
behind the net and swung it around to beat a sprawling Fleury
with a backhand. The goal was Kopitar's ninth in eight games
during his breakout season.

NOTES: Handzus was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late
in the second period for shooting the puck at Fleury one moment
after the referees stopped play for a penalty. Kings coach Terry
Murray vehemently argued the unusual ruling, to no avail. ...
Crosby made the second appearance of his career at Staples
Center. ... The Penguins scratched F Tyler Kennedy, who returned
against Anaheim after missing three games with a groin injury.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131701-Stoll-Kopitar-lead-Kings-late-rally-past-Pens</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131701-Stoll-Kopitar-lead-Kings-late-rally-past-Pens</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:17:02 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Correction: Penguins-Ducks story]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[ANAHEIM, Calif.(AP) -- In a Nov. 3 story about a game between the
Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, The Associated Press,
based on information in the NHL record book, erroneously
reported that the Penguins tied a league record with their
seventh straight road victory to open the season. The Buffalo
Sabres had 10 straight road victories at the start of the
2006-07 season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131511-Correction-Penguins-Ducks-story</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131511-Correction-Penguins-Ducks-story</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:18:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Penguins-Kings Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Pittsburgh (12-3-0) at Los Angeles (9-4-2), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting close to matching the NHL
record for road victories to start a season.

Extending their run away from home could be difficult as they
get set to face the league's leading scorer in Los Angeles.

The Penguins look to open 8-0 on the road when they meet Anze
Kopitar and the Kings on Thursday night.

Pittsburgh (12-3-0) began a four-game trip with a 4-3 victory
over Anaheim on Tuesday, pulling within three wins of tying the
league record set in 2006-07 by Buffalo, which opened with 10
consecutive road victories.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for the Penguins, who have the
most points in the Eastern Conference and are 2-1-0 playing
without injured superstar Evgeni Malkin.

"The way we've gotten them hasn't been perfect," coach Dan
Bylsma said. "But we battle and block shots, and our goalie
makes a big save. It hasn't been as pretty as some might like,
but we keep working hard."

Pascal Dupuis, Michael Rupp, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski all
scored for the Penguins, who won in California for just the
second time since January 1999 with two goals in the third
period.

Pittsburgh also continues to play without injured regulars
Sergei Gonchar and Max Talbot.

"We're just trying to do our best, and we're adjusting to new
things," center Sidney Crosby said. "I think that it's difficult
when you lose two guys (Malkin and Gonchar) like we've lost.
We've just got to adjust and find ways to be successful."

Malkin led the league in points last season and Crosby finished
third, but it's Kopitar who is setting the early pace in 2009-10
with 24. Kopitar had a goal and an assist Monday as Los Angeles
scored the final four goals in a 5-3 victory at Phoenix.

Ryan Smyth scored twice and had two assists while defenseman
Drew Doughty recorded the go-ahead goal with 4:51 remaining for
the Kings, who trailed 3-1 entering the final minute of the
second period.

"I thought we had a little lull there in the second," Smyth
said. "We took the lead but we built some character in this
locker room tonight going into the third and I think that was a
big step."

Los Angeles (9-4-2) has lost three straight to Pittsburgh since
winning five in a row in the series Feb. 27, 2002-Oct. 10, 2003.
Crosby had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory March 20 in the
lone meeting last season to bring his point total to five in two
games versus Los Angeles.

Fleury is 2-1-0 with a 1.98 goals-against average in three
starts against the Kings. He has a 3.44 GAA in his six road
starts this season.

Kopitar has one assist in three games against the Penguins.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131243-Penguins-Kings-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/131243-Penguins-Kings-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:39:08 GMT</pubDate>
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