We have the Cup...now what?

It's been over two months since the Pens have captured the coveted Stanley Cup, and we're all savoring it. Heck we've had to wait 7 years for even another shot at the Cup. Following the 2009 season the Penguins were the favorites for a repeat. Not only that, but for subsequent years they were considered at least a contender; maybe with the exception when our Ferrari was in the shop. If you don't get that reference, I don't know, try google. Nevertheless, it's been a blast. I know I ordered at least $150 work of paraphernalia immediately. Following that I spent time rubbing it in to my hockey friends and family. It's just what you do when your team wins. Like if you're a couple, you fight over directions.  It's just what you do. I also...

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Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily Pics

New York Islanders force Game 7  If you are looking for a reliable source of information for all the hockey games of the post-season, then you are in the right place. Here, you get a full analysis of every game and check out some useful predictions that could come in handy to help you in placing your bets. Check out the NHL odds for the upcoming playoffs games here. Let us take a look at the games everyone is looking forward to. Game 6, Detroit Red Wings Take On Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. ET The Red Wings lead the series 3-2 and the Lightning have an uphill task as they must beat them come Monday night for them to force a Game 7. The amazing thing is that, were it not for the late drama we witnessed at Game 4 where the Lightning put in 3 late goals to overcome a 2-0 deficit,...

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The Playoff Push

Written by Mark Stevens With guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the roster, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been in the Stanley Cup playoff discussion nearly every single year. That is once again the case in 2015, as they currently stand in 6th place in the Eastern conference. Even though this is not the best team Pittsburgh has put out there in recent memory, they look like they will at least get the opportunity to compete in the postseason. In the NHL, that is all a team really needs. Right now, a total of 7 teams have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack in the Eastern conference. A few hot weeks could get Pittsburgh right back to the top of the conference standings, as they are just 6 points behind Montréal as of right now. They could easily fix their current standing...

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NHL Players’ Peculiar Hobbies

Thrashing it up on the ice, being tripped over, throwing off the gloves and having at it! To any unsuspecting fan or viewer, this is perhaps the image one will create in their mind when they think of ice hockey players; big guys going for gusto, testosterone surging. This isn't really the case however. Hockey takes a huge amount of skill and lightning fast reflexes- far more than an exercise in slogging the puck- and when one sheds the stereotypes, players really are quite a varied bunch. Naturally there are certain players who take ‘varied’ to the next level, pursuing some truly surprising hobbies in their spare time! Tony Lydman, Thrasher The retired player, a veteran of teams such as the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres...

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A brief look...

We are officially 49 days away from the start of the NHL season. The semi-new look Penguins have essentially started over in the front office and management as a whole. With a Penguin's goalie from yesteryear leading the charge at GM and a raw, semi-NHL-experienced Head Coach, girded up with the most talented two-center combo in the world, nothing short of another Cup is expected. As long as this team maintains their two star centers, this team has a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run. Following the 2008 and 2009 seasons where the Penguins effectively played in (and eventually won) the Stanley Cup, the fans expectations have been high. It was the right move for the franchise to remove the Ray Shero as things were no longer working with his decisions. While he may have been the fall guy...

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Score BIG with ScoreBig.com!

With the Penguins season coming to a disappointing end, we're all stuck with another Cupless summer. It's been 5 years since we've been able to wear our Stanley Cup garb proudly with the appropriate bragging rights. Our highly revered general manger has been fired, and we're on the cusp of a new era for Penguins hockey. So for me, I have to occupy myself with something to take my mind off things. With my wife being a big Tim McGraw fan, I thought I'd venture to find tickets to his concert here in Raleigh, NC. Fortunate enough for me, I was able to come across this fantastic new ticket purchasing website called ScoreBig.com. For me, I've bought tickets from other websites in the past with some confusion and disappointment. Score big is different....

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Marc Andre the Giant and his friend Sidney

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) The main topic that surrounds the rise and fall of the Pittsburgh Penguins these days is Marc Andre Fleury. Never mind that there are two specific players dedicated to keep the opposing team away from the net. Never mind that there's are three players dedicated to scoring on the opposing teams goalie so as to insure a goal here or there can be spared. Alas! It is the goalie's plight to be the focal point of carrying a team to the promise land. And here we have MAF as the main culprit. Since the 2009 Cup the Pens have struggled to make any progress in the playoffs. Yes, we all know that. It is, incidentally, the plight of the fan of this team. Expectations are high when nothing less than the Cup satisfies...

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Rivers, Penguins Are a Strong Hand

The five-year anniversary of the opening of Rivers Casino is fast approaching and thus so is the five-year anniversary of the casino's relationship with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Whether or not you're in favor of gambling or of the casino's presence in the Steel City, the casino and the hockey franchise have enjoyed a mutual relationship that has benefited the city of Pittsburgh as well. Part of the casino's agreement with the city of Pittsburgh is that Rivers will pay $7.5 million every year for 30 years to aid in the construction cost of Consol Energy Center, the Penguins' shiny new arena that opened in 2010. Paid in two yearly installments, a hefty check of $4.7 million cleared the bank just last month. This revenue stream lifts some...

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The Playoffs: Looking forward

The Penguins have clinched the playoffs for the 7th straight year including 2 trips to the Stanley Cup finals and 1 Cup to brag about. Last year seemed like it was quite the possibility they were going to make another, but they ended up embarrassed with a 4-0 sweep by the Boston Bruins. So what can we expect from this years playoffs? If I were a betting man (I might find myself at best sportsbooks, but) I would probably not put my money on another trip to the Stanley Cup finals. Why you might ask? Last year the Penguins went a perfect 15-0 in March, losing the first two games in April, but hammered out another 7 straight wins before dropping another 2. That's the way you want to head into the playoffs, on a high note. This year our beloved...

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Upcoming Winter Olympics...

While we're all gearing up for the Winter Olympics to start later this month, our loyalties will once again be tested the minute we see our beloved Penguins skating for their respective countries. Some might disagree with this notion, but I for one can tell you that while being on the side of team USA the entire way (and always will), I wasn't all that upset to see Crosby beat Ryan Miller some 4 years ago. I know I know, country before everything, some cry. But you know what, I'm not rooting for Zach Parise and such on a daily basis. I am Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik. Even Disco Dan, of course I am. But we all have our favorite players and Sidney Crosby is just one guy I'm almost never going to root against. Same for Geno. Simple as that. Nevertheless,...

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