Afternoon links: Leopold practices, Scuderi pulls for Pens and more

by Hooks Orpik on Apr 28, 2010 12:24 PM EDT

Rob Scuderi has hernia surgery in his future (ouch) but is pulling for the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. Solid human being. [Post-Gazette]

Great news as Jordan Leopold (head) participated in his first full practice today (he had previously skated on his own Monday). Can never be too careful or assume he'll be able to return soon, but it seems he's progressing on the path to recovery. [Penguins.nhl.com]

We have a lot of great fanposts popping up, so consider this your personal invitation to create them if you have a point you'd like to make or if we haven't talked about something you think is important. Like this excellent one of Dan Bylsma. Also, if you see a great fanpost, be sure to "rec" it in the comments to show your approval! [PensBurgh - Cari fanshot]

Stretch if you'll believe it, but Jaromir Jagr's in a complicated situation. But, for the next 15 minutes at least, it seems like he's most likely to stay in the KHL next season. [Puck Daddy]

Hate to give anything up to a Flyer, but Ian Laperriere sure is a man. [From the Point]

Bob McKenzie's thoughts that hints Alex Ovechkin will be key for the Capitals tonight. I don't buy that; even though AO's getting a rap for perceived bad pressure play, his playoff numbers are there. It's the guys like Alex Semin, Brooks Laich, Mike Green and Tomas Fleischmann that the Caps need to get more production from. [TSN]

For all things Caps/Habs and Wings/Coyotes fallout, check out Seth's much better link dump. [Empty Netters]

Finally, our deep sympathies to the friends/family here. We'll are Pens fans in a big, internet community and we're all sad. [The Pensblog]

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“They might miss me a little,” Scuderi said of the Penguins, “but they’re certainly not showing it. Every time I’ve seen them play, they’ve looked really good. I think the defensemen have played great.”

Yeah? Even when your Kings were torching our D in a 5-2 win?

I miss Scuderi. What a great guy to have around.

12 wins to go.
Let's go Pens!

by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 28, 2010 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

For sure, Scuds became a great player to go along with being a solid guy and teammate.

Shame he had to go, looked pretty good in the LA games I caught. With the way he and Hal Gill have been playing, woo, that would sure make things a lot easier right now, huh?

Pensburgh.com

"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."

by Hooks Orpik on Apr 28, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

yes it would with out a doubt

by jevans on Apr 28, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I think that they have gotten better this year by playing separate (Gill ans Scuderi) and if we put them together next year they would be unbeatable.
We were very lucky to have those two guys on the team in salary cap era.

by Taavi on Apr 28, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

I miss him, too! Our defense certainly didn’t improve for the better when Scuderi got traded away. I was also disappointed when he didn’t make Team USA. I’m looking for the Kings to go farther in the playoffs next season. (I also like Drew Doughty and found myself wishing that Crosby or Fleury could, you know, take him back to Pittsburgh in a huge travel crate with airholes punched in it.) Very cool that Scuderi obviously has no bitterness.

"Darling, you say Brooks Orpik 'checked' that guy. He did not 'get under him and put him into the wall'."--Beloved to me, Winter 2007

Cocktails With the Penguins, where Pens fans toast victories and drown defeats.

by GreenEyedLilo on Apr 28, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Just to clarify, Scuderi left as a free agent.

12 wins to go.
Let's go Pens!

by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 28, 2010 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Paging Mike Green to the playoffs.

That’s Mike Green to the playoffs please.

Thanks.

Avalanche fan stuck in Penguin territory.

by Richard R on Apr 28, 2010 12:43 PM EDT reply actions

Forget Ovechkin, Green is the one making his case as a choker. Maybe the long season just saps him at the end of the year, but he’s definitely not the same type of player in April that he is in say November.

Pensburgh.com

by Hooks Orpik on Apr 28, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Semin more than Green, but both have been awful. As much as I would love and will be rooting for the Habs to win, i just dont see it happening.

by genomachine-O on Apr 28, 2010 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Semin was a ghost during our series last year, maybe that’s his thing now.

by JasonGoPens on Apr 28, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Ovie has been fine. Green and Semin have been awful though.

Avalanche fan stuck in Penguin territory.

by Richard R on Apr 28, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

When are they just gonna call him a winger, that’s all he is, a winger who decided to call himself a dman.

by JasonGoPens on Apr 28, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

You know how soccer has midfielders, broken into wings or attacking/defensive? I prefer to think of Mike Green as an attacking middie, which means the Caps are operating a nice 1-1-3 anytime he is on the ice.

Pirates, Vikings, Hokies. I'm used to heartbreak. At least I have the Penguins....

"When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth."
-The Great One

by blackjackfishtaco on Apr 28, 2010 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Ovie and the Caps

I agree with McKenzie that Ovechkin has been off his game since the Olympic break. His staunchest supporters will point to his continued point production and say that this is not true. I’m not saying this as a knock on Ovie. Before the break he was dominant, unstoppable, a driving force in every game (that he played). Since then he has been just another star player on that team.

Having said that, I think the Caps will win tonight. I came to this conclusion after seeing the Wings dismantle Phoenix last night. Eventually, the cream rises to the top. The Caps are better than the Habs, which certainly does not always guarantee victory, but in this case I think it will.

12 wins to go.
Let's go Pens!

by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 28, 2010 12:49 PM EDT reply actions

The Yotes game killed me. I was pulling for them to make it happen but you could tell just about 15 minutes into the game that Phoenix was not going to win that one.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Apr 28, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh man same.
Complete meltdown. I was waiting for the magic that happened for the Yotes in game 6.
After that 3rd goal (Brad Stuart, was it?) it just wasn’t going to happen. Cinderella story = over.

That said, the Wings deserved the win. t
The Sharks will have to be ready for bloody war, and defeat their demons. I say Sharks in 7.

by AppleSweetRose on Apr 28, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

PAYD, I’ll give you that Ovechkin has quite looked himself since the Olympics….I think the Campbell suspension, backlash and concurrent talk from management may have him playing a bit too tenative, which affects his whole game.

That said, he’s still the best player on their team and still clearly playing the hardest and trying the most.

Pensburgh.com

by Hooks Orpik on Apr 28, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I think the last suspension had a lot to do with it, thought he’ll never admit it i’m sure.

by JasonGoPens on Apr 28, 2010 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m not quite sure about a Caps win.

The Habs can do this. It would so great if they did.
Sure, the Yotes lost yesterday, but if you think about it… they were a higher seed!
Not that anyone remembers that, and they’d still be calling it an upset if the Yotes had won it.
Can’t wait to see the game.
Eitehr way, it should be a great game.

by AppleSweetRose on Apr 28, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Its so critical for the Habs to get and early lead. When they have gotten leads early in games the Caps D have started turning the puck over with scary regularity. The habs dont have an agressive forecheck, but their positioning and work ethic has been superb. Yea the CAPS had 50 some shots in game 6, but a majority of the shots are from the perimeter. I didnt think the Caps had a ton of great scoring chances.

ALL THE PRESSURE IS ON THE CAPITALS TONIGHT…

by genomachine-O on Apr 28, 2010 1:32 PM EDT reply actions

I agree the Caps have all the pressure on them tonight I think that will play in favor of a Pitt – Habs series.

by jevans on Apr 28, 2010 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't envy the caps position.

Japers had a great paragraph about their predicament, in a post entitled “Here we go again”:

“So here we are, wondering whether we’re a couple of days away from seeing another knock-down-drag-out best-of-seven with the hated Philadelphia Flyers… or break-up day. You know, the day when the team grasps to explain what went wrong and reveals all of the injuries and maladies its players have been playing through: Mike Green, detached cranium; Alexander Semin, dislocated cajones; Tomas Fleischmann, absent atria; etc. (given the lack of brains, courage and heart, respectively, displayed by these three, this series has looked more like a Wizard of Oz revival at times than playoff hockey).”

As annoying as much of the DC fanbase can seem at times, it’s gotta suck to be that good and still have questions.

by Max Powers on Apr 28, 2010 2:08 PM EDT reply actions

This iteration of the Capitals has a serious problem with game 7s. They play horribly in all of them. The only reason they beat the Rangers is because the Rangers couldn’t score. The Habs have proven that they can.

Habs win series 4-3. Bank it.

by SlayerGhaleon on Apr 28, 2010 2:09 PM EDT reply actions

Scud is a class person, and he is the kind of guy you want on your side.He means hat he says, and will always support his team on and off the ice. HE’ll always be a Penguin, and I hope someday he’ll be in the Pens Hall of Fame. I think Ovie will now stop his stupid remarks about opponents, whoever they are. Who’s nervous now Ovie?

by Outcast on Apr 28, 2010 2:39 PM EDT reply actions

If anyone is interested 105.9 the X will be broadcasting tonights Game 7 between the Caps and Habs. Pretty cool stuff, thats pretty unheard of in pittsburgh anyway.

by genomachine-O on Apr 28, 2010 3:57 PM EDT reply actions

wow. That is pretty ridiculous actually.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Apr 28, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Any chance they have Lange and Bourque working the game ;-)

12 wins to go.
Let's go Pens!

by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 28, 2010 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions

We’re getting the Montreal feed. Naturally.

by SlayerGhaleon on Apr 28, 2010 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, I’m dreading another night of listening to Caps announcers on CSN.

12 wins to go.
Let's go Pens!

by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 28, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions

I really hate to say anything nice about any memeber of the Philadelphia Flyers, however, I must confess that Ian Laperriere is one tough hombre. Repeatedly blocking shots with your face is real old time hockey. Respect.

P.S. Might I suggest a face shield, though? While you still have both eyes?

Q. Are we not men?
A. We are Penguins!

by OlenWhitaker on Apr 28, 2010 5:09 PM EDT reply actions

I think he recently suggested that he may consider using a cage from now on. Given his streak of luck this season, it sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Apr 28, 2010 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Definitely, tough bastard and good idea for some extra protection.

Also, props to Eric Belanger for getting back in the game the other day after losing 7 or 8 teeth, reportedly pulling one out himself on the bench, and having his exposed roots trimmed between periods. Makes me cringe just thinking about it.

12 wins to go.
Let's go Pens!

by PensAreYourDaddy on Apr 28, 2010 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I saw the video. That was brutal. And he didn’t even flinch when he did it.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.

by FrankD on Apr 28, 2010 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Is it wrong that I get some sick, twisted pleasure out of watching the Canadiens stifle the Capitals? Probably. But that doesn’t make me enjoy it any less.

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 7:36 PM EDT reply actions

is it wrong?

hale no.

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Habs up 1-0 at the end of the first, thanks to a Mike Green penalty.

Avalanche fan stuck in Penguin territory.

by Richard R on Apr 28, 2010 7:48 PM EDT reply actions

A performance worthy of a Norris Trophy nomination.

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions

And he got better (i.e. more comical) as the game went on.

Can anyone believe the Habs actually won?!

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I repeat: Oh. My. God.

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 9:40 PM EDT up reply actions

that pretty much sums up my thoughts
oh my lord
the caps lost
the habs won
this is real life i think

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m just … I can’t … I don’t …

THIS IS AMAZING!!!

And I hope we can break the Habs.

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions

i don’t understand.
this is so weird and strange and i keep hearing people wailing from dc but i am in nyc and i don’t understand.
is this real life or is this just a dream?
i’m the biggest fan of the habs until midnight. then WE’RE COMING FOR YOU, HALAK

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions

IT’S REAL!!!

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions

It doesn’t feel real. Say it a few more times!

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

THE CAPS ARE PLAYING GOLF
THE CAPS ARE PLAYING GOLF
THE CAPS ARE PLAYING GOLF

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

WHAT SHE SAID

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions

WHOOOOOOOOOO I KINDA WANNA JUMP UP AND DOWN AND HUG PEOPLE ON THE STREET BUT THEY’LL ARREST YOU FOR THAT

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m happy too, but I’ll save the dancing in the streets ’til we have twelve more wins behind us.

Q. Are we not men?
A. We are Penguins!

by OlenWhitaker on Apr 28, 2010 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Ditto :)

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

it’s the little things that make me happy. ;) but you’re right, i shouldn’t get high and mighty.

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

IT’S REAL IT’S REAL IT’S REAL

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Montreal might be on fire.

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions

They did riot the last time they won a playoff series….

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions

I joined them at Japer’s Rink for their game thread (thought it would be educational … and I was nice the entire time!). But in real life I was cheering every time the Habs did something great.

For the last ten minutes of the game, though, I was just captivated by the game.

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions

poprocks. for shame. it’s okay. we forgive you. i didn’t watch. i was afraid i’d jinx ’em. i just kept refreshing and freaking out.

STAAL FOR SELKE. SIDNEY FOR EVERY OTHER ONE.

by katielynn906 on Apr 28, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh. My. God.

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 9:40 PM EDT reply actions

Holy shit. Now that it actually happened, I kinda fear facing the Habs in the next round.

by SlayerGhaleon on Apr 28, 2010 9:42 PM EDT reply actions

It will be fascinating to play against this version of Gill.

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m more scared of their team defense. They were playing a close checking, trap style of defense, and we struggled with that during the regular season.

On the other hand, we beat Montreal three times during the regular season despite that, and we overcame the Senators playing the trap, so we’ll see.

by SlayerGhaleon on Apr 28, 2010 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree: their defense is far more than just Gill. But I’m really intrigued to see Gill, the way he’s playing now, playing against Sid & Geno.

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, their style is similar in some ways to New Jersey, which is a bit scary. We cannot take this next round for granted, however, if we keep playing with the intensity we showed during much of the Ottawa series, then we should take it down in the end. My prediction: Pens in 6.

Q. Are we not men?
A. We are Penguins!

by OlenWhitaker on Apr 28, 2010 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah … we’re in better shape to break the trap now than we have been all season.

Leafs fan living large in the Pitt and pretending like the drought is over. Go Pens!

by PopRocks on Apr 28, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m not gonna lie, Dan Bylsma needs to take a crash course in how to break the neutral zone trap if the Penguins are going to win this series. It won’t be easy or particularly exciting to watch, but it can be done. They will also need Crosby and Malkin to break Halak early on. Gen in his head.

by kellyn on Apr 28, 2010 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

They did have success breaking it against Ottawa, so if they continue to show the same amount of energy, we should be relatively fine.

by SlayerGhaleon on Apr 28, 2010 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Boo Yah! Caps lose! Suck it Ovechkin!

Q. Are we not men?
A. We are Penguins!

by OlenWhitaker on Apr 28, 2010 9:44 PM EDT reply actions

Can’t wait to see how many injuries BooHoodreau comes up with tomorrow.

Avalanche fan stuck in Penguin territory.

by Richard R on Apr 28, 2010 9:44 PM EDT reply actions

This means we’re the highest seed left in the East. Unexpected, but it means that we have home ice for the next two rounds. Of course, the West team will have home ice in the final no matter what combination of teams survives.

Q. Are we not men?
A. We are Penguins!

by OlenWhitaker on Apr 28, 2010 9:47 PM EDT reply actions