Pens Points Saturday: Pens Bring Up Chris Conner

Good morning everyone,

The Penguins have re-called forward Chris Conner from WBS Pens, who's had a pretty good start to his AHL season.

James Conley on why Matt Niskanen's stellar early-season performance is no surprise. He's playing as well as, if not better than, he did in the spring of 2012, which earned him his current contract.

There are many guesses as to the reasons Claude Giroux is playing as poorly as he is. Is his hand OK after surgery? Is it no more Jagr? Is that baton Sid passed him too heavy? From the Philadelphia Inquirer, an appraisal of the foolishness of that proclamation, as 18 months later Sid keeps cruising and Giroux's stuck in neutral. In their own words, "Sidney Crosby is still the best player in the world. He always was."

Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba left the game on a stretcher with spinal injury precautions after crashing into the boards face-first in last night's game against the Blues. He was alert and communicating while taken to the hospital for x-rays.

Maxim Lapierre was suspended five games for checking Dan Boyle from behind. I'm literally watching Shanahan's suspension video right now on the NHLN. You know that the league paralegals are writing his little scripts and he narrates them in a suspenseful voice, all that's missing is "Law & Order" theme music playing in the background. Good thing Lapierre didn't come in off the bench or anything, then he really would have been suspended.

Ilya Bryzgalov's Vegas stint didn't work out. Here's a case for why it might be a good idea for the Oilers to sign him. I don't really get the lack of NHL interest, to be perfectly honest. Bryz is a good goalie. The term and money were the problems with his Flyers contract, not his play, especially considering the lack of defensive support. Bryz is a bit bizarro, but then most goalies are.

Alex Steen, recently voted the league's most underrated player in a survey of NHL players, netted his 6th and 7th goals of the season last night in Winnipeg, though the Blues lost in an entertaining shootout after leading 3-1 in regulation.

New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan will be out for several weeks with a broken thumb, leaving them in a tough spot.

Capitals rookie Tom Wilson has played in 7 NHL games this season and was told by the club that he'll be staying for the season. At 19, Wilson is too young for the AHL and would have gone back to his OHL team had the Caps not opted to keep him and kick in the first year of his entry-level deal.

I don't really follow Canadian politics, but I thought it would be of interest as it concerns former Pen Georges Laraque. He announced that he will be leaving Green Party temporarily to fight fraud charges brought against him in relation to the Super-Glide synthetic ice venture.

Badass referee making a player tap out? You got it. Skip to 00:48 for the chokehold. These Swedes on ice are tough.

Speaking of Swedes, Vanity Fair best dressed lists are out, and here is the NHL edition. Obviously you know who's at the top of that list, but a few other Swedes are giving him a run for his money, including the amazing and truly wonderful (in every sense, not just style) Gabe Landeskog. I like that the Swedish guys aren't afraid of color. If I tried to put a pink shirt on my husband he'd run and hide, or wear a tattered college sweatshirt in protest. Oh and Sid is on this list but that's a mistake. He dresses on the okay side of boring.

Don't forget Canucks game at 1 pm. Torts is in town. Let's go Pens.