On duty in Bagram, Afghanistan, SPC Nicholas Johnson of Latrobe and SPC Eric Jordan of Greensburg proudly fly the colors of their hometown on Thursday. — SUBMITTED BY A READER
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
Getting ready for faceoff …
Game: Penguins vs. Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh’s 48th NHL season opener, 7:08 p.m., Consol Energy Center
Goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury (39-18-5, 2.37 last season) vs. John Gibson (3-0, 1.33)
TV, radio: Root Sports, 105.9 the X
Online: Live box score / Multimedia / Official game notes
LET’S GO PENS!
Happy Birthday Dejan. No better gift than the success of the site. I’m glad everything’s working out so well.
Thanks, Milo. Your support has been appreciated as much as that of anyone involved because you were there for me even before the launch. Meant more than you might think.
You’re very welcome.
Happy Birthday DK. You have a few more hours left on the West Coast
Isn’t the ducks goalie from baldwin-whitehall?
Yes, John Gibson. A very promising young G under our noses….
Beat the Mallards!
quack, quack!!
Hope the Mighty Ducks don’t pull out the secret Flying Wedge to skate against the Pens. . Unstoppable!
Well, I already see a difference. Mike Johnston didn’t call the Ducks “heavy” once.
What has happened in the past is gone… like literally gone. Time to see what these Penguins have in store as I expect an up and down season as team builds for April and beyond. . Let’s Go Pens!. . Happy Birthday Dejan!
Nice to see ya, Eric :)
Happy birthday, DK! Hope you have a great day and the Pens get a win for you!
Ducks have a solid lineup.
Happy birthday Dejan. Many more I’m still bummed from last Wednesday. I was wondering if every so often, we could have a thread where we could just talk about things other than your main column? That way, the main column would stay focused, and others could still talk
In honor of Playoffs, what’s the over/under in games (maybe minutes) before the first Johnston was the wrong hire and/or fire Johnston post ?
One more thought, can you sort the suscribers as to where they reside? If so, did the Dakotas ever show up? Lets go Pens, AW is there, its in the bag
Go Pens! Happy Birthday Dejan!!!
Ducks analyst predicting Hornqvist will have “monster year” paired with Crosby. Off to a good start!
21 head coaches in 48 seasons. Thats astonishing for a franchise with the pens success but that is what happens when your most beloved coach only goes 1 year. God bless the badger.
Wow, Gibson’s leaking
Johnny Whitehall looks a little rattled. That one was weak.
Seems as if a new system might just be working.
Yikes Getz wide open, where was the D??
Sid just blew my NHL Hat Trick Challenge for tonight at NHL.com with that goal. I predicted ‘no.’
Maybe, just maybe, the Pens scouts passed on Gibson because they knew what they were doing.
Pittsburgh scouts were not paying any attention
Picture at top of thread says it all! . Get home safe!
That’s 3.
Welcome back mr dupuis!
Maatta whatta pass!
Duper! 3-0, New System.
On Dupuis goal, Sutter was right on top of Gibson.
That’s legal apparently. At least it is in my beer leagues.
Sad homecoming, he has 200 people in the stands.
Well BarbQ Bruce is hanging with him.
Wow Pens off to a fast start. But 3-0 is the worst lead in hockey.
No, the dreaded 2 goal lead is. ;)
Going back to go forward. That sounds a lot like soccer.
It looks like the Rangers when Herb Brooks was there.
Texas, New York or Queens Park? ;)
And nothing like anything bylsma would ever have said. You can still tell the system is a work in progress though. They arent used to making such short passes on the breakout and the spacing looks a little off. Still seen too many nz turnovers as well.
That clanking noise is Scuderi trying to control a pass.
It’s also the sound of two shots clanking off the pipes as Anaheim misfired on two point-blank shots. It could easily be 3-3.
I wondered what that was. It was annoying me so much I closed the window.
Something else to consider with all the talk about the new system. The league has also been used to the Pens playing a certain way. It’s going to be an adjustment for them too.
Solid start with 3-1 lead after opening period of season but plenty of time left in this game as Ducks had a few really good chances hit the post. Great to see defense moving up the ice evidenced by Maatta’s receipt of Malkin’s pass and then his quick dish to Dupuis for the goal.
I like the coach already it took him all of 3 shifts to set up a good matchup for Sid.
Need some help here. Is this matching lines thing allowed ?
It’s a new invention that was introduced just this offseason. Never existed before that. Honestly!
Can they please have 2 pp with 2 Dmen on the points!
Ouch
Wow stay in the net man really
Fleury out roaming again. WHY?
Some people are just natural explorers.
Hey I’ve got the only -1s on the whole thread! C’mon catch up you guys!
No goal!
Is Beau Bennett out for the year?
6-8 weeks I thought
Good. I thought he was done till 2015.
Give him time. He will get there.
Tough call on Geno there.
Is it me or does it seem like Geno is out there ad-libbing while everyone else is trying to work with in the system?
No, it’s not just you. But the no goal call was chicken-sh*t.
Seeing as how he didnt skate until this week that isnt surprising.
Penalty happened because Letang jumped the system with a long stretch pass.
Shocking. LeTang tried something stupid and turned the puck over.
Nice save, Flower
Time to get back in the game, boys
Tie game, but entertaining system. Feel good about the outcome though. Happy Birthdat DK!
Like I said 3-0 worst lead in hockey.
Would you rather be losing 3-0 ?
Id rather not give up a 3 goal lead.
SMH. This momentum shift is mostly not the Pens’ fault.
For a second there, I thought I was watching the Steelers with all these penalties.
I liked the first period more.
I’m with ya, Dom
Turned on a Pens game and Steelers game broke out.
The refs must have a new system too.
Didn’t get enough camera time in the 1st.
Sid!!!!
SID! #2
Sid leading the league in goals already.
Goal!!! 5-3!
Welcome Blake Comeau!
Screw what Letang-Ehrhoff will do in this system, look at what Maatta is doing tonight.
What Eric said. What a night for this kid.
YES!
He should be the most familiar with it of any penguin. He played for Johnson in juniors.
I havent seen the weave work like that in a long time.
Wow Johnnie Whitehall not having a memorable homecoming.
Nice comeback…
You gotta love Maata!! Told ya I had a good feeling at 3-3. Very entertaining hockey! Stu
40+ shots for the good guys in two periods. That’s offense Steelers! Stu
So great to see them skating in a pack. Flying V baby, no more forwards spread 100 ft apart. Love it.
Take aways from period 2…special teams need a lot of work. LeTang is still overpaid. Defense lools sketchy.
Devils had the dreaded 3 goal lead over the Flyers as well. Now 3-3. Guess it’s not just a dreaded lead for us, eh?
Ollie Maatta, move over Nik Lidstrom Paul Martin, what was he doing on that Ana PP goal? Complete aversion to body contact. Just awful.
Also I am tired of Leatang being the only defensman on the pp. He has never been good at running the show and gets caught deep too often. If you are using 1 dman it needs to be martin. Other option is to admit you either need to take kunitz or malkin off the top unit.
Patience. Help on way in Pouliot.
. . . and just go with Maatta now.
It will take these guys a while to iron out all the creases as they adjust to a system that is full contact hockey, not touch or flag hockey.
Lazy penalty by Geno. Sorry, that was left over from last year.
Wow did you guys see the cheap shot in the Tampa game by Gudas on Upshal, looked like he knocked him out with a headshot and non penalty. Looked bad
Malkin to the box = old system…
Sweet move by Sutter
Sutter SH goal. He should have been in the box instead of Geno.
Pascal looks like he’s trying to score last season’s worth of points in tonight’s game. Great to have him back.
:D
Seconded!
Duper is on fire is that 4 points?
Shorty! It will probably take Duper a while to fully recover from his injury! Just sayin. Stuart
His knee has accepted the QO from management!
I’m with Stu, I’m thoroughly enjoying this game…
October thru trading deadline, I want to be entertained. That’s happening tonight.
Bylsma not amused over the pace of the game. clearly he would have complained about the lack of stretch passes thus far.
HA!
So I guess the opposite is the Johnston shrink pass?
I don’t have a problem with anything that happened right there.
Milo I think if the new guys brought here to step up in those situations didn’t, Tocchet may have come over the boards.
Pens do need Borts back against some bigger down low types. But I like the grit Pens have added.
Pens might actually benefit from the new system early in the season as other teams need time to solve it. Let’s hope the peripheral talent proves good enough to sustain a good successful streak. LOVE how the Pens have been jamming the net all night long.
Got your back hockey!!!
So what do you folks think of Chris Pronger possibly working for the NHL while still a part of the Flyers?
Not sure if that is going to work…
I think it’s insane, DK want to add anything?
Stinks
One or the other. Not both.
Montreal just had the tying goal waved off for the same type of play Malkin was involved on the Duper no-goal. Soooo the takeaway is u can’t touch the goalie even if you’re pushed into him.
Zach SIll rocks!!!!!
There’s your boy Jandy.
:D he’s a tough cookie
Wow Sill didn’t exactly embarrass himself there.
Stoner outweighs him and is 3″ taller. Sill didn’t give up…showed a lot of grit
Pens maning up J. I’m liken it to. Stu
:D
Lots of good stuff tonight…
A lot of positives. And one huge weakness to work on…#71
Pens going for the chili goal.
87 in midseason form….
Geno needs to hit the showers. Not his best effort tonight
Geno needs to ride the pine already
just getting back from his injury….takes a little time…he will be ok…
He can’t be in good shape yet. I’d give him a little time here.
Looked totally lost.
We’ll PK definitely needs some work
Baseball and Football I think I have an understanding of what works and what doesn’t Hockey I am clueless… I am just enjoying a Pens win – I hope… Wearing my Crosby jersey and watching really amazing athletes do things I could never do!
I hope MJ rips into Geno
Yea it’s one thing to be “injured” but he was horrible tonight.
Congrats Mike Johnston!
aannnddd THIS game is ON ICE! 6-4 Pens! The new system is 1-0-0
Ben Lovejoy, minus 3.
Even better Flyers 0-2!
Who had Blake Comeau with the game winner in the pool?
So, Sid doesn’t get it for putting them ahead for good at 4-3?
Nope. GWG is the goal that got you one more than the opponents final number. So goal number 5 gets it. Dumbest stat in hockey imho.
Thanks for clarifying, AJS. It is dumb.
NEXT GAME: Saturday night at 7:00 at Toronto: Root Sports, NHL Network
a win, those winterhawks can sure play at a fast pace. Typical Winterhawk performance. Quicker shifts and seemed to be good with shift changes for the first game. Long season and MJ has to see things and have a working knowledge of who can do what well and what to hide.
159 comments on the game and 1 comment on the photo?