Dupuis shows his winning touch again

By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
March 26, 2012

Pittsburgh Penguins' Pascal Dupuis celebrates his second period goal with teammate Sidney Crosby during an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Pittsburgh Sunday, March 25, 2012. (AP)


Pascal Dupuis slid in quite nicely Sunday night as the No. 2 star between Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the Penguins' 5-2 win against the New Jersey Devils.

Three of a kind, you know?

"C'mon, you're pushing it now," Dupuis said, grinning. "You're really pushing it."

Not as much as you might think.

OK, so the woman who took part in the Penguins' scoreboard version of "Wheel of Fortune" early in the game couldn't come up with "Dupuis" even though she was spotted "Super Duper Pascal ... "

To most other Penguins fans, though, Dupuis is becoming something of a household name.

"I'm not going to lie to you, this is mentally fun," Dupuis said. "I've never come close to a streak like this."

Dupuis scored the winning goal against the Devils late in the second period, cruising down the slot, taking a pass from Crosby and burying the wrist shot. It was his eighth winning goal of the season. To put that in perspective, Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos, who has an NHL-best 52 goals, has 10 winners. Malkin has nine winners among his 46 goals.

"Eight game-winning goals are a career, let alone one season," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

The goal stretched Dupuis' point-scoring streak to 10 games (8 goals, 5 assists). A little perspective again: That matches Jordan Staal for the Penguins' longest streak of the season. Only five players in the league have longer streaks, led by Carolina's Eric Staal and the New York Islanders' John Tavares with 12.

The goal also extended Dupuis' career single-season-best total to 23. An assist later on a Crosby goal gave him 50 points for the first time. It's a remarkable total because he generally gets almost no power-play time. The Penguins are 20-1-1 when he scores a goal and 34-5-1 when he has a point.

Dupuis has to be the Penguins' MVP, right?

Don't be silly.

I'm talking most versatile player.

The man can play on anywhere from the first to the fourth line.

"Hopefully, not too much of the fourth," Dupuis said, grinning again.

Dupuis played on Crosby's line with Chris Kunitz in the 2010-11 season before Crosby was hurt and helped Crosby produce a staggering 32 goals and 66 points in 41 games. This season, Dupuis has spent much of his time on Jordan Staal's line with Steve Sullivan. With Sullivan out with an injury Sunday night, Dupuis played mostly with Crosby and Tyler Kennedy.

Read More: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/ron-cook/dupuis-shows-his-winning-touch-again-628001/

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

Highlights: Penguins 5, Devils 2

Highlights: Senators 8, Penguins 4

Evgeni Malkin shows goals to pal Alexander Radulov

By Josh Cooper
The Nashville Tennessean
http://www.tennessean.com
March 23, 2012

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 22: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is congratulated by his teammates on the bench after scoring against the Nashville Predators in the third period during the game on March 22, 2012 at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH — Cheers of “MVP” filled Consol Energy Center on Thursday evening. And forward Evgeni Malkin obliged the announced crowd of 18,579 with another superb performance.

Malkin, the NHL’s scoring leader, had two goals for the Penguins in a 5-1 victory over the Predators — clinching a playoff berth for Pittsburgh — on two blasts from the circles. One knuckled in on Pekka Rinne; the other was a hard shot that found the small opening on the corner.

“He was dynamite,” Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. “If I had to vote today, there is no question he would be MVP for me. I saw him once up close, and he was great.”

With forward Sidney Crosby missing all but 13 games this season with a concussion, Malkin has needed to provide offense for Pittsburgh. After Thursday’s game, Malkin had 95 points in 66 games.

“He’s one of the better players in the world, and he teed it up a few times tonight and put it in,” Rinne said. “I have to be better, but you have to respect that guy’s skill, too.”

Malkin might have had some extra motivation. He and Predators forward Alexander Radulov — who played his first game in the NHL since 2008 — are good friends. The two conversed both before and after the game in the basement of the arena.

Radulov and Malkin were both drafted in 2004. Malkin was the second pick and Radulov was the 15th selection. Malkin has won the Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy.

“He’s unbelievable. What do you want me to say? He’s one of the best in the NHL right now, so, (good) for him,” Radulov said. “When they won the Stanley Cup, he was playing the same. He was playing the best.”

Fluke goals: For a team that prides itself on defense, the Predators have given up goals early and often in the past two games.

In their loss to the Penguins, some of those goals were fluky. In addition to Malkin’s first score, Chris Kuntiz’s goal bounced off Shea Weber’s skate.

Nashville has allowed 11 goals in its past two games.

“We’re just not committed enough defensively,” Weber said. “I think we’re too worried about scoring goals. We need to figure out that our main priority is playing defense. We’re talented enough to score goals. Right now we’re thinking offense first and not defense.”

Gaustad out: Forward Paul Gaustad (upper body) is targeting Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets as a return date. Gaustad said he could have played Thursday, but the coaching staff thought it was better to rest him.

“We made the decision to make sure everything was 100 percent,” Gaustad said. “I’m looking at Saturday. I would like to help out right now. But long term going toward the playoffs it would be the best decision to stay off the ice tonight.”

New city: When Steve Sullivan signed with the Penguins last summer, his family came with him.

Sullivan has four young children, so the decision to move the family from Nashville — a place they called home since 2004, when he was traded to the Predators — didn’t come lightly. After he retires, however, Sullivan plans to move back to Nashville.

Still, the family is enjoying its time here.

“The transition has been pretty seamless,” said Sullivan, who had an assist in 13:56 of ice time Thursday. “They’ve been huge troopers. My kid, the oldest one, is getting older. He had some roots in Nashville and having to make that transition wasn’t easy, but they’re happy now, and I’m proud of how they’ve been able to adjust.”

Reach Josh Cooper

at 615-726-8917

or jcooper2@tennessean.com.

Highlights: Penguins 5, Predators 1

Crosby Show plain insane

By Joe Starkey, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/?_s_icmp=nav_sports
Thursday, March 22, 2012

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 20: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during the game at Consol Energy Center on March 20, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)


If this Crosby kid ever gets his timing down, look out.

Are you watching this?

Are you watching this?

I ask twice because it's easy to take Sidney Crosby's magnificence for granted. He returns after missing several months, and it's like, "Of course he's lapping the field in points per game. That's what he does."

Nobody does this.

Check that. Mario Lemieux did this, and then some. He made the most remarkable comeback in sports history. Returned from 3.5 years of retirement, at age 35, and immediately became the most prolific point producer in the NHL.

You won't see that again.

But if you blink — or spend even a nanosecond worrying about Crosby's career-long 11-game goal drought — you might miss something special.

Like a behind-the-back pass that triggers a tic-tac-toe goal.

Or a 50-foot backhand saucer pass that lands on a teammate's tape.

Or a cross-ice bullet from one knee that winds up in Evgeni Malkin's wheelhouse for a one-time goal.

Crosby has nine points in four games since he returned to the lineup, 21 points in 12 games overall. That averages to 1.75 points per game, easily tops in the NHL and better than the torrid pace he carried last season, when he was headed for the league's first 130-point season since 1995-96. (Lemieux had 161 that year.)

This is ridiculous. You could freeze Crosby in a cryogenics lab for 20 years, pull him out and drop him into a game, and he'd put up three assists.

Remember, he missed training camp. He has missed so many months of competitive hockey. It takes a fellow player to truly appreciate what the man is doing.

"I missed training camp, too, so I can put it into perspective," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "Training camp is where you get all your timing back, get your good conditioning out of the way for the rest of the season. When you miss that, you don't have a lot of time in-season to play catch up."

Crosby's perfectionism is at work here, as well. Teammates could see he was capable of inflicting damage weeks before his latest return. He was ready. But he wasn't Sid-ready.

Wasn't ready to dominate.

"I think, even three weeks before he came back, we were saying, 'Geez, he looks great. Why isn't he playing?' " Orpik said, laughing. "That's Sid. He's such a perfectionist. I think if he came back too early and wasn't at the level he's used to, it would drive him crazy."

Here's the scary part: Crosby isn't at the level he's used to. Finishing will be the last part of his game to come together. And it will come together, perhaps starting tonight against Nashville.

It's just a matter of time. Crosby's minutes will go up — he hasn't cracked the 20-minute mark since his return — and his touch will come back.

"It takes time to get that anticipation and reaction back," Crosby said after Tuesday's game. "That's the difference sometimes. You have to go to those (scoring) areas and trust your instincts and hopefully get the bounces."

Martin Brodeur robbed Crosby with a blind, blade save last weekend. A Winnipeg defenseman cleared a Crosby shot just before it crossed the goal line Tuesday.

"Obviously, I love to score, so I want to take advantage of the chances I get," Crosby said. "But there's not a lot I would change at this point, really."

No, things at this point are pretty good. Fantastic, actually. How fun is it to see the band back together? The way the Penguins whipped the puck around Tuesday, "Sweet Georgia Brown" would have been appropriate background music.

Crosby and Malkin are beginning to make beautiful music together on the power play. Penguins television analyst Bob Errey put it well after the game Tuesday, saying this might be the closest we ever come to seeing Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky on the same team.

Anyone in his right mind would label a healthy Penguins team the bet to win it all. I asked winger Pascal Dupuis if the players welcome the favorite's role.

"Yeah, why not?" he said. "The way we feel, we're confident in ourselves right now. If people want to say that about us, perfect."

Dupuis winked and added, "They're maybe a little scared of us."

They should be.

Sid's back.

Ward's exit speech redefines tear-jerker

By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

March 21, 2012

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward, right, announces his retirement from the NFL at the Steeler's offices in Pittsburgh Tuesday, March 20, 2012. In rear from left listening are: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, and Steelers President and co-owner Art J. Rooney II. (AP)

Well, I hope you're happy; you made him cry.

That's you, Steelers Nation, you fans from Pittsburgh to Pittston to Paris to Piracicaba, Brazil, and everywhere else in The Constellation of the Towel. You were the reason Hines Ward came back to Steelers headquarters Tuesday for one last real wet weep.

That Ward got released by the franchise he loved Feb. 29 surprised few, and that he quickly retreated from his stated intention to play further and chose instead to retire as a Steeler surprised perhaps some, but that he melted into a persistent lacrimation within minutes of his moment surprised no one.

Someone in the Steelers organization has the official results, but linebacker James Harrison, seated behind me at the noon news conference, called the first secretion at 2:26 of Ward's last official act.
Ward somehow got through an additional 25 minutes.

Harrison sat with former Ward teammates Jerome Bettis, Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel, and said unashamedly "we're doing an over/under on tears."

You think they were kidding?

Harrison seem like a kidder?

Ward cried early and often, late and often, pretty much doing the whole thing in a heavy mist, and, for anyone not terribly familiar with No. 86, it was as completely genuine as it was target specific:

"The one thing I love more than football," he gulped. "Steelers Nation and the fans."

Ward said he couldn't imagine playing for another team, which actually might have been the only way he could have played for another team, imagining it. The pounding snowstorm of outrageous free-agent cash that blanketed the NFL's receiving corps this month left Ward's sidewalk as dry and sunny as this new Pittsburgh spring.

I was hoping this presser was staged so that Ward could announce he was running for governor, which wouldn't be the first trail blazed for him by Lynn Swann. Though Swann could counsel Ward on any political aspirations, there's no confirmation Hines has any, at least not beyond the sometimes nonsensical politics of who winds up in Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Read More: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/gene-collier/wards-exit-speech-redefines-tear-jerker-627212/

Related: "Hines Ward's Last Down" -
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/hines-wards-last-down-627231/