By: Casey Johnston (@PensNationCasey) Penguins Winning Possession Battle The regular season possession woes of the Penguins have been well documented. Whether it was due to injuries, new defensive schemes, or new personnel, the Penguins finished the season with a Corsi Close below 50%. Their 22nd place finish was three spots below the Columbus Blue Jackets, who finished above 50%. Against each other,...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A momentary lapse by the Blue Jackets in the third period Monday night was all that it took for the Pittsburgh Penguins to score three goals and snatch the victory in Game 3. With a 2-1 series lead belonging to the Penguins, can the Blue Jackets set another franchise milestone and win their first playoff game at home Wednesday night? If you ask the guys in the room, the answer is...
While watching the Columbus Blue Jackets in a thriller of a playoff matchup thus far, the question came to my head in regard to if the NHL could ever make its way to Cleveland. Besides it creating an instant rivalry against Columbus, Pittsburgh and Detroit, I could not come up with any reasons for a team to be in Cleveland permanently. However, I then pondered the idea of the possibility of the Cleveland...
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Pittsburgh Penguins could get a boost Wednesday night if speedy winger Brian Gibbons can return to the lineup for Game Four of the Penguins series vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Penguins had Gibbons on the ice for an optional skate on Tuesday afternoon at Nationwide Arena. He missed Game Three and played just 2:26 in Game Two -- but scored two early goals -- after suffering...
Tune in at 10:00 tonight and subscribe to the show on iTunes. Twitter: @ThePensNation, @PensNation_K, @PensNation_Nick, @PensNation_Andy, @HockeyMeesh Guest: @JMarshFOF The Topics (Les Sujets) A closer look at the Pens/Blue Jackets. Is any other series in the league really any different than what we’re experiencing in Pittsburgh? Coaching grades Playoff environments Have an opinion? Message us on...
MORNING SKATE: The Blue Jackets have a chance to answer the Penguins' victory in Game 3, and they're anxious to get Game 4 started on Wednesday night. The team will hold a morning skate at 10 a.m. at Nationwide Arena and we'll have complete covera......
Their defining moment came when nobody expected it. Five years is a long time to live off the past, though. At least they showed a resiliency not often seen since their Stanley Cup win. The Penguins seemed to call upon that past Monday night. A 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena staked the Penguins to a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series. They will try to...
Playoff losses hurt, but with game four looming, the Blue Jackets are eager to learn from their game three performance and focus on Wednesday night’s matchup with Pittsburgh. “We’re not going to get down about it, we’re not going to pout about it......
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Brandon Sutter, Lee Stempniak and Olli Maatta scored in a span of 2:13 of the third period to revive the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. Pittsburgh took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series thanks to the goals on three consecutive shots. Brooks Orpik added a goal in the final seconds of the second period as the Penguins...
WOW. That was my initial reaction to the Penguins’ stunning 4-3 win over Columbus in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Monday night. After spotting the Blue Jackets an early two-goal lead, the Pens erupted for four goals in the final 20 minutes and change to snatch a dramatic victory from the jaws of certain defeat. Just as important, the Pens displayed remarkable resilience and a cast...
Johnson: "They put their skates on one foot at a time just like we do. They’re nothing special. We’re a pretty damn good hockey team too." — Seth Rorabaugh (@emptynetters) April 22, 2014...
Pens 4 Blue Jackets 3 Pens lead the series 2-1. By: Meesh Shanmugam (@HockeyMeesh) Goals Orpik (1) from Bennett, Martin Sutter (2) from Martin, Bennett Stempniak (1) from Kunitz, Crosby Jokinen (2) from Maatta, Malkin Pens vs. Blue Jackets, first to 3 loses. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) Game 3 Leaders Shots: Neal (7) Missed Shots: Crosby (3) Blocked Shots: Martin (4) Hits: Kunitz (6) Ice Time: Martin...
For the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team's youth and relative lack of playoff experience has been well documented. A case in point: Monday night's game at Nationwide Arena was the 55th playoff Game 3 for the Pittsburgh Penguins. For the Blue Jackets, it was their third. As a team, though, Columbus has certainly not looked overwhelmed by the playoff spotlight. Every one of the first three games could...
The Columbus Blue Jackets are three games into the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Currently 1-2 in the seven-game series, the Jackets have 11 players playing in their first NHL Stanley Cup playoff series, including two rookies experiencing their first full NHL season. While many of these young players lack Stanley Cup playoff experience, they have already experienced...
The Penguins battled back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead over the host Blue Jackets in their playoff series....
Blue Jackets Game Day Preview: Game 3 in Pittsburgh. Fresh off of their first ever playoff win in franchise history, thanks to some double overtime heroics from Matt Calvert, the Blue Jackets return home looking to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Here are tonight’s projected lines, with some notable changes: Columbus Blue Jackets’ Projected […]...
THE RUNDOWN If there's ever a book written about this series, it should be titled "the curse of the two-goal lead." Whether it's something in the air or something about the comfortability of a cushion, both the Blue Jackets and Penguins have m......
Welcome to The Numbers. Here, we'll break down the most important facts, figures and statistics from that night's game. Despite the final score, there's more to the game's story than the numbers on the scoreboard. Here’s a look at the most nota......
On the effort/occurrences of the third period... TR: "Loved our start, obviously. It was a great start. The crowd was into it. They called a timeout, I think that helped regroup them a little bit. I think getting into penalties and our penalty ......
The Blue Jackets scored their first playoff victory in a hard-fought 2OT battle with the Penguins Saturday night. Rather than applaud Columbus' gritty effort, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Joe Starkey opined it was the Penguins that got the best of themselves. Here are some of Starkey's thoughts on Game 2 of the series, in which Pittsburgh squandered a 3-1 lead as the Blue Jackets elevated their...