Awesome Penguin Win Today!

 VS

 
The Penguins won in a shoot out today! Crosby scored one today and then with about eight minutes left, the Red Wings matched him. Fleury was screened and Fedotanko was in the way. However, Crosby made an AWESOME shoot-out goal (he knocked off the bottle) and Malkin sealed the deal...it was an awesome finish to an awesome game!

Chris Conner-New Player Profile

Chris Conner

Number: 23

Position: Right Wing
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Height: 5-8

Weight: 180

Shots: Left

                    Born: December 23, 1983-Westland, Michigan

                    Draft: Undrafted

 (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Chris Conner scored two goals on Monday night less than 12 hours after he was recalled from AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Conner, who played for Pittsburgh because of injuries to wingers Bill Guerin and Max Talbot, skated with center Sidney Crosby and winger Pascal Dupuis. Those players combined for six points. Conner made a drive of nearly two hours from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to arrive at Madison Square Garden. He had no idea he’d play with Crosby, a former MVP and scoring champion, until before the game.
“It was probably better that I didn’t know,” he said. “Less thinking.”
Conner’s goal at 10:46 of the third period was the winner.
(pasted from  http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=ArC.o9_fJe6NcyAzHjy_bHNivLYF?slug=teamreports-2010-nhl-pit&prov=sportsxchange&type=team_report). 

Best Crosby Site Ever!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/feature/featureVideo?page=sidneycrosby

This cite has the best stories I have ever heard about Sid! It two years old, but it's still soooo funny!

Will You Marry Me Sidney?

Last Wednesday, at the Calgary Flame game, a pretty little blond "puck bunny" held up a sign that screamed out, "Marry me Sidney!" I'm sure the player's poked fun at Sid. Nothing against her (I'm sure she's very nice), but it really shows how obsessed she is and frankly, if I were I guy, I'd automatically write her off as a very shallow girl. She doesn't even know Sid-yet she wants to marry him? Don't get me wrong, I find Sidney very attractive ( he's personality and character even more than his looks), I've heard nothing but good about him, however, I don't want to marry him! I could meet him and find out that our personalities don't go well together! So, I suggest that this pretty blond girl takes some time and seriously considers her heart and wakes up to reality.

Down below, on the Penguin's road-trip, some guys decided to poke fun at her! They took my idea! I was telling my dad about three months ago how a dude should dress up in a dress with a "Will You Marry Me Sidney?" sign! Ha! I'm sure the guys got a good laugh...I know I did!

I had to put a picture of Sid!

The ThunderBay Expressway

 









Jordan Staal

Number: 11 Height: 6' 4" Weight: 220 Shoots: Left Born: Sep 10, 1988  (Age 21) Birthplace: Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

Drafted: PIT / 2006 NHL Entry Draft

Round: 1st  (2nd overall)

Nicknames: Gonk
Place of Residence: Pittsburgh,PA
Favorite singers: Tim Magraw, Taylor Swift
Favorite Movie: The Anchorman
Girlfriend: Heather Dysievick                                   

Jordan Staal (born on September 10, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
After a two-year Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career, in which he won a J. Ross Robertson Cup and appeared in the 2006 Memorial Cup with the Peterborough Petes, Staal was drafted second overall by the Penguins in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He made the immediate jump from junior to the NHL after being drafted and set several NHL records in his rookie season, including youngest player to score on a penalty shot, to score two shorthanded goals in one game, to score a hat trick, and the most shorthanded goals by a rookie in one season. Staal was also a Calder Memorial Trophy nominee and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
Among his Penguins teammates, Staal is known as "Gronk". The nickname, which is a reference to the Marvel comic book supervillain, was given to him by former Penguins teammate Colby Armstrong, because of his strong and large on-ice presence.^[1]
Staal is one of three brothers playing in the NHL, along with Eric of the Carolina Hurricanes and Marc of the New York Rangers. Youngest brother Jared has also been drafted into the NHL.
Internationally, he has represented Team Canada once at the 2007 World Championships, winning a gold medal.

taal played major junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Peterborough Petes for two seasons, beginning in 2004–05 after having been selected third overall in the 2004 OHL Priority Draft.^[2] In his second year with the club, he produced at a point-per-game pace with 28 goals and 68 points in 68 games before adding 16 points in the playoffs to help lead Peterborough to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. Earning a berth in the 2006 Memorial Cup, the Petes did not, however, make it past the round-robin. During the course of the 2005–06 season, Staal was also selected to play in the 2006 CHL Top Prospects Game. Going into the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Staal was ranked second among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, behind Erik Johnson of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.^[2] He went on to be drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, behind Johnson, who was selected by the St. Louis Blues. Jordan became the third among the four Staal brothers to be drafted into the NHL after his older brothers Marc and Eric, who was also selected second overall.
Staal was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Penguins on October 2, 2006,^[3] and made the immediate jump from junior to the NHL in 2006–07 at the age of 18. He scored his first NHL goal on October 12, a shorthanded breakway marker against New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist in a 6–5 win.^[4] Later that month, on October 21, Staal set a pair of NHL records with a two-goal effort against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In addition to becoming the youngest player to record a two-goal game since Bep Guidolin of the Boston Bruins did so at the age of 18 years and 12 days on December 21, 1943, Staal also scored both his goals on the penalty kill, becoming the youngest player to record two shorthanded goals in one game (surpassing Radek Dvorak of the Florida Panthers, who did so at 20 years and 278 days on December 12, 1997). Having scored his second shorthanded marker on a penalty shot, Staal additionally became the youngest player to score on a penalty shot, surpassing Nathan Horton, who scored with Florida at 18 years and 224 days on January 8, 2004.^[5]
Early in Staal's rookie season, however, there was still speculation that he would be returned to his junior team before playing his 10th game to avoid allowing him to accrue a full season under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement.^[6] However, due to his strong play, particularly on the penalty-kill, the Penguins chose to keep him for the remainder of the season.^[7] Staal, along with fellow rookie Evgeni Malkin joined superstar Sidney Crosby, who had himself only entered his second NHL season, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to form an effective young nucleus that revived the Penguins franchise.
In January 2007, Staal participated in the NHL YoungStars Game during the All-Star festivities, along with teammates Ryan Whitney and Malkin.^[8] Shortly thereafter, on February 10, 2007, Staal scored his first NHL career hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs and set yet another NHL record by becoming the youngest player in league history to score a hat trick at 18 years and 153 days. His first goal came at 19:22 in the first period, the second came at 3:32 in the second, and his third was the game winner, as he beat Toronto goalie Andrew Raycroft stick-side at 3:54 in overtime. The previous mark had been held for over sixty years by Jack Hamilton, who achieved a four-goal game at 18 years and 185 days old with the Maple Leafs against the New York Rangers on December 4, 1943.^[9] Then, late in the season, on March 6, Staal scored his league-leading seventh shorhanded goal of the season to break the previous league record for shorthanded tallies by a rookie, set by Gerry Minor of the Vancouver Canucks in 1980–81 and matched by John Madden in 1999–00. The goal cued a late third period comeback for the Penguins to win 5–4 in a shootout against the Ottawa Senators.^[10]
Staal completed his rookie season with 29 goals, second in rookie goal-scoring to teammate Malkin, and 42 points for a Calder Memorial Trophy nomination. Today, however, some are saying that this season was just a fluke for Staal. The award was given to Malkin, while Staal finished third in voting, behind first runner-up Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche.^[11] Staal also joined Malkin and Stastny on the NHL All-Rookie Team.

The next season, in 2007–08, however, Staal's production suffered a setback, managing just 12 goals and 28 points. Regardless, he was an integral part of the Penguins' 2008 playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings. Playing in the semi-finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, Staal briefly left the Penguins to attend his grandfather's funeral during the series, but returned for a two-goal game four effort, in which he cued a near-comeback in the third period to cut the Flyers lead to 3–2.^[12] The Penguins were eventually defeated 4–2, but managed to eliminate the Flyers the following game. As the Penguins made their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1992, the last time they won the Stanley Cup, they were defeated in six games by the Red Wings. Staal contributed 6 goals and 1 assist during the playoff run.
Early in the 2008–09 season, the Penguins and Red Wings met for the first time since the Stanley Cup series on November 11, 2008. With the Penguins down by three goals in the third period, Staal notched his second career NHL hat trick to tie the game, then set up Ruslan Fedotenko's overtime winner to defeat the Red Wings 7–6.^[13] On December 2, 2008, he was named to the rotating position of alternate captain for the Penguins for the month of December.^[14] The following month, on January 8, 2009, the Penguins announced that they had extended Staal's contract through the 2012–13 season. Terms of the contract were for $16 million, payable as $3.5 million for the first two seasons, and then $4.5 million for the last two years, resulting in a $4.0 million salary cap hit.^[15] He completed the season bouncing back from the decreased production of his sophomore year with a career-high 27 assists and 49 points.

On June 12, 2009, Staal and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 at Joe Louis Arena. Staal had two goals and an assist in the seven-game series, while playing clutch defense and scoring a shorthanded goal that was a pivotal point in Game 4 of the series.

Staal made his international debut with Team Canada at the 2007 World Championships in Moscow. Named to the team following the Penguins' first-round playoff defeat, he joined brother Eric to help Canada capture the gold medal by defeating Finland 4–2 in the final. In 9 games, Staal contributed 2 assists.

Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Staal grew up playing ice hockey with his three brothers on an outdoor rink built by their father Henry.^[2] All of the Staal brothers have been drafted into the NHL. Older brothers Eric, drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2003, and Marc, drafted by the New York Rangers in 2005, both play with Jordan in the NHL, while younger brother Jared was drafted in 2008 by the Phoenix Coyotes and is currently playing for the American Hockey League (AHL)'s San Antonio Rampage.^[16]
Jordan and Eric have played together on one occasion, as part of Team Canada's 2007 World Championship2009 Eastern Conference Finals. He has also met Marc's New York Rangers in the 2008 playoffs. Jordan has eliminated his brothers with the Penguins in both instances. Jordan has become the second brother to win a Stanley Cup (Pittsburgh 2009) behind older brother Eric (Carolina 2006). gold medal-winning team, while also competing against each other in the NHL, including their high-profile matchup in the
In the summer of 2007, Jordan was arrested at Eric's bachelor party. Eric was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process, while spending the night in jail. Jordan was also cited with underage drinking.<sup>[17]

(All italicized pasted from Wikipedia)</sup> 

^{I think Staal drank a little too much in this picture! ;p}

I

^{I don't know what Max was thinking wearing that fruity t-shirt! Maybe, he thought he'd get points with the ladies...then again, he was always a nerd! :D} 

The Mad Gaming SuperStar

Maxime Talbot Center  - PIT (TAL-buht, MAX-eem) Video › Number: 25 Height: 5' 11" Weight: 190 Shoots: Left Born: Feb 11, 1984  (Age 25) Birthplace: Lemoyne, QC, Canada

Drafted: PIT / 2002 NHL Entry Draft

Nicknames: The Gamer, Mad Max, Mr. Clutch, The Superstar

Place of Residence:Above Mario's Bar and Grill in Pittsburgh, PA





 

Maxime Talbot (born February 11, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Talbot led the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups while earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP both years. He won the Stanley Cup in his fourth season with the Penguins in 2009.

Playing career

QMJHL

Talbot was selected by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the first round of the 2000 QMJHL Draft. At the trading deadline that year, Talbot was dealt to the Hull Olympiques for current Washington Capitals minor league player Alexandre Giroux.^[1] He completed his major junior rookie season with a combined 37 points between the two teams. Before the start of the 2002–03 season started, he was named team captain for the Olympiques and finished the year with a major junior career-high 46 goals and 104 points in 69 games, good for fifth in league scoring and QMJHL Second All-Star Team honours.^[1] In the playoffs that year, Talbot led the league in scoring with 44 points in 20 games as he captained the Olympiques to a QMJHL Championship, earning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP. Playing the Kitchener Rangers in the final of the subsequent 2003 Memorial Cup, they were defeated by a 6–3 score.

In the 2003–04 season, Talbot finished third in scoring in the QMJHL with 98 points (25 goals, 73 assists) in 51 games as the team became the Gatineau Olympiques through almagamation. He led the team to a second consecutive QMJHL championship, while being named playoff MVP and leading the league in post-season scoring once more. He was the first to earn back-to-back Guy Lafleur Trophies since Marc Saumier in 1987 and 1988.^[1] The Olympiques were, however, defeated for the second straight year in the Memorial Cup final, losing to the Kelowna Rockets 2–1.

Pittsburgh Penguins

As the 2004–05 season approached, Talbot was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and was assigned to make his debut with the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was assigned to various linemates and was placed in many role playing opportunities.^[1] He did not have the offensive power in the AHL that he did in the QMJHL, but Talbot showed quality traits in other aspects of the game as he finished the his debut season with 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 75 games.^[1]

With an impressive training camp, Talbot made the Penguins opening roster for the 2005–06 season, making his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils. He scored his first NHL goal on October 14, 2005, from center ice against the Philadelphia Flyers. His primary role during his rookie season was that of a penalty killer.^[1] He would later be sent back down to the AHL after 48 games in the NHL, during which time he recorded 8 points (5 goals, 3 assists).

Talbot did not start the 2006–07 season in the NHL, but was recalled by Pittsburgh on October 24, 2006, just 5 games into the AHL season.^[2] He would play that same night against the New Jersey Devils. Talbot continued to play a key role on the penalty kill, recording 4 shorthanded goals to go with a season total of 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists).

Talbot at the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Parade on June 15, 2009.

Talbot scored four goals in the first five games of the 2007–08 season. He was the part of an on-ice prank on December 1, 2007, when he briefly donned the jersey of teammate Sidney Crosby during an optional practice that Crosby had chosen to skip. He initially drew a large cheer from the crowd in Toronto before they realized the jersey switch.

In game three of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Talbot scored a backhand goal against Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber less than five minutes after the Senators had taken the lead in that game. In the Conference Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, Talbot scored a tie-breaking (and ultimately game winning) goal in the third period of game two. He did this in his first game back from a broken foot that had sidelined him for the previous four playoff games. In game five of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, he scored the tying goal with 35 seconds remaining, allowing the Penguins to score in overtime to keep Pittsburgh's hope of winning the Cup alive. However, the Penguins lost the series in six games.

Midway through the final year of his initial contract with the Penguins, 2008–09, Talbot re-signed on December 19, 2008, to a two-year contract extension through the 2010–11 season. The Penguins returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive year against the Red Wings. Talbot scored both of the Penguins' goals in the seventh and deciding game of the series to capture the franchise's third Stanley Cup.^[3]

International play

Medal record
Competitor for Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Silver	2004 Finland

He also helped team Team Canada win a silver medal as an alternate captain in the 2004 World Junior Championships in Helsinki.^[1]

Awards

• Named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Game in 2003 and 2004.
• Won the Guy Lafleur Trophy (QMJHL Playoff MVP) in 2003 and 2004.
• Won the President's Cup with the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques in 2003 and 2004.
• Won a silver medal with Team Canada in 2004.
• Stanley Cup champion 2009 (Pittsburgh)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000–01	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies	QMJHL		40	9	15	24	78		–	–	–	–	–
2000–01	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		24	6	7	13	60		5	1	0	1	2
2001–02	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		65	24	36	60	174		12	4	6	10	51
2002–03	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		69	46	58	104	130		20	14	30	44	33
2003–04	Gatineau Olympiques	QMJHL		51	25	73	98	41		15	11	16	27	0
2004–05	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		75	7	12	19	62		11	0	1	1	22
2005–06	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		48	5	3	8	59		–	–	–	–	–
2005–06	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		42	12	20	32	80		11	3	6	9	16
2006–07	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		75	13	11	24	53		5	0	1	1	7
2006–07	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		5	4	0	4	2		–	–	–	–	–
2007–08	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		63	12	14	26	53		17	3	6	9	36
2008–09	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		75	12	10	22	63		24	8	5	13	19
NHL totals				261	42	38	80	228		46	11	12	23	62

(Wikipedia)

¡Question. Who's the best goalie you've ever faced? ¡Answer: Probably Marc-Andre Fleury because he's my goalie. But you've got to think about [Martin] Brodeur and [Roberto] Luongo, too. Those three. ¡Q: Is everyone in your family as goofy as you? ¡A: Oh, yeah. More. They're just crazy. We're really an open-minded family. We talk about everything, from serious stuff to sex or whatever. But we were raised to have fun. It starts with my grandfather on my dad's side. Everybody on the Talbot side is crazy. ¡Q: Are you funnier in English or French? ¡A: Oh, in French. English, I'm really not funny. It's easier in French because it comes faster. When someone comes at me on the ice in English... I have trouble answering back because sometimes the first reaction is French. But when someone comes at me in French, I tell them to [censored] real fast or something really good. ¡Q: How's it going with Evgeni Malkin as your road roommate, and has he taught you any Russian words? ¡A: Not so much Russian words. I'm awful with a third language. I was fortunate enough to learn English when I was younger. But he's been good. We have conversations. His English has gotten way better. He sleeps a lot, so I always wake him up because I like to wake up earlier and go to breakfast. (www.whsd.org/students/2011/alf111/powerpoint/Bio.pptx -)

Fun Facts About Crosby

Sidney Crosby Fun Facts

Sidney Crosby Fun Facts:

Nicknames: The Next One, Baby Legs, Sid the Kid, Darryl

Previous Team : Rimouski Océanic ( QMJHL )

Hometown : Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia

Place of Birth : Dartmouth , Nova Scotia

Country : Canada

DOB : August 7 , 1987

Height : 5-foot-10 (1.80 m)

Weight : 193 pounds (87.5 kg)

Shoots : Left

Position : Centre

Jersey Number : 87, he wears this becuase his birthyear is August 7, 1987.

Junior Team: Rimouski Oceanic

NHL Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

First NHL hatrick: October 28 2006, against Philadelphia Flyers

Family: Troy Crosby (Father), Trina Crosby (Mother), Taylor Crosby (Sister)

Middle Name: Patrick

Favortie Music: All

Favorite Band: 3 Doors Down

Pet: Yellow Retriever named Samantha "Sam"

Place of Residence: Sewickley, PA

Car: Range Rover, Lexus

Favorite food: Chinese

Favorite actor: Denzel Washington

Favorite actress: Eva Mendez

Girlfriend: The Stanley Cup

Endorsements: Reebok, Sher-Wood, Telus, Upper Deck, PepsiCo

His dad was drafted byt Montreal Canadiens the same year as NHL legend Mario Lemieux.

Later Sidney Crosby would one day play on the same team as Mario Lemieux.

Was a Montreal Canadiens fan as a child.

Player that he hates playing against most is Denis Gauthier


Noteable Sidney Crosby Dates :
June, 2009- Sid the Kid and the Penguins win the Stanley Cup

December 16, 2005 - Michel Therrien, Penguins coach, selects Sidney Crosby as an alternate captain for the team.

October 8, 2005 - Sidney Crosby scores his first NHL goal against Boston Bruins goalie Hannu Toivonen.

October 5, 2005 - Sidney Crosby earns his first NHL point by assising a goal for Mark Recchi against New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur.

September 9, 2005 - Sidney Crosby signs his NHL contract with Pittsburgh. Sidney could earn up to $12 million over the next 3 years playing along side the hockey legend Mario Lemieux.

July 30, 2005 - Pittsburgh Penguin select Sidney Crosby first overall in the 2005 NHL amateur entry draft.


Sidney Crosby Quotes:

"It was nice to get the first one out of the way," - Sidney Crosby

"I was better at both ends, defensively and offensively, ... It was more of a well-rounded game. I want to add to that." - Sidney Crosby


"I feel comfortable, ... I'm definitely feeling challenged but with each day I gain more experience. I'm just trying to improve each day." - Sidney Crosby


"I want to play as soon as possible, ... You want to play but I don't pick and choose. It's not my job." - Sidney Crosby

"I didn't anticipate anything -- I was just showing up and seeing what the town and people were about, but it was a very welcoming sight, ... I'm sure the energy and excitement in town are going to rub off on the players. It's nice to see everybody's so excited about getting hockey started." - Sidney Crosby


"You can't afford to go out there and watch too much, ... If you get caught watching, you're not going to get to the puck and not going to make good plays." - Sidney Crosby


"The defensemen went down and got out of position, ... So then the goalie had no choice but to play the shot so I knew Mark had an open shot. I gave him a quick look and got him the puck." - Sidney Crosby


"I think I did all right but I want to improve, ... I don't think I'm happy with being average in that department and I want to make sure I compete with those guys. It was 50-50, I lost some battles." - Sidney Crosby


"It was amazing. You don't have a choice but to play your best. They force you do do that because they're smart and that's the fun part for me, I'm being challenged to think faster and be creative." - Sidney Crosby


"I was anxious to get started, ... There was so much anticipation. I wanted to get in the routine of playing games. It was just nice to be on a team, not competing against these guys in camp [but] trying to work together to win." - Sidney Crosby