Blogs

The Penguins will return to practice Thursday. Some quick hits to tide over dear readers: • PRACTICE WILL BE CLOSED. Though standing-room-only crowds have become the norm for Southpointe sessions, this practice will be closed to the public because of a promotional shoot for HBO’s “24/7″ special. All I ask is that disappointed dear readers [...]

As promised, some postgame notes following the Penguins going to 3-0-0 in exhibition play with a 4-1 win over Chicago at Consol Energy Center: • C MARK LETESTUscored his first goal of the preseason to cap the Penguins’ output. Even though he’s had a breakout camp, Letestu isn’t going to take anything for granted. “No, [...]

Quick in-game note, dear readers. I’ll post some stuff after this exhibition tilt: • I’m honored to have been asked to contribute to USA Today’s weekly rankings for this season. Some respected scribes are part of the group, led by PHWA president Kevin Allen. Anyway, take a look: Poll: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2010-09-28-power-rankings-first-vote_N.htm Award predictions: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2010-09-28-power-rank-prediction-chart_N.htm • I’m [...]

First, a happy 50th birthday to my uncle, Bill Oliverio. It was at his house that I watched in horror as the Penguins dropped Game 7 of the 1993 Patrick Division final to the Islanders.

Just a few quick hits from the Penguins’ AM practices: • HC DAN BYLSMAsaid C SIDNEY CROSBY will play tonight against Columbus at Consol Energy Center. Crosby did not finish an exhibition game Wednesday night because of a sore hip. He said today that the hip was feeling much better. • Bylsma’s son’s youth team, [...]

Some thoughts from the Penguins’ 5-4 exhibition win at Columbus: = The difference between covering a preseason game and a regular-season game: RW TOMAS KUBALIK recorded a hat trick for Columbus and that merited a sentence in my story. (This is the part where a reader says, “But Rossi, you’d only give him a graf [...]

Live (kinda) from the Consol Energy Center media room, which I’d prefer be named after Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Mike Lange, but… • C SIDNEY CROSBYdid not seem too concerned about having to leave this game with a sore hip flexor, and coach DAN BYLSMA said any acts with Crosby moving forward would be of the precautionary variety. [...]

Greetings, dear readers. Some notes as I watch a bizarre drill around noon: = C JORDAN STAALwas again re-evaluated by team doctors today and will not speak until Thursday. The original play was for Staal to make his first public comments since his second surgery for a right-foot infection today, but I’m told there were [...]

Due apologies for the late post on this first Monday of hockey season, but I’ve been trying to piece together a package for Tuesday’s print editions regarding GM RAY SHERO’s five-year extension.

Some notes and tidbits from Sunday’s practice at Consol Energy Center:   = I was kicking around defense pairings with radio broadcaster PHIL BOURQUE. If DERYK ENGELLAND makes the squad I’m intrigued what he might look like next to back-end leader BROOK ORPIK. Quite a punishing pairing those two big hitters would make. Still, presuming, [...]