One More to Go!

The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled down to Tampa Bay, Florida and ended up coming out with two wins. The Penguins now lead the series 3-1. The two teams face-off this Saturday at 12pm, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.




If the Pens do not come out on top the remaining schedule is as followed:
Mon. April 25th 2011- at TB- Time: TBD
Wed. April 27th 2011- at Pit- Time: TBD

Consistency of the NHL?!

Recently the NHL has been trying to cut down on head shots in the game. This year's playoff teams have already had some players suspended a few games for their hits to the head. Chris Kunitz, Steve Downie, and Raffi Torres are just a few players that have missed at least one playoff game this year due to suspensions. The NHL recently just suspended Jarkko Ruutu for his hit on Martin Erat. However, Max Talbot of the Pittsburgh Penguins was delivered a drastic blow to the head by Tampa Bay defenseman Eric Brewer. Brewer on the other hand was not given a suspension or even a penalty.
So I ask who deserves the suspension Ruutu or Brewer or Both??

 

What We All Have Been Waiting For

Tomorrow the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the New York Islanders. The last time these teams faced each other the Islanders won the game 9-3. However the fans did not focus their attention to the scoreboard. In fact, this game was one of the craziest games of the season. Both teams combined for 65 penalties, totaling 346 penalty minutes. In addition, 10 players were ejected leaving both teams with about 2 lines of players left to play. 

Eric Godard Jumps off the bench to protect goaltender Brent Johnson

Tomorrow will be the first meeting since the brawl resulting in many suspensions, fines, and even some injuries. Fans have been patiently awaiting this second to last game of the season for the Pens. Many circling the date on the calendar, not knowing if the fighting will occur again, or if the teams have moved on from previous encounters.


The only way to find out is to watch the action take place, tomorrow night at 7pm on Rootsports.

And the Winner is...

Kevin Correia

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced their Opening Day starter, Kevin Correia.  Correia is in his first season with the Pirates and played for the Padres last season.  With the Padres he managed a 10-10 record with an ERA of 5.40.  Correia is 30 years old and has pitched in 741 career innings.  


I am confused as to why he was named the Opening Day starter.  His ERA is high and it is his first year with the Bucs.  I would have though Paul Maholm or even James McDonald would have got the call before Correia.  We will see what this guy has to offer, hopefully its his best.

Ending the Season with a Bang

If you are a fan of the NHL then you know that some games can get out of hand quickly.  One example, of this occurring this very season was when the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins played each other earlier in the season.  Both teams goalies fought there was a bench clearing brawl, and fines and suspensions were handed out like ice cream on a hot sunny day.
Although most of these type of brawls occur in the NHL, sometimes they occur in other leagues as well.  In fact, the even appear in inline hockey game.  Recently one of the Slippery Rock inline hockey tier 3 teams squared off against La Roche College. The game was competitive until the end of the second period.  It was during this time La Roche pulled out to a big lead, and thats when everything went down hill.  The game became very physical and penalties were given to both teams, however Slippery Rock always seemed to be the one getting called for penalties the most.  At one point Slippery Rock had 4 people in the penalty box at one time.  (This isn't even the worse of it yet.) 
The worse came when their was a face off with about 1 minute left in the game.  La Roche one the face off and when their player touched the puck, one of the Slippery Rock players decked the kid to the ground.  This started the mele, and soon after all of the players that were on the rink surface started throwing punches and tackling each other. 

SRU takes down La Roche

The end results: 3 players from both teams are suspended for 3 games (playoffs).  SRU lost game 4-1 last minute of play was cancelled.

An Early Exit

Kemba Walker makes the game winning shot vs Pitt, 76-74

The PITT Panthers basketball team had a great season once again. The University was ranked #3 in the nation and were the sole winners of the Big East Conference. However, as for the Big East tourney, PITT didn't do so hot. In fact, PITT was in a back and fourth battle with UCONN. The game ended with Kemba Walker making a 2 pointer while the final buzzer sounded. With PITT losing in the second round of the Tourney (their 1st game) do they still deserve a #1 seed in the brackets?

NHL Possibly Facing Criminal Charges?

On March 8th, the Boston Bruins squared off against the Montreal Canadiens. The two teams are members of the original 6, which were the first six teams to be part of the NHL. As a result, the two teams have become rivals strengthening their rivalries every year. This year the the Bruins have just sparked the rivalry to a new level, when their captain Zdeno Chara laid a devastating hit on Max Pacioretty. The result, Pacioretty left the game on a stretcher with a severe concussion and a cracked vertebrae.
As a result, the NHL has clearly stated that Chara will not be suspended for the hit that left Max flying into the glass partition. However, Montreal Police are investigating the incident wanting to charge Chara with criminal charges? 

I think that the NHL has the right to whatever happens in the league. If a hit is so bad that criminal charges need to be in place, I feel the league should have the say so to enforce them. Hits are part of the game and police should not get involved without permission from the NHL.

A Little Spring Break Hockey

This weekend the SRU Inline tier 1 hockey team will be traveling to Philadelphia for a chance to compete for the national tournament later on in Wisconsin. The club will play at least 3 games in the tournament all vs other ECRHA teams. The two teams that reach the championship game will both receive automatic bids to nationals. SRU is having a great year and a trip to nationals and winning the championship would only sweeten the year.

It's Almost Time

It's the second day of March and baseball fans are awaiting the MLB season. Teams have been in spring training for about two weeks now. Many new comers are trying their best to impress coaches and organizations to get their shot at a chance to play in the big leagues. Many clubs have made big signings such at Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon both going to the Tampa Bay Rays.  Where as, other teams have coaching changes such as the hiring of Clint Hurdle in Pittsburgh.  All of the recent acquisitions have all the baseball fans around the country waiting for those two words: Play Ball!

As the Deadline Approaches

The NHL trade deadline is quickly approaching. The deadline ends at 3 pm tomorrow. Many teams are contacting each other to get deals completed before the deadline. I think there will be a lot of deals completed tonight and tomorrow. Let me know what you think.
Remember to keep checking TSN, The Fourth Period, and NHL.com for updates on all of the deals completed around the league. 

Two Words: Ray Shero

Ray Shero was named the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006.  Since being named the general manager, the pens have been one of the most successful teams in the NHL.  I mean with stars like Crosby and Malkin there is no excuse not to be one of the most talented teams in the NHL.  However, most of the success is because of Ray Shero.
Shero keeps making the team better every year.  By way of trades, free agents, and draft picks, Shero is constantly expanding the organizations talent.  Recently Shero has just acquired a new talent in a deal sending Alex Goligoski to Dallas for James Neal and Matt Niskanen.  Just today, Shero acquired a former Pittsburgh Penguin, Alexei Kovalev.  Sure Kovy is a little old, but Shero only gave up a 7th round draft pick.  This is what makes Shero amazing, he finds talent young and old and finds a way to get the most out of a deal to help improve is organization.

Should They Stay or Should They Have Gone?

The University of Pittsburgh is one of the most well known campuses in the US. Pitt has its teams compete in Division 1 sports and are consistent performers.  The University just spent millions of dollars on a new sport complex right on campus. The sport complex is going to be home to baseball, softball, and men's and women's soccer. I think since they built this new complex they should have built a football stadium too. The University had enough property to build one, and I feel it would bring a whole lot more school spirit to the team. The football team plays at Heinz Field which is in Downtown Pittsburgh not too far from campus. However, when going to Pitt games I don't think they are that fun. I miss the Old Pitt Stadium back when they played games on campus. Let me know what you think?

Contenders At the End of March?

The Pittsburgh Panthers basketball team has had a very successful season yet again. With a record of 24-2 (12-1 Conference) the Panthers are looking like they can be a top contender come March Madness. Pitt is currently ranked 4th in the nation, and could be looking at one of the top seeds in the tournament.  So my question is, "How far will they go?"

It's a Bird? It's a Plane? No it's a Goalie??

The NHL is a sport well known for it's hard hits and fantastic fights. Mainly team's have a few people on the team that have the responsibility to stand up for their teammates and drop the gloves at any given moment in the game. However, sometimes games get to out of hand and stars even drop the gloves. Rarely, fans even get to see the goalies get into the mix. Many goalies have decided to drop the gloves to stand up for their teammates. Some of the best goalie fights are Patrick Roy vs Chris Osgood, Ron Hextall vs Felix Potvin, and Ray Emery vs Martin Biron.

As of recently, the NHL comes across a goalie fight every couple of seasons. However, this season there has been 2 goalie fights in a span of only two weeks. The first was Brent Johnson of the Penguins vs Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders. The result was an orbital injury to DiPietro sidelining him for 4-6 weeks. Another goalie fight occurred yesterday in the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens game. In which both teams managed to combine with a total of 187 penalty minutes. As a result of all the big hits and fights, the two goalies decided to get in on the action. The fight which was more like a wrestling match between Tim Thomas and Carey Price was not the best, however it fired up the fans watching the game.
Goalie fights may not be the best idea, however fans love it. I think the league should be more lenient with goalies fighting because fans love it and it proves that goalies are emotional about the game and their teammates.

Trouble in Paradise?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have become an NHL powerhouse over the past few years.  With stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal and, Kris Letang, the Pens are mentioned every year by NHL analysts as a team to contend for the cup.  However, the Pens have only played 1 game this season with their power 3 (Sid, Geno, Staal) in the lineup.  Staal missed half of the season with injuries, and recently Sid and Geno have been suffering from injuries.Crosby has missed 13 games with a concussion and there is no time set for his return.  Crosby is the team's leading scorer in all categories.  Malkin added to the cause with his injury during Friday night's win vs the Buffalo Sabres.  Malkin was hit and the opposing player fell awkwardly onto Malkin's leg.  The result was a torn ACL and MCL which will sideline the Russian superstar for the rest of the season.

With Malkin out for the year and Crosby still awaiting his return, does this mean trouble for the Pens? Or will they be able to contend for the Stanley Cup with the talent they have now?

Coming to an Area Near You

After researching many new technologies in sports I have found one that is pretty interesting.  This new technology is Team Mobile Applications.  Many sport teams all over the country already have or are working on creating this feature.  The new features allow fans to follow their teams on their mobile devices.  Fans can get access to player stats, standings, real-time news, highlights, rumors, and even videos.  With the creation of this new technology fans can follow their teams whenever they want no matter where they are or what they are doing. In addition to these features teams are also adding mobile access when fans are in the arena or stadiums.  The new access allows fans to locate restrooms, restaurant, and merchandise stores all over the arena or stadium.  It won't be long until every organization gives fans access to these new features.

Welcome to the Big Leagues

My name is Ryan Vojtash, I am a freshman sport management major at Slippery Rock University.  I was born in Pittsburgh, PA.  I graduated from West Mifflin Area High School in West Mifflin, PA.  I enjoy all sports, but my favorite is hockey.  I played hockey all of my life and currently play inline hockey for SRU.  Some of my favorite sport teams are the Pitt Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.