So, the NHL Playoffs Start Soon...

I'll just leave this here:

This is from today.  Oh, by the way, the Penguins and Flyers will more than likely play each other in the first round when the playoffs start in about two weeks.  If you are a Kansas Citian and just starting to get into hockey, what better time to do so than now.

Best part? Between 5:53-6:04 of the video.

Kansas City is Abuzz With Hockey-Related News

A day after the EPIC Kings-Pens overtime game that decided the best hockey team in the history of the world (or something), Kansas City has even more hockey news.  Even the KC Star is getting into the act, after the jump of course:

Kings vs. Penguins in Perspective, Plus Pictures!!!

Zamboni-mania!

Well, if you attended last night’s preseason game at the Sprint Center, you certainly got your money’s worth.  The Kings and Penguins tied 2-2 after regulation and a five-minute overtime, and went eight rounds into the shootout before deciding a winner.  Pittsburgh’s Matt Niskanen beat Jonathan Bernier in the shootout to seal it 3-2 for the Penguins and sent the KC hockey fans home relatively happy.

Politics, and Tim Leiweke, and struggling downtown businesses, and all of that nonsense aside, this kind of game is what makes Kansas Citians desperate for pro hockey.  

Penguins Expected Lineup...? (UPDATED, full roster after the jump)

No definite roster that I can find yet.  But, we can infer a bunch!

Per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Bylsma suggested the exhibition game Tuesday against Los Angeles at Kansas City would likely feature a final audition for on-the-bubble players to win consideration for a roster spot. He said there would "probably be two" rounds of cuts before selection of the season-opening roster and that weekend games at Chicago and Detroit would be used to determine line combinations for regulars. The Penguins expect to make another round of cuts Thursday.

Also, according to that same article, no Brooks Orpik still sidelined due to offseason abdominal surgery.
No Crosby either, but possibly Jordan Staal will play.

“I’m kind of excited to see a new arena and a new city,” said Pittsburgh center Jordan Staal. “It’s very cool. To hear that it is going to be sold out makes for a pretty impressive sign for a team.” 

Here were the Penguins line combos and practice groups on Monday.

Kunitz-Staal-Kennedy 

MacIntyre-Park-McDonald 

Tangradi-Vitale-Adams 

D-pairs: 

Niskanen-Lovejoy 

Harrington-Strait/Engelland

Second Practice Group:

4 Zbynek Michalek7 Paul Martin9 Pascal Dupuis10 Mark Letestu15 Dustin Jeffrey18 James Neal19 Jason Williams23 Ryan Craig24 Matt Cooke26 Steve Sullivan28 Nick Johnson29 Marc-Andre Fleury 30 Scott Munroe58 Kris Letang70 Joseph Morrow71 Evgeni Malkin87 Sidney Crosby 

So, let's go through and see what we do know.  Bylsma wants to play bubble guys, but he also will throw in a few vets just so he doesn't send an AHL team up against a predominantly NHL roster (although it didn't seem to hurt him last year...).  Personally, I believe all of the guys in the line pairings above travel.  So, the team needs at least three more forwards, one more defenseman, and two goalies.  Already we can say that Malkin probably won't go, Crosby definitely will not, Williams apparently has some kind of injury, I would be really surprised to see Fleury.  The goalies will probably be Brad Thiessen and Brent Johnson, just cuz son.  Matt Cooke will more than likely be held back because he is Matt Cooke.  I would not be surprised to see Paul Martin and 2011 first round pick Joseph Morrow just as throw in players, but I would have to imagine either Letang or Martin make the trip.  Forward-wise, maybe Dupuis or Letestu just for a veteran touch.  Nor would I be surprised to see Steve Sullivan either, just to see what he has left in the tank.  Maybe Dustin Jeffery or Nick Johnson as the final choice.

I don't know, though, what do you think?

The next page has the Penguins lineup.  How well did I guess?  Probably not well...

NHL Game is Sold Out

Kansas City Star:

The Sprint Center has announced that Tuesday night’s NHL preseason game between the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins is a sellout. A limited number of standing-room-only tickets will be made available starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The standing-room tickets can be purchased for $11 at sprintcenter.com, at the Sprint Center box office or charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Seating capacity for hockey at the Sprint Center is 17,544, and the game will set an attendance mark for 2011 NHL preseason games played at neutral site, non-NHL venues in North America.

I looking forward to seeing the 17,543 of you fine folks out there tomorrow!

NHL Preseason Game This Tuesday

*Card is subject to change

Come one, come all to the annual NHL Preseason game at the Sprint Center!

Who: Los Angeles Kings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Where: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
When: 7:00pm, Tuesday, September 27th
What:  NHL hockey, of course.
Why: AEG controls the Sprint Center and owns the Kings, and the Penguins used the Sprint Center as leverage to get a new arena in Pittsburgh.
How is it significant: Uh...it's really not.  But, it's hockey, and that's cool, right?

Obviously, as anyone who follows the NHL already knows, exciting young defenseman Drew Doughty will not be at the game due to contract negotiation issues.  Also, exciting (young!) forward Sidney Crosby is just beginning to hit the ice hard in the preseason, so he will not get have a working vacation to the Paris of the Plains.  Jim Fox, Los Angeles's television color commentator, asked after the 2010 Olympics why Crosby doesn't just retire.  At the age of 24, he already claims a gold medal (which he clinched) and a Stanley Cup finals victory, along with various other rewards.  But, you will have to go elsewhere to see him, Kansas Citians.

You can check out the Kings previous exhibition lineups courtesy of Rich Hammond over at LA Kings Insider here and here.  Divine what you will from the information given.  The Kings play the Avalanche in Denver on Wednesday night, so they may bring a semi-legit lineup and play them again the next night, or they may not.  Your guess is as good as mine.

Meanwhile, the Penguins preseason lineups (here, here and here) all seem to have their fair share of NHLers.  Malkin has played, along with Staal and a few other notables.  It's important to note that all of their games have been at home, so they could mix and match how they wanted.  Again, there is nothing saying that the big names won't make the trip, but nothing saying they will either.  The Pens play again on Friday.

I will be attending the game and hopefully will have a write up and some photos for you on Wednesday.

Hopefully the updated rosters come out tomorrow.

Buy tickets here.

No Crosby At Sprint Center? Yeah, Probably...

If you have followed any of the Big XII/ Texas A&M/ SEC rumors, then you know rumors are just rumors.  Well, here is one from the NHL.  Via Puck Daddy via Josh Rimer (producer for XM NHL Home Ice apparently), Sidney Crosby may not be ready to go by the start of the season.  Which, also means he won't be able to go for the exhibition game at the Sprint Center against the Los Angeles Kings on September 27th.  Will this affect ticket sales?  Probably, as people like NHL21's Paul McGannon were banking on Crosby being there and Kansas Citians basking in his glory (this happened, but KC Star archives suck, so no link).  Penguins coach Dan Bylsma will have an update on Monday, but either way, it does not appear that Sid will be good to go for KC.  Maybe that's a cynical point of view, but let's look at history.  The past two exhibition games have featured no Anze Kopitar, no John Taveras, and I'm pretty sure Tkachuk or Kariya missed out.  So, no Crosby makes sense, but now he may have a more severe excuse.