Pittsburgh Penguins Game Day Poop – 01/16/10 – Vancouver

The Penguins play the Vancouver Canucks tonight at 10PM it will be shown in HD on Fox Sports Pittsburgh.

Marc Andre Fleury has a fractured finger on his glove hand and with backup Brent Johnson already on IR the Penguins have John Curry the WBS Penguins all time winningest goaltender penciled in to start tonight’s game. As luck would have it for Curry he gets to play his first NHL game this year against a team that has the #1 scorer in the league, 2 of the top three points per game leaders in the NHL, the red hot Alex Burrows who has 10 goals in his last 6 games and most likely facing Canadian Olympic team goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Curry Quote: “I don’t know what the deal is yet for (tonight), I’m always going to be ready to play. You never know what the situation is. With the way that trip has gone with a lot of games, a lot of action, I always have to be ready. I am preparing myself like I’m going to play but I’d do that anyways.”

Speaking of Alex Burrows, if you haven’t heard, he was fined $2500 by the NHL for accusing referee Stephane Auger of threatening to call penalties on him and then actually calling two penalties on him late in a game which cost the Canucks a game. Burrows claimed referee Auger was mad at him for making the ref look stupid by taking a dive in a game on December 8th against Nashville.

Before the beginning of the season started I had a post Crosby Can’t Shoot which had a video of how 14 of Crosby’s 15 goals during the playoffs were 5 feet less from the goal.  30 goals later and the #2 goal scorer in the NHL, I’m glad I could help.        

Caputi looks like he’s a healthy scratch again tonight. It would seem that his NHL run this year is only going to be 4 games, not five games like last year, but you never know.

The Vancouver Canucks hockey fans are going to have to pick sides when they host the Olympics on February 14th. Are they rooting for the Canadians or for the Swedes? The Canucks fans beloved Sedin brothers will be at the forefront of the 2006 gold medal winner Sweden’s attempt to repeat.

Every single player donning a Penguin uniform has been dying to get the chance to play hockey in Vancouver. It’s just they’re dying to play a month from now in Vancouver not tonight.

To make things a little more fun for John Curry’s start first NHL start this year, the Vancouver Canuck’s Pavol Demitra will be playing his first game this season tonight. Demitra has averaged 26 goals a season for the last 11 seasons.