Can’t blame Michel Therrien for Janne Pesonen not succeeding in the NHL

Janne Pesonen’s short tenure in the NHL ended just like I expected it too; Back to Europe. Pesonen, 27, signed a contract to play for Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League (Russia) early last week after totaling 32 goals and 82 points in 70 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Despite putting up impressive numbers in the American Hockey League, scouts and league executives saw Pesonen as nothing more than a fringe NHL player. Pesonen explored the free agent market for over a month with the hopes of landing a one-way contract but there was not one team willing to offer Pesonen a one-way deal. Pesonen received a number of two-way offers from Cup contenders like

Penguins recall Janne Pesonen

The Penguins have recalled forward Janne Pesonen. Pesonen ranks second with 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) and 33 assists on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He has a plus-eight rating through 47 games this season.

The Latest Penguins Buzz

The All-Star break may be coming at a bad time for the Penguins. The Penguins have won three of their last four games and on Sunday the Penguins won back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 15. The All-Star break will be a blessing for players Brooks Orpik, Sidney Crosby, and Max Talbot who are nursing injuries but the Penguins have some momentum right now. The Penguins host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and then don’t play until Wednesday January 28th Janne Pesonen’s fourth stint with the Penguins didn’t last long. Pesonen was a non-factor against the Ducks on the Friday and did not dress against the Rangers. The Penguins re-assigned Pesonen following yesterday’s game. As expected the Penguins

Mixed opinions around the league on Goligoski’s trade value

League sources tell me there are mixed opinions around the league regarding Alex Goligoski’s trade value. Goligoski and Luca Caputi not 2007 1st round pick Angelo Esposito were the two prospects at last year’s trade deadline that Penguins GM Ray Shero received the most calls about in his pursuit of a top 6 winger for Sidney Crosby last season. Through 42 games this season Goligoski has 6 goals & 13 assists. Young puck moving defensemen are a hot commodity around the league and Pittsburgh has been looking at interest in Goligoski for some time. Among the teams expressing interest

Penguins recall Janne Pesonen

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Janne Pesonen. Pesonen, 26, leads the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with 27 assists and ranks third with 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 34 games. He has played six games in three stints with Pittsburgh this season, making his NHL debut in St. Louis on November 1. The Penguins take the ice at 10:30 a.m. for their morning skate. Update within the hour “PIHL Outdoor Charity Series” North Allegheny will take on Pine-Richland on Thursday, January 22 at the North Park Ice Rink in the first of a series of three outdoor games featuring teams from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL). The ‚ÄúPIHL Outdoor Charity Series‚Äù is presented by the Centers for Rehab Services,

The Latest Penguins Buzz

Max Talbot played well yesterday alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Talbot has yet to find his role this season and is a team leading -14. The Penguins need him to play at the level he did yesterday but Talbot is suited for third line duty just like Pascal Dupuis and Tyler Kennedy are. You can‚Äôt turn role players into top 6 forwards. The coaching staff has been very brief in their reasoning why Alex Goligoski continues to be a frequent scratch. It’s believed they see him as a liability in the defensive zone but it’s kind of hard to go on that assumption when the team continues to struggle in the defensive zone and giving up four or more

Game 22: Penguins vs Sabres tonight: Pesonen to play with Malkin

Live Updates — 2nd Period 3-2 at the end of the second period. Penguins begin the third period on a 5 on 3 for 53 seconds. Crosby puts the Penguins up 3-2 at 19:04 of the second period. Great play by Malkin cause a turnover at the redline and Crosby¬†did the rest¬†beating Ryan Miller 5-hole. Defenseman Phillipe Boucher left the game with an undisclosed injury and will not return. It didn’t take long for Michel Therrien to put¬†the Crosby/Malkin/Sykora unit¬†together. Crosby ties the game at 2-2. Assist to Evgeni Malkin — 1st period 1 – 1 at the end of the first period. Curry played well and was tested in the first. Janne Pesonen had two shifts and played a

NHL: Penguins call-up Janne Pesonen

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Janne Pesonen from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL), it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero. Pesonen, 26, made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh on November 1 in a 6-3 victory over St. Louis. He has played 19 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, leading the team in assists (16) and ranking third with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists). In the preseason with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pesonen scored two points in three appearances.