Brooks Orpik

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik unloaded a gargantuan hit on Boston's Daniel Paille this afternoon that sent the Bruins forward flying high into the air.

If this isn't the hit of the season, it's at least in the top three.

Prior to Sunday's afternoon matchup with the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins held their annual team awards ceremony at CONSOL Energy Center.

For the second consecutive year I was able to attend the ceremony that honors players for their actions both on and off the ice.

The Penguins wore their light blue retro-alternate jerseys for the special presentation and it was an extra treat for fans who happened to have tickets to the game.

For those fans who weren't able to witness or watch the proceedings, I've compiled a recap of the award winners.

All eyes may be on Sidney Crosby's path to recovery as he continues to move forward in conquering concussion symptoms, but according to coach Dan Bylsma another injured Penguin will make it back on the ice this weekend.

Defenseman Brooks Orpik has missed a month of games after breaking a finger on his right hand while blocking a shot back in February and will be in the lineup against the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

No matter how the Pittsburgh Penguins season ends this year, one will have to ask himself what kind of a season it could have been without all of the injuries. 

From the beginning of the season, the Penguins suffered from the injury bug as Jordan Staal missed the first 39 games due to an infection in his foot, and then a broken hand. 

Evgeni Malkin, who looked under 100% all year, went down with a knee injury in early February. He is now out for the season. 

On my site (www.GuysNation.com), one of my authors wrote an interesting article breaking down the roster scenarios for the upcoming 2011 NHL Winter Classic hockey game between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Here's his perspective on the Pittsburgh Penguins:

The play was emblematic of the season thus far.

Defenseman Alex Goligoski charged up the boards inside the blueline, trying to keep the puck in the offensive zone midway through the third period of a 4-4 game. Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins got to the biscuit first, however, and chipped it past the oncoming Goligoski and into the neutral zone.

For teams in the National Hockey League, building a contender can take a lot out of you. With a scant $59.4 million to spend and players asking for larger contracts, it is hard to fathom creating a dynasty any more.

In fact, the last time anyone was given such a title was when the New Jersey Devils won three Stanley Cups in nine years. That’s right, the last NHL dynasty didn’t even include back-to-back championships.

The 2010-2011 NHL Regular Season is only six days away and the Penguins’ roster is almost set for the home opener against Philadelphia on October 7th. With two more preseason games remaining and another round of roster cuts on the horizon, time is starting to run out for players hoping to make the big club.

Over the course of a player’s career, it is almost impossible to not hit at least one major milestone.  Whether it’s the total number of goals, assist, points, penalty minutes or games played, they have different meanings and different impacts on a player’s career. 

With Penguins training camp about six weeks away, they find themselves short one assistant captain.

The guy who previously held that position has since packed his bags and headed to Ottawa.

Brooks Orpik would seem like the most logical replacement considering he’s previously taken that title when Sergei Gonchar was out of the lineup. 

Teams expect certain tendencies from their leaders. If Billy Guerin decides to go elsewhere this offseason, the Pens are in a world of hurt when it comes to leadership.