Welcome to the newest addition to the hockey coverage here at RealGM with our new hockey blog called Hockey Talk. Running on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Hockey Talk will examine player and team trends as well as take a more in-depth look at the game. This is an interactive project so feel free to email your opinions to Douglas.Benton@realgm.com, and your thoughts may just appear in this space. January 7 The Pittsburgh Penguins had been playing below preseason expectations this season until recently. Though he isn?t the only reason, new goaltender Ty Conklin has been in net for the last six wins and is a perfect 7-0-0 on the season, including home and home wins against Boston and Buffalo. He also has a 1.99 GAA and has only allowed three goals in the last four games. Conklin, 31, has some NHL experience with most of his action coming in the 2003-2004 season with Edmonton, where he went 17-14-4 with a 2.42 GAA. Now, Conklin is only getting this chance due to Marc-Andre Fleury?s ankle injury which will keep him out until about mid-February. This is not Conklin?s team for the long haul, but it will be his work in these months that will keep Pittsburgh squarely in the playoff discussion. - After going unbeaten in group play, the United States team lost both of their medal round games at the World Junior Championships to finish a very disappointing fourth. They first lost to Canada 4-1 and then to Russia in the bronze medal game 4-2. This event alone wouldn?t have changed American hockey, but to become a power in any international sport, you have to first win consistently at the younger levels. In hockey, the United States just isn?t there yet. Canada won the gold medal with a 3-2 overtime victory over Sweeden.