Pittsburghers love their defense, whether they are chanting, "De-Fense" for the football Pittsburgh Steelers or waiting for a big hit by the Pens on the ice.

Last season, two defensemen, Matthew Barnaby and Darius Kasparaitis, provided many big hits and lots of excitement for the fans. Both of these guys are emotional leaders with a style of play that ignites the Arena.

Barnaby, a feisty Canadian, is known for his "yapping". His mouth rarely stops, especially during a confrontation on the ice. He always has plenty to say and to hear his teammates talk, he's funny and he's able to get under the opponent's skin with his comments. He's more than a fighter, though. Matthew plays his position well, he makes plenty of big, timely hits, and last year he had 24 points. Most of all, he inspires the rest of the team to greater heights by the example he sets.

Kasper, with his long, blond hair always tousled, is intense all the time. He loves to hit, it's his job, and he patrols the area around the boards as his territory. If an opponent tries to get past him, the opponent usually
pays the price. Darius can get on the other player's nerves too. And again, a big hit, a clean hit, by Kasparaitis can propel the team and get the game going in the right direction for the Pens.

Another facet of both these players' game is their ability to absorb the punishment. While they give out their share of hits, they take their fair share too. They are both tough and have endured many injuries over the
years ranging from concussions to damaged knees.

Barnaby and Kasparaitis form the cornerstone of the Pens defensive corps. Throw in Bob Boughner, Jiri Slegr, Janne Laukkanen, and newcomer Sven Butenschon and the rest of the defensemen, add the help they will receive from the new Assistant Coach and former Penguins defenseman, Randy Hillier, and we fans can be sure we are in for another exciting year of play.