It's been a rather uneventful week in the world of Pittsburgh sports. The Buccos have been showing signs of life, followed by signs of impending doom. It all depends on the pitching, because you can only count on them to score more then 4 runs about once a week...
As for the Pens, all the talk is of the impending free agency of some familiar faces, but I'm going to delve into that a little later on once I see which restricted free agents get tendered and blah blah blah...it'll be coming out right after the playoffs, or whenever the hell it is that players are tendered...stay tuned.
And with the Steelers, like always, no news is good news. Ben still isn't practicing with the team, and life is going on with Byron Leftwich under center. I'll let you know if any of that changes, but for now, that appears to be our direction.
That's about all I got for ya, I know it's nothing too significant but it's been a boring couple of days...things will pick up soon I'm sure (play ominous music)...
Until lata...
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Who comes, who goes, who stays? (Part 2)
Well, it looks like the PG stole a bit of my thunder, but here's the list of people who need to go one way or the other for the Pens, at least in my humble opinion. For now, I'm going to leave those players I consider prospects off the list, just because they will take up their own individual post at a later date...
Enjoy!!!
Forwards
Eric Godard - his only job is to fight, and while he does that well, we have plenty of others (Mike Rupp comes to mind) who can throw down. He's an absolute joke of a hockey player, and I'm not exaggerating when I say I could skate faster then him.
Tyler Kennedy - He's fast, sure, and was injured most of this season. But he seems to only have one move in the offensive end, and we can find plenty of speedy grinders in the minors. I think he's overrated, but I'm sure the Pens will keep him because of his youth and speed.
Ruslan Fedotenko - If you watched the Pens this year then you know why he needs to go. He's old, slow and stinks. Nuff' said.
Alex Ponikarovsky - Bar none the biggest trade deadline flop ever for Ray Shero, his size and scoring touch were supposed to produce at a top-six level. They didn't, and he will almost certainly not be brought back.
Defensemen
Jordan Leopold - He was injured early in the playoffs and wasn't as big of a factor as he could have been. I don't necessarily hate what he brings to the table, but he's a puck moving defensemen, not really the stay at home type, and unless we drop Gonchar, I think Leopold may be too much of a good thing.
Jay McKee - He was brought in on the cheap, and played well when he was needed, but I doubt he'd want to take on a 7th defenseman role. Plus, his salary is sure to rise and his legs are bound to get even slower, so no thanks.
Kris Letang/Alex Goligoski - As I said in the first post, one of these two needs to go. They'll both be back, but I would dump one because of their defensive liabilities and because we could definitely get a good return on one of them now, as opposed to two years from now when they will be worthless or at least devalued.
Goaltenders
Brent Johnson - We just signed him to an extension, and to be honest, it may be a good idea. He's well liked by his teammates and not horrible on the ice. My only problem is that I would prefer us to get a youngster some experience behind Fluery, but should an injury come up, I'll feel a little better with Johnson in then I would about John Curry or any of our prospects right now.
Well boys and girls, that's it for now...I'll be back lata this week with some free agents I'd like to see us target, and even a report on our prospects!
Hope you enjoyed it, and until lata...
Enjoy!!!
Forwards
Eric Godard - his only job is to fight, and while he does that well, we have plenty of others (Mike Rupp comes to mind) who can throw down. He's an absolute joke of a hockey player, and I'm not exaggerating when I say I could skate faster then him.
Tyler Kennedy - He's fast, sure, and was injured most of this season. But he seems to only have one move in the offensive end, and we can find plenty of speedy grinders in the minors. I think he's overrated, but I'm sure the Pens will keep him because of his youth and speed.
Ruslan Fedotenko - If you watched the Pens this year then you know why he needs to go. He's old, slow and stinks. Nuff' said.
Alex Ponikarovsky - Bar none the biggest trade deadline flop ever for Ray Shero, his size and scoring touch were supposed to produce at a top-six level. They didn't, and he will almost certainly not be brought back.
Defensemen
Jordan Leopold - He was injured early in the playoffs and wasn't as big of a factor as he could have been. I don't necessarily hate what he brings to the table, but he's a puck moving defensemen, not really the stay at home type, and unless we drop Gonchar, I think Leopold may be too much of a good thing.
Jay McKee - He was brought in on the cheap, and played well when he was needed, but I doubt he'd want to take on a 7th defenseman role. Plus, his salary is sure to rise and his legs are bound to get even slower, so no thanks.
Kris Letang/Alex Goligoski - As I said in the first post, one of these two needs to go. They'll both be back, but I would dump one because of their defensive liabilities and because we could definitely get a good return on one of them now, as opposed to two years from now when they will be worthless or at least devalued.
Goaltenders
Brent Johnson - We just signed him to an extension, and to be honest, it may be a good idea. He's well liked by his teammates and not horrible on the ice. My only problem is that I would prefer us to get a youngster some experience behind Fluery, but should an injury come up, I'll feel a little better with Johnson in then I would about John Curry or any of our prospects right now.
Well boys and girls, that's it for now...I'll be back lata this week with some free agents I'd like to see us target, and even a report on our prospects!
Hope you enjoyed it, and until lata...
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Who comes, who goes, who stays? (Part 1)
So I figure the best way to start the offseason for the PPB is to make a couple posts listing who I think the Pens should keep, who needs to go (from the team period, via free agency or just plain letting go of them), and then who we should target in the free agent market.
For today, I'm going to go with who we should keep -
Forwards
Sidney Crosby - I mean if you want to cut him then you're a moron and obviously a Flyer sympathizer.
Geno Malkin - See Sidney Crosby.
Jordan Staal - I know a lot of people wanted us to trade him or Geno this season to get a scoring winger, but let me tell you, there's no finer defensive forward in the game and he can certainly score if needed. Oh yea, and he's something silly like 22. Don't be fools.
Mike Rupp - His grit and early scoring touch were a great thing for the Pens, and you could tell he brought energy to the ice every time he played. And he can fight, which is nice because maybe we won't have to carry a horrible, horrible hockey player just to be an enforcer.
Matt Cooke - He became a real leader on this squad, and whether you love or hate him, no one (except maybe our old buddy Rutuu) can get under the skin of the opposition like him. Plus, his 15 goals this year were a career high, so we definitely need to resign him.
Craig Adams - I hate saying it (because he's Little Snack's favorite player), but Adams is a great penalty killer, and he wins faceoffs, which is something we desperately need. And his two Stanley Cup rings certainly brings some experience and clout that this team needs.
Pascal Dupuis - He's a very strong penalty killer, and has the speed needed to get in on the forecheck. He's proven that he can play on any line, and Coach Dan Bylsma loves trying different line combinations.
Chris Kunitz - He also fits into the Dupuis mold, but he's not as strong on the PK. I'd still keep him though because he's fast, gets the pucks in the corners, and has a little more offensive punch then Dupuis.
Bill Guerin - If he doesn't retire, this old gray beard can still get the job done. His minutes will have to be limited as there's not a whole lot of jump left in his legs, but on the PP no one on our team can get in front of the net like him. Plus, his wrist shot isn't bad for someone who probably played juniors without a helmet.
Max Talbot - He had an injury filled year, so I'm willing to give him a pass for this season, especially after his game 7 theatrics in 2009. But if he doesn't show early in the season that he's back to the old "Mad Max" I would not think twice about unloading him and his pricey (for a player of his style at least) contract.
Defensemen
Brooks Orpik - His physical play is a must have in today's NHL, and he logs a lot of minutes on the PK. We all saw him play in the Olympics for the USA, so I don't think I need to say much else.
Sergei Gonchar - I'd like for the Pens to keep him if he's willing to take a home town discount, because I think he runs the PP better then anyone else on the team, but if he still wants elite money at the age of 36, we may have to take a pass.
Mark Eaton - Eaton is nothing spectacular, but he's a sturdy, stable NHL defenseman who won't make many mistakes in his own zone and has become a leader on the team. The other players like his style, and he's definitely an asset we need to hold onto.
Alex Goligoski/Kris Letang - I would keep one of these two, because they both possess rare speed and offensive talent for a defenseman and are definitely assets on the PP. However, they are both absolutely horrible in their own end, and they have a nasty habit of turning the puck over at inopportune times. I would probably try to keep Go Go, because it seems Letang makes more stupid mistakes then he does, but some in the organization may think Letang has better offensive potential. I guess we'll find out...
(Sidenote - the Pens will almost certainly keep both Go Go and Letang, this is just what I would do)
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury - Sure, he didn't look great during the playoffs this season, but after going to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, not to mention representing his country in the Olympics, I think we'll let this one slide. He is still maddeningly inconsistent at times, but maybe this year's early exit from the playoffs will recharge his batteries somewhat and get back that competitive edge he seems to have been lacking this season.
Well, that's about all I'd for sure keep...hope you enjoyed the list, and I'll be back soon with the players I'd dump (I realize you can tell who they will be, but I'll explain why in the post).
Until lata...
For today, I'm going to go with who we should keep -
Forwards
Sidney Crosby - I mean if you want to cut him then you're a moron and obviously a Flyer sympathizer.
Geno Malkin - See Sidney Crosby.
Jordan Staal - I know a lot of people wanted us to trade him or Geno this season to get a scoring winger, but let me tell you, there's no finer defensive forward in the game and he can certainly score if needed. Oh yea, and he's something silly like 22. Don't be fools.
Mike Rupp - His grit and early scoring touch were a great thing for the Pens, and you could tell he brought energy to the ice every time he played. And he can fight, which is nice because maybe we won't have to carry a horrible, horrible hockey player just to be an enforcer.
Matt Cooke - He became a real leader on this squad, and whether you love or hate him, no one (except maybe our old buddy Rutuu) can get under the skin of the opposition like him. Plus, his 15 goals this year were a career high, so we definitely need to resign him.
Craig Adams - I hate saying it (because he's Little Snack's favorite player), but Adams is a great penalty killer, and he wins faceoffs, which is something we desperately need. And his two Stanley Cup rings certainly brings some experience and clout that this team needs.
Pascal Dupuis - He's a very strong penalty killer, and has the speed needed to get in on the forecheck. He's proven that he can play on any line, and Coach Dan Bylsma loves trying different line combinations.
Chris Kunitz - He also fits into the Dupuis mold, but he's not as strong on the PK. I'd still keep him though because he's fast, gets the pucks in the corners, and has a little more offensive punch then Dupuis.
Bill Guerin - If he doesn't retire, this old gray beard can still get the job done. His minutes will have to be limited as there's not a whole lot of jump left in his legs, but on the PP no one on our team can get in front of the net like him. Plus, his wrist shot isn't bad for someone who probably played juniors without a helmet.
Max Talbot - He had an injury filled year, so I'm willing to give him a pass for this season, especially after his game 7 theatrics in 2009. But if he doesn't show early in the season that he's back to the old "Mad Max" I would not think twice about unloading him and his pricey (for a player of his style at least) contract.
Defensemen
Brooks Orpik - His physical play is a must have in today's NHL, and he logs a lot of minutes on the PK. We all saw him play in the Olympics for the USA, so I don't think I need to say much else.
Sergei Gonchar - I'd like for the Pens to keep him if he's willing to take a home town discount, because I think he runs the PP better then anyone else on the team, but if he still wants elite money at the age of 36, we may have to take a pass.
Mark Eaton - Eaton is nothing spectacular, but he's a sturdy, stable NHL defenseman who won't make many mistakes in his own zone and has become a leader on the team. The other players like his style, and he's definitely an asset we need to hold onto.
Alex Goligoski/Kris Letang - I would keep one of these two, because they both possess rare speed and offensive talent for a defenseman and are definitely assets on the PP. However, they are both absolutely horrible in their own end, and they have a nasty habit of turning the puck over at inopportune times. I would probably try to keep Go Go, because it seems Letang makes more stupid mistakes then he does, but some in the organization may think Letang has better offensive potential. I guess we'll find out...
(Sidenote - the Pens will almost certainly keep both Go Go and Letang, this is just what I would do)
Goalies
Marc-Andre Fleury - Sure, he didn't look great during the playoffs this season, but after going to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, not to mention representing his country in the Olympics, I think we'll let this one slide. He is still maddeningly inconsistent at times, but maybe this year's early exit from the playoffs will recharge his batteries somewhat and get back that competitive edge he seems to have been lacking this season.
Well, that's about all I'd for sure keep...hope you enjoyed the list, and I'll be back soon with the players I'd dump (I realize you can tell who they will be, but I'll explain why in the post).
Until lata...
Friday, May 14, 2010
Penguins Wrap Up
Well, by now we all know the fate of our Pittsburgh Pens - a second round loss to the Cinderella Montreal Canadiens. In the end, Halak was too good, and Flower was not very good, which is not a good equation if you want to advance in the playoffs.
In the next day or two I'm going to compiling my "who should stay and who should go" list for the Pens, and let's just say there will be more going then you think. And sometime in the next week or so I'll be looking at potential free agent targets for the Pens, which is an avenue we'll have to hit harder then usual this offseason.
So make sure you stay tuned to PPB for all of your Pens offseason moves and rumors, and I'll be back with a big post tomorrow.
Until then...
PS - The Pirates are still horrible, and no news is good news for the Steelers....
In the next day or two I'm going to compiling my "who should stay and who should go" list for the Pens, and let's just say there will be more going then you think. And sometime in the next week or so I'll be looking at potential free agent targets for the Pens, which is an avenue we'll have to hit harder then usual this offseason.
So make sure you stay tuned to PPB for all of your Pens offseason moves and rumors, and I'll be back with a big post tomorrow.
Until then...
PS - The Pirates are still horrible, and no news is good news for the Steelers....
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Live Blog 5/12/10
Well our big Game 7 starts in about 2 hours, so make sure you check back here around gametime for the start of the live blog...
1st Period
20:00 - Puck drops, Sidney Crosby wins it cleanly.
19:50 - And Crosby is already in the box...crap. let's go PK.
19:28 - Habs score...1-0 Montreal, and obviously the NHL wants us to lose, because that was a miserable call on Crosby. Oh and the Pens were called for another penalty so Montreal is still on the PP.
17:28 - PP is over, we held...but were certainly under fire.
16:10 - The Poni keg can't shoot to save his life...prolly explains why he hasn't been in the lineup...we need to shape up here very quickly...
14:40 - And that's why I like Mike Rupp; he just charged into the offensive zone, dumped the puck, got it himself and took a shot. Man he plays hard, unlike that lazy bum Ponikarovsky...
12:45 - And the Habs hit the post beside Fleury...
12:32 - The Pens are on the PP...I think a goal here would whip this crowd into a frenzy!!!
11:11 - Letang gives it away and causes a breakaway, thankfully he gets back to help stop the shot...
10:34 - PP is almost over, we tried to be waaaay too fancy...faceoff in Montreal's zone.
8:08 - Billy Guerin just misses on an open slapper...we need a goal badly.
6:45 - The Pens get the crowd back into it with a little sustained pressure from the third line, including two wrap around attempts...great shift.
5:37 - Lucky bounce comes out in front to Dominic Moore...2-0 Habs...not looking good right now. I knew Diego was the whammy!!!
4:44 - Halak comes out of the crease, almost lets one in...we can't catch a break maybe this team just doesn't have whatever it was last year's did.
1:34 - Horrible first period so far. We're playing scared, and that's not how you win a game. The only saving grace is that there's still two periods left, but there is absolutely no room for error now...
End of 1st - Boy, this was just about the worst case scenario for the Pens; down 2-0 and not looking good by any stretch of the imagination. If we don't score rather quickly in the second I think it could be lights out on the season. Better wake up and play some hockey Pens!!!
2nd Period
20:00 - Sid wins the draw.
19:01 - Sarge looks horrible this game, maybe he's excited to leave us via free agency?
16:54 - We certainly don't look any better this period. Crap.
16:28 - Cammellari scores, 3-0 Habs and almost certainly the end of our season. There's still time but there's no indication the Pens feel like playing any more.
16:01 - PP for the Pens, if we don't score now there's almost no chance...
14:46 - Short handed goal for the Canadiens, and I am officially calling it quits for the night, as no one in Pittsburgh cares what happens now. Nice season I guess boys....
Until lata...
1st Period
20:00 - Puck drops, Sidney Crosby wins it cleanly.
19:50 - And Crosby is already in the box...crap. let's go PK.
19:28 - Habs score...1-0 Montreal, and obviously the NHL wants us to lose, because that was a miserable call on Crosby. Oh and the Pens were called for another penalty so Montreal is still on the PP.
17:28 - PP is over, we held...but were certainly under fire.
16:10 - The Poni keg can't shoot to save his life...prolly explains why he hasn't been in the lineup...we need to shape up here very quickly...
14:40 - And that's why I like Mike Rupp; he just charged into the offensive zone, dumped the puck, got it himself and took a shot. Man he plays hard, unlike that lazy bum Ponikarovsky...
12:45 - And the Habs hit the post beside Fleury...
12:32 - The Pens are on the PP...I think a goal here would whip this crowd into a frenzy!!!
11:11 - Letang gives it away and causes a breakaway, thankfully he gets back to help stop the shot...
10:34 - PP is almost over, we tried to be waaaay too fancy...faceoff in Montreal's zone.
8:08 - Billy Guerin just misses on an open slapper...we need a goal badly.
6:45 - The Pens get the crowd back into it with a little sustained pressure from the third line, including two wrap around attempts...great shift.
5:37 - Lucky bounce comes out in front to Dominic Moore...2-0 Habs...not looking good right now. I knew Diego was the whammy!!!
4:44 - Halak comes out of the crease, almost lets one in...we can't catch a break maybe this team just doesn't have whatever it was last year's did.
1:34 - Horrible first period so far. We're playing scared, and that's not how you win a game. The only saving grace is that there's still two periods left, but there is absolutely no room for error now...
End of 1st - Boy, this was just about the worst case scenario for the Pens; down 2-0 and not looking good by any stretch of the imagination. If we don't score rather quickly in the second I think it could be lights out on the season. Better wake up and play some hockey Pens!!!
2nd Period
20:00 - Sid wins the draw.
19:01 - Sarge looks horrible this game, maybe he's excited to leave us via free agency?
16:54 - We certainly don't look any better this period. Crap.
16:28 - Cammellari scores, 3-0 Habs and almost certainly the end of our season. There's still time but there's no indication the Pens feel like playing any more.
16:01 - PP for the Pens, if we don't score now there's almost no chance...
14:46 - Short handed goal for the Canadiens, and I am officially calling it quits for the night, as no one in Pittsburgh cares what happens now. Nice season I guess boys....
Until lata...
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Update...
RAW was amazing, but as you all know the Pens lost...So make sure you stop by tomorrow night around gametime as I will be live blogging again in the hopes it leads us to another victory (again)...lol
Anyway, tomorrow afternoon I'm going to post a couple of pics from RAW, none of them are that spectacular but it was quite an evening at the Mellon Arena. Let's just say they really went all out for the last wrestling event there...
Until tomorrow morning...
Anyway, tomorrow afternoon I'm going to post a couple of pics from RAW, none of them are that spectacular but it was quite an evening at the Mellon Arena. Let's just say they really went all out for the last wrestling event there...
Until tomorrow morning...
Monday, May 10, 2010
WWE RAW
So I'll be heading to the WWE event tonight at Mellon Arena...obviously that means no live blog. Hopefully the Pens can knock these bozos out but rest assured if they don't do it tonight I'll be back at the live blogging for game 7.
Anyway, check back tomorrow for all of your Pens news, and there even may be a recap of the last wrestling event ever to be help at Mellon. I have even have a source or two who have meet and greet passes, so maybe I'll get a little inside info on the superstars of RAW.
Until tomorrow...
Anyway, check back tomorrow for all of your Pens news, and there even may be a recap of the last wrestling event ever to be help at Mellon. I have even have a source or two who have meet and greet passes, so maybe I'll get a little inside info on the superstars of RAW.
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Live Blog 05/08/10
Ok boys and girls the game is about to start in the next fifteen or twenty minutes...I'll be bringing this game to you much like I did the last one, and if you have any suggestions hit me up at pierogisnat@gmail.com...
Hope you guys enjoy the blog, and, as always, GO PENS!!!!
PS - I'm going to write the time left in the period as opposed to the actual time...figure that makes a little more sense...
1st Period
20:00 - Puck drops, Jordan Staal wins it.
19:07 - Icing on the Habs, good first minute for the Pens.
18:14 - Good chance for the Habs which Flower saves and turns into a nice scoring chance for Crosby and Malkin who are playing together, at least to start the game.
17:19 - Good chance by Rupp, who is a welcome addition to the lineup after missing last game with an illness...and Halak seems to be injured..his pose after being hit was kind of funny, looks like he'll try to stay in.
13:56 - LaPierre of the Habs just gets nailed while he blocks a Brooks Orpik shot. Ouch, he barely made it off the ice.
11:41 - Crosby's playoff beard = pathetic.
11:00 - Crosby and Malkin line is getting good opportunities, but they need to finish better.
7:45 - Things are starting to get a little chippy, with Orpik exchanging words with the Habs' bench.
5:26 - They show a hit from Crosby on Hal Gill...nice, glad to see the lil guy taking on their biggest hitter.
3:35 - Dupuis misses two excellent opportunities set up by Geno. Come on fella.
2:45 - Power play Pens.
1:42 - Goal Letang!!!! It was like a shooting gallery for the last minute, I'm surprised it took that long. 1-0 Pens.
:15 - Craig Adams levels somebody. I mean absolutely obliterates him.
End of First - The Pens are looking good, things are very, very chippy and the Arena is jumping. And No Fedotenko. Praise Jesus. Go Pens, see you in the second.
Kunitz also took a penalty at the end of the period...Oh boy...
2nd Period
20:00 - Puck drops, Jordan Staal wins it back, we're on the PK.
18:38 - Max Talbot makes a nice play to get it out of the zone.
18:00 - PK is over, but the Habs are still in our faces.
PS - The Habs nearly put on in, there was huge scrum in front of the net and things got a lil crazy, including a shot hitting the post from very close range.
16:14 - And we're back in their face, great shift from Rupp, Dupuis and Malkin.
14:35 - Great set up from Talbot to Dupuis. Halak is playing well, and we could definitely use another goal or two.
13:45 - Great save from Flower turns into 2 on 1 for Pens which Halak escapes. We're up in their business, we just need to seal the deal.
10:10 - Gonchar Shoots and scores!!!!! 2-0 Pens WHOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!
8:44 - Geno tries to take over a shift, ends up shooting on Halak but he coulda passed it. I hope these guys don't start getting cutesy with the way they play now that they got the lead...
7:03 - Geno does his song and dance again, this time setting up a nice one timer.
5:26 - Crosby is now firing away. One more goal and this thing could be over, we're killing them right now but you know how it is when a goalie doesn't get many shots...Flower better stay sharp...
3:25 - Power play Pens, Letang gets tripped.
1:25 - Power play ends, rather uneventful. Lots of passing, not much shooting.
End of second period - It was a good period for us, expanding the lead and all, but I'd like to see a little more killer instinct. We've been beating them silly and are up by only two goals. It's time to send these Canucks packing. See yinz in the third...
3rd Period
20:00 Puck drops, Jordan Staal wins it again.
17:25 - Halak ROBS Letestu on a semi breakaway. I hope this doesn't bite us in the behind later on...not a great couple of minutes for the Pens.
14:29 - Power play Pens, a dumb, dumb, dumb delay of game on the Habs.
13:33 - Weak roughing call on Malkin. It was either a helluva sales job by Gorges or a make up call. Either way, WEAK.
11:30 - PK and everything is over, and boy were the Pens under fire. But Flower shut the door and kept the Habs scoreless. An insurance goal by the Pens would be a very, very welcome addition right about now.
7:28 - Dupuis almost gets that insurance goal on a spinning shot, but Halak turns it aside. Montreal put a little pressure on for the past couple of minutes, but all in all the Pens have handled it OK. Not great, but well enough for now. They need to find that other gear and finish this thing off the right way, and the need to do it soon.
6:00 - Big face off win for Staal in his own zone...and he follows it with a nice play to keep the puck in Montreal's zone. Guess his foot is OK after all.
3:36 - Rupp crushes someone with a double fist to the face over by our bench. The Habs will be pulling their goalie soon, no doubt.
2:26 - Penalty called on Dupuis for slashing. Come on PK.
1:50 - Timeout Habs. And the Pens are playing the Steelers' traditional fight song, Renegade by Styx. Classy. Oh and the Habs have pulled their goalie.
1:16 - We JUST miss an empty netter. Crap.
:53 - Strike 2. Poop.
:30 - The Habs score. 2-1 Pens, we better get this finished off.
:30 Pens win faceoff thank god.
End of the third - Rupp makes a diving play to clear the puck and keep the Pens in front. The finish was as wild as last year's Stanley Cup Finals Game 7, which says alot. The Pens now lead the series 3-2, and win the game 2-1. Much needed victory for the home team, and it puts ALL the pressure on Montreal to perform in Game 6.
Rupp and Malkin looked incredible this game, and both were noticeably fast and aggressive from the get go. No one really looked too bad, and Flower played about as well as one could expect.
Game 6 will be Monday, which is troublesome for me because I will be attending the final Monday Night RAW ever at Mellon Arena, so a live blog is out of the question. Just think of it this way; worst comes to worst, I'll blog Game 7 and we'll be fine.
Hope you enjoyed the blog, I'm taking off the rest of the night. Stay classy Pittsburgh.
Until tomorrow...
Hope you guys enjoy the blog, and, as always, GO PENS!!!!
PS - I'm going to write the time left in the period as opposed to the actual time...figure that makes a little more sense...
1st Period
20:00 - Puck drops, Jordan Staal wins it.
19:07 - Icing on the Habs, good first minute for the Pens.
18:14 - Good chance for the Habs which Flower saves and turns into a nice scoring chance for Crosby and Malkin who are playing together, at least to start the game.
17:19 - Good chance by Rupp, who is a welcome addition to the lineup after missing last game with an illness...and Halak seems to be injured..his pose after being hit was kind of funny, looks like he'll try to stay in.
13:56 - LaPierre of the Habs just gets nailed while he blocks a Brooks Orpik shot. Ouch, he barely made it off the ice.
11:41 - Crosby's playoff beard = pathetic.
11:00 - Crosby and Malkin line is getting good opportunities, but they need to finish better.
7:45 - Things are starting to get a little chippy, with Orpik exchanging words with the Habs' bench.
5:26 - They show a hit from Crosby on Hal Gill...nice, glad to see the lil guy taking on their biggest hitter.
3:35 - Dupuis misses two excellent opportunities set up by Geno. Come on fella.
2:45 - Power play Pens.
1:42 - Goal Letang!!!! It was like a shooting gallery for the last minute, I'm surprised it took that long. 1-0 Pens.
:15 - Craig Adams levels somebody. I mean absolutely obliterates him.
End of First - The Pens are looking good, things are very, very chippy and the Arena is jumping. And No Fedotenko. Praise Jesus. Go Pens, see you in the second.
Kunitz also took a penalty at the end of the period...Oh boy...
2nd Period
20:00 - Puck drops, Jordan Staal wins it back, we're on the PK.
18:38 - Max Talbot makes a nice play to get it out of the zone.
18:00 - PK is over, but the Habs are still in our faces.
PS - The Habs nearly put on in, there was huge scrum in front of the net and things got a lil crazy, including a shot hitting the post from very close range.
16:14 - And we're back in their face, great shift from Rupp, Dupuis and Malkin.
14:35 - Great set up from Talbot to Dupuis. Halak is playing well, and we could definitely use another goal or two.
13:45 - Great save from Flower turns into 2 on 1 for Pens which Halak escapes. We're up in their business, we just need to seal the deal.
10:10 - Gonchar Shoots and scores!!!!! 2-0 Pens WHOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!
8:44 - Geno tries to take over a shift, ends up shooting on Halak but he coulda passed it. I hope these guys don't start getting cutesy with the way they play now that they got the lead...
7:03 - Geno does his song and dance again, this time setting up a nice one timer.
5:26 - Crosby is now firing away. One more goal and this thing could be over, we're killing them right now but you know how it is when a goalie doesn't get many shots...Flower better stay sharp...
3:25 - Power play Pens, Letang gets tripped.
1:25 - Power play ends, rather uneventful. Lots of passing, not much shooting.
End of second period - It was a good period for us, expanding the lead and all, but I'd like to see a little more killer instinct. We've been beating them silly and are up by only two goals. It's time to send these Canucks packing. See yinz in the third...
3rd Period
20:00 Puck drops, Jordan Staal wins it again.
17:25 - Halak ROBS Letestu on a semi breakaway. I hope this doesn't bite us in the behind later on...not a great couple of minutes for the Pens.
14:29 - Power play Pens, a dumb, dumb, dumb delay of game on the Habs.
13:33 - Weak roughing call on Malkin. It was either a helluva sales job by Gorges or a make up call. Either way, WEAK.
11:30 - PK and everything is over, and boy were the Pens under fire. But Flower shut the door and kept the Habs scoreless. An insurance goal by the Pens would be a very, very welcome addition right about now.
7:28 - Dupuis almost gets that insurance goal on a spinning shot, but Halak turns it aside. Montreal put a little pressure on for the past couple of minutes, but all in all the Pens have handled it OK. Not great, but well enough for now. They need to find that other gear and finish this thing off the right way, and the need to do it soon.
6:00 - Big face off win for Staal in his own zone...and he follows it with a nice play to keep the puck in Montreal's zone. Guess his foot is OK after all.
3:36 - Rupp crushes someone with a double fist to the face over by our bench. The Habs will be pulling their goalie soon, no doubt.
2:26 - Penalty called on Dupuis for slashing. Come on PK.
1:50 - Timeout Habs. And the Pens are playing the Steelers' traditional fight song, Renegade by Styx. Classy. Oh and the Habs have pulled their goalie.
1:16 - We JUST miss an empty netter. Crap.
:53 - Strike 2. Poop.
:30 - The Habs score. 2-1 Pens, we better get this finished off.
:30 Pens win faceoff thank god.
End of the third - Rupp makes a diving play to clear the puck and keep the Pens in front. The finish was as wild as last year's Stanley Cup Finals Game 7, which says alot. The Pens now lead the series 3-2, and win the game 2-1. Much needed victory for the home team, and it puts ALL the pressure on Montreal to perform in Game 6.
Rupp and Malkin looked incredible this game, and both were noticeably fast and aggressive from the get go. No one really looked too bad, and Flower played about as well as one could expect.
Game 6 will be Monday, which is troublesome for me because I will be attending the final Monday Night RAW ever at Mellon Arena, so a live blog is out of the question. Just think of it this way; worst comes to worst, I'll blog Game 7 and we'll be fine.
Hope you enjoyed the blog, I'm taking off the rest of the night. Stay classy Pittsburgh.
Until tomorrow...
Update...
So the Pens stunk it up Thursday night, which is why I skipped yesterday...well that and there really wasn't much else going on...lol
Anyway, I'm hoping to get the Pens back on track tonight by LIVE BLOGGING THE GAME again!!! So make sure you check back around seven and keep your computer up and running during the game - I'll give ya some things to look for and maybe I'll even try not to repeat whatever those god awful announcers on Versus say. Either way, it should be a good time so check it out!!!
Until then...
Anyway, I'm hoping to get the Pens back on track tonight by LIVE BLOGGING THE GAME again!!! So make sure you check back around seven and keep your computer up and running during the game - I'll give ya some things to look for and maybe I'll even try not to repeat whatever those god awful announcers on Versus say. Either way, it should be a good time so check it out!!!
Until then...
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Odds and Ends
Sorry for missing yesterday, I had to head up to Dayton again to help Little Snack move out...it would have been nice to have been told that before yesterday morning, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. Anyway, he'll be home in a few hours and all of that will be done with (thank God).
As for what's happening in the sports world, the Pens are looking to take control of their series with Montreal tonight when they go for a 3-1 series lead. Jordan Staal may or may not play (special thanks to Dr. Hasselman for fixing him up really well), and Old Man Guerin will be a game time decision.
Hopefully one of these two play, because another night of Ruslan Fedotenko would be horrible. I don't know if he's content with his two championships or if his years of playing finally caught up to him (remember how that happened to John LeClaire?), but either way, this needs to be his last season playing for the Pens. And to think, last season we were all clamoring for Miroslav Satan to be let go, which we did, and now he's tearing it up for Boston and it looks like we may have to deal with him in the next round. Turns out that we kept the wrong guy...
Anyway, I doubt there will be a live blog tonight, but you never know. Shoot me some feedback and let me know what you thought of it, maybe I'll do another game or two that way before the playoffs are over.
In other sports, the Bucco's are winning some close games, but they're still not .500, so, as is our current policy at PPB, we will not discuss them. Check out my old man's site, The Green Weenie, for any and all of your Pirates' needs. And Lord knows they have a lot of needs...haha zinger!
Dave "most impressive mustache on Earth" Wannstedt was asked yesterday about a possible move to the Big Ten for the Pitt Panthers, and while he declined comment, I will not. We better hope and pray the Big Ten takes us because if they choose ANY other Big East teams beside Pitt we could be in a lot of trouble. I've made sure not to mention this too often, but if we don't go to the Big Ten when it expands we could end up in the Conference USA (worst, worst case scenario here), and that would certainly be the end of our days as a big-time college athletic program.
The Stache also mentioned (along with old man Paterno) that he'd be in favor of bringing spring football practice to high schools in PA. I actually agree with him; the more work these kids can get the better, especially when other states like Florida and Texas already run these extra practices. If PA wants to continue to produce talent like Dan Marino and Joe Montana then this is certainly a necessary evil.
And really, what's two weeks of practices to a 16 or 17 year old kid? These will not only make them better players but will break up the monotony of what currently passes for spring ball, which is lifting weights, running and plyometrics. As someone who played at a PGH powerhouse (Go Central!), I know how boring the time between the end of the season and training camp can be, and I think these practices will help keep the kids' attention, which is absolutely necessary to make top notch players.
And finally, the Steelers haven't been in the news recently, which is a welcome surprise from them. Right now is that boring time between mini camp and training camp where all you'll hear about are negatives - and we haven't heard squat since Ben's suspension. Very good sign.
That's really all I have for ya right now...I'll probably put up some kind of post during the game, and certainly a recap later tonight or tomorrow...so stay tuned boys and girls!
Until lata...
As for what's happening in the sports world, the Pens are looking to take control of their series with Montreal tonight when they go for a 3-1 series lead. Jordan Staal may or may not play (special thanks to Dr. Hasselman for fixing him up really well), and Old Man Guerin will be a game time decision.
Hopefully one of these two play, because another night of Ruslan Fedotenko would be horrible. I don't know if he's content with his two championships or if his years of playing finally caught up to him (remember how that happened to John LeClaire?), but either way, this needs to be his last season playing for the Pens. And to think, last season we were all clamoring for Miroslav Satan to be let go, which we did, and now he's tearing it up for Boston and it looks like we may have to deal with him in the next round. Turns out that we kept the wrong guy...
Anyway, I doubt there will be a live blog tonight, but you never know. Shoot me some feedback and let me know what you thought of it, maybe I'll do another game or two that way before the playoffs are over.
In other sports, the Bucco's are winning some close games, but they're still not .500, so, as is our current policy at PPB, we will not discuss them. Check out my old man's site, The Green Weenie, for any and all of your Pirates' needs. And Lord knows they have a lot of needs...haha zinger!
Dave "most impressive mustache on Earth" Wannstedt was asked yesterday about a possible move to the Big Ten for the Pitt Panthers, and while he declined comment, I will not. We better hope and pray the Big Ten takes us because if they choose ANY other Big East teams beside Pitt we could be in a lot of trouble. I've made sure not to mention this too often, but if we don't go to the Big Ten when it expands we could end up in the Conference USA (worst, worst case scenario here), and that would certainly be the end of our days as a big-time college athletic program.
The Stache also mentioned (along with old man Paterno) that he'd be in favor of bringing spring football practice to high schools in PA. I actually agree with him; the more work these kids can get the better, especially when other states like Florida and Texas already run these extra practices. If PA wants to continue to produce talent like Dan Marino and Joe Montana then this is certainly a necessary evil.
And really, what's two weeks of practices to a 16 or 17 year old kid? These will not only make them better players but will break up the monotony of what currently passes for spring ball, which is lifting weights, running and plyometrics. As someone who played at a PGH powerhouse (Go Central!), I know how boring the time between the end of the season and training camp can be, and I think these practices will help keep the kids' attention, which is absolutely necessary to make top notch players.
And finally, the Steelers haven't been in the news recently, which is a welcome surprise from them. Right now is that boring time between mini camp and training camp where all you'll hear about are negatives - and we haven't heard squat since Ben's suspension. Very good sign.
That's really all I have for ya right now...I'll probably put up some kind of post during the game, and certainly a recap later tonight or tomorrow...so stay tuned boys and girls!
Until lata...
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Live Blog
I decided to try and live blog the game tonight...not too sure how it will go, but hey, how will I know if I don't try? Anyway, enjoy the show...I'll try and post the time I make the comment next to the post, but be forewarned I may get lazy by the end if it's a route...lol
And with that, enjoy the game...puck drops in about 30 minutes!
7:16 - Puck drops...Let's go Pens!!!
7:24 - Go Go gets a tripping minor for the Pens...not exactly the start we were looking for boys. Come on PK!!!
7:27 - Good PK by the boys, although we're still not looking very sharp...hopefully that works itself out soon...
7:34 - The Pens literally have one shot through eleven minutes of action...you gotta be kidding me.
7:38 - Pens power play on a cheap shot by LaPierre..cheating Canadiens....lol
7:41 - Our power play stinks...we couldn't get the puck in the zone, let alone get a shot. All in all, pretty poopy start for the Pens. Only six total shots in the game, although Montreal looks a lot busier then that.
7:51 - The period ends, mercifully, at 0-0. The Pens played some very uninspired hockey, but luckily the Canadiens couldn't put the biscuit in the basket. There was pretty much no offense to speak of coming from the Pens' side of the ice, and those crazy Canucks finished very strong. I'm thinking "Awww" Craig Adams will get his gray beard in a bunch and start inspiring the boys Herb Brooks style, but only time will tell. See yinz in the second...
8:08 - Puck drops on period 2. God I hope this goes better then the first...
8:18 - Cooke had a break away, but it's Cooke, so he misses. Still 0-0, but the pace has picked up a little bit for the Pens. I think we still only have five or six shots though, and Halak made that last save look easy...
8:25 - Pens power play...boy do we need a goal
8:28 - No goal on the PP, but at least the Pens are showing some signs of life. And this Letestu has been a pleasant surprise thus far in his first playoff game.
8:34 - Great chance by Go Go to net the opening goal, but Halak says no. We're starting to get our game going, throwing more pucks at Halak and taking the body more often. Now we just need to get on the board.
8:41 - There's only eleven seconds left in the period but the Pens have earned a power play. They just kept the puck in the zone for about two minutes which made the Canadiens tired and brought about the penalty.
8:43 - The period is over, still no score. Things get a bit chippy at the end of the period, with a lot of pushing and shoving after the whistle. Still don't know if there's any penalties resulting, but I have to think this game is starting to turn towards the Pens' liking..all they need to do now is put the puck in the net!!!
9:03 - The puck drops on period three with the Pens on the power play for almost a full two minutes. This PP is key - if we can get a goal it may just be the series, but if not...well let's just say we need this goal.
9:05 - WHOOOO HOOOO Goal Malkin!!!! It's a power play goal, and the Pens' showed great patience. Great one timer. 1-0 Pens
9:07 - I failed to mention it was Hal Gill in the box when Geno scored. I think that may have helped the cause...
9:10 - Steigerwald's first reference to Hal Gill's big stick. Hahaha
9:23 - Flower just robs Cammellari on a one timer. My goodness, what a save. The Canadiens are pushing hard for the tying goal, we really need to keep it simple and just get the puck out of our zone.
9:26 - Crap, the Canadiens just got a call on Jordan Leopold. Huge PK upcoming.
9:30 - Halfway through the PK, so far so good, Montreal just called timeout. I'll let ya know how the PK ends up...
9:32 - PK is over, and Flower just made another crazy save to keep it that way. He's playing an excellent game thus far...
9:37 - Pascal Dupuis throws in an empty netter. 2-0 Pens and as Mike Lange would say, "Elvis has just left the building!!!" Be back shortly with some observations.
Go Pens!
Observations - Well, first and foremost, Flower was amazing in net. In the third period he made two spectacular saves to keep the Pens ahead, and if he continues to play like this it's going to be very, VERY difficult to beat us. As for which skaters impressed me, I'd have to say Mark Letestu played very well for his first NHL playoff game. He put a couple shots on net and was very responsible defensively, which is always your first concern with rookies. I also thought Alex Ponikarovsky had a little more speed and grit then he's showed thus far in playoffs, which is certainly an added bonus.
As for who didn't impress, I'd have to go with Ruslan Fedotenko. I don't know if he's injured, old or both, but he's not nearly the player he was last season when we won the cup. I realize he's in because of injuries to Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin, but there has to be a better alternative somewhere on the taxi squad. He's played very uninspired hockey, rarely finishing checks off and not contributing at all in the offensive zone. Not only is he not getting shots, but it seems like he's losing his place in the cycle, and that's the Pens' bread and butter.
I certainly think the Pens earned this one, and Montreal is on their heels. A win on Thursday could cause the Habs to pack it in, and a close defeat like this (hopefully) will make a little doubt creep into Montreal's head. We need to play more then two solid periods of hockey to win a championship, and I'm sure that's something that will be adressed, but all in all it could've been a lot worse, and a win is a win.
Go Pens!
Until lata...
And with that, enjoy the game...puck drops in about 30 minutes!
7:16 - Puck drops...Let's go Pens!!!
7:24 - Go Go gets a tripping minor for the Pens...not exactly the start we were looking for boys. Come on PK!!!
7:27 - Good PK by the boys, although we're still not looking very sharp...hopefully that works itself out soon...
7:34 - The Pens literally have one shot through eleven minutes of action...you gotta be kidding me.
7:38 - Pens power play on a cheap shot by LaPierre..cheating Canadiens....lol
7:41 - Our power play stinks...we couldn't get the puck in the zone, let alone get a shot. All in all, pretty poopy start for the Pens. Only six total shots in the game, although Montreal looks a lot busier then that.
7:51 - The period ends, mercifully, at 0-0. The Pens played some very uninspired hockey, but luckily the Canadiens couldn't put the biscuit in the basket. There was pretty much no offense to speak of coming from the Pens' side of the ice, and those crazy Canucks finished very strong. I'm thinking "Awww" Craig Adams will get his gray beard in a bunch and start inspiring the boys Herb Brooks style, but only time will tell. See yinz in the second...
8:08 - Puck drops on period 2. God I hope this goes better then the first...
8:18 - Cooke had a break away, but it's Cooke, so he misses. Still 0-0, but the pace has picked up a little bit for the Pens. I think we still only have five or six shots though, and Halak made that last save look easy...
8:25 - Pens power play...boy do we need a goal
8:28 - No goal on the PP, but at least the Pens are showing some signs of life. And this Letestu has been a pleasant surprise thus far in his first playoff game.
8:34 - Great chance by Go Go to net the opening goal, but Halak says no. We're starting to get our game going, throwing more pucks at Halak and taking the body more often. Now we just need to get on the board.
8:41 - There's only eleven seconds left in the period but the Pens have earned a power play. They just kept the puck in the zone for about two minutes which made the Canadiens tired and brought about the penalty.
8:43 - The period is over, still no score. Things get a bit chippy at the end of the period, with a lot of pushing and shoving after the whistle. Still don't know if there's any penalties resulting, but I have to think this game is starting to turn towards the Pens' liking..all they need to do now is put the puck in the net!!!
9:03 - The puck drops on period three with the Pens on the power play for almost a full two minutes. This PP is key - if we can get a goal it may just be the series, but if not...well let's just say we need this goal.
9:05 - WHOOOO HOOOO Goal Malkin!!!! It's a power play goal, and the Pens' showed great patience. Great one timer. 1-0 Pens
9:07 - I failed to mention it was Hal Gill in the box when Geno scored. I think that may have helped the cause...
9:10 - Steigerwald's first reference to Hal Gill's big stick. Hahaha
9:23 - Flower just robs Cammellari on a one timer. My goodness, what a save. The Canadiens are pushing hard for the tying goal, we really need to keep it simple and just get the puck out of our zone.
9:26 - Crap, the Canadiens just got a call on Jordan Leopold. Huge PK upcoming.
9:30 - Halfway through the PK, so far so good, Montreal just called timeout. I'll let ya know how the PK ends up...
9:32 - PK is over, and Flower just made another crazy save to keep it that way. He's playing an excellent game thus far...
9:37 - Pascal Dupuis throws in an empty netter. 2-0 Pens and as Mike Lange would say, "Elvis has just left the building!!!" Be back shortly with some observations.
Go Pens!
Observations - Well, first and foremost, Flower was amazing in net. In the third period he made two spectacular saves to keep the Pens ahead, and if he continues to play like this it's going to be very, VERY difficult to beat us. As for which skaters impressed me, I'd have to say Mark Letestu played very well for his first NHL playoff game. He put a couple shots on net and was very responsible defensively, which is always your first concern with rookies. I also thought Alex Ponikarovsky had a little more speed and grit then he's showed thus far in playoffs, which is certainly an added bonus.
As for who didn't impress, I'd have to go with Ruslan Fedotenko. I don't know if he's injured, old or both, but he's not nearly the player he was last season when we won the cup. I realize he's in because of injuries to Jordan Staal and Bill Guerin, but there has to be a better alternative somewhere on the taxi squad. He's played very uninspired hockey, rarely finishing checks off and not contributing at all in the offensive zone. Not only is he not getting shots, but it seems like he's losing his place in the cycle, and that's the Pens' bread and butter.
I certainly think the Pens earned this one, and Montreal is on their heels. A win on Thursday could cause the Habs to pack it in, and a close defeat like this (hopefully) will make a little doubt creep into Montreal's head. We need to play more then two solid periods of hockey to win a championship, and I'm sure that's something that will be adressed, but all in all it could've been a lot worse, and a win is a win.
Go Pens!
Until lata...
Monday, May 3, 2010
Odds and Ends
Well it was great seeing lil Snack finally graduate, but it's time to get back to the blog, because Lord knows there was enough to talk about from this weekend...
First and foremost, the Pens lost, which means their series is tied 1-1 with Montreal. I missed the game (on TV at least) because of my traveling, but from what I heard it was Halak standing on his head and the Pens getting frustrated, which is exactly what doomed the Capitals against Montreal.
Jordan Staal is out with a torn ligament on top of his foot, and that coule end up hurting us much more then one would think. His defense really sparks our team and he even had a goal in game 1 before he was hurt. Look for someone to step up and play even better defense from the forward position, my best guess is that it will be Matt Cooke who takes alot of his time, but only time will tell.
The Pens shouldn't be in panic mode or anything, but one more loss like yesterday and it might be time to at least be a little worried...
As for the Steelers, it looked like they were going to make it through their mandatory minicamp without anything crazy happening, but of course that's not how the Steelers roll this year. Receiver Limas Sweed, who is no stranger to controvery himself (what with all the drops and his needing time off for personal issues) apparently tore his Achilles' Tendon, which would certainly take him out for the season.
This could be the end of the road for young Mr. Sweed, who has been an utter disappointment during his first two seasons with the Steelers. Other receivers have stepped up, and when he returns he may be no higher then 6th on the depth chart, which is not what you're looking for from a second round pick.
All in all it was a pretty crappy weekend for Pittsburgh sports. Hopefully this week will be better, and make sure you check back soon as I'm working on a couple top 10 lists to post...Those lists made me and Diego famous, so it's about high time I bring em back.
Until lata...
First and foremost, the Pens lost, which means their series is tied 1-1 with Montreal. I missed the game (on TV at least) because of my traveling, but from what I heard it was Halak standing on his head and the Pens getting frustrated, which is exactly what doomed the Capitals against Montreal.
Jordan Staal is out with a torn ligament on top of his foot, and that coule end up hurting us much more then one would think. His defense really sparks our team and he even had a goal in game 1 before he was hurt. Look for someone to step up and play even better defense from the forward position, my best guess is that it will be Matt Cooke who takes alot of his time, but only time will tell.
The Pens shouldn't be in panic mode or anything, but one more loss like yesterday and it might be time to at least be a little worried...
As for the Steelers, it looked like they were going to make it through their mandatory minicamp without anything crazy happening, but of course that's not how the Steelers roll this year. Receiver Limas Sweed, who is no stranger to controvery himself (what with all the drops and his needing time off for personal issues) apparently tore his Achilles' Tendon, which would certainly take him out for the season.
This could be the end of the road for young Mr. Sweed, who has been an utter disappointment during his first two seasons with the Steelers. Other receivers have stepped up, and when he returns he may be no higher then 6th on the depth chart, which is not what you're looking for from a second round pick.
All in all it was a pretty crappy weekend for Pittsburgh sports. Hopefully this week will be better, and make sure you check back soon as I'm working on a couple top 10 lists to post...Those lists made me and Diego famous, so it's about high time I bring em back.
Until lata...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Just a little heads up....
I'll be outta town this weekend, but I should only miss one or two days of posting...Little Snack is finally graduating college!!!
Anyway, the plan for the rest of the day includes writing something during the game tonite; not sure if it will be a live blog, or posting something after the periods or game or what, but rest assured, there will be a post tonite and it will be all about the Pens beating the snot out of the Canadians tonite.
Go Pens!!!
Until later...
UPDATE!!!! - Well it's 7:24 and I've been out boozing with Diego and Bobinkle Von Meathead for the game. I'm not hammered mind you, but it may be in everyone's best interest to wait until tomorrow to post again...We'll see, but in the meantime GO PENS 1-1 WHOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarge is the man...lol
UPDATE - 7:36 in the pm, and Jordan Staal knocks another power play goal in..2-1 Pens!!! Oh, and that's one more power play goal then the Canadians let up the entire seven game series with Washington...Just throwing it out there...
UPDATE - 8:09 pm, Sid the Kid makes an incredible power play pass to Kris "Pootie" Letang making it 3-1 Pens. Amazing pass, just as good of a finish. Look for this one on SportsCenter...
UPDATE - It's 9:04 and we are officially kicking the tar out of the Habs. Crosby is killing it, our D is scoring at will and our powerplay is 4 for 4. This will be the final update unless something ridiculous happens, but for now all you need to know is if this is any indication of how the rest of the series goes the Habs need to worry.
Go Pens...
Until lata again...
Anyway, the plan for the rest of the day includes writing something during the game tonite; not sure if it will be a live blog, or posting something after the periods or game or what, but rest assured, there will be a post tonite and it will be all about the Pens beating the snot out of the Canadians tonite.
Go Pens!!!
Until later...
UPDATE!!!! - Well it's 7:24 and I've been out boozing with Diego and Bobinkle Von Meathead for the game. I'm not hammered mind you, but it may be in everyone's best interest to wait until tomorrow to post again...We'll see, but in the meantime GO PENS 1-1 WHOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarge is the man...lol
UPDATE - 7:36 in the pm, and Jordan Staal knocks another power play goal in..2-1 Pens!!! Oh, and that's one more power play goal then the Canadians let up the entire seven game series with Washington...Just throwing it out there...
UPDATE - 8:09 pm, Sid the Kid makes an incredible power play pass to Kris "Pootie" Letang making it 3-1 Pens. Amazing pass, just as good of a finish. Look for this one on SportsCenter...
UPDATE - It's 9:04 and we are officially kicking the tar out of the Habs. Crosby is killing it, our D is scoring at will and our powerplay is 4 for 4. This will be the final update unless something ridiculous happens, but for now all you need to know is if this is any indication of how the rest of the series goes the Habs need to worry.
Go Pens...
Until lata again...
Thursday, April 29, 2010
On to Montreal...
So those crazy Canadians bested the Caps to get the right to face us; I know, I'm as shocked as you are. But as much as I would have liked to have seen us beat the hell out of Ovy and his crew of "skilled" players, I think this is just about the best possible match up the Pens could have asked for.
Montreal is one of those teams that doesn't do anything poorly, but also doesn't do anything extraordinary. They're an OK offensive team, with Mike Cammalleri leading the way, and some of their forwards are pretty darn good two way players, guys such as Dominic Moore (former Pen). But they're certainly not on the same level as the Pens skill or speed wise, so you'd have to give the edge to the good guys.
Their defense is also unspectacular, but former Pen Hal Gill has proven to be a very tough opponent, and his size and strength are something to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for the Habs his pairing is the only one you could really call a "shut down" pair, and unlike Washington, we have two (or three depending on who you talk to) lines that can score, so one strong defensive pairing doesn't bode well for our neighbors to the north. Once again, advantage Pens.
While Gill may compete with Brooks Orpik as the best defensive defenseman in this series, the firepower of the Pens offense has a chance to overwhelm the Habs. Our defense isn't much better then theirs, but the way we spread our offense around and all of the talent we have certainly point to us winning this battle.
The goaltending matchup would tend to lean towards the Pens, just because Marc Andre Fluery has so much "big game" experience and his counterpart has been a part time starter. But don't sleep on Jaroslav Halak. He's been very, very strong the past three games, and is pretty much the sole reason the Habs are where they are. The only problem is he, much like the Penguins themselves, can be maddeningly inconsistent. He actually got pulled from Game 3 of the first round series, gave up a three goal lead in Game 2, and didn't even start Game 4.
So give the nod to The Flower, but remember that Halak is standing on his head right now and if that continues it will certainly be hard for the Pens to put the biscuit in the basket.
Let me be very frank with you - the Pens should win this series. We are by far the more talented and experienced team. But as we learned in the Canadians' last series, skill and talent will always lose to heart and will. The Pens better play desperate, desperate hockey or they could find themselves on the wrong side of this series.
Go Pens!
Until lata...
Montreal is one of those teams that doesn't do anything poorly, but also doesn't do anything extraordinary. They're an OK offensive team, with Mike Cammalleri leading the way, and some of their forwards are pretty darn good two way players, guys such as Dominic Moore (former Pen). But they're certainly not on the same level as the Pens skill or speed wise, so you'd have to give the edge to the good guys.
Their defense is also unspectacular, but former Pen Hal Gill has proven to be a very tough opponent, and his size and strength are something to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for the Habs his pairing is the only one you could really call a "shut down" pair, and unlike Washington, we have two (or three depending on who you talk to) lines that can score, so one strong defensive pairing doesn't bode well for our neighbors to the north. Once again, advantage Pens.
While Gill may compete with Brooks Orpik as the best defensive defenseman in this series, the firepower of the Pens offense has a chance to overwhelm the Habs. Our defense isn't much better then theirs, but the way we spread our offense around and all of the talent we have certainly point to us winning this battle.
The goaltending matchup would tend to lean towards the Pens, just because Marc Andre Fluery has so much "big game" experience and his counterpart has been a part time starter. But don't sleep on Jaroslav Halak. He's been very, very strong the past three games, and is pretty much the sole reason the Habs are where they are. The only problem is he, much like the Penguins themselves, can be maddeningly inconsistent. He actually got pulled from Game 3 of the first round series, gave up a three goal lead in Game 2, and didn't even start Game 4.
So give the nod to The Flower, but remember that Halak is standing on his head right now and if that continues it will certainly be hard for the Pens to put the biscuit in the basket.
Let me be very frank with you - the Pens should win this series. We are by far the more talented and experienced team. But as we learned in the Canadians' last series, skill and talent will always lose to heart and will. The Pens better play desperate, desperate hockey or they could find themselves on the wrong side of this series.
Go Pens!
Until lata...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Bring on the Canadians!!!
Just a quick note for those of you who were living under a rock, but the number one seeded Washington Capitals just lost 2-1 to the eighth seeded Montreal Canadians. This means Pittsburgh is guaranteed to have home ice advantage until the Stanley Cup Finals at the least, and will face the aforementioned Canadians in round two.
The series will start Friday, but of course I'll have a preview of what to expect posted tomorrow...
Go Pens!
Until tomorrow...
The series will start Friday, but of course I'll have a preview of what to expect posted tomorrow...
Go Pens!
Until tomorrow...
Pens Report
As I get ready to watch the Capitals-Canadians game, I figured I'd make a little post about what I see as the Pens' biggest strengths and weaknesses going into the second round. It'll be a short and sweet post, but give me a break, there's not much to write about until we know who we're facing...lol
Anywho, I see our biggest and most glaring weakness as our maddening inconsistency. Some periods and stretches we look absolutely unstoppable, with Crosby and Malkin flying through the neutral zone and our third and fourth lines back checking like crazy and disrupting every attempt by the opposition to clear the zone. These are the times that remind people why they won the Stanley Cup in the first place, but the problem is this used to be how they played all the time, not part of the time.
There are times now where the Penguins aren't the fastest team on the ice, and with the talent and overall team speed they have that's completely unacceptable. They always play hard, if not desperate, and as we all know desperate is how you have to play if you're planning on lasting long in the playoffs. The sense of urgency with them seems to come and go and really doesn't get turned on until they're in trouble, and sometimes that's too late.
The biggest strength of the offense has been that we're getting contributions from people of all sorts, including Matt Cooke scoring two goals in game 6 and Pascal Dupuis scoring the game winner. Obviously Crosby and Geno run the show offensively, and they are both playing well (Crosby on a record setting pace in fact), but the fact that everyone has been chipping in is a great sign for the rest of the playoffs.
Our defense is good on one side of the ice, not so good on the other. Losing Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi were bigger hits then most people expected, and Jay McKee has been an adequate but not exceptional replacement for them. There are certainly times where our lack of another bruising defenseman to help punish people in front of the net really hurts us, and those two were very good at clearing out the garbage. We also seem to be moving the puck more side to side as opposed to the up the ice style that we have favored since Disco Dan Bylsma likes, which is causing more turnovers and better scoring chances for the opposition.
On the positive side, our defense has never been better in the offensive zone. Sergei Gonchar has been his usual skillful self, and Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski have shown why they were prized prospects. Letang and Go Go could certainly be better in the defensive zone, but their offensive skills have certainly helped the team thus far this season. And let's not forget the skills of Jordan Leopold, who missed most of the last series with a concussion. He's an excellent two way player and will certainly be a boost over McKee when he comes back into the lineup.
Finally, our goaltending has been adequate, but not stellar. The Flower has been solid, and has really limited his soft goals, but there are still games where he gives up 3 or 4 goals and those games are very difficult to win. But overall he's been very good about not letting things get out of hand and has always kept us in the games, which in the playoffs is definitely a good thing. Plus his big game experience and the relative lack of quality goaltending left in the Eastern Conference playoffs certainly point to him being a strength.
So overall, I'd say we're not at the top of our game but we're getting better. I think our offense is a force to be reckoned with, and our defense is coming along. And having 2 of the 3 (or possibly all 3) teams seeded ahead of us getting knocked out has to make us the odds on favorite. Hopefully these guys won't get complacent and get so far behind that we can't come back, but luckily for all of us, even when we're down by three goals you can't count these Penguins out.
Until tomorrow...
PS - Go Canadians...hahahaha
Anywho, I see our biggest and most glaring weakness as our maddening inconsistency. Some periods and stretches we look absolutely unstoppable, with Crosby and Malkin flying through the neutral zone and our third and fourth lines back checking like crazy and disrupting every attempt by the opposition to clear the zone. These are the times that remind people why they won the Stanley Cup in the first place, but the problem is this used to be how they played all the time, not part of the time.
There are times now where the Penguins aren't the fastest team on the ice, and with the talent and overall team speed they have that's completely unacceptable. They always play hard, if not desperate, and as we all know desperate is how you have to play if you're planning on lasting long in the playoffs. The sense of urgency with them seems to come and go and really doesn't get turned on until they're in trouble, and sometimes that's too late.
The biggest strength of the offense has been that we're getting contributions from people of all sorts, including Matt Cooke scoring two goals in game 6 and Pascal Dupuis scoring the game winner. Obviously Crosby and Geno run the show offensively, and they are both playing well (Crosby on a record setting pace in fact), but the fact that everyone has been chipping in is a great sign for the rest of the playoffs.
Our defense is good on one side of the ice, not so good on the other. Losing Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi were bigger hits then most people expected, and Jay McKee has been an adequate but not exceptional replacement for them. There are certainly times where our lack of another bruising defenseman to help punish people in front of the net really hurts us, and those two were very good at clearing out the garbage. We also seem to be moving the puck more side to side as opposed to the up the ice style that we have favored since Disco Dan Bylsma likes, which is causing more turnovers and better scoring chances for the opposition.
On the positive side, our defense has never been better in the offensive zone. Sergei Gonchar has been his usual skillful self, and Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski have shown why they were prized prospects. Letang and Go Go could certainly be better in the defensive zone, but their offensive skills have certainly helped the team thus far this season. And let's not forget the skills of Jordan Leopold, who missed most of the last series with a concussion. He's an excellent two way player and will certainly be a boost over McKee when he comes back into the lineup.
Finally, our goaltending has been adequate, but not stellar. The Flower has been solid, and has really limited his soft goals, but there are still games where he gives up 3 or 4 goals and those games are very difficult to win. But overall he's been very good about not letting things get out of hand and has always kept us in the games, which in the playoffs is definitely a good thing. Plus his big game experience and the relative lack of quality goaltending left in the Eastern Conference playoffs certainly point to him being a strength.
So overall, I'd say we're not at the top of our game but we're getting better. I think our offense is a force to be reckoned with, and our defense is coming along. And having 2 of the 3 (or possibly all 3) teams seeded ahead of us getting knocked out has to make us the odds on favorite. Hopefully these guys won't get complacent and get so far behind that we can't come back, but luckily for all of us, even when we're down by three goals you can't count these Penguins out.
Until tomorrow...
PS - Go Canadians...hahahaha
Jonathan Dwyer
I know I'm skipping a couple of rounds here, but I think Jonathan Dwyer may have been the steal of the draft for the Steelers, so I'm going to talk about him next. Hope you don't mind, but I really can't see anyone other then Pouncey making as big an impact as a rookie as this guy can, so let's see what makes him tick.
Dwyer left Georgia Tech a year early to enter the NFL Draft after running for 1395 yards in each of the past two seasons. He was actually projected to be a first or second round draft choice which is why he decided to leave school early. But obviously something had to happen to make him plunge to the sixth round, didn't it?
My understanding is that he fell for two reasons; he failed a drug test at the combine and he worked from an option type offense in college (ie. not the pro style offense a Pitt or Alabama run). As for the drug test, he let teams know he was on something (Adderal?) for ADD and that he would more then likely fail the drug test. I don't really see where this would cause him to drop, but apparently some teams were confused or didn't understand why he failed, which could explain some of it.
The other reason, and probably the biggest reason in my eyes, that he dropped is because he played in a triple option offense, which meant he didn't line up in your typical half back position. This could certainly be cause for concern, but my major problem with this rationale is that it seems to be randomly applied to certain people and not to others.
Case in point, look at this year's number one overall draft pick, QB Sam Bradford. He not only missed 90% of last season due to injury, but he played in a spread offense, where he rarely if ever had to take a snap from under center. Last time I checked, the NFL hasn't turned into a shotgun only league. That is certainly as big, if not a bigger question mark then Dwyer's history in an option offense. I'm sure things change for a running back, but I would imagine the switch from spread QB to pro QB would be a much bigger leap.
So what is it about Dwyer that intrigued the Steelers enough to draft him? They certainly couldn't look past his productivity, averaging over 6 yards a carry last season, but it is his running style that definitely added value to this pick. He is a classic Steeler running back in the mold of Jerome Bettis; he's big (between 225lbs. and 235 lbs. depending on where you look), he's a bruiser, and was described by running backs coach Kirby Wilson as "a workhorse-type of running back". Not to mention his speed, while not elite, is certainly good enough to break off a home run or two if he can get into the secondary. If that doesn't instantly make you like him I don't know what will.
Anyway, please don't get the impression I'm calling this kid the next Bettis. There's no way he's the starter this season unless Rashard Mendenhall gets injured, and he will primarily be used as a backup and short yardage specialist, which is something we desperately needed. He's a big body who can hopefully make those third down and one situations a little bit easier, and he should be a fixture for a couple years at least if the expectations match the talent.
Selection Grade - A
Until later today...
Dwyer left Georgia Tech a year early to enter the NFL Draft after running for 1395 yards in each of the past two seasons. He was actually projected to be a first or second round draft choice which is why he decided to leave school early. But obviously something had to happen to make him plunge to the sixth round, didn't it?
My understanding is that he fell for two reasons; he failed a drug test at the combine and he worked from an option type offense in college (ie. not the pro style offense a Pitt or Alabama run). As for the drug test, he let teams know he was on something (Adderal?) for ADD and that he would more then likely fail the drug test. I don't really see where this would cause him to drop, but apparently some teams were confused or didn't understand why he failed, which could explain some of it.
The other reason, and probably the biggest reason in my eyes, that he dropped is because he played in a triple option offense, which meant he didn't line up in your typical half back position. This could certainly be cause for concern, but my major problem with this rationale is that it seems to be randomly applied to certain people and not to others.
Case in point, look at this year's number one overall draft pick, QB Sam Bradford. He not only missed 90% of last season due to injury, but he played in a spread offense, where he rarely if ever had to take a snap from under center. Last time I checked, the NFL hasn't turned into a shotgun only league. That is certainly as big, if not a bigger question mark then Dwyer's history in an option offense. I'm sure things change for a running back, but I would imagine the switch from spread QB to pro QB would be a much bigger leap.
So what is it about Dwyer that intrigued the Steelers enough to draft him? They certainly couldn't look past his productivity, averaging over 6 yards a carry last season, but it is his running style that definitely added value to this pick. He is a classic Steeler running back in the mold of Jerome Bettis; he's big (between 225lbs. and 235 lbs. depending on where you look), he's a bruiser, and was described by running backs coach Kirby Wilson as "a workhorse-type of running back". Not to mention his speed, while not elite, is certainly good enough to break off a home run or two if he can get into the secondary. If that doesn't instantly make you like him I don't know what will.
Anyway, please don't get the impression I'm calling this kid the next Bettis. There's no way he's the starter this season unless Rashard Mendenhall gets injured, and he will primarily be used as a backup and short yardage specialist, which is something we desperately needed. He's a big body who can hopefully make those third down and one situations a little bit easier, and he should be a fixture for a couple years at least if the expectations match the talent.
Selection Grade - A
Until later today...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Maurkice Pouncey
So I figured since we have a long time until training camp starts I'd take a look at each one of the players the Steelers drafted this season, and try to give some pros and cons ala Mel Kiper Jr. and let you know what the PPB thinks of each one. Seeing as Pouncey was the first pick, I figured he'd be the logical place to start.
Pouncey, taken 18th overall by our boys in black and gold, left Florida a year early to enter the NFL Draft. It's a decision that Pouncey made mainly for money, and on the surface that can look very bad. But he really did leave early for all the right reasons.
I won't steal the PG's thunder, but let's just say he's seen his fair share of woe in his young life, and his turning pro is not just to help pay the bills, but also to help his twin brother achieve his dreams of playing in the NFL too. Oh yea, and the fact that his step-father lost his leg on the job the week before one of the biggest games of his life played a bit of a role too.
All said, and keep in mind none of us have seen him play on the pro level yet, I like the makeup of Pouncey and sure hope he can be one of the better centers in the league for years to come as so many have predicted.
And what is it that made him such a high pick? First off, he's known as a tough inside blocker and with our renewed emphasis on the run and with an aging center this was a no brainer. But his coach at Florida mentioned that he is "an energy giver" on the line, and I have to admit at first I didn't really realize what he meant by that, as I certainly don't remember anyone shooting me with some kind of magical go go juice when I was playing high school ball.
Then I realized what he meant; he's the type of player that other players look up to, the type that can be an emotional and physical leader. His physical gifts are amazing, as they would have to be to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation't best center, but I think the Steelers drafted him as much for those intangibles as they did for his talent.
Look for him to start at right guard this season and to move over to center when Hartwig moves on. He should be an instant upgrade over the patchwork of guards we used last year, and with Kemoeatu on the other side our short yardage game is bound to get better (the addition of 6th round pick Jonathan Dwyer helps a lot too, but we'll talk about him later).
So overall I think this was about as good a player as we could have gotten at number 18, although I was very intrigued that Brian Beluga was still available at that selection. He may have been an interesting pick for the Steelers, but obviously management is more comfortable with their starting tackles then their interior line, and as such, this was definitely the right pick to make.
Selection grade - A
Until next time...
Pouncey, taken 18th overall by our boys in black and gold, left Florida a year early to enter the NFL Draft. It's a decision that Pouncey made mainly for money, and on the surface that can look very bad. But he really did leave early for all the right reasons.
I won't steal the PG's thunder, but let's just say he's seen his fair share of woe in his young life, and his turning pro is not just to help pay the bills, but also to help his twin brother achieve his dreams of playing in the NFL too. Oh yea, and the fact that his step-father lost his leg on the job the week before one of the biggest games of his life played a bit of a role too.
All said, and keep in mind none of us have seen him play on the pro level yet, I like the makeup of Pouncey and sure hope he can be one of the better centers in the league for years to come as so many have predicted.
And what is it that made him such a high pick? First off, he's known as a tough inside blocker and with our renewed emphasis on the run and with an aging center this was a no brainer. But his coach at Florida mentioned that he is "an energy giver" on the line, and I have to admit at first I didn't really realize what he meant by that, as I certainly don't remember anyone shooting me with some kind of magical go go juice when I was playing high school ball.
Then I realized what he meant; he's the type of player that other players look up to, the type that can be an emotional and physical leader. His physical gifts are amazing, as they would have to be to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation't best center, but I think the Steelers drafted him as much for those intangibles as they did for his talent.
Look for him to start at right guard this season and to move over to center when Hartwig moves on. He should be an instant upgrade over the patchwork of guards we used last year, and with Kemoeatu on the other side our short yardage game is bound to get better (the addition of 6th round pick Jonathan Dwyer helps a lot too, but we'll talk about him later).
So overall I think this was about as good a player as we could have gotten at number 18, although I was very intrigued that Brian Beluga was still available at that selection. He may have been an interesting pick for the Steelers, but obviously management is more comfortable with their starting tackles then their interior line, and as such, this was definitely the right pick to make.
Selection grade - A
Until next time...
Don't forget Pitt!!!
I almost forgot to mention our favorite college team, the Pitt Panthers. I'll be dishing on the Panthers as it comes into season as as news warrants it, but for now all you need to know about Pitt was the defense looked fantastic during the Blue - Gold game, while the offense looked a little bit sluggish.
New QB Tino Sunseri claims the offense was very watered down, and in games like this where the defense actually scores points for things like tackles for loss and 3rd down stops it's very hard to judge everything.
One thing that did stand out was everyone raving about how Sunseri has been very good about not turning the ball over throughout spring ball. The Pitt offense is loaded with talent, so if he can just get the ball into the receiver's and running back's hands without turning the ball over I think we'll be in excellent shape.
That's it for now on the fightin' Panthers, but like I said, there will certainly be more to come about the football and basketball teams.
Until later...
New QB Tino Sunseri claims the offense was very watered down, and in games like this where the defense actually scores points for things like tackles for loss and 3rd down stops it's very hard to judge everything.
One thing that did stand out was everyone raving about how Sunseri has been very good about not turning the ball over throughout spring ball. The Pitt offense is loaded with talent, so if he can just get the ball into the receiver's and running back's hands without turning the ball over I think we'll be in excellent shape.
That's it for now on the fightin' Panthers, but like I said, there will certainly be more to come about the football and basketball teams.
Until later...
Odds and Ends
So where to begin. The Pens are on to round two of the playoffs, The Pirates are doing their usual disappearing act (you know, the one where they disappear after the first week of the season and don't reappear until they're close to 100 losses), and the Steelers are in the papers for anything but football. I think we all know where I gotta start...
Big Ben, what the hell were you thinking fella? I know this topic has been beaten into the ground, so I'll keep it short for ya. But basically Ben reminds me of that old creepy guy who shows up at your fraternity house and gets way too drunk for his own good and ends up creeping out every girl there. He acts like he's still in college, getting hammered with the youngin's, which in and of itself isn't a crime.
But it certainly shows that some people will be jackasses regardless of their station in life. He can have anything money can buy, and can probably get away with murder in Pittsburgh, and yet this moron has to go and raise some hell in a little backwoods Georgia town who would love nothing more then the pin his rich pelt up on their wall.
So yea, I think the suspension was warranted, if for nothing else then to teach him that you can't act like a drunken frat boy all the time, especially when you're in such a high profile position. So grow up jagoff, and be thankful that wasn't a Pittsburgh girl you tried that with or someone woulda kicked your ass already.
Santonio's situation was different, just because I think he was sent away not because of how horrid his actions were but because someone needed to go to save face. Even IF he did what that woman is accusing him off, while not acceptable or condoned, is much less of a crime then a sexual assault. Hell, I've been hit in the face with liquor glasses more then once, and I never sued anyone (although in hindsight...lol). All said, he probably deserves the third or fourth chance more then Ben, but we all know football is about winning and we can win without Holmes, not without Ben.
The other big story for the Steelers, besides the draft (which I'll cover in a later post) is the return of several former Steelers to the happy hunting grounds of Heinz Field. Antwaan Randle El is back, as is Bryant McFadden and Larry Foote, all parts of previous Super Bowl winning teams. Obviously this move serves two purposes; first, it brings much needed depth to positions of need, and secondly, I think it's a way to bring some of that old Steeler swagger back.
Those three players exemplify what the Steelers have always stood for, which is toughness, skill and a certain confidence in themselves. Even though McFadden is the only one expected to start, I really think these additions will help calm the seas in the locker room, and look for Randle El to be a big addition in the passing game. He was out of place in Washington, and I think being the number 3 receiver here will do wonders for his career.
And even though I wouldn't hold my breath, there's rumors of a return by Alan Faneca. I don't really see this happening as our scouts and evaluators thought he was washed up two years ago, but if we're truly returning to a run-first offense then he would be a very welcome addition, especially with Baltimore adding Terrance "Mount" Cody to their defensive line. Jeff Hartings, while definitely serviceable, has shown that he has trouble blocking the big noseguards of the AFC North, and have an interior line of Faneca, Chris Kemoeatu and newly drafted Maurkice Pouncey sounds alot better then what we have now.
The Penguins on the other hand are riding high right now. They just finished beating Ottawa in a hard fought six game series, and are waiting on the results of the Washington/Montreal series to see who they play next. The really good news for the Pens is that New Jersey has already been eliminated, and because of Buffalo's loss to Boston we have zero chance of seeing Washington and their snaggle-toothed superstar Alex Ovechkin until the Conference Semifinals.
We haven't necessarily played our best hockey yet in the playoffs, which is either a really good thing or really bad thing. Time will tell, but with Sidney Crosby absolutely dominating and the Pens getting key goals from the likes of Pascal Dupuis I definitely like the way this is unfolding. And having two of the three teams seeded higher then you eliminated (with Washington in real trouble, having to play a game 7 versus Montreal tomorrow) is definitely a good sign.
I'll have more on the Pens as we get closer to the start of round two, so definitely stay tuned....
As for the Bucco's, they're currently getting their tails whipped by Milwaukee so we're just not even gonna discuss them until Pedro Alvarez and Brad Lincoln come up, because let's be honest, this team we have right now is nothing more then a glorified AAA team who is running out of arms to use at an alarming rate. There's certainly hope for the future, but until the future is the now, I'll pass on boring you with that stuff.
Hope ya like the new format, and if you have any ideas or comments you want to send my way, shoot me a message at my old email, pierogisnat@gmail.com...Yea, I'm too lazy to check two emails...what of it?
Until later tonite...
Big Ben, what the hell were you thinking fella? I know this topic has been beaten into the ground, so I'll keep it short for ya. But basically Ben reminds me of that old creepy guy who shows up at your fraternity house and gets way too drunk for his own good and ends up creeping out every girl there. He acts like he's still in college, getting hammered with the youngin's, which in and of itself isn't a crime.
But it certainly shows that some people will be jackasses regardless of their station in life. He can have anything money can buy, and can probably get away with murder in Pittsburgh, and yet this moron has to go and raise some hell in a little backwoods Georgia town who would love nothing more then the pin his rich pelt up on their wall.
So yea, I think the suspension was warranted, if for nothing else then to teach him that you can't act like a drunken frat boy all the time, especially when you're in such a high profile position. So grow up jagoff, and be thankful that wasn't a Pittsburgh girl you tried that with or someone woulda kicked your ass already.
Santonio's situation was different, just because I think he was sent away not because of how horrid his actions were but because someone needed to go to save face. Even IF he did what that woman is accusing him off, while not acceptable or condoned, is much less of a crime then a sexual assault. Hell, I've been hit in the face with liquor glasses more then once, and I never sued anyone (although in hindsight...lol). All said, he probably deserves the third or fourth chance more then Ben, but we all know football is about winning and we can win without Holmes, not without Ben.
The other big story for the Steelers, besides the draft (which I'll cover in a later post) is the return of several former Steelers to the happy hunting grounds of Heinz Field. Antwaan Randle El is back, as is Bryant McFadden and Larry Foote, all parts of previous Super Bowl winning teams. Obviously this move serves two purposes; first, it brings much needed depth to positions of need, and secondly, I think it's a way to bring some of that old Steeler swagger back.
Those three players exemplify what the Steelers have always stood for, which is toughness, skill and a certain confidence in themselves. Even though McFadden is the only one expected to start, I really think these additions will help calm the seas in the locker room, and look for Randle El to be a big addition in the passing game. He was out of place in Washington, and I think being the number 3 receiver here will do wonders for his career.
And even though I wouldn't hold my breath, there's rumors of a return by Alan Faneca. I don't really see this happening as our scouts and evaluators thought he was washed up two years ago, but if we're truly returning to a run-first offense then he would be a very welcome addition, especially with Baltimore adding Terrance "Mount" Cody to their defensive line. Jeff Hartings, while definitely serviceable, has shown that he has trouble blocking the big noseguards of the AFC North, and have an interior line of Faneca, Chris Kemoeatu and newly drafted Maurkice Pouncey sounds alot better then what we have now.
The Penguins on the other hand are riding high right now. They just finished beating Ottawa in a hard fought six game series, and are waiting on the results of the Washington/Montreal series to see who they play next. The really good news for the Pens is that New Jersey has already been eliminated, and because of Buffalo's loss to Boston we have zero chance of seeing Washington and their snaggle-toothed superstar Alex Ovechkin until the Conference Semifinals.
We haven't necessarily played our best hockey yet in the playoffs, which is either a really good thing or really bad thing. Time will tell, but with Sidney Crosby absolutely dominating and the Pens getting key goals from the likes of Pascal Dupuis I definitely like the way this is unfolding. And having two of the three teams seeded higher then you eliminated (with Washington in real trouble, having to play a game 7 versus Montreal tomorrow) is definitely a good sign.
I'll have more on the Pens as we get closer to the start of round two, so definitely stay tuned....
As for the Bucco's, they're currently getting their tails whipped by Milwaukee so we're just not even gonna discuss them until Pedro Alvarez and Brad Lincoln come up, because let's be honest, this team we have right now is nothing more then a glorified AAA team who is running out of arms to use at an alarming rate. There's certainly hope for the future, but until the future is the now, I'll pass on boring you with that stuff.
Hope ya like the new format, and if you have any ideas or comments you want to send my way, shoot me a message at my old email, pierogisnat@gmail.com...Yea, I'm too lazy to check two emails...what of it?
Until later tonite...
Day One...
Well guys and gals I'm back...
I know, I know, I've said that many times before, but recent developments in my life ( I won't bore you, I promise) have made me realize that I need to get my act together, much like our beloved Bucco's do. So I figured why not go back to what I do best? And what is it that I do best? Talk sports, make outlandish predictions, and cut up on any and everybody.
So enjoy the site, posts will start this evening and will certainly be an everyday thing, if not multiple posts a day...Oh yea, this isn't going to be exactly like my old site, there's going to be alot more opinion posts rather then just linking up to the PG and Trib. I certainly won't hesitate to bring you a link if it's relevant, but just posting links won't be part of the Penalty Box.
And to quote the best WWE tag team of all time, Degeneration X, "If you're not down with that, I got two words for ya..."
Until tonite...
I know, I know, I've said that many times before, but recent developments in my life ( I won't bore you, I promise) have made me realize that I need to get my act together, much like our beloved Bucco's do. So I figured why not go back to what I do best? And what is it that I do best? Talk sports, make outlandish predictions, and cut up on any and everybody.
So enjoy the site, posts will start this evening and will certainly be an everyday thing, if not multiple posts a day...Oh yea, this isn't going to be exactly like my old site, there's going to be alot more opinion posts rather then just linking up to the PG and Trib. I certainly won't hesitate to bring you a link if it's relevant, but just posting links won't be part of the Penalty Box.
And to quote the best WWE tag team of all time, Degeneration X, "If you're not down with that, I got two words for ya..."
Until tonite...
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