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...
Showing posts with label Sidney Crosby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sidney Crosby. Show all posts
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)