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...

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...

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...