This Dude's Hair Is The Key To The Penguins' Season

I don't want to get ahead of myself and start making claims that "THE SEASON IS TURNED AROUND," but in this instance, it's acceptable.

We have huuuge games coming up this weekend against Philly and Washington, and if we can scrape a few points out of these contests, then hopefully the Pens can pull back into the playoff picture. The Pensblog pulled out Hacksaw to re-ignite the team...I'll point to someone that was at the game last night.

This dude watched the Pens beat the Canadiens first hand, and his hair will be the spark that helps the Pens make the playoffs. Or it'll be the the reason we crash and burn epically. I still haven't decided.

But if you thought I'd go a day at PSAMP without mentioning a dude with a coif this sweet, then you really don't understand what PSAMP is all about. Good for Bylsma for getting the guys to play well, good for Sergei for getting on the board, good for Geno for flying around like a madman last night. But good for this guy for bringing that hair to the arena.

We all appreciate it.

I'm an idiot.

h/t to Nate for the screengrab

10 Year Old Kids Bowl Better Than The Penguins

Feel-good stories rule.

Yesterday, the Pens joined up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for the inaugural Pens and Pins tournament. This is the type of thing where you can actually smile when a local athlete sucks.

The players who helped out served as a celebrity captain for each team. The newly-formed Penguins Wives Association set up the event, which included bowling, a bake sale and silent auction.

Potash (yes!) was there, as were a slew of Penguins players and their WAGs. However I have to cut up on a certain Pen, who obviously hasn't been watching his Lebowski or Kingpin. MAF, you may make me feel old and unaccomplished in life by being a successful athlete, but dammit, I could probably beat you at bowling. And I suck at bowling.


"I’m terrible,” Fleury noted. “I finished last in my group. These kids beat me. I didn’t expect that out of me, being so bad. I’ve got to work on that."


To top that off, here's what some kid had to say about MAF, emphasis mine:


"I already beat him, I don’t know if he’s that good at bowling,” Bryce Cunningham, 10, said. “It’s pretty fun because you just all get together and bowl."


BURN! Here's some more cool photos of the event.

Um...nice...form?


Sergei's looking healthy. Get that guy on the ice if he's well enough to hit the alleys.


Geno does NOT get Munsoned.

That Dude Behind Dan Potash Sucks

h/t to The Pensblog for the video.

Guess what, dude? Dan Potash is unflappable.

I've never really liked it when idiots purposefully interrupt stuff just to get their face on t.v. The only thing remotely close that was still acceptable was back when I was younger and still living in the 'Burgh, my dad had a business trip to New York City (where I now live), and waved to the camera on Good Morning America. Now, its acceptable because that kinda thing is the norm on GMA when they, you know, pan to the crowd.

But if you're at a Penguins game, and the amazing Dan Potash is interviewing Robert Morris' head coach, don't pull a "look at me" with a terrible attempt at The Robot or some shit.

Potash is the pinnacle of professionalism, and always seems to put forth a solid interview. He might be one of the best on-field (on-ice?) reporters in the game. If I was in his place, and some fool started showboating behind me just to get on camera, the mic would instantly drop, and a haymaker would be flying in the direction of said asshat.

And that's why I blog and Dan Potash gets things done.

I Guess It's Cool To Hate On The Penguins When They Struggle

Welcome to the All-Star break, Penguins fans. Or should I say, Penguins haters?

Your team sits at 23-21-4, 4th place in the 5-team Atlantic Division and 1 point out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team that played for the Stanley Cup last season has 34 games to change their fate.

What I don't get is the horde of supposed Penguins fans who are constantly shitting on the team to this point. Don't get me wrong, this team has underperformed on a massive scale, but the recent good fortunes on Pittsburgh ice has seemingly created a ton of pretentious douchebag "fans." Since the team assembled their young core and created a positive outlook with a new arena on the way, the sentiment around the fan base seems to be, "win now or get booed." To which I say, "eat me."

It was only 3 years ago that the team put up the second of back-to-back 58 point seasons. 23 wins (which we currently have) was the better of the two years (23 wins, followed the next year by just 22). Sure, the current 9th place standing in the East doesn't accurately reflect the team that won the conference last year, but that doesn't mean the season is over.

I was talking to some blogging friends yesterday about the Steelers, the Super Bowl and how excited we are that our team is in the championship. I made a point that this year, we don't have the same pressures that the team faced just 3 seasons ago in Super Bowl XL. There's no Bettis' last year drama, the quest for the 5th ring noise or Bill Cowher-trying-to-justify-his-career nonsense. There's a decent percentage of the team that played in that Super Bowl, so this current group can actually enjoy being on football's biggest stage. And the fans can, too.

Now look back at last year's Cup run for the Pens and the drama that preceded the season. Crosby had a contract negotiation coming up, the team leaving-town rumors were still fresh in our minds, Geno, Staal and MAF were all looking at near-expiring contracts and the team hadn't won anything of significance in 15 years or so. Now, the team has all four guys I just mentioned locked up, a new arena on the way, and the motivation of losing in the Cup finals.

So why the hate when the team struggles?

I've been a Penguins fan for as long as I can remember, and I've never seen a perfect season. Hell, in the beginning of this decade, the seasons were as far from perfect as you could get. But now, there's hope...there's a legit future. The "fans" that have come on board in the last 2-3 years are starting to outnumber those of us that realize that a deep Cup run won't come every year. Despite our stacked lineup, the possibility of making it back to the finals in successive years was still very slim. Other teams got better, too...not just the Pens.

This year, I've heard fans boo at home losses. I've heard bullshit questions about Sid being past his prime. All because the team hasn't lived up to expectations this year. So what? If you automatically penciled the Pens into the Cup finals this year based on last year's performance, go die in a fire. Most of the largest questions concerning this team have been answered. The core has new contracts, the relocation is a thing of the past and the team has proven that it can do damage in the playoffs. So enjoy the ups AND DOWNS of a normal freaking NHL season. We're 1 point out of a playoff slot with half a season to go and still without annual Norris Trophy finalist Sergei Gonchar.

So to the current haters out there...learn to relax. Success isn't guaranteed in any sport, much less in one as physical and draining as hockey. If you think a team with the top two scorers in the league can't do damage as an 8 seed, you should go jump on someone else's bandwagon. There's 34 games left, and only a slight improvement in performance will see this team in the playoffs. Take pride in the positives, and quit overreacting to the negatives, fellow Penguins "fans."

Merry Christmas 2008

This image is from last Christmas. Hope you have a happy holiday wherever you are. Be safe, and high five someone you love. Or get pulled around by a mini pony.

Chinese People Love the Steelers

Man, I was all ready to write about MAF's comeback from injury, and how he was going to set the tone for the remainder of the Penguins season, but then I realized that I was gonna have to do a little research.

Then, I found this video of 3,000 Chinese people cheering for the Steelers. In unison, I might add. So my decision was this...look up stats and relate to MAFs injury from last season, or post this Youtube and do other stuff with my time.

/wonders why they aren't just cheering for hines ward
/knows hines is korean
/cues up ape's rittle bit of lacism
/makes "they all look alike" joke
/profits!

Rick Tocchet Is, And Never Was, Smart

We'll always have a soft spot for Rick Tocchet in the Burgh, despite the fact that he only came to the team at the trading deadline of the second Cup win and the fact that he's made some pretty questionable decisions.

Tocchet, as you'll remember, pleaded guilty to conspiring and promoting an underground gambling ring. Bad choice.

Prior to that, he was on Wayne Gretzky's staff on a terrible Phoenix Coyotes team. Bad choice.

While he was waiting on sentencing for his guilty plea for gambling, he appeared at the World Series of Poker. Not smart for a guy with illegal gambling problems. Another bad choice.

After the NHL re-instated him in February 2008, he joined Barry Melrose's staff in Tampa Bay. The same Tampa Bay that is now owned by Hollywood producers who bought up any free agent regardless of team chemistry. They also hired Melrose, who had spent like 75 years at ESPN because no NHL team would hire him. Melrose was fired, and now Tocchet is the Interim Coach of the worst team in the NHL. Bad choice? Like I had to even tell you.

But was Tocchet always prone to bad decisions? Like, in his playing days...was he a smart guy? This video shows that Tocchet's history of bad decisions did not start after his playing career was over.

That's Tocchet, broken jaw and all, deciding to fight Kevin Hatcher in the '92 playoffs. You can guess how Tocchet did.

Was Jordan Staal Given the Alternate Captaincy to Increase His Trade Value?

I hate to be this guy. I really do. But I didn't start a sports blog so I could keep my thoughts and opinions to myself.

I love Jordan Staal. At 20 years old, we couldn't ask for much more out of the kid. He scored about 75 goals as a rook, and hasn't matched that offensive total in the one-plus years since. But what he brings as a versatile two-way player and penalty kill specialist...that's unrivaled for a player so young. The dude has crazy potential, and from time to time skates like a man possessed.

Which is why his recent strong play earned him the Alternate Captaincy, along with linemate Matt Cooke, for the month of December. Therrien is switching it up all season, but Staal truly earned the A on his jersey.

So now to the depressing, rumor-filled part of this post.

My buddy Tony at The Confluence wrote that the Penguins have yet to find a legit scoring winger for Sid. Ray Shero has done a remarkable job assembling a ridiculous core of centers to go with a sturdy blue line and a franchise goalie who always seems to be backed up by a proven vet. The one thing lacking is the wing.

In that post, there are a good number of comments with readers speculating on what will happen, given that the team has a decent amount of trade bait and hardly any cap space to work with. It seems like the only options are to hope a young guy like Luca Caputi matures quicker than hoped, or to package a few guys for the chance at a mid-to-higher tier scoring winger.

Earlier in the season, the "Trade Staal!" chorus could be heard everywhere. He couldn't score and was looking lost. Those chants have quieted with his recent output, and should be silenced forever with Therrien bestowing the A to Staal's jersey. But is it all part of a plan?

Right now, Staal's market value is the highest it's ever been. He's finding the back of the net and is really putting together some solid shifts. However, if you were an opposing GM, which player would you look at? The young kid who sometimes plays to potential and other times still seems not ready for the bright lights? Or the former #2 overall pick, in his third season at just age 20 who dons an A on his jersey? Which guy is gonna bring the Penguins the most in return?

Staal is a Second Line-caliber center who plays on a checking Third Line due solely to the talent above him in Sid and Geno. I'm all for home-grown talent, and kinda can't wait to see if guys like Caputi (or even Janne Pesonen), could be that star on Sid's line. But due to the situation that Staal is in, it could be in the best interest of the team to package Staal and a defenseman or prospect to a talent-starved team in hopes of a young, scoring winger.

Which is why that A on Staal's chest might mean more than originally thought.

Sidney Crosby is Good at Soccer, Too

Last season, there were a ton of articles that chronicled how the Pens and other teams got loose before big hockey games. I'd search for those articles, but I'm a lazy piece of shit.

However, I found a picture that I remember seeing last year. It shows Petr Sykora, Jordan Staal, Ryan Malone, Evgeni Malkin and Max Talbot('s little face behind Sykora's mouth) partaking in a little soccer action before a game. And you thought I was shitting you about the hockey/soccer articles.



Now, we see that Sid has soccer skillz as well. Watch him dribble the hell out of a soccer ball.



And why wouldn't Sid be good at soccer? For all you Sid haters out there, he already has the diving part down pat (amirite, amirite?).

I Freakin' Love Max Talbot

I decided to stop back in to Max's blog (horribly translated from French), to see if he had anything to say about the epic 7-6 OT win over the defending champs. I told you about his blog a few weeks ago. Max updates about once a week, so I don't have to furiously refresh the page every day.

I missed last week's offering, what with getting ready for my sister's wedding. Let's take a peek into the past two posts, and see what's on Max's mind.

11-4-08, I Think Semin is Jealous of Sidney:

On a rough opening month to the season - "Before the last game of our journey, against the Blues in St. Louis Michel Therrien made us understand that it was time to turn the page in our head at the same time as the calendar page. The month of October was over and even though our results were not disastrous, we could be lucky to have a winning card and it was time to start from new, find our positivism."

On Alexander Semin's now-famous diss of Crosby - "According to [Semin], Crosby is a good player among many others and [receives] more attention than most stars of the League. I think Semin is lack of attention, [and] is a little jealous of Sidney."

On having no respect for Sean Avery - " If only this guy could concentrate on playing hockey. I really have nothing against the role of agitator it is supposed to perform and I know he is not a bad hockey player. He can count, he skates well, it is able to fight and disrupt the opponent. But that's all that surrounds it, the character he himself created around him, which I have no respect for him."

11-12-08 A crazy match and my chronic TV:

On the ridiculous 7-6 OT win - "It was truly a part of hockey, comparable to the intensity found in series. I would venture to say that this is one of the best regular season games in which I had the chance to participate. We learn from behind 4-2 after the second period before starting a rebound en route to the win of 7-6 in overtime. Such a game could seduce anyone does not passion for hockey, it was a very catchy (ed. - awesome description!)."

On Hossa - "Of course, this match became the first rendezvous against Marian Hossa in his uniform Wings. Unsurprisingly the media have created a great excitement around this story. It should be noted that the Penguins fans have not yet forgiven the decision. On the side of players, we have no choice but to accept his decision.It remains satisfied that he was not a big factor in the party even if one of the best players in the NHL (ed. - translations rule!)."

On having dinner with Hossa - "The day before our party face the Red Wings, some of my teammates went to dinner with Marian Hossa and this story was circulated in the media.For me, this is an acceptable phenomenon regular season."

On being featured on Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh - "It makes me happy to slip a few words about an experience that I am lucky to live once week with the television network FSN (Fox Sports Net) which broadcasts our parties."

On being on the first line (trio) with Sid and Satan - " For four games, I have the chance to complete the first trio with Sidney Crosby and Miroslav Satan and I am very pleased that the experience works. I was able to collect three goals and one assist during these four parties. I can not hide that it is good to participate in scoring and that is always nice to produce offensively. That said, I love fill my role when I am employed on a third trio, but I appreciate every moment with Sid and Satan."

--

I love when athletes blog, or at least allow the fans to see a candid side of them. Max is a great character on and off the ice, and his blog mirrors his unique personality.

You should bookmark the shit outta it.

Mike Zigomanis Makes the Penguins a Complete Team

15 or so games into the season, and the Penguins' savior has been the unlikely Mike Zigomanis. Last night, he cemented his position as unsung hero.

If you missed the game, the Pens rallied from a 5-2, final period deficit to win 7-6 in OT. Tons of fans and writers are going to slobber over Jordan Staal...and rightfully so. He snapped out of a season-opening slump to record his second career hat trick. All three goals were scored in the third period, and he exerted his will over Pavel Datsyuk in the extra frame, sneaking up from behind, stealing the puck, and setting up Ruslan Fedotenko for the game winner.

But there's more to hockey than just passing, shooting and scoring. Faceoffs won and lost are a massive deal in today's NHL. After a goalie stoppage, the puck stays in the attacking zone, so winning faceoffs allows you to keep the attacking pressure on if its in the opposition's zone, or allows you to gain possession to force the puck out of your own zone. This came into play last night.



Observe the above picture. The quality is shitty, since I stole it from the Youtube video at the top, but it shows the Pens in the attacking zone, down a goal, with an empty net and 30 seconds left on the clock. Sidney Crosby had just put a shot on net, and the clock stopped when Detroit goalie Chris Osgood covered the puck. With no room for error, the Pens needed to win this exact faceoff, to keep the puck in the zone and save as much time as possible for a last shot to tie the game. Mike Zigomanis calmly took to the circle, and won the faceoff back to the point. After a shot and scrum, Jordan Staal tapped in a rebound for the hat trick and the equalizer.

Wow, Nick...one faceoff win. Big deal.

No. You'd be hard-pressed to find a reliable faceoff man in Black and Gold over the past 6-7 years. When Ray Shero brought in Ziggy after the first week of this season, we knew we were getting a reliable forward who would score a handful of goals. We weren't sure if we were getting this:



That's the leaderboard for faceoff percentage in the entire NHL. Ziggy has a full one percent lead over noted faceoff man Rob Brind'Amour.

To put this into perspective, its like the Steelers finally having an O Line to compliment their offensive weapons. Its like the Pirates finally having their pitching and bats working at the same time. If you follow either of those teams, you'll understand the importance of faceoffs to the Pens.

Shero has done an amazing job putting together a nucleus of young forwards and defensemen in front of a franchise goalie, but faceoffs have always been our Achilles heel. One faceoff win last night showed the hockey world that Ziggy's faceoff stats were no fluke. The game was on the line, and he calmly did his job. And with that one faceoff win, Ray Shero looks like even more of a genius.

Shero and the Pens put the NHL on notice that they're becoming that complete team that can hang with anyone. Especially the defending champs.

But who woulda thunk that Mike Zigomanis would be the difference?

What's Up, ESPN?

From ESPN.com's wrap-up of last night's game.

Solid win, though. Great game by Car Ramrod Scuderi, I guess.

How Is Max Talbot's Foot?

Even with all our young stars like Sid and Geno, the contributions of Max Talbot cannot be overlooked. Here's a guy who went from goal scorer/point producer in the littles to critical role player in the bigs. The dude is constantly flying up and down the ice, doing anything to spark his team. Forechecks, backchecks, blocking shots, hustling...you can't overlook what he brings to the Pens.

Last year in the playoffs, Max broke his foot while blocking a shot, which caused him to miss a few games. You never really know how much you miss a guy like Max until he's out.

With the loss in the Finals and the offseason that followed, Max was looking at plenty of time to heal up and get ready for the year. But a few pictures and ruminations on The Pensblog last night really had me worried. Those are the the pictures at the top of the post and this one here:

Check out the boot covers. This is what TPb had to say about everything:


Is his foot still bothering him from blocking a shot in last year's playoffs?

...

He wore those covers on both skates when returning from his foot injury during the playoffs, explaining that if he only wore one, people would target it. Wearing two was gonna make it harder for opponents to target the bad foot.

Anyway, if he was wearing those covers in the postseason, maybe the injury was still nagging him. He blocks shots for a living. If they aren't uncomfortable, you got to consider keeping them on all the time. Or does that makes us pansies?


So I went to Max's blog (translated from French to English...and props to Stephanie at Steel City Sports Fan, which I linked to here at the beginning of the month), because I remember reading something about this a few days ago. Here's his latest post, about playing defense and blocking shots (choppy translation, but you'll get the general idea):


Last year, when we met the New York Rangers in Series, I broke my foot blocking a shot. I missed the following three games, but I may have saved a goal in my team. If I were to begin again, I would not even hesitate.


Not exactly telling information about how his foot exactly feels, despite him saying that he wouldn't hesitate to block another shot, but he does say that playing defense and blocking shots, even though he's a forward, is his "bread and butter." He makes no mention of being worried to sacrifice his body due to the broken foot, so I'd venture to guess that his foot is fine, boot covers or not. Plus, if he's still intent on blocking shots and knows his foot was broken on one last season...why not keep the covers on as much as possible?

My expert opinion says that Max's foot is fine, and he's only wearing the weird-looking boot covers as a preventative step.

Georges Who?

Don't get me wrong, I had a massive man-crush on Georges Laraque during his tenure with the Penguins. Probably still do, despite him playing in Canada now.

However, some recent fights by Penguins newcomers Eric Godard and Paul Bissonnette will help fans get over BGL pretty quick. Check out the two destroy Riley Cote and Matt Bradley respectively in the past two games.

Monsters.

Big Ben is MAF

Tec...you're crazy man. I love you...but you're crazy.

I can hear it now. "How does a hockey goalie even remotely mirror an NFL quarterback? Aside from both of 'em playing in Pittsburgh and recently getting contracts? Other than that, they're completely separate monsters...amiright?" No, you aren't.

We fans sit in a frustrating position as it pertains to the sports we watch. The players play, the owners own, the coaches coach. The fans cheer, boo, cry, whatever, but we don't influence said players,owners, coaches. Sure, we may try with walkouts and the such, but we don't always have the power that we think we have.

I sat in my apartment watching the Steelers game on Sunday night, throwing verbal barbs at ref Ron Winters for calling James Harrison's legal hit on Garrard a foul. My screaming did nothing to change the play or the outcome of the game, but that speaks to the connectedness AND disconnectedness that the fans experience.

So this is where Big Ben and Fleury come in.

This past weekend was awesome, what with the Steelers avenging their playoff loss and the Penguins opening their season with an OT win. However, in both games, the fan passion that I outlined above came into play. And the guys I was directing my shouts at were Big Ben and MAF.

We can't beat it into the ground any more. Ben...GET RID OF THE BALL! We know you can extend plays and get it to your receivers, but that's no excuse for taking 45,000 sacks. I'm sure that $100mil+ can buy a lot casts and surgeries, but that doesn't benefit the team paying you that scratch. Everyone watching the games probably says the same thing when Ben is dragged down by a pursuing defender...but that doesn't mean Ben hears us. Sucks...I know.

MAF has been fantastic of late, just like Big Ben. Both players are primary reasons that their teams are in the position (currently and long-term) that they're in. But watching the games in Sweden with me sitting on this side of the pond, I felt I had to scream louder...QUIT TRYING TO HANDLE THE PUCK! YOU AREN"T MARTY TURCO!

And this isn't just from the current, respective young seasons. Ben had the same problems last year, and MAF kept trying to display his new puck-handling skills more often after his injury and leading into the playoffs.

Both guys are trying something that isn't working with the efficiency needed to cell them successful plays. Ben will elude some tackles, but takes way too many sacks. MAF will toss a clean outlet pass from time to time, but he still almost turned the puck over to Jarkko Ruutu in Sweden.

Look, we know you're both elite players. That's why we cheer. But you guys are stressin' us out. Just play the game, plskthxbai?!

He's Looking For Two Straight Wins...

Go Penguins.

Go Steelers.

I'm Hardcore

Work sucks...there's no too ways about it. That's why we have the weekend, you know, to lay around and do squat. However, being a Pittsburgh sports fan a local blogger isn't really conducive to the "lay-around-and-do-nothing-on-the-weekends" lifestyle. Let's delve.

This weekend is an awesome one to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Steelers are trying to win 2 games in a row (on national t.v.), and the Penguins season is starting up on Saturday. And the Pirates are done til Spring. This weekend couldn't get any better!

So, I should be sitting in front on my t.v. all day Saturday for the Pens and Sunday for the Steelers, right? Wrong.

I'll be outta work at 5 today, back at my apartment in Queens a little before 6. I gotta dominate a wine tasting at 6:30...that as nothing to do with sports, but its the beginning of a jam-packed weekend.

Tomorrow, the Pens open their season at 2:30. I'm a part of the Penguins fans in NYC group (big red badge at the top left of the blog), so us fans and displaced Burghers will be meeting up in the city for the first real time since the Stanley Cup loss to watch the game, reminisce about last year and share our excitement about the coming test. I wrote about the group after the memorable Game 4, 3-OT win. Still gives me chills to think about the game and the atmosphere in our group. If any Pens fans live in NYC and wanna watch the game with other diehards, you know how to get ahold of me.

Then, I have to leave the city and head to Hoboken (pretty much as far away from Queens as I can get, East to West, and still be in the metropolitan area) to make a damn Steelers pregame show for you fools. Those bitches take a lot more time than you think, what with taping, watching the raw footage, editing, uploading, etc. I think the first bit of free time I'll get is right before the start of the Sunday night game in Jacksonville. You see what I do for you guys? Such is the life of a Pittsburgh sports blogger.

Yet there's nothing else I'd rather be doing. I'm ready to kick off a successful Penguins season, and hope the Steelers can build off the Ravens win. Now you know why I refrain from posting on the weekends, save for the pregame show during the season.

So pity me, fellow fans. The sports I love so much are killing any free time I thought I had, and I'll probably be a tired mess to start another long workweek. But damn, there's no better way to spend a weekend than with the Steelers and Penguins.

Kris Letang Will Be An All Star This Season. Write That Down

I find it fun to make random predictions about the teams I love so much, so let's go after the Penguins, especially with what's been going on with our defense in the offseason.

First off, how good does Ray Shero look for holding on to Darryl Sydor? When free agency began, there was much talk of packaging Sydor in a deal to get a scoring winger. Now, with Ryan Whitney shelved until December or January and Sergei out indefinitely, the retaining of Sydor alleviates some major problems. Our blue line depth would've been much more questionable had Sydor left.

But let's talk predictions. I've always been a massive Kris Letang fan, and with current injuries, Letang has a chance to shine instead of just being a role player. With our top two offensive-minded defensemen out, Letang is thrust into the spotlight, and we're in need of healthy point production from Kris. So my prediction is...All Star.

In the past, we were lucky to watch Paul Coffey come flying up from his defensive position to bury a ton of Mario passes and rebounds. Letang has that same gift, and he'll have a lot of time to work with Sid. Plus, he'll most likely be paired with defensive-minded defenseman (and pride of Wilmington, DE) Mark Eaton. This should allow him to put more shots on net while not worrying about giving up defensive position. Eaton's got his back (or Orpik, another bruising, defensive-minded guy).

I'm too lazy to look right now, but Sergei had something like 99 points in the past two seasons. Is it absurd to think Letang could top 50 this year? Of course, he'll need a strong start to the season, before Whit and Gonch come back and take their spots on the top line. Coming out strong early would give Ray Shero the same happy problem as he has with the forwards, so many scoring threats that there aren't #1 and #2 lines, just two #1s. Point production could be through the roof if Letang could hold his own until his injured teammates return.

Couple this thought with the fact that we own 2 of the top 10 hitters in the conference (Cooke on offense, Orpik on defense), and those hits could create some loose puck opportunities and scoring chances for Letang.

So yeah, ridicule me all you want, but I'm expecting big things from this team going into the season. What originally seemed like a crushing blow to our blue line now seems to be a prime opportunity for Letang to have an All Star season.

You read that here first.

Mario Lemieux, Tony Fernandez and Bea Arthur Made the Best PSA Ever

1988 ruled.

When else would you be able to see Mario Lemieux, Tony Fernandez AND Bea Arthur in a commercial together? They really don't make PSAs like they used to.

I'm just shocked that Mario and Tony were both taller than Bea Arthur. The only Bea Arthur reference I have is from my years of watching Golden Girls (great stuff) with my grandma back in the day, and I woulda just guessed that she would tower over both Lemieux and Fernandez like she did to everyone else on that show.

God, the 80s were awesome.

Pens Break Ground On New Arena

(courtesy of penguins.com)

The Pens broke ground on the new arena today.

This douche shouldn't have been allowed to touch a shovel.