A New Day: Go out and get it in Game 7

EDIT: Just got my Game 7 tickets. I'm filing this under INdisposable income.



Contrary to what a lot of people around here thought last night, the sun still rose this morning, and we still have one more game to play. I'm choosing not to listen to the radio because I don't feel like hearing bandwagon Pens fans (hey, yinz guys wanna watch the 'Guins game dahntahn since there's no Stiller game?) call in to eulogize the 2010-11 season. We've got one more game to throw these past two back into the vault that contains Game 5 of the 2009 Cup Finals and other Pens games that nobody cares about. Go win it.

There's not going to be any type of recap of what happened last night, but I did feel the urge to point a few things out.


1. Was Bugsy this much of a dick when he played for us?

For real, I don't remember.

2. Jordan Staal and Craig Adams wanted to end it.

If we'd have had a team full of Staals and Adams, we would be laughing our way into the second round right now. Just when I think I can't love Craig Adams more than I already do, he puts together a performance like he did last night. That guy is just nothing but guts. Props to Staal as well for trying to take the team on his back. He was due for a big time goal, and in typical fashion, he delivered. It's a shame it had to go to waste. He played 22 and half minutes, and they were all productive.

3. Where in the world is Kris Letang?

Just an awful game last night. Not to absolve Michalek and the rest of the D, who weren't far behind him.

4. Bench Kovalev, put in Tangradi




I don't like impulse lineup changes in the playoffs, and this will probably happen on the 7th of never, but I truly fail to see Kovalev's value. He's a -3 in the series, has taken bad penalties, and plays with very little vigor. When it comes to beating the Lightning, the Pens are better off with a big body like Tangradi than a ballerina like Kovalev. Even Kovy's lone goal of the series came because he was dragging ass by the net, and James Neal made a great play.

A friend of mine said something that I totally agree with. "If you bench him, you're never dressing him again." He's right, and I'm okay with that.

5. The Lightning deserve respect.

Outside of Steve Downie and my newfound disdain for Ryan Malone, I can't help but be impressed with this team. They could have lay down and died after Neal's double OT winner, but they got a second wind, and have managed to send it to a Game 7. A playoff ready team, no doubt.


All these things aside, just go out there and want it more. I'm bringing back an old friend for this one.



Let's go Pens.

What will 2010-11 Bring to the Pittsburgh Penguins- 5 Predictions

It’s been just over a month since the Penguins were ousted from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a truly painful game 7 against Montreal. If you haven’t had nightmares about that game by now, you might be dead.



That loss has sent us spiraling into the summer of uncertainty. The Penguins could look substantially different come October, thanks to the glory of the salary cap era. So while it’s the offseason and the Pirates are getting torched by Stephen Strasburg (kid has nastier stuff than a back alley whore), I thought it may be fun to take a few guesses as to what the 2010-11 Penguins opener will hold.

1. No Sergei Gonchar

This is a pretty easy one. Gonchar still thinks he has a multi-year deal left, we all know he doesn’t. Shero showed where his priorities lay when he re-signed Letang. Especially now that there has been an expensive precedent set for this offseason on defensemen (thanks, Dennis Seidenburg). His rifle from the point will be sorely missed, and one would have to believe that Letang and Goligoski will struggle to replace what Gonchar brought to the table, particularly in the first part of the season.

2. Number 1 being said, the Penguins will have a new winger on Sid’s line.



Will we have a welcome back party for Colby Armstrong? It’s not out of the realm of possibility. Sid will definitely push for the return of his old best friend. This spot could also be wide open for a guy like Lee Stempniak or Tomas Plekanec. All three of these guys would have cap hits between $2.5-$4M, which would easily be covered once Gonchar was gone. Come on, who from Pittsburgh wouldn’t LOVE to pull that dusty Colby Armstrong jersey out of the closet?

3. No Eric Tangradi….Yet.

Tangradi will absolutely be up for significant time next year, just not in October. The Pens will likely fill the bottom lines with guys like Nick Johnson, Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey. But it won’t take long before Tangradi will just be too beastly for the Baby Pens. Those who have been looking for a Ryan Malone replacement, let me introduce you to Big Dog Tangradi.



4. Unfortunately, no Anton Volchenkov.

Just can’t see it happening at this point. If the Pens can somehow, someway come up with a deal to sign Volchenkov at a reasonable price, I will turn tricks outside of Consol Energy Center just to get tickets.

5. Matt Cooke will beat the bejesus out of somebody



Cooke will celebrate his new 2 year contract by punching the first person who steps in the crease in front of Fleury. Everyone will still love him in Pittsburgh, which is why he’ll stay here. If you ever see Cooke and his family around town, you get the sense that they all really feel at home in Pittsburgh. If Shero offers him a deal slightly higher than what Cooke makes now, he’d immediately sign on that dotted line.

Feel free to tell me how wrong/awesome I am.

Penguins Top 5 Prospects

As Penguin fans, we’re used to playing hockey deep into May/June, so admittedly, it’s hard to think about other sports. In conjunction with that, I present to you the Penguins top 5 prospects.



1. Eric Tangradi

This one is a no-doubter. He was the integral cog in the Anaheim-Pittsburgh trade in 2009 that sent Ryan Whitney to Anaheim in exchange for Chris Kunitz and Tangradi. He projects to be the perfect winger for either Malkin or Crosby, as he provides great hands and a big body in front of the net that the Pens haven’t had since the departure of Ryan Malone. Depending on how the off-season shakes out, we could be seeing a lot of Tangradi next year, and I assure you that is a good thing.



2. Simon Despres

Given the lack of defensemen under contract for next year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that we could see Despres next year. The Penguins first-round pick last year, Despres hung around training camp far longer than expected, and had a sensational year at Saint John’s of the Quebec league. A 6 foot 4, 200 pound defenseman, Despres has remarkable puck movement skills. Despres could potentially take over Gonchar/Letang’s spot on the power play, and can also kill penalties, drawing rave reviews as an excellent shot blocker. Despres could be a regular sooner than most think.



3. Carl Sneep

Another defenseman flying up the Penguins system is Carl Sneep. Sneep is of a similar mold to Despres in size, and both play a strong two-way game. Sneep currently lacks the offensive prowess of Despres (though he’s showing improvement), but is currently a more consistent defensive player. Sneep has a tendency to play with an edge, and the organization loves his work ethic on and off the ice. Projects to be a potential shut-down defenseman.



4. Dustin Jeffrey

Hard not to put the leading scorer at Wilkes-Barre Scranton in 2009-10 on this list. He probably projects to be a third-line center, but could potentially move to wing one day. He’s one of those types of players where their greatest skill is simply finding the puck and making a play. He won’t dazzle you with moves, he simply finds his way around the net.



5. Philip Samuelsson

I just know that his dad, former Penguin Ulf Samuelsson, would find me and slaughter me if I didn’t put him on this list. Philip is a far more talented offensive player than his father was, and like the other two defenseman on this list, shows maturity beyond his age. Samuelsson has the most work to do of any of these prospects, but could see ice time in 2012. He knows his own game very well, has great positioning and is also a fine puck mover. Could be a real talent.


After writing this, I just can’t wait until next season. Four months.