Dan Bylsma should win Coach of the Millenium

If you disagree, Mr. Bylsma would like to have a word with you.


When Dan Bylsma took over the tenth-place Penguins in 2009 and lead them to a Stanley Cup Championship, fans coined the phrase "Byls-magic" to describe the teams tremendous turnaround.

That was completely retarded. There's nothing particularly "magical" about winning a Stanley Cup when you have players the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Fleury along with supporting cast members like Orpik, Gonchar, Staal, Kunitz, et al. Superstars that play in a system that maximizes their talent usually end up winning a few of these things.

The fact that Bylsma has this Penguin team, who have played long stretches this season without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Chris Kunitz, Brooks Orpik, Mike Comrie, Arron Asham, Mark Letestu, Eric Godard, etc; two points back of the Flyers for first place in the division and first in the East: THAT'S magical.

One can point to the 1302477093 straight games that the Penguins won in November-December as the main reason for the Penguins being in the position they are now, and it's a pretty decent argument. However, the fact that the Penguins have a winning record without Crosby and Malkin (and were it not for a couple of overtime heartbreaks, that record would be even better) proves that Bylsma's system, as a whole, works. He's got his players believing that they can win no matter who is missing from the lineup. Once Crosby and Malkin went down, this team could have packed up and called it a season, and no one would have blamed them. Hell, a lot of people expected it.

Yet here we are. 260 plus man games lost later (and Crosby's should count double). Not only are we still in the picture, we're fielding a team that others don't want to meet in a seven game series.

Lead by Bylsma, this bunch of fill-ins, cast-offs and nobodies (key cogs like Mark Letestu and Chris Connor weren't even drafted, and 22 defensemen were taken ahead of Norris candidate Kris Letang) have recaptured the hearts of Penguin fans by exemplifying what Pittsburghers pride themselves on: fighting through adversity with guts and determination, only to come out stronger on the other side. Is this Penguin team as fun to watch as they were in November? No. But are they more relatable? No doubt. Who didn't feel an immense satisfaction when Dustin Jeffrey, who has been back and forth from Wilkes-Barre so often this year that Ray Shero has his name on speed dial, smoked the Bruins in overtime? Who didn't throw a Jersey Shore fist-pump when Tyler Kennedy buried the Avalanche with an OT goal of his own?

This team can do damage in the playoffs for one reason: they want it more than other teams. In a season unlike any in recent memory, Coach B has instilled an insatiable hunger in the belly of this team.

And I certainly wouldn't want to be on the menu.

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

The only reason I'll be able to fall asleep tonight is because I know that they have to go home to that miserable pisshole that is Newark.

The NHL's War Within

Prior to Islanders "enforcer" Trevor Gillies' meeting with the NHL's top disciplinarian (and former Penguin) Colin Campbell, it is necessary to re-evaluate the way that head injuries are addressed.

Since David Steckel threw the "shoulder heard 'round the world" into the side of Sidney Crosby's head, the issue of head shots and concussions have been thrust back into the forefront. Recent events involving Gillies, along with the recent results of the brain analysis on the late Bob Probert have only added fuel to the fire.

The NHL has a problem. Much like the one the faced this past year. And they can learn from each other. To call the way the NFL handled the issue of unnecessary head shots a miserable failure would be an insult to miserable failure. The early season rule changes greatly confused players, officials, coaches and eventually, the rule-makers themselves (who, in many cases, reduced the fines they had previously set).

The punishment that will be handed down to Gillies today will serve as a crossroads for the NHL on this issue. If they come down too lenient (less than six games), they will be seen as continuing to ignore the elephant in the room. If they make an example of Gillies, by say, suspending him for the remainder of the season, they will be chastised for arbitrarily changing the nature of the game itself. Hockey has always been a brutal sport, and has often embraced players like Gillies, the tough guy that always has the back of his teammates.

So where can the NHL draw the line? Repeat offenders? Intent to injure?

The fact is this: no matter what the NHL does today, it cannot save it from itself. Hockey will never be a concussion-free sport. The unfortunate circumstances that fell Sidney Crosby WILL happen again. Whether it be from a hired goon like Trevor Gillies or a gritty (but clean), blue-collar player like Dave Steckel. It simply cannot be stopped. We can do something about deliberate head shots like Gillies, but those are only a small fraction of the problem. Most of the concussions in the NHL come from hits like Steckel's; incidental contact at high speeds and in blind spots.

This war being waged within the circles of the NHL can have no winners. The true issue is not violence in the NHL, it's the violence of the NHL. If anything, the NHL needs to have more of a vested interest in technology that can minimize concussions (just ask the scientists who have been working on new NFL helmets), rather than worrying about whether or not to render judgement on every play where somebody is injured, which is exactly what the NFL did this past season.

The Gillies' incidents shouldn't be seen as an opportunity to make an example, it should be seen as an opportunity to have a closer look at preventative measures that can be taken in the future. Then, and only then, can the NHL truly address this issue.

Just ask Sidney Crosby about it.


Update: Gillies given a 10 game suspension. Seems appropriate to me.

Pens Lose, Trevor Gillies' Mustache Strikes Again

If Trevor Gillies played on a team that didn't completely suck, he would be by far and away the most hated man in the NHL. Of course, Gillies wouldn't play on a team that didn't suck, because he contributes nothing but goonism. At least Matt Cooke has talent. Here's a video of Gillies' latest gem:



The hit itself is nearly a carbon copy of the Gillies hit that felled Eric Tangradi, only sans the fight and subsequent taunting.



The NHL should render its decision today. Gillies, although 32 years old, has only appeared in 15 NHL games. This leaves the possibility that if Colin Campbell comes down hard on Gillies, he may actually be suspended for more NHL games than he's appeared in. Ridiculous.



The Pens dropped another overtime game last night, falling to the Maple Leafs 3-2. Tough loss considering that Pens dominated the majority of the game. Big game from Matt Niskanen though, he's looking very comfortable within Bylsma's system. The return of Paul Martin and Tyler Kennedy provided a much needed boost, particularly Martin, who at times looked like the best player on the ice.



Apparently, Crosby is still battling symptoms from his January concussion. At this point, it's becoming more and more difficult to envision a 2011 return for Sid. The Penguins clearly know which side their bread is buttered on, and are unwilling to risk the long-term health of their biggest star for a Stanley Cup run this year. By all accounts, the Penguins have approached this situation with genuine concern and thought for Crosby's well-being. That should come as a shock to absolutely no one.

The Pens will finish out this 5 game road trip with big games against New Jersey and Boston. Boston is of course, leading the Northeast division and the Devils are playing like their balls are on fire (they've had a grand total of 2 regulation losses since January 9).

We should thank all major and minor deities if the Penguins can even pull 2 points out of the next two games.

Injurious Bastards

The long list of Penguins injury updates:

-Tonight marks the return of Tyler Kennedy and Paul Martin. One of them will probably be re-injured within a week.



- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin went to the Lady GaGa concert on Saturday. Twitter goes apeshit with people talking about how Lady GaGa uses a buttload of strobe lights and Crosby wouldn't go if he still had concussion-like symptoms. Totally miss an opportunity to make fun of the fact that Crosby and Malkin were at a Lady GaGa show.



- Chris Kunitz's moustache is set to make its debut sometime this weekend.

- Eric Tangradi is somewhere getting taunted by Trevor Gilles.

- Mike Comrie sucks.

- Arron Asham got really into the 60s, and no one ever saw him again.

- Brent Johnson is still day-to-day with lower body injuries that he sustained fighting with a drunken black bear.

- Brooks Orpik is hanging out at home and watching the YouTube video of his ridiculous SCF shift back in 2008.




To get you pumped up for April 8.