Penguin time!

Hey Everybody! It's been quite awhile since I posted a blog. So the pens are down 3-2 in the finals. Well at least I called that they were going to repeat as east champs back before the season started. Don't believe me? Check out my blog from said beginning of the season http://classicgangonly.blogspot.com/2008/09/10-questions-about-upcoming-penguins.html

Well, we stand in the same place as last year. Tonight is it ladies and gents. The season is over if we don't pull this game out. The Pens have looked better then last year minus of course the game 5 melee'. I will be pretty upset if the pens don't at least take it to game 7. I'm even more pissed because hoessa might look like a soothsayer by going to Detroit to win the cup and that makes me physically ill. Why i'll be more upset that Hossa actually wins the cup is that the Pens are going to be good for at least 5 more years. Detoit is on it's last legs as a good bulk of thier team is old or underpaid and going to be looking to get out of there via retirement or free agency. It's the Dallas Cowboy method. Have people come to your team and take a paycut to win a championship. Then when they get old or thier contracts run out. They will go to a place that will pay them. So I have a good feeling that we will get a few cups in the upcoming years if not this year so I'm not too concerned about not getting to see a cup come to the burgh soon.

If and hopefully when the Pens do win tonight it will be a one game playoff back at "The Joe." This means it could come down to one game kids, basicly a super bowl of hockey, which is too exciting to put in to words. But even before that, tonight it's win or go home for our beloved Pens. Placed in this position my only concern is Fleury. He had just a horrid game 5 and he has proven throughout his career to be a little bit of a head case and get rattled if he lets a soft goal in. Keep an eye on his play in game 6. I think if he keeps it together we will see the Wings back in Detroit.

So, I know you are wondering to yourself after knowing my history with correct predictions (Whitney getting traded, picking up Kunitz and Guerin as wingers for Sid, Pens as east champs again, needing and getting a players coach like a Bob Johnson, and even changing style of play to suit the team. All of which I predicted before the events occured). "Steve, what do you think will happen in these last 2 games?" Pens win tonight 3-1 and game 7 goes into overtime and crosby nets the OT winner thus shutting up every person who hates on him for no reason. How you like them apples? Do I really believe this will actually happen, i'm not sure. If it does I will shit in my pants... Seriously. That's it for now kids!

So what changed?

A few weeks ago on the verge of an epic collapse, I wrote a blog about our favorite Pittsburgh Penguins. In the blog I was questioning if they would make the playoffs and wondering just what the hell was wrong with them. I gave a few suggestions on what they needed to do to get back on track. If you don't remember the blog you can read it here. It turns out I am more of a super genius than Mark Madden because my suggestions were spot on. Lets go over them shall we?

Step one was to get an identity as a team and a coach who is a motivator who is likable and will get down to the basics and not switch up lines all the time.

Step one, Check.
The pens have done just that. They dropped the attempts to play a defensive game. They are aggressive and it is paying off with an offence like the pens have and defencemen like Letang and Gonchar who can score both the offence and defence have gotten better. Fluery is not facing as many shots because the pens are controlling the zone. Dan Blysma has been just what the Lemieux Group LP ordered. He is a young guy who can relate to the players but has been around the game a long time and has a style of play that really fits this club. He seems to be doing nothing wrong and the team has rallied around him and really played a better more fitting style of hockey. Blysma said it best on inside penguins hockey the other day. Hockey is a game of mistakes. If you are playing the majority of the game in the opposing teams zone when you make a mistake the negative outcome from that mistake won't lead to much other than a possession change or something small. If your opponent makes a mistake in their own zone, you can generate great opportunities to put the puck in the net. The pens have bought into that philosophy and it is showing with only one game in the month of march without bringing home at least a point.

Step two was to get rid of Ryan Whitney and Satan and bring in a winger for Crosby.

Step Two, Check.
They got rid of that bum Ryan Shitney and picked up my man, Chris Kunitz. Now not only is his name very similar to another Pittsburgh legend Rusty Kuntz, he has been a perfect fit for this team. We have him for a few more years which is also a plus. He is the winger Crosby needed, a guy with good skill and hockey sense who is tough and will park his ass right in front of the net and put home the trash. Alongside that we dropped Satan down to Wilkes-Barre so we didn't take that cap hit and we brought in another veteran leader in Bill Guerin. Now our first line is playing like the first line, our second line is playing like a first line and hell our third line is playing like a first line alternate. Jordan Staal has really emerged as the player I knew he was from the start for a while people were hating on Staal but you can't argue with his production over the past few weeks. But the biggest plus for this time was ditching Shitney.

It has been exciting to watch this team return back to premier form over the past month. As it stands now it looks like they will storm into the playoffs on a high note and lets see if they can keep it up and make it back to the Cup Finals. Maybe this time Malkin won't shit all over himself in the playoffs.

There is a God. Shitney is OUT!

This Will be short and sweet. Ryan Whitney is gone (cue applause and fanfare)! If you have been a loyal follower of our blog here, you are well aware of my long standing hatred for Ryan Whitney. I hated him before it was the cool thing to do. It seems over the last few weeks people have been joining in thinking they were the first to be anti-Whitney. I Assure you they were not. I have hated him for quite some time. People called me crazy when I would say he is the worst defensive player on the team and makes more mistakes than a bum like Eric Godard (editorial note: if you are reading this Mr. Godard you are not really a bum please don't punch me in the face). One of my best friends and fan of the blog Sam has been a long hater of Whitney and I have to give him props for propelling my extreme dislike for him into the realm of pure hatred. Thanks Sam. So even if we didn't get much in return for him, anything is better than that ass clown. Hell, I would have taken Michele Oullet back for Whitney. I think it was a move to get a cheap decent player and some cap room to possibly bring in a big name with an even bigger trade. I'm interested to see how it goes before the trade deadline. We will keep you all posted. Until next time kids.

Will The Pens Make The Playoffs?

The question that plagues us all as Pittsburghers and Pens fans alike. Will they turn it on over the next two months and squeak their way in to the playoffs? Simple answer is, I have no effing clue. I don't know what to think of our beloved Penguins. I made a post before the season started saying how there should be no reason why the Pens shouldn't repeat as Eastern Conference Champs. Now I feel like a dumbass thanks to how this team has been playing all season. I think in the long run getting rid of Therrien was a good call. He was not well liked by his team, he has the personality of a wet mop, he gave his team no identity, and frankly he was a C+ B- coach. We need someone who is going to first get the defence in order. The D is slow, lazy, and mistake ridden. We need someone who is a motivator and a likable personalty. Someone who is going to get on the ice during practice and get down to the nitty gritty with these players. We need an identity as a team. When you hear New Jersey Devils, you think the Neutral Zone Trap. That is an identity. The Pens don't have one. We need a coach who will not shift lines every game to try to generate offence. Doing that nonsense will never build team chemistry. We need... Badger Bob Johnson. Not literally because of course he passed away many years ago but you get the idea. He is the type of guy we need. That is step one to getting this team back on track.

Step two is getting rid of Ryan Whitney. The man is a cancer on this team. Everyone blows him like he is the best defensive and offensive player we have. To everyone Ryan Whitney is simply amazing. Still, the only thing good specifically that anyone says about him is "man, he always has his eyes up when he brings the puck up on the rush." So that one good trait makes him an all-star. Are you fucking kidding me? He gives the puck up at least 5-10 times a game, half of those, sometimes more, are in his own zone. He never stays with his man. For a big guy he lacks physical play. One of his jobs as a blue liner on the Power Play is to keep the puck in, and he seems to not even be able to do that. Just watch him for an entire game, count the number of things he does well and count the number of things he does wrong. I can guarantee you the bad outweighs the good significantly. I know this because I have done it many times before. He has a good game though every now and then, but that is not what we need. If it was a bad game every now and then that would be fine everyone has rough games. Not a rough two seasons in a row while you are taking up 5 million in salary cap. Plus did you ever see the guy in an interview he's a dick. I know a few people who know him personally and say the same thing. He's an asshole. Get rid of Ryan Shitney and Miro Shitan and pick up a goal scorer for Sidney. Just watch at the end of this video at Whitney, what a douche bag.



So will the Pens make the playoffs? Chime in on comments if you think one way or the other. Lets hope they slip in and turn it on during the playoffs and make a run for it and my post from before the start of the season will be correct.

Penguins Fire Therrien

As most already know, the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Head Coach Michel Therrien. They have brought in Dan Bylsma to try and right the ship at least until the end of the season. For the most part the Pens coaching staff remains in place. We'll get a quick look at the new guy when the Pens play today at 2pm.

It is hard for me to come to a decision on this change. I probably won't like most other things and then just agree with the experts that sound smart down the road. But I do think that there is somthing that shouldn't be lost in all of this. Here is my take.

Obviously the Pens were struggeling this season. Not having Gonchar and Whitney for half the season proved to be a negative. Take the top two defenceman from any team and they will have issues. The other thing in all of this however was that the Penguins clearly weren't the same after last season losing some key players and not getting Hossa back either. Therrien I feel was a very solid coach. But it's also tough when a guy like Satan and Sykora are supposed to be "finishers" and they are struggeling. I do think he was especially good with a team full of young players like the Penguins. Therrien's downfall though was the fact that he shuffled lines too much and was maybe too defence minded for a team with so many young talented players. Overall I think for the most part, Therrien's tenure with the Penguins will be considered a success, but this season may be remembered for his failure after coaching them to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Overall the reason Therrien got fired, wasn't because of the team's struggles, but that they simply didn't believe in his theories and style anymore. When Therrien was first hired, everyone bought into the fact that defence would be the way to win and it was his way or the hi-way. That maybe was somthing that this team didn't want to buy into anymore with the struggles of the season. No matter what though, Therrien will be remembered for the guy that helped turn this team around and we should be grateful for that. He was the right guy at the right time for this team back in 2005-2006.

Never Stomp On A Dead Guy's Towel

I think people will laugh at me after I say this. Hell, I'll probably get made fun of. But I just knew that back in week 16 after Tennessee Titans players Lendell White and Keith Bulluck stomped on the Terrible Towel, they wouldn't make it to the Super Bowl. Many people may think that the Terrible Towel is just a stupid yellow towel that a bunch of crazy Steeler fans wave like lunatics during games. Well I've got news for ya.....It's not.

Myron Cope was the one person that created the enitre towel waving craze.

He was a genius. The best part is that the proceeds go towards a good cause.

"THE TERRIBLE TOWEL is not an instrument of witchcraft...It is not a hex upon the enemy. THE TOWEL is a positive force that lifts the Steelers to magnificent heights-and poses mysterious difficulties for the Steelers' opponents only if need be. Many have told me that THE TERRIBLE TOWEL brought them good fortune, but I can't guarentee that sort of thing because the Steelers, after all, are THE TOWELS primary concern. Still, at least, the symbol of THE TERRIBLE TOWEL will serve as a momento to your having been a part of the Steelers Dynasty and if it causes good things to happen to you, so much the better." - Myron Cope

Say what you want, but I think that disgracing THE TOWEL is a big mistake. Think about it. Back when the Steelers won their last Super Bowl the Cincinnatti Bengals Wide Reciever TJ Who's Yo Mama wiped his feet with THE TOWEL. They lost and haven't been the same since. Although we didn't play them, I sure would have liked to because I think we would have beat them. But thats just my opinon.

Holy Hockey Hell

The Penguins could very well have their season on the line tonight when they play the Flyers. Regardless, I don't think they are out of it yet. An entire half of hockey has yet to be played and whoever is in the top 8 of each conference after that makes the playoffs. Anything can happen. Which is why I want to make this point. One of three things will happen with the Penguins. 1) the Pens will stay the course with the way things are and hope it all turns around, 2) Fire Head Coach Michael Therrien or 3) Make a trade for a scoring winger to play with Sidney Crosby.

Whatever happens keep this in mind. Trades dont solve your problems. Think back to last year at the deadline and what we gave up (Colby, Esposito, Christianson and 1st round pick) and what we still have (Dupuis...no Hossa). Firing a coach won't solve problems either. This slump is the players fault. The Pens are hurt and it isn't fair to judge them until they are healthy. Who know's maybe Gonchar will help the team's struggeling power play. But keep this in mind too. Firing a coach may throw this enitre season off, yet help them next season. Chemistry is a huge part of wining hockey and right now the Pens don't have it. Don't fire Therrien.

Predictions

I'll make this short and sweet...

NFC Championship Game

Philadelphia @ Arizona (FOX Sun. 3pm)

Arizona looked good the other night against Carolina, although I didn't watch the game, forcing 6 turnovers is very impressive. But that is the point. They don't do it all the time and clearly even the best defenses don't force that many turnovers all the time. It was a fluke. But the Cards looked dangerous. But I think Philly may be tougher and better. But I don't like their history in NFC Championships.

Arizona 28-17

AFC Championship Game

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh (CBS Sun. 6:30pm)

I love this matchup. But I'll be honest I don't think it will be the game people think it is going to be. The Ravens are banged up. Flacco is a rookie QB. Steelers are pretty much healthy. This is the third game of the season these two teams will play and the first two were close. I doubt this one is. The Ravens may be able to get some decent gains, but the Steelers will shut down the run and force Flacco to throw and he will finally make a mistake or two.

Pittsburgh 24-9

My How The Tables Have Turned!

In case you haven't noticed, the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of falling of the face of the earth. It hasn't been a very good couple of months for the boys of winter, but I have a feeling that a major change is coming. I don't know if Therrien will be fired or if Ray Shero will bring in a winger to play with Crosby, but somthing will happen.

With that being said, a possibility is that Miroslav Satan could be traded. I haven't heard or read anything, but statistics show that Satan is on pace for his lowest goal output (24 goals) in more than a decade....and he is playing with Sidney Crosby. Ouch! I guess if it's not meant to be, it's time for a change.

The penguins are in a horrible slump. It's so bad that they have officially fallen out of the playoffs. They currently have 44 points, leaving them in a tie for 9th place in the Eastern Conference with Florida. Boston leads the East with 64 points. The good news is if the Pens get their shit together, they aren't too far out to get back into the playoffs. Montreal is 4th in the East and has 54 points, which is the last spot in the East that has home ice in the playoffs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The Pens are only 20-18-4 as of today and before their slump, they were 14-6-4 at the end of November, so at least they are still above .500. The Pens are typically a second half team, so they may turn it on at any moment. Keep the faith.

3 Stars In a Row
This has to be a dream come true for the NHL. Guess who the top three scorers are in the NHL? Malkin (63), Ovechkin (53) and Crosby (53). Ovechkin has the edge over Crosby because of his goal total, which is leading the league (27 overall). Ovechkin appears to be on pace to lead the league in goals with some total in the 50 to 60 range. Malkin at one point was on pace to score 160 points, which would have made him the last player since Mario Lemieux (161) in 1995-96 to do so. Malkin is capable of doing it, maybe more so than Crosby or Ovechkin, so just remember you heard it here first. Malkin is currently on pace to score around 120 points.

Anniversary's Galore
This is somthing that went unnoticed, but I think it always goes relatively unnoticed anyway, but an interesting anniversary (20th Anniversary) passed on New Year's Eve. It was in 1988 that Mario Lemieux became the only player in the history of the NHL to score 5 goals 5 different ways (even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot, and empty net). I doubt that anyone will ever do that again. But I'll bet that nobody thought it would be done before Super Mario did it anyway, so who knows.

Another anniversary that I think goes unnoticed all the time is a sad one. Roberto Clemente died on New Year's Eve in 1972. This was the 36th anniversary of his death in a plane crash. He died doing somthing that no athlete would ever think of doing, except maybe Tim Tebow. Clemente was taking relief supplies to Nicaragua, which had just suffered from an earthquake. Clemente has exactly 3,000 hits on MLB's hits list.

December 23, 1972 was also a special time. It happened to be day of arguably the greatest play in football history. Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Oakland Raiders in a playoff game and when all hope was lost, the football gods smiled down on Steeler Nation and rookie Franco Harris galloped into the end zone on a freak play and scored to win. The play is known as the "Immaculate Reception" and it still has controversy to this day.

One Last Thing...
The Penguins rewarded Jordan Stall with a new contract. It's a 4-year deal worth $16 Million. I like the signing because Stall is young, although I know I bashed him last year for slumping. Stall obviously had a great start to his career, but I hope that his best years are ahead of him. He has the potential. But remember that his trade value is up too. If people in the organization lose faith in him they won't hesitate to trade him and I doubt that any team would not hesitate to grab him. Hopefully he is in Pens black and gold for years to come.

Playoff Predictions
Here are my playoff predictions for the NFL Divisional Round...

Baltimore @ Tennessee (Sat. 4:30pm)
I know I will take some heat for this, but I'm gonna do it anyway. The Ravens will win this game. I just like them over the Titans. They have a better defense and I just think that regardless of what Flacco does, the Ravens D will come up with big plays and score points. It wasn't an impressive with over Miami, but the Titans are just a bit overrated to me.
Baltimore 20-14

Arizona @ Carolina (Sat. 8:15pm)
I like Arizona becuase they have Larry Fitzgerald and a Clarion guy in Reggie Wells, but Carolina is a better team and has a much better running game. Oh, and solid defense. Steve Smith will have a big day as well as Jake Delhomme.
Carolina 31-14

Philadelphia @ New York Giants (Sun. 1:00pm)
This is a tough one. Maybe the toughest to call all weekend. It's hard to go against the defending world champs, but the Eagles are tough and HOT. It will be a close game no matter what. Plaxico not in the lineup may hurt the Giants, but they seem to be going fine without him too. Defense will decide the outcome.
New York 23-21

San Diego @ Pittsburgh (Sun. 4:45pm)
This should be a good game, but I also think that it has the potential to get ugly. The Chargers are a good team, but without LT, I don't know if they can win. Sproles scares me, but not enough. The only reason the Chargers won last week was because the Colts shot themselves in the foot 3 times in OT. And they don't have as good a defense as us. Ben scares me too, because it depends on which Ben shows up. Still defense wins championships and the Steelers were number 1 across the board. Yinz guys get the towels ready!
Pittsburgh 24-10

Have a great weekend Everyone...Here We Go!

Long Time No Post (Work, Penguins and Steelers Oh My!)

Well damn, it's been a while since I have posted anything I don't even know where to start. I am a manager of a Hollister and let me tell you something, the holiday season blows. People will literally fuck you up if you screw with them shopping. I have spoken to more ignorant rude obnoxious people in the span of a month and a half than over the course of my first 23 years of life. The vast majority of people who shop at my store are actually very nice. It's just with there being 10 times as much foot traffic in a day that means ten times the douchebags who ruin lives also decide to make the trek into Hollister and cause a ruckus in any way possible, making my life a nightmare. So, you may now realize why I have not written anything in a while as I have been quite busy and stressed out. Out of this I do have some pretty good stories which I may choose to share at a later date.



So, The Penguins are shitting themselves as of late. Here is my proposition.

1. Quit switching up the lines, in a team where chemistry has been a weak spot (minus the Staal, Cooke, Kennedy combo before he got hurt) switching them up just as things get rolling will not help.

2. Shoot the fucking puck.

3. Get rid of Satan and Ryan Shitney and pick up a winger to ink long term to play beside Crosby. Satan, is not playing bad but lets face it he doesn't have the connection with Sid that there needs to be to have a great first line. Both Goligoski and Letang have been playing well, since Shitney has come back into the lineup our powerplay has seem to have gotten worse. He's a bum, he needs traded.

4. Give every single player, minus Malkin, Sid, Staal, Cooke, Dupuis and Wallace a swift and steady kick in the genitalia. They are all playing like they don't give a shit.

5. Someone get into a fucking fight will ya? I feel like no one fights anymore. Granted I miss a game here and there for work, but it just seems in a close game like the one against Montreal someone should have dropped the gloves gained a little momentum and we could feed off of it. I really miss big Georges and Ruutu right about now.

6. Lastly, send Fluery somewhere to learn basic goaltending. The man makes some of the most insane saves of all time but he lets and average shot from the blueline in the back of the net to lose a game. He does that 5 times a year and that could be the difference between a division title and being out of the playoffs all together in a close Eastern Conference.



Now on to the Steelers. It's playoff time baby. I think that we are going to see a great year in the NFL playoffs this year. There are no teams that are so dominant that they will just storm through the playoffs uncontested. Steelers have as good of a shot as anyone to take home another super bowl trophy.

Trick's Keys to A Steeler Super Bowl win:

1. Big Ben needs to be smart with the football. He is trying to force the issue waaaaay too much. If he eats the ball and runs for 2 or 3 yards a couple times a game instead of taking a sack or throwing a pick we would see a different team.

2. Run the fucking football. Lets face it, as a manager of the game Ben is great, he controls a drive and seeing all of the 4th quarter heroics I like it when the ball is in his hands. He is just not a fantastic passer. Short passes to ward and miller are the way to go but throwing it as much as we do is just not steeler football. Parker and moore can run, give it to them a little more, balance the attack. Oh yeah and put a fucking full back in the backfield, this 3 tight end shit is silly.

3. Rest up during the bye, get harrison, ben and any other banged up player especially on the defence ready to go. By the way things are going it looks like the Colts and Baltimore will make it through to the next round, which puts the steelers against the colts. We need everyone on defence to be 100%.

4. Get ahead early. When teams have to play from behind in the playoffs it gets rough. If we get an early lead, the opposing team takes more risks and risking anything against the leagues number one D is not a good call.

5. Lastly, rattle the opposing teams QB. Remember in the super bowl run when we beat indy? It was because Peyton Manning was rattled and made poor decisions. Harrison and Woodley need to do just that.


Threre you have it. I will be going the the Steelers first playoff game. I have yet to go to a playoff football game in my life so this gives me an erection. Hopefully I can get some more posts for you guys soon. Hope everyone had a good holiday season. Peace.

10 Questions About the Upcoming Penguins Season

We have all been so caught up in the return of our beloved Steelers that some people have forgotten that Penguins season gets underway very soon. Preseason starts in a short 9 days with the Pens taking on the Lighting and the regular season starts in less than a month on October 4th in Stockholm against the Sens. There are a number of things I am looking at as the season gets underway.



1.) Will Evgeni Malkin bounce back after a piss poor performance in the playoffs? I thought at first it was a load of shit that Malkin plays better without Crosby. I thought it was just that he finally turned on the switch and was just going to continue to dominate with Crosby's return. But durning the playoffs he slowed considerably and just did not come up big for us. Who knows what the outcome would have been if Malkin had been playing in the playoffs like he did in the regular season. Hopefully he can bounce back to form and take kids to school like he did last year.



2.) Am I the only one who is super pumped that Ryan Whitney is hurt? Ryan Shitney, what the hell happened to you? I thought he was going to be the next Gonchar with even better defensive skills. He gets the big check and starts shitting himself. He couldn't keep the puck in on the PP he was making bonehead passes and mistakes that led to a lot of scoring chances for opposing teams. Hopefully with the 3 months or so he is going to need to take a seat we can have a Marc Andre Fleury effect on him. The best thing that happened to Fleury was being able to sit back and watch how Conklin managed the game. If Shitney does that, he could get back to the level we need him to be at, and if not, he is some serious contention for trade bait. Him being out also leads me to my next point...



3.) Will this season be a breakout year for Kris Letang? I have loved Letang since I first set eyes on him (not in a gay way). He's got a great shot, great speed, solid skating, great puck handling, good D. You name it the kid has it. With Shitney on the bench Letang will get more time on the PP. I think his fear of shooting the puck that he had last year will go away. I think some of the rookie mistakes will go away. I'm not saying his game will be perfect, the kid is still young. I am going to say though watching him this past year and seeing that when he did make a mistake he hauled ass and did everything in his power to fix it, I'm sure any concerns or issues with his game will be resolved coming in to this season and he will be a big piece of the puzzle this year.



4.) Will Marc-Andre Fleury continue his outstanding play? As I mentioned before, the best thing that ever happened to MAF was getting hurt last year. He came back a smarter goalie with better stick skills and more control. He is one of if not the most athletic goalie in the league. When he gets his style and form perfected, not only will he make the routine great saves, but he can make the saves that no other goalie can make just because of his athletic abilities. My only concern is that in the past he has shown himself to get rattled and be a little inside his own head, if he can shake the head trash the man will be a top 5 goalie.



5.) Could it be .....Satan? I want to see what this guy, along with Fedotenko, can do playing on a line with Crosby or Malkin. They have produced in the past, I want to see how they are going to fit in the puzzle.



6.) Will losing Malone, Laraque, and Ruutu etc. be a big deal? I have never been big on Ryan Malone, I think he played great in the playoffs and everything but the truth his his production never really went up even when playing on lines with 2 of the best players in the world. Even a shithead like Robbie Brown looked like a hero when he was playing with Mario. Malone was a behemoth who sat in front of the net, get any big guy in front and Malkin and Crosby will get you 25 goals. I'm more concerned with losing our tough guys. I loved Ruutu, and Big Georges for that matter. I am just hoping that Cooke and fill in when Ruutu left off and Godard can handle the puck behind the net or an entire shift like Laraque could.


(This picture is on the Pens Blog, It is hilarious)

7.) Will God smack the Red Wings with an injury to Hossa? You should never wish ill will upon someone so I am not saying I want Hossa to get hurt. I'm just saying wouldn't it be kind of funny if he did get hurt. That or Detroit didn't even make the playoffs. That might be even better. He wanted to go to a team that he thought had a better chance of winning the cup and they don't even make the playoffs. Lets all cross our fingers.



8.) Will the Pens stay healthy? Fucking high ankle spains galore last season almost jepordized the year for the Pens. Injuries will happen, but I think that for the most part the team shouldn't have the issues of last year and be for the most part healthy.



9.) Will Jordan Staal get out of his offensive funk? Jordan Staal is my boy. He plays great defence, is great on the PK and has solid all around skill, not to mention he is still a teenager. He was getting great chances last year and coming up short. His rookie season the shots that he had going in would hit the post last year. He still got the scoring chances and he still played great all around hockey. He had a very soild playoffs and I think that showed his maturation as a player and I think he will feed off that for this season. The scary thing about Staal is that he is so young he will only put on more muscle and get bigger, faster and stronger. I just really hope he is not a salary cap casualty at the end of this season because I think he is going to have 30-40 goals when it is all said and done.



10.) Last but not least will the Pens repeat as Eastern Conference champs? Short answer, Yes they will. There is no reason why the Pens should not repeat. Sure they lost Hossa, but we didn't have him for the majority of the season. I think that there are no teams in the East who can match the Pens, if they come out of the gate swinging this season instead of lolligagging like they did last year, I think the Pens should end the regular season tops in the East. They should then be able to march back to the Cup Finals and hopefully take the whole damn thing.

So there you have it. I just had to let people know we have not forgotten the Pens and as the season quickly approaches. Also, let's all take a moment to realize that as a city Pittsburgh has some of the greatest sports teams in the world. I hope all of you reading this realize how lucky we are to be able to go to Heinz Field to watch the Stillers or Mellon Arena for a Pens game and yes even PNC park to watch the Succo's. This shit is so sweet. Let's go Pens.