The Go-Ahead Goal

Pens vs Sens Preview

2010-04-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

Short and sweet:

We swept them with Dany Heatley, how hard can it be without him?

I'm not pompous enough to say that's the only factor in this series but if you look at the numbers as the almighty pensblog did they are basically a wash.

They're admittedly mainly focusing on shutting down Sid.

Pens in 5.

Better Days Are Coming

2010-04-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Tocchet and Lawton were fired yesterday.

This is bittersweet. Lawton getting fired is a necessity if Tampa ever wants to boast a winning a record but Tocchet too? I understand what Vinik is trying to do by starting 10-11 with a fresh slate but you've got to feel for Tocchet. He put it all out there every night, turned Steve Downie into a top 6 forward, mentored Stamkos, and gave the Bolts an identity. In the past few years I've been an avid fan of the Bolts the grit has been majorly lacking and it was ignited thanks to Tocchet.

But at the end of the day, whether they were rolling over for an 8-2 blowout or putting up their dukes for it they were still losing.

The promptness of this move shows that Mr. Vinik isn't fooling around. It's one thing to fire them mid off-season, but the morning after the final game? That's hopefully an indication that more productive decisions will be made with the same swiftness.

As much as I'm admittedly in the "trade Vinny" camp I think if that dream doesn't come true at the very least they need to strip him of the C. Management should pull a San Jose and strip him of it then let it be earned in training camp. With Vinny's ego that could be a counterproductive move though.

There are also a lot of contracts expiring this off season and we must cross our fingers that they're handled correctly:

UFA:
Tanguay (thank god)
Veilluex
Konopka
Bochenski
Hale
Foster
Lundin
Niittymaki

Fingers crossed.

Great Days for Hockey: Pittsburgh Penguins 09-10 Season in Review

2010-04-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to do a year in review when all that is on one's mind is the "second season" that looms in the coming days. This year was a great progression from last year, team-wise you can't ask for much more. Home ice in the playoffs is huge.

The biggest question marks still remain unanswered as of right now. Let us not forget we are going into the playoffs without some key Pens (i.e. Rob "The Piece" Scuderi) that contributed to the last two cup runs. Shero however, comes out looking like a genius the way he is keeping the core together (singing Letang long term) and adding nuts and bolts accordingly. The signing of Leopold is looking smarter and smarter every game with his pair of game winners and multiple multiple goal games after a long stretch of none.

Ponikarovsky's merit has yet to be shown and his suspension puts a small damper on the chemistry test of him on Malkin's wing. All of Shero's deadline acquisitions last year had a Stanley Cup ring, while Leopold and Rupp fall in line with that trend Ponikarovsky is considerably less playoff experienced being a former Leaf. Goligoski is spotty at times but his real chops will be tested in the playoffs.

As expected the big boys are strutting into the playoffs on considerable rolls. In today's win against the Isles Malkin recorded 4 points, and Crosby 5. If we can get that kind of scoring from the superstars and also get secondary (Staal, Kunitz) and tertiary (Talbot, Adams) scoring there is absolutely no reason the Pens are would not be serious contenders for a repeat. Fedotenko already seems like his mean streak that hits every spring is here, and Malkin has come back from his injury zooming.

But back to the season in review, Crosby sharing the Rocket Richard with Steven Stamkos is an odd dream realized for this Pens/Bolts hybrid of a blog. I would've been happy as long as Ovechkin was denied it but this really does seem like a bonus. Crosby has truly elevated his goal scoring prowess this season and we as Pens fans were lucky enough to see his "big game" raising of his game is still alive and well in the gold medal game in Vancouver. He has also become a force in the faceoff dot which seems like a less than important skill set until a best of seven series magnifies every single action by every single player. Remember Mike Zigomanis? He was kept within the organization solely for his faceoff skills. It's a great thing to have moving forward in Crosby's career.

Malkin had a career-low year (26 g, 47 a, 73 pts) coming off his Art Ross win in 08-09. He ends the season as a minus for the first time in his career. Since his most recent injury he seems to be heating up to playoff form. Last year's Art Ross/Conn Smythe double dip would've been hard to recreate but if he remains the goal scoring machine and takeaway king that we all know he is there is not much to worry about moving into the playoffs.

Up next, Pens/Sens Preview.

Be Afraid.

Another Lost Season: Tampa Bay Lightning 09-10 Season in Review

2010-04-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

The bright spots include the fact that Steven Stamkos is a goal away from a potential Rocket Richard, Steve Downie has been transformed by Tocchet into a rugged top 6 forward and a 20 goal scorer for the first time (a double digit scorer for the first time), Hedman played well and ate up big time minutes for a rookie, the powerplay is respectable, Niittymaki was stellar at times, under Tocchet the team has somewhat of an identity when it's playing it's game (gritty forechecking, stay in the offensive zone).

Now for something Sun Sports intermission crew knows all about: the low-lights. MIKE SMITH. Just god awful, maybe one good stop per every 10 goals. Tampa was at the opposite end of so many blowouts this year that is embarrassing. The defense also didn't help, what the hell is wrong with Andrej Meszaros? He is a -15 and put up more than half the points as a Senator than he has since his arrival to the Bolts. Oh and Vinny. He put up modest yet decent numbers, but I have never seen anyone so undeserving of captaincy in my life (scratch that, they gave Ovechkin the C this year). He just shows up whenever he feels like it, very sparsely shows anything anyone would ever consider passion for the game, and most importantly does not earn his humongous cap hit and infinite contract.

I understand that Lawton can't concoct a grand plan overnight (especially regarding Vinny) but after his admittedly "aggressive" trade deadline moves (getting Teddy Purcell for Jeff Halpern) I was less than convinced that "Together We Would". This team needs a lot of things but the most glaring thing to anyone with a brain in their head is goaltending. He could have done SOMETHING. Go after the Islander's 100 goalies, approach Marty Turco, Vokun?, anybody!

Tampa was very much in the playoff discussion until after the trade deadline. They had many collapses but none enough to throw their entire season's effort until their dreadful month of March going 5 for 16 and getting 11 of a possible 32 points.

I think the future is partly sunny for the Lightning but not without some major changes. They got the stable ownership now they need a GM, goaltending, and for the love of God give Marty the C.

Pens Beat Habs Thanks to Crosby's Trick

2009-10-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

They kept saying last night was Crosby's third career hat trick and they showed stats from tricks against the Flyers and Devils, but what about this one?

Kunitz finally broke through in the goal column, 4 point game.

Now that Letang is so solid as a mobile defenseman (you see much less of those goals where he ends up helplessly skating backwards into his own net and eventually bumping his head on the goalie cam) and Go-Go is doing so well it's harder to grasp for the panic button with a G0nchar-less Pens than it was last year.

Thoughts From the Chief Seats: 10/22 Sharks (2) @ Bolts (5)

2009-10-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

10/22 Sharks (2) @ Bolts (5)

This will be a recurring bit highlighting my personal thoughts on every game I attend in the flesh (albeit from the second to last row):

I expected this score or something bordering on the blow-out-ish but I expected it to be the opposite. Of the games I've attended at the St. Pete Times Forum this is the first that the bolts have actually won. To be sure, this was a game Tampa needed to win and I was ecstatic that they were able to pull it off.

They looked unlike the Tampa I'm used to yelling at on television for the last two seasons: no complete miss passes to the point-man on the PP, minimal falling for no apparent reason, holding their ground, building a lead, keeping a lead, scoring first, etc.

I wasn't even fully settled in when the bolts struck first only 30 seconds in as James Wright scored his first career goal on a beautiful pass from Vinny. That's when I hunkered down for an atypical game in Tampa.

I cringed initially when Mike Smith got the nod as the starting goaltender but he ended up putting on a sparkling performance, even making stickless saves at one point. I have faith in the man but at that point he hadn't captured a W since January. He ended up getting his first on Thursday, thankfully.

As a pens fan first and foremost and a bolts fan by way of location I initially hated the pens to bolts overhaul and general roster gutting of the '08 off-season, especially the move of Ryan Malone (a proven effective winger for Crosby's line) but winning the Cup helped heal that wound and show who was "right" (as it did to Hossa). Malone is likable, he has a nose for the net and works hard and is on his A-game nightly. There's a lot to like, and he's off to a much better start with the bolts this season and it makes me happy. I can't look at it as a "betrayal" of a Pittsburgh native anymore, now it's just a major personal advantage to be able to see him live on occasion and have him on my other team.

But back to the game, in bullet form:

Thornton was invisible in this game.
Heatley is a whiner and a half.
Marleau can f'in skate.
Tanguay's empty-netter gift to Stamkos was classy and hopefully will be repayed by the hockey gods as he is having trouble finding the goals so far as a bolt.
The game was worth the price admission, and no thanks to the President's Trophy defending Sharks coming cross country for their lone visit to Tampa. There was a lot to like in that game for the bolts moving forward.

BOLTS/PENS FRANKEN-FACT:

Steven Stamkos has as many points as Sidney Crosby in two less games played!

NHL 10: Review in Bullets

2009-09-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

... because a fully thought out post would pry me from the game itself for too long:

I love all the realistic injuries/post whistle action. I thought it would be kitschy when I first heard about it but they really nailed it. You have to know when to drop the gloves and when not to or else you'll be facing a depleted line-up.

All the little things: little hats rain down during hat tricks which has been missing for the last two games at least (on next-gen consoles), the center ice design goes from fresh to worn out throughout the course of a period, fans re-act much more realistically to what's going on (booing, staying seated until key big moments), foot-fakes, etc.

NHL 09 was by far the greatest hockey game of all time before 10 dropped, but it eventually became a dangler-fest. If you could control that right stick you could pretty much score a Lemieux-league goal with anybody. This year it's much more fine-tuned. One timers are much more prevalent than dangle-tastic highlight reel goals.

They hand out penalty shots like crazy. It kind of tarnishes the realism but it doesn't make it less fun.

Be-A-GM. At first it seemed like a deeper version of Dynasty mode (which it still kind of is) but there is way more to it than that. It adds to the longevity of NHL 10 in general. Instead of trying to win the cup once you have to also have business smarts and know how to create a powerhouse that will be a threat to win the cup year after year. The trade negotiations are realistic too. If you try to trade David Koci for Ryan Getzlaf you are told that "The offer on the table before me is insulting".

Be-A-Pro. I go through waves of being addicted to playing as a whole team and wanting to play locked in as my own little pro. Right now I haven't delved that deep into Be-A-Pro but the Draft option is great in that it eliminates the undetermined amount of games you have to trudge through the minors, it's also a gamble though... you may end up on the Kings.

Be-A-Pro: Goalie. It's actually possible to play a period and not allow 5 goals this year.

The playoffs are much easier to get to this year. You don't have to sit and sim a season's worth of Dynasty time, you can just press a few buttons and be in the playoffs, or even in the finals (Battle For the Cup Mode).

5 Reasons I Love Hockey

2009-09-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Feature over at Puck Daddy, here's my five:

1. The odd man rush.

I love it when a team makes a blunder in the offensive zone resulting in the opposition completely turning on the afterburners to take advantage at the other end. You know as soon as a 2 on 1 develops you're either going to see a magnificent save or a nice goal.

2. Lord Stanley's Cup.

I love the fact that it's the toughest piece of hardware to earn in all of sports, I love all the lore surrounding it, I love the way the thing looks, I love the presentation of it at the end of every season. It's literally what it's all about.

3. The hip check/open ice check.
Hits against the boards obviously hurt and add up and take their toll but nothing compares to seeing a defenseman getting that perfect sliver of free space with just the right amount of momentum to line up their man to be completely lifted off their feet.

4. Blowouts.

The game of hockey can be a nail-biting affair. I am a big fan of back and forth games, when neither of the teams are my team. An insurmountable lead is one of the greatest stress relievers a puckhead can hope to find. Instead of worrying about the next goal, next play, or next faceoff, you are home free until the next game.

5. Hockey video games.

NHL 2001 on the PS2 was my first experience of being addicted to a hockey game. The level of getting schooled by my buddies, however, threw me off of the whole concept of the hockey video game for a long while. I didn't pick up another game until NHL 08 (PS2). It took over my life to the point where I found myself buying an Xbox 360 and getting a copy of '08 just to hold me over for the week until '09 came out. Since '09 I've been absolutely addicted. "Be-A-Pro Mode" is the greatest invention of all time. It really is video crack. After winning the cup a handful of times and all the good individual trophies I am more than ready for NHL 10 and it's GM Mode and Fantasy Draft. I'll never get my "Legend" card though because I'm doomed to a B- positional rating for my tendency to not stay on the blue-line as a D-man.

(Stolen) Q&A: The Atlantic Division

2009-09-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Taken from Pens Universe as part of a discussion at View From My Seats:

1. Why is your team going to be better than they were last season?

The impact (see right photo) of a full year under Dan Bylsma. He took a non playoff team and turned them into Stanley Cup champs, and he only coached 25 regular season games. Not just 25 regular seasons games behind the Penguins bench but 25 NHL games period. The players believe in his system as well they should. It works.

2. What part of your own team scares the hell out of you this season?

Fatigue. Another short off-season, replacing the hunger of getting to the finals and coming up short with the celebration of a summer with the cup, along with the Olympic break could result in cup hangover.

3. Every year there are players that break onto the scene as all-stars or even superstars. Sometimes they’re rookies that are expected to be great, sometimes they are rookies that shock the world and sometimes they’re younger players that simply come into their own. Who is someone on your team that we should all look to have a breakout season?

Kris Letang. From the All-Star break to the final he was a beast. He has the few odd turnovers or bad plays where he ends up backwards in his own net wondering why but for the most part he's a puck-moving d-man with an offensive touch. With the confidence he showed at the end of this season coming into this season his already improving numbers may make a large leap in 09-10.

4. We all know that watching a team for 82 games, you start to appreciate things that casual fans won’t necessarily know. Who’s the guy on your team that doesn’t get nearly the respect that he deserves?

Ruslan Fedotenko. Just when you want to dog him for not producing he scores a timely goal, he is also a player who seems to be the most comfortable in high pressure post-season games. Lets not forget him breaking his hand on Colby Armstrong's face (see left photo). In the wacky early season re-tooling of 08-09 Paul Bissonnette was also an under appreciated bright spot when Pittsburgh was still trying to find consistency.

5. Prediction time: If you were throwing down some serious money, how do you think the final standings of the Atlantic Division will shake out? More importantly, which teams do you think are going to make the playoffs from the Atlantic?

1. Penguins (playoffs)
2. Devils (playoffs)
3. Rangers (playoffs)
4. Flyers
5. Islanders

I expect the Flyers' off-season moves (Emery, Pronger) to be counter-productive, as much as I'm excited to have both of them as division rivals now. Tavares will most likely have an impact but not enough to get the Isles to the playoffs.