3 hours til the puck drops at the igloo. Can the Pens go up 2-0?

Bibs' List for Playoff Success Omits One Obvious Item

from Jamie Baker of the Seagate Broadcasters Blog:

Bob Errey was captain of the San Jose Sharks as the team prepared for the 94 playoffs. A couple of nights before the playoff series with the #1 seeded Red Wings began, Bob was laying in bed and couldn't sleep. Bob had won a Stanley Cup while in Pittsburgh and was thinking about what it takes to succeed in the playoffs. After awhile he decided to jot down what he was thinking which he shared with the coaches and all the players. While many of these seem obvious, it's the mental part of hockey that ultimately takes you to the top of the mountain. Make no mistake, you have to have skill, but that alone will not win you a championship in hockey. Here are the 16 Keys for Playoff Success.

1. It takes 16 WINS to win the Stanley Cup
2. 4 Wins per series
3. Never dwell on the past (good, bad, win, lose)
4. Never take anything for granted
5. One shift is as important as 20
6. Rest
7. Confidence
8. Momentum
9. Throw statistics out the window
10. Luck
11. Play bigger
12. Never retaliate
13. Get pucks out, get pucks in
14. Never out of a game (ie. high sticking major = 5 minute PP)
15. Have fun
16. Heart is more important than skill

That's all fine and good but he forgot one thing: make sure you have 66 on your side

GBoF visited with old pal Dave Dameshek on his ESPN Radio podcast to discuss many things of interest including the glory of the NHL playoffs, the Pens chances vs the hated Philly Phlyers, the Steelers schedule and how easy it really is and who you should vote for in the Land of the Fox.

To listen in, go
here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2009 AFC North Champions

My early take...a conservative 12-4 and another division title.


STEELERS 2009 Schedule

Thursday, Sept. 10 -- TENNESSEE, 8:30 p.m. W 1-0
Towel stomping is background noise to Renegade welcoming the Champs onto the field.

Sunday, Sept. 20 -- at Chicago, 4:15 p.m. L 1-1
In first home game, Cutler surprises and leads da Bears to a win

Sunday, Sept. 27 -- at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. W 2-1
Bungles have full roster, but Palmer is still rusty

Sunday, Oct. 4 -- SAN DIEGO, 8:20 p.m. L 2-2
Chargers fly east but like late start, Rivers finally has decent game. Shaky 2-2 start.

Sunday, Oct. 11 -- at Detroit, 1 p.m. W 3-2
Steelers decide to celebrate SB XL win again, Lions figure why not join in

Sunday, Oct. 18 -- CLEVELAND, 1 p.m. W 4-2
Quinn/Anderson make like Tim Couch, scamper back to Cleve weakly

Sunday, Oct. 25 -- MINNESOTA, 4:15 p.m. W 5-2
Peterson does not becoem the first RB to single handedly beat the Steeler D

Monday, Nov. 9 -- at Denver, 8:30 p.m. L 5-3
Yonco fans get lathered up for their big prime time game, Ben has his one bad game, team falls to unsteady 5-3

Sunday, Nov. 15 -- CINCINNATI, 1 p.m. W 6-3
Skyline Chili doesn't travel well and neither does this equally motley mix

Sunday, Nov. 22 -- at Kansas City, 1 p.m. W 7-3
Cassel and Vrabel can't turn KC into NE West. Steelers enjoy the BBQ and scalping the Chiefs

Sunday, Nov. 29 -- at Baltimore, 8:20 p.m. L 7-4
League caves to Birdies demand to not play in Burgh in prime time and grants them a home game vs Champs. Steelers don't run scared or beg off but can't sweep the Birdies again.

Sunday, Dec. 6 -- OAKLAND, 1 p.m. W 8-4
Rivalry revived? Not when it was a long time ago, like when the Raiders were still in the NFL.

Thursday, Dec. 10 -- at Cleveland, 8:20 p.m. W 9-4
Brownies will target this prime time game as their biggest of the season, only leaving them even worse off after Steelers romp

Sunday, Dec. 20 -- GREEN BAY, 1 p.m. W 10-4
Green n' gold vs Black N' Gold possibly in the snow. Two pillars of the league square off but the Pack is in for a down year.

Sunday, Dec. 27 -- BALTIMORE, 1 p.m. W 11-4
Quick rematch keeps wounds from the loss fresh and Steelers inflict more damage this time around. Flacco doesn't finish the game, is Kordell still on the Ravens?

Sunday, Jan. 3 -- at Miami, 1 p.m. W 12-4
Victory over Birdies locked up division so this won't matter for the Steelers, and it won't for the Dolphs who will take a step back as teams figure out how to stop the wildcat.

PENS RECORD TELEVISION RATINGS ON FSN

And the winter wasn't even that cold....

PENS RECORD TELEVISION RATINGS

FSN Pittsburgh, the exclusive rights-holder for Pittsburgh Penguins regional telecasts, concluded the Penguins 2008-09 regular season with record high ratings averaging a 6.9. FSN Live Penguins Post-Game, presented by Skarkist, also recorded record high ratings averaging 2.5. FSN Pittsburgh led all FSN regional sports networks in NHL game ratings for both the 2007-08 and the 2008-09 regular seasons.

The Penguins 6-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at Mellon Arena on April 1, 2009 was the highest-rated game on FSN Pittsburgh for the 2008-2009 regular season with an 8.8 rating. The game landed sixth on FSN's all-time highest regular season ratings list of Pens telecasts. The highest rating of a regular season Penguins game in FSN Pittsburgh history still remains the 15.9 mark for the first game Mario Lemieux returned to the team in December 2000.