The Day Dawns

By the time I go to sleep again, I will experience a once in a generation event and be either ecstatic and drunk with joy or incredibly disappointed and wondering if I'll ever experience joy again.



I was 9 the last time a day like this happened. Almost 30 years later it has come around again.

Championships have been won. Game 7's have been played. Do or die's have been contested. But nothing compares to a Game 7 in the Finals.

Courtesy of the Pirates, if you can believe that, Pittsburgh had a run of 3 from 1960 through 1979, that being the last one and the last time a road team has won a Game 7 in a Final round of the NHL, NBA or MLB. Not since then have we seen something like this.

The Steelers have played 4 Super Bowls since the last Burgh Finals Game 7. Won 3 of them. But that is a one game matchup. Sometimes, like in February, it takes a bit for the game to heat up, for emotions to come to a boil.

Not in a Game 7, the last of a long series that forces emotions to the fore and hatred for the rival.

The Pirates have all but faded, but their last gasp provided perhaps the most painful Game 7 collapse in history. But it wasn't the final round. Even if Espy catches the ball, Lind fields it like the gold glover he was, Berryhill gets called out on strikes like he was, and yes, Bonds earns a series ending assist, there was still more work to do.

Tonight, or early tomorrow morning, no matter what there will be nothing more to do. Both teams go home. But one gets the prettiest present in all of sports to share with their fans and family all summer long. After a season pushed as far as it can go, that is the reward. Both have come as far as they can, but the teams and their fans will depart will remarkably different feelings and memories from today.

I am somewhat removed from the glow that is burning in both Pittsburgh and Detroit, unable to join the thousands in the Burgh on this collective roller coaster. This time, unlike in 1991 when I drove all day from Tennessee to the Igloo (getting lost and winding up in Kentucky along the way) for Game 2 vs the North Stars and got to witness 66 splitting Chambers and Wilkinson and enjoyed the Pens return with the Cup with thousands of others at old Pittsburgh International, this time I'll be watching from afar.

But even that didn't take 7 games to win. And even Game 7 heroes like Kasparaitis and villains like Volek and Fitzgerald will take a back seat to a Finals Game 7 hero.

Because this day is unlike any other. It's Game 7. Stanley Cup Finals. In the schoolyard for all the marbles.

And sometime Friday morning, I'll fall asleep with memories and emotions that I know won't likely come around again for a long long time, if ever.

Let's Go Pens!

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.

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.

'92 All Over Again?

In 1992, Pittsburgh fans could make a very legitimate argument that they had the three best players in each of their three pro sports.

Barry Bonds was MVP of the NL for the division winning Pirates.
Mario Lemieux was the best hockey player in the world for the Stanley Cup winning Penguins.
Barry Foster was a 1,700 yard workhorse and most dominant running back in the NFL for the playoff bound Steelers in Bill Cowher's first yer as coach.

In all objectivity, only Foster's status was debatable.

It's a trifecta that is rare and almost impossible to match, even for cities with 4 major pro sports teams.

So, we are now 17 years later in 2009. And from Pittsburgh's point of view, the Pirates are minor league while Pitt basketball has ascended to major and certainly championship caliber level.

And here we are again, does Pittsburgh have the three best players in its sports? Or is this a biased argument that only a homer would make?

In the NHL, while the Penguins are middling, Sidney Crosby is widely regarded as the league's best, yet Geno Malkin leads the league in scoring. You could pick either of those two and make a very compelling argument he is the best.

That a Super Bowl Champion Steeler is the league's best may be the toughest argument to convince outsiders. Yet, James Harrison was the Defensive Player of the Year,Troy Polamalu may be the most disruptive defensive player and young Ben has won his second Super Bowl and is the clutchest player in the league. I'll take Harrison for this year, the defensive player of the year on the league's best defense that led the team to their Super Bowl win.

Then we come to Pitt basketball, replacing the Buccos in this list. Over the last week, DeJuan Blair is making a statement that is impossible to ignore that he is the best player in college basketball. At the very least, he is the favorite to be the Player of the Year in the Big East on a team that has as good a shot to win the national title as any.

Bonds, Lemieux and Foster in 1992.
Crosby, Harrison and Blair in 2009.

Pretty fair players and all the best in their sports that year.

Pens Spotlight: Jordan Staal

UPDATE 10/24: The Spotlight (or the presence of his older brother) worked it's magic once again last night as Jordan Staal played his best game of the season so far in the Pens 4-1 win. He finished with only 1 sweet assist but had many scoring chances, set up several great opportunities for his linemates and was all over the ice. It should be a game that turns Staal's confidence around and gets him back to playing the kind of hockey he's capable of playing.

I know, I know. The Steelers are playing a fairly big game this weekend, the World Series is underway, and the Pirates hired a pitching coach! So why Jordan Staal? Because as things currently stand, he is the most perplexing pro athlete in Pittsburgh. Adam LaRoche, Ian Snell and Max Starks aside, questions about Staal and his future are plenty.

When my friends and I used to attend Pens games at the Igloo back in the 80s-90s, we used to "put the spotlight" on a player for a shift. We did this maybe once or twice a game and it was usually focused on a player who we thought needed to pick up their game. We wanted to watch him closely to see what he was doing without getting distracted. So we'd only follow this player during his shift on the ice. More often than not, it provided a different view of the player, maybe nothing super noteworthy, but still of interest. Of course, there were many times we put the spotlight on 66 just because he was so amazing to watch at any time.

So let's put the spotlight on Jordan Staal.

Over at hockeybuzz.com (a generally gossip rag of a site), the Pens writer Brian Metzer stands above much of what appears on the site and today offers up an interesting take on Staal, comparing Staal's situation to the one Markus Naslund faced in 1993 with the Pens:

Naslund was selected by Pittsburgh 16th overall during the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and came with a pretty impressive offensive pedigree. He had been lighting up the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden playing alongside longtime friend Peter Forsberg in Modo. Many in Pittsburgh were excited to add the dynamic forward to an already impressive roster.

Unfortunately, that roster is the main reason that the young Swede wasn’t able to succeed in Pittsburgh. Naslund appeared in 71 games during the 1993-94 season, recording only 11 pts (4G 11A). He was not given much of an opportunity to succeed, as he was cast in a third or fourth line role most of the time and received little to no time on the power play.

We know the end result of this was Craig Patrick making one of the all-time worst trades in pro sports history, giving Naslund to Vancouver for Alek Stojanov. (Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio; Aramis Ramirez for Bobby Hill; those were bad, this was was worse.) Metzer concludes by saying that trading Staal:

is looking more and more like the scenario that will have to play out for Jordan Staal to thrive offensively in the league. We can only hope that Ray Shero is able to make a better deal that his predecessor did 12 years ago.

GBoF doesn't think it's come to trading Staal yet and is still unlikely to happen at any time. Staal is still only 20 years old. Luca Caputi, one of the Pens top prospects, is only 20 days younger than Staal and he's not anywhere close to being NHL ready. Ok, expectations for Staal are much higher, but let's not forget he's only 20 years old.

Also, Staal looks to be a player who easily loses his confidence. Something that happens a lot with 20 year olds. And something that happens more frequently when you see guys named Crosby and Malkin, who are not much older than you, do things that you can only dream of and can't pull off no matter how hard you try. Confidence becomes less fragile with experience and age.

Confidence also comes in the NHL by scoring goals. I'll admit that so far in 2008, he has not generated many quality scoring chances. And he only potted 12 goals last year. But something happened about 2/3 of the way through last season and he began to get scoring chances and he looked like he was ready to emerge. That he didn't was only due to the fact that I believe he just barely missed his spots and hit more posts than anyone else down the stretch last year.

I will also argue that trading any player, no matter the sport, due to position depth is absurd and once you start doing so, you will start building a losing team (except for clear skill differences such as acquiring a goalie or a pitcher). Just look at the Pirates for a clear example fo this. If Jordan Staal is to become a good hockey player, he'll do it and he'll do it whether he plays center or wing, it won't matter. It may take a little longer if he plays wing, but it will come.

This season, Staal has been presented with an opportunity to play on the second line, both with and without Malkin. And he will continue to get that chance - a chance that is like the time Naslund got when he was on 66's wing. The window is there, if he does well, there won't be any talk of Staal not getting enough ice time or being relegated to the third line. If he does well, he'll be a fixture at center or the wing as a top 6 forward.

But he hasn't taken advantage of that chance yet. I see a player who is unsure of himself and whose confidence is low. He looks indecisive at times. What he needs is a goal and, much like the hitter in baseball who gets a broken bat Texas Leaguer and then goes on a hitting tear, his confidence will grow and he will become more comfortable with his place on the team. It may take a few goals but they will come. And only then will we be able to effectively judge Staal.

Now is not the time to decide to trade him. Anytime you beign to think about trading a player, you want to make sure you're trading him when you can get good value in return and not when he's at a low point in value. Right now, Staal is still at a relatively high point because of his age and potential. Another full season of less than 15 goals and that will go down. The key for Ray Shero is being able to judge Staal and what he'll become before other GM's do.

But to do so, he needs to see what Staal can do with a good sizable opportunity, including power play time. 7 games are not a season. If, as I suspect, he finishes the season with 20+ goals, we'll know he's arrived and is likely to keep improving and should remain a Pen, even if his price will go up. If he never finds his touch or it appears only fleetingly, remember he is only 20 years old and he'll be cheaper for the Pens to sign this coming offseason. But also know that if he is presented a perfect chance playing on the second line and the PP and doesn't produce, Shero may decide that he never will.

Personally, I don't think Shero will decide to trade Staal. He's just too young and big and he has scored 29 goals before. But if he does, I agree with Brian Metzer and we'd better see a lot more than Alek Stojanov coming back to the Burgh.

Insanity is Back in the Burgh

It was nice while it lasted but unfortunately, all good things must pass.

And today Burghers were reintroduced to the biggest blowhard this side of Sarah Palin, and not just via one medium, but two.

Big Mark Madden returned to the airwaves and also continued writing his little read column in the Beaver County Times. In it, he writes the kind of inanity that marks him as one of those who rode the short bus:

Penguins GM Ray Shero should trade Jordan Staal for some quality help at wing, and do it sooner, not later. Staal, 20, is a major talent with tons of potential. He plays hard two-way hockey and does everything he’s asked. Staal could play for my team any day.

Unless my team had Crosby and Malkin at center, that is.

Staal is doing his best to contribute on Malkin’s wing, but he’s simply better at center. As long as Staal is in Pittsburgh, he’s never going to get the ice time or the offensive opportunities his talents merit.

Staal deserves a better situation. Here’s betting he tries to find one at season’s end via restricted free agency.

If the Pens need a scoring winger for Sid and if Staal is not the one to do it, then let's get rid of him now. Stupid reasoning from a stupid man.

If Sid needs a scorer on his wing better than Satan, and he does, then how about try Staal there. If Staal is a better center than winger, and he might be, how about trying a guy who finished second in scoring on Sid's wing? Put Geno with Sid and let Staal center the second line with Sykora and Dupuis. Or, better yet, put Sykora with Sid and Geno and team Staal with Satan and Dupuis or Fedotenko.

But don't trade Staal just because he isn't playing the position you need most right now even if he is a talented player with a ton of upside. That kind of reasoning has been practiced for too long inside PNC Park and we know where that has gotten them.

2 More Years

For all the excitement that comes with a new arena, and groundbreaking is a sure sign that it's on its way, I for one will be sad to see the old Igloo go. Just as seeing Three Rivers brought down was a passing of an era, not seeing the big steel dome in any shots of downtown, particularly aerial shots, will be jarring.

I've spent many nights in the Igloo, enjoyable and heartbreaking, but that's a list for a future time.

For now, let's focus on the one thing that the Igloo hasn't had but needs before it's gone to make it a truly legendary arena: the passing of the Cup from one Penguin to another.

The two Cup wins were on the road and this spring we saw the chalice skated around the Igloo in the hands of the Red Wings. So while the Igloo will always be able to claim at least one Cup celebration, to truly be an unforgettable barn, the home team needs to be the team celebrating.

There are two seasons left to make it happen and given the state and prospects of the Pens currently, it is very possible that it could happen. And maybe not once, but twice. There is nothing else I'd rather see in the next 2 years.

Let's Go Pens!!

From the Pens website:
Government Officials, Penguins Break Ground on New Multi-Purpose Arena

The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on the future site of “center ice” in t he new state-of-the-art facility, which is being built across the street from Mellon Arena between Centre and Fifth avenues.

“This facility will not only be home to the Pittsburgh Penguins for years to come, but it will also serve as an entertainment centerpiece and economic generator for our entire region,” said Onorato. “We expect the multi-purpose arena to attract world-class concerts, family shows and other events to Southwestern Pennsylvania year round.”

Penguins Announce 2008-09 Schedule

The Penguins will play six games each against their Atlantic Division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders --- three at home, three on the road. They will play four games each against the other 10 teams in the Eastern Conference --- two at home, two on the road.

Of the 82 regular season game, the Penguins will play 64 against Eastern Conference teams and 18 against Western Conference representatives.

For the first time since a lockout resulted in the cancellation of 2004-05 NHL season, the schedule will have Eastern Conference teams playing each Western Conference team at least once.

2008-09 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

Sat., October 4th @ Ottawa, 2:30 PM (Sweden)
Sun., October 5th vs. Ottawa, 2:30 PM (Sweden)
Sat., October 11th vs. New Jersey, 7:30 PM
Tue., October 14th vs. Philadelphia, 7:00 PM
Thur., October 16th vs. Washington, 7:30 PM
Sat., October 18th vs. Toronto, 7:00 PM
Mon., October 20th @ Boston, 7:00 PM
Thur., October 23rd vs. Carolina, 7:30 PM
Sat., October 25th @ New York Rangers, 7:00 PM
Tue., October 28th @ San Jose, 10:30 PM
Thur., October 30th @ Phoenix, 10:00 PM
Sat., November 1st @ St. Louis, 8:30 PM
Thur., November 6th vs. Edmonton, 7:30 PM
Sat., November 8th @ New York Islanders, 7:00 PM
Tue., November 11th @ Detroit, 7:00 PM
Thur., November 13th vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 PM
Sat., November 15th vs. Buffalo, 7:30 PM
Tue., November 18th vs. Minnesota, 7:00 PM
Thur., November 20th @ Atlanta, 7:00 PM
Sat., November 22nd vs. Vancouver, 1:00 PM
Wed., November 26th @ New York Islanders, 7:00 PM
Fri., November 28th @ Buffalo, 7:30 PM
Sat., November 29th vs. New Jersey, 7:30 PM
Wed., December 3rd @ New York Rangers, 7:00 PM
Thur., December 4th @ Carolina, 7:00 PM
Sat., December 6th @ Ottawa, 7:00 PM
Mon., December 8th vs. Buffalo, 7:30 PM
Wed., December 10th @ New Jersey, 7:00 PM
Thur., December 11th vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 PM
Sat., December 13th @ Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Thur., December 18th @ Atlanta, 7:00 PM
Sat., December 20th vs. Toronto, 7:00 PM
Mon., December 22nd @ Buffalo, 7:00 PM
Tue., December 23rd vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
Fri., December 26th @ New Jersey, 7:00 PM
Sat., December 27th vs. Montreal, 7:00 PM
Tue., December 30th vs. Boston, 7:30 PM
Thur., January 1st @ Boston, 7:00 PM
Sat., January 3rd vs. Florida, 1:00 PM
Mon., January 5th @ New York Rangers, 7:00 PM
Tue., January 6th vs. Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Thur., January 8th @ Nashville, 8:00 PM
Sat., January 10th @ Colorado, 3:00 PM
Tue., January 13th @ Philadelphia, 7:00 PM
Wed., January 14th vs. Washington, 7:30 PM
Fri., January 16th vs. Anaheim, 7:30 PM
Sun., January 18th vs. New York Rangers, 3:00 PM
Tue., January 20th vs. Carolina, 7:30 PM
Wed., January 28th vs. New York Rangers, 7:30 PM
Fri., January 30th @ New Jersey, 7:00 PM
Sat., January 31st @ Toronto, 7:00 PM
Tue., February 3rd @ Montreal, 7:30 PM
Wed., February 4th vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
Fri., February 6th vs. Columbus, 7:30 PM
Sun., February 8th vs. Detroit, 3:00 PM
Wed., February 11th vs. San Jose, 7:30 PM
Sat., February 14th @ Toronto, 7:00 PM
Mon., February 16th @ New York Islanders, 2:00 PM
Thur., February 19th vs. Montreal, 7:00 PM
Sat., February 21st @ Philadelphia, 1:00 PM
Sun., February 22nd @ Washington, 3:00 PM
Wed., February 25th vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 PM
Fri., February 27th @ Chicago, 8:30 PM
Sun., March 1st @ Dallas, 3:00 PM
Tue., March 3rd @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
Thur., March 5th @ Florida, 7:30 PM
Sun., March 8th @ Washington, 3:00 PM
Tue., March 10th vs. Florida, 7:30 PM
Thur., March 12th @ Columbus, 7:00 PM
Sat., March 14th vs. Ottawa, 3:00 PM
Sun., March 15th vs. Boston, 3:00 PM
Tue., March 17th vs. Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Fri., March 20th vs. Los Angeles, 7:30 PM
Sun., March 22nd vs. Philadelphia, 3:00 PM
Wed., March 25th vs. Calgary, 7:30 PM
Sat., March 28th vs. New York Rangers, 1:00 PM
Wed., April 1st vs. New Jersey, 7:30 PM
Sat., April 4th @ Carolina, 7:00 PM
Sun., April 5th @ Florida, 5:00 PM
Tue., April 7th @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 PM
Thur., April 9th vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 PM
Sat., April 11th @ Montreal, 7:00 PM

Who Can Pens Keep?

There has been a lot written and spoken about who the Pens can keep for next season and beyond in hopes of keeping a championship caliber team together. So we decided to look at the salaries the team has committed to and are likely to pay out over the next few seasons.

We came up with a surprising conclusion: this is not a Tampa situation. The Pens can keep together a good bit of their team and will likely be Cup Contenders for years to come.

Here is our first look at the situation (we will update the numbers as they become official):
Pens payroll projections
-yellow cells are our projections
-red cells mean that player is gone from the team.


Assumptions we made:

• The salary cap for 2008-09 will rise to about $55 million.
• The Penguins will be willing to spend up to the cap limit.
• Contracts extend out through the 2012-13 season bu estimating the roster and how much each player makes beyond next season is near impossible.
• We budgeted for 22 players in 2008-09; additional players will be added as the season goes on to compensate for injuries and promotions/demotions.

GBoF Conclusions:

• If Marian Hossa is serious about taking a bit less to remain with the Pens, and the team is serious about him being their #1 priority, then there is no reason why they cannot come to an agreement. We budgeted Hossa for $8M per year and think it would be a great signing at that price.
• Ryan Malone has played his last game as a Penguin. He priced himself out of a Pens sweater with his play and the organization's correct determination to make Hossa their #1 priority over Malone sealed the deal.
• Even with the news that the Pens would take Fleury to arbitration, we expect a long term deal to be agreed upon before the July 20 deadline and we assessed the Flower to earn $4M per year. Maybe a bit low, but Fleury may take the security over having to prove himself for another year before cashing in.
• Gino Malkin cashes in at the same rate for Hossa ~ $8M/year. GBoF has no problem with Malkin getting more than Hossa but since Hossa has a few more years in the bank, their deals may well be very similar. Between the two, we budgeted for $16M per year - split it up however you want but that should be enough to sign them both.
• Jordan Staal may have to sit tight through another season. A future Selke winner? Probably. But 12 goals in a year isn't going to get him what he wants and will likely deserve. And the Pens could use a little relief this offseason though this decision would likely turn into the biggest story of the upcoming season and following offseason. The Trib is reporting that the team may negotiate with Staal during the season and we projected $5M per year starting in 2009-10.
• On defense, say godbye to Orpik, Sydor & Nasreddine. But welcome Alex Goligoski and pray that Mark Eaton, resigned at a projected $800K, can stay healthy.
• Up front, Big Georges can stay for a small raise to $1.5M.
  
• Dupuis can still be a bargain at $1M, though to be honest, we can easily see him leaving and being replaced with someone for about the same rate.
• Jeff Taffe and Adam Hall stick around and play larger roles of the team.
• Two new players totaling about $1M will join the roster - these could easily be Jonathan Filewich and Ryan Stone, or perhaps Luca Caputa or some other WBS Baby Pens player.
• Those new, cheap players will replace Scary Gary and Ruutu. Roberts may retire or if he is willing to take a serious paycut of about 50% may be welcomed back. Ruutu will invite bidders and his price will be too high for the Pens.
  
• Conklin is gone, Sabo is the backup.

So our initial analysis is this...

• Staying or signing an extension: Hossa, Eaton, Fleury, Laraque, Malkin, Dupuis, Taffe, Hall.
• Joining the team: Goligoski and two players such as Filewich and Stone.
• Leaving: Malone, Sydor, Orpik, Roberts, Ruutu, Nasreddine.
• One major headache on the way: Staal
  

With our projections, the roster would put the Pens at just under $53 million and under the probable $55M cap.

More importantly, this team would still have the potential to contend for the Cup. It would be impossible to say it is better than how the roster currently stands, but if players step in and contribute, which is always needed in any Cup run, there is no reason why this can't remain at the top of the Wales Conference. The nucleus remains intact and while a deal with Staal might become a major issue, especially if he regains his goal scoring touch, that decision can be made in relative isolation during the season or next offseason. Most importanntly, we can very realistically hope to see Hossa skating with Sid for another 5 years, Malkin feeding Sykora and opposing coaches trembling.

Malkin says extension coming

Good to hear these quotes from Gino:

"I'm thinking maybe five or six years," said Malkin, set to enter the final season of his three-year entry-level deal. "I'm an easy guy to deal with. I'd love to stay in Pittsburgh."

Malkin added that his annual salary did not need to top the $8.7 million teammate and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will average each of the next five seasons.

He's not their #1 priority only because he has another year until restricted free agency and can't resign until after July 1 and they have to sign Fleury before July 1. But it seems like he won't be looking to blow up the pay structure Shero and Sid set last year, which would give them a better chance to keep the team together.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_572532.html

Elvis Is Going Back to the Burgh!!

vs.

Sykora Nets the Winner while Bugsy puts his nose in the way again

Classic Game 5. Has to rank as one of if not the best games in Pens history.

Hop in the Cordoba, Get in the Fast Lane, or Get Down to Archie's on Carson St for Game 6!!

Notes & Links:

• Who else but Mike Lange for the calls. His call of Talbot's tying goal is perfect.
• Some losers don't think Sykora should have been able to score the winning goal. Why do they insist on this stupidity??
• Mario Trasher Burnside tries to get back Burghers good side.
• Seems like lots of people, including Muir at si.com, are amazed at the Pens fighting spirit. And lots were saying they had to compete harder. Baloney. They were competing hard just couldn't do what they wanted because of Detroit. That's why last night wasn't a total surprise.
  
• What if it was Mario, or Gretzky, or NYC media darling Messier who called his shot instead of Petr Sykora? Movie producers would be fighting to make it. Instead, it's a nice mention.
• Little Mitchy Albom chimes in with a decent but typical story about the despair in Detroit.
• How many writers need to chime in on how difficult it will be for the Pens to keep the team together after this season? We've all heard it, there is nothing new to write. Just sit back and enjoy it while you can.
• The Flower's amazing save just before Sarge hits the boards:

• Talbot's goal with 34.3 seconds left was the latest goal scored in regulation in a Stanley Cup Final game by a team facing elimination.
• The Cup has been won on a goal that went further into OT: Brett Hull's skate in the crease goal that won the Cup for Dallas in 1999.
• Things That Made Me Smile This Morning:
  
• From the Grand Rapids Press: "Get Ready for a Championship Parade Detroit!"
• From the PG:
  "With a little less than six minutes left in the third period, workers rushed down a large corridor of Joe Louis Arena pushing carts of champagne on ice.

  Elsewhere in the bowels of the building, the Stanley Cup was receiving a final white-glove polish."

• Paul Kukla wonders if that was the worst loss in Detroit history.
  
• Game 6 is on.
  

You Can Spit Shine Your Shoes, the Pens Are Going Dancing With Lord Stanley!

The Pens absolutely demolished the Filly Flyers this afternoon, 6-0, to clinch a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals vs Detroit or Dallas. The game was reminiscent of game 6 vs the North Stars in the 91 Cup Final and was never in doubt after about 30 minutes of action.

Top 10 Mike Lange Calls

Empty Netters had it and we have to share as well. Great stuff from Mike Lange...

Bucs win; have longest win streak in 4 years; one win away from .500

From the PG:
Pirates beat Braves, 5-0, for longest streak in four years

The Bucs are now 18-19. Clearly John Challis' quote was posted on their clubhouse bulletin board and lit a fire. Such a fire that they will actually try to win two games in one day and get back to .500 before nightfall.

In case you missed the quote, Challis was feted by Pens owner Mario Lemieux and Steeler owner Dan Rooney at last night's Pens game, when the following exchange took place:

As John Challis was standing between Mr. Lemieux and Mr. Rooney, he looked at them and said, "Wow. I never thought I'd be talking with two owners of sports teams in the city."

"There's only one missing," Mr. Lemieux said, referring to the Pirates.

John quickly replied, "Yeah, but at least the two winners are here."

We'll see how long that holds true...

Pens Up 2-0; How Long Will This Series Go?

vs.

Another impressive win for the Pens last night. Impressive because the other team actually showed a little push back - a little, not enough. After the calls are some of my thoughts on this series so far.

Mike Lange is the best.

Crosby's goal:


Hossa on the PP:


Talbot with the GW:


Staal gets the EmptyNetter:

Are the Flyers better than the Sens or Rangers? Ok, they're better than the Sens, but how about the Rangers, who the Pens easily dispatched? I thought the Habs, Rangers, and Pens were the top three in the Wales coming into the playoffs. I guess the Flyers have to be in the mix since the beat the Habs, but are they better than the Rangers? Nothing I've seen so far makes me think they are.

Lots of lauding of the Flyers play in game 2 - I ask why? People have mentioned the Flyers play 5 on 5 and their sightly upgraded physical play. Problem is, power play goals count, especially when the Flyers keep committing fouls on the Pens in 5 on 5 situations because they aren't good enough or are too tired, and the Pens won't wilt in the face of physical play. I say the Flyers have to be shaking their heads wondering what they have to do to beat the Pens.

If they come out in game 3 and hit the Pens at every turn, they are liable to be assessed penalties, putting the Pens on the PP, not a good strategy for the Flyers. If they try to skate with the Pens, that's not going to work either. They don't have a strategy or way of playing that can beat the Pens 4 out of 5 games.

Someone needs to explain to me how the Flyers outplayed the Pens last night. anyone remember a good scoring chance for the Flyers? All I remember are lots of shots from very far away. They definitely didn't crash the net like they did in game 1.

Dupuis' SH breakaway, Crosby's backhander off the crossbar, Crosby's dash down the slot and deke to the left that Biron robbed him on, Crosby's goal that was reviewed but not allowed, Hossa's one timer from the circle off a pass from Malkin, Crosby and Hossa's 2 on 1 that somehow didn't result in a shot - those are 6 glorious scoring chances for the Pens off the top of my head that were better than any Flyer scoring chance other than the two they had that led to goals.

The Flyers can't get the puck through the neutral zone and deep in the Pens zone. That is a major problem for them. How many times last night did you see the Pens D corralling the puck in their own zone without having to turn their backs and chase it down in the corner and then be able to turn it the other way?

The way the Pens take advantage of opportunities and make the other team pay dearly for mistakes is reminiscent of the NY Yankees when they were winning World Series in the late 90s. Any little opening was exploited and the game was never over because of it. It put a ton of pressure on the other team and led to them committing those errors or bad plays the Yankees would capitalize on. The Pens skill and ability to capitalize puts the same kind of pressure on the other team. There really is no way for the other team to get out of this rut, it's a sign that the Yankees were and the Pens are, a better team.

What do the Flyers take from this game? That they played better and still lost? That they shut down Malkin for a game and still lost? Maybe they played the Pens even for a bit, but the Pens still had the better scoring chances and better play...I'm not sure what the Flyers can take from this. That said, they will be an energized team on their home ice.

Downie...Talbot...which coach made the better call last night?

Pens are 10-1 in the playoffs. Pretty good, but don't forget the 11-0 run of the 92 Pens, that started in the second round (not the first against a weak Sens team) without the world's best player as well as without Joey Mullen and ended with the Pens hoisting the Cup.

Actually it didn't end with the Cup, they continued the streak the next year, running it to 14 by beating the Devils three straight to start the 93 playoffs.

I don't want to get ahead of anything here, but forget Hossa, Malone, Orpik and other Penguin free agents, except for one. If the Pens sign only one player this offseason, it has to be the goalie. Fleury is playing lights out and can be the anchor for a team for the next decade. He is a restricted free agent but some team will likely make him a big offer. The Pens can't let him get away.

Does anyone, including the Flyer players, really think the Pens can be beaten 4 times in 5 games by the same team?

Pens vs Rangers - Game 1 Friday Night

vs.

The schedule for Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs is out, it's Pens vs Rangers. Here are the dates and times:

Friday, April 25 7:00 PM Rangers at Pittsburgh VERSUS, CBC
Sunday, April 27 2:00 PM Rangers at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC
Tuesday, April 29 7:00 PM Pittsburgh at Rangers VERSUS, CBC
Thursday, May 1 7:00 PM Pittsburgh at Rangers VERSUS, CBC
*Sunday, May 4 2:00 PM Rangers at Pittsburgh NBC, CBC
*Monday, May 5 7:00 PM Pittsburgh at Rangers VERSUS, CBC
*Weds, May 7 TBD Rangers at Pittsburgh CBC

Pens Shuout Sens; Lead 1-0

The Pens looked dominating last night, the Sens a little less so. Sure the PP failed to put the Sens away, they were shorthanded too often and Whitney continues to fumble the puck away, but those factors were insignificant in the end. Pens win 4-0 and the Sens have to really be wondering about themselves.

I expect the Sens to come out harder on Friday but how hard can thy bring it anymore? Lots of injuries and a stunning lack of confidence could spell an early doom, which is how it sounds from around the internets this morning:

• It was pretty much a nightmare for the Sens last night.
  
• Alfredsson not totally ruled out of series
• If you are feeling sorry for the pitiful Sens this morning, our playoff yahoo (seems like a recurring problem) Donnie Brennan will get your blood boiling again with another "article" aimed at agitating. Brennan is doing his job about as well as Chris Neil did last night.
  
• From the Trib:
  

  Heading into last night, they were 17-23 overall in openers, including a pedestrian 10-10 record at home. When they win the first game of a series at home, however, they have been able to close things out. They are 7-3 in series in which they retain home-ice advantage in the first game, 5-5 when they lose Game 1 at home and 12-8 overall when they have home-ice advantage.

• Let's hope the new arena also has a new, modern ice-making machine:
  

  Poor ice conditions at Mellon Arena have been a point of contention all season for the Penguins, and it hasn't improved in the postseason. "In the morning there was no crowd and there was no heat and it was pretty bad," Penguins forward Maxime Talbot said. "Both teams have to play on it, and it's not an advantage for either team."

• If you still think the Senators are one play or win away from becoming dangerous, even good, here is a great chart showing how each team fared in each quarter of the season. Teams don't play that bad for half a season and all of a sudden turn it around. Only the Isles and Thrashers have fewer points in the Wales Conference in the 2nd half than the Sens.
  
  
• From TSN host James Duthie:
  

  Okay, so what happens when Martin Gerber plays poorly?
  
  For all of you who believed there was some magic playoff pixie dust Bryan Murray could sprinkle on his team and wipe away the mess of the last five months, sorry.
  
  It is what it is. Or, the Senators are what they are: a wounded, shattered, lost, hockey team. The 4-0 score was kind.
  
  I know. You should never judge a series by the first game. Things can happen. Momentum can change. But there is a sense of inevitability creeping in here. The shots of all the injured Senators sitting helpless in the luxury box spoke volumes. It was questionable whether they could have won with them. Without them, a one-game hole seems like a canyon.

• WWGRD? He definitely wouldn't discriminate based on age.

Game 1 is Tonight!

Let's Get It On! What can be said that hasn't already been said other than to acknowledge that this is a wonderful time of year. The Pens spoiled their fans throughout the 90s but the early 2000s brought us back to reality and last year's brief flirtation only whetted the appetite for playoff hockey. The Igloo will be rockin tonight.

To help you pass the time at work or wherever you are until 7, here are a few interesting items:

• Some yahoo named Don Brennan at the Ottawa Sun thinks:
  "Crosby's got a bad RIGHT ankle? How will it stand up to a two-hander? The Senators have to find out. As much as they will be looking for timely goaltending and scoring, the Senators need somebody to emerge as a modern-day Bobby Clarke. Maybe hockey historian Jason Spezza can explain to his teammates what the former Flyers captain did to Russian star Valeri Kharlamov when the latter had a bad ankle in the 1972 Summit Series."
• It's Crosby's LEFT ankle.
• The Toronto Globe and Mail's David Shoalts thinks the Pens learned from last year and will be ready.
• So does ESPN's Scott Burnside.
• Bucci's Back with his season review and playoff previews.
  
• Optometrist who prompted Fleury to switch from yellow to white pads is from Ottawa.
• Empty Netters has compiles its own stellar playoff preview, videos, and tidbits.
• James Mirtle offers his prediction of Pens in 6 at Fanhouse.
• We've said it before: Marc Andre-Fleury is the key for the Pens. The Toronto Sun thinks he is the 12th best out of 16 goalies in the playoffs, while ESPN likes him a lot more.
• Can't get a ticket? You can still battle the crowds and traffic to watch the game.
• Don't forget to vote in the second round of Going Five Hole's Mike Lange Quote Tournament! Our current favorite (Great Balls of Fire inexplicably lost in rd 1) is: "He hasn't scored since the 8th grade picnic!".
• Do you know the very first Penguin?
  
• Calgary Sun's Eric Francis supports Yahoo Brennan's philosophy for the Flames vs the Sharks, just in a little less inflammatory way.

Let's Go Pens!

The Bibster Offers his 16 Points for Playoff Success

Before the playoffs start on Wednesday, we thought we pass along what Cup winner and Pens announcer Bob Errey believes are the most important points for playoff success. As per his TV analysis, Bob doesn't break much ground here or give a unique view into the mind of a player as he prepares for the playoffs, yet it's a nice parable to pass along to all the youngsters:

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 Points 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