5 Reasons I Love Hockey

Ol Pal Dave Dameshek has listed his top 5 reasons for loving hockey. It's a good list and surely includes one or two items that should be on everyone's list, such as 66 and the old Division names and rivalries.

But I feel that I must provide you, my dear readers, with my 5 reasons, if only to get you to think of your own. So, without further ado:

1. Power Plays: no other sport (soccer's not a sport) makes one team play a man, or possibly 2 men, down. The anticipation builds when the refs arm goes up (gotta get control of the puck...is he bleeding?...get the goalie off the ice!) and the momentum swings - each way scoring or killing it off - decide games and playoff series. Score on it and you've done what you should, unless it's a major when you can score all you can. But kill it, and watch your team suddenly turn the tide to its favor. Or, best of all, score a shorty and take the life right out of the other team.
2. A fresh sheet of ice at the start of each period: its a new beginning and a team can come out and completely turn around what happened prior. it's shiny and smooth making pucks glide faster and truer and skaters fly. Again, no other sport has anything that compares: basketball towel and mop guys only clean up small areas, baseball grounds crew guys sweep the infield dirt once but the impact is minimal. No other sport has the Zamboni and the beauty it creates.
3. The Great White North: it's front and center in the NHL, no need feel like a rented mule like Toronto must in baseball after seeing its partner in Montreal ushered out of the country, or in football where the CFL is a minor league. In Canada, hockey is #1, and it grows the humble boys that keep the NHL firmly out of the me me me culture that engulfs the other sports.
   
   So sing along to O Canada in Edmonton (I'll take that over ol Slewidge in Ottawa) and if it's Saturday night, tune into Hockey Night in Canada - the best sports broadcast show there is - listen to the intro music and watch the montage and you're ready for the best night of the week.
4. Playoffs done right: 4 rounds, all best of 7, 2-2-1-1-1. None of the best of 5 junk that tarnishes baseball or basketball. And about as fair as you can get 2-2-1-1-1, who cares about the travel distribution of the 7 games. Forget the 2-3-2 that has some teams crying foul if they get home field advantage. Give me 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 if possible, but it's not though the NHL comes closest.











5. The Igloo: How cool is the Igloo? In it's last year, it's now the grand dame of NHL arenas and every true hockey fan should make a pilgrimage (if you can get tix). So cool it was built for the symphony. It's got: a retractable roof, a big steel dome instead of the cookie cutter roofs around today, crooked stairs and aisle ways, Jeff Jimerson, the outdoor TV (when NBC isn't airing the game), an address of 66 Mario Lemieux Place, not one but two balconies, Jeff Jimerson belting out anthems, great nachos, and still the best sightlines in hockey. It will be a sad day when it closes, hopefully not until next June.
   

Bonus: They're sweaters, not jerseys.

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!

Great Balls of Fire Visits Dameshek on Demand

Dave Dameshek and I wrapped up a podcast on Friday talking all things hockey. It was a lot of fun and I hope we can hook up again soon.

Shek is an old friend who is on ESPN Radio in LA and puts up some highly entertaining podcasts each day. You may remember him from his time on the Adam Carolla morning show or from his short stint in Pittsburgh as host of The Sports Contraption, which I visited on a somewhat regular basis.

Check it out at (Dave and I start at about the 15:50 mark):
http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=3636864

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

UPDATE: Penguins Ottawa series begins Wednesday

The Penguins' first-round playoff series against Ottawa will begin Wednesday at 7:08 p.m. at Mellon Arena.

Game 2 will be played there Friday before the series shifts to Scotiabank Place in Ottawa for Game 3 April 14 and Game 4 April 16.

Game 5, if necessary, will be at Mellon Arena April 19, with Game 6 the next day in Ottawa and Game 7 at Mellon Arena April 22.

The first four games are scheduled to begin at 7:08 p.m. Starting times for the final three have not been determined.

Television coverage plans for the series have not been announced yet.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08097/871101-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml

Bucci's back

ESPN - Time to Zamboni the brain cells, prepare for late-season stretch

It's mid-March and Easter is early this year, so let's spring forward by resurfacing the brain and starting anew.

It's time to flush out all the winter sludge, Zamboni the brain cells and clear out our heads for the final weeks of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.

Sid and the Pens Return East

A very positive West Coast tour for Sid and the Pens. Even though Sid didn't register a point in Calgary or Vancouver, the Pens still won both which is a very good sign for the team. They have now won 6 of 7 and are 3 points out of first in the Atlantic. As Darren Elliott at si.com points out, this season has been very streaky throughout the NHL and the Pens can be thrown in with everyone else. It will be a very close race throughout, especially in the East - the Atlantic is a very strong division. If nothing else, the Pens run through the Pacific showcased the strength of the East. Granted, the Oilers and Flames aren't strong this year but the Canucks lead the division. Maybe the Pens got lucky to catch them in that dreaded first home game after a road trip.

All of this should make for a good game on Tuesday vs Philly. The Pens are playing better now than earlier while the Flyers are not playing as well. With the Devils also on a roll, is there a tougher 4 team group in a division than the Rangers, Flyers, Devils and Pens?

-Kudos to Empty Netters for finding this video of a very young Sid the Kid. The on ice moves are the same, his basement reminds me of what Mario's looked like, his media presence is unwavering, the only difference between young Sid and today is his voice:



-Do you think fans in Calgary are more disappointed that their teams lost or that Sid didn't get a point in either game?

-Letang! Does he now belong in the top 3 shootout shooters? Methinks so. My first three shooters: Christensen, Sykora, Letang. Yep, no Sid, no Geno, no Ruutu. Has Christensen surpassed Jossi Jokinen as the best shootout artist in the NHL?

-Crosby vs Luongo. Penalty shot in OT. Great drama. Good move by Sid, better save by Luongo, who based on this one game, deserves every accolade he gets. He's scary good.

-Cool list of Sid's points in each NHL city posted by James Mirtle:

City GP G A PTS +/- PIM SOG

1 Pittsburgh 94 47 93 140 11 92 316

2 Long Island 8 3 12 15 1 14 30

3 Philadelphia 9 8 7 15 4 14 33

4 New Jersey 9 4 5 9 2 10 22

5 Washington 5 3 5 8 1 6 18

-Sid vs Vinny? It's a fair argument. Better make them while it's still reasonable, before Sid turns 21 and outdistances everyone and makes questions like this look silly. But for now, fair question.

-Kind of overlooked in winning 7 of 8 is that Geno Malkin has been generally quiet. He continues to get goals but doesn't seem to dominate at times like he has earlier in the season. Of course, that doesn't prevent people from making the "If Sid is Gretzky, Malkin is Messier" comparisons.

-What has gotten into Big Georges? Love the way he's playing, but am still concerned he's going to take a penalty at any second, kind of like Gary Roberts.

-Goodbye Recchin Ball. Good luck in Atlanta. Hope it will work out in the South.

The Kid Heads West

As before when Sid travels to a new town, the media goes crazy. Well, this time it's Western Canada and it's crazier than ever.

Here is The Edmonton Sun's front page today.

Inside, there are 3 articles about Sid's visit:

• The Kid Comes West
• Will The Kid Still be Hot Tonight?
• Where have all Sid the Kid's groupies gone?

The Edmonton Journal chimes in with 5 stories:

• Crosby adds his signature style to NHL
• Great One says after Sid they'll be Another
• Crosby Transforms when the Puck is Dropped
• He's the Best of Everything
• David Staples' "Cult of Hockey" blog admires Sid's relative dominance

Those is Calgary can't wait until tomorrow, they're in head first already.

From the Calgary Herald:

• Sid the Kid's Flying Circus
• Sid's just a Kid
• Echoes of Gretzky's First Trip East
• Media Horde Greets Crosby in Edmonton

The Calgary Sun:

• It's More than a Game when Sid the kid Comes to Town
• Sid Even Carries His own Luggage (!!)
• Crosby's the Real Deal

Even the Vancouver Sun is already following Sid:

• Crosby Show a Gretzky Rerun

The games haven't even been played yet!

Recchi Clears Waivers

According to TSN, the Recchin Ball has cleared waivers this morning. So no other team wants him either, eh? What now for ol Rex? Can't believe he'll accept a trip to the minors and it seems like his relationship with Therrien is beyond repair.

Darren Dreger thinks Recchi's not done and has something to prove even if he has to go to the minors.

Stay tuned.

Recchi's Pens Career Over?

Love the Recchin' Ball but it's time he retires or plays significantly fewer minutes. And today, he's been placed on waivers, meaning any other team can claim him. His Pens career is probably over. He was a great Pen, a key part of the 91 Cup team, but it's time.

Here he is scoring a late goal in 91 vs the Devils:


And here is one last one, welcoming him back to the Burgh, but it also includes perhaps his biggest goal as a Pen, his game winner in game 6 of the Wales Finals vs Boston, a classic Recchi wrister:


UPDATE: Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail thinks this might be end of Recchi's career.

Goals From Heaven

Two straight games with 5 goals scored; maybe the Pens are realizing that the object is to put the puck in the back of the net and not cycle around the boards with it. And the best part, even though I' love to see Sid or Geno break some scoring records, is that more players got on the scoresheet. I believe the two major reasons for this offensive semi-explosion are: a much improved transition game and better ice. Maybe they go hand in hand.

They actually had odd man breaks the past two games, a rarity so far this season. And the ice surfaces in Ottawa and even at the Igloo on Saturday night looked to be smooth and hard. No bouncing pucks and slush. For a team with this talent to be handicapped by poor ice on your home surface is shameful - invest the money or planning or whatever to ensure your stars have the best ice to work their magic.

• Mark Madden has many thoughts for Michel Therrien, including the idea that the team would be better off utilizing its speed and talent in the transition game and not cycling around the low boards. The only semi-poor idea is taking Gonchar off the 1st PP unit.
• Want to know more about the ice? It's all here and pretty much supports the fact that the NHL hasn't done much to improve the quality if ice around the league since ohhh 1920.
  
• On the Forecheck has an early look at the Hart race, focusing on Sid, Lecavalier, Zetterberg and AO. What is interesting is that he tries to include drawing PPs in the analysis, which helps Sid's argument.
• Darren Elliot at si.com thinks Sid is doing just fine as the youngest captain ever.
• Empty Netters has 2 pretty cool items today: the top 100 scorers in Pens history (Dan Frawley at #89??); and a youtube of the tribute to Badger Bob held after his death in 1991. I was at that Thanksgiving Eve game and it was emotional. I held onto my electric candle for a long while until I moved into my own place.

Whither Jagr?

He remains the second best hockey player to ever call Pittsburgh home, and he also remains misunderstood and his legacy is still forming, and even if much of his issues are self-inflicted, there can be no question that Jaromir Jagr is a great player. How good?

He's won two Cups and more than rode shotgun, scoring some huge goals in those playoffs, yet is still thought of as hockey's Alex Rodriguez - which is silly. Does he need some cathartic event to rally people to understand how good he is and has been? Does he need a summer playing with Gretzky to "learn to win" or does he need a comeback from Hodgkin's or a three year layoff for us to appreciate him? To many, Mario needed those events to make him the player he became and give him the aura he grew into, which is hogwash - he was a great player without those events. But they served to make him greater in the eyes of those who tune in occasionally. He would have won Cups without playing with Gretzky (BTW - have you gone over the Pens lineup for those Cup years? Simply amazing talent - compare it to the Oilers dynasty teams and it holds its own), and he was already the best player in the game for a long time, dedicated to winning and overcoming long odds before he had Hodgkin's or staged any comeback.

We should appreciate Jagr (even if he plays for the hated Blueshirts) for the great player he is, not the Alex Rodriguez and certainly not the Scottie Pippen of hockey, and stop criticizing him for things he has not done. That list is short, what he has done, when you think about it in comparison to other hockey players is simply amazing.

Some Jagr notes:

• Someone from Dallas tries to assess where Jagr will rank among all-time greats when he's done. It's an interesting question but one I wish someone who can remember Jagr beyond 1992 would tackle - 1999 anyone:

• Jagr to the Oilers? Eklund is the source of more wild rumors than Gammons but still...
• The Rangers are in first place, yet they are hopping on the what's wrong with Jagr bandwagon already.
  
• Then again, maybe the Rangers should trade him since he's going to need a new contract after this season if he reaches some lofty milestones, which he might do after sidekick Marty Straka returns from injury (I love Straka but how fortunate has he been to play with Jagr all these years in Pgh and NYC? I mean they are a Butch and Sundance, PB & J, Bonnie & Clyde kind of team.). But if they do, they should forget about opening next season in Prague.
  

Pens Off Day Notes

Turning from one disappointment to another (so far):

• Colby 1-goal Armstrong and Mark 2-goal Recchi appear to be fighting to get in the lineup. Why either might play on the second line, only Therrien knows: The second line had center Evgeni Malkin with Erik Christensen on one side and Colby Armstrong and Mark Recchi alternating on the other, raising the question of whether Therrien might choose between Armstrong and Recchi to be in the lineup tomorrow.
• Tomorrow's game is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving game. As I've written in the past, it used to be THE game of the year to attend. It no longer is: the Pens have taken to playing on the road or not at all on the day and nowadays it seems like the night before Turkey crowd has already ingested their turkey, often sitting on their hands.
• Perusing the league leaders:

POINTS
1. Lecavalier 14/20 34 +10
2. Zetterberg 14/16 30 +9
3. Crosby 11/19 30 0
4. Kovalchuk 17/12 29 +3
5. Sundin 10/17 27 +8
6. St. Louis 8/19 27 +8
7. Malkin 7/20 27 -1

Nice, but the only two guys not over 0 +/- are Pens.

• The NHL Network is on the air and it is great. For those who don't have it, run to get it, no better time filler exists; just Tivo some of their shows and you can entertain yourself endlessly. A couple of things I picked up watching it:
• "Classic Series" reviews the ups and downs of great playoff series of the past. Many of these shows have aired series from the 90s and featured the Pens. Watching the Pens at their high flying best is stunning and maybe best of all, watching Ronnie Francis take over the 92 Ranger series is something special and shouldn't be forgotten. That said, Kevin Stevens, wow, you forget how good and dominating he was, even on his own without 66.
• After watching winning series, I put myself through the 93 loss to the Isles. What is stunning is how different the game was played: goalies standing up, not tight checking, giveaways aplenty. Made for some wild games. Despite all that went on in that series, watching Benoit Hogue beat Barrasso from the blue line to give the Isles a 3-1 lead in the third period of game 7 was shocking, a goal that should never have gone in (unlike Volek's OT goal).
  
• Earlier in the series, Tom Fitzgerald (now Pens Director of Player Development) beat Barrasso twice shorthanded on the same Pens PP with slappers high to the glove side leading to an Isles win. Surely he remembered those shots three years later when he put a blue line slapper past Barrasso in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to win it for the Panthers (probably the most disappointing Pens game I've ever attended).
• Do yourself a favor and watch some of 99's early 80s games and compare the style of play to today and even to the early 90s. Not even close, Gretzky is a great player, but some of what he was able to pull would never go down today. Still, it is exciting what he and those Oilers could do.

• The Toronto Globe and Mail does a nice summary of the shootout that has now been around for several years and how GMs are still clueless about their value. A couple of thoughts:
• The Pens a middling at SOs: 18th overall at 12-13.
• The Moose has been the 2nd best Goalie at stopping shootouts
• Contrary to popular beliefs, Marc-Andre Fleury is not among the worst goalies

• I have a hard time agreeing with him about anything else, but Madden does have some sense about hockey. He thinks Recchi and Roberts should be gone.
• Canadian Idol. In case we forget how big 87 is in the Great White North.
• I queried Dave Molinari this week about the Pens blue line needs. I think they can upgrade everywhere but need someone to get the puck out of their end and up to their forwards, Dave thinks they need a big bruiser to go with Orpik. Here is a summary of our exchange:
  Dave,
  What's your take on Brooks Orpik's play so far? To me, he's been by far their best defenseman, not only maintaining his physical play, but also looking very smooth skating wise, he may be the quickest blueliner on the roster (not saying too much I know). While Orpik continues to improve, others have not. Any mention of Whitney and Norris in the same sentence should be forever forbidden - he is good offensively but much closer to Gonchar in his own end than to Lidstrom. Gonchar remains Gonchar. Sydor admittedly started slowly, Eaton looks lost at times and Scuderi just looks slow and indecisive. More than a physical d-man, I'd love to see them pick up a guy who can move the puck up to the forwards in a spot where they can press the attack instead of just slamming it off the boards.
  DM:
  1) Orpik is having a better year than many people realize, and he's their only physical presence on the blue line.
  2) I don't know of anyone who has spoken of Whitney as a Norris candidate this season. Down the road, maybe.
  3) A defenseman's primary job is to play defense, so having somebody who's willing to clear people from the front of the net is more important to me at this point than getting another guy capable of throwing a good breakout pass. Not that having one of those would hurt, obviously.
  
  

The Doctor Enters the Hall

I remember his first game vividly, it was one of the greatest games I ever attended at the Igloo. Thanksgiving Eve 1987, which back then had an unmatched electricity to them. They were always sellouts, almost like reunions because there were lots of people I knew who were usually at the game, some home from college for the holiday, others looking for a good start to the biggest party night of the year. And in 1987, the electricity was running white hot because the acquisition of Coffey was the first signal that the Pens were serious about making a run for the Cup. Sure they had Mario, but at that point they hadn't even made the playoffs yet and they needed more, and getting Coffey, who had already won three Cups, was the very first step.

I remember when the trade was announced on the news a few days before the game. I was eating dinner with my family and the announcement came over the news. I couldn't eat anymore and was so excited I had to get up from the table. Nobody else at the table understood what this meant, but after following the Pens since the mid to late 70s, this was a sign of change a sign of good times to come. Later, trades would bring Barrasso, Mullen and of course Ulfie and Francis, but PC was the first sign. And on Thanksgiving Eve 1987 we wanted to see him in person.

Sitting in B-17, the game didn't start well vs the Nordiques. Trailing 4-0 in the second period was not the way we envisioned the beginning of our climb to the Cup. But then the Doctor opened up his office and chipped in three assists and the Pens stormed back to win 6-4. It was a magical game on a special night that would be a harbinger of things to come for a long beleaguered franchise and this was it's first step.

Congrats again to PC, #77, The Doctor, and the smoothest skater ever.

Pens issues

Despite their 3-2 win over the Isles tonight, Kevin Allen of USA Today has a good article about the Pens, basically advising everyone to calm down since the Pens are a young team. All this semi-panic reminds me of last year when rumors of Therrien's firing were running rampant before they went on that unbeaten streak.

The part I like most of Allen's column is this:

The most fascinating aspect of the Penguins' struggle is that it provides us the first opportunity to gauge what kind of administrator general manager Ray Shero will be. Because this is his first GM job, we have no history to review.

But my hunch is Shero will be able to walk the fine line between aggressiveness and panic. I believe he will continue to look for scoring wingers, and I believe he will continue to be patient with Fleury. I believe he will be more patient with Fleury than his coach seems to be. I think if Shero believed Fleury needed an older goalie playing beside him, he would have acquired one last summer. The most interesting aspect of the Fleury debate is that it seems like everyone has forgotten that he won 40 games last season at age 21. It also seems like the hockey world has forgotten that Carolina's Cam Ward won the Stanley Cup two years ago, struggled mightily last season, and now is back performing effectively again.

If the Penguins did want to deal Fleury, there would be a long line of suitors, and it's entirely possibly they would feel the aftershocks of that trade for years to come.

Pens Lose Again; Help On The Way

4 in a row and it's hard to say what has been the worst part of their game:

• Goaltending: Fleury isn't playing because his confidence is low. Not sure how he's supposed to get it back up without playing but Therrien thinks playing Sabo will do it, even if he does let in a cheapy every game and looks like a spinning top whenever he tries to play the puck.
• Scoring: Sid and Geno are exempt here but everyone else please get in line and take your punishment. Literally nobody else has stepped up. Sykora has scored a few and should be playing with Sid all the time. But where are Staal, Christiansen, Rechi, Roberts, Armstrong, and on and on....
• Defense: Orpik has been their best all year. Everyone else looks sloooow and has to rely on slamming the puck off the boards to get it up to the forwards. Even Whitney's breakouts have been turnovers as often as they've connected and he's been prone to some Gonchar like gaffes. Please never mention Whitney and Norris in the same sentence again. Eaton, Scuderi and Sydor all look slow in their end and Gonchar is his maddening self. But help is on the way!! Let the Letang era start!!
  

Pens Finances

Excellent follow up to my post about the Pens and NHL's finances was done by Daniel Tolensky at HockeyBuzz.com. His main point is that overall the league has improved financially since the lockout but that it is still not in great financial shape and could be doing much better.

Of note is that the reason the Pens have become profitable since the lockout is that while they have increased their revenues (which will go up even more with the new arena), they are at the bottom in expenses, near bottom in both player expenses and non-player expenses. So while we know they have kept their payroll low, it is also clear that they are keeping other operating expenses low as well. Where this factors in is unclear. It could be many things and some of them could impact the performance of the team, similar to how not spending on scouting and development has hurt the Pirates over the last 15 years. If that is the case, let's hope the new arena allows them to spend more on those critical areas as well.

Pens 22nd Most Valuable NHL Franchise

I'm always skeptical of non-sports media diving in and offering their perspective, like the Wall Street Journal's sports articles in their weekend section that are often laughable. But in this case, it's Forbes and it's money and valuations and they've been doing it for some time now so there is some legitimate basis behind the numbers (though Forbes has run into issues/claims of inaccuracies in other sports with their valuations).

As far as the Pens go, they are valued at $155 million, which is 22nd in the NHL and higher than the Islanders, Thrashers, Capitals and Blues among others. The Islanders need a new arena even more than the Pens do. What is interesting is that the Thrashers and Caps play in new buildings but remain very low in valuations. Lack of support from a small fan base is the reason. So when the Pens get their new arena in a couple of years, despite the fact that they will remain in a "small market", their valuation should skyrocket up the list, with the primary reason being the strong and rabid fan base they have cultivated - they recently were ranked as having the third strongest in market brand strength in the NHL by Turnkey Sports and Entertainment. Only Buffalo and Detroit were higher and the Pens came in at #20 overall in all four major sports (and you'll want to check out who is #1 overall).

With a new arena and continued strong fan support the Pens could easily move into the top half of the league in revenue - they could rank with the Lightning, Wild or Senators (though with the Sens only if the dollar strengthens, but that's a whole other conversation).

Pens and Sabres to sport Retro Unis Outdoors

Nice. I was wondering if we'd ever see the old powder blues again.

Pens beat Devils 5-0

Nice game to finish up the road trip. What could have been a very very good trip was merely ok. Finishing 2-2 is fine, but when you blow 2 2-0 leads and lose and not get a single point out of either of them, that leaves a sour taste. If they could have earned even one more point, it would have been a successful trip. Now it leaves them even and preparing for their first showdown vs the new Flyers.

There are a couple of interesting lineup questions that will be answered on Wednesday:
-Sabourin or Fleury vs the Flyers? Hard not to go back to Sabo after a shutout win. But hard to ignore one guy who is clearly in The Flower's camp.

-Will Armstrong get back in the lineup? Laraque played really well and Christiansen had a goal. Who sits?

Also, Mark Recchi looks soooo much better on a third or fourth line than on the first. On the first line you expect him to score, need him to score, and when he doesn't it's glaring. On lower lines, he doesn't need to score, which is good because he hasn't, but he can do other things that contribute to a win and he is doing them whether he is playing on the Crazy 8's line or with Staal and Roberts.

14,032 and almost 80% full at the Rock in Newark last night? Who came up with that number?!?! Hard to believe the Devils deserve a new arena. Now I understand arenas, particularly hockey and basketball arenas, hold other events that benefit the area, but the Devils in Newark just doesn't seem like a great long term answer. Last night was their third or fourth home game in the new arena and it was at least half empty.

What was your favorite goal of the night? All of them were pretty sweet, with possibly Sid's first goal the ugliest. Hall's deflection was one of the best I've seen, if only because the shot was going so wide. Geno's pass from his knees was spectacular. Talbot and Christiansen's 2-1 off a sweet touch pass from Laraque was beautiful. And Orpik's blind pass to Sid was right on the tape. Tough to choose.

What was nice about last night's game was that DirecTV offered both TV feeds for the game. So I had to choose between Steiggy and Bibs or Doc Emrick and Chico Resch. Normally I would choose Steiggy and Bibs, but I like Emrick and think Chico is a good analyst, so I chose to watch them and get a little out of town perspective on the Pens. Also, to be honest, I do not like Steiggy as a play by play guy at all. Maybe I got spoiled with Mike Lange, but can we please do something about replacing Steiggy with Mike again? Having grown up with the Pens in the late 70s and early 80s, I know the history between to two; Mike basically brought Steiggy up in the broadcasting world and then Steiggy goes and takes his job. That's not good, and it's worse because Steiggy is not a good play by play guy. This could and should and will be a whole column because it's borderline criminal that Steiggy is now the TV play by play guy for the Pens while Mike Lange is only on radio.

That said, Doc and Chico last night commented that Geno was having a better game than Sid last night and that he will steal a lot of #1 stars from Sid this year. Which is true and often he is better than Sid. But last night, except for his pass from his knees, I didn't think Geno was spectacular. He has had better games. Last night he tried too many cute moves that led to turnovers that are ok when you're up 4 or 5-0, but would have been horrendous if they were made in the playoffs. I only hope Therrien let him know about that.