Three Rivers Three Links: March 25

Sorry for the delay in today's TRTL. Unfortunately that is probably going to happen at least once more this week as I desperately try to pimp myself out to the local places of business in the hopes of finding a job. I know that's no excuse, so let's get right to today's links.

1. If you haven't yet been introduced to Alyonka Larionov, allow this video of her and Geno Malkin cooking pierogies on Pens TV to introduce you. She is the daughter of former NHLer and Russian legend Igor Larionov and was also rumored to be dating Alex Ovechkin (which may be gross, but also tells us that any one of us has a chance with her as appearances clearly don't mater to this girl). Anyway, there are a bunch of videos doing "The Penguins Show With Alyonka" on the website linked above. Nothing earth-shattering there, but they are pretty fun videos for the most part, and it helps that she is featured prominently in them. As you'd expect, the awkward level on this puppy is about 9.5 out of 10. Geno sticks mostly with Russian and is trying to make lame jokes (and probably get in her pants) for about 90% of the segment, but it's still funny to see. Highly recommended. I don't think either one is going to be getting offers from the Food Network anytime soon.

2. Yahoo! Sports broke a story about UConn making some recruiting violations. Shocker, right? It's amazing to me these types of stories don't come out more often. If you don't think there are all kinds of recruiting violations going on the throught all of college sports you are on naiver S.O.B. Still, I'm not exactly upset or feeling for the Huskies. Jim Calhoun is one of my least favorite coaches ever, and seeing him come under fire will put a wide smile on my face.

3. As if we needed it, we now even yet another reason to love the Pensblog. After some bush-league "documentary" stuff by Puck Daddy that basically mocks Sidney Crosby in addition to being just a generally poorly put-together video. the Pensblog reponds tremendously. That's a good job by them. The video is on the Pensblog site. I'd rather you click there and watch it then go to Puck Daddy and give him the extra hit on his site. There's also an e-mail on another Pensblog post from one of the guys in the documentary who Puck Daddy makes look a little ignorant on the subject of puck thanks to some heavy-handedness in the editing room. Shame on Puck Daddy.

Handicapping the Hart Trophy Race

As I mentioned earlier today, the MVP race has become a definite hot topic as the NHL season starts to wind down. Crazy to think about, but there's just 8 games left in the Pens' regular season. 8! Where the hell have I been all season? I feel like there should be still be 20 games left in the season. At least. The good news is, thanks to the recent scalding hot streak of our beloved puck club, we are sitting in a good position to snag a playoff berth and continue this season onward. In fact, our magic number over 9th seeded Florida is 13 points. (Technically you could say it's 13, but we figure to have the edge in wins if there is a tie, so I'm calling it 12) So any combo in which we pick up 13 points on Florida (either by us gaining a point or them missing out on points) gives us a bid in the post-season.

So with all that in mind, I wanted to run down the lead candidates for the Hart Trophy, two of which just so happen to wear a flightless winter bird on their jersey.

The Candidates (in order of chance to win)

Alex Ovechkin: One of the most hated opposing players the Pittsburgh area has seen in recent memory. Whatever you think of AO, you've got to admit, the guy is goal-scoring savant. And to many voters, it seems like the things that matter the most are media coverage, ridiculous highlight plays and goals. Well, AO is one of the two most hyped players in the league (see if you can guess who the other one is), several of his goals are downright jaw-dropping, and he is far and away the leading goal scorer in hockey. Personally, I can't see how he's had a better all-around season than Geno, though. He is flashier, sure. And he's definitely the better goal-scorer despite the fact that he does shoot a ton more than Geno. You've got to concede that Malkin is the better playmaker, regardless of what team you root for. And I've watched several Caps games this season, and I just am not impressed much by Ovie's defense

Evgeni Malkin: Geno and AO are really the only two acceptable candidates for MVP this season in my mind. There are others I'm gonna discuss, but it boils down to these two. Geno has turned into a very good defender. I'd argue he's only a notch below a Datsyuk now. He's definitely the best defensive forward on the Pens. And somehow I've yet to even mention the fact that he's leading the NHL in scoring by a fairly comfortable measure, a distinction that often gives a big leg up in the race for the Hart. Unfortunately for Geno, the biggest setback to his campaign is something he really can't control too much. You see, the Hart is voted on by Hockey Writers. And what do hockey writers like most and therefore are most likely to vote for? Interesting stories and players. And while Geno is brilliant on the ice, his off-ice demeanor is still very much a work in progress. While he has made tremendous strides in the last 3 years in that regard, he pales in comparison to Ovechkin in this one regard. That, ultimately, will be what costs Malkin the trophy. And to me, that really isn't fair.

Okay, those are the two lead horses, let's take a look at a couple long shots, just for fun.

Sidney CrosbySid the Kid has had a truly excellent season, no question about it. And over the Pens' recent hot streak, he has been at least as valuable as Geno. Which, by the way, is the same period of time when he finally got himself a couple of wingers who aren't best described as "muckers and grinders" and when he finally started playing in a system that takes advantage of the fact that he is the most dangerous playmaker on the planet Earth. Coincidence? I think not. Others may not believe so, but I still think the Sid/Geno debate is still very much alive despite the fact that Geno has definitely been better this season. If Sid gets 82 games with Kunitz and Guerin (if they re-sign him, which I hope they do) next year then we can really start talking about who is the better player.

Zach Parise
One of the most underrated players in the entire sport of hockey. If you were to ask the casual fan of the sport who is second in the league in goals, how many guesses would they need to get it right with Parise? 10? 15? Would they even guess Parise? Would they even know what team Parise is on? Well, hopefully they'd know that last one. Because he plays for the Devils, I think a lot of people are assuming he is a defense-first, trapping guy who is more concerned with preventing goals than scoring them. While he is certainly a very, very good defensive forward and should get a Selke nom, he's definitely not a defense-first guy, either. He's a terrific combo player, and with Marty Brodeur going on the shelf for much of the season, Parise has been nothing short of marvelous when his team needed him the absolute most.

Steve Mason
This kid has been unreal this year for Columbus. He came absolutely out of nowhere and, at just 20 years of age, he is carrying an otherwise mediocre Columbus BJ team into the playoffs in the excellent Western Conference. Two things go against him, though, and guarantee he won't win this thing even though he is as deserving as anyone. He is a rookie and he is a goalie.

Tim Thomas
Thomas was a decent but not spectacular goalie for the past 3 seasons. But now, at the ripe old age of 34 (soon to be 35) he is making the leap into one of the best netminders in hockey. I'm not sure he'll get it because he lacks the history and the pedigree, but this guy deserves the Vezina for being the rock that turned this Bruins team from very good to great. A .931 save % and a 2.11 GAA? Those are insane numbers.

Pavel Datsyuk
I'll never get why Datsyuk isn't mentioned along with the Big 3 when it comes to the best players in the world. The guy is a ridiculous talent, and it's not like all his work comes at the defensive end, either, as I think some would have you believe. He has 360 points in 308 games over the past 4 seasons. That's only a shade below the Sid/Geno/AO triumvirate, and Pavel is without question a better defender than any of those three. Certainly, having a spectacular team around him makes it seem like he is less important than he really is. That guy is a superstar.

The Weekend Recap

It has been a wild run the past couple days in Pittsburgh, lots and lots of little yet exciting things worth talking about

-As I mentioned, I attended my final game in the Oakland Zoo Saturday afternoon against the UConn Huskies. I already talked at length about that game, but it bears repeating: This was one of the best games I've ever been to. The only others I can think of that were even in the same stratosphere were last year's WVU thriller and the 2006 game against Notre Dame when Chris Quinn exploded all over a porous Pitt D for 37 points before the Panthers won it in double OT. Those two games were thrilling because they went down to the wire and had incredibly exciting endings (multiple endings in the ND game's case). This one was thrilling more because of the raucous crowd (the loudest I have ever heard it for an entire game) and the incredibly high level of play.

-I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is as good of a squad as Pitt can ever really hope to have. Sure, the incoming recruit talent level keeps going up, but this squad is perfectly constructed for a big run this month. A spectacular point guard, a dangerous scorer from the wing and a bullish inside man capable of taking over a game at any time lead the charge. They are supported by a defense-first, rebounding grinder who can guard anyone, a slashing 2 guard who is an absolute lockdown defender, two athletic bench guys who can step up at any time and take over starter's minutes and a sharshooting backup guard who can drill it from long range. If this team doesn't break that Sweet 16 barrier (and for the record I think that they easily will) then what Pitt squad will?

-The Big East tournament gets fired up this week, and I really couldn't be any more excited about it. I'll even go so far as to watch the opening round games on the Internet on Tuesday. Should be a grand old time.

-I know I wrote a column and updated it yesterday and everything with this information, but how in the hell does Levance Fields only make it to the third team on the All Big East squads? That is an absolute joke and shows how stupid the Big East coaches really are. Even worse, TWO point guards made it ahead of him. A.J. Price and Jonny Flynn both got outplayed up and down the court by Fields when their teams met. They couldn't carry Levance's jockstrap. That is just downright stupidity and I feel like Calhoun and Boeheim are somehow the root of this conspiracy, though that might just be because of my blinding hatred of both. What a joke.

-While we are on the subject, how dumb is it that the teams are chosen with no regard whatsoever for the positions on the floor? That's insanity. The All Big East first team has a center, 2 power forwards, 2 small forwards and a shooting guard. You know what would happen if that team sat down one of those guys (there are 6 on the first team) and played Pitt or UConn or Louisville in some sort of video game simulation? The All Big East team would get crushed because THEY HAVE NO POINT GUARD!!!! They would have to move McNeal to the point, play Terrance Williams at the 2 and would probably sit down Luke Harangoy (no I didn't misspell his name, I spelled it that way because there is no D in that guy). The second and third team are structured the same way with 2 point guards a shooting guard a small forward and a power forward who really isn't a power forward. Why not structure the All Conference squads at least sort of like a real time with a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, and 2 power forwards/ centers. Why did I structure it as two power forward/ centers? Because there really is only like 4 centers in the whole league, the other teams just start power forwards at the center position. So considering that, here's what I think the teams should look like:

First Team
1 Levance Fields
2 Jerel McNeal
3 Terrance Williams
4 DeJuan Blair
5 Hasheem Thabeet

Second Team
1 Jonny Flynn
2 Wesley Matthews
3 Sam Young
4 Dante Cunningham
5 Luke Harangody

Third Team
1 A.J. Price
2 Earl Clark
3 Da'Sean Butler
4 Jeff Adrien
5 Greg Monroe

Now don't you feel much better about these teams than the other, mismatched squads? I know I do.

-Things are ho-humming along down in Bradenton. One of the stories I read in the paper the other day talked about the Pirates ideally looking to put Nyjer Morgan in the leadoff spot in the lineup. The lineup would likely look a little something like this:
LF Morgan
2B Sanchez
CF McLouth
C Doumit
1B LaRoche
RF Moss
3B LaRoche
SS Wilson
P Maholm

Ugh. I don't even want Morgan to start, let alone get to the plate more often than anyone else on the roster. I was going to go ahead and write something about this, and if they do end up putting Morgan in the leadoff spot, I probably will anyway, but Bucs Dugout beat me to it and said everything and more that I wanted to say. I'm not going to repeat him (at least not yet) so check his stuff out if you want to see what I mean.

-Pitt football released their schedule for the 2009 season, and it seems like a solid slate. There are not 1 not 2 but 3 Friday games, but thankfully they are all away. Personally, I loathe the Friday games and think they diminish what the Big East has tried to accomplish the past few years, but whatever. 1 of the Friday games is the day after Thanksgiving against WVU and I have no problem with that, as that is kind of a cool day for a game. There are 7 home games on the schedule in all, and for once, half the home slate isn't in August and September. They get the token creampuff Youngstown State on September 5 to open the season and then get Navy on September 19. They then get a few weeks away from Heinz Field and play UConn October 10, South October 24, Syracuse November 7, Notre Dame (!) November 14 and Cincinnati December 5. The non-conference schedule also includes road trips to Buffalo (uhm what?) and North Carolina State (solid).

-The Steelers lost Bryant McFadden yesterday to the Arizona Cardinals. Can't say I am surprised, as B-Mc is a solid corner in a market that loves to overpay for corners. However, I was surprised by the contract. McFadden got just a 2 year 10 million dollar contract. I really am surprised that is the best he could do on the open market. I was beginning to get a bit optimistic that maybe he might return, as many teams have already spent a bundle this offseason and somehow McFadden had been passed over and that the Steelers might get him back at a reasonable price. While I don't think 5 million a year is reasonable, I find myself wondering what the Steelers' best offer for McFadden was. I mean what would he have rather signed for: 2 years 10 million with 5 guaranteed or say, 4 years 16 million with 8 mil guaranteed? I don't know what he would have chosen, but the total package in the second option certainly has its upside.

-Speaking of Steelers off-season stuff, here's an interview to check out over at Whatcha Talkin Bout with massive Steelers tackle Max Starks. Definitely worth a listen. There are actually quite a few audio clips over there worth checking out.

-There was an incredibly exciting game of puck yesterday afternoon between the Pens and one of their biggest archrivals, the Washington Capitals. It was a tremendous game, and it was especially vindicating to watch Sidney Crosby steal the show and be the star of the day after the issues last game between Sid and Ovechkin. AO was his usual overly aggressive and pompous self on the ice, and at times I think that hurts the Caps more than it helps. It was also good to see the Pens storm into Washington and get the W and for Sid to be the one to rub it in their faces after the Caps fans tried their best to taunt him. I just love it when fairweather fans like those Caps losers try to act like they are all hardcore. Please. I've been to games in D.C. and seen countless others on TV and this is probably one of the very rare times I've ever seen the Caps fan outnumber Pens fans. And it goes well beyond the ice rink. Remember the absolute no-show by the Skins fans when the Steelers turned their gigantic stadium into Heinz Field south last November? That was tremendous, and spoke volumes about the "support" Washington fans give their teams.

-I've turned into a scoreboard-watching, standing-checking addict the past week or so, and expect that to continue. Coming into this week, here's how things look right now with just 15 games to go for the Pens this season. Here's how things are shaping up right now.
Obviously the Pens have played 1 more game than any of the 3 teams ahead of them, but they also have played the same amount of games as the team 1 point behind them and they are 3 points ahead of Buffalo who has played 1 less game. So they are unquestionably sitting in 8th place right now. That's pretty solid considering where things were a few weeks back.

-We'll finish things up with a bit of a personal anecdote: I'm on spring break this week, and because I have no money and need to interview for some jobs, I'm not in Florida or Mexico or anything. Instead I'm in a weird flex situation between Oakland and my parents' house. It is definitely a pretty strange existence. Oakland is downright deserted, and to tell you the truth I really enjoy it this way. I was at the bar Saturday night and it was maybe 50% of what it typically is and I figure I might be the only person in the house when I head to Hemingway's or Peter's tonight.

So instead of getting hammered every night and running around South Beach with a bunch of similarly aged people on Spring Break, I am laying low in Oakland until I have to head to Philly Wednesday for an interview. I have nothing else to do, so I've started doing some reading. I am now working on Slaughterhouse-Five. I've wanted to read this for some time and am enjoying it so far, though it is definitely a bit strange. Anyone out there have any thoughts on it? Let me know if you do.

Pens Waive Satan; Big Move Coming?

The Pens are going to be awfully short-handed tonight, as Miro Satan was waived earlier AND Sidney Crosby is going to miss his 4th straight game due to injury.

The big news is obviously that Satan was waived. Did anyone see this coming? I sure as hell didn't. It is obviously no secret that Miro has been a bit of a disappointment this season and he is certainly overpaid, but it wasn't like he was useless and a dead weight. He is still a decent enough player to earn some minutes, though certainly not on Sid or Geno's wing. He's just too slow and isn't the right fit for either one's style of play.

So you have to figure there is more to this move, as contending teams don't just waive a guy with 17 goals. This has to mean that Ray Shero is hoping to make another move and add some salary by tomorrow's 3 PM trade deadline. With the 3.5 million off the books, it figures to be somebody of at least pretty big consequence. That surprises me a bit, as I kind of thought the Chris Kunitz addition was going to be it as far as significant pieces, but I'll reserve full judgment until I see just what he has up his sleeve.

I'd also say there is a decent chance Satan gets claimed. The 3.5 million dollar tag is only good until the end of the season, and Satan has a decent enough touch around the net to at least intrigue some teams that are looking to add a complementary piece.

You had to figure there was at least a modest chance that Sid might miss the game tonight. The groin injury is obviously not going away quickly, but at the same time, it's also not a serious injury to get all worked up over. When it's healthy, it's healthy. Until then, there's not much you can do about it.

Top 10 Stories in The Burgh

Well I was gone for the weekend, and it was a pretty interesting weekend to miss, wasn't it? As far as actual games go, I didn't miss anything earth-shattering, but there were lots of little stories going around. I'm always looking for some kind of new gimmick for this site, so let's give this one a shot, and see how it plays out. We're going to count down the top 10 stories that are being talked about in the Pittsburgh sports scene these days:

1. The Pens Are Quickly Making Up Points In The Eastern ConferenceThat's a thing of beauty isn't it? Don't look now folks, but all of a sudden the Pens are in 8th place in the East. Granted they have played more games than the 9th place Sabres, but at least this is a baby step. It is still debatable whether Michel Therrien deserved to be fired, but I'd say it is no longer debatable whether firing him was the right move. Dan Bylsma's up-tempo style and emphasis on fore-checking has reversed the Pens' fortunes, and the players seem to really want to play their asses off for him. Geno has been by far the best player in hockey since Bylsma came on board. Obviously the Pens aren't going to keep on this hot streak for the rest of the regular season, and that is when the real test of Bylsma's coaching will come, but for now the Pens are suddenly back to playing very good hockey and will at least make this regular season stretch run interesting.

2. Pens trade Ryan Whitney for Chris Kunitz and a prospect
For weeks Whitney has been the subject of a tremendous amount of trade speculation, and then Thursday, with very little in the way of serious rumors floating around previously, Whitney was dealt. I had hoped for a bit more of a return on Whitney, but then again, he's been pretty brutal this season and never reached anywhere near the heights most people thought he would. Kunitz had an excellent game against Chicago the other night and is instantly probably the second best winger on the squad behind Petr Sykora. He isn't a force of nature capable of turning around a season by himself, like Hossa a year ago, but he's still pretty good. I was a little surprised they took on as much salary as they did in Kunitz, as he is only slightly cheaper than Whitney, and this also could mean there isn't enough money to bring Sykora back next season.

3. Steelers Sign Chris Kemoeatu and Willie Colon on the first day of free agency
After much speculation about turnover on the offensive line this off-season, the Steelers demonstrated strong confidence in two of their starters, signing Kemo to a 5 year 20 million dollar deal and giving Willie Colon a restricted free agent tender offer that just about assures that he will be back next season. Kemo got extra attention because he reportedly turned down a bit more money from the Jets to stay in Pittsburgh. That's the kind of stuff that gets you fan favorite status around these parts, even if that 4 million/ year seemed a tad high to me at first.

4. Sidney Crosby sits out 3 in a row
Certainly it hasn't been a blow to the Pens that Crosby has been sitting out due to injury, so that is at least one positive aspect of this injury to our Captain. However, it is also obvious that Sid's groin injury is a bit more serious than the Pens originally let on. There is hope that he will be back for the game Tuesday night against Tampa Bay.

5. Pirates Spring Training Games Are Under Way
There isn't exactly one specific topic that has the city as a whole buzzing, but just the general knowledge that the Bucs are starting to play some spring training games is interesting enough for many people. The general buzz may not equal the Pens in-season games or the Steelers' off-season maneuvers, but many Pittsburghers still have a special place in their hearts for the Pirates.

6. Pitt Is Coming Down The Stretch Run In The Big East Season
Believe it or not, the Panthers have just two regular season games remaining. Is it just me, or has this college hoops season absolutely flown by? The last two games will be very important ones for Pitt. Right now, the Panthers could finish anywhere from 1st to 5th in the Big East, and that is a huge difference considering the top 4 finishers in the conference get one of the coveted "double byes" in the truly bizarre Big East Tournament. If they win against either Marquette or UConn (both home games) they lock one up. Or, they have to hope that Villanova loses to either Notre Dame or Providence, and they would also get a double bye in that case. Pitt finishing up with 2 wins against that impressive combo would be a great way to end the season, but we've seen in past Pitt seasons how irrelevant momentum can be when it comes to the Big East and NCAA tournaments.

7. The NHL Trade Deadline Is Looming
The odds are good that the Pens biggest move was the Whitney trade, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are done for good. Ray Shero made a series of minor moves two seasons ago, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him act similarly this season. The Pens appear to be gelling a bit right now, so I suppose there is something to be said for not wanting to shake things up too much, but at the same time, Shero has shown a tendency to always be listening to trade offers and I don't think he'll hesitate to pull the trigger to add a player just because the Pens have a won a few. One surprising rumor that trickled out yesterday involved Martin St. Louis nixing a trade to the Pens. Everyone involved denied that, though, so who knows?

8. Steelers Cut Kendall Simmons
One of the most surprising stories of the week in my opinion. This wasn't even so much as a rumor as far as I could tell. It was perhaps most interesting because it seems to symbolize that the Steelers have faith in Darnell Stapleton to start again in 2009 if necessary. Stapleton has some talent and could turn into a solid starter, but he clearly wasn't fully ready yet. Still, he did start most of the season for the Super Bowl champs. I guess that counts for something, and because he is young you have to figure he'll only get better.

9. The Steelers Other Potential Free Agent Moves
Like I said, the Kemo/Colon/Starks signings likely mean that the Steelers won't be going hard after any starter-quality offensive linemen and that the Steelers will more than likely have the same 5 starters on the O-Line that they had in Super Bowl XLIII. However, I still wouldn't be surprised to see them add an insurance policy. It is a virtual certainty that one of the team's first two picks will be a lineman, but typically only the upper echelon linemen are ready to start as rookies, and I doubt we'll even sniff those types. So it is tough to get too excited about a rookie prospect helping out the defending champs. However, I think the Steelers need to find someone to at least challenge Darnell Stapleton, even if they have every intention of sticking with him. And with Trai Essex potentially leaving town, I think a veteran swingman-type (guy who can play guard or center) with some starting experience and a price tag under 2 million could be on the Steelers' wish list. Not that I have anyone in particular in mind, but I think that type of player would be ideal.

10. What Is DeJuan Blair's Injury Status?
It was pretty damn terrifying to see DeJuan Blair initially collapse in a heap on the court Saturday night against Seton Hall. The replays appeared to indicate that it was just a knee-on-knee hit, which may be incredibly painful, but also is much easier to overcome than some of the injuries we've seen other Pitt players sustain in recent years. Thankfully, Blair did return to the game, but he was pretty tender on that knee and wasn't anywhere near 100%. The early reports are just that he has a hyperextended knee and should be able to play Wednesday's game against Marquette.

Thursday Links

I'm going to be M.I.A. for the next few days as I have some family stuff to attend to, but regular TRS coverage should resume at some point on Sunday. If anything big happens in the Burgh between now and then, this blog will be dark, so don't bother stopping by.

With that established, I thought I'd finish out February with a fresh batch of links, hot out of the oven.

-Thanks to Mondesi's House for this link to a Rob Rossi video clip suggesting the Pens should maybe trade Sid. Hopefully someone took the car keys away from Rob that night. I know he isn't the first, and won't be the last to suggest trading Sid for a load of players, but I can't possibly understand this logic. Sure it may have worked out well for Quebec when they dealt Eric Lindros all those years back, but teams have gotten much smarter and are now much more reluctant to trade top prospects, even if it is for a great player. Remember how great that Jagr deal turned out? How about the Joe Thornton trade? That wasn't as terrible, but it was still pretty bad. So congratulations, your plan is to deal Sid for 30 cents on the dollar, and if you are really lucky, you might get one solid NHL player and one borderline NHLer on your roster. Congrats, I'm sure Geno will love the fact that he is now the only player on the roster then with even mediocre offensive skills. I know Sid has areas where he needs to improve across the board and has had some growing pains this season, but consider a few things: 1) He's 21!!!!! Countless NHL players went on to lead very, very good careers that weren't even in the NHL at 21. He is still young and still has a lot of room to improve. People forget that. He is not a finished product, and if you treat him as such, you are an idiot. 2) The problems go one hell of a lot deeper than Sid. There are so many crappy players on this team it's mind-boggling. 3) The way the NHL is going it's far from a sure thing that the Pens would be able to lure anyone else with even somewhat similar offensive capabilities in free agency using the money saved if they deal Crosby. Please people, I understand the issues some have with Sid, but he is still so young and probably has had to grow up too fast for his own good. Try to keep these things in mind and not get completely and totally irrational when discussing Sid. Also, that Rob Rossi sure has some nice hair, doesn't he? (Giggling to myself). And on another side note, do not, I repeat DO NOT under any circumstance ever google image search "Rob Rossi." I was looking for a shot of him with that hair, and turns out there is what you would call an adult film star of the same name. Yeesh.

-I love the Pensblog. Those guys are the best and always stand up for the Burgh. Nothing better than a good jobbing. And Chris Cooley is a definite d-bag. They also have the funniest and most dedicated readers of any blog I've ever seen, as seen by these photoshops of potential new jobs for Michel Therrien. Word's can't even describe how funny this stuff is. I practically wet myself I was laughing so hard.

-Speaking of loving Pittsburgh blogs, the Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tourney over at Sean's Ramblings is marching onto the Elite 8. Strangely the Pitt Blather made it. I just assumed they only went as far as the Sweet 16. (Wincing at the fact that I effectively just pissed myself off with that joke.)

-Nothing says Spring Training like a sex scandal involving the identity theft of a fringe major leaguer. Who knew it was possible for the Pirates to have one of the most popular stories on Deadspin?

-3 Pirates make the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list. And they are exactly who you'd expect and in the order you'd expect. Also of note, not only is Matt Wieters ranked number 1 overall, of the 10 players picked after the infamous Danny Moskos, there are 7 in the top 100 (including Wieters) and even 3 in the Top 10 overall prospects. If you'll excuse for a minute, I'm off to write my 3,000th piece of hate mail to Dave Littlefield.

-Aaaaand I'm back. That was therapeutic. Anyway, I wanted to link to this article on blogging that I got from the superb Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? It was a very interesting read, and pretty well represents the mentality of myself and a few other bloggers that I've talked to. Sex sells folks. That's all there is to.

-I know there are articles out there about Pitt's loss last night, but I can't bring myself to read them, so I'm not going to bother linking you to them as I have no idea what they say. In fact I avoided national sports all day. No SportsCenter, PTI nothing. I read a book this morning instead of my usual dose of SC.

-Jeff Saturday is apparently actively campaigning for a spot with the Steelers. Saturday is a 10 year vet, but is one of those savvy guys who can be very effective so long as he is healthy. I could definitely se him fitting in after a switch to guard.

-TRS Site Update Part I: I've decided to shelve the Pirate Player Profile feature. Instead of that, I'm going to put together a few big posts detailing what my statistical predictions are for the Pirates. I'm a definite stathead and like to make those types of predictions, but it wasn't that much fun to write those everyday, and I'm fairly certain that no one gave a damn about my thoughts on each individual player. I'm still a rookie blogger, you live and learn.

-TRS Site Update Part II: I'm also working on coming up with some kind of weekly gimmick for the site. That seems to be a reliable niche most of the successful blogs follow. I have an idea or two, and will try one of them out next week. Let me know if you have any thoughts yourself on any of this stuff.

-TRS Site Update Part III: I'd feel bad if I didn't give an extra plug to D.C. Pro Sports Report and Sports Jabber for the ridiculous amount of traffic sent my way over the last 24 hours since my latest Mock Draft was posted. I still can't believe the ridiculous popularity of these sites and the popularity of Mock Drafts in general, I'm definitely thrilled to see it though.

Busy Day In The Burgh

Sorry for the inexcusable lack of a post yesterday, but all sorts of stuff happening in the Burgh, in addition to the usual requirements of the college student's weekend (read: drinking heavily at the bar) made yesterday go by in a blur. So let's recap, in a sorta-chronological way what went down in the last 24 hours:

-The Penguins took the early shift, matching up with the hated Philadelphia Flyers. The game got off to its usual chippy start. The Pens were down 1-zip at the end of the first, but it was gonna take a lot more than that to win this game, so there was still plenty of hope. It was also good to see yet another Godard-Cote fight. Always a good old time there. The second period turned into a dandy, though, as the Pens threw up a 3 spot on the Cryers thanks to unanswered goals from Sid, Geno, and Russie. It was a hell of a period and you had to feel damn good. The Flower was looking good and the D was playing some solid puck. Maybe this Dan Bylsma is the right guy for the job after all.

In fashion typical of this Penguins season, though, this sucker was far from over. Ryan Whitney, who I think was victimized by some Body Snatchers and somehow his body ended up with the abilities of Josef Melichar, practically throws the puck into his own net when he tosses one to Mike Richards on the PK. The Flower gets pwned. The D craps the bed some more and after the Flyers get the game tied up at 4, the Kid has to go to work. Thanfully, Marty Biron momentarily loses his mind, tries to play a puck that comes into his own zone, for some dumb reason picks it up with his glove halfway out to the damn blue line even though Pascal and the Kid are charging and this would be a delay of game penalty. He then somehow only gets dumber, and instead of just taking a two-minute penalty he tosses the puck aside even though he's at least 20 feet from the goal and two Pens are in the zone. Dupuis pokes it to Sid who redirects it into an empty net. Sid goes bananas after scoring just to piss the Filthadelphia fans off a little more. I love it. 5-4 Pens. Ball game.

For the Pens this was a ha-yooge W. They are still 4 points out of 8th, but 8th is no longer the hot Florida Panthers or the tough Buffalo Sabres. Nope, its now the someone-needs-to-take-them-out-back-and-put-them-out-of-their-misery New York Rangers. I'm more worried about catching Carolina than New York. That team's a damn mess.

The Pens played again today in a game that literally just wrapped. We'll get to that in a bit.

-We had a nice little lull yesterday after the big Pens W until 7:00 when Pitt took on the DePaul Detroit Lions...I mean the DePaul Blue Demons. Hmm...let's see Pitt is 24-2, 11-2 in the Big East and number 4 in the country and playing at home in an arena that gives one of the biggest homecourt advantages in basketball. DePaul is 0-for-their-life in the Big East and probably couldn't beat some of the Pitt branch campus basketball teams right now. Needless to say, the expectations for a good game were quite low and they weren't even fulfilled.

DeJuan Blair was a one-man wrecking crew early. He had 50 rebounds in the first half. Maybe not, but it felt like it. The guy is an absolute beast, the best offensive rebounder I have ever seen in college hoops. The Grizzly Blair would play just 23 minutes in the game, putting up a disgusting 20-18 including an obscene 10 offensive boards. You know how many offensive boards the entire DePaul squad had? 4!?! What a mismatch.

This game got so out of hand they even let Gary McGhee play 13 minutes! Jamie emptied the bench at the end, getting minutes for interesting youngsters Ashton Gibbs and Nas Robinson and putting in Tim Frye, Sean Brown, and Ryan Tiesi in the game. This game was so lopsided I think Cassin Diggs could have even gotten in had he not, you know, bolted. The final score may only say a 19 point lead but Pitt could have won this by 50 had Jamie not called the dogs off in the first half. Pitt now travels to Providence for a Tuesday night game against a frisky Friars squad that shouldn't be slept on. But you're asking yourself after this game, where will the Panthers be ranked? 3 probably? Maybe they sneak up to 2? Well, the college hoops scene had a few surprises for us:

-The North Carolina Overrateds... I mean Tar Heels (man I'm having trouble with team nicknames today) took on the Maryland Terps in the Terps' home at the Comcast Center. UM may have some recent tradition but its only been a so-so year for Gary Williams and crew. Not last night it wasn't. Greivis Vasquez blew the doors off the Heels with a sick triple-double line of 35-11-10. And he's a swingman guard. Damn. DeJuan Blair would never allow an opposing guard to snag 11 boards. But Tyler Hansbrough is soft and wildly overrated and the Terps were clearly none too impressed by the Messiah's weak sauce 11-11 night. 11 points in 34 minutes in a game against an underdog on the road when your team needs you? What a stiff. Anyway this sucker goes to the OT and the Terps finish off the Heels 88-85 to slay one giant. What about the other, the Oklahoma Sooners?

-Blake Griffin got knocked silly early on by the Longhorns and you knew that was going to cause some serious issues for the Sooners. Turns out he had a concussion. I can't knock him for not playing through that, that's a toughie. Still the Sooners put up a good effort. Some dude named Willie Warren lays 27 on the Horns. I wasn't aware anyone else knew how to score for the Sooners, I thought it was just Blake. It wasn't enough though as AJ Abrams goes off for 23 points including some serious clutch-ness down the stretch. Longhorns take down the Sooners 73-68. You know what that means, folks. In almost all likelihood the Pitt Panthers will ascend back to the number 1 spot in the country come Monday afternoon. This will be the third week of the season that Pitt is at number 1, pretty amazing considering that it had never happened before in school history. Pretty exciting time to be a Pitt hoops fan.

-And then, there is the bad news. After a glorious day yesterday that left me feeling joyous and wonderful as I threw back a few Hoegaardens, this afternoon was not quite the same. I woke up only about an hour before the Pens game kicked off at 12:30. Perfect. Just enough time to grab a quick shower, call in my Pizza Steak Sub order to Uncle Sam's, trek through the snowy Oakland streets to pick it up and make it back to the apartment in time for the game. Unfortunately, that would be about as happy as I'd get.

Freaking Ovechkin buried one early for the Caps and whooped it up like a D-bag, like always. The Pens evened it up as the suddenly not-terrible Max Talbot tallied one, but the Caps took a 2-1 lead before the period wrapped. The second period would go downhill quickly. The Flower gave up 3 ugly goals in the second before being yanked for Matty Garon. Yikes. The Pens would get a weird goal from the Gonch, who has been very impressive since he returned. I didn't think Gonch would be able to come back so quickly and be so damned good, but he's already taken back his mantle of the top D-man on the squad.

Anyway, the Pens weren't able to get much accomplished in the third, although we did finally establish that, yes, Matty Garon is capable of making a save. He actually wasn't terrible and I could maybe see him getting a start in the next couple games, especially if Flower continues to be so underwhelming. All in all, not a bad couple day stretch, though if the Pens could have somehow managed to wrangle 3 points out of this weekend instead of just 2, that would have been nice. Still, the number 1 team in college hoops will soon call Pittsburgh home, and the Pens are at least keeping us interested and entertained with a more upbeat up-tempo hockey style.

In Honor of Valentine's Day, My Man-Crushes

After watching the Pitt hoops squad put together another win today over the middling Cincy squad that isn't yet ready to contend for the Big East, I'm just not sure I have it in me to write another "Sam Young is the man" or "Levance Fields is the best all-around point guard in college b-ball" or "Pitt's depth is what seperates them from past teams" post. I've written that enough this season, and Pitt didn't prove much of anything today that we didn't already know. A post like that seemed especially pointless because we'll have a real good idea about this Pitt squad after Monday night's showdown with UConn.

So instead I decided to go with a post that had at least a tiny bit of creativity and originality behind it. In honor of Valentine's Day, I put together my top Pittsburgh man-crushes. Don't judge me for it. These crushes are completely and totally heterosexual, they are just my infatuations with some of the many superb athletes in the Burgh.

10 James Harrison- Harrison is the ultimate underdog type of story. He's just an absolute beast on D as evidenced by his DPOY award and has a downright terrifying reputation as being one of the most ill-tempered people in football. He's just such a badass, you have to love him.9 Andrew McCutchen- I couldn't put together this list without at least including a Pirate on here somewhere. And while Cutch isn't technically a Bucco yet, he is the ultimate symbol of hope for this franchise. And in case you don't know, I'm always the optimist when it comes to the Pirates. Plus, this has to be the year he finally makes it to the show, especially with an incompetent like Nyjer Morgan playing left field.

8 Sam Young- Sam I Am has been an athletic marvel for 4 years at Pitt and will go down as one of the better scorers in school history (he holds the school single season record, is 10th in career points and has a good shot at cracking the top 5). He looks to have regained his swagger after some mid-season struggles and is playing terrific basketball right now. And did I mention he has a future in the NBA?

7 Hines Ward- How can you not love Hines Ward? He's the toughest wide receiver in football, is the most decorated receiver in Steeler history, is still putting up terrific numbers as his career has evolved into the form of a crafty veteran, and is almost universally adored by the massive Steeler Nation. And he's always smiling.

6 LeSean McCoy- Shady may not technically be a Pittsburgh athlete any longer, but I had to put him on here. He's one of the most dominant and incredible talents I've ever seen and if he doesn't evolve into a top-notch, 1000-yard rusher in the NFL I will be floored. The guy is a beast and carried Pitt football on his back to one of the biggest upsets in school history and the school's best season in 25 years despite an otherwise dreadful offense. So long Shady, you will be missed, dearly.

5 Troy Polamalu- Troy is one of the most unique and dynamic players in football. There isn't another defender who is quite like him. He changes the entire game of the offense just by dashing around like a mad man pre-snap. The signature long hair only adds to his legend. And when he gets the ball in his hands...look out.

4 Evgeni Malkin- Geno is just an absolute monster out on the ice. He is the best player in hockey, and I just don't see how you can make a winning argument for anyone else right now. The only reason he isn't higher is because he's been kind of a hard guy to connect with the last few seasons. He is starting to open up a bit but still has a ways to go. Still, its been good to at least get a glimpse of his personality in recent months.

3 DeJuan Blair- DeJuan is like the Hines Ward of college hoops. Always smiling, uses his physicality, passion and talent to overcome being a bit undersized, and it's next to impossible to hate him... unless you are playing against them that is. DeJuan gets a boost because of his local roots and because I can never remember a more beloved, more respected, and more connected college kid in the area. I imagine this is kind of what it was like when Dan Marino or Tony Dorsett were playing on their respective Pitt teams a few decades ago.

2 Sidney Crosby- Up until a few weeks ago, Sid would have almost certainly been numero uno on this list. His talent is remarkable, he is incredibly charismatic, is the face of not just his team but his league, and never seems to get shaken by the off-ice demands. He's also the biggest reason the Pens have enjoyed their incredible renaissance and has inspired incredible hope in this franchise and its fan base.1 Ben Roethlisberger- But with his second Super Bowl win a few 13 days ago there's just no way that I can deny Big Ben his rightful status as my number 1 man crush. Ben is the most unique QB in the NFL, a guy whose impact and play can't be quantified by the slightly antiquated NFL statistics. His ability to extend plays and take the right chances at the right time and his uncanny two-minute drill prowess is a sight to behold. I will mainain until my death that there isn't another QB in all of football that could have won the Super Bowl with this particular offense. For these reasons and for so many more Big Ben Roethlisberger is the ultimate man-crush. Not that's there anything wrong with that.Do you have a man crush? Let me know who it is in the comments below or by e-mailing me THREERIVERSPORTS@GMAIL.COM

10 Predictions for the Pens' Second Half

Well, a mostly disappointing first half of the NHL season concluded for our Pittsburgh Penguins last night with a 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes. The Pens sit with 50 points in 48 games, which is a pretty disappointing number and puts them on pace for 85 points for the season, a number that couldn't possibly put them in the postseason. The All-Star Game is of course this weekend, and the Pens don't get back on the ice until a week from today, the 28th of January.

Right now, there appear to be 10 contenders for the Eastern Conference playoffs, and the Pens rank 10th of that bunch. So clearly, something has to go different for the Penguins in the second half, and they need to pick up the pace a bit if they have even the slightest hope of putting together another memorable spring playoff run.

So with all that in mind, here are 10 predictions I am going out on a limb to make for the second half of the NHL season for our Penguins.
1. Evgeni Malkin wins the scoring title, Sidney finishes third with you-know-who sandwiched in between. In case you don't actually know who, I'm referring to Alexander Ovechkin. I think Geno ends up 121 Points, 38 Goals and 83 Assists. Ovie has 114 Points, 55 Goals and 59 Assists, and Crosby has 110 Points, 34 Goals and 76 Assists.

2. Ray Shero DOES get a winger and does rid the Pens of one of their many defensemen, but it's not going to be anyone notable, even if they do end up on Sid's wing. I think, in fact I hope, that Shero freely acknowledges and realizes that this Penguins squad is not on the same caliber of the team from a year ago and thus does not deserve the benefit of gaining a star difference-making piece at the expense of their future. The most likely targets in the event of a blockbuster deal, now that J-Staal has been inked long-term, would be Letang and Goligoski. For one, both of those guys are too important to the current roster to trade away, let alone the team's future. So instead, I'd be willing to bet they make a deal with another potential contending squad, maybe someone out in the Western Conference, and send away a mid-level blue liner like Rob Scuderi, Mark Eaton, or Hal Gill in exchange for a similarly mid-level winger. Not that I have any solutions, but I think this is as good as we can expect from Shero this year.

3. A recently injured offensive defenseman starts playing very well in March and is a key point in a late-season run for the Penguins- And it's not Sergei Gonchar. Instead, I'm referring to Mr. Ryan Whitney. I think part of the reason why the Pens won't be able to seriously consider themselves a championship contender is that there is no way I can see Gonch being at 100% effectiveness by the end of the season. Being away from the game for that long is just too much of a setback, and example numero uno of that is the aforementioned Whitney. However, I think Whitney's mediocre play of late is more because he is still very much in recovery and hasn't come close to being 100% yet. I think having this week off will help, and with a few more weeks after that to get back to form, by March I predict that Whitters will be back to the promising level that once convinced Ray Shero to sign him to a 6 year extension.

4. The Pens struggle for at least a handful of games after the All-Star Break. I don't think this team is ready just yet to get back on track. There have been promising signs, and I'm not saying they will have another long losing streak, but I say they idling along at about .500 puck for at least the first handful of games.

5. Mathieu Garon gets a look in net shortly after the All-Star Break as Marc-Andre Fleury's struggles with inconsistency continue in the coming weeks. Garon plays pretty well. Assuming prediction number 4 is right, I think the Flower is a big reason for this middling performance, as he continues to battle the inconsistency issues that have plagued him all season. Garon steps in for Fleury a few times, at least, and puts together some sound performances that get the local talking heads yapping away about a goalie competition.

6. But, once again, Fleury responds to a challenge by finally playing consistent and playing well in the net as one of the key cogs in a late season run. Much like the Ty Conklin debate of a year ago, Fleury seems to get a fire lit under him by in-house competition. His much-improved play is a big reason why...

7. The Pens make the playoffs as the seventh seed. Fleury wrests the starting job away and makes it all his own and this combined with Sid, Geno, Petr Gunn, Whitters, and the return of a so-so Gonch get the Pens into a playoff spot with a very good stretch from mid-February to the end of the season. The Eastern Conference playoff seeds are: 1) Boston 2) Washington 3) New Jersey 4) Montreal 5) New York Rangers 6) Philadelphia 7) Pittsburgh 8) Buffalo.

8. The Pens pull a first round upset, but exit stage right in the second round. I mean, going off of prediction 7, that would mean a Pens-Caps first round matchup, and really, is there any other way for a Pens-Caps playoff series to end than with the black and gold advancing? I think not. One of my favorite new rivalries gets a big-time new chapter added to it in what I think would be a fantastic, well-played, frisky matchup. Pens take it in 6.

9. Bill Thomas and Chris Minard end up spending the majority of the second half in the NHL. Janne Pesonen doesn't. Given that the Pens still have a fair amount of injuries on the roster as well as some underachievers to boot, I expect Minard and Thomas to get some more chances right after the All-Star Break ends and they are inevitably called back up to the show. I think they both put together solid efforts, Minard maybe even playing well enough to get a permanent spot, while Thomas operates as more of a fill-in once the team gets healthier.

10. The Red Wings beat the Bruins in the Stanley Cup. Okay, I ran out of predictions for the Penguins second half. I mean, ten is quite a few to come up with. So, instead I went with the most obvious area for my final prediction: A Stanley Cup Final prediction. The Bruins are without question the best team in the East right now. The Wings may be a definite second behind the Sharks out West, but they have almost unparalleled postseason experience, which is a definite difference-maker when the two squads meet up for the title. For Burgh fans, I think we'll have to grudgingly root for Boston to grab yet another freaking sports title, thus making them 4-for-4 in the past 4 years in the major sports leagues if it were to happen. I don't think it does, though.

Sid appears to be Okay; Is Day-to-day

We can breathe a little easier, Pens fans. It appears as though our local hockey god, Sidney Crosby, is going to be okay after suffering some sort of leg injury last night against the Capitals. While there is still no word about exactly what type of injury it was or the exact severity of it, Crosby is expected to only miss practice today and potentially the game tomorrow against Anaheim, but after that should be able to return to the lineup. There will be no devastating high ankle sprain to derail his season like we saw a year ago.

I don't have to tell you how good it is to hear that number 87 will return to the Pens lineup shortly, as with the team's season very much in limbo, we need our best players to be at the peak of their powers, and that starts with El Capitan.

The Rivalry Is Officially On

The NHL has been pimping it for 4 seasons now, stories have floated around about cold feelings, and lord knows there is a ton of playoff history there, but until now it all felt a little forced. There should be no question anymore, Penguins-Capitals has definitely become a rivalry now thanks to the antics of one Alexander Ovechkin.

In case you missed it, the Pens dropped a very irritating and frustrating and worrisome game to the now-hated Caps, 6-3. Why was it irritating? Because Ovechkin, who had a monster night, was whooping and hollering and yelling at every chance he got tonight, doing his best to get under the Penguins' skin, and boy was he succeeding. Why was it frustrating? Because most of the Caps' goals, especially in the third period, were not very good goals, and continued to demonstrate the worrisome inconsistencies of Marc-Andre Fleury. It was also frustrating because the Caps committed a number of dumb penalties, and the pens just couldn't capitalize. Why was it worrisome? Because the Pens had about 10 healthy guys at the end of the game. Max Talbot, Rob Scuderi, Kris Letang, and (gulp) Sidney Crosby (genuflecting) all left the ice with injury concerns. Let's hope they are all okay, but all 4 looked to be at least semi-serious, and it goes without saying that losing Crosby for any amount of time would be disastrous.

As I said, this matchup, at least in my mind, has taken the spot of the second strongest rivalry the Pens have, behind of course just the Flyers. Of course it's not all Ovechkin. There's Alexander Semin's now famous disaparaging words about Sidney Crosby to consider. There's Ryan Whitney injuring Ovechkin a few years back, there's the cold war developing between Geno and Ovechkin with Crosby standing up for Geno any chance he gets. All in all, this really has the makings of a terrific rivalry, but that's really for another day and another game.

The fact remains that the Pens dropped yet another game after a nice showing yesterday against the Flyers. I just really wish this team could get itself straightened out. They continue to drive me up a wall with this inconsistency.

I know a lot of people lately have been harping on potentially firing Michel Therrien. And while Therrien also has a large amount of defenders that are in his corner, I think some sort of a change must be made. My suggestion is that this change needs to be in either getting rid of or reassigning Mike Yeo. Yeo is the guy in charge of the power play for the Penguins, and there is no denying that the Pens power play has been an absolute disaster of late. The Pens did manage a power play goal on 5 chances, but they also nearly gave up a short-handed goal on a 5-on-3 advantage. For a unit with as much talent as the Pens, there is no logical way that this team should rank 20th in the NHL. I think something should be done, and overhauling the power play is probably a good start.

Pens Find Their Groove; KO the Flyers

Well we had at least one night where we could forget the woes of the 2008/09 Penguins, and what better opponent to do it against than the hated Filth-adelphia Cryers. As it always against Philly, this one was a physical war that at times resembled more of the forth-coming Steelers-Eagles Super Bowl (whoops I'm not supposed to make that prediction until Friday!) than a hockey game.

Eric Godard and Riley Cote got things going early with a very short, one-sided fight that Godard won, and was probably a little lucky to have the officials step quickly in, because Cote is known far and wide as a comeback kid in these fights. This set the tone, and while there was only one more fight the rest of the game, the hitting was fierce the whole way through.

As for the portion of the game that involved actual hockey playing, the Pens newly formed top line of Sidney Crosby centering Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cooke was clicking on all cylinders for 60 straight minutes. Geno and Cooke both put tallies on the board and Sid assisted both times, and the unit as a whole was wreaking havoc all game long on Marty Biron. It was incredibly encouraging to see that kind of pressure being generated by our top unit, and J-Staal also continued his excellent work since the contract extension, chipping in a goal and playing his usual solid work on the defensive end.

Believe it or not, the Pens are actually still 2 games over .500 right now at 21-19-4, and while those 4 OT losses, technically would push their total losses past their wins, having 46 points in 44 games is over .500 in my book. What this means is that, despite the gloom and doom in town, this team is still very much alive, and very capable of getting right back into the playoff mix if they can bottle some of the excellent they demonstrated tonight. The 8th place Canes have just 1 more point then the Pens in the same amount of games, and we are still just 10 points out of first with a game in hand on those first place Rangers. All very encouraging figures when you think about how bad this tailspin has been.

Now, I'm not saying the Pens are out of this slump, because I've said that previously on this site, and was quickly proven wrong, but a win like this one is the sort that gives a serious glimmer of hope to the players on the roster. We should get a good idea about any possible carryover momentum pretty quickly, as the Pens taken on their sudden rivals, the Washington Capitals, tomorrow for the start of a critical 5 game home stand.

Go Pens.

Pens Finally Get a W

After a 5 game losing streak, the Pens, at long last, somehow managed to pull off a win tonight over the Thrashers, 3-1. Needless to say, this one was met with more relief than excitement on the part of the Pens fans, and in all likelihood, the Pens themselves.

While watching the game at the bar, most people celebrated the win with sighs of reliefs, "Thank God"s and "Whew"s. Not exactly what we want to feel as fans after beating a team that was 11 points behind us coming into tonight's game.

Tonight's heroes were Geno, Petr Gun, Sid, and Flower. And frankly if the Pens were going to get a W, you just knew it was probably going to have to be these 4 that would do it for them. The three stars and the one veteran who is actually producing. Let's hope that these 4 can keep up the good work and get this team on a nice little win streak. Don't forget, despite the win tonight, the Pens' little slump has put them in 9th in the Eastern Conference at the midway point in their season.

The power play for the Pens started clicking again tonight thank god, with a pair of goals after an 0-for-about-1000 effort of late. This was encouraging to see, and while I didn't notice a ton different in terms of strategy (Geno was still playing far away from the net, which I hate), I do like having Sid planted in front of the net. He may not be your typical in-front-of-the-net guy shoving guys out of there and causing all kinds of hell, but he is crazy talented and is probably the best one on the team at deflecting shots in front of the goalie. Let's just hope he doesn't catch an errant puck like poor (not in a monetary sense) Bugsy Malone.

Luckily, the Atlantic Division has been very tough and very parity-stricken this season, as the Pens find themselves just 7 points out of 1st in the division. Ifthe Pens are able to start up a win streak that rivals their recent losing streak (I know this is a definite stretch after just one win, but stay with me here) they will be fighting it out with the Rangers, Flyers, and Devils for that top spot.

For now, let's not look that far ahead, let's just be glad that (hopefully) our Pens hit their lowest point and are now on the way back up. We'll learn more Thursday night when they visit Nashville. Another solid performance and a W and there is definite reason to be encouraged.

Check back tomorrow for a full-team report card for the mid-season grades.

Another day, another terrible Pens game

Surprise surprise the Penguins crapped the bed yet again. I know that the common spiel in town of late has been to absolve Mikey Therrien of wrongdoing, and while I was agreeing with that for a while, my feelings are starting to sway after watching this team tonight.

I came home a little late, but figured that since I was only about 10 minutes late I wouldn't have missed anything. OF COURSE NOT! The Rangers were up 1-zip already and I promptly changed the channel. I just couldn't deal with it. I kept an eye on the box score on ESPN.com and decided to flip back at the start of the 2nd period, thinking maybe a fresh start to a period would help me. Well, I didn't change the channel this time but it certainly wasn't any prettier.

The Pens were playing sloppy, taking penalties (Sid had 4 PIM in the second period!) and just generally looked like they were ready to call it a game already. They managed to survive for a while, but the Rangers inevitably got up 2-0 late in the second.

I strongly considered switching after the second, because I could just tell there was no way the Pens were coming back. But I was curious to see how they would respond against a frequent opponent/rival in a desperate situation, so I stayed tuned in, and was treated to 20 more minutes of revolting hockey.

The third period saw the Rangers mostly just play conservative and go into a shell, and the Pens were quite obviously not at all interested in taking advantage of this in any way, shape, or form. They mustered just 7 shots in the third period and were shut out by King Henrik.

But back to Therrien. I'm not saying its time to string up the noose that, if it isn't tightening, is at least placed gently around his neck at this point. What I am saying is that, if the Pens continue in this free-fall, people in this town need to stop giving him a hall pass. The coach of a team with this much talent at the top should be held to a much higher standard.

The Pens have shown very little passion or fire of late. Sure they have shown signs of frustration (the fighting), but this has not been the spark that it should be. Instead, someone just fights and the rest of the team stands around watching for a few seconds and goes back to playing crappy hockey. This is just unacceptable.

And its not like its just that the team isn't responding to Therrien, some of these moves he's making in the lineup are headscratchers. I've long hated the lets-put-a-defender-in-as-a-forward idea that Therrien has used in the past and has used of late. Just because we have too many defensemen that all feel they should be playing does not mean they HAVE to be playing. To be honest, I don't think anyone on this squad has the right to demand anything right now. And certainly, on a team that can barely score a goal right now, I don't think adding more defenders to the lineup helps at all.

And while we're on the subject of the defenders, after an embarassing offensive performance, why does Therrien go and scratch Alex Goligoski tonight? Uhmm... Mikey, Go-go has been by far our best offensive defenseman so far this season (it really isn't even close in my opinion), and for a team that is badly missing Sergei Gonchar's offensive presence, it is the ultimate stupidity to scratch your best offensive defenseman. Just an indefensible move by a coach obviously grasping at straws.

Speaking of grasping at straws...how does the pull-the-goalie-with-4-minutes-left strategy make any sense? Has it ever worked. I know they were down 3-zip and out of the game at that point, but I can't see how that 6th skater was really worth it. Again, just a move that is reeking of desperation from a coach that clearly thinks his head is on the chopping block.

Look, I'm not saying this tailspin is Therrien's fault. No, it goes much, much deeper than that. But it seems to me that Therrien is coaching like a desperate man and is making a bad situation much worse with moves that just don't make a whole lot of sense. If this keeps up, I don't see the Penguins have many options except to make their own move of desperation: a head coaching change.

Pens Get 2 All-Stars, Give Up 6 Goals

That headline is a microcosm for the Pens season isn't it? The team is littered with star caliber players, including 2 super-duper-stars, yet right now they aren't even a freaking playoff team. I mean how do the Panthers, one of the least effective offensive teams in the sport, go off for 6 goals? Right now this team is absolutely unwatchable. And what in the world is Sidney Crosby doing right now? What kind of captaincy is that? 21 minutes worth of penalty minutes wracked up to the team captain!?! How is that helpful?

Something drastic has to happen with this squad and it has to happen right now. I honestly have no idea, except to say that I think the roster needs to be shaken up a little. Its pretty evident these guys aren't enjoying playing together right now, and the chemistry on this team can best be described as toxic when things start going poorly.

I also know that while this isn't necessarily Mikey Therrien's fault, it's also not exactly speaking volumes about his coaching ability, and unless the Pens pull out of this disgraceful tailspin pretty soon, someone is going to have to take the fall for this, and that someone figures to be Therrien.

2008 Pittsburgh Athlete of the Year

With a New Year now upon us, I thought I'd take a look back at the past year in Pittsburgh sports with a few different angles, the first of which is the 2008 Pittsburgh Athlete of the Year. I used only games that took place in 2008, so that meant having to cut in half the seasons of the Penguins and Pitt basketball. We're gonna count this puppy down, 10 to 1, with a few honorable mentions at the end. I measured it on a sort of MVP basis, factoring a hybrid of the team's success and the player's performance and importance to that team's success. So here we go:

10 Scott McKillop
I was torn between McKillop and James Farrior for the final spot in my top ten, but decided he earned it after earning Big East Defensive Player of the Year Honors, All-American status, a Day 1 draft spot, and being the defensive leader for the most successful Pitt team of the last quarter century. Despite a loss in the Sun Bowl to Oregon State, McKillop's defense was nothing short of spectacular for the final day of 2008. That cemented this spot for the hard-nosed tackling machine.

9 DeJuan Blair
The best basketball player from the 4-1-2 area code in ages had a freshman season to remember, and has stormed back to start his sophomore season with even bigger and better results. He was a huge key to the Big East championship season last season for Pitt, and his work on Roy Hibbert in the title game was wildly impressive. If Pitt could just make it past the second or third round of the NCAAs Blair would become a Pitt legend. Let's hope 2009 sees a jump up these standings for Blair.

8 Marc-Andre Fleury
Fleury was essential to the Penguins' run of success during last year's Stanley Cup final run, and I would argue he was actually the MVP during that stretch. Unfortunately for him, he has been injured for two long stretches, missing just about 3 months of hockey during the 08 calendar. Otherwise he would have been a serious contender for that top spot.

7 LeSean McCoy
The debate over whether LeSean McCoy will stay at Pitt for what figures to be a sensational 2009 Big East season or become a First Round pick in April will rage on until after the deadline for that passes. As a Pitt fan, you have to hope he comes back, but at the same time, it could be tough for him to pass up the guaranteed millions, and surely no Panther fan would blame him for going pro if that's his decision.

6 Sam Young
Sam I Am put together a record-setting scoring pace in the 2007/08 season for the Pitt basketball team, and has continued on that tear to start this season. Young has seamlessly shifted to the small forward position and is poised to make a serious run at a future in the NBA. Young was the star in leading Pitt to the Big East Tournament Championship and remains the most important player for third ranked Panthers. This is a big season for Pitt and for Young, as both need to show they are of high enough caliber to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and anything less than an Elite Eight or Final Four bid will be considered something of a disappointment. For his part, Young is showing more ability as a leader than ever before, and is certainly much more outspoken on and off the court.5 Troy Polamalu
For the first time in ages, Troy Polamalu spent an entire season healthy, and the difference in him was shocking. He was an absolute force of nature for the Steelers, and I believe he will eventually single-handedly re-define the safety position as we know it. He demonstrated ball hawk skills that only Ed Reed possesses, and is a terror for any QB to see shifting around across the line of scrimmage.

4 Ben Roethlisberger
Yeah the numbers aren't really there like they were a year ago, but there's no denying Ben Roethlisberger's incredible importance to the Steelers. The guy just flat out wins ball games, and that continues to be a trend even while naysayers the nationwide question just how good he is. His fourth quarter comebacks have become near certainties in the postseason. He was disappointing in the lone postseason game of the calendar year, all the way back last January 5th, but he'll be getting another shot in 10 days at Heinz Field, and his reputation as a budding big-game superstar will be on the line as always. The offensive talent and the offensive playcalling that are provided to assist Roethlisberger deserve no part of a 12-4 season and a division title, but Big Ben has lifted this unit to where they are now, even if the defense is really the most important and most feared part of this team.

3 Sidney Crosby
Sid was nothing short of magical in last season's playoff push. He and Geno combined to be a force of nature that no team could match. He has been quite good this season as well, but like teammate Fleury, Sid's candidacy is knocked down a bit due to injury. He has also clearly been the second best player on his own team this season, so its hard to place him a whole lot higher than this. I will be interested to see how Sid plays in the coming months down the stretch run for a Pens team that is having a bit of an identity crisis these days. Another magical playoff stretch would also do a lot to enhance his legacy, so stay tuned folks.

2 James Harrison
It was a tough call to put Harrison at the number 2 spot here, but with little postseason success it's hard to make him number 1. Still, Harrison put up a new sack record for one of the most legendary defensive franchises in NFL History. He's one of the top 2 or 3 favorites for the Defensive Player of the Year award, has back-to-back team MVP awards, and is a lock for another All-Pro selection. Few guys are also as dominant as Harrison can be when he is on a hot streak. He is a little on the streaky side, though, and there are those who will argue that he isn't even the biggest difference maker on his own unit, and that Troy Polamalu is really that guy. Still, Harrison's pass-rushing and athleticism and eye-popping stats make him a very hard figure to ignore.
1 Evgeni Malkin
There's little question that, for the most part, Evgeni Malkin has been better then Sidney Crosby for the 2008 calendar year. The points comparison, partially due to Sid's injury, isn't even close, but even when both are healthy, Geno has easily outscored Sid and everyone else this season. Malkin was huge for much of last season's Stanley Cup run as well, but some illness issues left him hindered and ineffective for parts of the Philly series and most of the Stanley Cup. It's also been a little concerning to see his goal-scoring drop off a little this season. But a year ago the debate over best hockey player in the world would have come down to Sid and Ovechkin and hardly anyone would have thought to even include Geno in that discussion. Now though, it's difficult to imagine anyone but him being the logical choice for that mantle. Much like Sid, it's going to be a very interesting few months for Geno as the Pens gear up for the playoffs and try to get out of the slump they find themselves mired in. If Geno stays healthy and consistent, he figures to put up 120+ points and nab his first Art Ross trophy and maybe even a Hart Trophy to accompany it. Let's hope he adds a ridiculously oversized Cup to that awards list.


Honorable Mention:
Petr Sykora- Petr Gunn has consistently been the third best scorer on the Penguins for the last calendar year, and gets bonus points for one of the most memorable moments in Penguins history with the winner in the 3OT thriller against Detroit.
Ronald Ramon- One of my all-time favorite Pitt b-ball players probably shouldn't make this list, but I just couldn't help myself. And he earned points for the winning shot in the best basketball game I've ever attended.
Hines Ward- One of the all-time great Steelers added to his legacy with a suprising 2008 campaign with over 1000 yards and 80 receptions, as well as picking up his 800th career reception.
Nate McLouth- I wanted to at least put a Pirate on the honorable mention list, and he is really the only acceptable option.
James Farrior- The Steelers' defensive captain started the season with a nice contract extension and had a great 2008 season to reward the Steelers for their loyalty, making it back to the Pro Bowl.

Pens Lose a disaster of a game; What is going on with this team?

Wow, when I picked last night's game out of the lineup of choices when we were splitting up the season tickets, I certainly didn't expect this. I figured that it'd be cool to see all the old ex-Pens in town coached by the Mullet Man himself. But I also pretty much knew that this Lightning team, barring Steve Stamkos turning into the next great rookie (which he hasn't at all) and Martin St. Louis reverting to the player he was a few years ago (which he hasn't at all), this Lightning squad was going to be a mess and that the Pens would take care of business against their former mates and I'd get to cheer this guy one more time before I had to start rooting against him:Well, I was half right...

In one of the most pathetic displays of hockey I have ever seen, the Penguins mustered a god-awful 15 shots, and I would say that nearly half of them were just pucks thrown at the net to try to get something going, and never had any real shot of going in. To show just how terrible the offense was, this is the first time that I can ever remember a goalie (Tampa's Mike Smith) putting together a shutout and NOT BEING ONE OF THE 3 STARS! This Pens team just looked like they hadn't finished their holiday shopping and wanted to make sure this game ended as fast as possible and as many people were driven away from the Igloo early because of the stench of their play so the postgame traffic would be minimal for them.

What's really concerning is this video from the Pensblog of Michael Therrien's postgame news conference. Guys are complaining on the bench? About what? How terrible every single person on the roster is playing? Not one guy on that team (except poor Flower that is) has the right to complain after that stinkbomb. 17,000+ fans have every right to complain and to ask for their money back. We paid good money to see a hockey game between two NHL clubs, not an AHL-caliber club play a hockey game while the Pens were apparently under the impression this was a morning skate session. You can tell from the video that Therrien is just absolutely disgusted by this team right now, and when he's been like that in the past, it often results in some serious lineup shakeups and some good old fashioned ass-whipping in practice, and I expect to see similar actions taken in the coming games.

I mean something has to be done here, right? 15 shots against THE WORST F-ING TEAM IN HOCKEY?!?!?! How does a team with the so-called "2 best players in the world" let that happen? I'll tell you how, because the two best players in the world, are not being aggressive enough right now, they're not shooting, and when they do shoot, it's involving about 1 or 2 too many passes and a few too many dekes and not nearly enough just firing a slap shot at the net at 100 mph. Do you realize the Pens have outshot their opponents just 12 times in 34 games this year, and just 3 times in their 11 December games? If you have two offensive forces of nature like Sid and Geno, you should be outshooting your opponent every single night, no excuses.

The problem I think starts with these two though. Sid has always been the unselfish one, but Geno didn't use to be this unselfish (at least not that I can remember). Last night he was skating in on Smith on a sort of breakaway and instead of taking a hard shot at a hapless goaltender like Smith, he left the puck for Sid who was skating in behind him. The only problem was, by the time Crosby got there, there were two Lightning players right in front of him, and he had no choice but to take a lousy shot. I mean what the hell kind of hockey is that? Congrats Geno, you made a no-look pass to the trailer, but passed up a good shot to give another guy a crappy one. Good job. There was a time last year, when Gonch and Whitters were healthy, and Hossa was still here, and Malone was here causing havoc in front of the net, when making an extra pass or two ended up being wildly beneficial to this team because everyone on the top two units and on the power plays could handle the puck extremely well and Bugsy was always standing on the doorstep looking for deflections and putbacks, which made the Pens shots on goal typically more valuable and effective, so it was okay to shoot a little less if they were higher percentage. But with the caliber of player on this team now, it's no longer okay for Sid and Geno to make these cross-pass ices when they have a half-decent angle at the net. I can't tell you how many times last night I witnessed a Pens player bungle a pass in his direction. It was like watching an entire team filled with Kris Beechs and Josef Melichars. And yet our two playmakers kept feeding these guys the pucks over and over again. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If that's the case, it's time to lock Sid and Geno up in Western Psych, because that fits what they are doing to a T.

Crosby is the leader of this team, so I'm holding him most responsible for what's going on right now, as should everyone. I mean yes, his numbers are very good this season, but what I saw last night and what we've all seen in the last month, is that something just isn't right with this team. Look, I know Crosby is never going to be Ovechkin-esque in shooting the puck. I've accepted that, but as the leader of this team, he needs to understand that his role has changed from what it was last year. When he has the right players with him, he is the best setup man in the business, but when you are playing with guys who can barely control the puck let alone put it in the net, it's time to throw that role aside and become selfish. Like any great leader, Sid's role needs to adapt to whatever the team needs it to be, and right now, that role is of a goal scorer. He's shown flashes of it in the past, but it's time for him to sustain this role and become the force of nature the Pens need him to be. And if he can't do it, then Geno needs to become the focal point of this offense and of this franchise. Sorry Sid, I love you and you'll always be the leader, but if Geno can turn back into the 50-goal guy I thought he could be last season, then right now he is much more important than you, and you both need to understand that.

Oh, one final tidbit: What's with the booing of Ryan Malone last night, Pittsburgh? Really, we're going to boo a native son who submitted one of the all-time tough guy performances in last year's Stanley Cup and was a key contributor on one of the best teams in franchise history because he cashed in for a truckload of money? I mean, that's ludicrous. Look at that picture above one more time. This guy should be given a standing O everytime he's seen in the Burgh. And I know, he was stirring things up early on and got called for a penalty for pushing around some Pens, BUT I DON'T CARE! DON'T YOU EVER BOO RYAN MALONE AGAIN!