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.

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.

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.

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!

Live Bloggin Pens/ Flyers

1:06 Welcome to the Three River Sports Live Blog of our beloved Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Filth-adelphia Cryers. The tensions are always high in these games, and we'll be watching closely to see if Sidney Crosby's personal declaration of war on the Flyers continues. Ever since that Derian Hatcher dirty hit knocked out some of Sid's teeth and made bleed all over the ice, Sid has been transformed against Philly into a one man wrecking crew. Sid has something in common with his landlord, Super Mario in that they both own NHL teams, all Mario's is financial ownership of the Pens, whereas Sid just flat out owns the Flyers on the ice. Should be a good one.

1:08 Marc Andre Fleury is still out, though he is in uni at least, as Dany Sabourin gets the start. Flyers win the faceoff and away we go.

1:10 With Sean Avery now out of the division, I think it's safe to say that Scott Hartnell is now my least favorite player and the guy that, if he suffered a career-ending injury tomorrow, I would be most excited about hearing. Just a dirty player with no real skill or ability whatsoever. Anyway, Geno takes a BS holding penalty. This already looks like a war in the making.

1:12 Looked like Mark Eaton was going to head to the box for firing one over the boards, but turns out just milliseconds before that, Joffrey Lupul held Jordan Staal. Not only do the Pens avoid being down 5 on 3 for a few seconds, they get a power play of almost 1:50. Good times! Let's see what they can do.

1:15 The Flyers PK outshoots the Penguins PP 2-zip. Not good times. And almost as soon as the Pens' power play ends, we have yet another penalty, this time on Matt Cooke for holding, as Jeff Carter started whining worse than Jim Boeheim after a Syracuse foul.

1:17 Joffrey Lupul puts the Flyers up 1-0 about 6 minutes into the first. A shot goes wide of Sabu, and for some reason he flopped down trying to make the save. Lupul grabbed it behind the net and stuffed it in. Paul Steigy is talking about the Flyers having a guy in the crease. Not sure about that one, and FSN of course doesn't show a replay after Steigy makes this statement to see if its true or not.

1:20 Okay yeah there was a guy in the paint for the Flyers that the official didn't call anything on. To be honest he didn't impede Sabourin at all though I don't think. Still, that's Cryers hockey for you.

1:23 Pens on the man advantage again. 4 penalties already, and of course the Flyers get another PK shot. Ridiculous. The Flyers are the most aggressive PK team I've ever seen I think. Logically that should mean the team on Power Play should be able to take advantage of this aggression, but that just doesn't seem to ever happen.

1:25 Jeff Taffe and Connor James both see time on the power play. Evidently the other 10 forwards all have food poisoning or something.

1:26 AHHH! Another penalty on the Pens. The Flyers special teams are superb. The Pens are a better 5 on 5 team, but I don't see how they can beat Philly in this kind of a game.

1:29 Good Lord, another Flyers goal, 2-0 Filth adelphia. Mike Knuble gets the goal after Mike Richards was given all kinds of time and space on an absolutely hideous PK effort by the Pens. This is my first Pens live blog, and if this keeps up it will be my last, too.

1:33 Hey it's another penalty, this time on the Flyers, though the way the Pens PP has played, I don't think it matters. And oh good! An interference call against Petr Sykora to even things up even though the refs blow two tripping penalties that should have been called on the Cryers. Nothing gets my blood pressure up to unhealthy levels like watching a poorly officiated hockey game.

1:39 The Flyers are just doing what they please in the offensive zone, getting things set up and moving the puck effectively. The Pens meanwhile are a hot mess when they get in the offensive zone, as the dump and chase has been their most effective tool thus far. Just hideous. Mikey Therrien is going to have some choice words at the intermission I think.

1:41 Ouch! A nasty looking hit on Ruslan Fedotenko, who got his head smashed into the boards. A moment later Fedotenko appears to be wide open on a breakaway but somehow ends up offside. Not his best shift.

1:43 End of the first period, I'll be back for the start of the second, 2-0 Flyers. The Pens need to change things up somewhere if they're going to get back into this one.

2:00 And we're back. The big intermission story was about sharpening the players' skates. Didn't take long for the well to run dry for Penguins stories at FSN.

2:04 Pens continue to be about as coordinated as diarrhea. I'm growing concerned here, as that offense just likes totally impotent right now.

2:06 Bob Errey makes a good point (imagine my surprise) about Dany Sabourin making plays on shots he doesn't have to because they are wide or high. This led to one of the Flyers earlier goals. They say its a potential confidence issue. Worth keeping an eye on.

2:09 Put on the board! J-Staal sneaks one behind Marty Biron for his 10th of the season! The Flyers lead is cut to 2-1. Tim Wallace, Ruslan Fedotenko and Alex Goligoski make that play happen for him as it started back at the other blue line and Rus and Golo both get assists on that one I believe. Wallace was as important as any there though and has faired pretty well in his 2 games since being called up.

2:12 Tim Wallace apparently comes from a long line of snow bowlers up in Anchorage Alaska. Good thing you're there Dan Potash.

2:16 CRAP! 3-1 Flyers, as Mike Richards reads a telegraphed play like he's Antonio Cromartie or something and takes it to the house on Sabu, who is having some issues out there it seems. That wasn't really his fault, though.

2:19 CRAP Part Two! 4-1 Flyers, and Scott F-Ing Hartnell scores for the Flyers. Nothing pisses me off as much as seeing that D-bag scoring a goal. This one is getting ugly.

2:25 Connor James takes a nasty spill in front of the Flyers net after being shoved down. What's more notable than yet another non-call from the refs (whose jerseys should probably be orange and black striped) is that there is little friskiness from the other Pens on the ice after this.

2:28 In a wildly transparent effort to get us fired up, Errey and Steigy spend a good deal of time ignoring the on-ice action and talking about the record-breaking pace of comeback wins this season in the NHL. Of course, this team looks half asleep right now and will need some kind of spark in order to get back in this game. So far they've shown little sign of a pulse.

2:30 Good lord another freaking Flyers goal, 5-1 now after Geno gives up a bad turnover and the rest of the Pens stand around staring as Mike Knuble rules in a pitiful shot past Dany Sabourin who is doing his best impersonation of the Dany Sabourin who gave up 4 goals in a period in his first ever game with the Pens.

2:33 In play typical of the most despicable city on the planet, a few Flyers knock Matt Cooke around with some cheap shots, the refs who apparently all wagered heavily on Philly today, call absolutely nothing and play continues even as a near fight is erupting in the corner. And, in typical fashion of the inhabitants of the 9th circle of hell, the Filth adelphia fans start chanting "Crosby sucks" as Sid comes over to help Matt Cooke while his useless teammates stand around doing nothing. Seriously what is going on with this Penguins team chemistry?

2:35 Mercifully, the period ends. I'm thinking we may see Marc-Andre Fleury in the third period. I mean why not at this point? Let him go out there and shake off some of the rust. And for some reason, Bob Errey thinks MAF has a shot at making the All-Star team even though he's third on his own team in Save % and is well behind Carey Price in the fan voting, because Errey is rooting for Flower to get into the game so he can get closer to qualifying for all-star play. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of his. I'll be back for the third.

2:38 Uhmm...Dan Potash, why are you interviewing Scott Hartnell?!? Way to know your audience there FSN. The last person on the planet earth I want to hear from there is Scott Freaking Hartnell. The only way I would've wanted to see that interview is if Potash was setting Hartnell up for a sniper to pick off or something.

2:52 We're back here and ready for the third period. If the Cryers get up 6-1, I'm probably going to pull the plug on this thing, as I just really don't know if I have the heart to write about a blowout loss to our archrivals. We'll see. And by the way, for some reason, Marc-Andre Fleury is not in the game. I guess maybe they're still not 100% on him being able to play, but as Bob Errey points out, there shouldn't be any doubt about Fleury's health if they were willing to send Curry down today. I don't know, this seems like the ideal time, but they'll have 4 days until their next game to get Flower ready, so I guess that's enough for the Pens.

2:58 Pens don't have a shot in the first 6 minutes of the third period, and as Errey and Steigy have pointed out about 20 times in the last few minutes, our boys just look flat tired out there right now. They look ready for that nice break.

3:02 Seriously someone needs to take that Potash-talking-with-an-actual-Penguin commercial out back and shoot it. In fact we should probably do a similar thing with Potash himself. Can you tell I'm a little grumpy? Yeah.

3:04 Finally some heated moments. Mike Richards goes over to get in Matt Cooke's face about Cooke's earlier hit on Kimmo Timonen. Richards partically shat himself when he realized Cooke wanted to throw down and quickly looked around for backup. Sid came blistering over and jumped on top of some useless Flyers player. And of course, all the demon spawn sitting in the Wachovia Hell hole are chanting "Crosby sucks." We all know you're jealous that we have a once-in-a-generation Canadian talent who actually panned out, unlike Eric "The Human Concussion" Lindros. Seriously, how long before the city of Filth Adelphia is just walled up and forgotten about like New York is in that old "Escape from New York" movie? It needs to happen. Nothing even remotely useful comes from there.

3:09 HOLY CRAP! Eric Godard scored a freakin' goal! Just as I was about to call it day with this blog, Godard scores and allows me to say I was here for a truly historic moment. 5-2 Flyers now, and that is a pretty god awful moment for the Flyers team a whole. Godard might be the least offensively talented player in the NHL. And almost as importantly, Geno gets an assist to up his league leading total.

3:15 Looks like Russie Fedotenko may have been injured more than I thought on that earlier dirty hit. He hasn't returned to the lineup it turns out, which explains why Godard was playing with Geno.

3:18 Eric Godard and Scott Hartnell go toe to toe and Hartnell goes down in a hurry there, clearly wanting no part of Godard and instead turtles up almost instantly. Seriously Hartnell, grow a freaking pair.

3:20 As Errey points out, Godard is now an assist away from the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Unfortunately, he got an additional 2 minutes onto his penalty and won't be returning unless the Pens pull off a miracle and take it to OT. Too bad.

3:21 Freakin Jeff Carter tips in a Lupul shot and it's 6-2 Filth Adelphia. Rough day for the Pens penalty kill and for Dany Sabourin. Let's hope thats the last of the day.

3:23 Tim Wallace nearly bats one in for a goal, but Marty Biron won't help a brother out. Too bad that would've been a cool thing to see, as Wallace is playing pretty well.

3:26 Well so much for Russie Fedotenko being out, he somehow snuck back in there and puts a goal on the board, 6-3 Flyers with less than 2 minutes to go. Jeff Taffe and Petr Sykora get the assists for the Pens.

3:28 And that will do it from the Wachovia Hellhole, 6-3 Filth adelphia Cryers top our beloved Pens. The Pens just look flat beat at this point and I'm sure will savor their next few days off as they try to climb out of this funk they've been in of late.

While today certainly didn't go as planned, here's a little reminder for us Pens fans of that little showdown from last spring:
I'll be at the Pitt game tonight folks and will give you an update tomorrow on what I saw from the team, and will have a preview of the Steelers and Baltimore Biridies up tomorrow as well.

Penguins Go Off on the Hapless Islanders

Wasn't it just a week ago that Petr Sykora had his roughly 10 millionth 2-goal game, and people were lamenting how he just couldn't seem to get that elusive hat trick? Well.... so much for that, eh? Petr went off last night with a 4 point, 3 goal night against the Islanders whose goaltenders were so terrible I think they were considering signing Goldberg from the Mighty Ducks this morning to replace one of those bums.

And seriously, how pissed must Pascal Dupuis be? Obviously he's not ACTUALLY mad, but I mean he picked the wrong game to snag his first career hat trick, as everyone is too busy fawning over Sykora finally getting over the hump to notice that Pascal had a heck of an evening himself, doubling his season goal total in one night.

Anyway, I hadn't covered the Pens in too long, so here are some random thoughts on our beloved ice hockey squad.
-Just as I was getting ready to make a "can somebody please check Miro Satan's pulse?" joke after a dreadful 1 goal 2 assists over 9 games stretch, he goes and equals those numbers in last night's domination.

-Chris Minard, Jeff Taffe, Tim Wallace and John Curry all on the Penguins at the same time? Is it really any wonder why this team has been having a bit of a rough stretch prior to their game against the AHL's newest team, the New York Islanders. It seems like half the roster is on the verge of coming back from an injury, but until Whitters, Gonch, Fleury, Mad Max, TK and whoever else start returning, I think we may see some more struggles from the Flightless Birds. However, I will take a rash of injuries in November and December and guys being healthy in April and May over the opposite scenario any day of the week.

-The Consol Energy Arena? Mehh... Maybe it will grow on me.

-I'm still trying to figure out how in the world this happened considering how far back Sid and Geno originally were and how badly the Canadiens fans were stuffing the ballot box. Seriously though, you can't tell me something fishy isn't going on here, right? I mean look at the totals for the Eastern Conference leaders vs. the Western Conference leaders! Are we sure that the Western teams' fans even know the NHL has an all-star game? Whatever. Good job Pens fans, and let's keep it up, because nothing would be funnier than seeing Whitney and Gonchar win starting spots, even if they aren't eligible to play and Fleury winning a spot even though he's been out for quite a while and doesn't even have the best goalie stats on his own team.

-It looks like we are getting closer and closer to Ryan Whitney returning to the lineup. A little while ago I wondered how the Pens would handle the return of Whitney to the lineup, as they had so many good NHL defensemen already playing, but the last few games, prior to last night's game, most of those guys had really been struggling. Goligoski, Letang, Eaton (when he occasionally plays), Boucher, and even a little bit Scuderi have all looked like suitable guys to sit when Whitney returns. Certainly, Letang and Scuderi figure to both be safe on the roster, though I think they will see diminished ice time and the occasional night off as well. I think Eaton or Boucher if he is still having injury issues make the most sense to be demoted and scratched on a Darryl Sydor-like basis, and the wild card is Goligoski. Prior to last night's game, he had just 2 points (both assists) in his last 11 games, and although his +/- has been solid, I was beginning to wonder if his rookie hot streak was wearing off. He looked good last night, though, and his play in the coming weeks will be worth watching.
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

The Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

As always on Sunday night of Monday morning, here's my weekend recap, complete with thoughts, links, stories, and inane anecdotes about all the teams from around the Three Rivers, with some other stuff thrown in to boot.

Penguins
-Sidney Crosby suddenly is a man on a mission these days. Granted Geno still holds a 5 point lead on Sid for the scoring title, but there is little question as to the identity of the hottest player on the planet right now. In the past few seasons, Sid would often go on these tears where he'd put up (at a minimum) a couple points a night, but the point totals usually were heavy on the assist side, as the playmaking gene in the Kid emerged. But this time, it's been mostly the actual scoring of goals that Crosby has been involved with. Which leads me to this bold statement: The way Sid is playing right now is the best total hockey he has played in his entire career. The goal scoring, the playmaking, the work on the PK, the way he and Geno can take over a game when they are paired together. If Crosby can even come close to sustaining this pace, he will run away with the scoring title, and the Pens will blow past the Rangers to the division title.

-I don't want to shortchange Geno, either, as he is having one unbelievable season right now. I've been very surprised to notice his development as a playmaker this season, as evidenced by his huge assist total. It's sort of interesting to note that he and Sid have sort of reversed their stereotypical roles of late, with Sid having a comfortable team lead in goals and Geno having the edge in assists. I might be an enormous Pens Homer, but I really think there is a very good chance these two end up being far and away the 1 and 2 in the scoring race come season's end. Not sure who finishes on top (at gunpoint I'd probably say Sid) but I wouldn't be shocked at all to see each go well past 120 points, assuming they both stay healthy.

-While John Curry certainly is no Ty Conklin, I thought he at least proved he has the ability to be a backup 'tender in the league. Of course, he'd be best served spending this season with the Baby Pens developing himself. Still, I was highly skeptical of his future prospects, but I thought he showed poise and skill in his two appearances.

-And of course, there's the work of Dany Sabourin, who has really brought his A game since the Flower went down. He also still sits atop the league in Goals Against Average. A downright jaw-dropping achievement if you had seen him a few years ago in his first start for the Pens when he gave up 4 goals on 14 shots in just over a period of work.

-Janne Pesonen's bizarre season continues to amplify in bizareness. The Swedish import, who some thought might spend the season playing on the wing of Geno or Sid was sent back down to Wilkes-Barre yet again this morning. It's not surprising that he was sent down if you watched the two games he actually dressed for, as he played about 6 minutes Friday night and just over 7 minutes last night. Still, I thought he put together solid efforts when he was out there, and although he was a -1 last night, I think he deserves more of a chance up here to show himself. Apparently Mikey Therrien disagrees though.

-It was also interesting that Pesonen dressed for the Buffalo game Friday night when Ruslan Fedotenko was a healthy scratch, and that Pesonen dressed again last night while Pascal Dupuis was scratched for reasons unknown.

-Marc-Andre Fleury's injury looks like it will hold our top netminder out for at least a few more games, as he was described by Mikey Therrien as being "week-to-week"

-Dave Molinari has an interesting look at the state of nutrition in the NHL these days, which includes an amusing little anecdote about our beloved Super Mario, and also gives us a reason to ask, "What do Eric Godard and Elvis Pressley have in common?"

-If you watched the game last night, is there really any player in the league that is more dramatic and breathtaking than Sidney Crosby? I mean don't even think there can be a debate on this topic. Even if you think Semin or Ovechkin or Zetterberg or whoever is the best player in hockey, none of them can make you rise to the edge of your seat like Sid can when he is playing like he is now. He was flying around the ice all night, and each of his three goals were "WOW" goals, even the empty-netter.

Steelers
-That was one heck of a show the Steelers just put on earlier tonight in their statement game win over the Patriots. To answer the question that I asked earlier today in my game preview, yes, the Steelers are a legit, top-of-the-AFC contender right now. I would put them on an even plane with the Titans, and ahead of the rest of the AFC's squads and behind only the Giants in the entire NFL after this tour de force performance.

-After a shaky start, Ben Roethlisberger really came around today. His final numbers might be a bit deceiving: 17/33 179 2 TD 1 Int, but if you watched the game, you saw a very solid performance. His receivers hurt him big time, as Heath Miller uncharacteristically dropped 2 very catchable passes, Willie Parker dropped an embarassingly easy swing pass, and Nate Washington dropped a sure touchdown pass that was perfectly thrown after making two more difficult catches earlier on.

-The defense was, in a word, dominating. The Patriots were able to make some head way on the ground with 122 yards rushing, most of it coming on 6 wildly effective carries by Kevin Faulk. Sammy Morris also grinded out 45 tough yards too. However, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley were monsters in the second half after struggling through the first. Troy Polamalu also had a monster of a game, with several passes defensed and was all over the field as usual, and added a league high 6th interception. Polamalu is even better than I thought possible now that he has been consistently healthy.

-Mewelde Moore and Willie Parker were once again a very effective tandem. Parker had some early issues and sat out the entire second quarter, probably due to lingering issue effects, but was excellent toward the end of the game at killing the clock. Moore, meanwhile, was a very dangerous run in Parker's absence, and for someone his size is also a very tough runner as well. I was also pleased to see Gary Russell punch one in for a touchdown, but with 3 carries for 1 yard, Russell still has quite a bit to prove as an everydown back.

-Ryan Clark's hit on Wes Welker was RIDICULOUS. I don't think I have ever seen a more violent hit that wasn't head-to-head in my entire life. Just a sickening sound, a sickening sight, and a sickening result.

-It would have been a very different game if Randy Moss doesn't drop that touchdown pass from Matt Cassel that he would have had 99 times out of 100. When Gostkowski shanked that field goal, you knew the Pats were in trouble, but if Moss snags that sucker, the game is on.

Pirates
-Not much to report on the Pirates these days, but you should check out Dejan Kovacevic's story about the Pirates happenings in the Dominican Republic. If you are a real baseball fan and understand the workings of the league in present day, it will give you some renewed faith in the Pirates organization's overall workings, even if their major league club may struggle mightily in 2009. Also, this is the first part of a 3-part series on the Bucs in Latin America, so be sure to check back on the PG's website the next few days for the remainder.

Pitt Football
-I covered quite a bit of Pitt football stuff in my post-Brawl column, but thought of a few more things I wanted to add.

-The experts seem to like our Panthers heading to the Brut Sun Bowl to play Oregon State. Would be interesting to see how they would fare against a team that was on the cusp of going to the Rose Bowl. It's also worth noting that this is all assuming that Pitt beats UConn.

-With one game remaining, there is a pretty strong chance that LeSean McCoy will at least tie for the national lead in touchdowns at the end of the regular season, and maybe even lead the thing outright with his 20. Javon Ringer currently leads with 21 but is done until bowl season, and Shady is tied for second with MiQuale Lewis of Ball State (who has the MAC Championship this weekend) and Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State (who is done until the Bowls).

-The Panthers are back in all of the rankings thanks to Friday's win.

Pitt Basketball
-Sam Young continued his march toward all kinds of postseason awards with a pair of excellent performances Friday and Saturday night to go with his career performance from Tuesday. What's more, those were two nice wins the Panthers put together as well over Washington State and Texas Tech. Hard to say if either is a tournament-caliber squad (I doubt Tech is, not sure about Wazzu) but wins over Big Conference schools, no matter which ones, are looked upon favorably.

-I was more than a little surprised to notice that Nasir Robinson didn't get into the game at all last night against Wazzu. Not that he'd be lighting the world on fire or anything, but I would not have expected him to be a guy to plummet to the bottom of the bench so quickly given his athleticism and reputation as the top recruit from this class. I can't really argue much with it, though either, and I think that Gil Brown's return to the lineup might make it difficult for Nas to get minutes, as they are similar types of players, and Gil is obviously the better player right now.

-While I made quite a bit about the Panthers bench and depth early on in the season, I also want to add that I think this could quickly become a team whose minutes are dominated by 6 players: Fields, Dixon, Young, Biggs, Blair, and Brown off the bench. Of course McGhee will get his minutes spelling the big guys, and Woodall and Gibbs will see time at the point when Fields is given a rest, and Wanamaker and Robinson will carve out some minutes as well, but the versatility of the top 6 guys makes it so that Jamie Dixon can rely heavily on the cream of the crop for probably 25+ minutes each. I mean think about it: Gil can play the 2,3, and even 4. Sammy is adjusting to the 3, and has a brilliant history at the 4. Blair and Biggs can both move seamlessly between the 4 and 5. And while Dixon and Fields are both probably only going to play their respective guard spots, Fields is a warrior who will probably average 35 minutes a game in Big East play, and Dixon has been nothing but impressive in his early play, and should have no trouble assuming a heavy workload.

-I've been very impressed by Levance Fields' newly found scoring touch. I would not have pegged him as the guy most likely to pick up the Panthers scoring slack this season, but he has been excellent this season. He has emerged as a surprisingly potent 3-point scoring threat, nailing over 40% of his bombs so far this year, establishing himself as the definite top option on the team in that regard.

Other Stuff
-This Texas/Oklahoma/ Texas Tech mess really makes its own case for a college football playoff system of some sort, doesn't it? I mean this is absolutely ridiculous. And since I already have my plan for a playoff system laid out, here's what it would look like as of now, if the season ended today.
Seeds:
1 Alabama (SEC Champ)
2 Oklahoma (Big 12 Champ)
3 USC (Pac-10 Champ)
4 Utah (Mountain West Champ)
5 Texas (At-Large Bid)
6 Penn State (Big Ten Champ)
7 Cincinnati (Big East Champ)
8 Boston College (ACC Champ)
9 Florida (At-Large Bid)
10 Texas Tech (At-Large Bid)
11 Boise State (WAC Champ)
12 Ohio State (At-Large Bid)

First Round Matchups:
Texas vs. Ohio State
Penn State vs. Boise State
Cincinnati vs. Texas Tech
Boston College vs. Florida

Second Round Matchups
Alabama vs. Boston College/Florida
Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati/Texas Tech
USC vs. Penn State/ Boise State
Alabama vs. Texas/ Ohio State

-Lastly, I wanted to give you a heads-up, for the next week and a half or so, I will be forced to dive headfirst into school work, what with Finals week looming on the horizon, and because of this, the blog is likely to take a hit as far as activity. I'm not giving up entirely, but will be forced to tone it down. I will give it my best effort to be on here with something at least every other day, but circumstance will dicatate that.

Malkin and Sid: Reunited and It Feels So Good

Last night in the dump on Long Island, we witnessed the full blunt force of what happens when the Pens combine their dynamic duo, Sid Crosby and Geno Malkin, and pit them against mere mortals. And it was a sight to be hold. An astonishing 4 third period goals as the Islanders begged for mercy from these two gods of ice. So, the question is now going to be raised in many 'burgh circles: Should this combo be paired together more often?

I think we certainly saw strong evidence to suggest that this should be a pairing that is used in overtime situations, and should continue to be used at the very end of games. Some critics will say that you shouldn't switch players around that much in game, but Sid and Geno are no ordinary players and certainly have the chemistry well-developed to play together, especially in overtime when the wide-open spaces play even more to their astounding strengths.

I don't think this is a move that coach Mikey Therrien will resort to often for entire periods, as he did last night though. The other three lines just aren't potent enough, and unless Therrien feels the Pens need their weekly swift-kick lineup change, I think he'll keep these two separated for the most part.

The Weekend Recap

It was a very lively Sunday evening down at Heinz Field for me, and after coming back from the Big Mustard Bottle on the North Shore to my drafty Oakland apartment, it took me the better part of Sunday evening to thaw myself out, hence why you are getting a Weekend Recap at on a Monday afternoon, instead, of you, at the end of the day Sunday like I hope to do.

For anyone else who was in attendance, I think you hopefully more than understand where I am coming from though, as I was in no condition to do anything but spend 30 minutes in a scalding hot shower and the rest of the night curled under roughly 300 blankets.

But believe me when I tell you, it was more than worth it to say that I was there for the first 11-10 final tally in the long history of the National Football League. And to say I was there for truly remarkable performances from Willie Parker, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu, and Hines Ward, and to also say I was there for one of the weirdest, most random, yet coolest snow storms in Pittsburgh history.

So, without further ado, here are the quick hits from the weekend that was in the Burgh:
-As is always the case when it comes to us residence near The Confluence, the weekend is made or broken by our beloved Steelers, and though the game kept us on pins and needles for 3 solid hours, our black and gold warriors once again game through victorious in a truly strange game that had to leave a smile on your face. The defense continues to enforce its will upon their opposition, and two players in particular, James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, have to be considered among the best defenders in all of football right now. Both made spectacular plays yesterday, Harrison with a game-altering safety of Phillip Rivers and Troy with an unreal interception that, from my distant view at Heinz, looked like an impossible pick. And of course, there is Troy's controversial fumble return for a TD that was negated, which is all the talk today because of the gambling implications.

-I can't for the life of me understand how the refs could go under the hood to look at the fumble, call it a fumble and a Steeler TD, and then decide, without any logical reason behind it, that it wasn't a TD. A truly strange moment if I have ever seen one, and one that rightly deserved the numerous articles and thousands of jokes surfacing on the 'net today.

-Large Benjamin still looks awfully achy to me out there. He was clearly laboring on any throw that went beyond 15-20 yards downfield, and it was surprising that Willie Parker had as much success as he did running the ball when the safeties were not playing far from the line.

-This is a truly bizarre NFL season, and with no offensive skill player really emerging with big statistical numbers to gain serious consideration for the NFL MVP Award, I am throwing my full support behind the one and only Silverback, James Harrison. Harrison is one nasty, nasty individual on the football field and that mean streak carries over to the rest of the defense when they line up together. Add that to the fact that he has the pretty, shiny statistics that voters lover to see (he's on pace for about 100 tackles and a jaw-dropping 19 sacks). Not to mention the Steelers Defense has statistically been either the best or very close to the best all season long, the Steelers are almost certainly headed to the post-season, and the way that they defense single-handedly won that game and has kept them in several games this season, and I think that we have ourselves a legitimate case for MVP on our hands.

-It was very cool to see Skippy Reed get another game winner as the clock ran out last night. He has been one of the best kickers in football the past couple seasons (and should have been a Pro Bowler last season), and knocking in game winners are often what gets kickers notice in this league.

-Hines Ward may have lost a step or two and doesn't force any team to bring safety help in to stop him the way we see opposing teams do with Santonio on occassion, but that guy is an absolute warrior and was the focal point of that offense yesterday.

-I've said it before (though probably not on here) and I'll say it again: I will never buy Phillip Rivers as a franchise quarterback, and will forever be grateful that the Chargers wanted him over Big Ben back in the 04 draft when they instructed the G-Men to take him instead of Ben to complete the Eli Manning trade. I'm not saying he's not talented, and he can certainly be a complimentary QB and lead talented teams into the postseason like he did a year ago, but I don't think he has that extra gear like Roethlisberger and Eli Manning have shown where they can lift their team from a good playoff one to a great championship one, and he certainly won't ever be on the same stratosphere as all-time greats like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Brett Favre.

-The Penguins continued their recent hot streak in playing from behind with a big 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres that was a much closer game then that score might indicate. To me, it seems like Geno Malkin is playing the best all-around hockey of his career right now, even better than the way he played last spring after Sid went out with an injury. He is an offensive force right now, and is the best player on the planet.

-Right now, the top two point scorers in hockey are a Penguin and a Capital, which should surprise absolutely no one who even remotely follows hockey. What should surprise them is that those two scorers are Geno and Alexander Semin.

-There are early reports this morning that the Flower, Marc-Andre Fleury, is injured. The injury is not yet known, he is day-to-day, and will miss the Minnesota game. Dany Sabourin has been excellent in relief so far this season, and I'm not concerned as long as this is a very short-term loss.

-The Darryl Sydor trade is a little strange in my opinion. I'm not the least bit surprised that he was dealt, and he has clearly wanted it for months, and he earned it after playing the good soldier for so long. But the return is what puzzles me. The man the Pens received in return, Phillipe Boucher, is only slightly younger than Sydor (35 to Darryl's 36), makes the exact same amount of money (2.5 million for this year, UFA afterward) and contributes nothing offensively. The only difference is he is a righty. So why do this deal? I mean you have to think that Boucher is just going to sit like Sydor did, and when Whitters and Gonch return, he is REALLY going to sit then. I assumed they'd keep Sydor til January or February then deal Sydor for a throwaway prospect to clear cap space for a trade where they acquire a top 2 line winger. Ray Shero, you know I hate to doubt you, because very often you end up being right, but I'm not too sure about this little maneuver.

-The win this past Saturday by the Cincinnati Bearcats sets up the biggest game of the Dave Wannstedt era this coming Saturday evening between said Bearcats and our Panthers. A full preview will be coming your way on Friday. I haven't even formulated any thoughts on this one yet other then some serious giddiness for my Panthers, as Cincinnati, while a tough and very resilient foe, looks to be a very beatable opponent, even though the game is on their turf. A W there puts there Panthers firmly in the driver's seat for the Big East crown, and sets up what would then be the new biggest game of the Dave Wannstedt Era.

Until next time folks...