Monday, February 28, 2011

Did Ray Shero Sleep Through His Alarm?




Nope.

In fact, he actually spent the day having a cigar on the patio with Sid talking about all the new wingers he got him.

No need to run up Mario's phone bill any more. Shero has his team.

The rest of the league was pretty quiet too. Caps picked up Wideman and Arnott. Kings got Penner. Dvorak went to Atlanta. Brad Richards stayed put.

Orioles @Pirates/ Pirates @ Rays 2/28/2011 Split Squad

Two games today, each at 1:03.

First we'll go with the Orioles. This is the first time John Russell will see his old team and he will be acting as 3B coach.

Lineup:
1. Jose Tabata LF
2. Josh Rodriguez
3. Andrew McCutchen CF
4. Pedro Alvarez 3B
5. Lyle Overbay 1B
6. Garrett Jones RF
7. Ryan Doumit DH
8. Chase d'Arnaud 2B
9. Jason Jaramillo C

Pitchers:
Paul Maholm
Jeff Karstens
Tyler Yates
Jeff Locke
Mike Crotta
Justin Wilson
Cesar Valdez

I expect Maholm and Karstens to go two, and the rest one. Some decent prospects in that lineup. This is probably the varsity.

Now onto the Rays. The Pirates are looking to take this series after each team split the first two.

Lineup:
1. Gorkys Hernandez CF
2. Ronny Cedeno SS
3. Neil Walker 2B
4. Matt Diaz RF
5. Joshua Fields 3B
6. Garrett Atkins 1B
7. Alex Presley LF
8. Chris Snyder DH
9. Dustin Brown C

Joshua Fields sure is getting a look. This is the all tweener team. Neil Walker must feel odd in that group.

Pitchers:
Bryan Morris
Fernando Nieve
Sean Gallagher
Aaron Thompson
Kyle McPherson

Joe Beimel who left the field before the game started and missed his scheduled opportunity with elbow soreness has no damage and is expected to be fine.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Ray @ Pirates 2/27/2011

The Pirates host their first Grapefruit League game of Spring Training season today at 1:05. They will try to avenge their loss against the Rays.

Pretty basic lineup again. This is generally what you can expect to see.


1. Jose Tabata LF
2. Neil Walker 2B
3. Andrew McCutchen CF
4. Pedro Alvarez 3B
5. Lyle Overbay 1B
6. Garrett Jones RF
7. Ryan Doumit C
8. Joshua Fields DH
9. Ronny Cedeno SS


Todays pitchers are listed below. Correia and Burres will both go two innings followed by the relievers who are expected to pitch one inning each.

Kevin Correia
Brian Burres
Joel Hanrahan
Joe Beimel
Jose Veras
Tony Watson
Chris Leroux

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Pair of Shootouts

It's a good day to be a fan of the Pens organization, as both Pittsburgh and WBS were able to steal a victory in the most exciting way the sport has to offer. The shootout.

Pittsburgh 6, Toronto 5
The Pens were finally able to stop their 4 game losing streak with a huge win in the shootout against the Leafs.

And once again Alexei Kovalev is making his presence felt, and in a huge way. Kovy scored the first goal of the game for the Pens with a perfect snipe, and then struck again in the shootout with the GWG.

The game was full of momentum swings, with the Pens taking control at the end of the second with a pair of goals from Letestu (on his first game back) and Jeffrey (on his 2nd game back) late in the period. Those guys are a huge asset working as 2nd and 3rd line centers, and it's great to see that they haven't missed a beat with their injuries.

The Leafs took advantage of a murderous opening shift and got a pair of quick ones to take the lead back, but Max Talbot converted on a shorthanded breakaway to tie it up again. It's nice to see him finally get on the board again, but I still think in the overall perspective of things that he's trade bait.

Phaneuf put the Leafs back on top just a minute later, but Mike Rupp knotted the game back up again with a fantastic diving goal. It was by far the prettiest goal you will ever see Mike Rupp score, and it's refreshing to see him get on the board as well.

Overtime was blah, and Fleury was in lockdown mode in the shootout. Really the underrated moment of the entire scoring-filled game was his amazing toe save on Lupul in the shootout to set up Kovy with the GWG in the second round.

-Nobody can deny that "Kovy-redux" has had quite the effect on the Pens in both games so far, but especially tonight. His hands are still unreal, and he made a few passes today that probably only Crosby can duplicate. The thought of those 2 on the same line in the playoffs already makes me excited, but that's a long way off.

-Neal and Niskanen continue to impress. Neal (playing with Staal and Kovy) has made a difference with his hard working offense as well as his backchecking, and Niskanen has been pretty close to shutdown in his 3 games with the Pens so far.

-Though the defenders each put in pretty good individual efforts, there is no denying that they are missing Martin and Orpik quite a bit. That being said, Ben Lovejoy was awesome tonight and Brian Strait is proving that he is capable of playing at this level as well.

-Penalty kill has looked shaky for the last few games. Obviously the absence of Orpik is taking it's toll, but the rest of the unit has to get back to its usual aggressive style of PK.

Impact: If you're an optimist you can look at how the Pens picked up 2 points on the Flyers. If you're not, you can celebrate the Pens putting 2 points on Buffalo and obviously Toronto. Either way, it's a huge 2 points.

but if you thought the big Pens game was exciting, you should see WBS...

WBS 3, Norfolk 2

Unreal shootout tonight in the Big Mo. 11 rounds, 9 goals, and some really unlikely heroes.

After usual shootout threats Veilleux and Sterling connected, it was Bryan Lerg, Zach Sill, and Joey Haddad who converted in the shootout to give the Pens a big 2 points.

Theissen (who wasn't even supposed to play tonight until he was put in after Norfolk's 2nd goal) struggled at first but then corrected himself and stopped enough shots to give his team the win.

Pens goals in regulation were scored by Robert Bortuzzo and newest superstar Ben Street.

I can't go on enough about Street (who has 9 goals and 12 points in 15 games). He has been absolutely clutch for WBS in the absence of leaders like Jeffrey and Tangradi. Oh, and you should really look for a video of Sterling's shootout move.

Pirates @ Rays 2/26/2011

After dispatching with the hapless Manatees the Pirates turn their attention to a somewhat bigger fish (although a substantially smaller oceanic species). The Pirates will take on David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays in what will be their first true Spring Training game. Mr. Electric Stuff himself, Charlie Morton, is your starter today, followed by many with very realistic futures in this organization.

Pitchers:

Charlie Morton
Brad Lincoln
Chris Resop
Daniel Moskos
Daniel McCutchen
Cesar Valdez
Justin Thomas

Moskos probably still ends up in AAA, but Resop, Lincoln, McCutchen, and Resop are all very realistic candidates to make the team.

I know it sounds crazy but this lineup doesn't look too absurdly bad:

1. Jose Tabata, LF
2. Neil Walker, 2B
3. Andrew Mccutchen, CF
4. Pedro Alvarez, 3B
5. Matt Diaz, RF
6. Lyle Overbay, 1B
7. Ryan Doumit, DH
8. Chris Snyder, C
9. Ronny Cedeno, SS

Very interested to see Pedro and Diaz personally. I just have a feeling Diaz will be more than a platoon player.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Pens Announce Orpik Out, Martin Back, Wallace demoted

Three other bits of Penguins news today.

First the Penguins announced that Defenseman Brooks Orpik will miss four to six weeks with a broken finger. Orpik was injured last night against the Sharks when a Joe Thornton shot struck his hand. He is expected to return close to the beginning of the playoffs.

With Orpik going out the Pens got some good news in the form of Paul Martin's return. Martin is expected to be back for the Penguins tomorrow night, after missing two games due to a cheap shot by Chicago Blackhawk Patrick Sharp.

With the acquisition of Alexei Kovalev the Pittsburgh Penguins have also sent Forward Tim Wallace back to Wilkes Barre-Scranton.

Wallace was recalled on February 5th, and stepped up to fight Dave Steckel. He played 7 games with the big club but had no points and was a -3 in his time here.

*Edit* apparently Martin is just able to practice, he still may be out the weekend.

Welcome Home Alexei Kovalev

Bob McKenzie has tweeted that the Pittsburgh Penguins have trade the Ottawa Senators a conditional draft pick for Alexei Kovalev.

As you probably know Kovalev spent parts of 5 seasons with the Penguins before being traded to the Rangers during the 2002-03 season. The RW has 27 points in 54 games this season with the Senators.

The draft pick the Penguins gave up was a conditional pick. Basically the Senators get a 7th round pick which can become a 6th round pick if the Penguins advance farther than the first round of the playoffs and Kovalev plays 50% + of the games.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Three Pirates Make Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

Three Buccos made the list.

Jameson Taillon was #11.
Tony Sanchez was #49.
Stetson Allie was #79.

How about a comparison.

Pitcher A made the list. He was 22 last season where he spent his season in AA. He posted a nice 14-9 record with a 2.94 ERA. His WHIP sat at 1.198, he gave up 7 H/9, .7 HR/9, but had a pretty pedestrian SO/BB of 1.94. He throws a low 90's fastball that occasionally hits 95-96 and a plus curveball. His change is below average at this point and he has had Tommy John Surgery. He sits at 29 on the list.

Pitcher B did not make the list. Also 22 last season in AA. He posted a 12-6 record with a 2.46 ERA. His WHIP was an unthinkable .980, he gave up 7.4 H/9, .7 HR/9, and had an unreal 5.74 SO/BB. His pitches include a low 90's fastball that sits between 90 and 93, an above average changeup, and an average curve.

Pitcher A is Kyle Drabeck.

Pitcher B?


Rudy Owens.

Pirates vs. State College Of Florida

It's not really Spring Training until the Pirates play the evil, vile, dastardly heathens that inhabit the State College of Florida. Well this clash of the titans will take place on Friday, February 25th. Here is your lineup, along with their stats from last season.

1. Corey Wimberly 2b - .284/.373/.354 with 56 SB at AAA. (spent last year in Oakland's Organization)
2. Chase d’Arnaud ss - .247/.331/.377 with 33 SB and 48 XBH at AA.
3. Steve Pearce 1b - .326/.424/.535 in 35 AAA games and .276/.395/.414 in 15 MLB games.
4. John Bowker lf - .313/.382/.587 with 18 homers in 76 AAA games and .219/.281/.371 in 67 MLB games.
5. Josh Fields dh - .429/.463/.653 between RK and AA and .306/.320/.490 in 13 MLB games. (spent last year in Kansas City's Organization)
6. Andy Marte 3b - .229/.298/.382 at the MLB level. (spent last year in Cleveland's Organization)
7. Andrew Lambo rf - .272/.334/.397 at AA.
8. Gorkys Hernandez cf - .266/.333/.334 at AA
9. Wyatt Toregas c - .227/.311/.383 between A-, AA, and AAA (spent last year in Cleveland's Organization)

Plenty of legit prospects in this game plus quite a few guys fighting to make the team. This will be a seven inning game with pitchers going 1 inning a piece. Your pitchers are:

1. Aaron Thompson - 5-13, 5.65 ERA between AA-AAA (spent last season in Washington's Organization)
2. Tyler Yates - 7.50 ERA in 15 games in 2009, currently rehabbing from Tommy John
3. Jeff Locke - 12-5, 3.56 ERA between A+ and AA
4. Mike Crotta - 7-10, 4.42 ERA between AA and AAA
5. Justin Wilson - 11-8, 3.09 ERA at AA
6. Kyle McPherson - 9-9, 3.48 ERA between A and A+
7. Rudy Owens - 12-6, 2.46 ERA at AA

Should be a real showdown Friday, blood on the grass type stuff.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Penguins Re-Assign Craig and Strait

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned forward Ryan Craig, and Defenseman Brian Strait to Wilkes-Barre Scranton.

Prior to be recalled by the Penguins Craig was Captain of the WBS Penguins. He was brought up on February 10th along with Nick Johnson, Brett Sterling, and Joe Vitale. Craig did not log a point in his 6 games until this point, although he did have 22 PIM. He was a -3. Craig currently ranks sixth in goals, fourth in assists, and is tied for fourth in points amongst WBS Penguins.

Brian Strait was called up last night to replace the injured Paul Martin after the trade that sent Goligoski to the Stars left the Penguins short a defenseman. He made his NHL debut in the Penguins 1-0 loss against the Washington Capitals last night, in which he blocked one shot. Strait is fourth on his team in +/- with a 17.

This move was necessary to clear room for James Neal and Matt Niskanen on the roster.

Reflections on Stars/Pens Trade

I was half tempted to just post this picture to describe my emotions at 4:00 pm today... but let's break it down.

Who We Got

James Neal
I honestly don't even know where to begin when talking about this guy. He's 6'3, tough enough to stand up for himself but not to the point where he takes many penalties. He's got a wicked shot and is on pace for 30 goals after playing most of the season with the likes of Steve Ott and Jamie Langenbrunner (imagine how he'll do with Sid or Geno).

The Pens have finally got that scoring winger everyone has been talking about for years, and Neal can probably fit in equally well with Malkin or Crosby. He will be an immediate boost to the struggling powerplay, and probably a mainstay on the top unit even as the top guys start to get healthy

Which leads me to probably the best part....he's only 23 years old. He is already easily a top 6 guy on any team right now, and has the potential to develop into something even more special.

Concerns? There are a few Stars fans that thought he was close to hitting his "ceiling" for development, but even if that were true (and I don't think it is) he is still a top 6 30 goal forward that we got at a bargain.

Matt Niskanen
Rather than Shero have to sweeten the deal, it was Dallas who threw in the additional player. That player is defenseman Matt Niskanen. Niskanen was a nightmare fit in Dallas (and has been on a year-long slump), and the word is that they were shopping him quite hard.

He's generally a "stay at home" defenseman who is a bit more stable that Goligoski on the defensive side but really has no upside on the offensive side of things.

Stars fans generally tended to scapegoat him very similarly to how "Goalagainstki" was referred as in Pittsburgh, but Bob McKenzie put it best in a tweet saying that "Niskanen's confidence shot in Dallas. Needed a change of scenery." Personally, I'm more than happy to have Niskanen. He was a 1st round pick in '05 and really looked quite impressive in his first few seasons in Dallas.

If he reaches his full potential, he may sort of a hybrid between Orpik and Michalek but realistically I see him as a guy who can add some depth and stability to the back-end of the defense and take on a role similar to Mark Eaton.


Bottom line: This was grand larceny today. Obviously Dallas is trying to clear up some cap space to re-sign Richards and they really were hell-bent on picking up Goligoski. Goligoski is actually quite a good fit for Dallas, but they gave up an awful lot to get him. My initial thoughts were that the Pens would have to package in a guy like Tangradi or at least a high pick to get this thing done, but they have an agenda down in Big D and are willing to take on some collateral damage to keep that agenda moving.

Pleasure doin' business with ya..

All hail King Shero.

One final note:

Neal's cap hit is 2.8 and Niskanen's is 1.5 per year. Take Goligoski's 1.8 out of the equation and that gives Shero quite a bit of room to play with for THIS YEAR.

Neal and Niskanen are both long-term guys, but the cap space freed up with Geno on the IR still gives the Pens room to take on a "rental" player or 2 for a potential playoff run this season.

I do think that Kovalev will be in a Pens uni before next week, and he will probably come cheap. (5th or 6th round pick 2011).

Shero may try to shop Talbot or Kennedy but I highly doubt that there is much of market for them. It'd be nice to at least get something for them, but given the current state of affairs the Pens are in need of bodies and can't afford to lose 2 forwards unless guys start getting healthy soon.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Pens Trade Goligoski for Neal and Niskanen

Well it was rumored all day and now it seems official. After reports of the Dallas Stars wanting more than Goligoski for James Neal, the Stars traded both Neal and Matt Niskanen for D Alex Goligoski.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Scott Olsen To Miss At Least A Week.

Oft-injured Pirates LHP, and all around good guy, Scott Olsen will be sidelined with a hamstring injury according to Pirates.com. Olsen, who has been bothered by shoulder injuries the past two seasons is currently in a battle with Brad Lincoln, Jeff Karstens, Brian Burres, Daniel McCutchen, and mainly Charlie Morton for the fifth spot in the Pirates rotation.

Olsen was brought in to compete for a spot in the rotation as a Free Agent after two miserable, injury plagued years with the Washington Nationals.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Mets Suck! Go Pirates!

Bold Predictions for a New Pirates Season

10. Prospect Matt Curry will make it to Altoona
9. The Pirates will regret losing Milledge.
8. Gorkys Hernandez will have a .800 ops and re-establish himself has a top ten prospect in the Pirates organization.
7. Jose Tabata will hit at least 15 homers.
6. Garrett Jones will prove he isn't an everyday player.
5. Evan Meek will be closing by August.
4. Rudy Owens will be called up before September.
3. Matt Diaz will play in more than a platoon role.
2. Ross Ohlendorf and James Mcdonald will combine for at least 23 wins.
1. The Pirates will not lose 95 games.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

David vs. Goliath



The third annual Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament is now going on over at Sean's Ramblings. We are up against Empty Netters, one of the best blogs in the world, not just Pittsburgh.

Last year we lost to some Steelers blog. Honestly, the only Steelers blog I read is One For The Other Thumb so make sure you vote for OFTOT.

Head on over to Sean's place and place your votes. You can also vote for Empty Netters (or us!) right here.

I'll have the Curry, Matt Curry That Is

When the Pirates drafted 1B Matt Curry out of TCU in the 16th round of the 2010 draft the consensus was that he was an organizational type. And why not, afterall he was a College Senior, drafted in the 16th and signed to slot.

There is more to him than that though.

The Pirates first drafted Curry during the 2008 draft with their 37th round pick. This Front Office obviously liked him them, and by drafting him again they proved that they still liked him and obviously thought there was more than an organizational player there.

While in College showed a decent amount of offensive potential, blasting 17 homers, including a dramatic grand slam to give TCU the lead in a CWS game, while hitting for a .353 average in his senior year. Curry set many records at TCU including most doubles, putouts, and walks.

After signing all he did was impress. At State College he hit for both average and power laying down a line of .299/.421/.477 with 21 XBH in 240 PA. He started off on fire, going 8 straight games with at least one hit as professional. He did strike out a lot, but he also walked a good bit. Curry has shown a good eye at both TCU, and at A-, and his ability to draw walks while also hitting for power could be key.

Curry isn't going to show up in any top tens, mostly because of his age, and the fact that he did that against basically the same competition he dominated in College, but his keen eye and huge power potential make him quite possibly the best power hitting prospect the Pirates have. The fact that he has a pretty good glove at firstbase also makes him that much more valuable. It's easy to see him steadily progressing, and being that power-hitting 1B this system is lacking.

I'd imagine he will spend a little time at West Virginia, but I don't think it's out of the question he ends up in Bradenton, then on to Altoona? Seems pretty aggressive, but I have a lot of faith in the guy.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Bloody Friday

Don't know even where to begin with this one, so I won't. Islanders took a big lead and then just decided to take liberties with whoever they wanted.

Skip to 2:08
Matt Martin has a hearing today. Better be 10-15+ for that sucker punch.
only got worse in the third.


Gillies proved yet again why he is pondscum. Also has a hearing today. Expect 2 different suspensions, the first for the elbow and the 2nd for his actions afterwards.

Godard with an automatic 10 game suspension for coming off the bench to defend Johnson. Bylsma also has a hearing because of Godard.

Havn't heard anything on Haley, but after the way he acted he is probably going back to Bridgeport anyway so it really doesn't matter what the NHL does to him. Enjoy your 15 minutes joke.



Tangradi with concussion like symptoms after the game.




Konopka must have felt left out. He is usually the one on his team to act stupid, but this time his teammates beat him to it. He has a hearing.


Unfortunate accident at the end of the game. Paul Martin took a puck to the knee. Pens finished the game with 6 skaters. Islanders had 8.

As if we needed this now.

April 8. Mark it on your calendar.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Top Ten Most Hated Teams - #6 Cleveland Browns



Before I get into one of the easier posts to write let me just say how torn I was. Five or six years ago the Cleveland Browns would have a much higher place in these rankings, now I think I may have given them too much hatred. As a good Steelers fan the Browns must be on this list, as a discerning football fan I realize the Cleveland Browns are truly a worthless organization and have little, if any, importance to me at all. Let's get into it though.

My hatred for the Browns goes back to my birth as a Steelers fan. It's just something you are born with. Sadly for the Browns since my birth things haven't gone too well in this "rivalry". Since 1985 the Steelers are 32- 16 against the Browns. The Browns have swept the series 3 times since 85' but not once since 1988. One thing the Browns have proven they can't do is win in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are 34-6 against the Browns since moving into Three Rivers Stadium in 1970.

Shockingly enough though the All Time series record is 61-56 Pittsburgh, remarkably close considering the Steelers domination over the last 20 years. That makes it one of the most hotly contested rivalries in the NFL, it's also the longest running AFC Rivalry.

Calling this a rivalry now seems like a bit of a joke at this point, it's more like a big brother giving his little brother a 40 year noogie.

And the Browns play the little brother role very well. There always seems to be a bit of penis envy coming from the Cleveland. That point is illustrated perfectly by Jim Brown's incessant whine fest in regards to Franco Harris. It's bad enough that Harris dominated the Browns, but in Brown's mind Harris was soft for playing smart, why take the huge hit and shorten your career when you can step out of bounds and kill the defense with another big play? For a yard? Jim Brown just can't stand the fact that a Steeler passed him up, and won all those Superbowls during the 70's.

Another dagger in the hearts of Browns loyalists is the amount of Steelers Superbowl rings on former Browns staff, and Ohio natives. They hired Bud Carson, who won a few Superbowls with Noll's staff (who was from Cleveland himself,and played for the Browns), Bill Cowher left the Browns to follow another great coach that left Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City before eventually becoming the coach that would do the most damage in the Browns/Steelers rivalry. Worst of all might be Bruce Arians, who seemed to be turning the Browns offense around before he was fired by Butch Davis. Arians went on the be wide receivers coach for the Steelers, and replaced Ken Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator, winning two rings in the process.

Three of the most important Steeler Superbowl winners (Roethlisberger, Harrison, and Lambert) all hail from the state of Ohio and another, Chris Gardocki, left the Browns to punt for the Steelers, winning a ring in the process.

But hey at least they brought in the Walrus. I'm sure Mike Holmgren will fit in very well. Afterall the Steelers have been under his skin since they successfully beat his Seahawks in Superbowl XL. Willford Brimley's demeanor, just hasn't been the same since.

And speaking of James Harrison, is there a more apt synopsis of this rivalry then James Harrison pummeling that fan a few years back? He slammed him to the ground like the Steelers slam Browns fans dreams to the ground every year.

You want to laugh? Here's a list of the Browns starting quarterbacks since the team was reinstated in 1999.

Tim Couch
Ty Detmer
Doug Pederson
Spergon Wynn
Jeff Garcia
Kelly Holcomb
Luke McCown
Trent Dilfer
Charlie Frye
Derek Anderson
Brady Quinn
Ken Dorsey
Bruce Gradkowski
Colt McCoy
Jake Delhomme
Seneca Wallace

Every one of those quarterbacks except Gradkowski and Wynn started multiple games for the Browns. That is a massive list of not only mediocrity, but also just some absolutely wretched players.

One Nice Thing About The Cleveland Browns: This will be a little bit different. There is a reason I didn't mention the Browns deplorable move by Art Modell and that's because it was a shady act, and what should amount to a crime against one of the proudest fan bases in Sports. Sure they might have an inferiority complex but as a Pirates fan I get it. The fans in Cleveland have stuck with a pathetic team for what seems likes ages.

When the Browns move was proposed Dan Rooney was one of only two owners to vote against robbing a great fan base of their team just for greed's sake. Steelers fans might talk about the lowly Browns and their fans but these two team are intertwined, and that will never change. You will never see Steelers fans in another team's colored arm bands because they are moving, it's a sign of mutual respect that is shared among the fan bases. And that's why they had to make this list.

Monday, February 7, 2011

My Top 5 SuperBowl Commercials 2011

The game certainly left a lot to be desired and so did the commercials but there were a few good ones.

#5. Snickers



The commercial was meh, but you gotta admit you chuckled when Roseanne got plastered by that log...

#4. Pepsi Max



This one wins the prize for the funniest "quirky" commercial.

#3. Chevrolet



Didn't expect that did ya. Me either.

#2. Doritos



I was laughing even before the ending. It's just something about a pug that never fails to make you laugh.

#1. Brisk



This one was my favorite. Can't really explain why. Just good for a laugh.

Packers win, packers win

Much to the delight of Pirates thrower Paul Maholm the Green Bay Packers are your Superbowl Champions.

After a long, sleepless, night of sleeping over what I witnessed last night, coupled with a long, lonely drive to work ($ont worry its break time) in which I had time to reflect on not only the game but on the massive amount of shit (well deserved) I would take I've come to a few conclusions.

First and foremost blame lies with no one player. Now if you check my Twitter you will see otherwise on numerous occasions, but that was just emotion. Let's face it guys like William Gay have their limitations, so his weaknesses are no surprise at this point. Physical capabilities need to be schemed out and in this case they were not. Mendenhall had a bad fumble but he carried the offense for much of the first half. The bottom line is that our good players like Gay, Mcfadden, and Madison (stretching it with good for him) played average at best. The teams great players were only average to good. They didn't make the plays that got them their and weren't able to overachieve in this game.

That said the coaching staff left a lot to be desired, whether it was inexplicably going away from the run, to the failure of the scheme to adjust to the Packers passing game the coaching staff was also very average. Tomlin clearly did not have this team ready to play.

Lastly the Packers were a lot of people's favorite going in. They dealt with a lot of adversity and had a quaterback with something to prove. They played their way into the playoffs as a sixth seed, and took the tough road through. That has a way of bringing guys together. We've all seen this movie before and, save the Bettis storyline (did you know he was from Detroit?) this incarnation of the Steelers basically lost to the 2005 Steelers.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Steelers Night in WBS


Pic of the ice tonight vs Manitoba


Here We Go!
Let's Go Pens!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Game 52: Pens 3, Islanders 0

JOHNNY ON THE SPOT!

PENGUINS LINEUP
Kunitz-Jeffrey-Dupuis
Kennedy-Staal-Cooke
Rupp-Talbot-Conner
Tangradi-Adams-Godard
Letang-Orpik
Martin-Michalek
Goligoski-Engelland
Johnson

ISLANDERS LINEUP
Moulsen-Tavares-Parenteau
Grabner-Nielsen-Okposo
Comeau-Bailey-Colliton
Martin-Konopka-Schremp
MacDonald-Hamonic
Martinek-Hillen
Gervais-Reese
DiPietro

SCORING
Penguins- 3
-Tyler Kennedy (Martin, Michalek) 1-8:08
-Chris Kunitz (Dupuis, Martin) 1-13:10
-Max Talbot (Adams) 3-19:19
Islanders- 0
-none

FIGHTING
Rupp vs Konopka
-Rupp put some manners on him.
Johnson vs DiPietro
-One punch knockout!

GOALTENDING
Pens- Johnson/Fleury
W- Johnson (20-20)
ND- Fleury (0-0)
Islanders- DiPietro/Poulin
L- DiPietro (19-21)
ND- Poulin (2-2)

POWERPLAYS
Pens- 1/5 (7:08)
Islanders- 0/5 (9:11)

1st Period
-Should be interesting to see how these new lines work tonight.
-Talbot with another great chance but DiPietro stops it with a circus save. Conner unable to put home a golden rebound, defenseman just tipped the shot wide.
-Puck bounces off back boards to Grabner but Johnson gets the pads down to stop him. A few assorted chances so far but neither team sustaining pressure.
-Talbot and Conner again hook up for a chance but 25's pass just a bit wide of Conner's stick.
-Talbot flattens Comeau into the boards. Comeau slow to get up so play stops. Clean hit, don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Konopka jumps in and gets himself an extra 2 for roughing.
-Kennedy rips one from a tough angle after DiPietro gives up a nice rebound. A shooter's shot from TK. 1-0 Pens
-Tangradi with some nice speed to get himself a good opportunity on DiPietro. Adams just missed a rebound chance. Pens buzzing on all cylinders right now.
-DiPietro with a spectacular save on Chris Conner set up by some solid checking by Rupp.
-Kunitz sneaks a backhander between DiPietro's arm and the post. Koon really caught him creeping forward. 2-0 Pens
-Godard to the box. Pens kill the penalty like they usually do. Puck up and down the ice.
-Tangradi is getting time on several different lines (as Bylsma planned).
-Johnson with a solid glove save on Parenteau. Probably the best opportunity of the night for the Isles.
-Isles get a late powerplay. It will carry over into the 2nd.
-Period ends 2-0 Pens.

Notes: This is exactly how a period should look against the Islanders. No complaints here, just keep it going.

2nd Period
-Isles start period on a powerplay. Pens dominate possession on a PK.
-Talbot with a shorthanded chance set up by Cooke. Hits both posts, goal horn at CEC goes off, but still no goal for him.
-Rupp and Konopka square off. Rupp lands a few great shots early and then a few more late before wrestling Konopka to the ground.
-Game picking up some pace. Islanders really pushing for some offense but Johnson and the D not budging.
-Comeau got Letang pretty hard from behind. Letang looked like he was hurt for a while but got up and rejoined the play no worse for wear. This one getting a bit ugly at the moment.
-Pens to the powerplay. A goal here would be devastating for the Islanders.
-Countless chances for the Pens on that man advantage but they just couldn't seem to hit the net. Tangradi also received significant PP time.
-Hard work by all Pens forwards right now. Pens get another powerplay.
-Kunitz clangs one off the goalpost while flying into the zone. Great pass from Jeffrey.
-Powerplay ends with a Staal interference call. Time for some 4 on 4.
-Pens again generate more attack on the Isles' PP than the Isles do!
-Rupp to the box for a late hit. Saw the ref waive off what he thought was the icing but it turned out to be something else. Fluky penalty.
-Bizarre moment here. Adams with a nice shorthanded chance that bounces off DiPietro's glove, onto the top of the netting and into DiPietro's water bottle holder.
-Period ends 2-0 Pens.

Notes: This game could easily be about 5 or 6 to nothing right now. Pens hit 3 posts and had a few more where DiPietro was just plain lucky. Hopefully those missed chances won't come back to haunt us but if we keep playing like this than we'll be fine.

3rd Period

-After penalty expires the Isles get a nice rebound off Johnson but he recovers in time to clear his crease.
-Lines are jumbled to start the period. Jeffrey with Rupp and Adams. Tangradi with Talbot and Conner.
-Pens powerplay. Grabner looked sure to get a shorthanded breakaway but fantastic diving play by Michalek to strip him.
-Pens in "lead protection" mode. So far Johnson and the defense are stepping up to the plate.
-Johnson with a great glove save near the midway mark in the period. Even more impressive considering the deflection right before it got to him.
-The only thing concerning me now is that the Pens have forgotten about offense. All Islanders right now.
-Still 2-0 with 5 minutes to go. Much of the same so far in the third.
-And some more PK awesomeness.
-Cooke with a chance to end it but DiPietro gets in front of it at the last moment to keep the game within 2.
-Islanders pull the goalie early, Pens hold the fort.
-After setting up Talbot for a whole minute, he finally launches one from center ice AND IN! It's about time! 3-0 Pens.
-CHAOS! DiPietro takes a cheap shot on Cooke. Fighting in the boards and who comes to Cookie's defense. BRENT JOHNSON. GOALIE FIGHT!! PUMMELS Ricky with one punch.
-Fleury and Poulin out to finish the last 16.5 seconds.
-Pens actually had a powerplay and tried to score at the end but it doesn't matter!
-PENS WIN 3-0 in a CRAZY ending.

Notes: That was unreal. Brent Johnson for President!



Final Thoughts and Notes:

-Ah, what the hell! Johnson can be vice president too!
-On a more serious note, also a great showing for the D.
-Zbynek Michalek is worth every penny.
-Tangradi looked like a solid NHL 3rd line grinder. Doing work in front of the net and dishing the puck off nicely.
-Max Talbot played a whale of a game. 2 posts away from a hat trick.
-Pens really played "smart" hockey today as well. Can't think of one instance where they made things more difficult on themselves. Coaching 101: Take what your opponent gives you and build on it.
-Underrated player of the game: Chris Conner. Didn't show up on the scoreboard but he was absolutely flying out there!

GRADES

Line 1: A-
Line 2: B+
Line 3: A
Line 4: B +
D1: B+
D2: A+
D3: B+
Johnson: A+
Powerplay: A-
Penalty Kill: A+

GAME CHANGING PLAY

Kunitz's goal was really hard on the Isles, especially with the way the Pens' D was playing.

MY 3 STARS

1. Brent Johnson
2. Max Talbot
3. Chris Kunitz

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Game 51: Pens 4, Rangers 3 SO

PENGUINS LINEUP
Kenendy-Staal-Cooke
Kunitz-Jeffrey-Dupuis
Rupp-Talbot-Conner
Asham-Adams-Godard
Orpik-Letang
Martin-Michalek
Goligoski-Engelland
Fleury

RANGERS LINEUP
Dubinsky-Anismov-Gaborik
Zuccarello-Stepan-Callahan
Wolski-Boyle-Prust
Avery-Newbury-Drury
Staal-Sauer
McDonagh-Gilroy
Del Zotto-Girardi
Lundqvist

SCORING
Penguins- 3
-Dustin Jeffrey (Kunitz, Goligoski) 2-5:30
-Mike Rupp (Talbot, Engelland) 2-10:36
-Chris Kunitz (Michalek, Orpik) 2-14:12
Rangers- 3
-Brandon Prust (Wolski, Boyle) 1-3:52
-Artem Anismov (Dubinsky, Gaborik) 2-1:41
-Ryan Callahan (Del Zotto, Zuccarello) 2-19:47

SHOOTOUT
Penguins- 1
Letang- X
Dupuis- X
Kunitz- X
Goligoski- X
Kennedy- X
Conner- X
Jeffrey- O
Rangers- 0
Wolski- X
Zuccarello- X
Anismov- X
Callahan- X
Stepan- X
Dubinsky- X
Gaborik- X

FIGHTING
Engelland vs Prust
-Engo beat him down pretty nice.

GOALTENDING
Pens- Fleury
Fleury- W (26-29) (7-7)
Rangers- Lundqvist
Lundqvist- L (23-26) (6-7)

POWERPLAYS
Pens- 1/3 (3:22)
Rangers- 1/6 (10:17)

1st Period
-Rangers generating the first attack.
-Orpik gets pick pocketed. Boyle works his way right in front of Fleury for the point blank shot. Flower makes the initial save but Prust comes in untouched through the backdoor and slams home the easy rebound. 1-0 Rags
-Talbot with a point blank shot but shoots it right at Lundqvist. Yet another missed opportunity from Max.
-Conner in the box. This penalty kill is indescribably important for the Pens.
-Callahan with a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 on the PP but just missed an open net. Pens surviving so far.
-I'll say it now (midway through period). Things better change in a hurry. 1-0 Rangers and the Pens with only 1 decent scoring chance so far in the game.
-Kunitz out with Adams and Godard for a shift. Probably the best of the game so far for Pittsburgh.
-Game has now taken a bit of a sluggish pace for both teams. (5 min to go)
-Fleury looks pretty sharp but having trouble with rebounds so far tonight.
-Delay of game on Pens. Another huge penalty kill coming up.
-Solid aggressive penalty kill for the Pens.
-Period ends 1-0

Notes: Pens did gradually improve as the period went on but not all that much. The defense got better, but the offense has yet to do anything since Talbot's chance. Pens need to start getting pucks deep...blah blah blah the usual stuff you would say to a team doing nothing offensively.

2nd Period
-Puck drops. Cooke and Prust yapping but no fight. Meanwhile, the Rangers come very close to scoring after Fleury mishandles one behind the net.
-Stepan point blank in front of the net. Fleury needs to snow-angel to stop it. Why did the D just let him in there like that?
-Fleury again gives up a rebound, but seems like he is going to get away with it until Anismov bats it out of the air. 2-0 Rags.
-Versus reporting Asham is hurt.
-Engelland puts a nice beating on Prust. I guess anything counts as momentum.
-Dustin with an absolute cannon from the left circle. What a timely goal! And on the powerplay too... 2-1 Rags.
-Staal with a huge defensive play in front of the net to intercept a back-door pass. May have saved a goal.
-Talbot swings wide left. Rupp drives the net. Puck centered in front and Rupp bangs it home. That's textbook hockey folks, and exactly what needs to happen without 87/71/10. 2-2
-Pens make a mess of a powerplay right after the goal. Hope this doesn't swing the momentum back...
-Conner blocked a hard shot. Got up slowly and headed down the runway.
-Jeffrey wins the faceoff back to Orpik, who one touches it to Michalek. Michalek winds up the slapper, which deflects off Kunitz's stick and past Lundqvist! Pens controlling the game right now. 3-2 Pens
-Prust with a nasty hit from behind on Kennedy. Staal jumps in and engages Prust. Throws a gloved punch, 5 minute match penalty. Ugly situation here. He is gone.
-Rangers score with just seconds remaining in the period. Pens did a fine job killing the penalty until then, but this will completely change the outlook of the 3rd period. 3-3
-3-3 at the end of the period.

Notes: Unbelievable how things change. The Pens had taken complete control of the game and were completely outworking the Rangers until the Staal penalty completely turned everything around. Pens now have to finish the game with 9 forwards (assuming that more don't get hurt).

3rd Period
-When it rains it pours. Michalek swats the puck in the direction of the glass and it sails over the net. Rangers with another PP.
-Fleury with a huge save on Zuccarello to keep the game tied.
-Dubinsky takes a slash. 4 on 4.
-Fleury making more big saves. Pens starting to feel the fatigue from the short bench.
-Avery runs into Fleury. No call.
-Conner is back out and playing so that is one bullet dodged tonight.
-Fleury with another big save on Avery.
-Pens are starting to gain the edge in possession time, but still not on the scoreboard.
-Letang takes a costly penalty with 7:14 to go. PK needs to dig deep without Staal.
-Taken care of business on the PK. Now it's a 5 minute showdown for the game (and then maybe another if this one doesn't settle it).
-2 minutes to go. Pens being outshot 11-1.
-Pens take an icing penalty with 40 seconds to go. Already used their timeout so this could be dangerous.
-Heading to OT

Notes: We can thank Fleury for that point. That was a Ranger period everywhere except the scoreboard. Time for some bonus hockey.

Overtime

-2 on 1 for Anismov and Gaborik but Goligoski and Martin do a fine job defensively to break it up.
-4 minutes of Rangers attack. 4 minutes of Fleury saves. It's shootout time, folks.

Shootout

-Letang slowly creeps his way in. Almost looked like he tried to change his mind mid-shot. Lundqvist has the answer. SAVE
-Wolski goes wide left. Fleury closes the 5-hole just in time. SAVE
-Dupuis tries the same snapshot move he did in Washington, but just wide. MISS
-Zuccarello again tries 5-hole. Fleury again says NO. SAVE
-Kunitz comes flying straight at Lundqvist but Henry gets the pad out to stop him. SAVE
-Anismov with a last-minute backhand deek which Fleury matches nicely. SAVE
-Goligoski with a very hard wrist shot but Lundqvist gets the blocker out in time. SAVE
-Callahan with the best opportunity so far. Pump fake and again tries 5 hole. Fleury just closes the legs. SAVE
-Kennedy whiffs on the backhand after Lundqvist sticks out the poke check. MISS
-Stepan goes backhand but Fleury with a very impressive save with the pad. Really great save. SAVE
-Conner flies in with pure speed. Tries 5 hole but Lundqvist shuts the legs. SAVE
-Dubinsky tried the fake backhand move but Fleury gets the poke check out. SAVE
-JEFFREY BURIES IT WITH A WRISTER. GOAL
-Gaborik tries the same move but Fleury is there! PENS WIN

Final Thoughts and Notes:

-If Bruce Boudreau were here, he'd say something about overcoming adversity.
-Dustin Jeffrey had been playing quite well before in his stints with Pittsburgh, but to put a performance like that in a game like this on national TV...welcome to the NHL bro.
-Huge props to the penalty killers (as usual). Kept it close when it was needed most.
-Talbot continues to be "snake-bitten" Can't buy a goal.
-I'm not going to further comment on the Staal situation other than this. Yes he was in the wrong for throwing the punch. Yes Prust clearly embellished it a lot. It's the NHL's call about the suspension.
-But that leads into my next point of expecting some callups because Asham also left the game. Not sure about the severity of Letestu's injury and the word is that Malkin will be returning soon, but better safe than sorry.

What a huge win tonight, morally and mathematically. Picked up 2 big points on the Flyers (who got hammered by Tampa) and also (obviously!) one on the Rags.

GRADES

Can't really grade by line tonight because they were so jumbled up with all the penalty killing and players leaving. So I'll just do this...

Offense: C
Defense: B+
Fleury: A-
Powerplay: B+
Penalty Kill: A

GAME CHANGING PLAY

Fleury! (pick a save)

MY 3 STARS

1. Dustin Jeffrey
2. Marc-Andre Fleury
3. Chris Kunitz